Posted by deangonzales on June 2, 2010
We recently completed the final module of “Marrow of Theology” program in Bogotá, Colombia. Greg Nichols, Professor of Systematic Theology, capped off the program with the Doctrine of the Church. Pastor Nichols was assisted by Pastor Luis Arocha, who served as the translator. Forty-seven students attended. Those who successfully complete the reading and course requirements will graduate with a Certificate of Theological Studies (C.T.S.), Lord willing, in October of this year. Below is a report of the module and a word of thanks from Pastors Gómez and Castañeda who have served as the onsite coordinators of the modules.
Dear Brethren:
We greet you with a heart full of joy and gratitude to God, as we report on the successful culmination of the first program, “Marrow of Theology”, in Colombia. To God be the glory always!
In this opportunity we had the privilege of closing the program in grand style by receiving the module “The doctrine of the Church” taught by Pastor Greg Nichols. As always, it was a time of intense study, in which the teacher demonstrated his great didactic skills and knowledge of the subject. It was very edifying for the students, the majority of whom had great expectations of learning the Baptist point of view of the church. This was amply explained as the teacher covered everything concerning the nature of the church and its expression as a living organism and well structured organization. The students were thus able to capture an ample vision of the church, not only from the reformed perspective, but, most importantly, from the divine perspective, according to the model given to us in the Holy Scriptures.
The module was developed with a dynamic of abundant instruction on the part of the teacher and great participation and interaction from the 47 students. Pastor Greg offered them a great opportunity to express their thoughts, questions and comments on the various topics discussed, which served to enrich the subject matter and dispel their doubts.
It was so delightful to enjoy the fellowship of Brother Luis Arocha, who always performs an excellent service in translation. We are grateful for these two brothers God has given to the church and pray that He will recompense their great work for the Kingdom.
In this opportunity the students expressed their enormous gratitude with great nostalgia for the ending of the Marrow. They manifested innumerable times the great benefit these studies, times of reflection and fellowship have brought to their lives. They recounted how valuable it was for them to participate and have the privilege being part of this group of students. They also expressed great sadness for not being able to continue receiving this kind of instruction.
This has been very stimulating to us, as it confirms that “Marrow of Theology” is a program that God has wanted to bless in His infinite mercy to impact the lives of those He has called for His service, through a serious reflection and analysis of the biblical doctrines. It has also awakened in them a greater delight for the systematic study of the Scriptures, generating greater reverence, care and pursuit of excellence in the exposition of the Word of God from the pulpit. It has also challenged us not to grow weary in finding ways to continue these programs so that these men, who have been legitimately called by God, may have access to an adequate and true instruction.
During these 4 years of the program, we counted with the faithfulness of our good Lord, proving much more than what we had expected. God was greatly glorified both in the most indispensable matters as well as the small details. To Him be the glory! For all this, brethren, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for the great love and interest you have shown during all this time. We know that many individual brothers and sisters and churches participated in this awesome effort. We would like to highlight the continued support offered by Pastor Robert Gonzáles, who, as deacon, did an excellent job as academic coordinator. He was always very attentive and up to date on the program, providing everything needed for each module. We felt his companionship, support and availability during all this time, which was essential for the development of the study plan. We also want to thank Pastor Oscar Arocha, who presented the program and motivated us to bring it to our country; and did all the necessary work to approve the project. Also, we would like to especially acknowledge our dear Brother Keith Maddy, for adopting, as his own the work developed by the seminar and was a channel of blessings, supporting the program with a great quantity of books and financial resources. And to all the teachers who labored and gave their best effort, sharing their knowledge of the Word of God, as good administrators of the gifts God granted each one of them.
Brethren, we elevate our prayer of thanksgiving to Him from whom every good and perfect gift has come, imploring that He will bless each one of you, and will continue blessing the church in Colombia through you.
