Sinclair Ferguson Video at PRTS
Posted by Nicholas T. Batzig on June 13th, 2009The following video was filmed at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. The lecture was given at a special Thursday evening service at PRTS.
The following video was filmed at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. The lecture was given at a special Thursday evening service at PRTS.
For quite a while now I have wanted to publish a list of what I believe to be the 15 most beneficial books on the cross. This list does not include all of the various Systematic Theologies, such as Calvin’s Institutes, which include sections on Christology or the atonement. There are, of course, many Puritan works that deal with the atonement and the Person and work of Christ. This is a list of the particular individual volumes I have benefited from most:
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that I forgot about this book. Thanks to Josh Walker for making me painfully aware of this unbelievable oversight. So I guess its top 16 now!
Thanks to James Grant for pointing out these lectures. You will find numerous class lectures, lectures on books of the Bible and Sunday School lessons there. The Sunday school lectures look particularly interesting. I think you will find Dr. Poythress to be a brilliant theological with many thoughts that will help set you off on deeper theological investigation.
I have edited this post from it’s original form. I want to be exceedingly careful in what I say about subjects in which I have a formed opinion, but that need to be refined through more study. I hope that this quote from Calvin on Romans 2:13 will suffice as an explanation of my defense of Rick Phillip’s interpretation of it here. Commenting on Romans 2:13, Calvin wrote:
For the hearers of the law, etc. This anticipates an objection which the Jews might have adduced. As they had heard that the law was the rule of righteousness, (Deuteronomy 4:1 ) they gloried in the mere knowledge of it: to obviate this mistake, he declares that the hearing of the law or any knowledge of it is of no such consequence, that any one should on that account lay claim to righteousness, but that works must be produced, according to this saying, “He who will do these shall live in them.” The import then of this verse is the following, — “That if righteousness be sought from the law, the law must be fulfilled; for the righteousness of the law consists in the perfection of works.” They who pervert this passage for the purpose of building up justification by works, deserve most fully to be laughed at even by children. It is therefore improper and beyond what is needful, to introduce here a long discussion on the subject, with the view of exposing so futile a sophistry: for the Apostle only urges here on the Jews what he had mentioned, the decision of the law, — That by the law they could not be justified, except they fulfilled the law, that if they transgressed it, a curse was instantly pronounced on them. Now we do not deny but that perfect righteousness is prescribed in the law: but as all are convicted of transgression, we say that another righteousness must be sought. Still more, we can prove from this passage that no one is justified by works; for if they alone are justified by the law who fulfill the law, it follows that no one is justified; for no one can be found who can boast of having fulfilled the law.
The following messages were given by Sinclair Ferguson at the 2004 BASICS Conference:
His Sufficient Word – 2 Tim. 3
His Eternal Election - Ephesians 1
His Transforming Spirit - Romans 8
I distinctly remember being at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia when Sinclair Ferguson preached this sermon. What struck me most was the way he said that all the promises of God are, to us who believe, “Yes and Amen” in Christ because He said ‘yes’ to the all the promises of God, even to the promise of covenant curses. It was a memorable message. You can listen here.
Well, if you haven’t figured out by now, it should soon become abundantly evident that Eric Alexander and Sinclair Ferguson are two living preachers and theologians for whom I have the highest esteem. Robert M. Walker, an elder in Bishopbriggs Free Church of Scotland and committee member of The Scottish Reformed Conference, recently brought these conference audio MP3′s to my attention. The theme of the Conference was ‘Glory.’ You see the titles and download the files below:
ERIC ALEXANDER
SINCLAIR FERGUSON
The Glory of the New Covenant
The Glory of Christian Service
As I listened to Sinclair Ferguson’s message, "Hallowed be Thy Name: The Holiness of the Father," I found the following statement to be a powerful illustration of the Father’s love for the Son. All of you who are married will understand this statement:
By far my most intimate relationship in all the world is with my wife. No man dare lock eyes with my wife and gaze into her eyes the way I am privileged to gaze into her eyes and say, "I love you with all of my being." And it’s like this, that the blessed Son is able to gaze into the eyes of the heavenly Father, and bear in His being–in the mystery of His eternal being–the intensity of the Father’s love for Him, the intensity of the Father’s desire to have fellowship with Him.
As a nice addition to the previous Eric Alexander post on “The Cross is the Experience of the Father,” you can now watch Sinclair Ferguson’s message from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference, The Holiness of the Father.
