Podcasts about Christology

This is an audio essay from Process This, my Substack — head over there if you want more essays like this one, and subscribe if you want them delivered to you. In this one, I'm going deep on a question that sounds biographical but is actually theological: how did Dietrich Bonhoeffer — the man who stood at a lectern in 1933, surrounded by Nazi-pin-wearing theology students, and told them that the historical Jewish particularity of Jesus Christ was "the last truth separating the churches from barbarism" — how did that man become the patron saint of Christian nationalism? The short answer is Eric Metaxas, a bestselling biography, and a fabricated quote. But the real answer is older and more dangerous than any of that, because what Metaxas did to Bonhoeffer is exactly what the German Christians did to Jesus — they turned a Person into a Principle, kept the symbol, and evicted the flesh. Bonhoeffer had a word for it in 1933. He called it Docetism. And here's the thing that should take your breath away: his Christology is not just the subject of the abuse — it is its diagnosis. I'll also tell you about the five-minute rant I recorded and deleted, what Bonhoeffer's Christmas 1942 letter to the resistance said about contempt, and why I think the most important question he leaves us with is not primarily about Eric Metaxas — it's the one he put to those sweat-soaked students, and puts to us now: which are you following — the Person or the Principle? You can subscribe to the Audio Essay podcast feed here. Join us at Theology Beer Camp, October 8-10, in Kansas City!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ONLINE LENT CLASS: Jesus in Galilee w/ John Dominic Crossan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What can we actually know about Jesus of Nazareth? And, what difference does it make? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Lenten class ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠begins where all of Dr. John Dominic Crossan's has work begins: with history. What was actually happening in Galilee in the 20s CE? What did Herod Antipas' transformation of the "Sea of Galilee" into the commercial "Sea of Tiberias" mean for peasant fishing communities? Why did Jesus emerge from John's baptism movement proclaiming God's Rule through parables—and what made that medium so perfectly suited to that message? Only by understanding what Jesus' parables meant then can we wrestle with what they might demand of us now. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The class is donation-based, including 0, so join, get info, and join up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick explores faith questions, responding to listeners with Scripture, tradition, and personal reflections. He tackles topics like Jesus’ suffering, the Catholic view of salvation, practical fasting advice, and recommends books for deeper understanding. Conversations range from probing theological mysteries to the everyday challenges faced by believers. Email – Why would Jesus have to suffer? (00:53) Lisa – Couldn’t Jesus have done it a different way? (13:23) Patrick recommends and shares some passages from “The Incarnate Lord: A Thomistic Study in Christology” by Thomas Joseph White OP (18:48) Penny - I am reading Frank Sheed's “Theology For Beginners”. How do I read multiple books at one time? (25:45) Rick - Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise” and he also rose in three days. Can you explain how those statements are consistent with what we belief? (29:54) Felix - Do Protestants make it to heaven? (33:42) Richard - If Jesus wasn't crucified, what would have happened? What if God knew that Jesus would have been accepted by everyone? (42:55) David - My family is stressed out due to job changes. It's hard for me to focus on my Lenten fast. What can I do? (45:47)

One of today's leading theologians in matters of Christology is Dominic Legge, O.P. His book The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas (Oxford University Press, 2017) is a penetrating look… Download Audio

Welcome to "Christology" brought to you by CrownsMedia..Tonight! The Kingdom Revisited: As the sons of God are emerging, it's time for higher learning. Let's dig in!C H R I S T O L O G Y | Becoming the Sons of God | CrownsSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC41gaoIttPfL9vpCKuCs_kQGive/Sow/Support: https://linktr.ee/IAMSHELLIESocials: https://linktr.ee/IAMSHELLIEMerch: https://crownsmedia.creator-spring.com/Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-6746043Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08SbB6HezwQUl2aupYcDSZApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crowns/id1474704503 Thx for watching!#prayer #prophetic #newyear #breakthrough #spiritualwarfare #jesus #deliverance #christianpodcast #church #truth #womensministry #warfarewednesdays #women #womenempowerment #faith #faithoverfear #faithjourney #christianwomen #womenofprayer #warfareprayer #prayercoach #warroom #2026 #clarity #vision

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world. Episode 7:  The Synoptics.

This video challenges the popular idea that the main teaching about Jesus in the New Testament is that he is God. Instead, we should ask "What does the Bible want to teach us about God?".Jesus Denied being God Three Times - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzpw1b5WxHM&t=768sBefore Abraham Was "I am" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZoKm1oGHFY @GospelSimplicity  What Aquinas knew that We Forgot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvc6JkSGmSYDavid Bentley Hart on Christology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0J1H91aqx8&t=5549s

Support Emet Ministries, so we can continue to provide content and resources to help disciples become disciplers: https://emetministry.churchcenter.com/givingNeed peace when life is hard? In this sermon on John 16 by Christian Barrett, explore Jesus' final teaching to His disciples and discover how His promise, “Take heart; I have overcome the world,” brings real hope and peace. Christian breaks down the chapter: persecution and being put out of the synagogue (vv. 1‑4), the coming of the Holy Spirit (vv. 7‑15), Jesus' departure and return (vv. 16‑24), His oneness with the Father (vv. 25‑28) and the call to take heart (vv. 29‑33)—and see why doctrine matters. You'll learn what Christology teaches about Jesus: He is uncreated God come in the flesh, sent to save sinners, now reigning and interceding for us.my reading list:⁠ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/74696644-christian-barrettFollow us: on Instagram instagram.com/emetministriesFollow us: https://www.instagram.com/youngadultwestwood/Christian unpacks Jesus' words: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world and going to the Father” (Jn 16:28). You'll hear how:Jesus is from the Father—eternally divine (Isa 9:6).He came into the world as God in the flesh to die for sinners and offer salvation by faith alone.He returns to the Father, now ruling and interceding on our behalf.We then ask: How does this doctrine bring peace? Jesus dares us to believe that He has overcome the world. When trials come—persecution, illness, loss—we can look to Him instead of worldly comforts. The sermon challenges believers to apply doctrine daily (prayer, Bible reading, church community) and invites seekers to begin their journey with Christ.Call to Action & ResourcesLike this video, subscribe, and share if you're encouraged.CHAPTERS00:00 – John 16 Explained | Take Heart, I Have Overcome the World02:49 – Summary of John 13–16 | Jesus' Final Teaching to His Disciples05:11 – What Is Doctrine? Why Beliefs Shape Your Life08:24 – What Is Christology? The Study of Who Jesus Is11:05 – Jesus Is From the Father | A Claim to Divinity (John 16:28)13:04 – The Mission of Jesus | Why God Came Into the World14:54 – Why Jesus Died for Sinners | The Gospel Explained17:16 – Jesus Is Going to the Father | What It Means17:52 – What Does It Mean That Jesus Intercedes for Us?19:49 – Jesus' Greatest Claim | God in the Flesh21:16 – Why Doctrine Matters for Real Life29:20 – When You Don't Feel the Love of God31:01 – A Dare to the Non-Christian | Believe in Jesus Today33:16 – J.I. Packer's 6 Truths Every Christian Should Remember#John16 #Sermon #Jesus #TakeHeart #HolySpirit #Christianity #Doctrine #Peace #Gospel

Canon Stephen Sharpe, ICKSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph Shrine in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained in 2020. In Today's Show: If Canon Sharpe could only pick one book for a layman to read, what would it be? What is the proper way to practice NFP? How can someone deal with an emotionally abusive parent once they are an adult? Is dying now different from death at the end of the world? What should you do if your parents are against a young marriage? Does bad Christology lead to bad Mariology? What does Lenten abstinence consist of? Why are we allowed to eat fish on Fridays during Lent? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Malcolm Yarnell about his recent work in Systematic Theology with a focus on Christology. In our conversation, we talk about the task of theology, the life of the churches, and the urgent need for a robust Christology. Some of his books most relevant to this discussion are the first two volumes of his Theology for Every Person series: God (B&H Publishing) and Word (B&H Publishing).    Yarnell is Research Professor of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.    This podcast is hosted by Ched Spellman (https://linktr.ee/chedspellman). Thanks for listening! My Most Recent Book: One Grand Story: How the Bible Tells its Story and Why it Matters Substack Series on the Canonical Approach: https://bit.ly/3rht399 Digital Tip Jar ("Buy Me a Coffee"): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chedspellman Clarifying Note: The views of special guests are their own & do not necessarily reflect my own or the organizations with which I am formally and informally affiliated.

Andrew Hollingsworth and I have been finishing the "Incarnation: 4 Views" debate book. Today I give you a sneak peek at the book. Some history of Christology. A little bit of metaphysical mayhem. You know the deal. CreditsHost: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews; Dr. Habil. University of Helsinki) is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Lucerne, and a docent of dogmatics at the University of Helsinki.Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rtmullins.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/user?u=66431474⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/rtmullins⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we discuss some of the peculiarities of the human nature of Christ.

