Posts by Jonathan Master

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Confessional Subscription and the Minister’s Integrity Today’s topic couldn’t be timelier. Jonathan and James are joined by David Strain, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MI, to talk about David’s recent address at the Gospel Reformation Network conference on the topic of...
Vital Churches Wendell McBurney is our special guest. He’s been dean of research at Indiana University and has done a lot of writing in academic circles. Dr. McBurney has also been a valuable member of the RPCNA—the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America for many decades. Today’s topic is...
R.C. Sproul, A Life Reformation Bible College President Stephen Nichols joins Jonathan and James. Their old friend stops by to discuss the biography he’s written about pastor, teacher, and theologian R.C. Sproul. Nichols talks about his working and personal relationship with Sproul, and the...
Why Should You Be Acquainted with John Owen? Jonathan and James are pleased to be talking with Crawford Gribben today. He’s the professor of Early Modern British History at Queen’s University in Belfast. Gribben has written An Introduction to John Owen: A Christian Vision for Every Stage of Life ,...
“I Have Learned to be Content…” The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals sponsors the Quakertown Women’s Conference in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. This year’s conference will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube May 14th and 15th, and the theme is “Contentment in Christ.” Among some very special...
PCRT and Praying to the Triune God The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is renowned for its long-standing yearly conference: PCRT, the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Once again, the event has been compelled to move online due to COVID restrictions. This year’s PCRT theme is...
No Creed But the Bible? Jonathan and James welcome a very special guest today. J. V. Fesko is the Harriet Barbour Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. The Need for Creeds Today is one of Fesko’s most recent works and the topic of today’s...
Pastoral Visitation Chad Vegas, founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, CA, visits with Jonathan and James to talk about his journey from pragmatism to conviction. Chad gives us his background, and tells us who the Lord has used to change his ministry, and how God did so! Chad...
The Word Became Fresh Dale Ralph Davis has been a minister at a few traditional Reformed churches in the US. For some time, he was Old Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. Dale lives a much quieter life now, and is happy to chat with Jonathan and James about one of...
Hypo What? Our hosts Jonathan and James sit down together to discuss what to some may be a daunting topic—nevertheless, one that is important to get right. Hypostatic union refers to the union of the two natures of Christ in His person. The questions then are raised: How do these two natures...
Avoiding Chronological Snobbery Nick Needham joins us from across the Atlantic. He’s the minister of Inverness Reformed Baptist Church and a lecturer at Highland Theological College. Nick’s also the writer of an outstanding four volume set entitled 2000 Years of Christ’s Power: The Age of the Early...
Original Sin: Born This Way James and Jonathan tackle a foundational theological topic this week. The doctrine of original sin is integral to our grasp of many other biblical doctrines. How should we define original sin, and how is it different from the sins we commit daily? Guilt, corruption,...
“It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake.” — Westminster Confession of Faith XXIII.4 This past year will likely be remembered by many for...
No Creed but the Bible? James Renihan joins us. He’s president and professor of Historic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, TX. At issue: Is it accurate to say that Baptists have no confessions, and “no creed but the Bible”? Our guest quickly and politely debunks these myths! What...
By Good and Necessary Consequence James and Jonathan welcome special guest Ryan McGraw. Ryan is academic dean and professor of Systematic Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His book, By Good and Necessary Consequence, is the topic of today’s conversation. It is part of the...
The Case for Biblical Archaeology Jonathan and James meet to share a conversation with John Currid. He’s the Chancellor’s Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, a trained archaeologist, and an ordained minister in the PCA. Dr. Currid is in to chat about his...
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Part 1 Jonathan and James receive the visit of a close friend who has written one of the most significant books of 2020. Carl Trueman is the co-host of Mortification of Spin —another podcast from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals—and professor of...
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Part 1 Jonathan and James receive the visit of a close friend who has written one of the most significant books of 2020. Carl Trueman is the co-host of Mortification of Spin —another podcast from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals—and professor of...
Exodus Old and New Michael Morales is professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and his most recent book is getting some well-deserved attention. It’s titled Exodus Old and New , and Michael tells us how the book—which is not a commentary—traces the Exodus motif...
The Exclusivity of the Gospel Jonathan and James have a one-on-one conversation to sort through three views surrounding the way of salvation. Is Jesus Christ really the only way? If so, what is required? Can one be saved without any knowledge of Christ’s person and work? Romans chapter one offers...
Green Pastures Ryan Davidson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Chapel in Hampton, VA, and the author of Green Pastures, A Primer on the Ordinary Means of Grace. Ryan starts the discussion by defining means of grace, then drills down to explain the ordinary means of grace. What does the word ordinary...
The Cure for Unjust Anger Jonathan and James welcome Brian Hedges to the podcast. Brian is the lead pastor at Redeemer Church in Niles, MI and is responsible for breathing new life into one of the works of John Downame, a 16th century Puritan who was known as a “physician of souls.” In The Cure for...
Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God Jonathan and James invite Joel Beeke to the podcast to discuss the outstanding documentary Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God , tracing Puritanism from its birth to its modern influence. Dr. Beeke—president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary,...
COVID Repentance Peter VanDoodewaard is the pastor of Covenant Community Church in Taylors, SC. He’s in-house today to chat about an article he’s written for Reformation21.org titled Covid-19 Repentance. Peter's piece combines a reflection on the Old Testament minor prophets with the unprecedented...
The Story Retold Benjamin Gladd is the associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. He joins James and Jonathan to discuss The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament, his recently published book co-written with G.K. Beale. No...