HT: Iain Campbell
It is not uncommon to hear someone refer to Sinclair Ferguson as being the best theologian in the English speaking world. Anyone who has read his books or heard his sermons and lectures will admit that this is in no way an unfit commendation. His style is simply yet profound, his expositions are terse but weighty–his insights are simply unparalleled. It is due in part to his mastery of the various theological loci . His uncanny ability to wed systematic, biblical, exegetical and historical theology in his expositions of Scripture demonstrate this unsurpassed giftedness.
There is another aspect of his ministry that is often overlooked (of the same essence as that which he has so often commended in the life and ministry of Richard Baxter). Ferguson has, on several occasions, alluded to the fact that Baxter would “set time bombs in Kidderminster” by illustrating divine truth with everyday objects in the city. The brilliance of this method was that, no matter where someone walked in the city they would be reminded of something Baxter had said in a sermon. Like Baxter before him, Sinclair Ferguson exhibits the ability to draw from Scripture and bring it to bear on the experiences and objects in the world. Without trivializing transcendent truths, he demonstrates their experiential relevance in the world in which we live.
All the strengths that Sinclair Ferguson brings to his biblical expositions are found in the articles republished in Reformation Trust’s recently released, In Christ Alone. Written over a twenty year period, articles from Eternity Magazine and Tabletalk have been edited and organized into a manageable volume. Even the cover art, designed by Geoff Stevens, demonstrates the time and effort that went into making this volume so impressive. In Christ Alone is a welcomed addition to the Reformation Trust series.
(more…)
We had the distinct privilege to talk with Rev. Jim O’Brien, pastor of Reedy River PCA and contributor to Feeding on Christ, about the Puritans, their theology and their writings. You can listen to the episode here.
A nice addition to this interview is the Sinclair Ferguson lecture he gave at the dedication of the Puritan Resource Center. You can listen to this lecture here.
Updates from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference are online at the Ligonier Ministry blog. You can read them here . There will be a live webcasting for the remainder of the conference tomorrow. You can watch the live feed here . At 8:30 AM, on Friday morning, Sinclair Ferguson will be preaching. His message is titled "Hallowed By Your Name: The Holiness of the Father." You have to register first in order to watch the live webcast. You can do so here .
I want to take a moment to introduce a new website. Camden Bucey has recently founded Historia Salutis to be a Reformed, biblical-theological website. For those of you who are not familiar with the title, I’d like to explain its significance. The title Historia Salutis simply means “the History of Salvation.” Most of our readers will be familiar with the theological phrase, ordo Salutis, which means the Order of Salvation (or the order of the application of salvation). The historia salutis is the work of Jesus Christ in obtaining salvation for us by His perfect life, atoning death and glory-obtaining resurrection. He is the Elect One, the Justified One, the Adopted One, the Sanctified One and the Glorified One. It is only as we are united to Him that these particular blessings come to us. The historia salutis is, in the words of the late John Murray, redemption accomplished. The ordo salutis is, in his words, redemption applied. It is out sincere desire to emphasize both the accomplishment and the application of redemption, but this site will be singularly devoted to the biblical teaching of the accomplishment of our salvation. We wholeheartedly agree with the words of Sinclair Ferguson: “Our indicatives must be weighty enough to support our imperatives.”
I have recently posted a short article there on the Biblical Theology of the Trees of the Garden.
Here Sinclair Ferguson explains why we must first have Jesus as a Savior before we can have Him as an example.
The Ligonier Ministry Blog has posted an article by Sinclair Ferguson on Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions. Ferguson offers an extremely insightful analysis of the Resolutions, emphasizing Edwards’ age, theology and spiritual maturity. You can read the article here.
A Troubling Visitor (Luke 1:5-25)
This is His Body (Luke 1:26-32)
Around the Manger:Shepherds (Luke 2:1-20)
Around the Manger: Jesus (John 1:1-18)
Around the Manger: Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
Exodus II (Matthew 2:13-23)
An Angel’s View of Christmas: What Angels Long to See (1 Peter 1:1-12)
Prepared in Ancient History (Matthew 1:1-17)
A Teenager’s Christmas (Luke 1 & 2)
An Angel’s View of Christmas: What Angels Come to Do (Matthew 1:18-25)
Announced Very unexpectedly (Matthew 1:18-25)
An Angel’s View of Christmas: What Angels Want to Say (Luke 2:8-20)
Born Into a World of Poverty (Luke 2:1-7)
The First Christmas (Luke 2:8-20)
I recently found this short work by Sinclair Ferguson on preaching Christ from the Old Testament. It is really quite helpful.
Of all the series that I have heard Sinclair Ferguson preach, I think that this was the finest.
