Steadfast in the Simple Gospel

In this episode we talk a short time about what big picture or reason why the book of Jonah was written, as well as covering the first two chapters in brief. It's not a verse by verse full coverage teaching, but pulling out different observations from the text. The audio for this episode is not the greatest. I was walking to and from the white board writing things down, our class is small enough that we didn't use a microphone for discussions or comments - so I apologize for the quality! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we cover the historical background and context for the book of Jonah! This will help us better understand what the author intended to communicate to his audience.Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a teaching I gave in the School of Biblical Studies on the book of Jonah. In this (short) episode, I introduce the book! The second episode would have been HUGE so I decided to split up the introduction and the historical background. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is the final episode of my Psalms teaching, and the part two of walking through the different genres in Psalms. We look at the three most prevalent genres of psalms: hymns, laments, and thanksgivings. We talk about the characteristics, structure, and different sub-categories within these three genres. There's good discussion on the imprecatory psalms (the angry, violent ones) as well as student comments on laments as a whole. I hope that listening to this class has helped you understand more about the book and given you tools to help deepen your own study of the Psalms!Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we start with a brief introduction to genre within Psalms. There are different types, important things to keep in mind while studying the genre of individual Psalms, and an understanding of why the tool of genre is so useful for Psalms study. The reason why genre is so useful for studying this book is because of the sheer amount of psalms! For example, when we take the time to study the genre of lament, that will help us have an understanding of large portions of the book and also help better equip us to understand and dig into a lament when we come across one in our reading. The rest of the time is spent taking a deeper look at themes, structure, and characteristics of the different genres: wisdom, royal/kingship, confidence, and remembrance. We will look at the three other genres in the next episode! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we talk about the second major characteristic of Hebrew poetry (and many different cultures' types of poetry), which is imagery! I summarize a few relevant observation labels we use to go through the text. We do a couple of exercises, practicing identifying images as well as understanding images. I close out by talking a little bit about how Psalms were used by God's people in the past and why we need to continue using them today, too. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we are talking all about poetry! First, I give an introduction to poetry in general, and then an introduction to Hebrew poetry. When discussing Hebrew poetry, the first thing we spend time on is something called "Parallelism", one of Biblical poetry's most defining characteristics! We talk through a lot of different verses, and so if you are able to I highly suggest opening a Bible up in front of you so you are better able to understand what I'm talking about! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is the first episode of my Psalms teaching at the School of Biblical Studies over here in Kona. There will probably be quite a few episodes because this lecture was two sessions instead of one! In this episode, I give an introduction to Psalms as well as briefly cover some of the historical background of the book. At the end I spend a little bit of time talking about the history of Psalms interpretation. I hope you enjoy! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a little teaching I did at a local Hawaiian church, Helani Congregational Church. They have been studying through every book of the Bible before their sermons, and some of us staff of the SBS were asked to come in and help teach! I briefly go over the book of Jonah, quickly covering the historical context before talking through the book. I hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: Towards the end I mention the prophet Zephaniah, and I misspoke here! I meant to say the prophet Nahum. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

We have arrived at the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. These last verses contain many of Paul’s most well known verses. In 4:4-9, Paul gives his final encouragements. He writes a thank-you note for their generous gift in 4:10-20, and gives his final greetings in 4:21-23! Some scholars call this the “Epistle of Joy” because it is infused with joyfulness! We take a look at Paul’s joy, Jesus’ joy, and try to define it a little more clearly. It was so fun to take a deeper look at joy, and so I hope you enjoy this last bit of my Philippians lecture! Before ending class, I give the students some time to process what God was speaking to them throughout the teaching. I encourage you to take some time and ask yourself the same questions, and see what God is wanting to speak to you, too. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

(2:19-4:3) Lives Worthy of the GospelThis section is all about encouraging the Philippians to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel. He does this by giving example of others and himself, as well as with a few warnings.(2:19-30) Back in 1:27, Paul exhorts the Philippians to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. In this section, he gives three examples of people living that kind of life. These people (two others and Paul himself) live like Jesus in the Christ hymn, and the Philippians are encouraged to imitate their examples. Timothy is an example of humility and servanthood (2:19-24). Epaphroditus is an example of sacrificial servanthood (2:25-30).(3:1-16) The last example Paul gives is of himself and it comes in three sections: his status (3:2-6), his sacrifice (3:7-11), and his response (3:12-16). Paul is an example of humility, in the way he laid down his high status and set it aside to follow Jesus. He is an example of steadfastness, in choosing Jesus and to press on towards Him.(3:17-4:3) Paul brings this example section to a close. He summaries it by inviting the Philippians to imitate himself, and those like him. He then goes on to warn them about people who don't live this way. We take a look at what the phrase "our citizenship is in heaven" would have meant to a church in Philippi, a Roman colony. Paul wraps up the body of his letter by calling out two church leaders who need to exhibit unity and steadfastness, what he has been talking about since the beginning in 1:27. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

