Expedition 44

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt are back! In this episode we discuss an article we wrote on expedition 44's website about what the Bible tells us about the fall of spiritual beings, specifically in the Genesis 1-3 narrative. read the article here: https://expedition44.com/2025/05/02/did-satan-and-the-other-spiritual-beings-fall/

In this episode we talk with Shane about his forthcoming book Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation.Bio: Shane J. Wood (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is professor of New Testament and Its Origins at Ozark Christian College. In addition to speaking at churches and conferences worldwide, Shane produces a variety of audio, video, and written resources available at shanejwood.com. He is the author of Between Two Trees: Our Transformation from Death to Life and The Alter-Imperial Paradigm: Empire Studies and the Book of Revelation. Shane and his wife, Sara, have four children and live in southwest Missouri.Buy the book: https://a.co/d/9VRA0ZCAbout the book:The Biblical book of Revelation―a text that, for many, remains shrouded in mystery and confusion. The cryptic symbols and visions of the end times often evoke anxiety among believers. Is it even possible to find hope and spiritual growth within its pages? Thinning the Veil is not just a book; it's a spiritual guide that combines Biblical scholarship with personal reflection, making the study of Revelation accessible and enriching. You'll discover that the heart of Revelation lies in its opening words―"the revelation of Jesus Christ." It's a powerful and personal unveiling, designed to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, bringing God's presence into our lives in a very real and transforming way.Authored by renowned Biblical scholar Shane J. Wood, Thinning the Veil provides a fresh perspective on Revelation, aiming to transform our understanding of this profound text. Wood invites readers to see Revelation not as a daunting puzzle but as a revelation of Jesus, meant to inspire divine intimacy and spiritual renewal.Each chapter of Thinning the Veil is crafted to deepen your engagement through:Interpretation Tools: Engage with exercises that explore different principles of Biblical interpretation, helping you unlock the deeper meanings within Revelation.Scriptural Insights: Delve into thorough textual studies that illuminate the complex passages, unveiling the profound messages they contain.Spiritual Takeaways: Reflect on spiritual practices and thought-provoking questions designed to invite the Word to transform your soul, just as it did for its original audience.Are you ready to dispel the mystery and uncover the hope that lies within the book of Revelation? Thinning the Veil is your guide to experiencing Revelation's hopeful and transformational message.

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt talk with Dr. John Walton about his new book which expands on The Lost World of Genesis and The Lost World of Adam and Eve. Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/dnA0ylPDescription:Updating and expanding upon his previous work on origins, this riveting volume from John H. Walton marks the eighth entry in his bestselling Lost World Series, which has sold more than 125,000 copies.For over a decade, John Walton's books The Lost World of Genesis One and The Lost World of Adam and Eve have shaped readers' understanding of the ancient Near Eastern world and its implications for modern scientific origins debates. But more than simply engaging the creation/evolution debate, these works explored questions related to interpretation of Genesis through ancient eyes, the theological purpose of a seven-day creation account, the historicity of Adam and Eve, and the history of interpretation of the creative narratives.In New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis, Walton provides comprehensive and timely updates on the latest developments and research, including:a summary of positions addressed in his previous books on originsnew insights, clarifications, and illustrations based on current scholarshipanswers to frequently asked questionsEngaging the latest scholarship as well as questions that his proponents and critics alike have raised, New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis provides a relevant update that will benefit students, professors, and pastors as they continue to explore questions of origins and their implications for the Christian life

Today we interview Dr. Nicole Massie Martin about her new book Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender. Reverend Doctor Nicole Massie Martin is the Founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries. She is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Christianity Today.Dr. Martin is the author of numerous articles including three books - Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender, Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry and Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional.Dr. Martin is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is married to her best friend, Dr. Mark Martin, and they have two amazing daughters.Nailing Outdated Leadership Practices to the CrossTraditional leadership teachings and styles haven't changed much in years. But the world is changing and so are Christian leaders―women need room for their natural gifts to shine and people of color needed space to elevate the values they bring into their roles. Even seasoned leaders are growing weary of the status quo, craving innovative ways to lean into new ways of thinking for the good of their organizations and the emerging generations they serve.In this transformative resource for leaders of all ages, Nicole Massie Martin inspires us to crucify our ministry idols and nail our outdated leadership practices to the cross. Sharing leadership principles and case studies wrapped in biblical precepts and pastoral wisdom, she leads us through seven areas of traditional leadership that need to be reframed:PowerEgoSpeedPerformancePerfectionLoyaltyScaleGet ready to take the leap of faith into new leadership realities, and discover how crucified living can lead you to nail it.Buy the book: https://a.co/d/f0p0SvG

In this episode we continue our conversations with Dr. John Walton on his book The Lost World of Torah. Description:Our handling of what we call biblical law veers between controversy and neglect.On the one hand, controversy arises when Old Testament laws seem either odd beyond comprehension (not eating lobster) or positively reprehensible (executing children). On the other, neglect results when we consider the law obsolete, no longer carrying any normative power (tassels on clothing, making sacrifices). Even readers who do attempt to make use of the Old Testament "law" often find it either irrelevant, hopelessly laden with "thou shalt nots," or simply so confusing that they throw up their hands in despair. Despite these extremes, people continue to propose moral principles from these laws as "the biblical view" and to garner proof texts to resolve issues that arise in society. The result is that both Christians and skeptics regularly abuse the Torah, and its true message often lies unheard.Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre of instruction for wisdomthat makes up a significant portion of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God's favor and presence within the context of the covenant. Here readers will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old Testament canon.The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.Buy the book: https://a.co/d/dzWtMFN

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. John Walton on his book The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate by John H. Walton and Tremper Longman III. Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/hnn7XJ4About the Book:In modern times the Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for answers to scientific, apologetic, and historical questions. It is a text that has called forth "flood geology," fueled searches for remnants of the ark on Mount Ararat, and inspired a full-size replica of Noah's ark in a theme park. Some claim that the very veracity of Scripture hinges on a particular reading of the flood narrative. But do we understand what we are reading?Longman and Walton urge us to ask what the biblical author might have been saying to his ancient audience. Our quest to rediscover the biblical flood requires that we set aside our own cultural and interpretive assumptions and visit the distant world of the ancient Near East. Responsible interpretation calls for the patient examination of the text within its ancient context of language, literature, and thought. And as we return from that lost world to our own, we will need to ask whether geological science supports the notion of flood geology.To read Longman and Walton is to put our feet on firmer interpretive ground. Without attempting to answer all of our questions, they lift the fog of modernity and allow the sunlight to reveal the true contours of the text. As with other books in the Lost World series, The Lost World of the Flood is an informative and enlightening journey toward a more responsible reading of a timeless biblical narrative.The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.

In this episode we interview Frank Viola about his new book The Untold Story of the New Testament Church (Revised and Expanded). Bio:Frank is a bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, and blogger. He helps serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. His blog – frankviola.org – is regularly ranked in the top 5 of all Christian blogs on the Web and his podcast – Christ is All – has ranked #1 in Canada and #2 in the USA on Apple Podcasts. He and his conversation partners also host The Insurgence Podcast.About the Book:Experience the New Testament Like Never BeforeOne famous scholar said that reading the New Testament letters is like hearing one end of a phone conversation. The Untold Story of the New Testament Church (Revised and Expanded) reconstructs the other end so you can understand virtually every word.Seamlessly weaving the narrative of Acts with the Epistles, you'll discover a coherent story enriched by intriguing details of first-century life. This unique and innovative presentation of the New Testament unlocks its epic story in a way that will leave you breathless and equipped to understand the Bible like never before.Though it's non-fiction, this masterpiece reads like a cinematic experience that will captivate your heart by putting you in the center of the drama. Drawing on the best of contemporary scholarship, Frank Viola includes background information about the people, cities, and places that are mentioned throughout the New Testament, all in an engaging narrative.As you dive into this riveting volume, you will:Gain an intimate glimpse into the lives of apostles Peter, James, John, Paul, and their colleagues.Uncover the events that inspired each New Testament letter, shedding new light on every line from Romans to Revelation.Meet the key figures who shaped the world, like Priscilla, Apollos, Lydia, Luke, John Mark, Phoebe, Aristarchus, and Epaphras.Witness the dynamic tumult of first-century churches, individuals, and events as they unfold vividly before you.Prepare to be ushered into the living, breathing atmosphere of the first century so you can uncover the hidden riches contained in God's Word.Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/cgKpHh6Book Website: www.theuntoldstory.net

In this episode we continue our conversation on the lost world book series by John Walton.Today we talk about the book The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest with Dr. John Walton and Dr. Johnathan Harvey Walton.Order here: https://a.co/d/3U1RIKw