You’ll also be interested to know that hundreds of the sermons Dr. Ferguson preached at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC have been added to SermonAudio. This makes it a bit easier to download them than it was at the First Pres. website.
James Grant, Jr., over at In Light of Gospel, has gathered and posted some helpful blog posts over the last week:
How Much Christ in the Old Testament (Check out some of James’ articles linked on this post!)
Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ
Poythress on Guilt
Ferguson’s Message @ the DG Conference
Dr. Philip Ryken has begun a new series on Ecclesiastes at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pa. The mp3 files can be downloaded here, but you have to keep in mind that they will only be available for so many weeks. The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals owns the right to the Ryken audio files and will pull them in a matter of weeks for their radio program. Then the only way to get copies is to purchase them. These two series look like they will be extremely profitable.
Sinclair Ferguson, while giving a lecture about John Owen on the Holy Spirit, explained that the trials through which the Christian goes are actually evidence of the sealing of the Spirit. Ferguson says:
Contrary to the kind of thing that was said in his day and in ours–that if we only had more of the Spirit then all the tensions and difficulties would begin to disappear from our lives–Owen argues that the really foundational and fundamental tensions and trials in the Christian life are not those that will be removed by the Spirit, but those that are actually caused because the Spirit is present with us. Its because the Spirit dwells in us that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit wars against the flesh. But just because, as the earnest of our inheritance, He dwells in us and therefore sets up the tension that is characteristic exclusively of the Christian believer, He is also thew Comforter, because He is the earnest of the inheritance. And the very struggles and trials through which the Christian goes as a Christian believer therefore for Owen are paradoxically also his comforts because they are the fruit of One who is in him, to assure him of the fullness of the inheritance that is to be his in the last day.
You can listen to Ferguson’s lectures on the Holy Spirit here.
Covenant Church (PCA) in Houston, TX has had some noteworthy speakers at their Theology Conferences over the past 18 years. Speakers include Sinclair Ferguson, Geoff Thomas, O. Palmer Robertson, Joseph Pipa, Rick Phillips, and Morton Smith. These are some of the most important theological subjects and richest scriptural passages for the church today.
Doctrines of Grace (1990)
Geoff Thomas on Depravity (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Sinclair Ferguson on Election (Ephesians 2:1-14)
Sinclair Ferguson on Particular Redemption (2 Cor. 5:12-6:2)
Geoff Thomas on Effectual Calling (2 Cor. 5:18-21)
Sinclair Ferguson on Christian Living (Rom. 8:10-37)
Geoff Thomas on Assurance (1 John 5:11-13)
(The first part of lecture is a bad recording. For better quality scan forward a bit.)
Geoff Thomas on Worship (John 4:19-26)
Joseph Pipa on Election and the Free Offer of the Gospel (Matt. 11:20-30)
Doctrine of Man (1991)
Doug Kelly Man Created in the Image of God (Gen. 1:26-28)
Donald Macleod The Fall and its Consequences (Gen. 3:1-24)
Donald Macleod Original Sin
Doug Kelly What is the Purpose of Man (Mark 12:28-34)
Donald Macleod The Nature/Condition of Redeemed Man
Doug Kelly Redeemed Man’s Relationships (Rom. 8:14-16)
Doug Kelly Glorification (2 Cor. 4:6-5:12)
Q & A Session
Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (1993)
George Knight Laying the Foundation for Roles
O. Palmer Robertson Dr. Luke and the Compassion of Christ (Luke 1:46-55)
O. Palmer Robertson Jesus at Prayer (Luke 3:21-22)
George Knight The Apostle’s Teaching on Roles (1 Cor. 11:11-12)
George Knight Answering Questions on Roles (Acts 6:1-7)
O. Palmer Robertson The Holy Spirit in Luke’s Gospel (Acts 2:16-18)
O. Palmer Robertson Perspectives on the Crucifixion (Luke 23:26-49)
George Knight Applying the Biblical Truths on Roles (Matt. 20:20-28)
Who is the True Israel of God? (2003)
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God in the Past
O. Palmer Robertson the Israel of God Present and Future
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7:1-15)
O. Palmer Robertson Israel and the Coming Kingdom (Acts 1:1-6)
O. Palmer Robertson The Israel of God and Romans 11 (Rom. 11:1-32)
O. Palmer Robertson The Gospel for All Nations (Matt. 24:1-14)
O. Palmer Robertson A Plentiful Harvest, Few Laborers (Matt. 9:18-38)
Sola Fide: Justification by Faith (2006)
Rick Phillips on Justification by Faith (Rom. 3:21-26)
Morton Smith The New Perspective on Paul (Rom. 1:1-17)
Rick Phillips What Makes a Christian? (Rom. 4:9-11)
