COMING SOON: Author and apologist K. Scott Oliphint joins host Brandon McLean Smith to discuss a new book, The Future of Reformed Apologetics. Addressing current debates and controversies within theological apologetics, Scott and Brandon review highlights from the eponymous 2023 conference at Westminster Theological Seminary and preview the thought provoking collection of essays from Scott, Vern Poythress, Christopher Watkin, James Anderson, Daniel Strange, Brian G. Mattson, David Owen...

In the fourth episode of the series, Nathan speaks with Nathaniel Gray Sutanto (Reformed Theological Seminary) about Richard B. Gaffin Jr.'s theological methodology and development, his commitment to scripture, and his early work on Herman Bavinck. Then Nate and Thomas Keene (Reformed Theological Seminary) discuss Gaffin's 1989 essay, "Theonomy and Eschatology", which appeared in the now out of print essay collection Theonomy: A Reformed Critique edited by William S. Barker. To find out more...

In a field like theology, epistemology (or the study of the nature of knowledge) is tremendously important. Not just because the very existence of God is debated; not only because the possibility of the knowledge of God must be addressed in a systematic way; but because the conclusions we make about God and about the security of our knowledge of him should matter for our jobs, our relationships, and how we view ourselves. To find out more about the book visit wtspress.com and listen in to...

The Usefulness of the Cross by Richard B. Gaffin Jr. is an article that has revolutionized the approach to suffering for many Christians across the world. It was first published in 1979 but has now been republished in the volume Word and Spirit which showcases the selected shorter writings of Richard B.Gaffin Jr. To find out more about the book visit wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Word & Spirit” by Richard B. Gaffin Jr. Music Licensing Code: ...

This is the story of a theologian. A first rate, world class New Testament scholar and Systematics professor whose body of work stands quietly in the confluence of two great church traditions, Scottish Presbyterianism and Dutch Neo-Calvinism. But unless you’ve gone to seminary or happen to subscribe to peer reviewed academic journals, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. To find out more about the book visit wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a...

Few Reformed theologians have exerted the influence in both the church and the academy that Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. has, shaping the theology and spiritual formation of generations of pastors and teachers. Until now, his most significant published works have been inaccessible to most theological readers, published in academic journals, denominational newsletters, and out of print festschrifts and essay collections. A decade in the making, Word & Spirit gathers Gaffin’s finest works of...

Shortly before dawn on a cold North Dakota morning, a telegram was sent to John Murray, professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. “I’m so thankful for the active obedience of Christ,” it read, “no hope without it.” Not long after composing this telegram, J. Gresham Machen died after a short battle with pneumonia and entered the eternal rest of his savior, who had redeemed his sins and given him peace with God. Not long before he left for North...

In the previous episodes, we heard from J. Gresham Machen about how we can know that God exists, and about our sin that keeps us from having peace with God. In this broadcast, Machen introduces us to the hope for that grim reality, the only person who can redeem us from our sin and give us the peace with God that we need: Jesus Christ. To find out more about the book visit Wtsbooks.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen. Music...

In the previous episode, we talked about how we can know and have confidence that God exists. But the difference between knowing that God exists, and enjoying a relationship with God is a vast distance. Just believing in God doesn’t explain why he seems so far away. The answer to that dilemma isn’t a popular one these days. When we talk about sin a lot of modern preconceptions come to mind. Ideas about guilt and shame, judgment and brokenness. But none of these terms really captures what the...

Creeds and confessions are the banner of the church militant. They contain statements of doctrine that are to be believed, for knowledge unto godliness; and are to be confessed, for the ministry of the church unto the world. In this way, creeds and confessions are for each member of Christ’s body, and for the body as a whole. In this podcast I chat with Dr. Peter Lillback about a project that he has been working for close to fifty years. Reformed Standards of Unity is a new volume that...

How can you know that God is real? This question has always been difficult, but in 1935, when J. Gresham Machen broadcasted the first of these little talks, the ground had shifted. Cultural Christianity was giving way to new ideas about truth and the universe. Darwinian evolution was becoming entrenched in the public school system, and it had even become fashionable to openly question the existence of God. In the best of times, it isn’t easy to find a place to start to give answers proving...

The year is 1935. The Great Depression grinds on in the United States, and dramatic action by the federal government is deepening political divides. Abroad, things aren’t any better. War between communist and fascist factions is about to break out in Spain, and there’s fear o f it spreading to the rest of Europe. In a word, things are looking grim. Stepping into a broadcast booth in Philadelphia, J. Gresham Machen had all of this in mind. But for more than a decade he had grown accustomed to...