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt kick off a series of interviews with Dr. John Walton on his Lost World book series. Today we talk about The Lost World of Scripture. Buy the book: https://a.co/d/2Kpd397 From John H. Walton, and D. Brent Sandy comes a detailed look at the origins of scriptural authority in ancient oral cultures and how they inform our understanding of the Old and New Testaments today. Stemming from questions about scriptural inerrancy, inspiration and oral transmission of ideas, The Lost World of Scripture examines the process by which the Bible has come to be what it is today. From the reasons why specific words were used to convey certain ideas to how oral tradition impacted the transmission of biblical texts, the authors seek to uncover how these issues might affect our current doctrine on the authority of Scripture. "In this book we are exploring ways God chose to reveal his word in light of discoveries about ancient literary culture," write Walton and Sandy. "Our specific objective is to understand better how both the Old and New Testaments were spoken, written and passed on, especially with an eye to possible implications for the Bible?s inspiration and authority." The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a series of logic-based propositions.

https://expedition44.com/2024/12/30/the-new-year-jewish-roots/

In this episode Dr. Ryan and Dr. Matt talk with Caleb Campbell about Christian Nationalism and his book Disarming Leviathan: Loving your Christian Nationalist Neighbor. Bio: Caleb Campbell has been a pastor at Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2006 and lead pastor since 2015. He is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary and serves as the regional director for the Surge Network.  About the Book: Pastor Caleb Campbell has watched as Christian nationalism has taken over large swaths of the United States. And he's suffered the relational fallout of standing against it, both in his community and his church. While it's possible to be both a Christian and hold Christian nationalist ideas, Christian nationalism itself is an un-Christian worldview, rooted in ideas about power, race, and property that are irreconcilable with Christian faith. Campbell has come to see himself as a missionary to Christian nationalists, reaching out to them with the love and freedom of Jesus Christ. In Disarming Leviathan, Campbell equips Christians to minister to their Christian nationalist neighbors. He introduces the basics of Christian nationalism and explores the reasons so many people are attracted to it. He also addresses a variety of American Christian nationalist talking points and offers questions and responses that humbly subvert these claims and cultivate deeper, heart-level conversations. Christian nationalism is an established feature of the American landscape. Disarming Leviathan can help prepare us to confront it with compassion and hospitality, and with the truth of the good news of Jesus. Buy the book: https://a.co/d/ji4sASh --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Will Hess of the Church Split on his new book: Crushing the Great Serpent: Did God Kill Jesus?, Which looks at atonement and puts modern views of Atonement, such as Penal Substitutionary Atonement to the test of Scripture. Dr. Ryan and Matt got to partner with Will on this project. Will Ryan made the cover art and Matt wrote the foreword. We are excited to support Will in this endeavor and important message for the church and the world. Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/996m4XL --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt have a conversation with Peter Enns about inerrancy, Biblical studies, apologetics, faith, and certainty. Bio Dr. Enns is a biblical scholar who teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. Peter Enns (Ph.D., Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. Dr. Enns co-hosts the podcast the Bible For Normal People… the only God ordained podcast on the internet.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt have a conversation with Dr. Lucy Peppiatt about 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 and the issues surrounding head coverings. Bio: Dr. Peppiatt has been Principal at Westminster Theological Centre (WTC) since 2013. She teaches courses in Christian doctrine and in spiritual formation. Lucy holds bachelor's degrees in both English and Theology, and completed an MA in Systematic Theology at King's College, London, and a PhD through the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Her research interests are Christ and the Spirit, Charismatic theology, theological anthropology, discipleship, 1 Corinthians, and women in the Bible. Lucy is part of Crossnet Anglican Church in Bristol, which is led by her husband, Nick Crawley. Together, they have four sons and four daughters-in-law.  Buy the book: https://a.co/d/bKf4i5W Westminster Theological Centre: https://wtctheology.org.uk --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. Nilay Saiya about his book “The Global Politics of Jesus”. Bio: Nilay Saiya is an associate professor or public policy and global affairs at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a Yang visiting scholar in world Christianity at Harvard Divinity School. He is author of two books on religion and politics. He earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame. Buy the Book: https://a.co/d/bhcdQ2l --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Paul Lazzaroni discuss a recent article on Expedition 44.com Read the Article on this video here: https://expedition44.com/2024/09/21/3... Richard Rohr calls “liminal space”—a particular spiritual position where human beings hate to be, but where the biblical God is always leading them. Many of the greatest stories are messages of stepping positively out of liminal space. Abraham, Joseph, David, Jonah, Ruth, Mary and so many others. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt have a conversation with Dr. Preston Sprinkle about his new book Exiles and how the church should relate to the governments and empires/kingdoms of the world as the people of God. Dr. Preston Sprinkle is a biblical scholar, speaker, podcaster, a New York Times bestselling author, and is the co-founder and president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. He earned a Ph.D. in New Testament from Aberdeen University in Scotland (2007). Preston loves talking and writing about hot-button cultural and theological issues with thoughtfulness, honesty and grace. He has written a dozen books including Erasing Hell (w/ Francis Chan), Nonviolence, Scandalous Grace, People to Be Loved, Living in a Gray World, and Embodied. Preston also hosts a popular bi-weekly podcast titled Theology in the Raw, where he engages in honest conversations with interesting people.  Buy Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire: https://a.co/d/09O2TqNX --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt have a conversation with Dr. J. Richard Middle about his book Abraham's silence: The Binding of Isaac, The Suffering of Job, and How to talk back to God. BIO J. Richard Middleton is Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary and Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY. He has been President of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011–2014) and President of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019–2021). Middleton has a Ph.D. from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, in a joint-degree program with the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Part 2 of 2 Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt continue the interview with Dr. Philip Payne. In this episode we discuss women in ministry in 1 Timothy and Titus, mutual submission in marriage, gender equality in the church, and how this theology affects our mission. Dr. Philip Payne is the founder and president of ⁠Linguist's Software⁠, and is a specialist in New Testament Studies. He is well known for his studies on New Testament Textual Criticism, the Parables of Jesus, and Man and Woman in the Teachings of Paul. He and his wife Nancy were missionaries in Japan with the Evangelical Free Church, where they ministered to students in the Kyoto Christian Studies Center and taught New Testament. He received his PhD in New Testament from Cambridge and has held many NT teaching positions at prominent Universities and Seminaries such as Cambridge, Gordon-Conwell, and Fuller. Order the book: ⁠the Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood: How God's Word Consistently Affirms Gender Equality.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Brian Zahnd and have a conversation about his newest book “The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross”. Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. Buy The Wood Between the Worlds: https://www.amazon.com/dp/151400562X?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_5DDPJN2CMCSJ00FY7X0M --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Part 1 of 2 Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. Philip Payne. In this episode we discuss the concept of gender roles, the meaning of "head" and "headship", and the text critical issues with 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and how it relates to inerrancy and gender equality. Dr. Philip Payne is the founder and president of Linguist's Software, and is a specialist in New Testament Studies. He is well known for his studies on New Testament Textual Criticism, the Parables of Jesus, and Man and Woman in the Teachings of Paul. He and his wife Nancy were missionaries in Japan with the Evangelical Free Church, where they ministered to students in the Kyoto Christian Studies Center and taught New Testament. He received his PhD in New Testament from Cambridge and has held many NT teaching positions at prominent Universities and Seminaries such as Cambridge, Gordon-Conwell, and Fuller. Order the book: the Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood: How God's Word Consistently Affirms Gender Equality.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt look at the NT author's usage of Isaiah 53. It is quoted 9 times in the NT directly. We'll also look at Acts where we'll see how the disciples use the same depiction we encountered in the last episode to describe the Servant and the people's actions against Him. Last, we'll look at “bearing sin” in the NT and show show it also lines up with how it is described in Isaiah 53 where the servant bears the abuse of the people (not God) for their healing.   Isaiah 53:1 John 12:37-38 Romans 10:15-16 Isaiah 53:4 Matthew 8:16-17 Isaiah 5:7-8 Acts 8:32-33 Isaiah 53:9; 4 1 Peter 2:22-24 Isaiah 53:12 Mark 15:28-28 Luke 22:36-38 8/9 uses of Isaiah 53 in the NT are quoted from the LXX. Remember from the last episode this is the version with 1 voice that shows how God is not acting against the servant but the people are.  Acts and the Suffering Servant Acts 2:23-28  Acts 2:29-36 Acts 3:13-18 Acts 4:10-11 Acts 5:27-28 Acts 7:51-52 Acts 10:39-41 Acts 13:26-41 The Release from Exile and “Bearing Sin” Galatians 3:8-14  2 Corinthians 5:22 Conclusions As in the interpretation of the OT context of Isaiah 53, we don't see God acting in wrath against the servant but rather healing and redeeming him. It was the people who acted in violence against the servant. But God used this for our redemption.  Jesus did bear sin… He bore the sinful and violent actions of the people.  Some of the major things we can take away is that God can redeem evil for his good. The evil actions of the people were redeemed in the healing of the servant. And the crowd later realized those actions were not of God, even though they thought they were doing the Lord's bidding in their scapegoating.  PSA is also non-existent in the interpretations of Isaiah 53 in the OT when we compare the voices of the LXX and the MT. Also the NT writers consistently use the LXX when referring to Isaiah 53 and never apply Jesus' death to anything regarding wrath satisfaction or appeasement.  __________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt dive into Isaiah 53 looking at the textual and message differences in the Septuagint (LXX) and the Masorectic Text (MTT). When read as pros (singular voice) these 2 texts disagree with each other and depict 2 different pictures of God. So, in this episode we examine the message of each (and imported doctrines) and see if they agree. The main points of this conversation are: Inerrancy, the character of God, and how this affects atonement theories. THE LXX TEXT 13 Look! My child will understand and be raised up and be magnified exceedingly. 14 ⌊Just as⌋ many will be impressed by you, so your appearance will be despised by people and your glory by the people, 15 Thus many nations will be impressed at him, and kings will shut their mouth, because those to whom it has not been declared concerning him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. 53 O Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 We proclaimed as a child before him, as a root in a thirsty land. He has no appearance or glory. And we saw him, and he had no appearance or beauty. 3 Instead, his appearance was dishonored and forsaken among the sons of men, a man who experiences misfortune and who knows how to bear sickness, for his face has been rejected; he was dishonored and was not esteemed. 4 This one carries our sins and suffers pain from us, and we regarded him as one who is in difficulty, misfortune, and affliction. 5 But he was wounded from our sins, and he became sick from our lawless acts. The discipline of our peace was upon him; by his bruise we were healed. 6 We all have been misled like sheep; each person was misled in his own path, and the Lord handed him over for our sins. 7 And because he was afflicted, he does not open his mouth; like a sheep is led to slaughter, and like a lamb is voiceless before the one who shears it, so he does not open his mouth. 8 His judgment was taken away in humiliation; who will describe his family? For his life was taken from the earth; he was led to death because of the lawless acts of my people. 9 And I will give the wicked in place of his tomb, and the wealthy in place of death, because he committed no lawlessness, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 The Lord is willing to cleanse/heal him of the injury. If you make a sin offering, our soul will see long-lived offspring, and the Lord is willing to remove him from the difficulty of his soul, 11 to show him the light, and to form him with understanding, to justify the righteous who serves many well; and he himself will carry their sins. 12 Because of this he will cause many to inherit, and he will apportion the spoils of the mighty, because his soul was given over to death, and he was reckoned among the lawless, and he himself bore the sins of many, and he was handed over due to their wickedness. __________________________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this episode Dr. Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. John Walton on his new book The Lost World of the Prophets. Dr. John Walton is an emeritus professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Illinois and an editor and writer of Old Testament comparative studies and commentaries. Throughout his research, Walton has focused his attention on comparing the culture and literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East. He has published dozens of books, articles and translations, both as writer and editor, including his Lost World book series (6 books). Today we are going to be talking about his latest book The Lost World of the Prophets.  Buy the book: https://a.co/d/faPu90D __________ Check out www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more! If you have any questions or comments please email us at ryan@expedition44.com or matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Steve Gregg on his updated edition of the book Why Hell?: 3 Christian Views Critically Examined. Steve Gregg is a teacher, author, and international lecturer on the Bible, theology, and discipleship. He is the author of “Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary”(1997, 2013) and “All You Want to Know About Hell: Three Christian Views” (2013) and most recently his series on the kingdom of God “The Empire of the Risen Son. His talk show, “The Narrow Path,” broadcasts on stations across the USA and  you can find his teachings on the website and mobile app: thenarrowpath.com.  Buy the book: https://a.co/d/gaU0G26 ____________ Check out www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have any comments or questions please email ryan@expedition44.com and/or matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

