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Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they delve into the topic of eschatology. From the renewed corporate people of God to the anticipation of the new Heaven and the new Earth, they explore the significance of the last days and the hope found in the Gospel. Discover how the Lord's Day serves as a foretaste of the eschaton and learn how participating in worship on Sundays allows us to experience a glimpse of the complete and pure bride of Christ. Tune in for a compelling discussion on the ultimate transformation and restoration of all things in the final culmination of God's redemptive work.
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Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they dive deep into the topic of the judgement of the apostate angels and the second death. Explore the eschatological realities and the implications of works in salvation, justification and sanctification, and the tension between hope and condemnation. Gain insights into the complex nature of eternal consequences and discover the ultimate message of hope and redemption in the face of the final judgement. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast!
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Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they delve into the concept of the final judgement and its implications. Explore the intricate relationship between works and salvation, and gain a deeper understanding of the eschatological reality of eternal consequences. Discover the tension between our justification and sanctification, and how it relates to our eternal destiny. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on the final judgement, resurrection, and the hope and condemnation that accompany them. Tune in now to expand your theological knowledge and engage in a profound exploration of Christian faith.
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In this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast, Tony and Jesse dive deep into the topic of the final judgment and the resurrection of both the just and the unjust. They explore the implications of eternal consequences, the hope and condemnation that arise from God's ultimate judgment, and the theological significance of this eschatological reality. Join them as they engage in a constructive theological discussion, tackling tough questions and offering valuable insights. If you're interested in understanding the complexities of the final judgment and its impact on the Christian faith, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in and be prepared to be challenged and encouraged.
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Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they dive deep into the eschatological topic of the resurrection of the just and the unjust. With a focus on the physical and spiritual implications, they explore the consequences faced by those who reject Christ and the glorious hope of those who are in Him. Discover the profound truth of God's justice and the eternal destiny that awaits every individual as the hosts navigate through the complexities of this doctrine. This episode provides a captivating and challenging discussion that will leave you pondering the gravity of God's judgment and the significance of the resurrection in the Christian faith.
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In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb begin their exploration of eschatology by addressing the intermediate state—what happens to believers between death and resurrection. Drawing from Scripture and Reformed confessions, they explain how the souls of Christians immediately pass into the presence of Christ upon death, while awaiting bodily resurrection. The hosts tackle common misconceptions about the afterlife, including soul sleep, purgatory, and the fusion of intermediate and eternal states. This foundational discussion establishes a biblical framework for understanding personal eschatology that brings comfort to believers facing mortality and grief.
The intermediate state is often misunderstood in contemporary Christianity. As the hosts explain, Reformed theology makes a crucial distinction between what happens to believers at death and what occurs at the final resurrection. When Christians die, their souls—the spiritual aspect of their being—immediately enter Christ's presence in a conscious state. This is not the final state, as our physical bodies remain in the grave awaiting resurrection, but it is a blessed condition where believers experience the joy of being with Christ.
The biblical foundation for this understanding comes from numerous passages, particularly Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, where he states his preference "to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord." Similarly, Jesus' promise to the repentant thief—"Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43)—establishes the immediacy of the soul's entrance into Christ's presence after death. These texts undermine theories of soul sleep or post-mortem purification periods.
The doctrine of purgatory represents one of the most significant errors regarding the intermediate state. As the hosts discuss, purgatory presupposes that Christ's work is insufficient to fully sanctify believers at death. While proponents might argue that purgatory honors God's holiness, it actually diminishes Christ's finished work by suggesting that additional purification is needed before entering God's presence.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q.37) succinctly addresses this: "The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory." This reflects the biblical teaching that sanctification is completed at death for those in Christ. The notion that believers must undergo further purification fundamentally contradicts the gospel's emphasis on Christ's all-sufficient merit and imputed righteousness. As Jesse notes, purgatory suggests "what Jesus did was good enough for certain things but not all things," a position that undermines the completeness of Christ's redemptive work.
The intermediate state is not like you transcend to different worlds. It just means between the time that you die and that your body is reunited with your soul. - Jesse Schwamb
I prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord... This is Paul making this clear line that Christian theology states from its very beginning, that death means the soul being with God present in conscience, aware. - Jesse Schwamb
What a theology here does is denies that Christ has the ability to make a person holy upon their death... To say that Christ can't instantly sanctify someone upon their death, that just seems blasphemous. - Tony Arsenal
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In this culminating episode of their series on prayer, Tony and Jesse examine Revelation 5 as a window into the eternal nature of prayer. They explore how our earthly prayers connect to heavenly worship, focusing on Christ's mediatorial role in making our prayers acceptable to God. The hosts emphasize that prayer is not merely a temporal practice but continues into eternity, and that private prayer offers believers a foretaste of heavenly communion with God. Through an examination of the Lamb's worthiness to open the scroll and the golden bowls of incense representing the prayers of the saints, they reveal how even our most humble prayers are made worthy through Christ's mediation.
