The Magazine Podcast
The Magazine Podcast brings to light the riches of the Banner of Truth Magazine archive for the encouragement of believers today. Each episode explores historical and theological content from the magazine's extensive collection, aiming to edify and inspire Christian listeners. The podcast is produced by Banner of Truth, a publisher of Reformed Christian literature.
Episodes
Rutherford the Reformed Pastor
What makes a Reformed pastor? Ian Hamilton draws out some lessons from the strengths and weaknesses of the seventeenth-century Scottish pastor, Samuel Rutherford.
Featured resource:
Ian Hamilton, 'Marks of a Reformed Pastor: Lessons from Samuel Rutherford,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 617 (February 2015).
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the M
To the Christian Afflicted with Melancholy
What do we need to know when melancholy comes knocking? Where do we turn when the darkness does not lift?
This week's Magazine Monday is a reading from the Edinburgh minister John Colquhoun (1748–1827). The October 1971 issue of the magazine included the following excerpt from Colquhoun's Treatise on Spiritual Comfort (1814).
Featured resource:
John Colquhoun, 'Directions to Christians Affli
Rufus Burton Recommends 'Confessing the Faith'
In this Friday Extra, Rufus Burton, Minister at First Presbyterian Church, Martinsburg, West Virginia, recommends Chad Van Dixhoorn's Confessing the Faith: A Reader's Guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Buy the book:
https://banneroftruth.org/store/theology/confessing-the-faith/
Study guide, authored by Emily Van Dixhoorn:
https://banneroftruth.org/store/theology/confessing-the-fa
The Virtue of Self-Control
'Endeavour with all your might to make a conquest of all those enemies that be within you.' So wrote the Puritan Thomas Brooks (Works, vol. 6, p. 385).
This week we take a closer look at the virtue of self-control, without which we are left vulnerable to all of the predations of Satan and sin. Heaven-bound saints cannot afford to neglect self-control.
Featured resource:
Mark J. Larson, 'The V
Jeff Kingswood Recommends 'William Grimshaw of Howarth'
In this Friday Extra, the Chair of the Banner board, Rev. Jeff Kingswood, recommends one of our more obscure biographical titles, Faith Cook's William Grimshaw of Howarth.
Buy the book: https://banneroftruth.org/store/history-biography/william-grimshaw-of-haworth-2/
Dr. Beardsworth on the Pastor and His Health
The subject of health, and what is now called 'mental health,' comes up a great deal today, even in connection with ministry. While the treatment of the subject may sometimes leave much to be desired—biblically, theologically, or medically—it is at least firmly on the agenda.
That was not the case when Dr Brian Beardsworth was asked to speak on the topic of 'The Pastor and His Health' at the 1992
Jeff Kingswood Recommends 'The Mysteries of Christianity'
In this Friday Extra, we explain a little bit about some exciting new podcast developments at the Banner of Truth.
Following that 'service announcement' we hear from the Chair of the Banner board, Rev. Jeff Kingswood, about a little-known but highly significant title published by the Trust.
More info. on T. J. Crawford's The Mysteries of Christianity:
— Short review by David Campbell
— Excerpt
Church History: A Neglected Help to the Preacher
We readily accept that preachers need to be familiar with the Scriptures and with theology. But church history? Surely it is a matter of indifference whether or not a preacher has much knowledge of the often-complicated history of the church?
Peter Barnes disagrees, and lays out the case for the studied and accessible use of the church's history in evangelical preaching and teaching.
Featured
'Christ Glowed in the Man'
This week we read a gripping article on a man whose ministry, despite sorrow and ill-health, was faithful and blessed—in Perth, Scotland, as well as Calcutta, India.
Featured Resources:
David Campbell, 'John Milne: "A flower of rare beauty and sweetness of odour"' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 754 (July 2026).
Buy the book:
Horatius Bonar, The Life of John Milne of Perth
Explore the wo
Kenneth A. MacRae on Preaching
A title which many have appreciated and which is, for the moment, still out of print, is the The Diary of Kenneth A. MacRae, edited by Iain H. Murray. MacRae had a long ministry in the highlands and islands of Scotland.
This week we read a collection of his candid and spiritual reflections on the topic of preaching. We trust they will be helpful to preachers and hearers alike.