In this series, we have looked at the doctrine of Original Sin. We believe there was an original sin but disagree with the doctrine of Original Sin. We observed that Augustine introduced this doctrine into the church over 400 years after Jesus and none of the earliest church writers (or the Bible) affirm this doctrine. It's actually more closely linked to Pagan and Gnostic ideas than Biblical Ideas. Recap: What is Original Sin? The doctrine of Original Sin teaches that because of Adam and Eve's sin we are all born guilty before God and that we inherit their guilt from birth (Original Guilt). Augustine defined this through concupiscence which he believed that original sin was passed on sexually. Total Depravity Not only are we born with Original Sin, the guilt of Adam's offense, but this also totally depraved and unable to respond to God according to this Doctrine. Total Depravity states that all mankind is born spiritually dead, possessing both Adam's guilt and his sin nature and that man's intellect, will, body, and spirit are so corrupt they cannot seek God or cry out for his help unless they are first saved and regenerated, given the gift of faith with a new heart and new mind. Infant Depravity According to John Calvin we are born “doomed from the womb”, and Voddie Baucham says all babies are “vipers in diapers”, born in the guilt of Adam and totally depraved. So in this view Jesus comes to save us from Original Sin (God's wrath)… Or just save “the elect” (if you are consistent). We have shown in this series how all of this is a distortion of what the Bible says and we're going to get into some of the theological implications of this view today in our conclusion, showing how those who hold to original Sin are building on the wrong foundation and bad readings of scripture. Theological Implications Distortion God's Character Distortion of the view and nature of Humanity Penal Substitutionary Atonement The cross is not about satisfying wrath. It is actually about the liberation from the hostile Powers of Sin, Death, and the Devil and therefore the cross is a rescue. In this, there is still room for the wrath that is being stored up for the ungodly on the "Day of Wrath". Eternal Conscious Torment the notion of retributive punishment flows from original sin and what we have show earlier about Anselm's medieval feudal views and Calvin's retributive views of God. The Better Way There's a better way to look at all of this. · In the garden Humans were made in God's image to rule with him and keep creation · The humans sinned wanting to define good and evil on their own terms · God separated them from the tree of life so that they might not live forever in their sinful state · Adam did not transfer his guilt to all of humanity but transferred mortality to all (this is what Romans 5:12 says!) · We are not born guilty but born mortal and into an environment of death and sin and because of this we become sinners when we sin. · We are born with desires and they are neutral (yetzer). We can choose the good or the evil (tov/ra)- Choose life! · The world was held captive by the Powers (D32) , Sin, and Death and Jesus came to release us from that futility of slavery and death. He didn't need to pay off the Father but rather was on a rescue mission. · We now are to walk by the Spirit and conform ourselves to the image of the Son and the Divine nature by walking in His Tov way of Life to return to our original purpose in Eden. _________________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Romans 5 is the central Original Sin prooftext so today we're going to dig in and look at what it says. As we mentioned in our first episode Augustine used Romans 5:12 as the cornerstone text for his doctrine of concupiscence, original sin, and infant depravity. First we need to set the context of Romans before we exegete the text.  Context of Romans Romans is a pastoral (Shepherding) letter that does contain theology. The theology in the letter is to service Paul's purpose in the Roman church (Lived theology and a lived gospel).  Summary and connections to Original Sin in Romans 1-4 As we have seen the narrative is that Jesus is the truly faithful Human and Jew. Because of his faithfulness and our faith in him we are reconciled to God and to our vocation as Imagers. (All have sinned and missed that Mark).  ·      There are a lot of connections and allusions to Adam and the image of God but it never says anything about transferred guilt but Romans 1 actually shows how God's wrath (“handing over”) leads to death just like in Eden.  ·      Romans 2 says that pagan gentiles can do the things of the Law instinctively though they do not have it. This goes against total depravity.  ·      All HAVE sinned (become sinners) they are not born sinners. But a better way to take this is that both Jews and Gentiles have gone off course from God's original plan in the garden.  ·      All of these arguments are to show how Jews and Gentiles are on an equal plain and need to come to unity in Jesus to truly live out the kingdom in their church.    Romans 5:12-21 All of Romans 5:12-21 is a contrast of 2 ways- Adam or Jesus… the way of life or the way of death: o   We saw that the thing Adam brought was death through his sin o   We do not inherit Adam's sin but we are born into mortality o   We become sinners when we sin and Adam introduced these systems of sin into the world by our expulsion from Eden o   Sin and Death are seen as Powers that enslave us. We all need saving from death and from sin o   Jesus defeats these Powers as the 2nd Adam and brings life.  o   The entire narrative of Romans up to Romans 5 is about “glory”- the image of God. The purpose of this life is for the purpose of being conformed to his image (Romans 8) o   We can walk this way through the life of the Spirit   Original sin? o   Where is original sin and total depravity here? It is completely absent!  o   The only way you can get there is through reading Romans out of context. o   We see that death is the focus and the thing that needs to be dealt with in order to get to the restoration of glory!   Original Context:  o   The pastoral context of Romans is not just about some abstract theologies of original sin and total depravity, or a road to individual salvation (Romans road).  o   Paul exhorting the Roman house churches to live out the way of Jesus in unity instead of the divisions of the Weak and the Strong. He wants them to be conformed into Christ's image and live out the gospel under Jesus' kingship- GLORY and GLORIFICATION.  o   This message is also for us today- Choose the Life and Way of Christ and live in it (the Truth)!   _________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt consider the incarnation of Jesus and the ramifications regarding Original Sin. We want to give a Shout out to Warren McGrew of Idol Killer and Will and Brian of The Church Split for their series' on Original sin and for helping us articulate some of the content in this episode. • The immaculate conception of Mary is a late dogma created to prop up original sin. But not only this a “preservative redemption” is also needed for Mary to remain sinless • The Virgin birth in both Protestant and Catholic circles is used incorrectly to promote the doctrine of Original Sin. o For Catholics it deals with the issue of concupiscence o For Protestants it actually does nothing as Mary was born of human parents and still would transmit Original Sin o We affirm the virgin birth but in Isaiah 7 it is called a sign pointing to the miracle of the messiah and has nothing to do with original sin. • The way Protestants try to get around this is the hypostatic union, which we also affirm, but Protestants use it incorrectly to support this Doctrine. • 3 points of the incarnation: o Jesus came in flesh- he was fully human like us (yet fully God). He experienced what we do. o Jesus had no sin in him (he wasn't born with it) o And Jesus never sinned • Thus, no Original sin if Jesus assumed exactly what we are and partook of the same nature yet did not sin. • If Original Sin is true and Jesus was spared it through the immaculate conception then Jesus was not like us in every way and cannot sympathize with our weaknesses and Hebrews 4:15 is a lie and Jesus is an unfit High Priest. o This is what the Doctrine of Original Sin gets us into. Conclusion/ The Better Way Jesus was fully God and Fully Man. He assumed all that we are so that he could make us all that he is and heal us. The Incarnation o We saw that Jesus came in the flesh just like us (but also fully God) o We saw that there was no sin in Jesus (no original sin) o We saw that Jesus did not sin We also looked at Mary and all the gymnastics that needed to happen with her to hold up this unbiblical doctrine. We looked at how Calvinists have no foundation to stand on with Original sin in the Virgin Birth (we affirm it!), the Hypostatic Union (in which they downplay Jesus' humanity), and they come dangerously close to many Gnostic heresies. The Better Way As humans it is comforting to know that Jesus went through all that we did and was still sinless. He has redeemed us and comes beside us to conform us into his image. So rather than focusing on the negative theology of Augustinianism and Calvinism look at the beauty that is in Jesus becoming just like us in every way to heal us and make us whole! _________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today we are going to look at 2 main things: 1) Does the Bible say sin is transferable or inheritable? And  2) What does the Bible say about the state of infants and children (are they doomed from the womb?). Do they inherit Adam's guilt.     Does the Bible say Sin and Guilt are Transferable/Inheritable? Deut 1:39 Sons punished for a Father's sin? Ezekiel 18:19-23 Deut 24:16  2 Kings 14:6  Exodus 32 John 9:1-3  Exodus 34:6-7  What about the nature of Infants and Children? As we said in the first episode of this series; the Reformers who inherited their doctrine from Augustine believed in the depravity of infants and their damnation from birth without baptism to wash off Original Sin.    Johnathan Edwards (famous Reformed Puritan) sums up their beliefs saying:   “It is most just, exceedingly just, that God should take the soul of a new-born infant and cast it into eternal torments [due to Adam's sin]” Isaiah 7:14-15 Psalms 22:9-10  Jeremiah and Innocent Babies Jer 19:4-6, 7:30-33, and 32:32-38 basically say the same thing: The burning of INNOCENT babies never entered God's mind.  Notice: Babies are declared innocent (not sinful) by God. They are not born guilty of Original Sin but become sinners when they sin and can be held accountable for it. This has major ramifications on the abortion debate, as we mentioned in the first episode. If babies are born in Original Sin then why advocate for human life? They are born under the hatred  and wrath of God anyways! Infant Depravity Proof texts Psalm 58:3 Go astray means they weren't already astray at birth. It was something they had to leave to become astray. They become this way “FROM” (or after) birth. Not IN birth.  Psalm 51:5  What is the context of the psalm? David's sin with Bathsheba. David is putting his sin with Bathsheba in parallel with his mother's sin in his conception. He is not talking about infant depravity. What about Job? Job 15:14-16; Job 25:4-6; Job 14:4 Two of these are the false words of Job's friends (See Job 42:7-9) and the 3rd is about ritual uncleanness and not about the nature of man.  Jesus and the Children  Matt 18:3-6 Mark 10:13-16 Children are equated with innocence, purity, and trust. They are the example of the Kingdom. Conclusion/The Better Way  Inherited Guilt o   We saw that the Bible says that sins cannot be transferred.  o   Each will be accountable for their own sins o   Thus when Original Sin says we inherit Adam's guilt it goes against God's Law and all of the scriptures Infant Depravity As we can see in scripture babies and children are innocent before the Lord. God does not hold them accountable until they can truly know good from evil.  o   Some call this the age of accountability or as the Jews call it Bar mizpah (becoming a son of the commandments- age 13) o   We are born with desires and we must learn how to act upon them because they can be used for good or evil.  o   We are not born doomed from the womb or as sinners but rather become sinners when we sin knowingly.  Jesus invites us into the kingdom to become innocent like children and renewed into the state we were at the beginning in order to bear his name in this world.    The Take Aways o   We need to be formed in Christlikeness from our youth  o   God has placed life in front of us and we must choose it o   He guides us by the Spirit to be able to walk in this way o   The discipleship of children is so important! _________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Genesis 2-3  In Genesis we see Adam and Eve as the first priests in Eden with the vocation to image God. God gives them one command- to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Notice it is the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL. It is knowledge and not just of evil.  Some things to notice: ·      The things cursed are the Nahash and the ground. Adam and Eve are not.  ·      God promises that the Seed of the Woman (Jesus) will crush the serpent (a foreshadow of the major picture of atonement) ·      We see that pain will increase in child bearing and it will be there will be thorns and thistles making cultivation harder.  ·      There will be inequality and “lording over” that will happen due to eating of the tree between the man and woman. (This is not God's ideal but the result of the fall) ·      Notice what God says: “they have become like us”… Totally depraved??? No! Knowing Good and Evil. Adam and Eve have knowledge but not maturity.  ·      God mercifully separates them from the Tree of Life so that they will not live in this way forever.  ·      Death comes into this world (This is what Romans 5 says!) ·      The logic here is also that God is life and separation from him = death. Eternal life is partaking in God's life.  The Jewish View (The Yetzer) When you have the knowledge of something you can have the desire for it. This is where the Jews get the view of the Yetzer (desire). The Calvinist view is that all human desires and actions are evil. But was this what we saw in the Genesis account? All we saw was that they has the KNOWLEDGE of the good and evil and thus could act upon either.    Yetzer Ha Tov (Good desire) and Yetzer Ha Ra (Evil desire) The Jewish view is that the eating of the tree awakened the two desires in mankind and we much choose which we entertain.  Yetzer: God given drives, desires, and appetites . The Yetzer itself is neutral and it is God given  OT-Yetzer Gen 4:6-7  Isaiah 26:3  1 Chron 28:9 Gen 6:5 (cf. Gen 8:21) NT-Epithumia Mark 4:19 John 8:44 Luke 22:15 James 1:13-15 Gal 6:7-10 James 5:17 1 John 3:7-8 Ephesians 2:1-3 Augustine and Concupiscence  What in Hebrew is yetzer and in Greek is epithumia was translated as concupiscence in Latin. As we have seen yetzer and epithumia are completely neutral in meaning in Greek and Hebrew but in Latin usually concupiscence nearly always takes on a negative meaning. Remember Augustine could not read Hebrew or Greek. And he still was dealing with a lot of Pagan presuppositions that he brought into the Bible.  He introduced this new doctrine where sex is a sin and we inherit guilt through Adam and are born totally unable to act on the good desires. Conclusion/Better View ·      Throughout all of this we have seen that God given desires and ambitions are good but we can use them for evil as well when abused.  ·      We are not created as sinners but become sinners when we chase after evil desires (yetzer ha-ra).  ·      We are weak in the flesh and without the work of the Spirit in us we are prone to the yetzer ha-ra. (Matt 26:41; Rom 8:3-4) ·      God says we can practice righteousness, we can sow to the Spirit, and we can rule over the sin crouching at our door. If he says it we can do it with his help! ·      We are not totally depraved and unable to seek after God and exercise the yetzer ha-tov.  ·      Everyday we have the choice to walk out our discipleship or walk according to the world. Choose this day whom you will serve! _________ Visit www.expedition44.com for posted articles and more. If you have comments or questions please email us at: ryan@expedition44.com, matt@expedition44.com   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Today Dr Will Ryan & Dr. Matt launch a series examining the Doctrine of Original Sin. If you've followed us long enough you've probably seen there are 2 theologies we tend to jab at quite a bit: Dispensationalism, Calvinism/Reformed Theology, So we basically have issues with doctrines that promote fear and a distortion of God's Character. In this series we'll be looking at how Original Sin is not Biblical or Ancient. The first 400 years of the Church did not believe this There is zero evidence that Judaism ever believed this. Messianic Jews do not believe this. The Eastern Orthodox church along with some Protestant denominations never adopted this view. As we'll see in this intro, Augustine was the inventor of this doctrine in the 5th century and much of it was due to his importation of his pagan background into Christianity. Defining original sin We do not deny that there was AN ORIGINAL SIN. What we will be referring to as “Original Sin” is the doctrine of Original Sin which teaches that because of Adam and Eve's sin we are all born guilty before God and that we inherit their guilt from birth. Sometimes we may refer to this as Original Guilt. This is also called Augustinian Anthropology or Augustinian Original Sin Original Sin is the building block for Total Depravity or Total Inability of Calvinism's TUPLIP which is about the nature of man in that they are so totally depraved that they cannot even seek after God.  Augustine and Original Sin The doctrine came into the church through Augustine of Hippo (396-440 CE) and the doctrine was originally called Concupiscence.   “Concupiscence” , according to Augustine, relates to Adam's sin being transferred through sexual reproduction.  It's root definition is a base sexual desire. We get our word concubine from this.  He believe that though this all men are born with their will, body, and mind corrupt and this is transmitted sexually. They inherited the sin through the sexual act leading to birth. Augustine could only read Latin. He tried to learn Greek but despised it due to his teacher who was very hard on him and so never learned it. He also could not read Hebrew. Augustine came to original sin by reading Romans 5:12 in a bad Latin translation.  Augustine and Pelagianism  Often the label thrown at those who disagree with Original Sin or who hold to Freedom of the Will is “Pelagian”.  Augustine developed 14 points of accusation against Pelagius. But you can look Pelagius' writings and they completely refute the accusations.  The 14 Points of Pelagianism: 1. Adam was created mortal & would die whether he sinned or not  2. Adam's sin harmed only Adam, not mankind  3. The law leads to heaven in the same way as the Gospel  4. Newborn infants are in the exact same state as Adam before his sin  5. The whole human race doesn't die through Adam & live through Christ  6. Even unbaptized infants possess eternal life  7. The wealthy must renounce their possessions or they will not see the Kingdom of Heaven  8. God's grace & help are not given for individual actions, but consist in free will, the law & teaching.  9. God‘s grace is given in accord with our merits & is located in the human will  10. Only those who are without sin can be called children of God  11. Forgetfulness & ignorance are not sinful since they're not done willingly  12. A choice is not free if it needs God's help  13. Our victory is not the result of God's help, but free will  14. The soul can be as sinless as God.  “Pelagianism” based on Augustine's 14 slanderous claims is not a real thing, but rather a strawman, a distortion, defamation and slander of the beliefs of a truly Orthodox Christian in order to change orthodoxy in the church.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

