Bible Backgrounds

On the final episode of this season of Bible Backgrounds, Dr. Craig Keener goes deep into the context of multiple New Testament passages that "quote" the Old Testament. Dr. Keener brings alive the OT allusions that appear in Matthew, Galatians and elsewhere, providing needed context and background to those works. 0:00 Intro0:22 Quoting the OT out of context3:30 Matthew's use of Isaiah 79:55 Jesus' quoting scripture in the wilderness11:37 Matthew connecting Israel and Jesus15:19 Galatians 4 and Paul18:19 “Don't muzzle an ox”20:15 Modern-day bandwidth for applying new meaning to old text26:45 Outro

Dr. Craig Keener answers listener questions in this episode. Dr. Keener offers lots of heartfelt responses to tricky theological passages as well as more personal inquiries. From the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira to the authorship of Hebrews, Dr. Keener leaves no proverbial stone unturned!0:00 Intro0:42 What are your devotion habits?3:43 Do the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira have to be read literally or figuratively?6:40 What is your view on atonement theology?10:31 Christus Victor Model13:30 Isaiah 9:6 | If the scripture is fulfilled in Jesus, why is he called “Eternal Father?” 17:40 Anti-Semitism amongst some theologians?23:32 Who wrote the book of Hebrews?25:11 Outro

Host Dr. Kurt Jaros begins today's discussion by asking for Dr. Craig Keener's take on the controversial Christian debate: Calvinism or Arminianism? In analyzing that question, Dr. Keener turns his gaze to the extremes (hyper-Calvinism and hyper-Arminianism) first, and then begins to look at the semantics of terms like "election" and "God's sovereignty". Specific Biblical passages, such as Romans 9, 11, and Ephesians 1 are all reviewed as Dr. Keener and Dr. Jaros grapple with the apostle Paul's context for writing about election and predestination (which takes Dr. Keener into brief discussions about dispensationalism and covenant theology).#Calvinism #Arminianism #Election0:00 Intro0:22 Introduction to Calvinism VS Arminianism6:03 Dr. Keener's View9:05 The Word “Election”11:45 Romans 11: All of Israel will be Saved14:42 Ephesians 1: Predestination22:06 Dr. Jaros's View23:18 Outro

Did the New Testament writers think that Jesus was coming back in their generation? If Paul believed that, is that what predominantly influenced his views on singleness and marriage? How should we understand Paul's writing on the topic in our modern context? After discussing marriage, the discussion between Dr. Kurt Jaros and Dr. Craig Keener turns to the difficult topic of divorce? What's Dr. Keener's perspective on this matter? Listen and find out!

Dr. Keener explains his rationale for when he believes the Gospels were written. That explanation has much to do with the destruction in 70 AD, and so the conversation naturally flows into a conversation about the significance of the destruction and the role it plays in our eschatology. When will Jesus return? Dr. Keener assures us the answer is "soon"... but soon can be a very subjective term! 0:00 Intro0:55 Dating of Mark & Matthew6:18 Dating of Luke10:03 The Temple's Destruction12:27 The Ending of Luke13:14 Mark 13:30 and the Second Coming14:51 Revelation: “I am coming soon”23:00 Outro

In this episode of Bible Backgrounds, Dr. Keener examines the Christological views of the four Gospel writers. He answers specific questions about the language used by John and Mark, and whether or not they put words in Jesus' mouth. Dr. Keener then investigates the Gospels in light of other ancient biographical writings. 0:00 Intro0:54 Criteria of Authenticity1:55 Limitations of Some of the Criteria4:47 Abuse of Dissimilarity 6:48 John: The Voice or the Words of Jesus?14:13 Mark's Christological View20:46 The Historical Reliability of Ancient Bibliography 23:08 The Spectrum of the Gospels' Historicity29:15 A Note on Dr. Keener's “Followers”30:23 Outro

There are a variety of methodologies and schools of thought for examining history, ancient manuscripts, and the person of Jesus. Dr. Keener outlines many of these views and also dives into development of ancient biography. 0:00 Intro0:33 Scholarly Conversation on Jesus of History VS the Christ of Faith1:58 Different Perspective on Looking at History10:03 Dispositions to New Manuscripts11:22 Different Gospels14:00 Form Criticism17:37 The Development of Biography21:03 Outro

Dr. Craig Keener shares with Dr. Kurt Jaros some of his memories from sharing the Gospel with others - including some of his most memorable ministry companions, times the Spirit led him to share with people in ways he didn't fully understand, and even occasions where he was beaten for sharing his faith. Tune in!

Dr. Craig Keener tells part of his story falling in love on campus with one of his sisters in Christ. It's a story involving a ton of miscommunication, misconceptions, and even misfortune with entire continents between them.

Dr. Craig Keener sits down with Dr. Kurt Jaros and discusses the concepts and professors he was interacting with in his early academic years at Duke University; including the nature of ancient biographies, existentialism, and apologetics. And does a specific friendship Dr. Keener had at school show signs of blossoming into romance? Find out!0:00 Intro0:51 Courses at Duke University3:00 E.P. Sanders4:10 Orville Wintermute5:36 Butting Heads with Dan Via 8:44 Existentialism and Miracles14:04 Humble Dialogue 15:10 Apologetics at Duke19:31 Proto-Romance at Duke22:59 Outro

Who is Craig Keener?How does a new convert to Christianity become one of the most prolific New Testament scholars today? Dr. Kurt Jaros sits down with Dr. Craig Keener to track his journey. Dr. Keener describes his desire early on to cram the Bible and catch up with his peers. It also led him to discover his need to know the background of the Bible and share that knowledge with others.How many index cards did it take for Dr. Keener to complete his doctorate?100,000.0:00 Intro1:01 Cramming Christianity4:55 The Road to College9:06 The Need for a Bible Background14:52 Studying the Background of Ancient Judaism16:22 Calling the Church back to the Scriptures17:25 Index for the Commentary19:15 ADHD20:20 Scripture: The way God gave it to us22:46 Outro

Who is Craig Keener?In this inaugural episode of Bible Backgrounds, host Dr. Kurt Jaros sits down with Dr. Craig Keener to hear his testimony. Dr. Keener began his spiritual journey as an avid atheist who found himself confounded by the writings of Plato? How did Plato and a street evangelist who believed that dinosaurs were a scheme of the devil lead to Dr. Keener's heart opening to God? Listen and find out for yourself! 0:00 Intro1:04 Upbringing3:48 Dr. Keener and Plato6:20 Dr. Keener considers the Possibility of God8:45 Dr. Keener has Christ Shared with Him14:18 Feeling God's Presence17:00 Beginning in Christ23:33 Outro