Dr. Hanna Reichel, Princeton Theological Seminary professor of Systematic Theology, stops by to discuss their timely new book For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional which offers "a timely resource for ordinary Christians seeking to live faithfully in extraordinary times of societal upheaval and political fragility." (Source:https://ptsem.edu/academics/faculty/hanna-reichel/) Bio: Dr. Reichel is Charles Hodge Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Their areas of interest span Christian doctrine and political theology, with special interests in Christology, theological anthropology, eschatology, the doctrine of God, theological method and critical epistemologies. Reichel's second book, After Method: Queer Grace, Conceptual Design, and the Possibility of Theology has been widely celebrated for building bridges between Queer-liberationist and Reformed-Systematic sensibilities, as well as constructively introducing design theory into conversations about theological method.    https://www.amazon.com/Such-Time-This-Emergency-Devotional/dp/0802885926/ref=sr_1_1?crid=T0I8OQ2E5IYA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m9kis26OpZwU8zKwTKM__rWNCEYH-Ilfbm-mXLpCtWJDVsaQrFCvXFDNIR2OvoTYu5by7IPXZfcEM9XPXDizJeTLjTXMFPrDDFZ-qUes-xaYLNy4G1fdjic4w9jaZB06sAwyNHBz5KizByXm7ZJRguAS-MbG116btuAlnEJvJYLYeahT8xatdY3vIRiIM9EQ.Z67k9JBh9gdlWvPWCMcoG47Gu80n3lkqtBKs-cLiEYg&dib_tag=se&keywords=hanna+reichel&qid=1772543133&sprefix=hanna+reichel%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world. Episode 6:  The Way.

The Christ hymn of Phil. 2:6-11 is one of the most studied NT passages on Christology. When considering Paul's own study we should note 3:20-21 of the same letter, which reprises several Greek words from the hymn. Dr. Chris Kugler is Lecturer in Theology for George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, at the Houston Campus, Lanier Theological Library. His publications include Paul and the Image of God and Heaven, Hell, and Hope: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of Universal Salvation. Check out related programs at Wheaton College: B.A. in Classical Languages (Greek, Latin, Hebrew): https://bit.ly/4s5Br54  M.A. in Biblical Exegesis: https://bit.ly/4qSuOlE 

Have you ever wondered what truly happens during Holy Communion and why it matters so deeply? In this episode, we are joined by John Bombaro to explore the profound theological significance of the Eucharist, its roots in the ancient Catholic tradition, and how a renewed understanding can transform our worship and faith life.00:00 - Introduction to the significance of the Eucharist in Lutheran faith01:23 - The personal journey of John Bombaro from Catholic roots to confessional Lutheranism03:05 - Why the Lord's Supper is often the center of doctrinal differences09:00 - Christology as the foundation of sacramentology vs. Christ-centeredness11:53 - The importance of continuity with Catholic and Orthodox sacramental traditions14:31 - The theological basis for the real presence and sacramental union23:00 - The importance of liturgical integrity and the threat of liturgical drift27:56 - The role of uniformity, tradition, and church authority in Lutheran worship34:31 - Restoring reverence, decorum, and beauty in the Lutheran mass42:48 - The significance of the priesthood, dignity, and proper liturgical practices50:46 - The spiritual warfare and enchantment of the Holy Communion66:34 - Moving beyond “kindergarten Christianity” toward deep sacramental understanding74:49 - The necessity of catechesis and lifelong education in Confessional Lutheran doctrine81:17 - Biblical and early church evidence for liturgy and sacrament practice90:33 - Luther's liturgical reforms as a return to tradition, not innovation96:32 - Christian freedom and the discipline of reverent worship97:37 - The call to recover lost reverence and the legacy of confessional practiceHear John on Issues, Etc - https://issuesetc.org/guest/john-bombaro/John's Book Recommendations: Kent A. Heimbigner, In the Stead of Christ: The Relationship of the Celebration of the Lord's Supper to the Office of Holy Ministry (Repristination Press, 1997).Alexander Schmemann, The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1987).David Fagerberg, Consecrating the World: On Mundane Liturgical Theology (Angelico Press, 2016).David Fagerberg, The Liturgical Cosmos: The World Through the Lens of the Liturgy (Emmaus Academic, 2023).R. Alan Streett, Subversive Meals: An Analysis of the Lord's Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century (Pickwick Publications, 2013).Scott Hahn, The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross (Image, 2018).James F. White, Sacraments as God's Self Giving (Abingdon Press, 1983)Gird Up Links:Website - https://www.girdupministries.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girdup_podcast/YouTube - https://youtube.com/@girdupministries4911?si=bJQOUakikV4aUbc9

