by Vern S. Poythress

Below are files from various special lectures and lessons that I have presented over the years. Some of these come from presentations in adult Sunday School.

My family and I have been worshiping for years at Lansdale Presbyterian Church, in the Presbyterian Church in America. I am a teaching elder in the East Pennsylvania Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. (For those not familiar with the differences, the Presbyterian Church in America is a major conservative denomination, committed to the authority of the Bible. It is to be distinguished from the Presbyterian Church USA, a mainline denomination with a mixed record concerning the Bible.) In the course of time I have taught a number of adult Sunday School classes. It is intended that I will gradually add to the material below. I have also taught from time to time at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church (Anglican Mission in America).

Let me remind you that these materials are very much works in progress. They are tentative in nature, and subject to repeated alteration and improvement. Not everything in them represents settled views on my part.

I. Conditions

You may use all the materials under the Creative Commons license BY-SA 4.0, or under the GNU Free Documentation License. For details, you must read this license. Briefly, the license allows you to use and pass on both unaltered and altered files, provided that you give credit to the author and that you grant to others the same freedom given to you.

II. Lessons

A. Bible

Chronicles

• Christ in Chronicles: PChronicles.odp; PChronicles.pdf.

Daniel

• Daniel and the Last Days:
  https://frame-poythress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/3T3Daniel.odp;
  3T3Daniel.pdf.

Ecclesiastes

• Christ in Ecclesiastes:
  PWisdom.odp;
  PWisdom.pdf.

 

Exodus

 

• All:
  AllMosaic.odp.zip;
  AllMosaic.pdf.zip.
• Christ in OT:
  5C1Chris.odp;
  5C1Chris.pdf.
• Tabernacle:
  5C2Tabrn.odp;
  5C2Tabrn.pdf.
• Tabernacle Furniture:
  5C3TabFr.odp;
  5C3TabFr.pdf.
• Law:
  5C6Law.odp;
  5C6Law.pdf.

Genesis

• Adam in Genesis:
  PAdamGenesis.odp;
  PAdamGenesis.pdf.
• Adam as Federal Representative:
  PAdamRepresentative.odp;
  PAdamRepresentative.pdf.
• Christ in Genesis: Intro:
  PGenesis1Intro.odp;
  PGenesis1Intro.pdf.
• Christ in Genesis: Summary 1: PGenesis1Intro.odt;
  PGenesis1Intro.rtf.
• Christ in Genesis: Creation: PGenesis2Creation.odp;
  PGenesis2Creation.pdf.
• Christ in Genesis: Summary 2: PGenesis2Creation.odt;
  PGenesis2Creation.rtf.
• Christ in Genesis: Man: PGenesis3Man.odp; PGenesis3Man.pdf.
• Christ in Genesis: Science: PGenesis4Science.odp; PGenesis4Science.pdf.

Isaiah

• Introduction to Isaiah:
  PIsaiah.odp;
  PIsaiah.pdf.

 

Leviticus

 

• Christ in the OT, as illustrated in Leviticus:
  PChristInLev.odp;
  PChristInLev.pdf.
• Intro to Leviticus:
  7C1Intro.odp;
  7C1Intro.pdf.
• Sacrifices:
  7C2Sacri.odp;
  7C2Sacri.pdf.
• Procedures for Sacrifices:
  7C3Proce.odp;
  7C3Proce.pdf.
• Priests:
  7C4Pries.odp;
  7C4Pries.pdf.
• Foods:
  7C5Foods.odp;
  7C5Foods.pdf.
• Contagion:
  7C6Conta.odp;
  7C6Conta.pdf.
• Atonement:
  7C7Atone.odp;
  7C7Atone.pdf.
• Purity:
  7C8Purit.odp;
  7C8Purit.pdf.
• Penalties:
  7C9Penal.odp;
  7C9Penal.pdf.
• Priestly Food:
  7C10PFoo.odp;
  7C10PFoo.pdf.
• Feasts:
  7C11Feas.odp;
  7C11Feas.pdf.
• Years:
  7C12Year.odp;
  7C12Year.pdf.
• Sanctions:
  7C13Sanc.odp;
  7C13Sanc.pdf.

Psalms

• Christ in the Psalms:
  PChristInPsalms.odp;
  PChristInPsalms.pdf.
• Introduction to Psalms:
  PPsalms.odp;
  PPsalms.pdf.

Proverbs

• Christ in the Wisdom of Proverbs:
  PProverbs.odp;
  PProverbs.pdf.