Featured Resource
Waking the Dawn With Praise
Daniel Funke highlights the unique opportunities of the morning, and the value of sanctifying our waking hour for the glory of God.
Featured Resources:
Daniel Funke, 'Waking the Dawn with Praise,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 752 (May 2026).
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine
Leav
The Written Ministry of A. W. Pink
This week we read a reflection on the unique, powerful ministry of A. W. Pink, particularly as it was expressed through his periodical, 'Search the Scriptures.' His writing combined great profundity with clarity and spiritual authority. This combination is shown in the second piece we read, a short meditation on 'The Godhood of God.'
Featured Resources:
(Presumed to be by Iain H. Murray), 'The
The Importance of Seriousness
Does seriousness matter in a pastor? Rev. Daniel Dana, an American Presbyterian writer of the 19th century, argued that it does—profoundly so. This week we read his meditation on the subject which was featured in the eighth issue of the magazine.
Featured Resource:
'The Importance of Seriousness to the Christian Minister,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 8 (August 1957).
Explore the work of
Spurgeon's Pastoral Wisdom (Geoff Chang Interview)
Our forthcoming volume, Spurgeon's Pastoral Wisdom, has been compiled and edited by Geoff Chang. Composed of contributions from Spurgeon to the Sword and Trowel magazine on the topic of the church and ministry, it will encourage, inform, and challenge readers to love and serve Christ's church better.
We sit down with Geoff to discuss Spurgeon as a pastor, some of his convictions about the church
The French Synods of the Desert
This year we have devoted quite a bit of time to considering the Scottish Covenanters (and yes, our fourth Covenanter video is still on the way!). The Covenanters, however, were not the only body of believers to suffer extreme persecution in the seventeenth century. This week we consider the plight of the French Huguenots, with excerpts from an article by Henry Martyn Baird, first published in the
Advice for a New Minister
The new minister has arrived. He loves the Lord. He loves the Scriptures. He loves the local church. But all is not well in the congregation he has been called to serve. What is he to do? How is he to build?
Long-time friend of the Banner, veteran pastor Peter Barnes, offers counsel to a young man in such a position.
Featured resource:
Peter Barnes, 'Approaching Pastoral Difficulties,' Banner
Burdened for the Honour of God
Elijah's ministry to Israel at a time of rampant backsliding is a challenge and an encouragement to us in the days of apostasy in which we live. But what drove Elijah? What was his abiding concern—his activating conviction? Reed S. Rusniak takes us to the heart of the prophet's motivations.
This week's article, the first of a projected six-part series in the print magazine, is from the June 2026
Eagerly Awaiting the Saviour
The Christian's great hope is the personal return—the Second Coming—of the Lord Jesus Christ. In his article 'Eagerly Awaiting the Saviour,' Mike Riccardi helps us grasp the nature of this hope, and work it out in our own lives.
Featured resource:
Mike Riccardi, 'Eagerly Awaiting the Saviour,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 629 (February 2016).
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.b
From Marine to Minister: Grant Castleberry Interview
Grant Castleberry serves as a Pastor-Teacher at The King's Chapel, Raleigh, North Carolina. Grant recently concluded doctoral research into D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and in this bonus episode we discuss 'the Doctor' and his ministry emphases, as well as hearing Grant's own fascinating testimony to God's faithfulness and gracious calling.
More on The King's Chapel:
https://www.thekingschapel.com/
A Missing Means of Grace
Christian fellowship, contends our editor Mark G. Johnston, is the 'Cinderella' of the means of grace. That is to say, of the various means the Lord uses to build up His people, fellowship is woefully and unjustly neglected. This week on the podcast, we are encouraged to remedy this neglect, and discover afresh that there is no healthy church life–even Christian life–without Christian fellowship.
Loving the Lord's Day
How are we to love and to set apart the Lord's Day? Why are we to love it and set it apart? Maurice Roberts explains, in clear and compelling terms, what relevance the Fourth Commandment has for Christians in the New Covenant.
Featured Resource:
Maurice Roberts, 'Sabbath Observance,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 392 (May 1996).
Be Part of the Next Chapter:
More information about our bui
What Thomas Boston Saw
Thomas Boston was one of the outstanding Scottish ministers of the eighteenth century. This week we consider his faithfulness in two small parishes in the Scottish Lowlands, and God's sustaining of him in these difficult charges.