Last week, I started talking about the nature of this Gnostic Reformation that I’m describing here. It turns out that the approach to Gnosticism that I am sharing with you here at Gnostic Insights is a reformation of what is understood to be Gnosticism. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode yet, it would be really good for you to start there. Go back and listen to or read the episode called, This Gnostic Reformation. I didn’t read any books about Gnosticism; I actually read the Nag Hammadi itself. I used my own method of discernment, my own model building method called A Simple Explanation to understand what I was reading. We all do that. We all have internal structures that help us to interpret what we understand about the world around us–what we understand about the nature of anything, whether it’s God or people or oneself. I had already previously come up with a very coherent system for understanding the things around me. That’s what I call A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything. That book is available. You can check it out. I’ll put the link here in the transcript. When people say, “My goodness, your Gnosticism is so different than what I have come to understand Gnosticism to be,” that’s because I didn’t take it from secondary sources. I took it from the original sources.  Then of course, Valentinian Gnosticism is an early form of what has come to be called Christianity. Christianity diverged immensely from the original message around the 300's and on up, when the gnostic books were taken out of Orthodoxy. Those folks that are called heresiologists are the people that went around slapping heresy labels on the early Christianity—the early Valentinian Gnosticism. They weeded it out of the official sacred texts that made their way into the New Testament. The main book of the Nag Hammadi that I relate to is called the Tripartite Tractate. I believe it to be the purest form of gnosis. It has very little in the way of mythologies, of extraneous characters, of the names of things and the numbers of things and the astrology of it all. Valentinian Gnosticism from the Tripartite Tractate is unique in that the fallen Aeon is not called Sophia, a female character. In the Sethian mythology, the female character—and by the way, that presupposes that there are genders among the Aeons in the Fullness of God, but that really doesn’t make much sense because there’s no sex. That is not the way that Aeons procreate. Aeons procreate by giving glory to the Father in various combinations, and it’s those various combinations of giving glory that produce amalgamations of those combinations. It’s a logarithmic progression of Aeons. It keeps growing as various Aeons recombine with one another and give glory to the Father and the Son—upstream, as I like to call it. That has nothing to do with gender. It has to do with giving glory to God with your friends and neighbors. See, we have gender because it has to do with procreation, and this is what is causing all of the gender confusion going around now. Differences among us—what we typically call masculine or feminine—these are personality traits. They don’t have to have anything to do with your sex. So the idea that you have to change your physical sex to reconceive of your gender or reconceive of who you are or your personality—this is a false teaching. You are who you are. You are a combination of various Aeons. You are the fruit of those Aeons, and it really has nothing to do with gender. The Father is not a male figure. Barbelo is not the mother. These are gendered identifications, but they are not truly gender because they’re not sexed. Does that make any sense? So last week we talked about the first emanation. In Sethianism, it’s Barbelo, the mother figure, the womb of all, the matrix of divine life. In Valentinian Gnosticism, that first figure is the Son, and in most of the Valentinian texts, the Son is conflated with the Christ. Oh, by the way, Christians get very bent out of shape about calling Christ the Christ. They say, if anybody—and I heard this from a radio preacher not long ago—“If anyone says ‘the'Christ, you know right off they’re not saved. You know right off they’re not Christians, because ‘the' Christ is a made-up figure, whereas Jesus is Christ, and Jesus is the Son of God.” Well, Jesus is a human being, so we know that Jesus is not the originating Son of God, which an ethereal figure. The Son, in Valentinian Christianity, was the immediate self-expression of the Father. The Father emanated the Son, and the Son entirely represents the Father. Jesus is way downstream here, along with the rest of us humans. He was called the perfect human because he expressed the Father and the Son in his human personality. Jesus came to be well downstream, along with the rest of us humans. In Sethianism, the Barbelo, the first expression, isn’t the Savior. She’s the source of the Savior. She’s the mother of Autogenes, whom they call the Christ. In Valentinianism, the Son is the immediate self-expression of the Father. There’s no Barbelo figure, and the Son is the primary mediator of divine knowledge. The Son is fully expressive and representative of the Father, and he stays plugged into the Father—or it stays. It’s difficult when speaking English not to use gendered pronouns, because that’s the way our grammar works. So, forgive me for saying “he” when I speak of the Son or the Father, but “it” just seems so impersonal. And the Son is personal to us. The Son is our Father, our Abba. In Sethianism, Christ, also known as Autogenes, is not the initial revelation of the Father. He’s the restorative agent who repairs the damage caused by the fall of the Aeon. And in Sethianism, the Aeon who fell was a female figure, Sophia. Christ is often paired with Seth, and Seth is a character out of the mythology of Sethianism that is the heavenly archetype of the Gnostic race. Sethianism has distinctions amongst humans. There are the elect and there are those who are not elect. There are those who are called hylic-only, which is material only. And so, if you’re a Sethian Gnostic, you don’t believe that all of the people that you see around here are carriers of divinity. You believe that only Gnostics are carriers of divinity, much like Christians only believe that those who have come forward and professed belief in Jesus Christ are the elect, and they’re the only ones who are saved. Gnostics have the same type of distinction, only they think only the Sethians are those who are saved. And that really doesn’t have to do with Jesus. It has to do with Christ and Seth—that Christ’s role is to descend and rescue the elect, and the elect would be Sethians. Now, in Valentinian Christianity, you don’t have that kind of distinction. Christ is the direct image of the Father. Most of the books of the Nag Hammadi, the Valentinian as well as the Sethian, still identify Sophia as the fallen Aeon; they still have a gendered pleroma of the Fullness of God. This is one of the big, big differences between the Gnosticism that I share with you and these more ancient Gnostic strains of thought. I do not think that Aeons are gendered. It’s an unnecessary step of confusion, the idea of syzygies and marriages and pair bonds. No, that’s not necessary. At least in the Tripartite Tractate, if you read it, nowhere is anything like that mentioned. There’s no gender identification mentioned at all. In Valentinian Christology, [which is what it’s called when you study Christ], outside of the Tripartite Tractate the rest of the books that talk about Christ say that Christ is the direct image of the Father. His incarnation is intentional, therapeutic, and as a teacher, and he brings knowledge of the Father, not merely rescue from the Fall. Christians generally believe that Christ brings knowledge of the Father because he talked about the Father, or he taught—that he’s a pedagogical character. He’s a teacher, but that his actual salvation came from dying on the cross, from death and then overcoming death. He brings everyone who believes in him forward in overcoming death. Now, the Tripartite Tractate doesn’t put it that way. The Tripartite Tractate explains how Christ came not to die and not only to teach, but salvation lies in the very fact that Christ came to Earth in the perfection of the Father. Jesus said, “If you see me, you see the Father. He who loves me loves the Father, and he who loves the Father loves me.” That was Jesus speaking as the embodiment of the Christ. Jesus embodied the Fullness of the Christ in his human body walking around on the Earth, and so he built a bridge between the ethereal plane and the material plane. He brought them back together for the first time since Logos fell out of the pleroma. He brings them back together, and he brings restoration in that manner. There’s another primary difference between Sethian Gnosticism and Valentinian Gnosticism, other than Barbelo being the first emanation or the Son being the first emanation. In Sethianism, Christ’s role is as a cosmic rescuer, and in the Valentinian tradition, he is the revealer of truth and the healer. Sethians tend to think of the world as completely hostile and alien. This material world is a prison. It’s a trap. Everything’s wrong down here.   Now, in the Valentinian system, it is also thought that the world is wrong. It’s fallen, but it is redeemable, and so salvation comes through transformation of what is around us, whereas in the Sethian system, salvation comes by escaping the trap. The goal in Sethianism is to return to Barbelo, and the goal in the Valentinian system is to return to the Father. So, Sethianism is much more apocalyptic. It’s about crashing the world and getting out because there’s nothing good down here. Valentinian is more therapeutic because it believes in transformation through love and spreading the gospel–the good news. That’s what gospel means. The good news of Christ, the good news of the Father, the good news of eternal life beyond materiality. In the Gnostic Reformation that I am proposing here, we can combine somewhat the two schools of thought. This is a bridge Gnosticism between Sethianism, Valentinianism, and Christianity, although churchgoers aren’t going to like any of this, right? Because they’re fine in the system that they believe it to be, and I think that’s okay. If you’re a non-hypocritical Christian who goes to church and prays, and you’re in touch with the Father, and you embody the Christ, that’s great. No problem with that. And did you know that Valentinian Christians were accepted as full Christians for the first 300 years? They were side by side, sitting in the same churches, giving the same prayers, sharing in the same rituals. It was only after the Nicene Council and the takeover by the Catholic Church that Valentinians were excluded from Christianity. So I’m not trying to crash Christianity. I’m only trying to bring a correction to the hypocrisy and misunderstandings of Christianity. Well, we know there’s a ton of hypocrites. I’m an idealist. That’s my nature. So when I discuss these things, it’s in their ideal form. It’s the way they ought to be. It’s the way they’re described. It’s the way they were designed by God and the Aeons. If you take your knowledge from what you see around here in this fallen world, then you have got a very poor idea of what it is. And you may sit in a Christian church, and you may go through the motions of being a cultural Christian. But unless you are in touch with the Father, and unless you are embodying the Christ, you’re taking your guidance from the world. And this is how it is that many people nowadays think they’re doing good, when actually they’re doing bad. And even worse than that, people who say they’re doing good, and they know they’re not doing good, they know they’re doing bad. That’s hypocrisy. That’s what hypocrisy is. So when I describe these systems, or I describe the nature of the Christ, the nature of the body of believers, the nature of love, the nature of the Father, the nature of our aeonic or heavenly home in the pleroma of the Fullness of God, I’m describing it in an idealistic manner, in the way it’s designed to be. And that’s what we aim for. We aim for the ideal. You cannot take your cues from this earthly realm. And make sure that you don’t take your cues from teachers who are themselves fallen and not embodying Christ. In this Gnostic Reformation that I’m sharing with you, the Son is the primal emanation, the direct image of the Father. He stays fully plugged into the Father. He has all of the direct knowledge, wisdom, love, consciousness of the Father–life. While Christ is a later restorative agent, formed through the prayers of the aeons, the Son, and the Logos after Logos returned back to the Fullness. They prayed for help to come to the mess that Logos made down below when he fell. They pray for help to rescue the Demiurge, which is part of Logos—it's his ego. It’s his presenting face. They want the Demiurge to come out of its amnesic state and remember the Father, remember the Fullness, remember Logos, its better half. And when that happens, that is when the big roll-up can occur—when all of the shadows will disappear. Because when the Demiurge comes to awareness, to Self-awareness, as being part of the Logos, as being part of the Son, then all of the shadows that have come out of the Demiurge—all of this material construction—will just vanish. Dissolve like snow, as the old hymn says. There’s nothing in the Nag Hammadi like Armageddon. Christian theology culminates with a great bloody battle called Armageddon, where all the sinners are killed and only the elect remain. And only the elect are up there in heaven then. And that’s why it’s all good, because they killed all the bad people, and they all went to hell, and they’re locked down there in eternal torture. Well, that does not sound like the Father Jesus spoke of. And that doesn’t appear anywhere in the Nag Hammadi. The way we Valentinian Gnostics do battle is not with swords and bullets and fists. We are to do battle with love. We love them. That’s what we’re supposed to do. We demonstrate love. We are called the second order powers. All creatures on the earth are second order powers. The Aeons above are the first order of powers. We are their descendants. We are their children. We are their fruit. And we are called the second order of powers. We were sent here to remind the Demiurge of love and life and consciousness. See, the Aeons and the Logos–this was their plan. They cooked it up. We were sent here to bring love and remembrance to the Demiurge. Restoration in that way. It didn’t work out, because we get caught up in this material life; because we get caught up in the never-ending war. You can’t remind people of good through evil. You cannot remind people of love through hatred. Only love breeds love. Now let’s look at how all of this affects Christology, the study of Christ. In the Gnosticism that I am sharing with you, the Son is the primal emanation. He’s the direct image of the Father. He represents divine Self-knowledge, and he is stable, he is eternal, and he is not fallen. The Christ is a later emanation. He’s a third order power. He’s generated for the purpose of restoration. He is shaped by the Son, Logos, and the Aeons, praying together to the Father for help to come to the Fall. He is the agent of healing, reconciliation, and revelation. So we have a Son, which is the first emanation, and we have a Christ, which is the restorative agent that comes after the first and second order of powers. Christ teaches the soul to recognize the Son. Christ repairs the cosmic imbalance caused by ignorance, and salvation flows from the Father, through the Son, through Christ, and into our souls and the Demiurge's soul—his ego. You see, we all have a perfect Self that is an embodiment of the pleroma of the Fullness of God. All of the first order powers are within us as they were with Logos, within him in a fractal manner, and then we are further fractals of Logos. It’s a nested hierarchy. We are children of the Elohim of Adonai Elohim So when the Christ comes into the cosmos to bring perfection and healing to the Demiurge and to us, it’s very similar, because the reason we feel less than perfect is because we have both an ego and that perfect Self, as did Logos. And it was the ego of Logos that became the Demiurge. Well, our fractal version of that same exact phenomenon is when our ego is not in alignment with our Self. And when the ego is not in alignment with the Self, when the ego has forgotten its origin, like happened to the Demiurge, when the ego has forgotten that it’s not the boss—our boss is our big S Self because that has the direct connection to the emanations of the Father and the Aeons above. Consciousness, life, love, all come from above, and that comes through our Self. The Self at the center of our souls is a fractal of the Fullness of God Then when we are melded onto this material world, to the molecules of the egg, the zygote that is now splitting, splitting, splitting, and leveling up to become the organism, we become lost in the materiality of this cosmic space. And it’s harder for our Self to shine forth through the material. And our egos are more than willing to identify with the material, with the Demiurge, because the Demiurge is pure ego. And so our egos come to resonate with the Demiurge. Even the Aeons have egos. Even the Son has an ego. Ego is merely your address. It’s your name, your rank, your function in the overall hierarchical pleroma of the Fullness of God. That’s what your ego is—it's your ID. The Aeons in the Fullness all have their position, place, power, function. So ego in and of itself is not a bad thing. It is easily led astray once we are in these material bodies down here on the earth. The pleroma of the Christ is the 3rd Order of Powers And so Christ’s function is to remind us of the purity of God, the purity of the soul, the purity of our Self, where we come from, and where we will be returning to, and what our job is down here. Because it’s only then, through the Christ, that we can feel the love, that we can embody the love, in order to share it with others and with the Demiurge. Consciousness and life only comes from above. The computers come from below. Life cannot jump into the molecular level. Okay, we’ll come back around to all of this one more time next week. Please leave me your thoughts. Let’s have a discussion on these things. We’ll pick it up again next week. God bless us all, and onward and upward! A Simple Explanation of the Gnostic Gospel puts it all together for you. Please purchase the book and don’t forget to leave a review! 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Dr. Robert Letham joins Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey to discuss Dr. Letham's recent book The Eternal Son (P&R Publishing). Their conversation presses into a simple but urgent claim: Christology is not a side department of theology—it is the living center. When the church loses clarity about who the Son is, the gospel itself becomes unclear, because salvation depends on the identity of the Savior. They also explore why the church must listen carefully to the whole ecumenical tradition, especially the often-neglected debates after Chalcedon. Letham explains why it matters that the acting subject in the Gospels is the eternal Son, who assumes a true human nature without change in his divine person. From there, they engage contemporary confusions—especially biblicism that isolates Scripture from the church's confession—and they address the claim that Christ was "adopted" at the resurrection, showing how such proposals unravel both orthodox Christology and the gracious character of adoption for believers. Watch on YouTube Chapters 00:07 Introduction 02:04 This Book within the Trilogy 04:36 Christ and the Center of Christianity 11:05 Reading the Bible in Isolation 16:44 The Ecumenical Councils After Chalcedon 26:44 The Pre-Existent Son 30:24 Christology from Below 35:54 The Doctrine of Adoption 44:48 Twin Errors of Christology and Soteriology 53:15 An Exhortation to Re-Examine the Historical Confession of the Church 56:19 Conclusion Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton, Robert Letham