 

Revelation

 

• All files:
  Revelation.odp.zip; Revelation.pdf.zip. Revelation.mp3.zip.
• Introduction:
  3U1Intro.odp;
  3U1Intro.pdf.
  3U1Intro.mp3.
• Historical Setting:
  3U2Situa.odp;
  3U2Situa.pdf.
  3U2Situa.mp3.
• Structure:
  3U3Struc.odp;
  3U3Struc.pdf.
  3U3Struc.mp3.
• Theophany:
  3U4Theop.odp;
  3U4Theop.pdf.
  3U4Theop.mp3.
• The Seven Seals:
  3U5Seals.odp;
  3U5Seals.pdf.
  3U5Seals.mp3.
• The Seven Trumpets:
  3U6Trump.odp;
  3U6Trump.pdf.
  3U6Trump.mp3.
• Counterfeiting:
  3U7Count.odp;
  3U7Count.pdf.
  3U7Count.mp3.
• The Beast:
  3U8Beast.odp;
  3U8Beast.pdf.
  3U8Beast.mp3.
• The Prostitute:
  3U9Prost.odp;
  3U9Prost.pdf.
  3U9Prost.mp3.
• The Millennium:
  3U10Mill.odp;
  3U10Mill.pdf.
  3U10Mill.mp3.
• Revelation 20:
  3U11Rev20.odp;
  3U11Rev20.pdf.
  3U11Rev20.mp3.
• The Consummation:
  3U12Cons.odp;
  3U12Cons.pdf.
  3U12Cons.mp3.

Here are major themes of Revelation, discussed in a more topical arrangement.

• Introduction: Reading and Understanding:
  3T1Intro.odp;
  3T1Intro.pdf.
  3T1Understanding.mp3.
• Structure:
  3T2Struc.odp;
  3T2Struc.pdf.
  3T2Struc.mp3.
• Counterfeiting:
  3T3Count.odp;
  3T3Count.pdf.
  3T3Count.mp3.
• The Beast:
  3T4Beast.odp;
  3T4Beast.pdf.
• Schools of Interpretation:
  3T5Schools.odp;
  3T5Schools.pdf.
• Theophany:
  3T6Theophany.odp;
  3T6Theophany.pdf.
• Millennium:
  3T7Millennium.odp;
  3T7Millennium.pdf.
  3T7Mille.mp3.

There is a television interview of Vern Poythress on the topic of Eschatology and the Book of Revelation,
with host Paul Arthur, In Sight, The Miracle Channel,
http://www.miraclechannel.ca.
The download is 3.9GB,
so you need a fast connection. See also Vern S. Poythress,
The Returning King:
A Guide to the Book of Revelation (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2000).

There are also materials from a classroom course at Westminster Theological Seminary at the NT 311 page.

B. Topical

1. Classical doctrine

Adam, historical

• Historical Adam:
  TVHistoricalAdam.odp; TVHistoricalAdam.pdf.

The Church

In English

• The Trinitarian Basis for the Church:
  TTrinitarianBasisForTheChurch.odp; TTrinitarianBasisForTheChurch.pdf.
• The Church in the Time of Moses:
  TChurchInTheTimeOfMoses.odp; TChurchInTheTimeOfMoses.pdf.
• The Church in Hebrews:
  TChurchInHebrews.odp; TChurchInHebrews.pdf.
• Biblical Theology of Elders:
  TBiblicalTheologyOfElders.odp; TBiblicalTheologyOfElders.pdf.
• The Church in Revelation:
  TChurchInRevelation.odp; TChurchInRevelation.pdf.

In English and Chinese: see section “C. Chinese” below.

Creation, Doctrine of

• Genesis 1-3: Introduction:
  GGen1Intro.odp;
  GGen1Intro.pdf.
• Creation:
  GCreation.odp;
  GCreation.pdf.
• Creation and Science (including days of creation):
  GCreSci.odp;
  GCreSci.pdf.

Election

• Election:
  TElection.odp;
  TElection.pdf.
• Summary on Election:
  TElection.odt;
  TElection.rtf.

Eschatology

• The Last Days:
  3T1LastDays.odp;
  3T1LastDays.pdf.

Inerrancy

• Inerrancy: Introduction:
  TI01Inerrancy.odp;
  TI01Inerrancy.pdf.
• Inerrancy: weekly outlines:
  TInerrancy.odt.zip;
  TInerrancy.rtf.zip.

Prophecy

• Prophecy in Acts:
  TProphecyHongKong.odp; TProphecyHongKong.pdf.

Second Blessing Theology

• Second Blessing Theology:
  TBaptismForHongKong.odp; TBaptismForHongKong.pdf.

2. Special topics

Bible translations

• The Bible and Versions:
  W11Bible.odp;
  W11Bible.pdf.
• Translating:
  W12Translating.odp;
  W13Translating.pdf.
• Types of Translating:
  W13Types.odp;
  W13Types.pdf.

