Echo Zoe Radio

Ryan Habbena walks us through the seed promise, from the curse on the serpent following the Fall in Genesis to the ultimate victory in Revelation. (02:00) Exploring the Seed Promise and War (13:26) The Seed War and Promise (27:49) Advancing the Seed Promise (36:22) Comparing Genealogies in Gospels (43:41) Understanding the Seed Promise Fulfillment (56:40) The Seed Promise Unveiled Scriptures Referenced Genesis 3:15 John Chapter 8 Galatians Chapter 3 2 Samuel 7 Matthew Chapter 1 Luke Chapter 3 Revelation 12

Kofi Adu-Boahen is pastor of Redeemer Bible Fellowship in Medford, Oregon. Kofi has been with us several times, and returns once again, this time to talk about Law and Gospel. Outline of the Discussion The Gospel is at the center of our Christian lives. Without understanding the relationship between the Gospel and the Law of God, we lose the sweetness of the Gospel. This discussion is based on the book A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, by John Colquhoun (pronounced Ko-hoon.) Colquhoon was a 19th century Scottish pastor influenced by a group that was concerned about legalism in the church. We look at three aspects of law. First is the moral Law, or Natural Law. Next is the Law as given to Adam. Third is the Law as is in the hand of Christ. We don't do what the Law requires to merit eternal life, but rather in gratitude for His Grace. The Law of Moses is handled separately from the previously mentioned aspects of Law. It had elements of both the Law given to Adam and Grace. Chapter 5 of Colquhoon's book gets into what the Gospel really is. The Gospel is presented in both a broad sense, and a narrow sense. In the broader sense, everything that Christ and the Apostles taught was “the Gospel.” It's really a mix of the Law and the Gospel. In the narrower sense, the Gospel is the explanation of the good news. In the strictest sense, every command of God is a Law. The Law is subservient to the Gospel. The Law is not the Gospel, and the Gospel is not the Law. Ignorance of the difference promotes a self-righteous character. An understanding of the Gospel is not, by nature, antinomian “We weren't saved by Christ, to be sanctified by Moses.” “The way in is the way along.” Motivation is the master of Reason. Scriptures Referenced James 2:10 Romans 2 Exodus 19-20; 24:8 Deuteronomy 16 2 Corinthians 3 John 1:17 Luke 2:10-11 Titus 2 Colossians 2:6 Romans 6 Additional Resources A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel – Free Book

Andrew Rappaport and Fred Butler return for the sixth annual Roundtable. The format is more free-form this time around. It’s a fun discussion that begins with Fred talking about Bigfoot, and ends with Andrew discussing “No Quarter November.”

Gene Clyatt returns for a fourth installment of English Reformation history {at least in regard to the time-period.) Gene was first on with me in August of 2021, where he talked about the early days of the English Reformation under Henry the 8th and Bishop Thomas Cranmer. In the May, 2022 episode, Gene returned to talk about England under Queen Elizabeth I. Last November, he talked about England under King James I. For this episode, we get into the Witch Trials. Gene gives some history on how they began, talks about how King James brought them to Scotland and England, and how they ended up in the American Colonies, with Salem being the best-known. Outline of the Discussion King James I was the single most responsible person for bringing Witch Hunts into Scotland and England. They had been going on in Europe for around a century, having begun just prior to the Reformation. Witch trials began with Heinrich Kramer, a German Dominican monk and inquisitor in the late 15th century. Kramer wrote “Malleus Maleficarum” (The Hammer of Witches) in 1486. Kramer was a lot like Alfred Kinsey; a sexual deviant and pervert. In August of 1589, at the age of 23, King James of Scotland married Princess Anne of Denmark, who was 14. The wedding was held by proxy. In September of 1589, Anne set sail for Scotland from Denmark. They had to turn back because of storms. She blamed witches, whom she accused of wanting to prevent the powerful union that would benefit Protestantism. At the time, witch trials had been common in Northern Germany and Denmark. In October of 1589, James set sail for Denmark. They were hit by storms too, but he made it. While in Denmark, James becomes fascinated with witches and witch trials. Upon his return to Scotland, he strengthened the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563; imposing the death penalty upon convicted witches. He would later do the same in England after becoming King of England. A series of witch trials resulted from the storms inhibiting James and Anne from uniting. In Denmark, the Kronborg witch trials resulted in six women being accused and convicted, and two being executed. In Scotland, the North Burwick witch trials ran for over two years, and implicated over 300 people; both noble and commoner alike. Agnes Sampson was accused of being the ringleader of the witches in Scotland. John Fian, a schoolmaster, was implicated as well. Both were executed by burning. In 1597, James publishes a book “Daemonologie.” Witch hunting was mostly carried over by the Reformers from Medieval Catholicism, and not addressed in a meaningful way. Witch hunting in England reached its peak during the English Civil War. Each side accused supporters of the other side of witchcraft. It was much more political than religious, pitting Parliament against the Crown rather than Puritan against Anglican. Matthew Hopkins was the most famous person regarding witch trials to come out of the English Civil War. He gave himself the title “Witch-finder General,” and claimed to have Parliamentary authority (he did not.) He would get a town's approval for a witch hunt, then get people to accuse each other. Hopkins wrote a book called “The Discovery of Witches.” In the Colonies, Salem was among the last of places to undergo witch trials. By the late 17th Century, the excesses of witch trials became apparent. Much of it due to the smaller populations in New England. Scriptures Referenced Exodus 22:18 Additional Resources Malleus Maleficarum – Heinrich Kramer Dæmonologie – King James (VI of Scotland, I of England) (1597) The Discovery of Witches – Matthew Hopkins (1647) Witchcraft at Salem – Chadwick Hansen Related Episodes Gene Clyatt: The Early English Reformation Gene Clyatt: The English Reformation under Elizabeth I Gene Clyatt: The English Reformation under James I