Dr. Robert Letham joins Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey to discuss Dr. Letham's recent book The Eternal Son (P&R Publishing). Their conversation presses into a simple but urgent claim: Christology […]

In Part 2 of this deep-dive investigation, Jeremiah Roberts and Andrew “Super Sleuth” Soncrant continue their examination of La Luz del Mundo (“Light of the World”) by moving beyond history into the movement's theology and Christology. Joined again by researcher and author Luis Carlos Reyes  @Mopar440HP  team unpacks the doctrinal framework that sustains one of the largest and most controversial apostle-centered movements in the world. This episode carefully analyzes La Luz del Mundo's rejection of historic Trinitarianism, its Oneness-influenced understanding of God, and its redefinition of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  What does LLDM actually teach about the incarnation? How do they interpret the Son of God?  And how does their theology position the “living apostle” as the necessary mediator of salvation in the present age?  The discussion exposes how LLDM's doctrine of “election” reshapes the Gospel itself—placing apostolic authority functionally above Scripture and reframing salvation as loyalty to a man rather than faith in Christ alone. Jeremiah, Andrew, and Luis contrast these teachings with historic Christian orthodoxy, highlighting the theological fault lines that separate LLDM from biblical Christianity. Carlos' YouTube: HERE Cultish BLOG on La Luz Del Mundo: HERE **The blog is a living article, things are still being added to it. SHOP OUR MERCH: HERE Please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel: CultishTV.com Cultish is a 100% crowdfunded ministry. 

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world.  Episode 5: The Church

In this episode, we discuss Christ's human nature.

Send a textGrace walks into Nazareth, opens Isaiah 61, and stops mid-sentence. That single pause changes everything. We unpack why Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favor without invoking “the day of vengeance,” and what His claim—“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”—demands from a crowd tempted to reduce Him to “Joseph's son.” The tension spikes from polite admiration to raw fury, exposing how pride, familiarity, and spiritual entitlement can harden hearts. When the room demands hometown miracles on cue, Jesus reaches back to Elijah and Elisha, showing how God's mercy finds faith beyond the expected boundaries.From there the scene moves to Capernaum, where Jesus teaches with a striking, unborrowed authority. Unclean spirits cry out His identity, and He silences them with a word. No theatrics. No negotiation. Just the authority that flows from who He is. We talk about why demons often hold a clearer Christology than modern skeptics, why a purely material lens misses the spiritual stakes, and how believers can face darkness without fear by anchoring in Christ's victory. Then compassion meets a household: He rebukes Simon's mother-in-law's fever, and she rises to serve—a quiet picture of how true healing points us toward humble, grateful action.As the sun sets and the crowds swell, Jesus heals many but refuses demonic testimony and empty hype. When people beg Him to stay, He slips away to a desolate place and resets on purpose: “I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God.” That line becomes our compass. We explore the habits that shaped His ministry and can shape ours—regular worship, community, Scripture fluency, solitude, service, and a mission that resists the drift toward applause. If you've ever wrestled with unbelief, spiritual pride, the reality of the demonic, or the difference between popularity and purpose, this journey through Luke 4 offers both clarity and courage.If this conversation helps you see Jesus more clearly, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can discover the show. What part of Luke 4 challenged you most?New episodes every Mondaywww.lifehousemot.cominfo@lifehousede.com Join us Sundays at 9 & 11 AM Intro music by Joey Blair

Today, we will see first that Jesus is better than angels because he has received a greater name. He is the eternal Son who has become the exalted Son, the promised Messiah who is worthy to sit on heaven's throne and receive the worship that is due to God alone.

