The Importance of Biblical Theology for the Church
Video from Reformed Forum
The Importance of Biblical Theology for the Church
"Recorded before a live audience at Cahaba Park Church during “Discovering Christ in All of Scripture,” a Reformed Forum seminar hosted in conjunction with Birmingham Theological Seminary, Camden Bucey moderates a panel with Dan Ragusa, Derrick Brite, and Lane G. Tipton on the importance of biblical theology for the life of the church. The panel defines biblical theology in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos, explains its organic and progressive character, and shows how the whole history of special revelation reaches its center and goal in Jesus Christ.
The conversation turns to preaching, discipleship, the unity of the covenant of grace, Christ-centered interpretation, practical resources for reading the Old Testament, and the need for churches to recover the accomplishment of redemption as the great context for every biblical passage. The audience Q&A also addresses ministry in small and struggling churches, church revitalization, and the pilgrim ethic needed for faithful pastoral service." from the video introduction
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00:00 Introduction and panel
03:55 Why biblical theology matters
09:28 Defining biblical theology
15:39 Derrick Brite’s formation and pastoral ministry
22:20 Dan Ragusa and the Dutch Reformed tradition
26:09 Biblical theology in a diverse congregation
30:09 Avoiding moralism and subjectivism
31:27 Hermeneutical foundations
35:56 The trans-testamental gospel
40:24 Christianity, liberalism, and supernatural history
43:54 God’s redemptive words and deeds
48:37 Christ, the one mediator
51:11 One gospel for Abraham and the church
52:56 Audience questions
53:23 Lane Tipton’s conversion and call to ministry
58:40 Teaching people to see Christ in the Old Testament
63:25 The exodus at the Transfiguration
67:16 Reading passages within the history of salvation
73:56 Christocentrism and Christotelism
77:11 Biblical theology and small-church ministry
82:58 The pastoral shortage and a pilgrim ethic
88:10 Conclusion
Participants
Camden Bucey, Executive Director of Reformed Forum
Dan Ragusa, pastor of Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship in New York City
Derrick Brite, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Aliceville, Alabama
Lane G. Tipton, pastor of Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Easton, Pennsylvania
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