Featured Resource:
G. N. M. Collins, 'How Thomas Boston Beheld the Lamb of God which Taketh Away the Sin of the World,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 640 (January 2
Meet the Trustees: Robert Strivens (BONUS)
Our bonus episode this week is a conversation with Dr Robert Strivens, Banner of Truth Trustee and Director of the recently set-up Reformed Baptist Study Centre. We hear more about Robert, the work of the Banner trustees, and the hopes for the new study centre in this interview recorded at the recent Banner Ministers' Conference in Staffordshire.
Robert's recommendations:
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Minister's Treasure
This week's selection is an excursion into Pastor William Shishko's ministerial library, to see which books have fed him as a Christian and as a minister. The result will be of interest not only to other men called to shepherd the Lord's flock, but to every Christian with an appetite to know more of God.
(In Print) Books Mentioned in the Episode:
John Owen, The Glory of Christ (Volume 1 of The
What Earth's Princes Never Knew
The doctrine of the cross of Christ is not merely a constituent part of the Christian system of belief - it is the beating heart of the Christian message, the saving reality which cannot be known or loved by man in a state of sin and rebellion. The cross mocks human wisdom, exposing its strength as weakness. Maurice Roberts helps us see that only divine wisdom, given by the Holy Spirit, enables us
The Coming Glory
We need regular reminders of the reality and goodness of the glory that awaits those who belong to God. This week, with the help of Eric J. Alexander and R. B. Kuiper, we consider the glorious future of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Featured Resources:
Eric J. Alexander, 'The Coming Glory,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 370 (July 1994).
R. B. Kuiper, The Glorious Body of Christ: A Scriptural
Infanticide, And Our Response
Infanticide has become normal, acceptable, and even celebrated in the West and around the world. This week we take time to note two events which occurred in March and their significance for the Church's work and witness in defense of unborn children.
Featured Content:
Peter Barnes, 'Abortion: Kermit Gosnell and the Slide to Infanticide,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 599–600 (Aug–Sep 2013).
Newton the Letter-Writer: An Interview with Grant Gordon
John Newton was a prolific writer of pastoral letters - letters which have been used of the Lord to encourage, challenge, and counsel many people beyond their original recipients.
In this bonus episode, we talk with Grant Gordon, who has studied and collated many of Newton's letters. His volume Wise Counsel, representing many of Newton's letters to the Baptist pastor John Ryland Jr., has now been
Present-Day Antichrists (Part II)
This week we continue our reading of R. B. Kuiper's sermon, 'Present-Day Antichrists' from his series of sermons on the 'signs of the times' contained in While the Bridegroom Tarries.
We follow this with a reading from Professor John Murray on Kuiper's final (and unfinished work) The Bible Tells Me So.
Featured Resource:
'Present-Day Antichrists' in While the Bridegroom Tarries (1919, repr. E
Present-Day Antichrists (Part I)
R. B. Kuiper’s While the Bridegroom Tarries, which we publish in paperback, is a collection of sermons on the ‘signs of the times’ preached in the wake of the First World War.
This week’s episode is Part I of his sermon from that collection entitled, ‘Present-Day Antichrists.’ In it, he explains the difference between ‘an Antichrist’ and ‘the Antichrist’, and critiques two contemporary movements f
Pursue Faithfulness, Not a Legacy
Many listeners will know that John Rawlinson, Banner of Truth General Manager since 1999, is soon to retire. John was recently asked to give an address summing up lessons he has learned over the years in Reformed publishing and resourcing.
On reflection, we felt that John's address, which has the character of a 'final charge' and exhortation, might be of interest to our podcast listeners and so s
Preparing an Assault on our Unread Books
Few maladies are more common among Christians than 'too many books, not enough time!' What we often lack, however, is not time so much as the will and the strategy to read the books we have. Maurice Roberts helps us remedy this, and makes a number of excellent suggestions for the struggling reader.
Featured resource:
Maurice Roberts, 'Preparing a Methodical Assault on our Unread Books,' Banner
A Visit to Priesthill
The third instalment of The Covenanter Story tells of the martyrdom of John Brown at his home at Priesthill, Ayrshire.
