This is part 5 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey. This episode begins by delving into the history of how the theologians of the third and fourth centuries rejected the kingdom since they thought it was too crude, too hedonic, and too Jewish. Next I briefly cover three rediscovery movements, including Read more about 566 Kingdom Seminar 5: Kingdom Ambassadors[…]
This is part 4 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey. Jesus didn’t just believe in a future kingdom that didn’t affect the present. His entire ministry was saturated with kingdom symbology and activity. Wherever he went, he brought a bubble of the kingdom with him. As Christ-followers, we too, are called Read more about 565 Kingdom Seminar 4: Kingdom Allegiance[…]
This is part 3 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey. The kingdom of God is the golden thread running throughout the whole Bible from beginning to end. In this presentation, we’ll consider some of the key texts from the Old and New Testaments that define what the kingdom is. In contrast Read more about 564 Kingdom Seminar 3: Defining the Kingdom[…]
This is part 2 of the Kingdom Seminar, based on the book Kingdom Journey. What is heaven? Although it is not the place where the dead go when they die, it is, still, a real place. Today we’ll survey different ways in which the Bible talks about heaven, including the sky, God’s throne, the storehouse, Read more about 563 Kingdom Seminar 2: Defining Heaven[…]
Last December, my first ever published book came out, called Kingdom Journey. Recently I recorded a seminar on the kingdom at a church in South Carolina based on the book that I will be playing out over the next 5 weeks. In this seminar I highlight some of the key points in my book and Read more about 562 Kingdom Seminar 1: Why Should You Care[…]
This is part 18 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. What tools can help you understand the bible better? Today we’ll cover some recommended resources for you to deepen your study of the scriptures, including bible dictionaries, commentaries, bible software, AI, and more. Of course, it’s impossible to cover everything in a reasonable time Read more about 551 Read the Bible for Yourself 18: Helpful Tools to Understand the Bible[…]
This is part 17 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. After reviewing the resources you can use to learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, we delve into the sources that translators use for their work. Next, we’ll look at translation philosophies, including formal and dynamic equivalence. Lastly we’ll cover the controversial issues of gender accuracy Read more about 550 Read the Bible for Yourself 17: How to Choose a Bible Translation[…]
This is part 16 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Revelation is a complicated book of the Bible. It contains some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring descriptions of God’s throne room and the final paradise on earth. It also describes sinister mayhem, wanton destruction, and toe-curling persecution. How can we make sense of Read more about 549 Read the Bible for Yourself 16: How to Read Revelation[…]
This is part 15 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. In previous episodes, we’ve looked at Paul’s church epistles and pastoral epistles. Today we move into the third section of epistles in the New Testament–the general epistles. Instead of surveying each of the eight general epistles, we’ll just focus on two: Hebrews and 1 Read more about 548 Read the Bible for Yourself 15: How to Read the General Epistles[…]
This is part 14 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Pastoral Epistles are letters to church leaders, instructing them how churches should function. Though they are not well read by most Christians today, they remain authoritative for pastors, elders, and deacons. Today we’ll cover 1-2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. We’ll explore the major Read more about 547 Read the Bible for Yourself 14: How to Read the Pastoral Epistles[…]
This is part 13 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Before getting to the Church Epistles, we’ll begin with an overview of how letters were written, read, and performed. Then we’ll see how they are arranged in our Bibles. We’ll spend a good deal of time talking about occasion. Why did Paul write each Read more about 546 Read the Bible for Yourself 13: How to Read the Church Epistles[…]
This is part 12 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Acts is an action-packed book full of excitement and wonder. We learn about the early expansion of the Church from a small group of ragged Christ-followers to dozens of house churches throughout major cities in the Mediterranean world. How did Christianity “go public”? The Read more about 545 Read the Bible for Yourself 12: How to Read Acts[…]
This is part 11 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Gospels are evangelistic biographies of Jesus. In today’s episode you’ll learn the basic storyline of the four biblical Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then we’ll go through them from shortest to longest to see how each brings a unique and helpful perspective Read more about 544 Read the Bible for Yourself 11: How to Read the Gospels[…]
This is part 10 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. We’ve taken our time working through the Old Testament, section by section. Before we tackle the New Testament and look at the Gospels, we need to talk about the time between the Old and New Testaments. In the gap of roughly four hundred years, Read more about 543 Read the Bible for Yourself 10: Key Background for Reading the New Testament[…]
This is part 9 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The 17 books of the prophets comprise 27% of the Old Testament. Although some parts can be difficult to comprehend, they reveal the heart of God with raw pathos and brutal honesty. To read the prophets, then, is to draw near to God. No Read more about 542 Read the Bible for Yourself 9: How to Read the Prophets[…]
This is part 8 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Book of Psalms is an eclectic collection of poetry that you can use to connect to God. In today’s episode you’ll learn about the different kinds of psalms, who wrote them, and how Hebrew poetry works. The goal, as always, is to equip Read more about 541 Read the Bible for Yourself 8: How to Read the Psalms[…]
This is part 7 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Bible contains a treasure trove of wisdom literature that can help you navigate the ups and downs of life. Today you’ll learn how to read and understand the books of Proverbs, Song of Songs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Proverbs and Song of Songs teach Read more about 538 Read the Bible for Yourself 7: How to Read Wisdom Literature[…]
This is part 6 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Tragically, many Christians skip over reading the Torah. They focus on the Gospels or Epistles of the New Testament. However, the first five books of the Bible contain many rich insights into God’s heart and how he asked Israel to live. In fact, it’s Read more about 537 Read the Bible for Yourself 6: How to Read the Law[…]
This is part 5 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Now we begin the second main part of this class on reading the Bible for yourself. We’ll be breaking the Bible into major sections so I can explain how each works. To start we’ll consider the first 17 books of the Bible–the books of Read more about 536 Read the Bible for Yourself 5: How to Read OT History[…]
This is part 4 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Exegesis and application take work. Today you’ll learn how to grasp the content of scripture by asking the question, “What did this text mean to the original audience?” Looking for a book’s author, audience, occasion, and purpose will help you answer that question. Next, Read more about 534 Read the Bible for Yourself 4: How to Determine Content and Application[…]
This is part 3 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Today is the first of two episodes on how to understand and apply the Bible. One of the greatest problems facing Bible readers today is the lifted verse. It’s so common to see a verse or even half a verse posted on social media Read more about 533 Read the Bible for Yourself 3: How to Read the Bible in Context[…]
This is part 2 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. As I endeavored to show last time, the Bible is one of a kind. It’s the result of dozens of authors, working under God’s inspiration to produce scrolls of text over centuries. This process resulted in sixty-six books, including histories, legal texts, poetry, prophetic Read more about 532 Read the Bible for Yourself 2: What You Need to Know about Your Bible[…]
This is part 1 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Today we are beginning a new class called Read the Bible for Yourself. Whether you are new to scripture, or you’ve been reading it for years, this class will empower you to read and understand the bible like never before. You’ll gain key insights Read more about 531 Read the Bible for Yourself 1: Why Should You Read the Bible for Yourself?[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Recently Tom Huszti interviewed me for his YouTube channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist. We talked about the importance of geography, archeology, and Greco-Roman history for interpreting the bible, especially the New Testament. Next we delved into early church history, starting with the earliest forms of Jewish Christianity Read more about 516 Sean Finnegan on Restoring Authentic Christianity (Tom Huszti)[…]
This is part 22 of the Early Church History class. This episode aims to wrap up our early church history class. We’ll cover relics and pilgrimage, emperors Zeno and Justinian, as well as the theological battles that continued to rage in the 5th and 6th centuries. Unsurprisingly the christological controversy of the 5th century did Read more about 504 Early Church History 22: Byzantine Empire from Constantine to Justinian[…]
This is part 21 of the Early Church History class. In the fifth century Christians waged a theological civil war that ended in a massive church split. The issue was over the dual natures of Christ. How was he both divine and human? Did he have a human soul and a divine soul? Did his Read more about 503 Early Church History 21: The Dual Natures Controversy of the Fifth Century[…]
This is part 20 of the Early Church History class. So far we’ve been focusing primarily on Christianity within the Roman Empire in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East–the land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, Christianity also spread south to Africa, north to Armenia, and east to Asia where it reached Persia, India, and Read more about 502 Early Church History 20: Early African, Armenian, and Asian Christianity[…]