(1:27-2:16) The Christ Hymn ChiasmThis section is something we call a chiasm. A chiasm is a tool of structure, and it is a way the biblical authors emphasized their most important points. It works like this, with the emphasis on the "C" section in the middle. A B C B'A'A: (1:27-30) In this section, Paul appeals to them to have steadfastness to Jesus and unity with each other even in suffering. Paul says that living this way, living their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel, would be a sign of destruction to their enemies. But how? He also says this suffering is evidence of their salvation. What does Paul mean by this? We see that Paul had a much different perspective on suffering than other 1st century (and 21st century) people. B: (2:1-4) In this section, Paul talks about their motivations or unity as well as what unity looks like. He appeals to unity based on their shared life in Christ. He emphasizes that humility is a prerequisite to unity. C: (2:5-11) This is the letter’s center of gravity, and everything Paul talks about throughout the entire letter, comes out of this poem. It is absolutely crucial to understanding the message of the book. We spend some time looking at the historical context of the cross before spending time with the Christ hymn as a whole. Paul appeals to Jesus’ example as the reason why and how he is calling the Philippians to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (in humility, servanthood, unity, and obedience).B’: (2:12-13) Paul again urges them to continue obeying him (in his earlier encouragement to continue in unity and steadfastness), but this time the reason is because of their mutual relationship. These verses bring up a difficult passage on what Paul’s understanding of salvation is, so we take a look at that as well. He is not talking about justification, instead he is referring to sanctification. A’: (2:14-16) This is another application of steadfastness and unity in the face of opposition. These few verses pull a lot from the Old Testament! We take a look at what allusions Paul is making, and what he is communicating through this.Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we look at 1:1-26, focusing in on Paul's eternal perspective. In 1:12-14, Paul talks about even though he has been suffering, God has used it to spread the gospel in 2 ways. Knowing the historical context to this letter, how would knowing that God is using Paul's suffering for the gospel have encouraged the Philippians? Paul talks about two groups of people in 1:15-18a. One group likes him, the other group...not so much. What is remarkable is Paul's perspective on the situation, and it has led some to believe that we are never to rebuke fellow brothers and sisters in the faith. But, is that really what Paul is talking about here? 1:18b-26 contains some of Paul's most quoted material: Living is Christ and dying is gain. This is where we see Paul's eternal perspective most clearly, and take a look at the question, "What does it mean to have an eternal perspective?"Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

I first introduce the book, sharing how this letter is different from Paul's other letters, and share a little bit about why I loved preparing to teach it. Then for the bulk of the episode we cover the historical background (the 'BRI'), going over things like, "Who wrote the letter? When did they write it? Who did they write it to? Why did they write it? What was the world like when they wrote it?" Next we turn to the structure of the book, which is always vital in understanding any book of the Bible from a holistic perspective. The structure of Philippians is not linear. Paul doesn't develop one thought from the beginning, and expand on it throughout the letter. Instead, 2:6-11 (commonly referred to as the Christ Hymn) is the center of the letter, from which every part flows out of. And finally we take a quick look at what some of the main themes are in Philippians! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