In this bonus episode we talk a little more about the place itself, and read a beautiful poem from George Paulin (1812–1898) which reflects on John Brown's life, death, and heavenly home-going as the poet himself conducts a visit to Priesthill.
Watch John Brown of Priesthill |
Adolphe Monod on Reading the Bible
This week, as our host recovers from a time of illness, we read a short selection from Adolphe Monod's Farewell (currently out of print). In this excerpt, Monod recalls a special time of Bible reading which caused him great humiliation as he pondered the use he had made of the inspired Scriptures.
Featured resource:
'On Reading the Bible,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 221 (February 1982). T
An Extraordinary Principle
In The Principle of Readiness and Acceptance, James Bruce III describes a pattern in God's dealings with us that is gracious and encouraging to all believers, and perhaps especially to those who, in the Lord's providence, are unable to do all that they would like for him.
Featured resource:
James Bruce III, 'Neglecting the Soul,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 491—492 (August–September 2004).
Neglecting the Soul
Are you neglecting your soul?
The Scriptures make it plain that it is possible for us to do the outward works proper to the Christian—and to look impressive in doing them—while our hearts are far from God.
This is a perilous place to be. In this week's piece, with prophetic precision and pastoral encouragement, Maurice Roberts calls us from neglect of soul to an earnest tending of 'God's acre' w
The Covenanter Who Liked to Fish
Puritans and Covenanters alike have garnered a reputation for being austere and glum. Sometimes that reputation is deserved, but often it is a most unjust caricature.
In this week's bonus episode we meet a jovial Covenanter - a man who, although serious and earnest in ministry, was approachable and joyful. He was also not averse to casting a fly.
William Guthrie of Fenwick was cousin to James Gu
Crying Out for our Sons and Daughters
The Lord has given fathers and mothers a solemn responsibility in relation to their children. It is their high calling and great privilege to hold out the word of life to their sons and daughters by their gospel-sharing words—crucially—and in their gospel-displaying deeds, their example and personal piety.
This week's meditations from John Flavel and Ernest Reisinger awaken us to the gravity of t
Who Were the Covenanters?: David Whitla Interview
In the month of February we hope to focus on the story of the Scottish Covenanters.
To help us grapple with the topic we sat down with David Whitla, Professor of Church History at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Whitla is a trustee of the Banner and did his doctoral work on the Covenanting lawyer Archibald Johnston of Wariston (1611–1663), and so he is well-pl
The Preacher and Books (Part II)
How can we judge which books will be most profitable to us? Should a minister pursue breadth in reading or depth of reading early in his ministry?
These and other questions are addressed in this week's reading from Iain H. Murray's 1996 address, 'The Preacher and Books.'
Resource read:
Iain H. Murray, 'The Preacher and Books,' Banner of Truth Magazine Issue 389 (February 1996).
Similar res
The Preacher and Books (Part I)
What is the proper relationship between a preacher and his books? How can a minister prioritise the most helpful kinds of reading and study?
These and other questions were addressed by the Rev Iain H Murray in his address to the Bethlehem Pastors' Conference in early 1996. We read part of his address this week.
Resource read:
Iain H. Murray, 'The Preacher and Books,' Banner of Truth Magazine
Remembering Paul Helm
We were saddened to hear of the recent death of Paul Helm (1940–2025). Paul, who is perhaps best known for his work in philosophical theology, has had a long and fruitful association with the Banner of Truth.
Daniel J. Hill, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, has written a tribute to Paul. We are grateful to Dr Hill for reading it for us on the podcast.
Explore the w
The Warrior-Theologian
J. Gresham Machen (1881–1937) is noted for his earnest and powerful contending for the truth of the Bible and of the historic Christian faith in the early part of the Twentieth Century. Early on in his life, however, he almost fell prey to the liberalism that was sweeping through the seminaries and churches of the Western world. This encounter with liberalism, and the grace of God in preserving hi
A Unique Opportunity to Serve
In this standalone short episode, we provide some details of an exciting opportunity at the Banner of Truth Trust. With our General Manager nearing retirement, the trustees are prayerfully seeking a Chief Operations Officer to guide the work into the future. Could that be you, or someone you know? Will you pray for the right person to be appointed?
Read more about the role: https://banneroftruth.