This is part 19 of the Early Church History class. Even though the Roman Empire chose Nicene Christianity as it’s “orthodoxy,” subordinationist Christianity continued to exist, especially outside among the Germanic tribes. In this episode, you’ll learn about Ulfilas the Missionary to the Goths who not only brought Christianity to these “barbarians,” but also made Read more about 501 Early Church History 19: Arian Kingdoms from Ulfilas to Clovis[…]
This is part 18 of the Early Church History class. I wonder how many Christians in the world today believe the gifts of the spirit ceased in the time of the apostles? I know there are quite a few. Many others, however, believe they are available today and make time for them in their worship Read more about 500 Early Church History 18: The Gifts of the Spirit in Early Christianity[…]
This is part 17 of the Early Church History class. Throughout the first five hundred years of Christian history, a significant shift occurred in what we believed about our ultimate destiny. The New Testament and the early church fathers repeatedly expressed belief in God’s kingdom coming to earth. Over time, however, this idea gave way Read more about 499 Early Church History 17: The Kingdom of God in Early Christianity[…]
This is part 16 of the Early Church History class. Jerome and Augustine are two of the most influential Latin Christians of the first millennium of Christianity. This episode will introduce you to their lives, personalities, and some of their most important ideas. You’ll see how significantly asceticism affected their lifestyles as well as how Read more about 498 Early Church History 16: Jerome and Augustine[…]
This is part 15 of the Early Church History class. We are shifting gears away from Christology to talk about the desert fathers and mothers. These were people that decided to leave the city and go off alone or in communes to practice spiritual disciplines and asceticism. They denied themselves pleasure in their pursuit of Read more about 497 Early Church History 15: Monasticism from Anthony to Benedict[…]
This is part 14 of the Early Church History class. We’ve been learning about the controversy over Christ’s origins in the last couple of episodes. This battle raged between groups of Christians who agreed that Jesus pre-existed for sixty years. But today we are taking a break from that and looking instead at the early Read more about 496 Early Church History 14: Paul of Samosata and Photinus of Sirmium[…]
This is part 13 of the Early Church History class. Between the year 325 and 381 titanic shifts occurred that changed Christianity forever. Rather than ending conflict and ushering in a golden era of lasting peace, Constantine’s Council of Nicea ignited a theological civil war within Christianity that raged for six more decades. In today’s Read more about 495 Early Church History 13: Trinity Controversy in the Fourth Century[…]
This is part 12 of the Early Church History class. Today we begin a two part series on the Christological controversies of the fourth century. Our focus for this episode is the conflict between Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and his presbyter, Arius. You may be surprised to learn that Arius was not some youthful outsider Read more about 494 Early Church History 12: Arius and Alexander of Alexandria[…]
This is part 11 of the Early Church History class. Have you heard of the Roman emperor Constantine? He had a massive impact on Christianity. Not only did he end the brutal persecutions of his predecessors, but he also used the Roman government to actively support the Church. However, his involvement also resulted in significant Read more about 493 Early Church History 11: The Constantinian Shift[…]
This is part 10 of the Early Church History class. The Roman government persecuted Christians for the first three centuries. In this episode, you’ll learn about various persecutions that flared up during the reigns of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, Valerian, and Diocletian. We’ll also cover why Romans both despised and feared Christianity. Learning about the Read more about 490 Early Church History 10: Persecution of Early Christians[…]
This is part 9 of the Early Church History class. How did Christians organize themselves in the first few centuries? We’re taking a break from theology and switching to focus on practical matters of church offices, church governance, church discipline, conversion, and charity. As it turns out we have a surprising amount of information about Read more about 489 Early Church History 9: Early Church Orders[…]
This is part 8 of the Early Church History class. Origen of Alexandria is the man behind the curtain. Although few Christians today would recognize his name, most denominations are still on a trajectory he initiated eighteen hundred years ago. His influences in theology, christology, eschatology, apologetics, textual criticism, asceticism, hermeneutics, and Christian philosophy are Read more about 488 Early Church History 8: Origen of Alexandria[…]
This is part 7 of the Early Church History class. Philo of Alexandria was the most well-known representative of Hellenistic Judaism in the first century. His many books combine Platonism with scripture via allegory–a daring project that had a massive influence on Christian thinkers. Clement of Alexandria followed in Philo’s footsteps a century later, doing Read more about 487 Early Church History 7: Philo and Clement of Alexandria[…]
This is part 6 of the Early Church History class. In the latter half of the second century, two kinds of Christians arose to defend the faith. On the one hand, apologists wrote defenses of Christianity directed at the Roman government. They responded to rumors, arguing that Christians were decent people who should be shown Read more about 486 Early Church History 6: Apologists & Heresy Hunters[…]
This is part 5 of the Early Church History class. Have you heard of the Gnostics before? Gnostics of different types claimed to have secret knowledge of humanity’s true origins and destiny. They were intellectuals who combined the philosophical thinking of their day with Jewish and Christian scripture to produce a compelling alternative to biblical Read more about 485 Early Church History 5: Gnostics and Valentinians[…]
This is part 4 of the Early Church History class. Our focus for this episode is the collection of second-century Christian literature known as the Apostolic Fathers. In total, there are 11 authors in this collection, 9 of whom we will briefly cover today. You’ll learn about the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament, Read more about 484 Early Church History 4: The Apostolic Fathers[…]
This is part 3 of the Early Church History class. Today we begin to look at the second century. We’ll start by considering Jewish Christian movements, including the Nazarenes and the Ebionites. Next we’ll shift gears and explore the cultural pressure of asceticism and how it began infiltrating Christianity. We’ll briefly survey the influence of Read more about 483 Early Church History 3: Christianity in the Second Century[…]
This is part 2 of the Early Church History class. Before the great revolution of 66 in which the Jewish nation declared independence from the Roman empire, no fewer than five micro-revolution occurred between 4 BC and 58 AD. In the years that led up to the first Jewish-Roman war (66-73), incompetent Roman governors repeatedly Read more about 482 Early Church History 2: The Jewish-Roman War and Jewish-Christian Relations[…]
This is part 1 of the Early Church History class. Introducing Early Church History Get answers to questions, like: Did early Christians prophecy and perform miracles? How do I research church history for myself? How did heaven replace paradise on earth? What happened to the Jewish Christians? How did the Trinity become mainstream? How did Read more about 481 Early Church History 1: Christianity in the First Century[…]
What do we do when the science in the bible seems wrong by today’s standards, but typical for their world? For example, those who believe in a flat earth often point to scripture as evidence for their belief. Indeed the bible arguably does contain some texts that imply a flat earth. But, if the Hebrew Read more about 479 Scripture & Science 16: Science in the Bible (Will Barlow)[…]
What happened in Egypt during the ten plagues? Approaching the matter from a scientific perspective, our teacher, Will Barlow, brings to light some interesting connections. Probably most of us think God’s miracles are akin to magical interventions where he breaks the laws of nature to perform a supernatural feat. As we saw last time, the Read more about 476 Scripture & Science 15: What Happened in the Exodus? (Will Barlow)[…]
What is a miracle? Does it mean God breaks the laws of physics or merely that he intervenes within the system? After considering several definitions of miracles from Christian thinkers, Will Barlow interacts with a number of biblical incidents to explain what a miracle is and is not. He examines the parting of the Red Read more about 475 Scripture & Science 14: What Are Miracles? (Will Barlow)[…]
Having looked at the basics of earth science last time, we are now ready to consider Noah’s Flood. As always you’ll learn the major options for interpreting this biblical event. Some Christians understand the flood to have been a local event, largely limited to the region of Mesopotamia. Others hold to the notion that this Read more about 474 Scripture & Science 13: Noah’s Flood (Will Barlow)[…]
So far we’ve considered physics and biology in our exploration of scripture and science. Today we begin to consider how earth science and the bible fit together. This becomes particularly significant when considering interpretations for Noah’s flood. We’ll get to that next time. But, for today, our teacher will lay out the basics of geology Read more about 473 Scripture & Science 12: What Is Earth Science? (Will Barlow)[…]
I’d like to take an opportunity to interrupt this Scripture and Science class. We’ve just done three episodes on evolution. The first one covered the basics of what evolution is. Our second teaching evolution covered biblical problems and the third surveyed some scientific problems. Then Will interviewed Sam about his beliefs in both Christianity and Read more about 472 Why I (Still) Don’t Believe in Evolution (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Since it’s inception, evolutionary theory has remained controversial for many. Although one might think only uneducated laypeople find the idea unpalatable, quite a sizeable minority of scientists too struggle to come to terms with Darwinism. In today’s episode, Will Barlow explores a number of major scientific objections to evolution, including the Cambrian explosion, mutations as Read more about 471 Scripture & Science 11: Scientific Objections to Evolution (Will Barlow)[…]