With the love that unites us in Christ, full of joy,
Your servants for the Lord’s cause,
GUILLERMO GÓMEZ
JORGE E. CASTAÑEDA
Posted by deangonzales on February 22, 2010
Reformed Baptist Seminary will host a summer theological module on Christology or the Doctrine of Christ from Saturday through Friday, August 21-27 at its new facilities at Grace Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina. The module will serve to fulfill the lecture requirements for the seminary’s three-credit course ST 701 Christ. The course instructor, Pastor Greg Nichols, is a graduate and former professor of Trinity Ministerial Academy, Montville, New Jersey. He’s the author of What Does the Bible Say about God? The Biblical Doctrine of God (Truth For Eternity) and “The Emotivity of God,” Reformed Baptist Theological Review 1:2 (July 2004): 95-143. He is currently a pastor of Grace Immanuel Reformed Baptist Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he and his wife, Ginger, reside. The course covers much more than the person and work of Christ. First, it reaches back into eternity and considers God’s predestined plan for a Redeemer and a people. Second, traces the development of the God’s redemptive promise through the historical covenants of Scripture–covenant theology from a Reformed and Baptist perspective! Third, the course systematically explores the revelation of the Person and Work of Jesus the Messiah. Professor Nichols has provide the following abstract, which summarizes the three major segments of the course material:
Part 1: The Eternal Plan of Salvation: Predestination
Before the creation of the world God resolved how he would embark on the greatest rescue mission conceivable. This plan includes his predestination of the redeemed, “he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), and of the Redeemer, “Christ foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:19). Thus we begin with eternal election and reprobation and the eternal counsel of redemption.
Part 2: The Solemn Promise of Salvation: God’s Covenants
Immediately after the fall God solemnly declared war on Satan. He pledged to send a Redeemer to rescue sinners and crush the devil thoroughly (Gen. 3:15). This pledge to apply and accomplish salvation is his covenant of grace. He fulfills his pledge to apply salvation through his gospel; to accomplish salvation through his covenants. Over some four thousand years of redemptive history he sets up a tapestry of pledges that frame the Person and work of the Redeemer. These are: the two Noahic covenants, the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, and the Messianic and New covenants. Thus, we study the covenant of grace and God’s covenants.
Part 3: The Accomplishment of Salvation: Christ’s Person and Work
In the fullness of time God sent his Son into the world to accomplish salvation from sin. God the Son became flesh and entered the world as Jesus of Nazareth: “you shall call his name Jesus, for he it is that shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Thus, we first study his Person, his deity and humanity. In his work Christ fulfills God’s solemn promises. As the promised Redeemer, Christ crushes Satan by his perfect life and atoning death. As Abraham’s heir, Christ blesses believers from every nation with every spiritual blessing through the gospel. As David’s heir, the theocratic king, Christ rules God’s people, builds his temple, and subdues his enemies. As high priest, in keeping with the Messianic covenant, Christ makes atonement for his people, intercedes for them, and eradicates their sin. As prophet and mediator of the new covenant, Christ reforms God’s people and reveals his Word. This course concludes with the profound impact of Christ’s Person and work: “neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Don’t miss out on this important module! Auditors are also welcome. The module fee is $70 for students and $100 for auditors. The members of Grace Baptist Church will provide lodging for those who register early and meals will be provided. The deadline for registration is August 6. To download the PDF module flier, registration form, or lecture schedule, click on the links below:
If you tentatively plan to attend, please send an email letting us know so that we can begin to formulate a headcount. You can also contact us if you have more specific questions about the module (email: info@rbseminary.org/phone: 864-322-4633).
Bob Gonzales, Dean
Reformed Baptist Seminary
Posted by deangonzales on April 27, 2009
“THE HOLY SPIRIT”: 2009 WINTER MODULE
On the third week of January, Immanuel Baptist Church of Sacramento, California, hosted the 2009 Winter Module on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. God helped Pastor John Reuther deliver 17 seventy-minute lectures, including times for Q&A interspersed throughout. The course consisted of a biblical-theological examination of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. One student summarized the teaching as “excellent, comprehensive, and easy to follow.” Part of what contributed to this was Pastor Reuther’s well-organized, neatly formatted, graphically illustrated, and thoroughly referenced lecture notes. Every student received a bound copy of these notes, and those auditing the course quickly bought up the several extra copies Professor Reuther brought with him. A free PDF version may be downloaded from our website (click here). All the lectures were recorded in digital audio and video format. The audio lectures are already available through the seminary’s online store, and the video lectures should be available soon.