Revelation 5 reveals a profound theological reality about prayer that transcends our temporal experience. When we see the golden bowls of incense, which are explicitly identified as "the prayers of the saints," we're witnessing how our prayers participate in heavenly reality. This isn't just about future prayers at the end of time—it's about our prayers right now. As Tony explains, this passage shows how "the Son brings our prayers to the Father... it's not our own goodness, it's not our own humility, it's not our own self-obescence, it's none of that. It's the Son's worthiness that brings our prayer to him."
This understanding transforms how we approach prayer today. Rather than viewing prayer as something we do because we can't yet see God face-to-face, we can recognize it as participation in the very activity that will continue throughout eternity. Our private prayers become moments when we step into the heavenly life of the saints, experiencing a foretaste of the direct communion we'll enjoy forever.
The central theme of Revelation 5 is the worthiness of the Lamb to open the scroll. This worthiness establishes Christ's unique mediatorial role not only in salvation but also in prayer. The passage emphasizes that "no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll," yet Christ alone is worthy because He was slain and by His blood ransomed people for God.
This same worthiness is what qualifies Christ to present our prayers before the Father. As Jesse observes, "We find them bringing together in this consummate harmony God, who he is, and God, because of who is what He does for us." The theological implication is striking: we can have absolute confidence in our prayers not because of our eloquence or righteousness, but because Christ Himself makes them worthy. This should both humble us and embolden us as we pray, knowing that our prayers—however simple or stumbling—are made worthy by the One who presents them.
Private prayer is the closest that we get to experiencing the direct kind of fellowship that we will have in heaven... To direct private prayer as the closest analog to the subjective experience that we will have in heaven, so that should drive us to prayer. - Tony Arsenal
Prayer is the final state and prayer will never go away. It's gonna be the thing that allows us to understand the intimacy with God when we see Him face to face. And for now all we cannot see when we apprehend Him by faith that by sight that we still have prayer is like the mechanism, the conduit, but it's an amazing gift. - Jesse Schwamb
Even our prayers are Jesus's work on our behalf—that is an amazing thought. - Tony Arsenal
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In this insightful episode, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore how the Psalms can fundamentally reshape our approach to prayer. Moving beyond structured formulas, they discuss how God's inspired prayer book offers us divine language for every human experience—from praise to lament, from thanksgiving to righteous anger. The hosts challenge listeners to embrace the sometimes uncomfortable or alien nature of praying the Psalms, arguing that this very discomfort is what makes them so transformative for modern Christians. This episode offers practical guidance for incorporating the Psalms into your daily prayer life and explains why doing so connects us to a pattern of prayer that Jesus himself practiced.
The hosts emphasize that the Psalms aren't merely ancient poems but divinely inspired patterns for prayer. Unlike contemporary prayer approaches that often feel sanitized and structured around acronyms like ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), the Psalms encompass the full breadth of human experience in relation to God. As Jesse notes, "There's so much there that is for us, that all of our prayer life should encompass all of what it means to be human."
What makes the Psalms particularly powerful is how they give us permission—and even commands—to bring our raw emotions before God. From crying out in apparent abandonment to expressing righteous anger about injustice, the Psalms demonstrate that God welcomes honest communication. Tony points out that "the fact that the psalm feels alien to us" is precisely why they're so important—they reshape our understanding of what prayer can and should be.
One of the most challenging aspects of the Psalms that the hosts discuss is how they teach us to pray about God's judgment. Modern evangelical sensibilities often shy away from praying for justice against the wicked, yet the hosts argue this is a biblical pattern that provides genuine comfort to the suffering.
As Tony explains, "One of the things about judgment that I think a lot of modern Christians miss is the judgment of the wicked is a source of comfort for the righteous. And that's a constant refrain in the psalms." This perspective doesn't replace evangelism or love for enemies, but acknowledges the reality that God's justice is part of His character and worthy of our prayer.
When we pray these uncomfortable passages, we're training ourselves to see reality as God sees it—finding hope in His ultimate setting things right. These prayers are especially meaningful for believers facing persecution, providing assurance that God's justice will prevail even when human justice fails.
The Psalms force us into that position because I wouldn't normally put myself there, but they give you the proper idea and way to think about praying when we might be content with prayers that aren't particularly deep. - Jesse Schwamb
God's hymn book is something that is given to us. It's profitable for us, it's useful for our teaching and our correction. And it's useful for our correction in terms of the way that we think about prayer and the way we actually pray. - Tony Arsenal
Who understands the power of your anger and your fury according to the fear that is due you? This is like the most honest thing to pray, which is 'God, I've read your scriptures... and even then I don't understand you as I ought to.' - Jesse Schwamb
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In this 360th episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb continue their exploration of prayer by examining Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John 17. Focusing on the final portion of this prayer, they unpack Christ's profound petition for unity among His followers - not merely as a hope but as an established reality rooted in the eternal nature of God. The hosts explore how this unity differs from uniformity, reflecting the unity within the Trinity itself. This episode challenges listeners to understand prayer not merely as personal petition but as participation in the unified body of Christ, and to recognize that the unity Jesus prays for is already secured through Him.