Having looked at what the theory of evolution teaches last time, today we’re going to think through how well evolution fits with the bible. Will Barlow covers two main scriptural objections that young earth creationists bring against evolution before exploring three more issues that arise from the perspective of old earth creationism. How does Genesis Read more about 470 Scripture & Science 10: Biblical Objections to Evolution (Will Barlow)[…]
Having taken a short break from our Scripture & Science series, we are back. Today begins a series of three episodes exploring evolution. Whether you believe in evolution or not, it’s important to understand what the theory claims and how evolutionists reason. In this episode, Will Barlow briefly explains how evolutionists explain the gradual change Read more about 469 Scripture & Science 9: What Is Evolution? (Will Barlow)[…]
This episode rounds out three sessions focused on physics. Today we’re learning about the incredibly precise conditions required for life to exist in our universe. From the strength of gravity to the properties of carbon or water to the beauty of math and the stars, Pastor Will Barlow enumerates several key ways in which the Read more about 466 Scripture & Science 8: Fine-Tuning (Will Barlow)[…]
Building on last week, Will Barlow continues to describe and analyze issues with the Big Bang Theory. He considers standard biblical and scientific objections brought forward by young earth creationists. After responding to these objections, he shows how each of the main Christian views of origins deals with the Big Bang. Listen to this episode Read more about 465 Scripture & Science 7: Genesis and the Big Bang[…]
Now that we’ve considered a bunch of the options for interpreting creation in Genesis, we are moving to look at astronomy. In today’s episode Will Barlow moves into his home territory–physics. You’ll learn about the weird nature of light, how particles do strange things at the quantum scale, and how the big bang model actually Read more about 464 Scripture & Science 6: Physics and Astronomy (Will Barlow)[…]
Today we are going to cover gap theories and John Walton’s temple idea. Will Barlow explains how gap theories work, including the classic idea that there’s a gap of billions of years between Genesis 1.1 and 1.2 as well as the modified version. After explaining the pros and cons for these views, he briefly explains Read more about 463 Scripture & Science 5: Reading Genesis One, Part 3 (Will Barlow)[…]
We’ve been considering the various options for interpreting the creation account in Genesis. Last time we looked at two young earth theories and today we’ll survey three old earth perspectives, including the day age theory, modified day-age theory, and a non-literal approach. For each Will Barlow explains the basics and offers a gentle critique. Listen Read more about 462 Scripture & Science 4: Reading Genesis One, Part 2 (Will Barlow)[…]
Today we’ll begin to consider interpretive options for the first chapter of Genesis. We’ll see three main groupings of theories, including those that propose a young earth of only thousands of years, those that see the earth as old (billions of years), and those that are compatible with either. After introducing the main options, Will Read more about 460 Scripture & Science 3: Reading Genesis One, Part 1 (Will Barlow)[…]
Who was the original audience for the book of Genesis? Although we might be tempted to think we are, Genesis was written a long time ago in a different language and culture. Thinking through who the audience was, will help us approach the first chapter of Genesis on its own terms. In this episode, Will Read more about 459 Scripture & Science 2: Background on Genesis 1 (Will Barlow)[…]
Today we’re starting a new class called Scripture & Science. As a college student, studying engineering, I remember a particular day at the school library when I had the thought: “Well, I guess I’m going to have to look into scientific objections to the bible.” I had been raised a Christian and believed the bible Read more about 458 Scripture & Science 1: What Is a Belief System? (Will Barlow)[…]
Last time we looked at Solomon’s glorious reign as an archetype. Today Pastor Victor shows five parallels between Solomon’s golden era and Christ’s coming kingdom. Eliminate rivals and enemies Appoint new leaders Peace and prosperity Nations flowing to Jerusalem Worship of God central This last episode of this Son of David class ties together everything Read more about 434 Son of David 6: Jesus’ Reign (Victor Gluckin)[…]
In many ways, Solomon was the greatest Israelite king of all time. Abundance, security, and vastness characterized his long reign. Pastor Victor surveys Solomon’s prodigious reign, tying it in to both the promises God made to Abraham before him and those he made regarding a future son of David after him. Solomon’s fabulous wealth, unrivaled Read more about 433 Son of David 5: Solomon’s Reign (Victor Gluckin)[…]
As we saw last time, Solomon’s coronation set a precedent as the first son of David. By learning to recognize this archetype, we can spot intentional enactments later on. In this episode, Pastor Victor explores the striking parallels between Solomon’s anointing and Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Next he considers how the first coming of Read more about 432 Son of David 4: Jesus Comes as King (Victor Gluckin)[…]
Today we begin looking at the original son of David–Solomon. Although his brother, Adonijah had crafted a master plan to take the throne, he was not God’s choice. As a result, Bathsheba acted quickly to impose upon her elderly husband so that Solomon would be anointed. Pastor Victor shares the story of how this all Read more about 431 Son of David 3: Solomon Becomes King[…]
This is part 2 of the class, Son of David. Today our focus is on Jesus. What do terms like “son of God,” “Christ,” and “messiah” mean? How does Jesus fit into the promises God made to King David a millennium before his birth? Victor Gluckin answers these questions through copious texts from the New Read more about 430 Son of David 2: Jesus the Christ, Son of David, Son of God[…]
This is part 1 of the class, Son of David. Today we’re beginning a new class called “Son of David,” which explores the rich biblical parallels between Solomon and Jesus. Our teacher is Victor Gluckin, pastor of Living Faith Christian Church in Warwick, Rhode Island. Over more than two decades of friendship, I’ve been repeatedly Read more about 429 Son of David 1: Davidic Covenant (Victor Gluckin)[…]
This is part 14 of the One God Over All class. After a brief sketch of one God believers throughout time, we’ll consider how well positioned we are today to publish this truth. We may be few, but we are mighty, motivated, and making a difference! Additionally, we’ll consider a few important questions like (1) Read more about 424 One God 14: One God Today[…]
This is part 13 of the One God Over All class. What happened in the fourth century? You’ve probably heard all kinds of rumors about Arius of Alexandria and his newfangled heresy. But, was Arius really a sinful outsider who tried to corrupt Christianity? Was his idea of a Son with a beginning even new? Read more about 423 One God 13: The Fourth Century[…]
This is part 12 of the One God Over All class. If the entire bible clearly and repeatedly teaches that there is one supreme God who is over all and that Jesus is his subordinate son, then surely we should find evidence of this idea in the historical writings of Christians after the New Testament Read more about 422 One God 12: Early Church History[…]
This is part 11 of the One God Over All class. Who or what is the spirit of God? It won’t do to read later tradition back into the scriptures. Rather, we need to see how the bible itself talks about the holy spirit. To get at that answer we’ll take a look at a Read more about 421 One God 11: Spirit of God & Christ[…]
This is part 10 of the One God Over All class. We’ve looked at Jesus’ identity as Messiah, his relationship to God throughout his ministry, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. Repeatedly we’ve asked the question, if Jesus is not the one God over all, then how should we interpret him? Today we delve into his Read more about 420 One God 10: Christ’s Exaltation & Priestly Service[…]
This is part 9 of the One God Over All class. If Jesus is not the one God over all, then how should we interpret his death and resurrection? How does his death pay for our sins? What does the resurrection tell us about Jesus? Unlike medieval Christianity that taught God the Son united himself Read more about 419 One God 9: Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection[…]
This is part 8 of the One God Over All class. Does the bible call Jesus God? If so, how many times? This seems like such a straightforward question, but it’s pretty hard to answer. We’ll examine three types of texts in which Jesus might be called God, including those with manuscript issues, translation issues, Read more about 418 One God 8: Jesus Called God?[…]
This is part 7 of the One God Over All class. In the bible we encounter a strange phenomenon. Sometimes beings other than Yahweh are called Gods. How can we square that with monotheism–the idea that the Father is the only true God? Although most Christians are aware that the bible calls Jesus God a Read more about 417 One God 7: Jesus, God’s Agent[…]
This is part 6 of the One God Over All class. The bible routinely recognizes the subordination of the Son to his Father. Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus repeatedly and unapologetically taught, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14.28). Further, after his exaltation, Jesus remains dependent on the Father as his superior (1 Read more about 416 One God 6: Jesus, God’s Subordinate Son[…]
This is part 5 of the One God Over All class. Last time we looked at what Jesus taught about God. Although this class is called “One God Over All,” it’s also important for us to talk about Jesus. If the Father alone is the one God over all, then what does that mean about Read more about 415 One God 5: Jesus, God’s Messiah[…]
This is part 4 of the One God Over All class. Today we enter the New Testament and ask the question, “What did Jesus believe about God?” After all, whatever Jesus said on the matter is primary for us as Christ-followers, right? As it turns out, Jesus not only believed the Shema, but strongly endorsed Read more about 414 One God 4: Yahweh, the God of Jesus[…]
