Podcasts about Epistle

Sermon delivered on Easter Sunday, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by Rev. Tobias Bayer. Epistle: 1 Cor. 5, 7-8. Gospel: St. Mark 16, 1-7.

In this introductory episode on the book of Philippians, Rob and Vinnie explore the historical and cultural background of the city of Philippi. They discuss Lydia—the first convert in Europe—and how her prominence and hospitality supported Paul and Silas in their mission. The episode also unpacks the significance of Philippi as a Roman colony and how that shaped the dynamics of power, status, and citizenship in the early church. Finally, they reflect on the nature of Roman prisons and how Paul's joy, even while imprisoned, speaks volumes about the Gospel's power.   Please "follow" this podcast and give a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your review will go a long way toward helping others find this podcast. Then share it with others so that we can get the word of the Gospel of the Kingdom to more people!   We continue to refuse to hide these podcasts behind a paywall. We can only do this if those of you who have been blessed by them and can afford to give ($5, $10, $25, or $1million or more/month) do so. You can give a tax-deductible contribution by following this link.  

This week, we welcomed Dr Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn back to the podcast to share about her forthcoming book Reading the New Testament Around the World. Mariam is a beloved New Testament professor at Regent and in this conversation, she shares her enthusiasm for the New Testament, as well as the inspiration and process behind collaborating with global scholars to conduct situated exegesis. We talk about fresh insights from Scripture and student responses to advanced copies of the book. The volume incorporates essays on each book of the New Testament, with writers from across the world engaging with theological, social and political issues pertinent to their contexts. The book will be released on April 29, 2025 from Baker Academic. She will be teaching New Testament Foundations this summer (May 26–June 6) and launching her book at Regent on May 28.BioDr. Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn is an Associate Professor of New Testament at Regent College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Denver Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from the University of St. Andrews. Mariam's scholarly work focuses on the Epistle of James, the Gospel of Matthew, and the broader context of Jewish literature from the intertestamental period. She has co-authored a commentary on James for the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series and has contributed numerous articles and book chapters to the field. Previous Podcast AppearancesQuestions About the New Testament: Part 2 (December 2019)Rediscovering Biblical Faith (April 2019)The Epistle of James (March 2017)Regent College Podcast Thanks for listening. Please like, rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with a friend. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook Instagram Youtube Keep in Touch Regent College Summer Programs Regent College Newsletter

Maundy Thursday Old Testament Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. [Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.] This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. The Response Psalm 116:1, 10-17 Dilexi, quoniam 1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, * because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. 10 How shall I repay the Lord * for all the good things he has done for me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation * and call upon the Name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *  in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *  is the death of his servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant; * I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;  you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *  and call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *  in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the Lord's house, *  in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.  The Epistle 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. The Gospel John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean." After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."Ma

Why does the Gospel of Mark make specific and repeated reference to the compassion of Jesus in the miracle stories? Compassion and the Characterization of the Markan Jesus (Brill, 2024) discusses the function that compassion has in the Markan characterization of Jesus, particularly in how the terminology employed depicts Jesus as entering the suffering of others. In doing so, it underscores how this portrayal is exceptional among the stories of miracle workers in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish literature. In Mark, this compassion toward the suffering other is a central feature of the kingdom of God, an attribute the Markan audience is challenged to emulate. Jonathan W. Bryant, Ph.D (2023), Loyola University Chicago, is Senior Editor of Bibles and Bible reference works at Tyndale House Publishers and is an ordained minister of The Wesleyan Church. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Why does the Gospel of Mark make specific and repeated reference to the compassion of Jesus in the miracle stories? Compassion and the Characterization of the Markan Jesus (Brill, 2024) discusses the function that compassion has in the Markan characterization of Jesus, particularly in how the terminology employed depicts Jesus as entering the suffering of others. In doing so, it underscores how this portrayal is exceptional among the stories of miracle workers in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish literature. In Mark, this compassion toward the suffering other is a central feature of the kingdom of God, an attribute the Markan audience is challenged to emulate. Jonathan W. Bryant, Ph.D (2023), Loyola University Chicago, is Senior Editor of Bibles and Bible reference works at Tyndale House Publishers and is an ordained minister of The Wesleyan Church. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

Why does the Gospel of Mark make specific and repeated reference to the compassion of Jesus in the miracle stories? Compassion and the Characterization of the Markan Jesus (Brill, 2024) discusses the function that compassion has in the Markan characterization of Jesus, particularly in how the terminology employed depicts Jesus as entering the suffering of others. In doing so, it underscores how this portrayal is exceptional among the stories of miracle workers in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish literature. In Mark, this compassion toward the suffering other is a central feature of the kingdom of God, an attribute the Markan audience is challenged to emulate. Jonathan W. Bryant, Ph.D (2023), Loyola University Chicago, is Senior Editor of Bibles and Bible reference works at Tyndale House Publishers and is an ordained minister of The Wesleyan Church. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Rev. Austin Gilliland I John 5