When the State Presumes to Educate
A hundred years ago, the great New Testament scholar J. Gresham Machen sounded the alarm about educational freedom in America. He believed that the state had begun to encroach in a most grievous way upon the sphere of the family, assuming duties it had no warrant to perform.
Machen's words of caution are most timely for us. We live in an epoch in which, informed by UN policy goals, western govern
New Year Special: Memory and Prospect
In this short bonus episode, we read an apt New Year meditation from the pen of Professor John Murray: 'Memory and Prospect.'
Featured Resource:
– John Murray, 'Memory and Prospect', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 172 (January 1978).
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine
Leave us your fe
Year Round-Up; Preachers and the Blues
This week we review some of the ground we have covered on the podcast in 2025, and read an article from our editor, Mark G. Johnston, 'When Preachers Sing the Blues'.
The article reminds us that the charge to preach God's word is often, perhaps always, accompanied by a heavy spiritual burden. While the Lord's grace is sufficient for every preacher, that sufficiency is proved in and through very t
Are You Battle-Weary?
Maurice Roberts, who edited the Banner of Truth Magazine for many years, is noted for his poignant editorials. This one, from the December 1994 issue of the magazine, is typically probing and helpful. Are we battle-weary? Are we disappointed? Are we, dare we admit it, spiritually sleepy?
If so, Rev. Roberts' article can help us see our need and seek the Lord for the grace of repentance and the gi
The Free Offer of the Gospel
The gospel of God is to be offered freely to all. Accordingly, all who hear the gospel have a warrant to believe it. As Samuel Rutherford wrote, 'reprobates have as fair a warrant to believe as the elect have.'
This week we consider the offer of the gospel made freely by God, addressed to every sinner—indeed, addressed to you and to me.
Featured resources:
– Iain H. Murray, 'The Free Offer of t
Why Republish William Cunningham?
This summer the Trust brought out a new, retypeset edition of William Cunningham's Historical Theology (1863). This week we read its new introduction by Banner Trustee Donald John MacLean, to find out why this work is of unique value to the 21st Century reader.
Read Material:
– 'William Cunningham's Historical Theology – An Introduction', Donald John MacLean, in William Cunningham, Historical T
'Remember the Poor'
The poor are a priority to God, and must be a priority for us, too. This week we focus on this aspect of the biblical witness with the help of Peter Barnes (Revesby Presbyterian Church, NSW, Australia) and Thomas E. Peck, the nineteenth-century Southern Presbyterian minister and teacher.
Featured resources:
– Peter Barnes, 'Looking After the Poor: Biblical Principles', Banner of Truth Magazine,
Pitfalls in Preaching: Application
There are many pitfalls in preaching. One area which many preachers struggle with is application. And yet, in a sense, application is the whole of preaching. David Vaughn's letter to a fellow Christian leader in the December 2025 issue of the magazine addresses this very subject.
Featured resources:
– David Vaughn, 'What can we learn from John Knox?', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 514 (March
The Benefits and Dangers of Controversy
This week's normal Magazine Podcast episode will be delayed. In the meantime, we are publishing Iain H. Murray's address, The Benefits and Dangers of Controversy from the Ministers' Conference in Leicester in 2012.
Why the Pilgrims Really Went to America
This week, by kind permission of Dr Robert Tracy McKenzie, we read his insightful piece on the motivations of the Mayflower Pilgrims. As we mark 405 years since they made landfall in Provincetown, Massachussetts, what can we learn of spiritual benefit from their reasons for going to the 'New World'?
Original article:
https://faithandamericanhistory.wordpress.com/2017/11/12/why-the-pilgrims-rea
Guard Your Heart (2): Warren Peel
Part II of Warren Peel's preaching on Proverbs 4:23 from the 2025 Australia Conference.
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine
Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast
Guard Your Heart (1): Warren Peel
Of all of the great imperatives found in Scripture, few are more crucial than that found in Proverbs 4:23:
'Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.'
If we fail to do this, all else will be in vain. This text was taken by Warren Peel, pastor at Covenant Christian Fellowship in Galway at the recent Banner Conference in Australia (February 2025). The conference
The Prophetic Preaching of John Knox
This week we consider the life and legacy of the great Scottish Reformer John Knox (c. 1514–1572). In particular, we focus on his preaching and ask what made it so effective.