This is part 3 of the One God Over All class. Yahweh is particularly sensitive about fidelity. He wants his people to be solely devoted to him; he’s not content to share them with other gods. Century after century, when Israel strayed from him, Yahweh sent prophets to confront his people. Eventually, he could not Read more about 413 One God 3: Yahweh Versus the Idols[…]
This is part 2 of the One God Over All class. This class is all about who God is. That Yahweh is our God and that Yahweh is one are truths we must take to heart if we want to think biblically about God. Today we’ll continue our march through the Hebrew Bible, stopping to Read more about 412 One God 2: Yahweh Our God, Yahweh Is One[…]
Today we are starting a brand new class called “One God Over All!” My plan is to work through scripture to build a biblical theology of the one true God and his Son, Jesus the Messiah. This class will cover both texts supporting God’s exclusive oneness as well as misunderstood verses that seem to teach Read more about 411 One God 1: Yahweh, the Supreme Creator[…]
This is the last episode of our class, Why Christianity. We’ve covered so many different reasons why Christianity is attractive, makes sense, and is worthy of our attention. We’ve looked at scientific, logical, epistemological, social, psychological, and historical reasons for God’s existence, Christ’s resurrection, and the gospel’s effectiveness. Today, we consider three stories of changed Read more about 403 Why Christianity 16: Changed Lives (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Although many throughout the Western world are quick to criticize Christianity, Jesus remains well-liked. In fact, one of the most obvious answers to the question, “Why Christianity?” is “Jesus.” To this day, reading the Gospels draws the reader to Jesus’ magnetic and compelling way of life. What’s more, the less satisfied we are with our Read more about 402 Why Christianity 15: Jesus the Revolutionary (Daniel Fitzsimmons)[…]
Community is so important. As so many continue to struggle with the ache of loneliness, anxiety about social encounters, and the gnawing pain of depression, we who belong to Christian communities have a huge opportunity and obligation to invite outsiders in, provide them a taste of God’s goodness, and welcome them with a spirit of Read more about 401 Why Christianity 14: Hypocrisy and Community (Daniel Fitzsimmons)[…]
What is the proper role of your emotions? Should you trust them? How do you know when they are helping and when they are hurting? Today we’ll take a look at another exciting advantage that Christianity provides. In this episode, you’ll learn about the problems endemic to emotional reasoning, the robust biblical teaching about your Read more about 400 Why Christianity 13: The Heart (Sean Finnegan)[…]
One of the most enduring problems we have faced throughout human history is tribalism. From the Nazis to the Rwandan genocide, we’ve repeatedly seen the devastating results of group think and dehumanizing outsiders. Although some Christian groups have tragically fallen into this sin, we don’t have to. Christianity provides a better way. We can draw Read more about 399 Why Christianity 12: Inclusiveness (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Who are you and why does your life matter? These two piercing questions get to the heart of your identity. Our society in the West has increasingly embraced an internally discovered identity on the basis of individual passions. Such expressive individualism is exciting to live out, especially if those around you push back, however, the Read more about 398 Why Christianity 11: Christian Identity (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
Let’s face it, suffering is a major problem for those of us who believe in a good and powerful God. How do you answer skeptics who challenge your belief in God because of the gratuitous suffering endemic in human history? In this episode we’ll explore some answers to this question offered by several worldviews before Read more about 397 Why Christianity 10: Suffering and Evil (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
Freedom and morality are two interrelated concepts that everyone has an opinion about. From a Christian perspective, we limit our freedom based on our received moral code. We believe that the restrictions the bible provides us are for our good; They are not the result of a capricious deity’s arbitrary or stifling whims. In fact, Read more about 396 Why Christianity 9: Christian Freedom and Morality (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 8 of the Why Christianity class. Last time we delved into the first two components of scripture’s overarching story line: creation and fall. These two explain where the world came from and what went wrong with it. Today we’ll consider the last two Read more about 395 Why Christianity 8: Metanarrative 2 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 7 of the Why Christianity class. So far in this class we have stuck to classic apologetics topics like reasons for God’s existence, the historicity of the resurrection, and the rationality of Christian epistemology. Now we are going to shift gears and do Read more about 394 Why Christianity 7: Metanarrative 1 (Daniel Fitzsimmons)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 6 of the Why Christianity class. The Bible is such a strange thing. On the one hand, it looks like a big book, on the other hand, it’s a library of books. It’s loaded with very different kinds of literature from poetry and Read more about 393 Why Christianity 6: The Origin and Authority of the Bible (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 5 of the Why Christianity class. How would you go about convincing someone that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened? Now, what if that person didn’t recognize the scriptures as inspired by God. How would you go about making a case for Read more about 392 Why Christianity 5: The Resurrection of Jesus Happened (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 4 of the Why Christianity class. Is Christianity irrational? Is believing in God intellectually vacuous? Jerry Wierwille will address the criticism of skeptics that Christian belief is arrogant, unjustified, and irrational. Next, he’ll describe the popular secular belief in scientism before exposing its Read more about 391 Why Christianity 4: Believing in God Is Not Stupid (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 3 of the Why Christianity class. How do you know God is real? What sorts of evidence would you marshal to make a case for God’s existence? It won’t do to tell skeptics you believe in God because you’ve always believed in him, Read more about 390 Why Christianity 3: God Is Real (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 2 of the Why Christianity class. It’s so easy to universalize our own local context. For example, I (Sean) live in a secular, post-Catholic part of New York state. It would be easy for me to think that most of the state or Read more about 389 Why Christianity 2: Lay of the Land (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 1 of the Why Christianity class. In a culture where biblical Christianity is falling more and more out of fashion, it’s increasingly important to have confidence in your faith. Today we are beginning a class called Why Christianity, in which we will lay Read more about 388 Why Christianity 1: Introduction (Jerry Wierwille)[…]
This is now our last episode in this 24 part class on How We Got the Bible. Today after a quick review and an appeal to learn the biblical languages, I’ll recommend a number of Bible translations. Although I’m hesitant to do this, so many have written in asking for it that I would be Read more about 353 Bible 24 – Recommended Bible Translations (Which Bible Is Best?)[…]
This is our fifth and final example of bias in translation. After this episode, we’ll have one more to conclude our class on How We Got the Bible. Today our focus is God’s spirit. Should it have an uppercase ‘S’ or a lowercase ‘s?’ Should pronouns referring back to spirit be masculine (like “he”) or Read more about 352 Bible 23 – Spirit Who or Spirit Which? (Translating the Holy Spirit)[…]
Did Jesus claim to be “The Great I AM” in John 8.58? If not, what was he saying? In this episode we examine the alleged parallel passage in Exodus where God reveals his name to Moses at the burning bush. Next, we’ll explore texts with the same Greek construction that Jesus used in an effort Read more about 351 Bible 22 – Did Jesus Claim to Be the I AM? (Translating John 8.58)[…]
Colossians 1.15 presents an interesting test case to examine translation bias. Well-meaning Bible students have taken this text in at least three different ways. However, some translators, motivated by a fear that readers might see Christ as a member of creation, have increasingly pushed for translating this text so that it says Christ is superior Read more about 350 Bible 21 – Firstborn Of or Firstborn Over? (Translating Colossians 1.15)[…]
How should translators render the word προκσυνέω (proskuneo) into English? Since this word has a range of meanings from bowing as a sign of respect to worshiping God, translators sometimes decide what English words to use based more on their theological presuppositions than the grammar or textual context. For example, some translations (mostly those done Read more about 349 Bible 20 – Bow or Worship? (Translating Proskuneo)[…]
This is our first of five examples of bias in translation. Today we’ll examine Philippians 2.6-7, specifically focusing on how translators render two important words (ἁρπαγμός harpagmon and μορφή morphe). We’ll see how a couple of the most popular evangelical versions break free from the underlying Greek syntax in order to inject their own doctrinal Read more about 348 Bible 19 – God’s Form or God’s Nature (Translating Philippians 2.6-7)[…]
Last time we evaluated two popular single-translator Bibles: the Message and the Passion Translation. This time, we’re switching gears to consider committee-based versions. I want to shine a spotlight on the whole subject of bias in translation in an effort to point out what often goes unnoticed. We’ll consider both the committee effect that tends Read more about 347 Bible 18 – Bias in Bible Translation[…]
Last time we looked at the King James version which is one of the strictest formal equivalence Bibles every made. This time we are going to analyze two Bibles on the other end of the spectrum: the Message Bible and the Passion Translation. These two versions share a number of characteristics in common. For example Read more about 346 Bible 17 – Evaluating the Message Bible and the Passion Translation[…]
What do you know about the King James Version? Is it an accurate translation? Does it have flaws? Should you use it as a measuring stick for other translations? In today’s episode, we’ll cover the making of the KJV of the Bible, going back to William Tyndale’s courageous work before delving into four areas of Read more about 345 Bible 16 – Evaluating the King James Version[…]