Exodus 23:1-9 - Faith Title: A Jealous God   “The jealous God”— doesn't it sound offensive? For we know jealousy, the green-eyed monster, as a vice, one of the most cancerous and soul-destroying vices that there is.” - J.I. Packer   I was dreaming of the past And my heart was beating fast I began to lose control I began to lose control I didn't mean to hurt you I'm sorry that I made you cry Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you I'm just a jealous guy - John Lennon   “Were we imagining a God, then naturally we should ascribe to him only characteristics which we admired, and jealousy would not enter the picture. Nobody would imagine a jealous God. But we are not making up an idea of God by drawing on our imagination; we are seeking instead to listen to the words of Holy Scripture, in which God himself tells us the truth about himself. For God our Creator, whom we could never have discovered by any exercise of imagination, has revealed himself. He has talked. He has spoken…” - J.I. Packer   “There are two sorts of jealousy among humans, and only one of them is a vice. Vicious jealousy is an expression of the attitude, "I want what you've got, and I hate you because I haven't got it." It is an infantile resentment springing from unmortified covetousness, which expresses itself in envy, malice and meanness of action. It is terribly potent, for it feeds and is fed by pride, the taproot of our fallen nature. There is a mad obsessiveness about jealousy which, if indulged, can tear an otherwise firm character to shreds. "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?" asks the wise man (Prov 27:4). What is often called sexual jealousy, the lunatic fury of a rejected or supplanted suitor, is of this kind. But there is another sort of jealousy: zeal to protect a love relationship, or to avenge it when broken. This jealousy also operates in the sphere of sex; there, however, it appears not as the blind reaction of wounded pride but as the fruit of marital affection. As Professor Tasker has written, married persons "who felt no jealousy at the intrusion of a lover or an adulterer into their home would surely be lacking in moral perception; for the exclusiveness of marriage is the essence of marriage" (The Epistle of James, p. 106). This sort of jealousy is a positive virtue, for it shows a grasp of the true meaning of the husband-wife relationship, together with a proper zeal to keep it intact.” - J.I. Packer   “For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name…”  (Isaiah 54:5a)   “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.  (2 Corinthians 11:2)   “There is no need to be disturbed by this. Jealousy is a resentment of rivals, and whether it is good or evil depends on whether the rival has any right to be there. Since God is unique, and there is no other, he has the right to ask that we worship him alone.” - John Stott   “A counterfeit god (idol) is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”  —Timothy Keller   25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.  —Eph. 5:25-32  

Two pastors thinking out loud about the upcoming Gospel reading. This episode is devoted to the Epistle reading for Maundy Thursday, 1 Corinthians 11:23–32. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Regular Guest: Fr. Dave Petersen ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support. 

We begin a new section and topic in the Book of Romans which is the believer's response towards governmental authorities, even those that may not reflect a Christian worldview. This is an important topic, because the New Testament makes it clear that the believer is to be a model citizen, and is to obey governmental authority unless that authority specifically prohibits that which God commands.

We continue our discussion of the believer's response to governmental authorities by exploring the statement of Paul that all authorities, even those that are godless, are appointed by God and as such we are to be good citizens of whatever nation we find ourselves living in.

April 12, 2025

In this conversation, David Moffitt discusses his insights on the Epistle to the Hebrews, emphasizing the significance of resurrection, sacrifice, and atonement in understanding Jesus' role as high priest. He explores the implications of these themes for contemporary theology, particularly in relation to the Passover and the nature of intercession. Moffitt also reflects on the influence of early church fathers and the narrative of liberation in Hebrews, providing a comprehensive view of how these elements interconnect in the Christian faith.TakeawaysDavid Moffitt emphasizes the importance of understanding the resurrection in the context of the Epistle to the Hebrews.The traditional views of sacrifice in preaching may not align with the biblical text.Moffitt's research highlights the significance of the ascension in understanding Jesus' role as high priest.The concept of 'It Is Finished' requires deeper theological exploration beyond the crucifixion.Atonement is not solely about Jesus' death but involves his ongoing intercession for humanity.The Passover narrative is crucial for understanding liberation from sin and death.Moffitt argues that the scapegoat imagery in Leviticus informs our understanding of Jesus' sacrifice.The early church fathers provide valuable insights into the interpretation of sacrifice and atonement.Hebrews presents a narrative of liberation that parallels Israel's journey from Egypt.Moffitt's work encourages a reevaluation of assumptions in contemporary biblical studies.Find Crackers and Grape Juice on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack.