We started a series on the church back in July of 2022 and a year and a half later we are wrapping It up.  Today we're going to recap where we've been.  The big idea is that the church is not an institution … it's an organism (it's organic)! ·      There was equality- No clergy/laity divide ·      The giftings of the entire body were active to display Jesus ·      They met face to face throughout the week in relationships 7 Churches of Revelation (Nationalism and Dispensationalism) The point of looking at these 7 churches is that it pointed out Jesus' ideals in his Body. Much of the issues here deals with the World seeping into the church.  Leadership and Oversight the glaring question we need to ask is “Are these offices or simply people using their god given gifts?”  Positional thinking is hung up on nouns, while functional thinking stresses verbs.  The view of oversight in the NT church is about the whole body operating in their giftings and being discipled by those who are wise, mature, and have the character of Christ in them. This is what leadership and oversight looks like rather than the CEO structure that focuses on offices and hierarchy which hurts the church.  5-Fold Ministry Ephesians 4 describes these as “ascension gifts” not “ascension offices”.  This entire chapter focuses on unity in the body of Christ, not positions which divide clergy from laity.Reimagining GiftsSpiritual gifts are not about hierarchy but about building up the body of Christ. The church is a body- a mutual and co-equal body- that reflects Jesus. There is no hierarchy in giftings. These giftings don't lead to an office, though some might lead or administrate in their gifting better than others based on maturity and humility- we should all mutually submit to each other.  Reimagining Community ·      Spiritually- We need to be together in spiritual friendship gathering around the Way of Jesus, studying scripture, breaking bread, praying for each other. DEVOTED- They devoted themselves to these things. ·      Physically- meeting the needs of the community, being generous and being available.  ·      Emotionally- This is about completeness and transformation- How is our mindset and focus? Is it singularly on Jesus or is there entanglement with the world? ·      Missionally- Do we live in unity or are there offenses and divisions among us that we have swept under the rug? Division and disunity kills the mission to be lights to the world.  Reimagining Giving The main ideals of giving in the New Covenant: ·      Give Cheerfully ·      Take care of fellow believers (and support the work of the Lord)·      Care for the least of these ·      Celebrate God (see communion and the love feast in 1 Cor 11) Whenever the church gathers together, its guiding and functioning principal is simply to incarnate Christ (1 Cor 12:12) The Edenic Ideal: We always take everything back to God's ideals. The Bible begins and ends with Eden. New Creation has broken into the present through the resurrection, so the church should be living according to God's ideals in our communities even if the world looks completely opposite. God's eternal purpose was to have a people in relationship with him working in equality under God's kingship. This is God's ideal for his church too. Each of us bringing our gifts to the altar/table and using them to image him to creation.  ·      The western view of leadership connected to authority, hierarchy, control, and covering has handcuffed the bride of Christ - making her ineffective for the kingdom.  ·      We need to get back to the servant mindset rather than the CEO leader mindset in the church ·      We need more feet washing and less discussions about “who's your covering”  ·      More mutual submission and less “human headship” ·      More family, less institution ·      More verbs, less nouns --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. Scot McKnight about his newest book- Pivot: The Priorities, Practices, and Powers That Can Transform Your Church into a Tov Culture. Order the Book here: https://a.co/d/9R6hqSY A practical guide to help you build a culture in your church or organization that resists abuse and cultivates goodness.After the release of their groundbreaking book, A Church Called Tov, which recorded the stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent churches in the United States, New Testament scholar and blogger for Christianity Today Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer heard from a flood of people who had experienced similar instances of abuse. After all they've seen and heard, they still believe it's possible for church cultures to be transformed from toxic to tov―from oppressive to good.In Pivot, Scot and Laura help churches to implement practices,establish priorities, and cultivate the Kingdom Gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures. Readers will find answers to the four most common questions people have about culture transformation: How can I transform the culture in my church or organization to make it tov? I believe my workplace has unhealthy values. How do I initiate change? How do I unleash a culture of goodness in my ministry? I'm not in a position of church leadership. What are some red flags that indicate a toxic culture, and what can I do if I see them? The “Tov tool,” a survey to help you discern your organization's culture and to promote spiritual conversations A “getting to work” section at the end of each chapter with questions and next steps for application Pivot also includes the following practical features:Transformation is never easy. But for the sake of the next generation, we must do it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt talk with Steve Gregg about Biblical Israel and Dispensational Theology.  Steve Gregg is a teacher, author, and international lecturer on the Bible, theology, and discipleship. He is the author of “Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary”(1997, 2013) and “All You Want to Know About Hell: Three Christian Views” (2013) and most recently his series on the kingdom of God “The Empire of the Risen Son. His talk show, “The Narrow Path,” broadcasts on stations across the USA and  you can find his teachings on the website and mobile app: thenarrowpath.com.  Other teachings by Steve Gregg on this topic: Steve Gregg on The Modern State of Israel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scz5t_D-ung&t=608s 2 Part Lecture on the Problems of Dispensationalism and Israel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRD77lqsw4I https://youtu.be/FXrUOtpRWB8?si=iqFgnih6LN-tcBLJ Replacement Theology?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96JcDkZ4bvI --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Part 2 of 2 on Giving- Tithes, Offerings, and First Fruits. History tells us that: • Tithing (10%) did not become an accepted “New Covenant Doctrine” in the church for over 700 years after the cross. • Before this in 585 the church at the Council of Macon in France, they tried to enforce tithing on its members and were unsuccessful. • It was not until the year 777 that Charlemagne allowed the church to enforce the collection of tithes. OT Recap • Before the law giving was voluntary not a commandment. This seems to be God's ideals. o We cannot take these Pre-Law examples too far though. We don't see that the giving was in regularity or even immediate. It was usually in response of thanks to God for something big He accomplished. • The Commands for tithing were for the children of Israel and to only be done “in the Land” • The Levitical tithe was to the Levites (the priests). Originally the whole nation were to be priests but they rejected this and God commissioned the Levites. Today we are a kingdom of priests in Christ, so we can't exactly use this for supporting a class of religious professionals. We'll see in the NT their possessions were at the disposal of the community when in need. • The festival tithe was money saved up for you to use 3x a year to celebrate God with the community- essentially money to take 3 vacations with Jesus. • The Storehouse tithe was about caring for the least of these. It was 10% every 3rd and 6th year in the 7-year cycle. This was for the care of the needy. • The King's Tithe was a tax for rejecting God. The main ideals of tithing in the OT: • Caring for the Levites (caring for those ministering in the family of God) • Caring for the poor, widow, alien, and fatherless • Fellowship and celebration with God NT Recap • The mentions of “tithing” are in the context of the children of Israel (the pharisees) • Attitude in giving is central in the NT- being a cheerful giver and not out of compulsion • Generosity is key- there is no set amount in the New Covenant • We give because God gave to us • First Fruits- all belongs to him The main ideals of giving in the OT: • Take care of fellow believers (and support the work of the Lord) • Care for the least of these • Celebrate God (see communion and the love feast in 1 Cor 11) o These are just like the OT- not commanded but still expected. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Part 1 of 2 on Giving- Tithes, offerings, and first fruits All the these the audience and commands on tithing are directed to specifically the children of Israel- the ones under the Mosaic Law. And directly connected to being in the Promised Land. • For the gentiles the concepts and commands in the Law are good but they are shadows of the substance which is Christ. They are signposts pointing to something greater. Next episode we're going to look at the substance. Second, it was always produce, fruit, and animals and never money given to the Lord. Money was always exchanged for an animal, produce, drink, etc, if the trip to the temple was too far to haul your offering. It was not give in the place of these things in the 3 tithes. If we want to take this in context we need to see a few things: • Before the law giving was voluntary not a commandment. This seems to be God's ideals. o We cannot take these Pre-Law examples too far though. We don't see that the giving was in regularity or even immediate. It was usually in response of thanks to God for something big He accomplished. • The Levitical tithe was to the Levites (the priests). Originally the whole nation were to be priests but they rejected this and God commissioned the Levites. Today we are a kingdom of priests in Christ, so we can't exactly use this for supporting a class of religious professionals. We'll see in the NT their possessions were at the disposal of the community when in need. The Levites would also tithe to the Priests who would tithe to God. So, God actually got 1% of the whole Levitical Tithe. • The festival tithe was saved up for you to use 3x a year to celebrate God with the community- essentially to take 3 vacations with Jesus. • The Storehouse tithe was about caring for the least of these. It was 10% every 3rd and 6th year in the 7-year cycle. This was for the care of the needy. • The King's Tithe was a tax for rejecting God. The main ideals of tithing: • Caring for the Levites (caring for those ministering in the family of God) • Caring for the poor, widow, alien, and fatherless • Fellowship and celebration with God --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Reimagining Community Acts 2:42-47 Communion Frank Viola (Pagan Christianity): The Lord's Supper, when separated from its proper context of a full meal, turns into a strange, pagan-like rite. The Supper has become an empty ritual officiated by a clergyman, rather than a shared-life experience enjoyed by the church. It has become a morbid religious exercise, rather than a joyous festival— stale individualistic ceremony, rather than a meaningful corporate event. As one scholar put it, “It is not in doubt that the Lord's Supper began as a family meal or a meal of friends in a private house . . . the Lord's Supper moved from being a real meal into being a symbolic meal . . . the Lord's Supper moved from bare simplicity to elaborate splendor . . . the celebration of the Lord's Supper moved from being a lay function to a priestly function. In the New Testament itself, there is no indication that it was the special privilege or duty of anyone to lead the worshipping fellowship in the Lord's Supper.” When Israel had departed from God's original thought, the prophet cried: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls'” (Jeremiah 6:16, NASB). In the same way, can we shun the vain traditions of men and return to the ancient paths . . . those holy traditions that were given to us by Jesus Christ and His apostles?  In the early church this was called the love (agape) feast. It was a full meal and not a thimble of juice and a cracker. What would that look like today?  Communion was a celebration and not a somber event. What would that look like today in our churches? (Yes, there is a remembrance aspect of the crucifixion but the concentration is on the victory not the torture)  Communion emphasized unity. What if we make peace and reconcile before partaking in the meal? Actually, to not do so is defiling the meal. Who do we need to reconcile with in our church family?  Communion is also about equality- there should be no seating arrangements (hierarchy and status). This also defiles the meal. What can we do to bring more equality to our community?  Communion is also about meeting needs. How can we make the Lord's table about serving each other? For questions and comments please email us at ryan@expedition44.com or matt@expedition44.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