Pastors and Polemics Jonathan and James bring up a timeless topic facing pastors of every generation—most especially, today. Polemical debates and arguments rage in the streets, online, even from the pulpit. But, should pastors be involved, and—if so—to what extent? Could engaging in polemics...
Every Day Matters Brandon Crowe is the associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, and the author of several books—most of them on the theology of the Old Testament. This time, he’s written a book on productivity, which piqued our curiosity. In the past decade or so,...
The Doctrine of Angels Jonathan and James tackle a topic somewhat underemphasized in Reformed circles, and—perhaps—overemphasized elsewhere. Should we give more attention to angels? What are the benefits of studying the few verses in Scriptures that address these holy and glorious creatures? Angels...
With All Your Heart Dr. Craig Troxel is professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary California and James’ former pastor. Craig visits the podcast to discuss his recently written book, With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ. When Scripture mentions the...
Historical Collections of the Past A socially-distanced Caleb Cangelosi joins Jonathan and James via Zoom. Caleb is the senior pastor at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland, MS, and the founder of Log College Press—the topic of our conversation today. Log College Press is a publishing...
Walking with God Jonathan and James have the pleasure of speaking with Rhett Dodson today. He’s the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Hudson, OH. Pastor Dodson was scheduled to speak at the Banner of Truth East Coast Ministers’ Conference this month, had the event not been cancelled due to the...
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has always been an alliance . In other words, we have always united, but we have had our differences – often on serious matters. We have also always insisted on being confessional . Every regular ACE contributor has been required to adhere to one of the...
Fear Podcast Jonathan and James lead a timely conversation about fear. As we all grapple with a viral pandemic—and the social isolation, anxiety, and economic uncertainty it can bring--fear can creep in, bringing with it hopelessness and even despair. How must Christians respond when the world is...
Hugh Martin was a 19th century Scotsman and distinguished mathematician who became a minister of the gospel. As he battled mental health issues, Martin’s last 20 years of life were marked by writing--sermons, essays, and letters--as well as some occasional preaching. Sinclair Ferguson joins...
Doctrinal Introduction: Perseverance of the Saints Jonathan and James have a chat about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. The Christian race isn’t always easy, which sometimes may cause us to wonder whether we’ll finish well. What assurance do we have that our running is not in vain...
Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ Jonathan and James are joined by Alan Strange. Alan is professor of church history at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, and a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The question is posed: How important is the doctrine of the active obedience of...
Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals What do evangelicals need to retrieve, and why? Gavin Ortlund is pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, California. He joins James and Jonathan to talk about his book--Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals--and to answer these questions, and others. Some...
Many readers of Reformation21 will be familiar with the Revoice Conference. The first of its meetings was in the summer of 2018, and next will be this coming July. The stated purpose of the conference was, "Supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex attracted, and other gender...
Ministering With a Clear Conscience Why does Paul emphasize clearness of conscience in regard to one’s ministry? James defines “conscience”, expands on its dual function, and talks about how it often speaks against our will. The hosts discuss the fallibility of the conscience, and how it can—at...
Jonathan and James are happy to introduce our listeners to another great book written by Benjamin Shaw, who—for many years—was professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary…but recently took a position as Professor of Old Testament at Reformation Bible...
Foundations of Covenant Theology Jonathan and James are very excited to introduce Lane Tipton. He’s fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Forum, and pastor of Trinity OPC church in Easton, PA. Lane has assembled an outstanding video series for the Forum titled Foundations of...
Doctrine of God and Church Discipline - Q&A Jonathan and James answer a few listener’s questions as a follow-up to a prior episode. Our hosts address the question of how one can know if Scripture is speaking of God metaphorically or literally. How should one understand Scripture when it talks...
The Newton Guy Keith Plummer is professor at Cairn University teaching a variety of classes related to pastoral ministry, apologetics, and biblical courses. He also happens to work next door to Jonathan and James, lending a comfortable familiarity to their conversation. Keith shares how he became...
One of the most notable aspects of Paul’s ministry was his commitment to hard work and sacrifice. Paul worked hard—harder than most of his peers. In 1 Corinthians 15, he writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they...
The First Five Jonathan and James welcome their friend Stephen Unthank. He’s pastor of Greenbelt Baptist Church in Maryland, and a contributing writer for PlaceForTruth.org . Stephen shares his experiences as a relatively new pastor…the joys and challenges of the calling…and, how it all lined up...
Our dynamic duo brings up a topic that is usually difficult, and—many times—hard to swallow in the local church. Church leaders and congregants alike can also often misunderstand its procedure and purposes. What is church discipline, and what does Scripture teach about it? What’s the purpose of...
God Without Passions What do we mean when we say that God is without passion…that He’s indifferent to His creation? Is God moved by anyone or anything? How should we handle the difficult Bible passages that seem to contradict the doctrine of impassibility? Sam Renihan is a pastor at Trinity...
Divine Knowledge Jonathan and James share an informal conversation about the knowledge of God. What are we really saying when we claim that God knows all things? What’s the scope of God’s knowledge? Is God continuously learning everything at the moment it happens? James affirms that God is “...
Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? Michael Morales, professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, joins us on the podcast to discuss his latest work, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? Who is able to approach God’s presence? This investigative study...
Although I do not know Rachel Green Miller personally and I am not on social media, I have been able to follow some of the debate surrounding her writing for a number of years. In my work for ACE, I have published her articles in the past, and have defended her in various ways both publicly and...