Mid-America Reformed Seminary

You may be unfamiliar with the concept of mutual censure in the church. We're referring to the practice of open comments shared between leadership for the purpose of accountability and strengthening that leadership. Joining the podcast and beginning a new series on habits in pastoral ministry is Rev. Paul Ipema, Assistant Professor of Ministerial Studies, who will tell us more about it.

Is the Bible really God's Word? In this episode, Dr. J. Mark Beach continues to explore John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and his uncompromising view of Scripture. Dr. Beach will help us see through Calvin's eyes why we can fully trust the absolute authority of God's Word and how a right view of Scripture fuels vibrant spirituality.

In his chapel message, Dr. Alan Strange explores Hebrews 12:1-3. He expands on the theme of persevering and how the Lord urges us to cast aside hindrances and continue the race, keep our eyes on Jesus, follow Him in faith, and develop fortitude in times of distress.

In this inaugural episode of 2024, Dr. Beach enters part 2 of a series he started on John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. In this episode, he briefly summarizes Calvin's main purpose and approach in the opening chapters of the Institutes: to show that all people have a knowledge of God through creation and conscience and, therefore, are without excuse, but this knowledge is corrupted and insufficient for salvation.

We were pleased to welcome Mr. Andy Iversen to our inaugural chapel of the new year. Andy serves as the Professor for our Greek Language studies and is currently a PhD student at Wheaton College. In this chapel message, he reflects on Romans 8:1-4, reminding the seminary community of who they are in their union with Christ.

In this final episode of the year of our Lord, 2023, Dr. Beach begins a multi-episode journey of taking us through the seminal work of John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion. He starts with part 1 to whet your appetite for when he picks it up again in February after we take a break in January. In this inaugural episode, he provides context to the Institutes, emphasizing the theological stakes and issues that Calvin will address in the 16th century.

In this final episode on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Rev. Nick Lamme takes us through the implications for the Church today regarding identifying false teachers and provides encouragement, warning, and exhortation for Christians wrestling with this difficult passage. He concludes by reflecting on how understanding this sin should shape pastoral ministry.

In this episode, Rev. Nick Lamme examines the meaning of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 12. Specifically, he looks at verses 22-32, considering the larger context surrounding this passage. Rev. Lamme then analyzes Jesus's statement about this egregious sin, exploring who Jesus was addressing and why He made this warning at that moment.

In this episode, Jared speaks with Reverend Nick Lamme, a 2007 Mid-America alumnus and OPC pastor, about the complex biblical concept of "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." Rev. Lamme brings a depth of expertise to this discussion, having explored the topic extensively in a ⁠2012 Mid-America Journal of Theology article⁠. Guiding listeners through centuries of competing perspectives, Rev. Lamme provides an accessible yet thoughtful overview of this challenging spiritual idea - what it has been understood to mean by scholars and clergy over time, and how we might start to make sense of it today.

In this chapel message, Rev. Nick Alons of Lynwood United Reformed Church focuses on Titus 3:1-7. With a central focus on verse 5, Rev. Alons reflects deeply on the profound yet straightforward statement, "He saved us." What do these three simple but powerful words tell us about God's grace? How did Jesus' sacrifice on the cross provide the way for our salvation? And what implications does this have for how we live our daily lives? Rev. Alons unpacks the beauty and hope in this concise but loaded verse that God in Christ has saved us, washing us clean through the Holy Spirit's renewal and rebirth.

Exhorting from Ruth 3, Israel urged the Seminary community in this chapel message to seek their deepest rest in Christ, just as Ruth found repose and refuge in her kinsman-redeemer Boaz centuries ago. Through this biblical parallel, Israel reminds us that total relief is found when we wholly entrust our weary souls to our Lord, as Ruth entrusted herself entirely to Boaz's care and provision when she lay at his feet.

In this episode, Dr. Venema wraps up our series on Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 80 by reflecting on the ongoing legacy and relevancy of Q&A 80 for today and answers the question of whether its critiques are still valid when considering contemporary Roman Catholicism.

Drawing wisdom from Jeremiah 17:9, Rev. Ipema uses this chapel message to focus our attention on the deceitful nature of the human heart. He stresses that only through God's renewing grace found in Jesus Christ can our hearts be transformed and changed.

In this episode, Dr. Cornelis Venema provides an in-depth examination of Question and Answer 80 of the Heidelberg Catechism, focusing on its critique of the Catholic Mass. Dr. Venema high-lights two major critiques made by the Catechism against the Mass. First, charging the Mass constitutes an unbiblical, repetitive sacrifice, undermining the completeness of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. Second, critiquing the Mass as an idolatrous worship of the physical bread and wine of the Eucharist, charging that elevating and adoring the elements leads to idolatry. In addition to discussing these two major critiques, Dr. Venema examines the relationship between Question and Answer 80 and the Council of Trent, the 16th-century Catholic council that affirmed the doctrine of transubstantiation and the sacrificial nature of the Mass.

In this episode, we kick off a three-part series on Question and Answer 80 in the Heidelberg Catechism. Led by President of Mid-America, Dr. Cornelis Venema, this series begins with an overview of the history of the Catechism and the origins specifically of Q&A 80, which deals with what it calls the "popish mass."

In this episode, Dr. Strange concludes this segment on church history by looking at the rise of Islam, its spread, and its impact on the development of Europe during the period of the Middle Ages.

In this episode, we explore one of the most transformative periods in European history - the fall of Rome in the 5th century AD and the subsequent rise of new barbarian kingdoms. Dr. Alan Strange, Professor of Church History, provides an overview of the factors that led to Rome's decline after centuries of dominance, the complex history of the barbarian tribes, their eventual conversion from paganism to Christianity, and how this helped integrate them into the fabric of medieval European civilization.

In this episode, Dr. Strange examines the Second and Third Council of Constantinople, which sought to affirm Christ's divine and human natures, and the Second Council of Nicaea, which authorized the legitimacy of using visual images in worship. In addition to the four Councils that came before them, the Eastern Church became known as the Church of the Seven Councils.

In this episode of our ongoing Church History series, Dr. Alan Strange delves into the topic of monasticism. He traces its origins, explaining why Protestants have historically been less inclined toward monastic practices, and discusses how monasticism evolved and spread during the Middle Ages.

In this episode, Dr. Beach examines the ordo salutis, which refers to the logical sequence or order of the various elements involved in the process of salvation according to Reformed theology. What is the order of salvation? Is it even correct to describe salvation in such terms? As Dr. Beach elaborates more on election, effectual calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, and sanctification, we hope you'll come away from this episode with a little bit more of an understanding of what this is all about.