Did you know that controversies surrounding how to translate gender in the Bible had a major impact on Bible translation over the last 30 years? In this episode we’ll briefly overview various feminist movements before examining the NRSV, which proved to be a forerunner for gender inclusive Bible translations. Next we’ll take a journey through Read more about 344 Bible 15 – Gender in Bible Translation[…]
Last time we focused on the two main translation theories: formal and dynamic equivalence. This time, we need to take a look at five major default decisions translation teams make at the outset. Units of Measurement and Currency Hebrew Idioms English Vocabulary Editorial Enhancements God’s Name By becoming familiar with these five topics, you’ll be Read more about 343 Bible 14 – Bible Translation Default Decisions[…]
Up until now we’ve focused our attention on the text of Scripture. We took five episodes looking at the Hebrew Bible, including it’s sources, transmission, and how textual scholars go about deciding the initial text. Then for the last seven episodes we did the same for the New Testament, examining the surviving source material and Read more about 342 Bible 13 – Bible Translation Philosophies (Formal and Dynamic Equivalence)[…]
Last time we covered two corrected corruptions (1 Timothy 3.16 and 1 John 5.7). This time we’ll consider two uncorrected corruptions, including the long ending on Mark (16.9-20) and the passage about the adulterous woman that Jesus saves (John 7.53-8.11). Although these two texts are not found in the earliest and best manuscripts and translators Read more about 341 Bible 12 – Two Uncorrected Corruptions (Mark 16.9-20 and John 7.53-8.11)[…]
Today we move from learning about manuscripts and textual criticism to actually doing textual criticism. I’ve chosen two well-known corruptions to illustrate the process of textual criticism: 1 Timothy 3.16 and 1 John 5.7. In each of these cases scribes have altered the text of scripture and we have the manuscript evidence to show exactly Read more about 340 Bible 11 – Two Corrected Corruptions (1 Timothy 3.16 & 1 John 5.7)[…]
Last time we surveyed five hundred years of New Testament textual criticism. Today we address the process by which these scholars have done and continue to do their work. We’ll see how they weigh internal and external evidence. We’ll cover reasoned eclecticism, the refined documentary approach, and the computer-driven coherence based genealogical method. (Don’t worry Read more about 339 Bible 10 New Testament Textual Criticism[…]
Before we can understand how textual scholars do their work today, it’s important to understand the history of how they have endeavored to reconstruct the Greek New Testament over the years. In this episode you’ll learn about the rich and important history of how our understanding of the Greek New Testament changed over the last Read more about 338 Bible 9 Reconstructing the New Testament[…]
We’ve been working our way through the various sources for our Greek New Testament. We’ve looked at the papyri and the uncials, but there is so much more to consider. In fact, the New Testament papyri and uncials combined make up less than 2% of our manuscripts. Today, we’ll consider the other 98% of manuscripts Read more about 337 Bible 8 – Other New Testament Manuscripts[…]
Today we are moving into our second group of New Testament manuscripts–the uncials. However, before describing them, we’ll need to focus on how Christian scribes went about their work. As it turns out the situation is quite different than the Jewish scribes who preserved the Hebrew Bible. Then we’ll follow the exciting career of Bible Read more about 336 Bible 7 – Greek New Testament Uncials[…]
Today we are shifting gears from the Old Testament to the New Testament, from Hebrew manuscripts to Greek ones. We’ll begin with the earliest evidence for the Greek New Testament, the papyri. Made from the papyrus plant, approximately 130 of these manuscripts survive today in museums around the world. In this lecture you’ll learn the Read more about 335 Bible 6 – Greek New Testament Papyri[…]
Today we are going to take a brief break from manuscripts and dip our toes into the pool of Bible translations. Specifically, we’ll take a look at six of the most prominent Jewish translations of the Hebrew Bible, including: Jewish Publication Society (1917) Koren Jerusalem Bible (1961) New Jewish Publication Society (1985) Artscroll’s Stone Tanach Read more about 334 Bible 5 – Jewish Bible Translations[…]
For our Hebrew Bibles we have three main groups of manuscripts to compare: the Masoretic Text group, the Samaritan Pentateuch group, and the Septuagint group. Each of these groups contain many manuscripts with the Masoretic Text group containing the most. In this episode of How We Got the Bible, we’re going to look at the Read more about 333 Bible 4 – Determining the Best Hebrew Reading[…]
In How We Got the Bible, we’re continuing on in our quest to understand the sources for the Hebrew Bible. We’ve already covered the Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls, but we have one last important Hebrew source to look at before surveying several significant ancient translations. As it turns out the Samaritans have Read more about 332 Bible 3 – Samaritan Pentateuch and Ancient Translations[…]
Last time we looked at the Hebrew manuscripts known as the Masoretic Texts from the middle ages. Today, we’ll focus on the earliest Hebrew manuscripts ever found, including those at the Cairo Genizah, the Ein-Gedi Scroll, the Nash Papyrus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Ketef Hinnom Silver Scroll. This is going to be very Read more about 331 Bible 2 – Earliest Hebrew Manuscripts[…]
Today we are beginning a major new class on how we get our English Bibles. I’m so excited about sharing with you so much about what I’ve learned in doing the research for this project. We’re going to have a great time together. My goal here is to cover the transmission of manuscripts and translation Read more about 330 Bible 1 – The Masoretic Text[…]
This is the fifth and final part of our parenting class. Today you’ll learn about striking the balance between oversight and independence. Although many parents today think their children are at risk of kidnapping and other terrible crimes, our society is actually much safer than it has been in decades. The tendency to protect our Read more about 329 Parenting 5 – Balancing Oversight with Independence[…]
In part 4 of our parenting class, Ruth Finnegan tackles the issue of screen time for children. Although technology itself is neutral, much of what our children spend their time doing with screens is self-destructive and worldly. As parents our responsibility is to bring God and his scriptures into the family and curtail exposure to Read more about 328 Parenting 4 – Anxiety, Depression, and Screens (Ruth Finnegan)[…]
Welcome to part three of our parenting class where Dr. Mary Ann Yaconis will help us deal with episodes of anger both within ourselves and our children. This is such an important issue because childhood anger can lead to serious characterological disorders in adulthood if not dealt with appropriately. In this episode you’ll learn about Read more about 327 Parenting 3 – Dealing with Anger (Mary Ann Yaconis)[…]
In this the second part of our parenting seminar, we will broach the topic of disciplining children. For many of us, this is the hardest part of parenting. We’d rather enjoy harmony in our homes rather than having to lay down the law. Even so, the scriptures call us to do the hard work of Read more about 326 Parenting 2 – Disciplining Children (Russell & Joelle Brown)[…]
For many of us during this COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine has been difficult. A huge number of us are working from home and those of us with children are home schooling as well. Add to that cold and rainy spring weather, and you’ve got a perfect storm for challenging parenting. In an effort to help out, Read more about 325 Parenting 1 – Preparing Our Kids for the Road (Sean Finnegan)[…]
This is the sixth and final part of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. In this panel discussion Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, and I discuss several issues before taking questions from the audience. Questions we cover include: How can we develop relationships with non-Christians? How should we handle rejection? What should we say when Read more about 320 Evangelism Panel Discussion (Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, Sean Finnegan)[…]
We are living in an unprecedented time. As many of you know, I live in New York, the state with the most positive coronavirus cases in America. In my lifetime, I have never seen a disease spread like this all around the world. This pandemic is taking lives every day even if most of us Read more about 319 How To Get Better at Evangelism (Josh Anderson)[…]
This is part four of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. Francis of Assisi allegedly said, “Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” Sadly, many of us have taken this way of thinking as an excuse to remain silent. However, as Anderson points out, the scriptures specifically call us to open Read more about 318 Building Relational Credibility (Josh Anderson)[…]
This is part three of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. In the previous teaching we learned what evangelism is not as well as some ineffective methods to avoid. Today, we’ll hear about what evangelism is and one key to sharing your faith more effectively. Anderson also explains the history of how our culture Read more about 317 What Evangelism Is (Josh Anderson)[…]
Today we are gong to hear part two of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. His topic is “What Evangelism Is Not.” Evangelism is not forcing a decision, converting people, condemning people’s sins, or arguing endlessly. This material is critical for us to grasp so we don’t get frustrated or stuck in ineffective methods. Read more about 316 What Evangelism Is Not (Josh Anderson)[…]
How do you feel about evangelism? Do you have a heart for the lost? I know that for me, sharing my faith is pretty challenging, not because of a lack of commitment or a lack of knowledge, but because my culture makes it difficult. And that stinks, because I want to be faithful to Jesus Read more about 315 Why We Hate Evangelism and Why We Aren’t Doing It (Josh Anderson)[…]
In our last episode, we laid the theological foundation for a new covenant doctrine: Christ fulfilled the Law and ratified the new covenant, which opened a new way of relating to God apart from obedience to Torah. Now we will discuss a number of texts that sometimes confuse Christians into thinking the Law is still Read more about Theology 24 — Challenging the New Covenant[…]