During our 5-fold episodes we never really gave a history of the 5-fold office thinking so we'll begin with that today and recap those 4 episodes before we look at the other gifts and how we should look at the church as a body of many gifts working together and not a hierarchical system with 5 gifts on the top. X44 Article written last March: Most of the Pentecostal world believes in the 5 fold ministry, and as I don't disagree with most anything said or taught about the 5 fold gifts specifically, I can also see how this term has become controversial and often thought of as divisive within the body of Christ towards the other gifts. I also Theologically cringe any time a doctrine or movement seems to be derived in large part by a singular text. (In this way the use of Ephesians to frame the 5 fold ministry as a doctrine has often been claimed as a “proof text.”) One of the first things to consider is that Paul gave us two other lists elsewhere in his epistles. The lists vary from this one significantly. This list in Ephesians wasn't intended to be a doctrinal model; if it was the NT or Paul sure didn't do a very good job of articulating that. If the intention was to present the list as a model of hierarchy in the church, I would think it would have been presented much differently. In other words, the laws of hermeneutics simply don't allow a scholar reader to interpret this way. To my point, 1 Corinthians 12 would speak to an 8 fold ministry where the order is different. In the same way Romans 12 presents yet another list. This Seven Fold list moves leadership to the very bottom, just ahead of showing mercy, and it moves service, teaching and encouragement to the top. It takes some theological gymnastics to make a doctrine out of the list in Ephesians. We will get into this a bit more in depth later in the film. OVERVIEW • 5-fold gifts and the other lists (7 and 8-fold?) are not about hierarchy but about building up the body of Christ. • The church is a body- a mutual and co-equal body- that reflects Jesus. There is no hierarchy in giftings. • These giftings don't lead to an office though some might lead or administrate in their gifting better than others based on maturity and humility- we should all mutually submit to each other. • Faith, Hope, and Love are the foundation for exercising our gifts. It should all be done in edification and grace towards each other. Be incarnational! • There should be a recognition and celebration of people's gifts- especially the behind the scenes and “on the street” type that aren't in front of people. • Order- we need to use our gift in an order. It is not about self-elevation but about building up the body. o Serving Christ is the purpose in the gathering. When the gifts are displayed people are built up, Christ is displayed and glorified, and the church is discipled. • Identify your gift and use it- the body of Christ is counting on you and suffers when you don't. For questions and comments please email us at ryan@expedition44.com or matt@expedition44.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt interview Dr. Matthew Bates about his new book "Why the Gospel". They cover topics such as malformed gospels, easy-believism, glory, the "nones", and a better way to discipleship. Matthew W. Bates (Ph.D., Notre Dame) is Professor of Theology at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. Bates is a Protestant who enjoys the challenge of teaching in a Catholic context. Bates's research interests include the Apostle Paul, Jesus, soteriology, early Christology, the Trinity, the use of the Old Testament in the New, theological interpretation of Scripture, and Justin Martyr. He enjoys hiking, baseball, and chasing around his seven children.He is a co-founded and co-hosts the popular OnScript podcast. His books include Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019) the award-winning Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017), The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015), and The Hermeneutics of the Apostolic Proclamation (Baylor University Press, 2012). https://matthewwbates.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt talk with Brian Zahnd about his story of transformation and leading a church through theological changes. We also cover topics such as deconstruction, ecumenicalism, and the future of the church. Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, and Unconditional?: The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness. https://brianzahnd.com https://wolc.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Doc Ryan & Dr. Matt with Expedition 44 discuss the “5-fold gift” of the shepherd-teacher. At the end of this episode we were joined by Dr. Steve Cassell and Pastor Ryan Smith of Beloved church to talk about how they live out this gifting in their community Shepherding/Teaching o Cares for and develops the people of God by leading, nurturing, protecting, and discipling them o The teaching aspect clarifies the mind and will of God as found in the Bible so that people can gain wisdom and understanding in following Jesus as a disciple. Focus/Tasks o Cultivate a loving and spiritually mature network of relationships and community o Discern o Guide o Help the faith community to explore and seek to understand the mind of God o Disciple Impact when Shepherding is a monopolized gift o Closed, non-missional community o Co-dependency between the church and pastor (hierarchy/CEO mentality- messiah complex) o Don't rock the boat approach to organization o Too passive and insider focused Impact when Teaching is a monopolized gift o Theological dogmatism o Christian Gnosticism (saved by knowledge) o Bible and Theology replaces the Holy Spirit o Control through ideas (Pharisaism- is it lawful?) Summary o Jesus is the Shepherd. Pastor is not an office or position in the Bible but a function o The chief task of the shepherds/teachers was to help the church in times of personal crisis (shepherding) and to enlighten and cultivate the church's spiritual life by revealing Christ through the exposition of Scripture (teaching). o One must learn before they teach o Those who function in shepherding are to be mature believers (“elders”). o Teaching and shepherding are gifts for the unity and building up of the body to reflect Jesus Christ. o Shepherding is about service and discipleship and not rule or authority. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Ryan and Dr. Matt discuss Matt's doctoral studies journey and the dissertation process at Covenant Theological Seminary for THD and PHD degrees. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Note: We are testing out some new equipment in this episode so please forgive some of the audio and video issue at the beginning. The audio clears up around 28:00. Thanks! Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt are joined by their friend Sam D'Alie, a CTS student, in this episode to talk about evangelism in the 5 fold giftings. Eph 4:11-13 Recap • These are functions and not offices. They are gifts not “roles” • The scope of this text is about the equipping of the body. It is zoomed in on gifts that equip but not elevating them over others. • Everyone has an aspect of all these gifts within them but most are strong in one of these areas. • The goal is for the body of Christ to be whole and mature, to be united in faith, and full of the knowledge of God. • This entire chapter focuses on unity in the body of Christ. The gift of evangelism. • The evangelical church gets this one right in some respects. They don't see it as an office where some see other parts of the 5-fold as an office (pastor and teacher, sometimes apostle). Why do we pick and choose which are offices and which are not here? In reality they are all giftings. • Also all are plural in the text, so we should have many operating in all of these in every church body. The evangelical church gets this right in that it expresses that the church at large should evangelize… yet it wants a single senior pastor. What is an evangelist? o Essentially the recruiter, carrier, and communicator/storytellers of the gospel message (Jesus is king) o The truth teller to unbelievers o They call for a response to Jesus' kingship Their focus/core tasks o Concern for those outside the kingdom o Making clear the offer to come into the kingdom so people can respond in allegiance o Recruit for the cause/“brand ambassadors” for the kingdom Impact on the body when Evangelism is “the main thing” (monopolization and imbalance) o When the gift of evangelism is the central thing in the church there tends to be a narrow vision o Lack of communal heath with the focus on the outside rather than care on the inside of the church o Narrow perspective of faith (lack of discipleship- AKA simple gospel views) Overview o The great commission connects preaching the gospel (evangelism) with the necessity of discipleship- we can't divorce the two. The 4 American gospel we looked at all divorce evangelism and discipleship but they are 2 sides of the same coin. o OT Evangelism was communal (if there even was evangelism to the nations)- the community evangelizes by their life together that reflects Jesus. This was mainly evangelism/discipleship of each other. We don't see evangelists sent out to the nations in the OT but rather that the nations would flow into Zion by their “light”. o NT Evangelism always resulted in community and discipleship as well. Jesus called people to “follow him”. The Apostles planted churches and formed Jesus cultures for the evangelist to invite people into and experience the life of Jesus. What is being offered in the NT is not an “eternal destination” but a community around Jesus. o “Conversion” doesn't result from saying a prayer but that could be the start. It is costly according to Jesus. Not some simple statement but a pledge of allegiance to a way of life that could lead to your martyrdom. Most evangelism today leaves people still connected to the ways and systems of the world and makes it “easy” by front loading benefits and downplaying the commitment to the cross and the way of Jesus. o Evangelize through relationship- who will you invite to your table/community? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Dr. Will Ryan and Dr. Matt Mouzakis interview Dr. Carmen Imes on her new book Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters. Follow Dr. Imes: https://www.youtube.com/@CarmenJoyImesPhD/videos --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Pastor Matthew Stevenson and Dr Matt Mouzakis Language of Complementarian See https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2015/03/02/revisionist-history-on-the-term-complementarian/ and https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/genesis-confusion/ for a summary of the history of the language surrounding this issue. 1 Tim 2:11-14 Matt M. misspoke about the parsing of the greek tense of epitrepo (I do not permit). The tense is present active indicative. The reason behind the interpretation of “at this time” is due to the use of epitrepo in the rest of scripture where it is always in the context of a local situation. “At this time” is based on the context and this grammatical information. See https://margmowczko.com/1-timothy-212-and-1-corinthians-1434-epitrepo/. Scholars such as Philip Payne (Man and Women one in Christ), Craig Keener (IVP Bible Background Commentary, Paul and Women), Scot McKnight (Blue Parakeet), Andrew Bartlett (Men and Women in Christ), and more come to this same conclusion based on this grammatical construction, seeing it as a time bound event just for a certain period for the church in Ephesus. It is addressed to certain women in that church in the first century. 1 Tim 3 John Chrysostom Homily 11.1 on 1 Tim 3: “The women likewise”. Paul meant the [women] deacons [τας διακονους]. There are those who think he was talking about women in general. No, that is not the case. It would have made no sense to have inserted here something about women in general. He was referring to those having the dignity of the diaconate [της διακονιας]. “Let deacons be the husband of one wife.” This is also appropriately said of women deacons [γυναικων διακονων], for this [monogamy] is necessary, useful and proper to the highest degree in the Church. 1 Corinthians 11 Wayne Grudem makes arguments against the “source” interpretation and certain metaphorical meanings of head (kephele) saying it never meant source and has a meaning of authority. Many scholars have push back on his article on this in 1985 showing that a literal head or source are the most prominent interpretations and there is a possibility for “authority” being a gloss of this term, though a minority one. Yet, Philip Payne argues that “source” is the most used metaphor for kephele (see Payne, Man and Women: One in Christ, 113-139). See https://www.pbpayne.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/what-about-headship-ch7.pdf Here is a history of the debate: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/meta-study-debate-over-meaning-head-kephale-pauls-writings/ The interpretation of kephele (head) as “authority over” is based on a cherry-picking of Greek lexicons. Witt specifically calls out complementarian Wayne Grudem, who argues for this meaning based on six Greek lexicons, while Philip Payne provides nineteen Greek lexicons where “authority” is not listed as a meaning for kephale. (Witt, Icons of Christ, 128). See an overview of Witt's work on kephele in this article: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/fleshofmyflesh/2023/01/headship-in-1-corinthians-a-source-of-misunderstanding/ The Septuagint uses the Hebrew word for “head” (rosh), meaning a literal head, when the translators invariably translated rosh into kephalē. However in Hebrew, like in English, “head” can also mean a leader or ruler. In the instances where rosh meant a leader the translators did not use the word kephalē in their translation; instead, they typically used the Greek word archōn, which does mean ruler or leader. It seems that most of the translators of the LXX knew that kephalē does not usually mean leader, ruler, or person in authority. Ephesians 5:21-33 Originally there was no verb in Ephesians 5:22. The earliest manuscripts of Ephesians 5:22 do not include the verb “submit.” Jerome even writes that in Greek manuscripts verse 22 never repeats the verb “submit” from verse 21. For more on women ordination in the early church see https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/ordained-women-patristic-era/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expedition44/support