When theologian J. Gresham Machen died suddenly during a visit to North Dakota on New Year’s Day, 1937, he left unfinished one of the most innovative theological projects of his time. For the last two years of his life, Machen had begun work on what he hoped would be an accessible four part introduction to Christian theology. Only, he wasn’t just writing. He was broadcasting. Throughout 1935 and 1936, WIP radio in Philadelphia broadcast 50 of Machen’s “little talks,” as he called them,...

A lot has changed in 100 years. But a lot has stayed the same. The church in the United States is once again in a crisis. Critical theory has gripped a nation experiencing vibrant technological and societal change. America in the 2020s is accelerating. Our screens are filled with incredible stunts and spectacle. The entire globe is connected like never before. Electric cars, Artificial Intelligence, and on demand shopping have transformed how we live and work. Smartphones and the advent of...

Facts. We like to think they can be taken for granted, but human feelings always seem to get in the way. Even in 1923, when J. Gresham Machen wrote Christianity and Liberalism, liberal theologians struggled to reconcile the history presented by scripture with their experience of that history as 20th century men and women.  Although we like to think of ourselves as scientific and objective, we nevertheless remain subjectively biased, twisting beliefs like the resurrection or ascension of...

One of Christianity Today’s “100 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century”, J. Gresham Machen’s earnest case for true, biblical faith and communion in Jesus Christ has been read around the world for 100 years. Originally published in 1923, this new edition features a brand-new foreword by Kevin DeYoung and is issued with the hope and prayer that the next century will be celebrated as one of reformation and renewal for Christ’s church throughout the world.

The Bible. A divinely-inspired book so glorious and yet so debated these days that we decided to record another podcast on this essential topic. In 1820 Thomas Jefferson completed his redacted version of the Four Gospels he called “The Philosophy and Morals of Jesus.” Although it wasn’t published in his lifetime, “The Jefferson Bible” would become a popular example of an alarming trend in post-enlightenment hermeneutics: cutting and pasting with the Word of God.  According to Jefferson and...

One of Christianity Today’s “100 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century”, J. Gresham Machen’s earnest case for true, biblical faith and communion in Jesus Christ has been read around the world for 100 years. Originally published in 1923, this new edition features a brand-new foreword by Kevin DeYoung and is issued with the hope and prayer that the next century will be celebrated as one of reformation and renewal for Christ’s church throughout the world. The 100th Anniversary Edition...

Inspiration means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some it’s the thrill of creative expression, or motivation to accomplish something great. But in a biblical theological context, it has a very specific, very important meaning: that God is the author of the Bible. But for liberal theologians this doctrine—that the Bible is the reliable and sufficient source of God’s revelation to man—poses a problem. If we can trust the Bible, then we can trust what Jesus says about sin, about...

The Church. Few institutions are more unpopular or controversial these days than the Christian church. And, let’s face it, a lot of the time, even Christians don’t appear to like it very much. Every week it seems there’s a new scandal or debate splitting congregations. It can be tempting to think that maybe the church is obsolete, maybe we’d be better off going our own way. But there’s a tragic irony in that. Sometimes it’s lost on us that in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus says “upon this...

One of Christianity Today’s “100 Most Influential Books of the 20th Century”, J. Gresham Machen’s earnest case for true, biblical faith and communion in Jesus Christ has been read around the world for 100 years. Originally published in 1923, this new edition features a brand-new foreword by Kevin DeYoung and is issued with the hope and prayer that the next century will be celebrated as one of reformation and renewal for Christ’s church throughout the world.

Losing is never fun. And it’s even less fun when the New York Times is paying attention. But by 1929 that’s what had happened. J. Gresham Machen had lost the fight against liberalism at Princeton seminary. Even after reading Machen’s warning in Christianity and Liberalism, the Presbyterian church voted to reorganize Princeton to allow liberal theology on faculty. That would’ve been the perfect time to pack it in. But for Machen the fight had never been about Princeton. True Christian...

What’s in a name? In the past, when Christians talked about Jesus, it was safe to assume we were talking about the son of God become man who conquered death to save the lost. You know, the person the Bible’s about. But with the rise of liberal theology in the 19th and 20th centuries, that meaning began to change. At least for some people. Christ, liberal theologians said, might be better understood as an idea, a metaphor, or a good example, rather than the sinless supernatural savior who...

In the 1980s the Southern Baptist Convention found itself at a crossroads. While many of its churches were faithfully teaching biblical Christianity, the seminaries where its pastors were trained had been immersed in theological liberalism for decades. In a lot of stories, this is where the split would occur. But this time something different happened. Instead of dividing, a group of courageous Christians decided to change the equation. They came up with an unprecedented plan to turn...