Featured resources:
– Iain H. Murray, 'What can we learn from John Knox?', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 514 (March 2006). Excerpted from A Scottish Christian Heritage.
– D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 'Remembering the Reformati
Young People in the Great Awakening
There is much talk of awakening, revival, and 'quiet revival' in the churches in the West at present. While we wish to avoid the extremes of sensationalism and cynicism, it is right for us to hunger to see God move again, and to give ourselves afresh to studying how the Lord has moved in the past.
This week's piece helps us to reflect on one aspect of the Great Awakening of the eighteenth century:
Assurance, Evangelism, and Voracious Reading: An Interview with Jeremy Walker (BONUS)
This week's bonus episode is an interview with Jeremy Walker, a pastor at Maidenbower Baptist Church in Crawley, West Sussex, just south of London. Jeremy has long been a friend of the Banner and serves as book reviews editor for the magazine.
We sat down with Jeremy to talk about his Christian pilgrimage, call to ministry, some favourite books and, well, where he stands on the pronunciation of J
Why Is There No Wrestling?
Some articles have what it takes not only to arrest the attention, but also to change the life. Maurice Roberts published just such an article in the August–September 1995 issue of the magazine.
'Why Is There No Wrestling?' is a passionate plea for urgent prayer. It is a call to arms that is just as timely today — perhaps more so — as it was to its original readers thirty years ago.
We read the
Assurance of Salvation (2/2): Iain H. Murray
The following address, the second of two on the subject, was given by Rev. Iain H. Murray at the 1988 Banner of Truth Youth Conference.
Banner Resources on Assurance
William Guthrie, The Christian's Great Interest
Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth: Assurance in the Christian Life
Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices
Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume III ('A Cabi
Assurance of Salvation (1/2): Iain H. Murray
The following address, one of two on the subject, was given by Rev. Iain H. Murray at the 1988 Banner of Truth Youth Conference.
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine
Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast
No Christian Doctrine? No Christian Ministry.
There have always been calls for the church to de-emphasise doctrine. Sometimes these calls come from those who wish to promote 'unity' at any cost—enter the ecumenical movement. Sometimes they come from those who feel that the truths of the faith are encumbrances or 'stumbling blocks' to those who just want a simple faith.
This week's episode shows why such calls are so misguided. There can be n
The Irenic Jeremiah Burroughs
Jeremiah Burroughs was a peace-loving Puritan. Without sacrificing the truth, he sought unity among those who professed it, and prayed, preached, and pleaded to that end. Indeed, Richard Baxter, who felt keenly the need for peace but struggled himself to promote it, once remarked that if all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop [James] Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and
The Plots of Men and the Strife of Tongues
In Psalm 31, David prays the following about those who fear the Lord:
'In the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
from the strife of tongues.'
In a world in which deception so often seems to prevail, and good reputations are tarnished by falsehoods, we need to realise afresh the power (and danger) of the tongue. We must lay hold of the G
The Socinian Menace
The system of false teaching known as Socinianism proved a thorn in the side of the Reformed churches for more than two centuries. Even today, the essential tenets of Socinianism are still with us, and aspects of it pop up in the teaching of such movements as Unitarian Universalism, 'Oneness' Pentecostalism, Christadelphianism, and among the Jehovah's Witnesses.
As such, it is well for us to take
John Knox (Iain H. Murray Address)
As summer turns to autumn in the northern hemisphere, we do hope this note finds you doing well. This week we bring you an audio recording of Iain H. Murray speaking on 'John Knox' at the 2003 Youth Conference in Leicester, England.
More resources on John Knox:
– The Select Practical Writings of John Knox (Clothbound, 336 pages)
– The Works of John Knox (6 Volumes, 3824 pages)
– D. Martyn Lloyd
The Two Prophets to Nineveh (Author Interview)
This week we bring you a conversation with Rev Jim McCarthy of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Statesboro, Georgia. Jim is the author of a new exposition of the two (yes, two) minor prophets who were sent by God to Nineveh, a leading city (and later capital) of the Assyrian empire. Join us as we consider what these two biblical books have to say to us today.
The Two Prophets To Nineveh (paperback, 1
For the Flagging Pastor
This week we read some words of comfort and counsel suitable for all weary believers, and especially for pastors who feel stretched beyond what they can bear.