“THE MARROW OF THEOLOGY”: PAST & FUTURE
Not long after the module on the Holy Spirit in Sacramento was completed, Dr. Sam Waldron, Dean and Professor of Midwest Center for Theological Studies and a systematic theology professor for RBS, traveled to Bogota, Colombia, to teach a course on Eschatology. Remembering that most of the 40 to 50 students attending the module have been taught eschatology from a more dispensational perspective will give the reader a sense of the challenge that lay before the instructor. Nevertheless, Pastors Guillermo Gomez and Jorge Castañeda, who oversee the students enrolled in the program, gave the following positive report:
The students looked forward to this module with special anticipation since the subject matter is somewhat complex and controversial. The teacher presented the subject matter in a manner that progressively removed objections and presuppositions, which had occupied the minds of the participants. It appears that a reformed eschatology, which is not common in our setting, gained understanding and acceptance.
Praise the Lord for making the hearts of these men open and pliable to the teaching of his Word!
On Monday, April 27, Pastors Jeffrey Smith and José Alberto García travel to Bogota, Colombia, for the 2009 spring theological module, which is part of the Marrow of Theology program offered by Reformed Baptist Seminary. Pastor Smith will lecture from Tuesday through Friday (April 28-May 1) on those doctrines related to “Salvation Applied, Part 1” (e.g., effectual calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, etc.). Pastor Garcia will serve as our translator. We hope to have between 40 and 50 students attending. This module brings us to the third phase of our instruction. Lord willing, we’ll finish the program with Ethics in July (Richard Barcellos), Covenants in October (Andy Dunkerton), Salvation Applied, Part II in January 2010 (Jeff Smith), The Church in April 2010 (Greg Nichols), and a graduation service some time in the summer. I’d like especially to thank all of you who are making this ministry possible through your prayers and financial assistance.
NEW BLOG LOOK & VIRTUAL CAMPUS
RBS began a blog in May 2007, utilizing the platform of WordPress.com. As our blog increased in daily hits, we decided it was time for an upgrade. So with the help of Jeremy Bennett of Kalos Grafix Studios and Ryan Barkley of Barkley Technologies, we created an entirely new version of RBS Tabletalk. All the posts from the old site have been transferred, so you’ll be able to find them in the archives of our new blog. Be sure to check out the tag cloud under archives, which should help you locate topics, themes, or names that are discussed in the blog entries. Finally, if you have any suggestions on how we might make further improvements to the blog, feel free to email your suggestions to me.
The blog upgrade, however, is not the best news. This February we “broke ground” and began constructing our new “campus.” This campus will not consist of brick-and-mortar, however. Instead, it will be a “virtual campus” that utilizes Moodle, an open-source learning management software (LMS). The seminary student will be able to login at the Virtual Campus site with a username and password to access the courses for which he’s registered. On the course page, he’ll find a course description and objectives along with an introduction to the course instructor. He will also have access to all the course lectures in MP3 format for streaming on demand or download. Moreover, course textbooks, reading assignments, and course projects will be listed. Furthermore, the student’s proctor will be able to login to the quiz/exam page with a password, enabling the student to take his test online and obtain faster grade results. Some of the quizzes and exams will be graded automatically and immediately! Each student’s grades will be visible to him, his instructors, and the seminary administrators. Finally, the virtual campus will also provide a forum for students and teachers to engage in online discussions related to each course. We have set a target date of mid-summer to have the campus up and functional, at least at a basic level. It’s our hope that the RBS Virtual Campus will make distance-learning a more efficient and profitable experience for our students. Praise the Lord for advances in technology that are making theological training more affordable and accessible!
Bob Gonzales, Dean
Reformed Baptist Seminary
