Let’s face it the New Testament probably calls Jesus God (or god) a couple of times and so do early Christian authors in the second century. However, no one offers much of an explanation for what they mean by the title. Did early Christians think Jesus was God because he represented Yahweh? Did they think Read more about 521 The Deity of Christ from a Greco-Roman Perspective (Sean Finnegan)[…]
Although he’s one of the lesser known Christian authors of the fourth century, Aphrahat is extremely important for our understanding of early Persian Christianity prior to the advent of Islam in the region. Amazingly a full-length book of his survives, called The Demonstrations. In today’s interview I ask about Aphrahat’s beliefs in general and his Read more about 514 Aphrahat and Early Persian Christianity (Sam Tideman)[…]
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 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?[…]
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[…]
Have you wondered about the Trinity? Here are five major problems about the Trinity that need answers. I presented this at a conference in 2011. It has received more than 200k views on YouTube. Scroll down to see my original notes in outline form. For more podcasts and videos challenging the Trinity see: The Trinity Read more about Five Major Problems with the Trinity[…]
Are you curious how Michael Brown thinks he did on the Trinity debate last weekend? In this post-debate interview I ask him about his strongest points as well as what he thought Dale Tuggy’s strongest points were. We talk about his reticence to use traditional trinitarian language in light of his own unique heritage and Read more about Interview 50 Michael Brown Post-Debate Review[…]
Last night Michael Brown (PhD NYU) and Dale Tuggy (PhD Brown U) debated the question, “Is the God of the Bible the Father Alone?” Tuggy affirmed while Brown denied. Both scholars recognize the inspiration and the authority of scripture over tradition. Both made an effort to found their beliefs using the bible, reason, and history. Read more about 158 Dale Tuggy vs. Michael Brown Debate: Is the God of the Bible the Father Alone?[…]
This is the fourth and final part of our Misunderstood Texts about Jesus series with Bill Schlegel. In this episode he offers remarks on Philippians 2.5-6, Colossians 2.9, and Revelation 1.17. After this, I ask him one of the biggest questions on this subject: if Jesus isn’t God then how can his sacrifice possibly pay Read more about Interview 46 Misunderstood Texts about Jesus 4 (Bill Schlegel)[…]
In parts one and two, we examined ten misunderstood verses in the Gospel of John. In part three, we’ll examine seven more texts from the rest of the bible: Genesis 1.26 Isaiah 9.6 Matthew 2.2 Matthew 28.9 Matthew 28.19 (cf. 2 Cor 13.14) Romans 9.5 Acts 20.28 Repeatedly, Bill Schlegel calls us back to understand Read more about Interview 45 Misunderstood Texts about Jesus 3 (Bill Schlegel)[…]
This is part two of my series with Bill Schlegel, former professor of the Israel Bible Extension and long time bible teacher and geography expert. Last time we discussed five major texts in the Gospel of John and this time we cover four or five more: John 10.30 John 10.33 John 13.18-19 John 20.28 1 Read more about Interview 44 Misunderstood Texts about Jesus 2 (Bill Schlegel)[…]
Today we are beginning a new series called “Misunderstood Texts about Jesus” with Bill Schlegel. Professor Schlegel lived and taught the bible and geography in Israel for more than three decades. Recently, he came to change his mind on the deity of Jesus, seeing him now as God’s man rather than a God-man. Since he Read more about Interview 43 Misunderstood Texts about Jesus 1 (Bill Schlegel)[…]
Here is a short 30 minute explanation of Bill Schlegel’s understanding of what the phrase “son of God” means in the bible. He explains that this term has nothing to do with deity, but instead refers to the descendant of David whom God anoints as king. Rather than impose on scripture the philosophically freighted ideas Read more about Bill Schlegel’s “Son of God in the Bible”[…]
Do you know what the Trinity is? Could you explain it to someone else or is it just a confusing collection of impenetrable statements hidden under a cloud of fog? In his recent book, Professor Dale Tuggy seeks to clarify everyone’s perceptions of the various Trinity theories so that we can have productive conversation on Read more about Interview 24: What Is the Trinity with Dale Tuggy[…]
In my previous interview with Professor Dale Tuggy, we discussed his journey of faith. In this conversation I ask him to discuss logical and biblical problems with the Trinity. This is a higher level conversation, but well worth the listen if you are at all curious about the Trinity or are interesting in hearing how Read more about Interview 7: An Analytic Philosopher Unleashes Logic on the Trinity (Dale Tuggy)[…]
In this interview with philosopher Dr. Dale Tuggy, I ask him questions about his personal spiritual journey. Dr. Tuggy is an analytic philosopher who works on world religions and the doctrine of the Trinity. He’s a tenured professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Furthermore, he runs a popular website Read more about Interview 6: Dale Tuggy’s Journey[…]
Today Hugh Knowlton joins Restitutio to talk about how to handle important doctrinal differences with other Christians. So often such intra-Christian discussions generate more heat than light. Does that mean we should all just ignore our differences, forcing smiles and hoping that no one peers beneath our thin veneer of unity? Or should we charge Read more about Interview 3: A Letter to a Trinitarian (Hugh Knowlton)[…]
by Sean Finnegan My Conundrum I entered the mammoth façade of my local Barnes and Noble and found my feet carrying me directly to the Christianity section. Once at my destination, I stood before the familiar shelves, half filled with what I call “real” books and the other half, “inspirational.” I cocked my head to Read more about Looking For the Historical Jesus between Evangelical and Liberal Scholarship[…]