Faith in ActionAt one point in time, these believers were living out the words of Jesus, but now they weren't, which is why the idea that faith needs to be active is something James emphasizes time and time again. (1:22-25) James contrasts the hearers vs the doers of the word. Doing the law the way Jesus commands is the only consistent response to hearing what He said. (2:14-26) Here we get more details about why it is so necessary for faith to be active. James is concerned with the consistency of his readers. They need to do more than confess the right set of orthodox beliefs with their mouths; their lives and behavior needed to reflect those beliefs! This theme of Faith in Action ties is the heart of this book and its themes. Prayer: You say you believe in God, the One who generously gives good gifts...so put that faith into action and pray in faith instead of doubting Him. Wisdom: You say you believe in God, the One who has all wisdom...so put your faith into action and instead of living from sinful, earthly wisdom, live from the heavenly wisdom He gives you. Tongue: You say you believe in God, the One who has made humans in His images...so put your faith into action and instead of speaking evil and getting into conflicts with one another, live out the law of love. Rich/Poor: You say you believe in Jesus, the One who came to bring good news to the poor...so put your faith into action and instead of neglecting the orphan and widow, love and care for them. And lastly, the theme of Endurance: You say you believe in God, the One who is compassionate and merciful, the one who has a crown of life waiting for you...so put your faith into action by not giving into sin and endure through the testing of your faith. Endurance through Trials(1:12-16) James encourages the OR to stand firm through testing, because God will reward and bless those who endure temptation. (5:7-11) In case they were feeling like it was impossible to endure, James encourages them by giving three examples of endurance. (1:2-4) James' readers were to consider the trials as joy because the testing of their faith is like a refiner's fire, purifying them until all that does not resemble Jesus is stripped away. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

Prayer(5:13-18) The OR's (Original Readers) situation is bad, so James encourages them to pray! (1:17-18) He talks about the character of the One they are praying to, reminding the OR that God's character is consistent and unchanging, which would have brought a lot of comfort to these suffering believers! Because God is consistent in His character, they can go confidently to Him in prayer. But how? (1:5-8) Here, James gives guidance for how they are supposed to pray, and shows them the right heart posture they are supposed to have. Wisdom(1:5) Wisdom is the first thing James instructs his readers to pray for, and he speaks about it as though it were a gift from God.(3:13-18) Here, James defines what heavenly wisdom (wisdom from God) looks like and contrasts this to earthly wisdom.This earthly wisdom leads to some pretty awful things which he addresses in the book. The Tongue(1:19-21) The theme of the tongue is extremely prevalent in James, and it is first introduced here through farming imagery. In this well-known passage, the Original Readers are admonished to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.(1:26-27) He says that if you cannot control your your tongue, then your religion is worthless. What does James mean?(4:11-12) We see the OR were not quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. They were speaking evil and judging each other. (3:1-5) Because they are not speaking rightly to or about each other, they need to be warned about the power of the weapon they are wielding. James also shows how hypocritical it is to worship God, but talk badly about His images. (4:1-5, 6-10) The fruit of their untamed tongue was a fractured community with conflicts and divisions. These believers needed to repent before God in humility! When they repented before God, they would realize they needed to repent to one another for all they had done and said, as they worked to patch up the fractures in their divided community. The biggest of these division was between the rich and the poor.The Rich and the Poor(1:9-11) James sets up a big contrast between two people, the believer (implied to be poor) and the rich. He describes the life of the rich as being transient. (4:13-17) The fleeting imagery to describe the rich continues here. He makes the point that because riches are so fleeting, don't waste your life pursuing them. (5:1-6) James makes several allusions to the Old Testament, to the story of Cain and Abel as well as Israel's cries at the beginning of Exodus. All this is for the purpose of reminding the poor OR that God's just judgement will come on their rich oppressors. (2:1-13) If God's judgement will come on rich and oppressive unbelievers, then why are the OR giving them preferential treatment to the detriment of the poor? James confronts this issue here, reminding them of the law of love; the rule of the Kingdom of God as inaugurated by King Jesus. The people James was writing to needed to live in accordance with this law of love, because it wasn't just hearing the words of Jesus that mattered. they needed to do them.Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, I introduce the book of James with an illustration. For those of you wondering, I was eating McDonald's :)We go over the historical background of the book (BRI), taking a look at authorship and dating as well as who the Original Readers (OR) were. This allows us insight into the mindset of James and the people he wrote to, in order to help us better understand the content of this book!At the end I talk briefly about (the lack of) structure. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this section, we look at Haggai 1:1-2:9. Our first look is at Haggai's first oracle in 1:1-1:11, in which we see the prophet Haggai confront the people’s passivity in building the temple, by explaining that their disobedience has been the reason why they have been experiencing covenant curses, as well as a command to build the temple. Then we look at the short bit of narrative in 1:12-15, where the people's response to Haggai's first message. The last thing we go over is Haggai's second oracle, found in 2:1-9. In this part, God tells Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the remnant of the people that although it doesn't look like much now, press on and build the temple because God was with them and there was coming a day when temple would be glorious once more. I ask the students the question, "Why did they have to rebuild the temple?" and we have a really great class discussion on it! They said everything (and more) that I had to say. We have some really bright students in this school, and it's always amazing to hear their thoughts, I hope you enjoy it too. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this final episode on the book of Haggai, we talk about the third oracle, found in 2:10-19. This is Haggai's conversation with the priests about the holiness (or rather, unholiness) of the people.We then look at Haggai's fourth and last oracle in 2:20-23, an encouraging oracle to the leader of the returnees! These three verses carry echoes of past books like Exodus and Daniel and there is a lot going on here. I ask the students, "Why did Haggai use this imagery, and what was he communicating through it?" and we have another discussion about their thoughts. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In the first few minutes the students share their first initials thoughts and questions regarding the book. For most of this episode we go over the literary and historical context of Haggai, something we call the BRI. Other acronyms I use include OA (Original Audience) and OR (Original Readers), the people who first heard and then first read the book. At the very end I talk a little bit about the structure of the book. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this section, we jump around in the book of Hosea quite a lot. There's not really a super clear structure but there are a few different themes and so we go through those. The way we go through this section is through looking at these:There was a problem with the people in leadership......and that contributed to God's people to having no knowledge of God......which revealed an underlying heart issue......because Israel didn't know the God with whom they had a long history......and this God was calling for a response from His people.Apart from these 5 themes we also look at some various details in the book, such as the Father heart of God and the Exodus imagery as seen in chapter 11, the garden imagery in the concluding salvation oracle, the advice Israel was given for their response, and conclude with chapter 6. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we go over the chiastic structure of the first three chapters of Hosea. A chiasm is a literary device used by Hebrew authors. This article helps to describe it, and the way I talk about it in this episode is in terms of a triangle: C B B A A After talking about the structure, we tackle the different sections starting with the A level. In the second section of B, I talk about how Jesus relates to the book of Hosea and then finish and working our way up to the climax in section C. We then finish with a little discussion on the salvation oracle found in 2:14-23. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is the first episode of my Hosea teaching in the School of Biblical Studies. In this episode, I introduce the book of Hosea, cover some historical background (called BRI in this school), talk about some different themes, and at the end take some time for questions . Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this section, we jump into the cycles of dialogue with Job and his three friends (4-27), take a look at the interlude on wisdom (28) and also step into the next section of discourse and look at what Job has to say about it all (29-31). Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this fourth and final episode on Job, we come to the end! We wrap up Elihu (32-37) and YHWH's discourse (38-41) as well as look at Job's closing statement (42:1-6) and the epilogue (42:7-17). After this, I share a little bit about what God spoke to me about the heartbeat of this book, and where Jesus is in this book as well as in our times of suffering. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