Foretelling or Forthtelling? Foretelling ·      This is the common wester view of prophecy. It's usually about predicting the future. It's all about telling future events.  o   Even when dealing with future events, often it was about what would happen if Israel didn't turn back to God. Much of forthtelling conditional.  ·      When we examine the prophetic writings in scripture we see that the vast majority of all prophecy is directed at the present and not at the future… It's not foretelling- it's forthtelling  o   Obviously there's some foretelling in the prophets of the future- Of Jesus o   How much of prophetic ministry today is about the future if Jesus has come?  Forthtelling (Or exhortation) ·      This is simply speaking forth God's word and encouraging others to follow it.  ·      This is different from teaching/preaching as it is revelation from God into present situations. It is not exposition of the scripture but the exhortation should never contradict scripture. In the OT the prophets were mainly covenant enforcers rather than ones who looked into a crystal ball and saw the future (divination?) ·      The main point of OT prophecy was about calling God's people back into covenant faithfulness and the same is true for those today who have the gift of prophecy. Revelation 19:10b- For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. ·      The spirit of prophecy today should be about bring the church back into the way of Jesus and reflect his testimony as the faithful witness- PROPHECY ALWAYS POINTS TO JESUS Prophetic ministry in the OT The main things the OT prophets were concerned with was righteousness and justice in their forthtelling. Right relationships with God and others with is both about the moral, spiritual, and social aspects of life. They were covenant enforcers and the covenant framed the social and spiritual life of the community. Prophetic ministry in the NTJohn the baptist was not only calling for righteousness and holiness but he's calling people to justice. This is reminiscent of the OT prophets. He's preparing the hearts and lives of the people for Jesus.  Philip's Daughters In Acts 21:8-9 we see that Philip the evangelist (one of the 7 deacons from Acts 6) had 4 unmarried daughters who were prophetess'.  Agabus Acts 11:28-30 and 21:10-11   He was one who listened to God's voice through the Holy Spirit. Did Agabus get the prophecy right? Later in Acts 21 Paul is at the temple and the Jews start a mob against him and try to kill him. The Romans step in to break it up and arrest Paul. So, Agabus was technically wrong in the details but right in the results.  Prophecy in Corinth 1 Cor 14:1-5, 29-33 Jesus as Prophet ·      Jesus come to break the power of sin and the devil but also to render justice and righteousness. See Luke 4:14-20 when he kicks off his ministry and defines his kingdom in the way Isaiah did above with justice for the powerless.  o   Mary prophecies of Jesus bringing down thrones and exalting the humble ·      Moses was considered a prophet and similarly Jesus delivers the kingdom charter on a mountain (Sermon on the mount) as the way to walk as God's people.  ·      Jesus did speak truth to power (in love), he cared about righteousness and justice in the community and called us through example to live in covenant faithfulness to the Father.  ·      Jesus suffered and was martyredSummary ·      Prophets exhort God's people into Covenant faithfulness (covenant enforcers) ·      They listen to God's voice and communicate it to the people ·      They are concerned with justice, righteousness, and holiness ·      They often suffer for challenging the status quo.  ·      They need to be careful about being a jerk or overly offensive and much of their message is corrective. (often need to watch their tone and make sure to walk in love) ·      Most of all they are concerned with God's heart and lovingly bringing the community into those things. 