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:9-14 (NRSVUE) So, this Sunday is the first Sunday in our Lent season. As all of you know naman, Lent season is in preparation for Easter or Resurrection Sunday. This is when Jesus rose again. So that's going to be a month from now — malapit na. And along with that, all the preparations that we as a community is going to face. This is the season where we reflect on the life of Jesus — lahat ng drama bago siya mamatay at mabuhay muli. And in this season we are invited to pray, to fast, reflect, and to be charitable, which I encourage all of us to observe in our own little ways. Even though some of us here are hindi naman Katoliko, and if hindi ka naman religious, the practice of abstinence and self-discipline is still valuable pa rin naman and something that we must all practice. Lent season is not just about the disciplines in themselves. The challenge for all of us Christians this Lent is that these practices will eventually lead us to repentance and transformation. And repentance and transformation all start with the acknowledgement of our sins as an individual and as a collective. That's why this afternoon we would be discussing sin — the nature of sin, and kung ano nga ba ang sin. In the study of theology, sa mga may theology background diyan or nagse-seminary, we also divide theological topics into branches. Just like in science — sa science we have biology, we have chemistry, zoology. In theology, meron din. Dini-divide din natin yung knowledge or study ng theology into branches. So in systematic theology, we also have the likes of Christology, which is the study that concerns the nature of Jesus. We have Soteriology, which we will be discussing in the coming weeks. Soteriology is concerned with salvation in the Christian sense. And for today we would be discussing Hamartiology, which is the study of sin. So yung paglabas niyo mamaya, uy grabe, feeling niyo may MDiv na kayo dahil may natutunan kayong theology on this service. Pwede niyo nang i-flex sa mga friends niyo. So why is it called hamartiology? I-clarify ko lang: hamartiology is spelled — it's a single word. Hindi siya “hamar” and “theology” with space. It's from the Greek word hamartia, which means to miss the mark. So in your New Testament books, when you read the word sin, some of those came from the word hamartia and is translated to sin in English. So I mention na some of those kasi hindi lang naman hamartia yung word for sin. There are many of that. But for this afternoon, we will be focusing on the word hamartia for sin. There are some people who think na pag progressive ka wala ka nang konsepto ng kasalanan. Kasi nga if ang same-sex relationship ay hindi niyo naman tinuturing na kasalanan, then ano pang kasalanan for you? Since parang lahat naman ay pwede — diyan kayo nagkakamali. Kaya nga may community guidelines tayo. The funny thing is, for some people it seems that being gay is the greatest sin that there is — even worse than the seven deadly sins. It seems to be more acceptable to some than gay people getting married or being in a same-sex relationship. Para mas grabe pa ang reaksyon nila dito rather than a president ordering the killing of people, regardless kahit maraming inosente ang madadamay. So the question is: wala nga ba tayong konsepto ng kasalanan bilang progressive Christians? Not at all. Not at all. In fact, the challenge with being a progressive Christian is that what we consider sins are sometimes those that are not obvious and sadly even considered as normal or acceptable in this society that we're in. Pumunta lang kayo sa news feed niyo at sa comment sections ng mga tita at tito niyo. Grabe. Hindi ko naman jine-generalize lahat ng tita, kahit ako naloloka minsan na grabe normal okay lang sa kanila 'to. Minsan napapa-question ako: ako ba yung mali? For example, killing people for the greater good daw is acceptable for some. Makikita mo yan sa comment section. Corruption — some people, even Christians, don't even seem to care or are not angry with the rampant corruption that's happening in our country. Yung iba jina-justify pa at pinagtatanggol. Yung iba may pa-prayer vigil pa. They are even more angry sa pagbuo ng relationships nating mga bakla and even with the recent Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex partnerships to co-own properties. Mas kasalanan pa sa kanila na may dalawang babae o dalawang lalaki na magkaroon ng legal protection to own properties rather than their own favorite politicians na nagnanakaw ng properties that aren't theirs and even killing innocent people in the process — and worse, using God to justify it. And for some of us, we are not immune to societal sins that pervade us. For example, rampant consumerism — from the belief that happiness lies in consuming more and obtaining things that doesn't satisfy us. O ‘di ba? Ilan na yung nasa cart niyo? O hindi ko kayo iju-judge kung kailangan niyo talaga 'yan — i-checkout niyo na. Kung needs naman, go, hindi naman kayo huhusgahan diyan. Pero aminin natin, 'di ba, sometimes tayo can be consumeristic at times. Oo, 'di ba? O labubo — baka ma-bash ako. Ayon. O next topic. Naku ito — how about our dependence sa social media? 'Di ba, na parang… o kita niyo, kahit ako parang social media na rin magsalita with that trend. Social media na nagde-dictate sa atin kung ano yung dapat nating magustuhan, who to vote, and what a good life is. Huwag kasi kayong maniniwala sa aming mga advertisers. I'm raising my hand here, so baka mawalan ako ng trabaho next week. Oh 'di ba? This just all points out na yung mga personal sins natin ay related sa systemic and social sin. But also alam ko din naman that all of us here are middle class and some are even considered poor. Wala naman sigurong nepo baby dito, no — except kay RD. Joke lang. Oo, mukha kasing congressman si John sa recent date nila, so parang nepo vibes ang dating. So it's okay. We are all just getting by for us to bear the burden of these complex systemic issues or sins that all of us are trapped in. So ito na: What is sin and how do we know? Because for some pastors or churches, the very existence of our own church — MCC — and even me, your baklang lay pastor, is considered not just a sin but even an abomination that we deserve na maging panggatong sa impiyerno. 'Di ba? For us progressives, that's what constitutes sin: the likes of rape and abuse that don't reflect Jesus' command for us to love one another. Actions that cause real harm and pain that are felt, lived, and experienced — whether it is spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, sexual, and so on. Sin is two gay men or women having a loving and life-giving relationship na hindi naman nakakaabala or nakakapanakit sa mga buhay ng mga taong naniniwalang isa siyang kasalanan. The sin in this scenario is their judgment and condemnation over something that God obviously intended to be part of the diversity of God's creation. And ito — ito na yung pinaka-favorite nating progressive pero pinakamalaking haggard din sa atin: it is condemning systemic or structural sins. We also name and condemn systemic sins that bring suffering and harm to us and other people. These sins can be political, economical, and religious in nature — such as inequality, religious extremism, homophobia, misogyny, racism, environmental neglect, and so on. These are actually the sins that Jesus cared more about. ossible ba na kahit busy tayo to work on social justice as progressive Christians, we still miss the mark — that we are still capable of hurting others and forgetting the way of Jesus this Lent season? Now maybe this is a good time for all of us as progressive Christians to reflect on how, in our own ways, we are unconsciously becoming perpetrators also of the sin that we condemn. Maybe we can ask ourselves: masyado na rin ba tayong nagiging katulad ng mga Pharisees that Jesus speaks against? That what we only see is the speck in our brother's eye rather than the plank in our own eye? Sabi nga ni Jesus sa Matthew chapter 7. Because of our hyperfixation with justice, we can become the same people that we condemn — oppressive, judgmental, unforgiving. Are our condemnation or correction to other people rooted in our genuine love and care? Or is it just to satisfy our egos or to assert our moral superiority? Do we still give space for grace and transformation? Or do we easily cut short the transformative power of God's grace in the lives of others — realizing that even if they also perpetuate oppression, they too are victims of oppression themselves? Baka naman call-out lang tayo nang call-out that we forgot that we too are in the process of lifetime transformation and also need grace from other people. Tayo rin ba, personally, bukas ba tayo sa correction? O kapag tayo na ang kino-call out, defensive agad? My hope is that we don't get stuck sa pagde-deconstruct at sa pagiging mulat, but we move forward sa bagong faith at kalayaan na natagpuan natin. That in the middle of all the mess in this world, people will see that we are Jesus' disciples — because it is evident in our lives filled with love, joy, gentleness, and fierceness na strategically nilulugar din sa sitwasyon. As progressive Christians, we cannot change the world alone and overnight. We wouldn't even be able to see the fruits of our labor in our lifetime. After all, it is not our labor — it is God's labor. Kaya huwag tayong mag-alala. We just show up. We love. We find ways to be joyful, to be gentle and kind to one another, and to be fierce only when specific situations call for it. And we find strength and hope in the combined efforts of our communities who work for justice. So let us love, be joyful, and do justice where we are. Let us begin again — in our homes and in this community of Open Table. God bless us all. The post Nature of Sin appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

The significance and simplicity of our Christology is a foundation that must be laid in order that we might receive the fullness of all He's designed us to inherit and become all that He's designed us to be. We will continue to place an extremely high value on the importance of our Christology!   Union University - January 20th, 2026

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world. Episode 3:  The Holy Spirit

Hebrews began with the author reminding them that the living God has spoken fully and finally in his Son. The God who speaks has made himself known in his Son, and in vv. 3-4 we learn he is the Son who sits. In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that God's Son sits enthroned because of who he is and what he has done. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became a man in order to cleanse us from sin, and who now reigns in victory as the exalted Son of God.

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world. Episode 3:  The Ascension of Jesus as King 

WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO BECOME HUMAN? (CHRISTOLOGY 2)Last week, we began our journey through Hebrews by focusing on Christ's divine nature. In just four verses, we saw that Jesus is the agent, purpose, sustainer, and ruler of creation. He is fully God—uncreated, eternal, and the exact expression of God's nature. That was a lot of theology packed into a small space.Today we slow down and move to Christology part two: Jesus' human nature. This raises a crucial question for Christians then and now: Why did Jesus have to become human?The theological term for this is the incarnation—the central Christian belief that the eternal Son of God took on human nature in the person of Jesus Christ. Importantly, Jesus did not stop being God when He came to earth. He retained His divine nature and added a fully human nature. This means Jesus is one person with two distinct natures: fully God and fully man. No other being in the universe exists like this.While on earth, Jesus didn't “turn off” His divine power. Instead, He chose not to exercise His divine attributes independently. He lived in complete dependence on the Holy Spirit. The early church called this mystery the hypostatic union. It's deep theology, but the book of Hebrews doesn't present it as abstract theory. It presents it as good news.Let's slow down and read our passage for the day:Hebrews 2:14–18 (NLT)Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying…From this passage, Hebrews gives us seven reasons Jesus had to become human.First, Jesus became human because we are human. Since God's children are flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. Only a human could represent the human race before God. To save humanity, the Savior had to belong to humanity. In God's courtroom of justice, Jesus stands as our representative—one who truly understands our condition.Second, Jesus became human so He could die. Death is the penalty for sin, established by God from the beginning. This is the great paradox of the gospel: the Author of life became mortal. If Jesus had remained only divine, He could not have died—and if He could not die, we could not overcome death. Hebrews later reminds us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.Third, Jesus became human so He could break the power of the devil. Hebrews says that through death, Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death. Satan once held the authority to accuse humanity and hold eternal separation over our heads. Notice the tense—had the power of death. Through the cross, that authority was broken.Fourth, Jesus became human to set us free from the fear of death. Death is still inevitable, but it no longer has the final word. In the ancient world, death was a constant companion, and fear of it shaped daily life. The Christian hope of resurrection transformed everything. As Paul later declared, “O death, where is your victory?” Christians don't have to live as slaves to fear anymore.Fifth, Jesus became human so He could be our high priest. A priest bridges the gap between a holy God and broken people. Jesus had to be made like us in every respect to fulfill this role. He is merciful toward our weakness and faithful toward God's holiness. Hebrews will return to this theme again and again.Sixth, Jesus became human so He could be our sacrifice. In the Old Testament, priests offered animals. In the New Covenant, the Priest is the sacrifice. This is the ultimate power move of grace: Jesus offered Himself to take away the...

WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO BECOME HUMAN? (CHRISTOLOGY 2)Last week, we began our journey through Hebrews by focusing on Christ's divine nature. In just four verses, we saw that Jesus is the agent, purpose, sustainer, and ruler of creation. He is fully God—uncreated, eternal, and the exact expression of God's nature. That was a lot of theology packed into a small space.Today we slow down and move to Christology part two: Jesus' human nature. This raises a crucial question for Christians then and now: Why did Jesus have to become human?The theological term for this is the incarnation—the central Christian belief that the eternal Son of God took on human nature in the person of Jesus Christ. Importantly, Jesus did not stop being God when He came to earth. He retained His divine nature and added a fully human nature. This means Jesus is one person with two distinct natures: fully God and fully man. No other being in the universe exists like this.While on earth, Jesus didn't “turn off” His divine power. Instead, He chose not to exercise His divine attributes independently. He lived in complete dependence on the Holy Spirit. The early church called this mystery the hypostatic union. It's deep theology, but the book of Hebrews doesn't present it as abstract theory. It presents it as good news.Let's slow down and read our passage for the day:Hebrews 2:14–18 (NLT)Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying…From this passage, Hebrews gives us seven reasons Jesus had to become human.First, Jesus became human because we are human. Since God's children are flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. Only a human could represent the human race before God. To save humanity, the Savior had to belong to humanity. In God's courtroom of justice, Jesus stands as our representative—one who truly understands our condition.Second, Jesus became human so He could die. Death is the penalty for sin, established by God from the beginning. This is the great paradox of the gospel: the Author of life became mortal. If Jesus had remained only divine, He could not have died—and if He could not die, we could not overcome death. Hebrews later reminds us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.Third, Jesus became human so He could break the power of the devil. Hebrews says that through death, Jesus destroyed the one who had the power of death. Satan once held the authority to accuse humanity and hold eternal separation over our heads. Notice the tense—had the power of death. Through the cross, that authority was broken.Fourth, Jesus became human to set us free from the fear of death. Death is still inevitable, but it no longer has the final word. In the ancient world, death was a constant companion, and fear of it shaped daily life. The Christian hope of resurrection transformed everything. As Paul later declared, “O death, where is your victory?” Christians don't have to live as slaves to fear anymore.Fifth, Jesus became human so He could be our high priest. A priest bridges the gap between a holy God and broken people. Jesus had to be made like us in every respect to fulfill this role. He is merciful toward our weakness and faithful toward God's holiness. Hebrews will return to this theme again and again.Sixth, Jesus became human so He could be our sacrifice. In the Old Testament, priests offered animals. In the New Covenant, the Priest is the sacrifice. This is the ultimate power move of grace: Jesus offered Himself to take away the...

On this episode of 2414, Shane and Pastor Dan center the conversation on the comfort and confidence found in the LCMS confession that Jesus Christ is true God and true man.They explore what it means to confess that the eternal Son of God took on real human flesh at the Incarnation, remains both God and man after the resurrection and ascension, and reigns even now for our salvation. The discussion unpacks the communication of attributes, clarifies why the church rejects errors such as adoptionism and subordinationism, and shows how Scripture, the Apostles' Creed, and Luther's Small Catechism safeguard the biblical teaching about who Jesus is and what He has done.Rather than treating doctrine as abstract theory, Shane and Dan emphasize doctrine as clear, life-giving teaching meant to give Christians assurance: only God could bear the sins of the world, and only as man could Christ suffer, die, and rise in our place. This is the heart of our comfort—Jesus chose to save, keeps His promises, and remains “one of us” who understands human suffering.Along the way, they share a few everyday highlights and play a light game featuring songs with U.S. cities in the title, but the focus remains on slowing down, listening well, and speaking clearly about the faith we confess.Want to talk about your faith, share your story, or ask questions on a future episode?Book a recording time with us here:https://outlook.office.com/book/Ge29a5d453add4d478471a0c1bf208af9@stlukes-church.com/?ismsaljsauthenabledDon't forget to continue the conversation at home, in the car, at work, or anywhere you can find someone to talk to! Thanks for walking with us!Support the show

For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA. If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world.Episode 2:  A look at the Synoptic Gospels. 

Send us a textText: Ephesians 4:25–32; Colossians 3:10; Exodus 34:5-6; Psalm 103:8; Romans 12:14-15; Matthew 9:35-36; Luke 10:33-34Topic(s): Anger, Conflict, Restoration, EmpathyBig Idea of the Message: Anger is normal; what we do with it can be restorative or it can be destructive.Application Point: When confronting or being confronted, the believer needs to accept and acknowledge truth, while putting off the auto-response to win, be defensive, use force, or get back at someone. In our anger, we must not sin. Support the showhttps://linktr.ee/thresholdchurchchrist

In a culture increasingly resistant to Christian conviction, clarity about who Jesus Christ is has never mattered more. In this sermon, Dr. Michael Easley challenges believers to move beyond cultural Christianity and shallow faith by grounding their lives in a robust, biblical understanding of Christology—the doctrine of Christ. As pressure mounts from media, politics, and public opinion, believers are tempted to prioritize tolerance over truth, presentation over substance, and success over faithfulness. Dr. Easley argues that the antidote is not better marketing or strategy, but a deeper knowledge of Jesus Himself. To know Christ rightly is not optional; it is foundational. Walking through Scripture, he highlights five key titles of Jesus: Son of Man, Messiah, Son of God, Lord, and God. Each reveals essential truths about Christ's humanity, authority, mission, divinity, and redemptive work. Jesus fully identifies with our suffering, fulfills God's promises, perfectly reveals the Father, reigns as Lord, and stands as God Himself. This sermon reminds us that Christology is not abstract theology—it is intensely practical. When we truly know who Jesus is, it reshapes our humility, worship, courage, and witness. The ultimate question remains: when others look at us, would they see Jesus? Takeaways Cultural pressure tempts believers to soften truth, but a clear Christology anchors faith with conviction and humility. Jesus most often called Himself the Son of Man, fully identifying with our humanity and suffering. As Messiah, Jesus fulfills God's promises and reigns as the rightful King from David's line. Jesus, the Son of God, is the perfect and complete revelation of the Father. Declaring Jesus as Lord means recognizing His supreme authority over every life and allegiance. True Christology is practical—when we know Jesus rightly, others should see Him in us. To read the bible online, click here. Click here for other Michael Easley Sermons.

The Seven Attributes of Jesus (Christology 1)Big Idea: Jesus Christ is not just a chapter in the story of God; He is the Author, the Hero, and the Ending. When we see Jesus for who He truly is, every other priority in our lives finds its proper place.Today we begin a nine-week journey through the Book of Hebrews, a letter written to magnify the greatness of Jesus Christ. Hebrews isn't primarily about religious rules, moral improvement, or spiritual techniques. It's about Jesus—who He is and what He has done. Everything else flows from that foundation.The original audience was likely Jewish Christians living under Roman rule, facing intense persecution. As pressure mounted, many were tempted to abandon their faith in Jesus and return to the familiarity and safety of traditional Judaism. Hebrews speaks directly into that tension with one clear message: Jesus is greater than anyone or anything that came before Him. To walk away from Him would be to walk away from the fulfillment of all God's promises.The author of Hebrews remains anonymous, one of the great mysteries of the New Testament. While Paul may have influenced it, the writing style is far more polished and rhetorically sophisticated than Paul's letters. Hebrews chapter 1 proves this immediately. Verses 1–4 form a single, majestic sentence in the original Greek—an exordium, designed to grab attention with both beauty and weight.Hebrews 1:1–4 (NLT) sets the stage:“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son…”In the Old Testament, God spoke in fragments—a dream here, a burning bush there, a prophet's warning along the way. But in Jesus, God didn't just send messages; He sent the Message. This is Christology—the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ—and Hebrews wastes no time getting to the point.In verses 2–3, the author unleashes a rapid-fire description of Jesus using seven distinct attributes. In Scripture, the number seven represents completeness and perfection. Together, these form a full portrait of the Son.Jesus is the Heir—the goal of history. God has promised everything to Him as an inheritance. History is not random; it is moving toward the coronation of King Jesus. He is the “why” behind all creation.Jesus is the Creator—the architect of reality. Through Him, God made the universe. Jesus is not a created being; He is the source of all things. Nothing exists apart from His will.Jesus is the Radiance—the shining glory of God. He doesn't merely reflect God's glory like the moon reflects sunlight; He radiates it. The Son is the visible manifestation of the invisible God—“Light from Light.”Jesus is the Expression—the exact imprint of God's nature. The Greek word charaktēr refers to a stamp or seal. Jesus doesn't resemble God; He perfectly represents Him. To see Jesus is to see God.Jesus is the Sustainer—the glue of the cosmos. He holds everything together by the power of His word. The universe doesn't persist on autopilot; it endures because Jesus commands it to.Jesus is the Savior—the cleanser of sin. When He purified us from our sins, the work was finished. Unlike Old Testament priests who never sat down, Jesus completed the work once for all.Finally, Jesus is the Ruler—the seated King. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, a position of total authority. The victory is won.Hebrews 1:4 reminds us that Jesus is far greater than angels, traditions, or anything else we might be tempted to trust. For believers facing hardship, this truth re-centers everything.The message of Hebrews is clear:...