In this episode, we jump into the book! We make it through the prologue of the opening heavenly scene and all that happens to Job (1-2), Job's opening statement (3) as well do a little work to set up the cognitive setting in the next section which we will explore in the next episode. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a teaching I gave in the School of Biblical Studies. I introduce us to the book of Job, God's promise to His suffering people, as well as look at the ambiguity of the background surrounding the book! Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

A session I taught on the book of 2 Timothy at seminary. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a session I taught at seminary, going through Bublical examples of leadership. We looked at the lives of a few different leaders and talked about principles we can pull out and apply in our own lives. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a sermon I gave at one of the seminary’s chapel services that we took over. I start in Lamentations 3 and go all over the place. This was one I enjoyed writing, but didn’t have enough time do everything I wanted to in it. I’m looking forward to repurposing it in the future, but for now here it is. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a message I gave at a local church. We explore 2 Samuel 9 to see the story about Mephibosheth, and then take a look at how we all are Mephibosheth, and what the right response is from us. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This is a short message I gave at the seminary about Israel and their journey of the Exodus, and the way they wanted to return to slavery in Egypt. I then bring it around to today to talk about our Exodus from slavery, and end with a reflective question that I hope you take the time to ask yourself today as well. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

This was the teaching that wrapped up our time here at the seminary. I taught Revelation 1-19, then Tim taught a session on the history of Christianity from the apostolic period until today. After that we jumped back into the last 3 chapters of Revelation where we talked about the future events that have not yet happened.Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

An overview of the book of Hebrews that I taught at the seminary. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)

An overview of the gospel of John at the seminary. Support the show (http://PayPal.me/virginniaelaine)