We are now in our second-to-last episode in this 24-part theology class, covering the major biblical doctrines as well as various counterarguments. Today we will focus our time on the New Covenant. We’ll make our way through biblical history in order to understand the grand sweep of the bible, paying special attention to the old Read more about Theology 23 — New Covenant[…]
Pull up a chair and listen in as we discuss and wrestle with some verses that proponents of eternal security use to make their case. Now there will be some overlap here with our last episode, but also some new content as well. We’ll discuss texts that seem to imply that salvation has nothing to Read more about Theology 22 — Challenging Conditional Salvation[…]
We’ll delve into the multifaceted theology of salvation (aka soteriology). We’ll look at all three tenses of salvation: how we were saved, are being saved, and will be saved. Now, I realize this can be a very sensitive and controversial subject, depending on what your preexisting doctrinal commitments are. However, I simply ask that you Read more about Theology 21 — Conditional Salvation[…]
Finally, we arrive at practical theology or Christian ethics. Although, we could easily spend fifteen lectures together building up a full edifice of how God wants us to live, in this episode we’ll simply lay the foundation stones of following Jesus. What I mean by follow is to read his words and do them, especially Read more about Theology 20 — Follow Jesus[…]
In this lecture, you’ll learn what Jesus and the book of Acts have to say about conversion. From Jesus, we will examine his parable of the Sower with special focus on the good soil–those who hear the message, understand it, accept it, hold it fast, and bear fruit. Next we’ll work through all of the Read more about Theology 19 – Conversion[…]
Last time we looked at the major categories the scriptures use to answer the question, “Why did Jesus die?” This time, we’ll take a journey through church history, making stops along the way to see how our forebearers have made sense of the crucifixion of our Lord. You’ll learn about these seven theories: Ransom Christus Read more about Theology 18 — Atonement Theories[…]
Why did Jesus die? Historically, we could say it was because the Roman Empire perceived him as a threat or the religious leaders in Jerusalem feared he would ignite an unwinnable revolution. Even so, the bible offers a number of theological answers that go far beyond the immediate circumstances of his crucifixion. In this lecture Read more about Theology 17 — Atonement Scriptures[…]
In this episode we’ll consider what the bible says about angels, demons, and Satan. My goal here is to be as biblical as possible, not giving in to wild speculations or dismissing an understanding because it offends my modern sensibilities. The scriptures have a lot to say about the spiritual realm, and we can’t possibly Read more about Theology 16 — Angels, Demons, and Satan[…]
Last time we worked through a ton of scripture, trying to get a multidimensional view of how the bible describes the holy spirit. This time we’ll consider a few scriptures that have confused some into thinking the spirit is really an individual or person distinct from the Father and the Son. This study is pretty Read more about Theology 15 — Challenging the Holy Spirit[…]
How do you think of holy spirit? In this lecture we’ll build up a biblical theology of the spirit, in an effort to comprehend its variegated facets. We’ll consider the Old Testament and the Synoptic Gospels before spending a good deal of time in John, looking at the fascinating way that Jesus talks about the Read more about Theology 14 — The Holy Spirit[…]
Although later Christianity interpreted the handful of texts that call Jesus God as evidence that he shared the same rank, substance, and age as the Father, a more Hebrew-sensitive reading of these same verses yields more organic fruit. Instead of bringing in complex Greek philosophy to distinguish person from being and divine from human natures, Read more about Theology 13 – Jesus, God’s Supreme Representative[…]
Last time we considered Jesus’ identity as God’s messiah. Today, we’ll look at a number of texts that are sometimes misunderstood to teach that Jesus is God. We’ll go through three classifications of verses: (1) those with manuscript issues, (2) those with translation issues, and (3) those with interpretation issues. Here is the breakdown. Manuscript Read more about Theology 12 – Challenging Jesus’ Humanity[…]
How many is God? Although the ancient Shema (recorded in Deuteronomy 6) teaches that God is one, Christian theologians have put forward a number of reasons arguing for a plurality within God. We will examine a number of these words, texts, and reasonings in an effort to agree with Jesus who wholeheartedly affirmed the Jewish Read more about Theology 10 — Challenging God’s Oneness[…]
Today we’ll tackle the biggest question of all: who is God? We’ll take a journey through scripture together to discover what God is like, stopping at key moments to consider what this or that interaction tells us about him. —— Notes —— theology: one’s understanding of God Ontology vs. Functionality ontology: understanding something based on Read more about Theology 9 — God[…]
Today we’ll take a look at a number of confusing scriptures that seem to indicate that hell is a place where the wicked are consciously tormented forever. We’ll look at texts that talk about weeping and gnashing of teeth as well as the how the worm will not die nor the fire be quenched. We’ll Read more about Theology 8 — Challenging Annihilationism[…]
What is the destiny of the unrighteous? Christians over the centuries have put forward three major options: eternal conscious torment (traditionalism), temporary torment followed by salvation (universalism), temporary torment followed by destruction (annihilationism). In this lecture we’ll cover the main texts supporting the annihilation of the wicked as well as three logical problems with the Read more about Theology 7 — Annihilationism[…]
In our last episode, we examined the broad scope of scripture, stopping at many texts along the way that teach about a future kingdom when Jesus returns. In this session, we’ll take a look at a number of sometimes misunderstood texts that seem to imply the kingdom is either already present or in heaven. Here Read more about Theology 6 — Challenging the Kingdom[…]
We now begin a series of four lectures on the eternal destiny of the righteous and the wicked, including the kingdom and the judgement. For today we are going to focus on what God promises for his own people in the age to come. We’ll cruise through the entire bible (right from Genesis to Revelation), Read more about Theology 5 — Kingdom Hope[…]
In our last episode we looked at what the scriptures teach about humanity, including creation, death, and resurrection. I laid out a case for conditional immortality from several important texts. This time, we will consider a number of challenges to this understanding including: Philippians 1.23 “depart and be with Christ” 1 Corinthians 5.8 “absent from Read more about Theology 4 – Challenging Conditional Immortality[…]
In this lecture, you’ll learn about anthropology–the bible’s view of humanity. In particular, we’ll focus on the two ends of the spectrum: creation and death. We’ll see how the biblical view of humanity is rather exalted since we are made in God’s image. We’ll examine what the bible teaches about death and resurrection and how Read more about Theology 3 – Conditional Immortality[…]
Before delving into specific biblical doctrines, we need to first think about what the bible is. In this lecture you’ll learn what the bible says about itself, some reasons to believe God inspired it, as well as the major types of biblical scholars and how they approach scripture. This episode, along with the last one, Read more about Theology 2 – Bibliology[…]
Happy New Year. I’m so excited to begin with you a new class that covers a whole range of biblical doctrines. In fact, I’m going to combine two classes into one and I think they will work together really well. The first class was originally titled “Basic Bible Doctrine” and it covered approximately fifteen different Read more about Theology 1 – Introduction[…]
In this last episode of our 500 class, we’ll cover a bunch of 20th century American groups including Christian Science, the Evangelicals, Plymouth Brethren, Pentecostals, Calvary Chapel, Vineyard Churches, Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Way International, the Worldwide Church of God, Scientology, the Moonies, and Megachurches (Rick Warren, Craig Groeschel, and Joel Osteen). It’s a Read more about 132 Twentieth Century American Christianity (Five Hundred 15)[…]
This lecture covers the two main types of criticisms leveled against Christianity during the Enlightenment period: biblical and philosophical. In addition you’ll see how some Christians dug their heals in and worked hard to defend their faith while others gave ground but reinterpreted Christianity in a way that would not only survive the criticisms but Read more about 129 Losing Faith (Five Hundred 13)[…]
Hear the winding tale of early Christian history in the Americas with a special focus on the thirteen colonies. Right from the start the Americas were full of Christian diversity including Catholicism, the Church of England, Puritans, Baptists, and Quakers. In this lecture you’ll see how this diversity led to an unprecedented level of religious Read more about 128 Colonials and Methodists (Five Hundred 12)[…]
Although the focus of this class is on the history of Protestants of various stripes, it’s also important to realize that Catholicism changed a good deal during the last five hundred years. In this lecture, you’ll get a brief sketch of the history of significant Catholic movements and doctrinal declarations during this period, including the Read more about 127 Catholicism (Five Hundred 11)[…]
Learn about the dissident groups in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Unitarians. In addition, Sean Kelly presents a vignette of John Biddle’s life and influence. This is lecture 10 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen. All the notes Read more about 126 Dissidents in Britain (Five Hundred 10)[…]
In this sprint through British church history, you’ll learn about King Henry VIII and his staggering Act of Supremacy when he pulled the Church of England out of Catholicism and appointed himself the head of the church. After Henry’s death, England swayed back and forth as Henry’s successors adopted Protestantism then Catholicism then Protestantism again. Read more about 125 The Reformation in Britain (Five Hundred 9)[…]
