
Old Paths Podcast
Retrieving and applying the historic Reformed faith.
Latest episodes

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 19min
Ben Mordecai: Health & Fitness
S2E6—Ben Mordecai: Health & FitnessBenjamin & Michael are joined by Ben Mordecai for an interview and discussion on the topic of health and fitness, including diet and exercise. Ben interacted thoughtfully with the previous episode on gluttony, and was thus invited to join as a follow-up. Things touched upon: Ben's Christian experience & social media presence. The intersection of faith and fitness. Ben's starter guide to health and fitness. Dialogue about the gluttony episode (e.g. purpose of food, pleasure, social contexts, etc.). Are there exceptions to the general rule that obesity is the result of gluttony? Why are obesity, along with poor health and fitness, such problems in our day? Is procrastination sometimes better thought of as a lack of clarity? How does a person determine target body weight? The place of calories and food in fitness. The difference between exercising for weight loss vs. weight gain. What are the benefits of a gym vs. home? Common mistakes of fitness novices. How can we be encouraged to pursue ordered health and wholesome fitness?ResourcesBen's Health & Fitness Starter GuideBen's SubstackBen's Facebook

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 15min
The Evil of Pride
S2E5: The Evil of PrideBenjamin, Michael, & Cody take up the evil of pride, a sin more common and deceptive than we might initially think. They define it, and parse through its various subtleties and manifestations, in the church and society, and throughout recent history. They touch on things like: False humility & its expressions. Wilhelmus a Brakel on true humility. Despondency, self-deprecating jokes, & suicide. The "above-it-all" guy. Refusal to grow, excel, & pursue glory. Spoiling yourself & others of your gifts & graces. Denying the gifts & graces of others. The vital connection between heroism & humility. The dominant lie that says piety recedes & never dares. Projection, whether of meanings and/or motives. The ministry of Jeremiah. Being puffed up with knowledge. Pharaoh's proud insanity. Humility in Moses slaying the Egyptian and Samson's guerilla warfare. If Calvin, Knox, Rutherford, & Owen were alive today, how long would it be before they were put under church discipline? Is it pride to parrot & LARP the battles of the Reformation today? In what ways do we deck the tombs of our Prophets? Is the rejection of Dabney a form of pride? Wokery, anti-racism, & anti-White hatred. What place does weeping have? Calvin's comments excised on the sin of Onanism. TGC, Taylor Swift, and the beatific vision. The need for fresh sights of God in his glory & of our own sin as a remedy to pride. Rightly estimating yourself. Owning & wielding your gifts for others.

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 6min
Marrow 5: Efficiency of God
S2:E4—Marrow 4: The Efficiency of GodBenjamin, Michael, & Cody continue through The Marrow of Theology, by William Ames, with particular focus upon the efficiency or power of God.Raised in this episode: What is the efficiency of God and its relation to faith? How does Deism differ from Christianity regarding God's efficiency? What is practical Atheism and its relation to this doctrine? How can Hannah, flowers, and the Resurrection teach us about God's efficiency? What is the importance of God's power in our thinking and speaking well of God? Are there any crucial distinctions concerning God's power? Why must we say that God does not have active power (or potency)? Are there things impossible with God? What does Thomas Cartwright have to say concerning God's power? What is the doctrine of inseparable operations, does Ames affirm it, and why is it important? James White & Biblicism. What does Ames teach concerning the order of the divine Persons in the manner of working? Do other Reformed theologians teach this? What can Peter Van Mastricht teach us here?