Featured Resources:
– C. H. Spurgeon, 'The Minister's Fainting Fits,' in The Minister's Self-Watch & The Minister's Fainting Fits (booklet), (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2025), p. 40–42. This lecture also appears in Lectures to My St
The Legacy of Arnold Dallimore
Arnold Dallimore's name has long been associated with the Banner of Truth. Noted for his biographies of Spurgeon and Whitefield, Dallimore (d. 1998) was an Ontarian 'small-town pastor' whose writing labours took place against a backdrop of financial pressure and ministerial responsibility, and without the advantages of local research facilities. We take time this week to go 'behind the scenes' and
The Forgotten Spurgeon
This week on the podcast we focus on the contents and impact of one particular Banner book: Iain H. Murray's The Forgotten Spurgeon. First published in the Banner of Truth Magazine, and then in paperback in 1966, it has proved valuable in teaching many about the central importance of the doctrines of grace, and underscoring the need for a theologically rich gospel witness.
Featured Resources:
The Life of John Newton
4 August 2025 marks three-hundred years since the birth of John Newton: pastor, author, and hymnwriter. This week we depart from our usual format to supply an audio recording of Iain H. Murray speaking on 'The Life of John Newton' at the 2007 Ministers' Conference in Leicester, England.
Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org
Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both)
Two Hymnwriters
To learn the backstory of a hymn can be a richly rewarding exercise. The same applies with hymnwriters. This week we consider the life and faith of two wonderful hymnists of yesteryear: Isaac Watts (1674–1748) and Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879).
Featured Resources:
– Mark S. Shuttleworth, 'Isaac Watts: The Man Behind the Hymns', The Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 221, February 1982.
– Pa
Dying in the Lord (3/3): A Time to Die
There is, writes the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, 'a time to die' (Ecclesiastes 3:2). The believer in Christ is called to be mindful of this time, to prepare for it, and then, when it comes, to commit his or her soul to a faithful Heavenly Father.
Featured Resources:
- Toni Saad, 'Life at all Costs?', The Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 738, March 2025.
- Excerpt from Iain H. Murray, David Martyn
Dying in the Lord (2/3): Preparation
How can a Christian prepare for death? It is a question pertinent to us all, and yet it is asked earnestly by so few.
This week we seek guidance on this question from the work of the seventeenth-century minister George Swinnock and the nineteenth-century pastoral theologian Archibald Alexander.
Featured Resources:
- Excerpt from 'The Fading of the Flesh' in The Works of George Swinnock, Vol. 3
Dying in the Lord (1/3): Perspective
In this, the first of three episodes on the subject of dying in the Lord, we ask what the Bible teaches about death, and apply it to the case of the unbeliever and the believer.
Featured Resources:
- George Curry, Preparing Unbelievers for Death, Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 317 (Ferbruary 1990).
- Excerpt from 'The Christian Man's Calling' in The Works of George Swinnock, Vol. 3 (1672; rep
Christ, the God of Christians
Meditating on the Lord Jesus Christ is a high privilege of the Christian. It strengthens his faith, deepens his love, and calibrates his hope. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One in whom we, by the power of the Spirit, see the glory of the Father.
This week we take time not to pursue another aspect of Christian living, or another profile from church history, but to think about 'God the only Son, who
The Revival of Religion
New this summer from the Banner of Truth is a unique collection of lectures on revival from nineteenth-century Scotland.
In this brief bonus episode, we read a portion of the Publisher's Introduction by Banner trustee Donald John MacLean to see just why this collection warrants republication today.
Read the entire Publisher's Introduction: https://banneroftruth.org/resources/book-excerpts/2025
Bad Reasons to Become a Pastor
Pastoral ministry isn't for everyone. Indeed, it isn't for the many. 'Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers', writes James, 'for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness' (James 3:1).
This week's readings spell out and explore some bad reasons for going into ministry, hopefully serving men considering the pastoral office, as well as those who advise and supp
George Whitefield
'He did not get up to talk about his party, his cause, his interest or his office', wrote J. C. Ryle of George Whitefield. 'He was perpetually telling you about your sins, your heart, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the absolute need of repentance, faith, and holiness, in the way that the Bible presents these mighty subjects.'
This week we turn our attention to a man who, by God's grace, became a m
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