Zooming out, this episode casts a wide net to summarize how the movement started by Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin affected Europe over the next century. We’ll see how the Reformation took root in Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands while simultaneously failing to find fertile ground in France, especially among those in power. Lastly, we’ll consider Read more about 122 Reformations on the Continent (Five Hundred 7)[…]
In the 1500s scholars in northern Italy began questioning the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. Before long the Inquisition forced these burgeoning Italian biblical unitarians to flee, resulting in the spread of their ideas to other parts of Europe. The two most significant groups that emerged were the Polish Brethren and the Unitarian Church of Read more about 121 The Socinian Movement (Five Hundred 6)[…]
Although sometimes lumped in with enlightenment rationalism, the biblical unitarian movement came to prominence right from the start of the Reformation. Essentially, as soon as bible translations started getting into the hands of regular people, a great many Catholic doctrines came under scrutiny. In this episode you’ll learn about three major biblical unitarian trailblazers of Read more about 120 Biblical Unitarian Trailblazers of the 16th Century (Five Hundred 5)[…]
In this lecture you’ll learn about the Anabaptist movement and their distinctive beliefs. We’ll consider the life of Michael Sattler, an important leader of the Anabaptists, and see how he stood firm in his faith even when his life was at risk. Next, you’ll find out about Melchior Hoffman and how his followers took over Read more about 119 Sattler, Münster, and Simons (Five Hundred 4)[…]
Learn about the Swiss Reformation, spearheaded by Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich as well as the formation of the sect of Anabaptists known as the Swiss Brethren, including Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, and George Blaurock. Key events covered in this episode include: 1519 Ulrich Zwingli begins Reformation in Zurich 1529 Zwingli and Luther part ways over Read more about 118 Zwingli and the Swiss Anabaptists (Five Hundred 3)[…]
In this episode, you’ll get a brief introduction to the contributions of Martin Luther and John Calvin to the initiation and spread of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, including these events: 1505 Martin Luther becomes a monk 1517 Martin Luther nails 95 Theses on Wittenberg church door 1524-5 Peasants War 1536 John Calvin Read more about 117 Luther and Calvin (Five Hundred 2)[…]
500 years ago, there was only one Christian denomination throughout most of the world. 500 years ago, the church and the government killed those who resisted tradition. 500 years ago, no one could read the bible in their own language. How did we get from there to here? Discover the wild and exciting story of Read more about 116 Introduction (Five Hundred 1)[…]
Find out what the most commonly misunderstood texts about the kingdom are as well as how to interpret them within their own contexts. In this final session of the kingdom of God class, we’ll look at these important verses: Matthew 16.28 “Some…will not taste death until they see…the kingdom” Luke 17.21 “The kingdom of God Read more about 106 Misunderstood Texts (Kingdom of God 15)[…]
We’ve looked at how and why Christianity lost the kingdom message; in this episode you’ll learn how we got it back. Over the last five hundred years, three different movements have made significant strides in recovering the kingdom: the Anabaptists (16th century), the Adventists (19th century), and liberal scholars (20th century). In this lecture you’ll Read more about 105 Recovering the Kingdom (Kingdom of God 14)[…]
This is part three of a series of three lectures on why some Christians ended up rejecting the kingdom message in the first few centuries of Christianity. In this part, I work through the major differences between how Jews and Greeks read scripture. What we find is that the Christians who didn’t like the kingdom Read more about 104 The Kingdom Is Too Jewish (Kingdom of God 13)[…]
Last time we saw that some influential Christians rejected the biblical teaching on the kingdom because the idea of living on earth forever seemed crude to them. This time, we look at how the ancients thought about bodies and bodily pleasures. As it turns out, from (at least) Plato onward, many philosophers tended to embrace Read more about 103 The Kingdom Is Too Hedonic (Kingdom of God 12)[…]
Now that you’ve seen the historical defenders of the kingdom faith, it’s time to turn our attention to those who fought against it. Over the next three lectures you’ll learn the main reasons why Christianity rejected the kingdom message of the bible and replaced it with going to heaven or hell at death. First up, Read more about 102 The Kingdom Is Too Crude (Kingdom of God 11)[…]
Who has believed in the kingdom over the history of Christianity? In this lecture, you’ll find out who defended the kingdom belief in the first four centuries, before it faded out of the mainstream and got replaced with going to heaven instead. In order to put you in contact with the primary sources, we read Read more about 101 Historical Kingdom Advocates (Kingdom of God 10)[…]
Like all kingdoms, God’s kingdom is political in nature. As a result, the kingdom requires allegiance from its citizens. By examining Jewish messianism and Roman political sensibilities, you’ll come to better see how early Christians prioritized their allegiance to the age to come over their local and national allegiances. This is lecture 9 of the Read more about 100: Kingdom Allegiance (Kingdom of God 9)[…]
How does your belief in the God’s coming kingdom affect your life now? Now that we’ve looked at the kingdom as hope (what we look forward to) and gospel (what we preach to others), we’ll examine how God calls us to embody the kingdom now. Taking our cue from Jesus’ kingdom-saturated ministry, we’ll see how Read more about 99: The Kingdom Way (Kingdom of God 8)[…]
What is the gospel of the kingdom of God? It’s not about Jesus dying for your sins or going to heaven when you die. In fact, Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom is not new at all; it’s the message the prophets of old proclaimed–that one day God was going to make everything wrong with the Read more about 98: The Gospel of the Kingdom (Kingdom of God 7)[…]
What happens when you die? Is there an intermediate state? What does the bible teach about the dead before resurrection? These questions are important for our study of the kingdom of God. If you go straight to heaven when you die, you’re not going to care very much about what happens when Jesus returns. You Read more about 97: The Sleep of the Dead (Kingdom of God 6)[…]
Now that we’ve looked at many of the kingdom texts from the Old Testament, today we’ll get into the New Testament and see what Jesus and the apostles taught about the kingdom. We’ll examine the titles of Jesus, a couple of his parables, some texts from Paul and James, and conclude in Revelation. In this Read more about 89: Kingdom in the New Testament (Kingdom of God 5)[…]
Last time we looked at the kingdom prophecies in Isaiah. Today we’ll examine Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Daniel to continue developing a biblical picture of the age to come. This is lecture 4 of the Kingdom of God class, originally taught at the Atlanta Bible College. To take this class for credit, please Read more about 87: Kingdom in the Prophets (Kingdom of God 4)[…]
The prophet Isaiah spoke more about the kingdom than any other prophet in the Hebrew bible. Consequently, his book is a phenomenal place to begin developing our understanding of what the kingdom will be like. Stitching together his various snapshots, we encounter a magnificent collage detailing a new world full of peace, justice, and healing. Read more about 86: Kingdom in Isaiah (Kingdom of God 3)[…]
It’s impossible to understand the kingdom of God or Jesus without having a grasp of the history-changing promises God made with Abraham and David. To Abraham God covenanted the land and to David, a descendant to rule. Ultimately these two covenants find their fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth–the Messiah. This is lecture 2 of the Read more about 85: Kingdom Covenants (Kingdom of God 2)[…]
Today we begin a new class on Restitutio on the Kingdom of God. Jesus said the kingdom was like a treasure hidden in a field—it’s so valuable it’s worth selling everything to purchase. He said to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness above what we eat or wear. In this class we’ll spend Read more about 84: Kingdom Restoration (Kingdom of God 1)[…]
Apologetics 15: Gender and Sexual Ethics (Objection 3) This lecture covers some basic Christian sexual ethics, including marriage, divorce, pornography, homosexuality, cohabitation, and adultery. Sadly, since this was the last lecture, time did not permit a thorough analysis of these subjects. Even so, I touched on each briefly and biblically in an effort to stake Read more about Podcast 65: Christian Views of Sexuality (Apologetics 15)[…]
Apologetics 14: Science (Objection 2) Although our culture commonly pits science and faith against each other, as if they’ve been at war for centuries, the truth is that faith gave birth to science. In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of the main science objections that skeptics bring against Christianity and how to respond to Read more about Podcast 64: Science vs. the Bible (Apologetics 14)[…]
Apologetics 13: Problem of Evil (Objection 1) Now that we’ve established the existence of God, the historicity of Christ’s resurrection, and the bible’s veracity, we come to objections commonly brought against Christianity. The chief classical question posed to Christians throughout the eons is, “How can you believe in God when there is so much pain Read more about Podcast 63: Why Does God Allow Suffering? (Apologetics 13)[…]
Apologetics 12: New Testament Trustworthiness For the New Testament we can employ several of the same lines of reasoning as the Old Testament, though there are a couple more to consider like internal evidence and messianic prophecies that help bolster the case. Furthermore, many people’s lives have been changed by reading and believing the words Read more about Podcast 62: Is the New Testament Trustworthy? (Apologetics 12)[…]
Apologetics 11: New Testament Transmission With the New Testament we can’t argue for a reliable transmission on the basis of meticulous Hebrew scribes. More often, especially early on, the Christian scribes focused more on quantity than quality so they could get the word out as quickly as possible. However, the sheer number of manuscripts that Read more about Podcast 61: Is the New Testament Reliable? (Apologetics 11)[…]