Morton Smith Salvation and the Covenant of Works (Gen. 1:26-2:17)
Rick Phillips The Purpose of the Sacraments (1 Peter 3:18-22)
Morton Smith Covenant, Baptism and Redemption (Gal. 3:1-14)
Q & A Session
Morton Smith Justification and Sanctification (James 2:18-26)
Morton Smith The Four Causes of Salvation (Rom. 3:9-31)
Morton Smith Benefits of Justification by Faith Alone (Rom. 5:1-11)
A while back I posted a lecture that Sinclair Ferguson delivered at the first Westminster Confession of Faith Conference, hosted by RPTS. The lecture was on “Baptism and the Westminster Assembly” and was the most convincing historical defense of infant baptism I have heard. Now, Michael Lynch over at 21st Century Table Talk has given a summary of the main points. This is very beneficial since the lecture was a very intellectually full message. You can find this summary here. You can listen to the lecture here. The full MP3 set including this message can be purchased at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
I want to disabuse anyone, first and foremost, of the concern they might have that I am saying the Gospel is not simple. The great Apostle Paul explained the simplicity of the Gospel when he wrote, “Brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-3)” And in another place he writes, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Cor. 11:1-4).” While these things must be constantly affirmed and defended, Peter explained that, in Paul’s letters, there were “some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”
As I have been preparing for this weeks sermon on Ephesians 1:6-7, I have been reading through the chapter on “Adoption” in the Collected Writings of John Murray, vol. 2. Murray begins his study by setting out the different references to sonship found in the Bible. Approaching it from a Biblical-theological perspective Murray explained that there are at least four different types of sonship found in Scripture. The first is the “intertrinitarian” sonship. This belongs exclusively, eternally, and by nature to the Son of God. No one else participates in this exact sonship–not even the Holy Spirit. Only the second person of the Godhead can be called the “son of God” in this way. Murray writes, “This uniqueness is expressed in the monogenes title as applied to Christ and in such expressions as the Father’s own Son (Rom. 8:3, 32).”
The second kind of sonship that Murray notes is a creative sonship. This is an important category and one that we would do well to consider very carefully. At least since the Reformation, there has been a debate over the way in which we are supposed to view Adam prior to the fall. Was Adam a son, or was a simply a servant. (This is the reason for Robert Candlish’s controvesial work The Fatherhood of God). Sinclair Ferguson outlines the history of this debate in “The Reformed Doctrine of Adoption,” in the Nigel M. de S. Cameron and Sinclair Ferguson edited Pulpit and People: Essays in honor of William Still on his 75th Birthday. Murray also deals with the biblical texts that support a reading in favor of Adamic sonship. The major passage is Luke 3:38. Whether this was true of Adam by viritue of creation in the Imago Dei or by virtue of redemption in Christ is not clear. Murray does conclude, however, that if it is true of Adam prior to the fall “the emphasis seems to be upon the fact that Adam owed his origin to God as no other man did. Adam was not geenrated by a human father.” To this statement Murray adds, “Adam might have been a son of God by creation, but not in his fallen state. We might conclude that Adam as created was a son of God without conceeding thaqt all men since the fall are sons of God. We must distinguish between Adam’s sonship and the sonship of adoption. The later entails a security that Adam did not possess.”
The third kind of sonship that Murray mentioned is the one that is based upon a “Theocratic Fatherhood.” This is an essential distinction, or category, to make. Murray sets this adoption (as does Calvin in his commentary on Romans 9:1-6) in the sphere of redemptive history. Many people today speak of Israel’s adoption as if it were no different from the adoption of New Testament believers. Murray explains that this “Theocratic Fatherhood,” “refers to God’s adoption of Israel as His chosen people. It is the prototype of redemptive adoption as the Old Testament counterpart.” It is at this point that two things need to be noted. The fact that Israel’s adoption was national and prototypical does not mkean that the remnant of believing Israelites were not given the “redemptive adoption” that Murray speaks about in contrast. Beleiving Israelites were living the New Covenant realities under the tutilage of the Old Covenant economy. The second thing that needs to be affirmed is that there was a permanence to the “redemptive adoption” in contrast to the “theocratic adoption of Israel.” This is the most foundational point of the discussion.
