Made in God's Image: Philadelphia (PCRT22)

“God created man in his own image; in his own image he created him.” Genesis 1:27

It was John Calvin who said that the true knowledge of God and of man lead to the same place. The reason is that man is made to reflect the character and beauty of our Creator. Genesis 1:27 says: “God created man in his own image; in his own image he created him.” The implications of this truth are immense for human identity, character, and calling. If Christians are to “glorify God and enjoy him forever” (WSC 1), then we must understand what it means to be image-bearers of God.

While the truth of man in God’s image is essential to every age, ours is a generation that desperately needs to hear the biblical truth about ourselves. Many of our neighbors and fellow citizens are living in despair and confusion. Christians need to be equipped to talk about the wonderful biblical pattern of what it means to be human. In man as the image-bearer of God, we discover the source of true dignity, unity, and purpose for every man, woman, or child. The 2022 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology is therefore delighted to take up the theme: Made in God’s Image. Our sessions will present the Bible’s clear and enlightening teaching on man’s nature and calling, the vital matter of human sexuality, and the purpose and identity provided to us by our Maker.

We are delighted to be joined by a tremendous group of scholar-preachers for the 2022 PCRT. H.B. Charles is pastor-teacher at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL, and a widely respected preacher of God’s Word. Dan Doriani is professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary and a contributing author to the Reformed Expository Commentary series. Terry Johnson is pastor of Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA, and author of Who Am I: What the Bible Teaches about Human Identity. Our pastoral pre-conference will be provided by Jonathan Gibson, professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, on the topic “Man, Marriage, and the Mad Sexual Revolution.”  What an exciting opportunity to learn from these gifted communicators and, as always, for the joy of worship and fellowship together. We look forward to seeing you at the 2022 PCRT as we study what it means to be made in God’s image.