James 5 James 5:1-6 James begins with a scathing reprimand against the rich in his congregation for trusting in their possessions.  James continues his message to the rich from chapter 4 and tells them to weep and wail over their riches.  “in these last days you have stored up your treasure” Last days was a common way to talk about the time after Jesus rose from the dead. (Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; 2 Pet. 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 18 all use “last days” to talk about their present day.) Workers and wages The law of Moses forbade withholding wages, even overnight; if the injured worker cried out to God, God would avenge him (Deut 24:14–15; cf., e.g., Lev 19:13; Prov 11:24; Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5). The rich have fattened hearts for the day of slaughterThe picture here is of the rich being fattened like cattle for the day of their own slaughter (cf., e.g., Jer 12:3; Amos 4:1–3); similar imagery appears in parts of the early apocalyptic work 1 Enoch (94:7–11; 96:8; 99:6). As often in the Old Testament (Amos 6:4–7), the sin in verse 5 is not exploitation per se (as in v. 4) but a lavish lifestyle while others go hungry or in need.James is saying that it is not the workers who are against the rich, but God himself is. They have lived in luxury while the poor starve from not being paid and God is pissed.  James 5:7-12 James returns to his opening argument about trials and addressed the poor telling them to have perseverance.James is telling the poor to leave vengeance to the Lord. This is part of wisdom and found throughout the psalms and proverbs as well as Paul in Romans 12:19-21  Prophets and Job The prophets often suffered for doing what God called them to do. God is calling them to be patient and allow Him to repay. The whole structure of the book of Job was probably meant to encourage Israel after the exile; although God's justice seemed far away and they were mocked by the nations, God would ultimately vindicate them and end their captivity. Again, James is telling the audience to rest in God's Character (v11)- The Lord who is full of compassion and Mercy (Ex 34:6-7) Oaths It is obvious that James is quoting Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 here in verse 12. Many commentators bring up the zealot oath when commenting on this verse in James. Craig Blomberg says: “Oaths can force us into behavior that does not glorify God.” James 5:13-20James' call to nonresistance doesn't mean he's calling the church to pretend that these things don't matter. God is a God of justice. James calls his church to fight…. In prayer and in care for one another.  Confession and prayer Protestants get a little worried about confession. But here James commands it. We are called to confess to each other (not to a priest necessarily). We have the tendency to make this just a thing between us and God. The emphasis here is on community. Confess to each other, pray for each other. Vulnerability and accountability is so important in our growth as disciples. The Body of Christ is need to grow up into the fullness of Christ in each one of us. Confession also brings restoration between factions in the Body  Conclusions: James warns about putting trust in the things of this world such as riches. Even more he warns against the neglect of the needy. When we are in trials we are to count it joy and have endurance. In this endurance we are to take on the mind of Christ and leave revenge to the Lord. He will bring justice. It is not our job to use violent resistance.Instead, we are to resist through prayer and confession. This will bring unity to the Body of Christ and form us into the people we are called to be. Prayer also opens us up to the power of God so that we can be used to bring healing and restoration to others. 

