The Carson Center Podcast

In this lecture, Don Carson teaches mainly from Ezekiel 16, which describes Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery and compares the city to an ungrateful prostitute who turns to infidelity. Carson also points to Israel’s rebellion in forming a political alliance with Egypt. He explains that, despite the severe punishment described, God promised eventual restoration through an everlasting covenant when Jerusalem would repent and experience God's faithfulness. He teaches the following: * Why Israel is compared to a “useless vine” and how it connects to the Bible’s larger metanarrative * Absolutizing any one form of God’s love results in absurd theology * How political alliances contributed to Israel’s downfall * God remembered Jerusalem and established an everlasting covenant with her * The new covenant would bring atonement for Jerusalem’s sin * How the metaphor of marriage and apostasy is used to illustrate the severity of Israel's rebellion * The importance of fidelity and the consequences of betrayal in both human and divine relationships * The imagery of marriage and atonement conveys God’s enduring love for his people Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together [http://tgc.org/together]

In this lecture, Don Carson contrasts false prophets, who lead others astray, with genuine prophets who speak truth grounded in God's revelation and call people to repentance. He emphasizes the importance of discernment in times of cultural decay and highlights the vitality of remaining faithfully rooted in the Scripture and committed to moral uprightness despite the pressures of a confused world. He teaches the following: * Genuine prophets speak from God, while false prophets speak from imagination * False prophets will face divine judgment for their deception * Genuine prophets call people to repentance and biblical knowledge * What’s spoken by genuine prophets aligns with revealed redemptive history * God’s sovereignty embraces both good and evil * False prophets are accepted by many, while genuine prophets are accepted by few * Faithfulness and discernment are necessary in a world that promotes moral relativism Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together [http://tgc.org/together]

In this lecture, Don Carson focuses on Ezekiel's vision of God's glory and the departure of the divine presence from the temple in Ezekiel 10–11. He explores the prophetic denunciation of Israel’s leaders, the promise of a new covenant, and the spiritual transformation of the people. Carson highlights the ultimate fulfillment of God’s purposes as seen in Revelation, where his people dwell with him in the new heaven and earth. He teaches the following: * How the departure of God’s glory is a mark of judgment * God's promise to gather the exiles and give them an undivided heart * The new covenant's removal of the need for mediating teachers * How John’s vision in Revelation 5 reflects the fulfillment of God’s promises to Ezekiel * God is always in control, and his way will triumph * The final consummation of God’s promises is seen in the new heaven and earth Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together [http://tgc.org/together]

In this lecture, Don Carson discusses Ezekiel’s visions from God in Ezekiel 8–9, which convey Jerusalem’s widespread idolatry and sinfulness. He contrasts the corruptibility of false worship with the necessity of true worship, and he connects the importance of authentic worship to historical awakenings. Carson underscores that without a clear moral vision, society risks decay. He teaches the following: * Ezekiel's denunciation of corrupt worship that relativized God * How corrupt worship dulls moral vision and invites divine judgment * The Western world's interest in worship and search for spirituality * The idol of jealousy in Ezekiel’s vision as an example of syncretism * God’s judgment of participants of corrupt worship and his mercy on those who grieve over their sin * How Ezekiel’s vision shows the moral impetus behind the Great Awakening Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together [http://tgc.org/together]

In this lecture, Don Carson examines Ezekiel's prophetic vision from God as recorded in Ezekiel 4–5. The prophet's actions symbolize Jerusalem's impending judgment because of their sin, and Carson highlights the inevitability of God's wrath and the need for repentance. He points to the seriousness of God's judgment in the Old Testament and the ultimate display of God's justice and mercy in the New Testament, particularly through the cross. He teaches the following: * Ezekiel’s prophetic actions convey the severity of God’s coming judgment * God’s wrath is a necessary consequence of the people's wickedness * Why we must understand repentance * How Ezekiel 4–5 fits into the context of the Bible’s metanarrative * The problem of humanity’s sin requires a divine solution * The cross is the ultimate expression of God’s justice and mercy Help The Gospel Coalition build up a renewed church for tomorrow. Let's Build Together: Donate Today at tgc.org/together [http://tgc.org/together]