Unity within the body of Christ is grounded in and reflects the unity of the Trinity itself. As Tony explains, "Christ is saying to his Father that the church will be one. The people of God will be unified even as or likewise the way I am unified with [the Father]." This isn't merely a functional unity but a profound mystical reality that defines the Church's very existence. While the Church never shares a single divine nature like the persons of the Trinity, there is still "something about the way the church is constituted and the way that the church is one with many members" that reflects the Godhead's unity. This has practical implications for how we relate to one another - our diversity doesn't threaten our unity but actually demonstrates it more powerfully, just as the diverse functions within the Trinity don't compromise divine unity.
One of the most striking insights from the episode is how prayer itself serves as a unifying activity. Tony points out that "if we're praying rightly, we are not only praying for ourselves, which is totally fine and appropriate to do, but we are praying for [others]." He notes that "when you're beseeching the Lord, when you're coming in petitioning the Lord, you're praying with probably thousands, if not millions of other Christians simultaneously" even if we're not consciously aware of it. This reveals that private prayer, though personal, is never individualistic. It's always conducted as a member of Christ's body, which is why Jesus taught us to pray "our Father" even in our private devotions. Prayer becomes one of the clearest expressions of the Church's mystical unity across time and space.
I think sometimes we confuse ourselves into thinking that we're growing in Christ, or to grow in Christ is to always go recklessly headlong into studying and to start to process more information, oftentimes without practice. And really the opposite maybe true, which is in order to have that kind of effective study is really to have first and foremost a deep private prayer life. - Jesse Schwamb
The mark of Christian community is unity. Again, not uniformity, not everyone becoming like every other person, not dressing the same or saying the same things or using the same language or liking the same music, but in spite of all those things—because of all those things—finding ourselves so thoroughly supernaturally bonded together in a familial kind of way that the outside world is like, 'This is wild. There's no reason these people should be together.' - Jesse Schwamb
We should not ever be asking God to be or do something that He is not already doing because, first of all, that's really presumptuous to ask the perfect, infinite, unchangeable God to somehow change for our needs. - Tony Arsenal
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In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse dive deep into John 17, often called Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." Building on their summer-long study of the Lord's Prayer, they examine how Jesus' own prayer life embodies profound theological truths while serving as a model for believers. The hosts unpack the trinitarian aspects of prayer, Christ's requests for glory, and the assurance believers have in Jesus' intercession. Throughout their discussion, they highlight how theology isn't merely academic but deeply practical, noting how Christ's prayer for His followers' security provides immense comfort for Christians who struggle with doubts about their salvation. The conversation ultimately reveals how prayer, properly understood, is grounded in who God is and what He has done.
Christ's prayer in John 17 reveals that proper Christian prayer is deeply trinitarian. As Tony explains, "Prayer shouldn't exclude any person of the Trinity, certainly not implicitly, but it doesn't need to exclude any person of the Trinity explicitly." While we typically pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit, we must remember that we are addressing the entire Godhead.
The High Priestly Prayer demonstrates this reality as Jesus prays to the Father while affirming both His own divine nature and the Father's. This reminds us that we don't commune with an abstract divine nature, but with persons. As Tony references John Owen's work on communion with God, we have "personal fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." This personal communion is modeled perfectly in Christ's prayer - one person of the Trinity coming to another in intimate dialogue.
One of the most comforting aspects of Christ's High Priestly Prayer is His petition for the Father to keep all those who belong to Him. Jesse notes, "Praise God that our future does not rest upon the strength of our faith, but in the object, and keeping is God's work. It's ours to abide, His to keep."
This truth has immense practical significance. When believers feel beaten down or attacked by the enemy, they can rest in the knowledge that Jesus has specifically prayed for their preservation. And since Jesus always prays according to the Father's will, and the Father loves to give the Son what He asks for, we can have complete confidence that this prayer will be answered. As Tony explains, Christ's ongoing intercession means "every prayer is the high priestly prayer of Christ... Christ is praying on our behalf, in our stead." This reality provides the theological foundation for the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.
What an amazing way to just show the love of Christ in a hot dog. Because when we're making that hot dog, it's coming with the love of Christ... It's coming with the love of Christ. - Jesse Schwamb
Christ's divine glory is obscured in that he is not displaying it... So he's petitioning the Father, basically, to restore Him to that manifestation of His glory... Then he's petitioning the Father to glorify Him with the glory that He's going to obtain, the glory He will merit on the cross. And then he petitions the Father to glorify his people with that same glory. - Tony Arsenal
I think sometimes Christians have this weird tendency to view certain acts of kindness as spiritual enough... but at their basic instinct, they're both acts of kindness that we do out of our Christian conviction. - Tony Arsenal