James 4 James 4:1-12 is an extension of James 3:13-18. James is addressing the zealot and revolutionary mindset in the church which is framed as wisdom from below which is worldly, demonic, and natural (fleshly).  Rather than the wisdom from above which is about peacemaking.  Friendship with the world (v1-5) Fighting vs. peacemaking The point is that God will not share his people with the world. He expect them also to be faithful and not adulterous with the world systems. Going after the things of the world is to worship another godThe solution: Prayer and humility (v6-10) Humility was a central characteristic of Jesus- not pride or power seeking. It was power under and not over. The zealot mindset was rooted in pride thinking it was God's will yet it looked nothing like Jesus and the way of humility. Prayer forms us a seems to be the way that we overcome thisPrayer is more than asking God for things. James says to ask with God's motives in mind. He also says to draw near. Prayer also resists the evil one (Lord's prayer) …Prayer does all of this. It aligns us with God and his heart. It helps detach us from the world.  Disunity and Judgement (v11-12) James now turns in 11-12 to addressing violent speech. He just dealt with motivations and actions and now goes to speech rooted in the heart.  Prov 6:16-19 Disunity in the church is proof we are more like the world than like Jesus James 4:13-17 Those tending towards the zealot mindset were likely those being oppressed (the poor). Now James turn more towards the rich but still riffing on the topic of wisdom from above vs. the world. He's specifically targeting materialism and individualism and how it leads to putting trust in ourselves and not in God. Likewise, making our own plans rather than seeking God's path.  Conclusions: This section is an expansion of the contrast of the Wisdom of God vs. the wisdom of the world.  ·      The world's wisdom is self-seeking, God's wisdom is focused on others and rooted in God's character ·      The world seeks power over others, God's way is power under (power through serving) ·      The world's way is pride, God's way is humility ·      The world trusts in its possessions and selfish ambition, those who trust in God seek His provision and plan.

James 3 connects to the theme of wisdom in James 1:5-8 of seeking wisdom and not being double minded, James 1:19 speaking of wisdom as being slow to speak, and the expansion of it in James 1:26 where James talks about the tongue and the one who does not bridle it having worthless religion because his heart is deceived.

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James expands on James 1:9-11 here and deals with the sin of favoritism.  Favoritism (prosopolempsia) literally means to “lift up face” or to “receive face”. It describes the basis of receiving someone based on external appearance.  It's also interesting to note that 2:1 is the last time we see Jesus mentioned in this epistle.  The big idea here is that our faith leads us to not treat certain people better than others. In the rest of this chapter James will get at faith and actions of love being 2 sides of the same coin. Conclusions- Paul vs. James… o It has been argued that James and Paul are talking about 2 different points of faith. Paul is talking about entrance into a community (who's in and who's out) and James is talking about who's already in and how to live your faith. Faith results in action. o If this is so Paul is saying trust is what puts you in but once you are “in” you need to walk the journey by embodying Christ's faithfulness (James' POV). Trust is just the starting line. o James and Paul both seem to be against easy-believism. The analogy of a marriage or a friendship (James 2:23) is fitting… If I simply believe I am married or someone's friend and that as far as it goes, simply affirming that fact- what happens? If I am married or a friend I will invest in the relationship and live according to that. o “Works” in James are work of love (The Royal Law), “Works” in Paul are works of Torah that marked someone out as Jewish. o James and Paul both affirm actions that flow out of faith (faithfulness)… true faith results in action. See the end of Galatian and the fruit of the Spirit, See Romans 12 and the actions and mindset that come along with being a living sacrifice, See all that we covered in James today. o James and Paul might be talking about different situations but they agree that you are saved by faith and works that working together in love. True faith fulfills the Royal Law.