Dissertation, how to do

• All
  files.
• Doing a Dissertation (outline):
  TDissertation.odt;
  TDissertation.pdf;
  TDissertation.rtf.
• Doing a Dissertation (slides):
  TDissertation.odp;
  TDissertationS.pdf.

 

Science

• All files:
  Science.odp.zip;
  Science.pdf.zip.
• FoundationsHistoryOfScience:
  TV1FoundationsHistoryOfScience.odp; TV1FoundationsHistoryOfScience.pdf.
• Foundations of Scientific Law:
  TV2Foundations.odp;
  TV2Foundations.pdf.
• Days of Creation:
  TV4aDaysOfCreation.odp;
  TV4aDaysOfCreation.pdf.
• Role of Mankind:
  TV5Man.odp;
  TV5Man.pdf.
• Life:
  TV7Life.odp;
  TV7Life.pdf.
• Physical Displays:
  TV8Physics.odp;
  TV8Physics.pdf.
• Mathematics:
  TV9Math.odp;
  TV9Math.pdf.
• Genesis 1:
  TV1Genesis1.odp;
  TV1Genesis1.pdf.
• Principles for Science:
  TV2PrinciplesForScience.odp; TV2PrinciplesForScience.pdf.
• God and Materialism:
  TVMaterialism.odp;
  TVMaterialism.pdf.
• Logic:
  TVLogic.odp;
  TVLogic.pdf.
• Science and Humanity:
  TVScienceAndHumanity.odp; TVScienceAndHumanity.pdf.
• Adam:
  TVAdamViews.odp;
  TVAdamViews.pdf.
• Living with Wisdom:
  TV20LivingWithWisdom.odp; TV20LivingWithWisdom.pdf.
• Design and Designer:
  TV22DesignAndDesigner.odp; TV22DesignAndDesigner.pdf.
• Design in Language:
  TV22DesignInLanguage.odp; TV22DesignInLanguage.pdf.
• Design in Miracles:
  TV22DesignInMiracles.odp; TV22DesignInMiracles.pdf.

Below are some talks from the Westminster Conference on Science and Faith.

• 2018: Theistic Evolution: Questions to Ask:
  TV2018QOnTheisticEvolution.odp; TV2018QOnTheisticEvolution.pdf.
• 2018: The Failure of Theistic Evolution in its Picture of God:
  TV2018FailedPictureOfGod.odp; TV2018FailedPictureOfGod.pdf.
• 2018: The Factuality of Genesis 1-3:
  TV2018GenreOfGen1-3.odp; TV2018GenreOfGen1-3.pdf.

Below is a condensation that focuses on Christ’s role as God and as man.

• Christ in Science: 1. Christ as Word:
  TVChristInScience1.odp; TVChristInScience1.pdf.
• Christ in Science: 2. Christ as Last Adam:
  TVChristInScience2.odp; TVChristInScience2.pdf.

Theft

• Theft:
  2005Theft.odp;
  2005Theft.pdf.
• Theft (outline):
  2005TheftOutline.odt;
  2005TheftOutline.rtf.

 

C. Chinese Language

The Church

• The Trinitarian Basis for the Church:
  TTrinitarianBasisForTheChurch.Bilingual.odp; TTrinitarianBasisForTheChurch.Bilingual.pdf.
• The Church in the Time of Moses:
  TChurchInTheTimeOfMoses.Bilingual.odp; TChurchInTheTimeOfMoses.Bilingual.pdf.
• The Church in Hebrews:
  >TChurchInHebrews.Bilingual.odp; TChurchInHebrews.Bilingual.pdf.
• Biblical Theology of Elders:
  TBiblicalTheologyOfElders.Bilingual.odp; TBiblicalTheologyOfElders.Bilingual.pdf.
• The Church in Revelation:
  TChurchInRevelation.Bilingual.odp; TChurchInRevelation.Bilingual.pdf.

Prophecy

• Prophecy in Acts:
  TProphecyHongKong.odp; TProphecyHongKong.pdf.

Second Blessing Theology

• Second Blessing Theology:
  TBaptismForHongKong.odp; TBaptismForHongKong.pdf.

Trinitarian Perspectivalism

• Trinitarian Perspectivalism: 1TTrinitarianPerspectivalism-Chinese.odp; 1TTrinitarianPerspectivalism-Chinese.pdf.

Typology

• Typology: 1C6Typology.odp; 1C6Typology.pdf.

III. Explanation

Formats

All the files are available in .odt and .odp formats, which conform to the OASIS international standard “OpenDocument” format. .odt is for text files; .odp is for slide shows. This is the preferred format. It is the native format for LibreOffice, which is available for free download.

See the base page http://frame-poythress.org/course-materials/ for an explanation of formats.