Allen Nelson is pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Perryville, Arkansas. He’s also the author of “Before the Throne: Reflections on God's Holiness,” “From Death to Life: How Salvation Works,” and “A Change of Heart: Understanding Regeneration and Why it Matters.” He also writes for Things Above, a Christian group blog dedicated to Missions, Evangelism, Theology, and Sports, which is at thingsabove.us. In addition to Things Above, he has some articles up at Founders Ministries as well. He returns this month to discuss Regeneration, which is not only the subject of his latest book, but is a great follow-up to his most recent show with us on Effectual Calling. Outline of the Discussion For this episode, the outline has been created using the AI tool Podium.page. (0:00:01) – Regeneration (9 Minutes) Alan Nelson, pastor of Providence Baptist Church and author of multiple books, shares his insights on regeneration and how it affects our understanding of salvation and the Christian life. Alan's book, “A Change of Heart: Understanding Regeneration and Why it Matters” is discussed, and how to get a copy. (0:08:43) – Regeneration's Importance (9 Minutes) Alan shares his journey exploring regeneration and its impact on other Christian doctrines. He discusses the debate between Pelagianism and Augustinianism, and how Wesley's prevenient grace and Charles Finney's views have shaped the church. Alan shares his own experience, including the decision to write his book and how he taught the doctrine of regeneration during COVID-19. (0:17:58) – Grace, Synergism, and Monergism (5 Minutes) We explore the differences between Pelagianism and Augustinianism, and examine the concept of semi-Pelagianism. We point out how dangerous this understanding of grace can be, and how it denies the sufficiency of God's grace. We also get into the Mormon teaching of ‘after all we can do' and how it relates to synergism. Lastly, we discuss the concept of monergism and how it works in contrast to synergism. (0:22:38) – Doctrine of Monergism and Regeneration Discussion (10 Minutes) We get into the implications of the idea of prevenient grace and point out that it raises more questions than it answers. Allen explains how the concept of prevenient grace does not satisfy the problem of why some individuals respond to the gospel and some don't. He emphasizes how regeneration touches every area of our lives, and how it is not a process of perfection, but rather a redirection of desire and love toward Christ. The noblest desires of those who reject monergism are commendable but ultimately don't defend God's justice and fairness. (0:32:10) – Open Theism and Necessity of Regeneration (12 Minutes) We point out that Open Theism can be a logical [but errant] way to approach the problems with synergistic view of soteriology. We confront the concept of fairness as a challenge to monergistic regeneration; our attitude about someone we love who is not saved, and how the answer is to preach the gospel to them. Jesus promises that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved; which is a refutation of a major misunderstanding of monergism, and very assuring promise. Allen shares his experience of taking the gospel to the streets of his small town, and we explain how this is a logical consequence of the very doctrine we are discussing. (0:44:19) – The Significance of Regeneration (13 Minutes) We explore the necessity of being born again and how Jesus was speaking to all of humanity when he said it. We also discuss the use of Southern vernacular (“y'all”) and the differences between singular and plural of “you” in the modern English language. Finally, we look at the concept of longevity in regards to regeneration and how there is no such thing as unregeneration. (0:57:13) – Doctrinal Differences and the Holy Spirit (5 Minutes) We explore the intricate connection between regeneration and the local church. We discuss why the Father and the Son do not need help in salvation, and why the Holy Spirit doesn't either. We explain why understanding regeneration correctly matters, and how it affects the local church, which is meant for believers only. We also examine how to know if a person is a Christian, and the use of the plural for “you” when Jesus said “you must be born again.” (1:01:57) – Regeneration, Assurance, and Evangelism (16 Minutes) We discuss the logical arguments used by the Puritans to understand regeneration. We also look at an approach to memorizing scripture; how reading a book of the Bible every day for a month can help in the process. Finally, we examine the necessity of being born again and the connection between regeneration and the local church. We emphasize the role of the church in providing assurance of salvation and the need to flee from all known sin. Scriptures Referenced 1 Peter 1:3 John 3 John 6:63 Jonah 2:9 Ephesians 2 Isaiah 43:13 1 John 3:14 Additional Resources A Change of Heart: Understanding Regeneration and Why it Matters – Allen Nelson A Change of Heart, Ch. 1 — Heart Matters The Rural Church Podcast 2.0 Related Episodes Bob DeWaay: Open Theism and the Doctrine of Election Phil Johnson: The Doctrines of Grace Dr. James White: Sola Gratia & Sovereign Grace Phil Johnson: Sola Fide Bob DeWaay: The Doctrine of the Church Dan Phillips: The World-Tilting Gospel Kofi Adu-Boahen: Union with Christ Nate Pickowicz: Solus Christus Allen Nelson: How Salvation Works Allen Nelson: Effectual Calling Chris Hohnholz: The Sinfulness of Sin and Our Desperate Need for the Gospel