The Seven Attributes of Jesus (Christology 1)Big Idea: Jesus Christ is not just a chapter in the story of God; He is the Author, the Hero, and the Ending. When we see Jesus for who He truly is, every other priority in our lives finds its proper place.Today we begin a nine-week journey through the Book of Hebrews, a letter written to magnify the greatness of Jesus Christ. Hebrews isn't primarily about religious rules, moral improvement, or spiritual techniques. It's about Jesus—who He is and what He has done. Everything else flows from that foundation.The original audience was likely Jewish Christians living under Roman rule, facing intense persecution. As pressure mounted, many were tempted to abandon their faith in Jesus and return to the familiarity and safety of traditional Judaism. Hebrews speaks directly into that tension with one clear message: Jesus is greater than anyone or anything that came before Him. To walk away from Him would be to walk away from the fulfillment of all God's promises.The author of Hebrews remains anonymous, one of the great mysteries of the New Testament. While Paul may have influenced it, the writing style is far more polished and rhetorically sophisticated than Paul's letters. Hebrews chapter 1 proves this immediately. Verses 1–4 form a single, majestic sentence in the original Greek—an exordium, designed to grab attention with both beauty and weight.Hebrews 1:1–4 (NLT) sets the stage:“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son…”In the Old Testament, God spoke in fragments—a dream here, a burning bush there, a prophet's warning along the way. But in Jesus, God didn't just send messages; He sent the Message. This is Christology—the study of the person and work of Jesus Christ—and Hebrews wastes no time getting to the point.In verses 2–3, the author unleashes a rapid-fire description of Jesus using seven distinct attributes. In Scripture, the number seven represents completeness and perfection. Together, these form a full portrait of the Son.Jesus is the Heir—the goal of history. God has promised everything to Him as an inheritance. History is not random; it is moving toward the coronation of King Jesus. He is the “why” behind all creation.Jesus is the Creator—the architect of reality. Through Him, God made the universe. Jesus is not a created being; He is the source of all things. Nothing exists apart from His will.Jesus is the Radiance—the shining glory of God. He doesn't merely reflect God's glory like the moon reflects sunlight; He radiates it. The Son is the visible manifestation of the invisible God—“Light from Light.”Jesus is the Expression—the exact imprint of God's nature. The Greek word charaktēr refers to a stamp or seal. Jesus doesn't resemble God; He perfectly represents Him. To see Jesus is to see God.Jesus is the Sustainer—the glue of the cosmos. He holds everything together by the power of His word. The universe doesn't persist on autopilot; it endures because Jesus commands it to.Jesus is the Savior—the cleanser of sin. When He purified us from our sins, the work was finished. Unlike Old Testament priests who never sat down, Jesus completed the work once for all.Finally, Jesus is the Ruler—the seated King. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, a position of total authority. The victory is won.Hebrews 1:4 reminds us that Jesus is far greater than angels, traditions, or anything else we might be tempted to trust. For believers facing hardship, this truth re-centers everything.The message of Hebrews is clear:...

The post Christology (Part 8) The Mystery of the Incarnation appeared first on Calvary Bible Church - Wrightsville, PA.

Ethan Vanderleek, a specialist on William Desmond describes to Paul, Desmond's project and its overlap with the Christology of Rowan Williams. William Desmond is one of our most important living philosophers, and Ethan explains how he poses a true metaphysical alternative to both modernism and postmodernism. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!

Rethink Mission is a historically grounded podcast hosted by Dr. Mike Brown that reexamines early Christianity by beginning with lived communities, shared memory, and received tradition rather than later institutions or isolated texts. Focusing on what the series calls primitive Christian mission, the podcast challenges popular skeptical narratives that portray Christianity as a late textual invention or a belief system fabricated through copying and doctrinal manipulation. Drawing on early Christian writings, archaeological evidence, and historical method, the series argues that Christian belief and worship preceded the New Testament texts and that these writings functioned as occasional documents addressing real communities that already shared a coherent faith. Episodes explore the role of communal memory, apostolic authority, early creeds, and high Christology, showing that core Christian convictions—such as the worship of Jesus as Lord, belief in the resurrection, and continuity with Jewish Scripture—were established very early and received rather than invented by figures like Paul. By integrating theology, history, and philosophy, Rethink Mission offers listeners a disciplined alternative to both naïve faith and reductionist skepticism, inviting a deeper understanding of how Christianity emerged, spread, and sustained itself in the ancient world.Episode 1: The life in the Community of Faith and the role of history 

Church planting is thriving at the very moment the church faces a crisis of credibility. What if the problem isn't too few churches—but too narrow a vision of what church is for? In this episode with Mark Labberton, Brad Brisco reflects on church planting shaped by Christology before strategy, mission before institution, and incarnation before programs. Together they discuss missionary imagination in the modern West, co-vocational ministry, alternative expressions of church, micro-church networks, church growth assumptions, vocation and work, justice and proximity, and what it means to return—daily—to the ways of Jesus. –––––––––––––––– Episode Highlights "We need to help church planters think less like pastors starting a Sunday service and more like missionaries engaging a unique context." "If by church we mean buildings, then no—we don't need more of those." "Mission isn't really ours. It's about what God's already doing." "We can say we're gospel-centered and still miss the ways of Jesus." "The only way the church gets this far off is by being void of the ways of Jesus." –––––––––––––––– About Brad Brisco Brad Brisco is a missiologist and church planting leader, trainer, and writer who has spent more than twenty-five years coaching and resourcing church planters across North America. After beginning his career in the restaurant industry, Brisco entered ministry through church planting and later joined Send Network, where his work has focused on alternative expressions of church, co-vocational leadership, and missionally engaged discipleship. He also serves on the national leadership team for Forge America Mission Training Network. Brad is the co-author of "Missional Essentials," a 12-week small group study guide, "The Missional Quest: Becoming a Church of the Long Run" and "Next Door As It Is In Heaven." He is widely known for challenging church growth assumptions and for advocating Christ-centered, incarnational approaches that integrate faith, work, and neighborhood life. Brisco remains closely connected to decentralized microchurch networks and innovative models of mission in urban contexts. Follow him on X: https://x.com/bradleybrisco –––––––––––––––– Helpful Links and Resources Missional Church Network https://www.missionalchurchnetwork.com/ Send Network https://sendnetwork.com The Shaping of Things to Come – Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost https://www.amazon.com/Shaping-Things-Come-Innovation-Mission/dp/1565636597 Permanent Revolution – Alan Hirsch https://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Revolution-Apostolic-Imagination-Practice/dp/0470907746 Tampa Underground https://www.tampaunderground.com/ –––––––––––––––– Show Notes Church planting boom alongside institutional church crisis Restaurant business background shaping entrepreneurial ministry instincts Conversion, seminary, and inherited assumptions about "real" ministry Early confusion about church planting as a category From planting one church to training planters nationally Church defined beyond buildings toward embodied communities "If by church we mean buildings, then no—we don't need more of those." Missionary context of the modern West Do we need more churches or more ways of being church? Underserved neighborhoods and unengaged people groups Declining interest in traditional church programs Airplane anecdote exposing attractional church assumptions "You just need a really good sound system and a good speaker." Mission versus Sunday-centric church planting Christology–missiology–ecclesiology framework Jesus shaping mission before shaping church "Most church planters start with ecclesiology rather than the ways of Jesus." Church growth movement assumptions challenged Recapturing the missionary nature of the church Church as sent people, not religious service provider Incarnational presence in neighborhoods and workplaces "Mission isn't something we do over there." Participation in the mission of God "The mission isn't really ours—it's about what God's already doing." Individual salvation versus communal discipleship Robust Christology beyond the cross alone Incarnation, life, resurrection, and kingdom shaping mission Brokenness, proximity, and responsibility for place Mission as communal, not individual activity Bi-vocational and co-vocational ministry distinctions Marketplace calling as missional advantage Sacred–secular divide challenged Time constraints forcing alternative church models Team-based leadership as non-negotiable Theology of work as essential formation Financial freedom reshaping church planting incentives Fully funded models drifting toward attractional pressure Co-vocational longevity and sustainability Microchurch networks and decentralized leadership Tampa Underground as proof of concept Mission-first communities addressing justice and brokenness "Mission is the mother of adaptive ecclesiology." Diverse expressions emerging from contextual mission Established churches learning from church planting frameworks Incremental versus wholesale institutional change Sending churches supporting new expressions Calling the church back to the ways of Jesus "We can be gospel-centered and still miss the ways of Jesus." Credibility gap between Jesus and the church today Recalibrating discipleship for public faithfulness –––––––––––––––– #ChurchPlanting #MissionalChurch #FaithAndWork #Discipleship #ChristianLeadership #PublicFaith #Vocation –––––––––––––––– Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.  