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 19min
The 20th Century Captivity of the Church with Matt Marino
S2:E3—The 20th Century Captivity of the ChurchBenjamin, Michael, & Cody sit down for an interview and discussion with Matt Marino—pastor in the ARP, PhD candidate at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, professor at New Aberdeen College, and proponent of Reformed Classicalism. You can find his content on his blog, on his youtube, at SermonAudio, and via podcast. Highly recommended.In particular, they discuss and parse through the confusion of the 20th century surrounding Thomas Aquinas vs. Cornelius Van Til, Classical vs. Presuppositional Apologetics, Natural Theology & Natural Law vs. Theonomy, Worldview, Ethics, and more.Various questions touched on: Did Greek thought poison Christian thought, or is that a liberal thesis? Is Cornelius Van Til historically Reformed or historically novel? Is theology imperiled by denying natural revelation? What critiques do Van Tillians leave themselves open to? What is Fideism? Why is it a major problem? Is there a fad surrounding Thomas Aquinas? Why was R. C. Sproul concerned about Presuppositionalism? Can Inigo Montoya teach us anything about John Frame, Greg Bahnsen, R. J. Rushdoony, and Gary North? If natural law was embraced not only by Aquinas, but by Franciscus Junius, Richard Hooker, and the Reformed and Puritan tradition, why is it often rejected today? What can we learn from Pietists, Boomers, Moderates, Progressives, & Baptists? What is Reformed Classicalism, and why is it the answer to our 20th Century Captivity? What is the expositional evasion of ethics? Why is it bad? What are its effects upon the sheep? Do we need to build new institutions in order to address our declension and confusion? In what ways do seminaries today fail to uphold historic Christian thought?Recommended Resources for Reformed Classicalism: Classical Apologetics by Sproul, Gerstner, & Lindsley R. C. Sproul vs. Greg Bahnsen Apologetics Debate The Reformation As Renewal by Matthew Barrett Introduction to Reformed Scholasticism by Willem Van Asselt Theoretical-Practical Theology by Petrus van Mastricht Institutes of Elenctic Theology by Francis Turretin All That Is in God by James Dolezal Aquinas Among the Protestants by Svensson & VanDrunen Augustine: A Very Short Introduction by Henry Chadwick

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 29min
The Evil of Romanism
S2:E2—The Evil of RomanismBenjamin, Michael, & Cody discuss the evil of Romanism. They touch on the historic and confessional Reformed position that the Pope is the Antichrist; they raise 2 Thessalonians 2 and relate it to Daniel 7; and, drawing on Calvin's work, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, they highlight some differences between the Reformed and Romanists, such as: Worship Sacraments Salvation Church GovernmentAlso touched on in this episode: Has Romanism profited Protestantism in any way? Is it good to be Protestant or not? What are some ways we can reclaim our Protestant heritage? Can Romanists join a Christian Nationalist project? How dangerous is Rome? Do Romanists read their Bibles? How do Romanists conceive of America's founding and origination?

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 10min
Stephen Wolfe: Christian Nationalism Q&A
SEASON 2: EPISODE 1In the first episode of 2024, Benjamin, Michael, and Cody sit down with Stephen Wolfe, author of The Case for Christian Nationalism. We discuss some of the contents of the book, some criticisms and responses to it, and why we believe the topic is important.Some questions touched on: Should prelapsarian man have a place in how we view nations and civil power? What is the R2K vs. Kuyperian dialectic? Is there a better way? What is gynocratic oppression? Are we under it now? Should Christian Nationalists oppose women's suffrage? Do nations have any racial or ethnic component? Is there a Christian Nationalist movement? Should we love our own people and place?

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 50min
Zionism Examined Biblically
Benjamin interviews Dave Forsythe concerning the war in Gaza and the ideology of Zionism. Are they compatible with Christian ethics and the law of God?

Feb 18, 2025 • 56min
Marrow 4: Subsistence of God
Benjamin & Michael resume work through The Marrow of Theology. They reflect on the doctrine of the Trinity, the three persons in the Godhead, and defend classical theism against modern innovations.

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 38min
The Evil of Judaism
Benjamin, Michael, & Cody conduct a biblical and historical assessment of the evil of Judaism. Among other things, they touch upon the Scripture's testimony on this topic, whether "anti-Semitism" is a frame which we as Christians ought to take up, and they raise what Reformed giant, Gisbertus Voetius, had to say about the Jews. Spoiler: it was not good. In fact, today it is taboo.

Feb 18, 2025 • 48min
The Call to Gospel Ministry
Benjamin interviews Pastor Jack Schoeman on the call to the gospel ministry, working through Jack's own experience and confirmation.