Apologetics 10: Old Testament Trustworthiness Last time we looked as reasons to believe the Jewish scribes reliably transmitted the Old Testament so that what we have today is what they actually wrote. This time you’ll learn five main reasons why we believe the Hebrew bible is true: (1) archaeology, (2) medical insights, (3) unflattering honesty, Read more about Podcast 59: Is the Old Testament Trustworthy? (Apologetics 10)[…]
Apologetics 9: Old Testament Transmission What reasons do we have for believing the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) was reliable transmitted from antiquity to today? This lecture provides four arguments: (1) Jewish scribes were competent, (2) people memorized large portions of the text, (3) the consequences for false prophecy, and (4) the Dead Sea Scrolls function Read more about Podcast 58: Is the Old Testament Reliable? (Apologetics 9)[…]
Apologetics 8: More Evidence for the Resurrection Because secular historians don’t accept the inspiration of the bible, they don’t trust the Gospels as reliable witnesses about Jesus. Consequently, they’ve come up with various “criteria of authenticity” to sift the sayings and deeds recorded in the Gospels into historical and mythical categories. Last time we saw Read more about Podcast 57: More Evidence for the Resurrection (Apologetics 8)[…]
Apologetics 7: Evidence for the Resurrection During this lecture, I played a video of William Lane Craig making a case for the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. What’s so brilliant about Craig’s approach is that he doesn’t assume the bible is true to make his case. He treats the Gospels and Paul’s letters Read more about Podcast 56: Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus (Apologetics 7)[…]
Apologetics 6: Historical Jesus Have you ever heard of the Jesus mythicists? They teach that Jesus never existed, that he’s a myth. How would you go about debunking this claim? Are you aware of what historical sources mention Jesus and early Christianity? In this lecture you’ll learn what’s out there from biblical authors, historians, and Read more about Podcast 55: Did Jesus Exist? (Apologetics 6)[…]
Apologetics 5: Arguments for God (Part Two) In this lecture, you’ll learn four more reasons for God’s existence, including the cosmological argument, moral argument, miracles argument, and the ontological argument. These are each quite different from each other, which is great because it increases their cumulative effect. Last of all, you’ll learn about “Pascal’s Wager,” Read more about Podcast 54: Four More Reasons Why God Exists (Apologetics 5)[…]
Apologetics 4: Teleological Arguments for God’s Existence If someone asked you, “Why do you believe in God?” How would you answer? Sadly, most of us would flounder around, maybe talking about the bible or second-hand miracles. However, philosophers have long identified three classic approaches to reasoning about God’s existence: the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments. Read more about Podcast 53: Does God Exist? (Apologetics 4)[…]
Apologetics 3: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism In Building Belief, Chad Meister uses a worldview comparison chart to simplify all the religions of the world into three broad categories: theism, atheism, and pantheism. This strategy will help you to compare and contrast five major aspects of these three worldviews, including theology, ontology, epistemology, axiology, and anthropology. Read more about Podcast 52: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism (Apologetics 3)[…]
Apologetics 2: What Is Truth? In order to establish any of the claims of Christianity, we must first make a case for truth itself. How can you hope to provide reasons for God’s existence or Christ’s resurrection if the person your talking to claims, “That’s just your truth, and I’m glad it works for you, Read more about Podcast 51: Pluralism, Post-Modernism, Relativism, and Truth (Apologetics 2)[…]
Apologetics 1: Introduction Have you ever heard of apologetics? This is the field where Christians seek to provide the reasons for why they believe what they believe. In a post-Christian society, it is increasingly important to understand the reasons for your faith. For example, why do you believe in God’s existence? Why do you think Read more about Podcast 50: Why Defend Your Faith? (Apologetics 1)[…]
Historical Jesus 16: Resurrection Traumatized by their rabbi’s crucifixion, Jesus’ disciples endured maddening grief and cognitive dissonance as they tried to come to grips with what had happened. Into the midst of despair and helplessness, Jesus appeared. Although the first “Christians” were also the worst believers in his resurrection, eventually they came to see him, Read more about Podcast 40: Resurrection (Historical Jesus 16)[…]
Historical Jesus 15: Crucifixion One of the most significant events in all of human history, Jesus’ crucifixion was at once a supreme miscarriage of justice while, at the same time, the supreme illustration of God’s love to humanity. We’ll join Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane, agonizing in prayer before his God, to his arrest, Read more about Podcast 39: Crucifixion (Historical Jesus 15)[…]
Historical Jesus 14: Last Supper Why did Judas betray Jesus? What did Jesus teach his closest friends and followers at the last supper? Learn about the first “Lord’s Supper” or communion as well as what was on Jesus’ mind in his last hours before his arrest. He taught them how to carry on after he Read more about Podcast 38: Last Supper (Historical Jesus 14)[…]
Historical Jesus 13: Olivet Discourse Did Jesus predict the destruction of the Temple in a.d. 70? Did he predict the end of the world? Learn about Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and discover what he said about false Christs, persecution, the abomination of desolation, and the coming of the son of man. Course notes are available here.
Historical Jesus 12: Intensified Conflict Once Jesus came into Jerusalem, his enemies threw “stumper questions” at him in an effort to discredit him before the populace. Jesus ably diffused these theological bombs and lobbed his own in return. He told parables about the religious leaders that infuriated them while delighting the crowds. Coupled with his Read more about Podcast 36: Intensified Conflict (Historical Jesus 12)[…]
Historical Jesus 11: Entering Jerusalem When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was not quietly, but triumphantly, riding a donkey while the crowds shout, “Hosanna!” This moment brings to and end his “messianic secret” and publicly declares to everyone that he was claiming to be the Jewish Messiah. His action in the temple further underlined this claim. Read more about Podcast 35: Entering Jerusalem (Historical Jesus 11)[…]
Historical Jesus 10: Conflict From his birth to his untimely death, conflict dominated Jesus’ life. During his ministry the Pharisees disagreed with Jesus about the Sabbath, purity, divorce, and his style of ministry. Jesus called them out on pride, greed, and hypocrisy. Looking at how Jesus handled conflict serves as an example to those of Read more about Podcast 34: Conflict (Historical Jesus 10)[…]
Historical Jesus 9: Jewish Groups In order to understand Jesus, it helps to know what kinds of Jewish groups were around in his time. In particular, four massively influential Jewish groups vied for influence among the people of Christ’s time: the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. Learn how Jesus compares and contrasts to these sects. Read more about Podcast 33: Jewish Groups (Historical Jesus 9)[…]
Historical Jesus 8: Paradoxical Submission Jesus enjoyed an intimate relationship with his Father. He often spent time with him in prayer, sometimes all night long. Throughout his ministry Jesus frequently spoke about how his words and deeds were not his own, but the Father’s who sent him. Paradoxically, by utterly submitting himself to God, he Read more about Podcast 32: Paradoxical Submission (Historical Jesus 8)[…]
Historical Jesus 7: Disciples of Jesus What does Jesus expect of his followers? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? What is the cost of discipleship? Join me as I work through what Jesus said about his expectations and requirements of his disciples as well as the rewards he promises. This is Read more about Podcast 31: Disciples of Jesus (Historical Jesus 7)[…]
Historical Jesus 6: Rabbi Jesus Jesus was a Jewish rabbi who gathered disciples and taught them how to interpret the Torah–the sacred Scriptures of Moses. Learn how Jesus’ compared to other famous Jewish rabbis like Hillel and Shamai. In this episode, we’ll look at Jesus’ emphases and style in his teaching ministry. Anyone seeking to Read more about Podcast 30: Rabbi Jesus (Historical Jesus 6)[…]
Historical Jesus 5: Kingdom Saturated Ministry How should you understand Jesus’ miracles, healing ministry, and exorcisms? Surely, these are acts of compassion, but they are so much more. In this lecture, learn how Jesus’ deeds and words coalesce around his primary ministry focus–the kingdom of God. By examining three ancient Hebrew prophecies, you’ll see how Read more about Podcast 29: Kingdom Saturated Ministry (Historical Jesus 5)[…]
Historical Jesus 4: Baptism and Temptations Before he began his ministry, Jesus first had to receive John’s baptism and then overcome Satan’s temptations. After briefly explaining his baptism, we’ll go into detail exploring why Satan’s temptations were so tempting as well as what we can learn from Jesus’ example. How does Jesus defeat Satan where Read more about Podcast 28: Baptism and Temptations (Historical Jesus 4)[…]
Historical Jesus 3: Rulers in Christ’s World Life was very different in the world of Jesus, especially politics. In this lecture you will learn about the three main leaders that shaped Jesus’ time: Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, and Pontius Pilate. Drawing on the Jewish historian, Josephus, you will discover the cut-throat way that Roman Read more about Podcast 27: Rulers in Christ’s World (Historical Jesus 3)[…]
Historical Jesus 2: Birth of the Messiah Drawing on the promises God gave Abraham and David, and the historical events prior to Jesus’ life, we can get an idea of what messianic expectations were like when Jesus of Nazareth was born. In this lecture, learn how the birth of the messiah both fulfilled prophecy as Read more about Podcast 26: Birth of the Messiah (Historical Jesus 2)[…]
The Historical Jesus: What the Bible Says about the Life of Christ In this 16 lecture class I seek to answer the question: “Who is Jesus?” Join me as we journey through Gospels to see what the bible says about Jesus’ life. It is my hope that this class will inspire you to love Jesus, Read more about Podcast 25: Sources for Jesus’ Life (Historical Jesus 1)[…]