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” – Acts 17:6b-7 ESV Dan Phillips is pastor of Copperfield Bible Church in Houston, Texas. He has a Master of Divinity from Talbot Theological Seminary. He also writes for the collaborative blog Pyromaniacs, and his own blog, Biblical Christianity. He's the author of two books, The World-Tilting Gospel, and God's Wisdom in Proverbs.” I've had in mind to ask Dan for an interview for Echo Zoe Radio for quite some time. His book The World-Tilting Gospel is a wonderful read, about the most dear subject to any Christian's heart: the Gospel. For this episode, Dan and I discussed the book, and through it, the Gospel. An Outline of the Discussion The Gospel is not just about an experience, it's really about truth. That truth is grounded in a worldview, and really begins with Genesis 1:1, and not John 3:16. “Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is, no longer have the categories to understand it, no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories in their non-moral universe — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think theyâ€re guilty.” – David Wells, Founder's Conference, Tulsa, OK, June 2007 Our dire situation begins in the Garden of Eden, as Adam and Eve committed the first sin by disobeying God and partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as they were commanded not to.This act changed their very nature, and their worldview. That corrupted worldview and nature persists to this very day, and every one of us (their descendants) are born into this corrupted nature and worldview. God had in mind all along to remedy the situation. Dan illustrates the true nature of our predicament through the analogy of a man in an operating room in a hospital, with teams of doctors working hard to save him. If we saw such a thing, we'd know that his situation is dire. With that mindset, we look to the cross, where the Son of God had to die in order to save us from our sin. We look to the serious nature of the remedy to truly understand the seriousness of the situation. The nature of apostasy shows that a person never truly understood the serious nature of his own sin, or of the remedy that was required to save him from it. Penal substitutionary atonement is first introduced in Genesis 3 (not Romans 3), when God made a blood sacrifice to cover the guilt of sinners (Adam and Eve). The Old Testament sacrificial system provided a daily, visual reminder of the nature of sin. As the Israelites saw the bloody sacrifices taking place at the Temple, they were to associate the blood shed with their own sins; that blood was necessary to cover the guilt of their sins. Isaiah 52:13-53:12, written 700 years before Christ, gave a detailed description of the suffering of one man for the sins of the elect. Justification and regeneration are two “towering truths” that come out of the Gospel. Justification deals with our horrible record (our guilt), and regeneration deals with our horrible nature (our . Faith has three elements to it: hearing truth, understanding that it is true, and entrusting ourselves to it. Salvation doesn't begin by making the “right decision,” it begins with God raising dead sinners to life. Dan addresses three people with a faulty approach to the Gospel: Gutless Gracers, Crisis Upgraders, and Muzzy Mystics. Gutless Gracers are people who subscribe to a view called “Free Grace.” It's not that they are gutless, but their view of grace is gutless. In effect, their view of grace does little to nothing. Crisis Upgraders have a view that they can “upgrade” their Christian life through some sudden experience. Keswick is a non-charismatic view that you can upgrade your standing as a Christian by “laying it all on the altar.” The Charismatic view is that we are “upgraded” through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Muzzy Mystics are those who “let go and let God”. They believe that they cannot do anything themselves, that their own mind is an enemy to their spirituality. “The flesh” is the remaining effect of sin that we deal with in this life. It presents us with the remaining and ongoing struggle that we deal with. The Holy Spirit baptizes into the body of Christ. Dan explains the works of the Spirit, and juxtaposes that to some false teachings and understandings of the works of the Spirit. Scriptures Referenced Jeremiah 17:9 Genesis 1-3 Genesis 3:15 Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Romans 10:17 Genesis 15:6 Titus 2:11-14 Psalm 1 John 15 Romans 7:14 Acts 17:6-7 Additional Resources The World-Tilting Gospel: Embracing a Biblical Worldview and Hanging on Tight (Amazon affiliate link) Pyromaniacs, the group blog started by Phil Johnson, now shared between Dan Phillips and Frank Turk Biblical Christianity – Dan's personal blog Related episodes Phil Johnson: The Doctrines of Grace Dr. James White: Sola Gratia & Sovereign Grace Ryan Habbena: Sanctification Phil Johnson: Sola Fide Robert Bachtell: The Case for a Biblical Worldview Mike Abendroth: Sola Scriptura Dr. Kevin Bauder: Evangelicalism Tony Miano: Biblical Evangelism Sye Ten Bruggencate: Presuppositional Apologetics Jordan Hall: A Modern Day Downgrade Nick Coldagelli: The Love of God