In this episode of the Westminster Podcast, host Nate Shannon welcomes Dr. Brandon Crowe to discuss the relationship between Scripture and the Nicene Creed in the 1700th anniversary year of the Council of Nicaea. Drawing from his recent paper, Christology: Mark on the Road to Nicaea, Crowe explains how creeds arise from Scripture rather than being imposed upon it, functioning as faithful summaries and syntheses of the Bible's teaching. He explores how extra-biblical theological language—such as homoousios and the doctrine of the Trinity—serves to clarify Scripture's meaning when purely biblical phrasing proves vulnerable to misinterpretation. The conversation highlights the “hermeneutical spiral” between creed and Scripture: the creed guides faithful reading of the Bible, while Scripture remains the final authority that continually tests the creed. Crowe then turns to the Gospel of Mark to demonstrate how Nicene Christology emerges from the biblical text itself. Challenging historical-critical approaches that fragment the Gospel or diminish its theology, he argues for reading Mark as a coherent narrative shaped by Old Testament imagery. He outlines four key ways Mark presents Christ's divine identity: the Father-Son relationship, theophanies, divine saving works, and divine claims made by Jesus. Particular attention is given to episodes such as Jesus walking on the water, interpreted as an Old Testament-shaped theophany revealing God's presence in Christ. The episode concludes by emphasizing that classical creedal Christology does not restrict careful exegesis but provides theological guardrails that enable deeper, more faithful reading of Scripture. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

We are continuing through the Life, Death, and Meaning with Beowulf and Boethius course that I led in the Fall of 2024 with the text of Beowulf from the death of Grendel to Beowulf's departure from Denmark.Many topics are discussed in this episode, including the hero's relationship with fortune and mortality, Beowulf's Christology, inspirations for C.S. Lewis's Narnia and That Hideous Strength, and more!Watch the video of this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/wGYtaI0sT6cListen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts:Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & Shows(or become a patron to get all three shows in one ad-free feed)Become a Tier 3 patron to join our Silmarillion study, which begins in February! patreon.com/mythicmindBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is built around one powerful structure: if / then.If God is already at work healing the world in Christ—if grace, not violence, is the true power shaping history—then how should we live?In this message, we begin a four-week journey through Ephesians by sitting in the if:a bold vision of Jesus, a high Christology, and a radical redefinition of chosen, predestined, grace, and peace. Set against the backdrop of the Roman Empire's gospel of “victory, then peace,” Paul announces an alternative good news—one where peace is already possible because of God's self-giving love in Christ.This sermon explores:* The if/then structure of Ephesians* What “chosen” and “predestined” actually mean (and what they don't)* Why Paul's greeting “grace and peace” is deeply political* How the church becomes a small working model of new creation* What it means to live ahead of the curve of God's healing work in the world

In this episode of the Ephesiology Podcast, Andrew Johnson shares an update as the podcast enters a short hiatus. While the hosts are away on assignment, Andrew invites you to revisit the rich archive of over 200 episodes—conversations that continue to challenge, encourage, and shape how we do theology in community. Looking ahead to 2026, he offers a glimpse of what's coming next: renewed dialogue, fresh voices, and deeper explorations at the intersection of archaeology, mission, and the movement of God in the world. Connect With Us Follow Ephesiology: Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Follow Andrew Johnson @thediscfan.bsky.social If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review and share it with others exploring missional living in post-Christian contexts. Thanks for doing theology in community with us today! If you have a question or topic that you'd like to hear addressed on the Ephesiology Podcast, just send it to Andrew at thediscfan@gmail.com. Donate Find the podcast on your favorite podcast app Just search for “Ephesiology” Our Podcasters Michael CooperProfessor | Missiologist | AuthorMichael is the missiologist in residence with East West where he focuses on equipping and empowering church leaders in evangelism, discipleship, leadership, and catalyzing church planting movements in the most difficult to reach places on the planet. He is the author of Ephesiology: The Study of the Ephesian Movement as well as many other books and academic articles. He has lectured at universities around the world and serves as affiliate faculty at Kairos University where he facilitates the degree programs in partnership with Ephesiology Master Classes.Andrew JohnsonMinistry Lead, West Village ChurchAndrew is a proud husband, father and pastor who desires all to know the one true King. He is honored to serve at West Village Church in Victoria, BC. Previously, he's ministered in Houston, Chicago, Indy, Flagstaff and Tempe in a variety of church contexts. Andrew has a BA in Christian Ministry from Trinity International University and an MA from Phoenix Seminary. He is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at Kairos University and is the co-host of the Ephesiology Podcast. When not at work, he's an avid disc golfing, vinyl playing, Spider-Man following/collecting fellow. Go Pacers. Do you enjoy the Ephesiology Podcast? Partner with the Pod The Ephesiology Podcast comes to you from a desire to engage in community conversations about the intersection of theology and culture. We do not believe such dialogue should come with a cost so the podcast will always be free. However, if you've benefited from the Ephesiology Podcast, would you consider a nominal $5 per month donation? All proceeds from the podcast go toward helping bring needed theological education to the majority world through our Ephesiology Master Class initiative to end a theological famine. We'd be honored to partner with you to continue providing solid biblical, theological, and missiological content for listeners around the world. Donate Empowering Future Church Leaders Imagine a world where passionate, equipped Christian leaders spread God's Word in areas with the greatest need—leaders grounded in both deep theology and practical ministry skills, trained to make a lasting impact in their communities. Through your support, this vision can become a reality for students from countries like Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Nepal, and India who are eager to teach and multiply disciple-makers in their own regions. Learn More Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement If you want to understand principles for the growth of Christianity in the first century, the place to begin is the city of Ephesus. In this winsome study, Ephesiology offers readers a comprehensive view of the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in the most significant city of the New Testament, and compels us to ask the question: how can we effectively connect Christ to our culture? “Masterfully handling the book of Ephesians and using its content as a definitive guide, Michael Cooper lays a theologically strong foundation that is both corrective and directive to disciple making movements. The principles he gleans from the book of Ephesians and related texts, help to ensure the on-going multiplication and maturation of a movement. Because these are supra-cultural principles, they are applicable anywhere in the world.” Marvin J. Newell, Staff Missiologist, Missio Nexus, Author of Crossing Cultures in Scripture Buy This Now! Educating to Shift the Tracks of History To shift the tracks of history requires leaders who are equipped to critically assess and engage the contours of contemporary culture. As a new initiative in collaboration with the Movement Leaders Collective, Kairos University, and Ephesiology, we deliver just-in-time theological education focused on issues important to you, mxAcademy is designed as the theological and missiological foundation to unlock your potential as a movement leader and catalytic thinker. mxAcademy is a dynamic and innovative educational experience rooted in mDNA.We dream of a church fully equipped, fully mature, fully mobilized, and fully alive. A church that lives and breathes the Good News of Jesus! Learn More Join a Community Conversation at Ephesiology Master Classes Areopagus Symposium Taking its inspiration from the historical and philosophical legacy of Athens, Greece, the Areopagus Symposium focuses on intellectual and philosophical topics related to Christology, missiology, and ecclesiology. We invite scholars, theologians, and practitioners from diverse backgrounds to engage in a profound exploration of the theological landscape at the intersection of these vital disciplines. Sign up for an Ephesiology Master Classes account and gain free access to the Areopagus Symposium. Check it out! The Ephesiology Podcast and Ephesiology Master Classes are ministries of TELOS.GO, a registered 501c3 non-profit agency committed to imaginatively missional ways of engageing culture, church planting, and theological education. Your donation to the podcast is tax deductible.

In this episode of the Westminster Podcast, Nate Shannon and Blake Franze welcome Dr. Augustus Nicodemus Lopez, Westminster alumnus, pastor, theologian, and former chancellor of Mackenzie University in São Paulo. Broadcasting from Istanbul during the Nicaea Conference, they reflect on Dr. Lopez's lecture on Colossians and deep Christology before turning to his formative years at Westminster in the early 1990s. He recounts studying under Moses Silva, wrestling with liberal European scholarship during his doctoral work, and how faithful mentorship preserved his confidence in Scripture during a season of profound doubt. Dr. Lopez also discusses his dissertation on Paul's use of the Old Testament, the distinction between revelation and illumination, and how Westminster's rigorous training equipped him for preaching, scholarship, and academic leadership across the globe. The conversation then shifts to contemporary challenges facing the church, particularly the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the theological tensions raised by the global Pentecostal movement. Dr. Lopez argues that questions of Spirit, revelation, and spiritual gifts represent the most pressing frontier for confessional orthodoxy today. He also shares his conviction about using social media as a mission field—reaching closed communities, discipling young believers, and providing pastoral presence throughout the week—while warning against the dangers of unaccountable online ministry. The episode concludes with his hope that Westminster will continue equipping leaders from the global South, extending confessional, pious, and academically excellent theological education to the worldwide church. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

Mike Aquilina on Nestorius, the Council of Ephesus, and how early Church controversies clarified Christology, Marian doctrine, and the call to holiness through lived witness. The post VEC12 – Nestorius – Villains of the Early Church with Mike Aquilina – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.