The fourth and final type of sonship mentioned in the Bible, according to Murray, is “redemptive adoption” or the “Adoptive Fatherhood” of God. Attempting to prove the difference between the national adoption of Israel under the Old Covenant and the “redemtpive adoption” taught so clearly in the pages of of the New Testament, Murray appeals to Galatians 3:23-4:6:
The difference is in line with the difference in general between the Old Testament and the New; the Old is preparatory, the New is consummatory. The Old is prepadeutic (i.e. like a school teacher preparing a child for adulthood), the New is graduatory. The children of God in the Old Testament were like children under age. The grace of the New Testament appears in this, that by redemption accomplished and by faith in Him [Christ], all without exception are introduced into the full blessing of sonship without the necessity of undergoing a period of tutelary preparation corresponding to the tutelary discipline of the Old Testament. That is to say, New Testament believers, from among the Gentiles, do not have to undergo in the realm of their individual development a preliminary period in the broad sphere of progressive revelation and realization.
Recommended Reading:
Trevor J. Burke Adopted into God’s Family (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsty Press, 2006)
Sinclair B. Ferguson, “The Reformed Doctrine of Sonship,” in Pulpit and People: Essays in Honor of William Still , ed. by Nigel M. de S. Cameron and Sinclair B. Ferguson (REdinburgh, Rutherford House, 1986) pp. 81-88
Sinclair B. Ferguson, Children of the Living God (Colorado Springs, Co: Navpress, 1987)
John Murray, “Adoption”, in The Collected Writings of John Murray, (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1977) vol. 2, pp. 223-234.
Here are some links to some sermons that deal with the often ignored subjects of Heaven and Hell. Speakers include Sinclair Ferguson, John Piper, John Murray, Edward Donnelly and Frederick Leahy:
Edward Donnelly Four Sermons on Heaven
Here are links to Sinclair Ferguson’s recently preached messages on Galatians 2:15-21:
Park Cities Presbyterian Church has recently made their audio sermons free for downloading. Messages include those preached by Sinclair Ferguson while he ministered there. There are sermons on 2 Timothy, Ephesians, and a series entitled, “Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and Lord.” You can listen to each below:
2 Timothy
Call to Model leadership
Faithfulness and Suffering
The Only Approval that Matters
Living in the Last Days
What’s the Use of God’s Word
Reacting to the Crisis
Facing the Future
Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and Lord
The Promised Seed
The Hope of Noah
The Covenant with Abraham
Jesus: Greater than Moses
The Gospel According to Isaiah
The Servant of the Lord
The Divine Sufferer
Who is the Son of Man?
Jesus: Covenant Son
Jesus the Teenager
Why Was Jesus Baptized?
The Temptation of the Second Man
Jesus: Prophet, Priest and King
Jesus: Confessed, Crucified, Glorified
Jesus: The Resurrected Servant, the Last Adam
Lord of Creation, Head of the Church
Jesus: Pioneer of Salvation, Leader of Heavenly Worship
Jesus: Our Great High Priest
Jesus: the Church’s Lord and Judge
Various Messages
John 14
In the Pit–Psalm 40
A Half-Learned Christ Matt. 3:11-35
Have Mercy — Psalm 51
You can find the previous blog posts with links to Ferguson messages here.
What happens when Sinclair Ferguson comes to preach in Greenville, SC? Well, some pretty phenomenal messages are preached! In 2006 Dr. Ferguson came to Mitchell Rd. Presbyterian Church and preached two messages at a Family Conference. The first message is titled Solid Foundations: Exodus 20 . This can be found here. The second lecture was titled The Man of the House: Ephesians 6. This lecture can be found here. The last time Dr. Ferguson preached in Greenville was at the Installation Service for Rick Philips at Second Presbyterian Church. This sermon can be listened to here. You will find that these three messages are among the best of Sinclair Ferguson.
Besides the hundreds of edifying sermons that can be found at First Presbyterian Church you can listen to several other exceptional lectures given by Sinclair Ferguson online. The following two lectures were delivered at the 2007 Banner of Truth Conference. The subject was holiness and the messages are aimed at convincing listeners of the need for Christ-centered, Gospel fueled holiness”
Since he came to minister at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. Sinclair Ferguson’s sermons have been available to download for free. Having listened to most of the sermons he has preached there so far, I want to recommend a few that I think are the best. The following series have been a great blessing to me and my family:
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
The Waiting Father
The Distant Son I
The Distant Son II
SIX PEOPLE YOU MEET EN ROUTE TO CALVARY
A Trapped Politician
A Changed Woman
An Almost Christian
A Small Business Man
An Ambitious Mother
A Flawed Friend
I hope that you will find these to be a blessing to your soul as I have found them to be.
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