Overview:In this episode of Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro, the hosts dive into the intriguing world of First Enoch, a pseudepigraphical text that has captured the curiosity of many within and beyond Christian circles. Ryan and Brian discuss its origins, content, and significance while addressing common questions about its relationship to the biblical canon and its historical context. This episode offers a fresh perspective, including Brian's first-time reading impressions, and aims to clarify what First Enoch is—and what it isn't.What is First Enoch?Defined as a pseudepigraphical book, meaning it's falsely attributed to Enoch, a descendant of Adam and father of Methuselah, who didn't actually write it.Likely composed between the 3rd century BC and post-New Testament times, with parts dated to the intertestamental period.Fits the genre of apocalyptic literature, characterized by divine guides and supernatural narratives (e.g., similar to Revelation and Daniel).Genesis 5:24 highlights Enoch's unique story: “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away,” sparking fascination as one of two Old Testament figures (alongside Elijah) not said to have died.Structure of First EnochComprises 108 chapters divided into five sections:Book of Watchers (Ch. 1-36): Focuses on fallen angels (sons of God) intermarrying with human women, producing the Nephilim (giants), and introducing evil via figures like Azazel.Similitudes of Enoch (Ch. 37-71): Explores angelology, the “Son of Man,” and divine judgment, with debated dating relative to the New Testament.Astronomical Book (Ch. 72-82): Details a solar calendar (364 days), contrasting with the Jewish lunar calendar, found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.Book of Dream Visions (Ch. 83-90): Recasts Israel's history through animal allegory (e.g., sheep as the righteous, boars as adversaries), ending with the Maccabean period.Epistle of Enoch (Ch. 91-108): Offers exhortations, an “Apocalypse of Weeks,” and additional Noah-related content.Why the Interest in First Enoch?Answers curious questions left open by canonical Scripture, such as the identity of the Nephilim (Genesis 6) and the origins of evil.Referenced in Jude 14-15 (quoting 1 Enoch 1:9), and possibly alluded to in 1 Peter 3:19-20 and 2 Peter 2:4-5, raising questions about its early Christian reception.Included in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's canon (81 books total), with the only complete manuscript preserved in an Ethiopian language.Parallels in other texts like the Book of Jubilees and the Mormon Book of Moses fuel further intrigue.First Impressions and ObservationsBrian shares his initial reaction: First Enoch feels “wild” and disjointed compared to Scripture, lacking the Bible's narrative continuity and spiritual coherence.Ryan notes its appeal lies in sensationalism (e.g., YouTube videos about hidden knowledge), but it lacks the authoritative character of canonical texts.Key Passages Explored1 Enoch 20: Lists seven archangels (Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Sariel, Gabriel, Remiel), expanding biblical angelology beyond Michael and Gabriel.1 Enoch 13:1-2: Enoch condemns Azazel for teaching humanity unrighteousness, casting him as a source of evil.1 Enoch 89:72+: Animal allegory depicts the rebuilding of Zerubbabel's temple, critiquing its inadequacy.1 Enoch 40: Four archangels praise God, reminiscent of...

Fierce though he may be in judgment against the false shepherds and the wolves, fiercer still is he in his love for his sheep.Wednesday • 4/9/2025 •Week of 5 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 119:145–176; Jeremiah 25:30–38; Romans 10:14–21; John 10:1–18 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 11 (“The Third Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 60:1–3,11a,14c,18–19, BCP, p. 87); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 16 (“The Song of Zechariah,” Luke 1:68–79, BCP, p. 92)

Having discussed our duties to ourselves and the family of God, Paul expands the circle in Romans 12:14–16 to all men. In these few verses, Paul packs a host of admonitions on how we are to treat others as representatives of Christ.

Paul completes his discussion of our Christian duties by focusing on how we are to treat our enemies.

He is granted spiritual sight as well as physical sight.Tuesdayˀ• 4/8/2025 • Week of 5 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 121; Psalm 122; Psalm 123; Jeremiah 25:8–17; Romans 10:1–13; John 9:18–41 More extended thoughts on today's Romans reading in this post from last summer: on Romans 10:1–13 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 13 (“A Song of Praise,” BCP, p. 90); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

 By Pastor Cosmos 

Jesus, the Light of the World, is turning back the darkness…Monday • 4/7/2025 •Week of 5 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 31; Jeremiah 24:1–10; Romans 9:19–33; John 9:1–17 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)

A Sermon for Passion Sunday Hebrews 9:11-15 by William Klock William Coffin Coleman.  He was a travelling salesman.  He was in his dark hotel room one night and looked out the window.  This was before the days of electrification.  He saw a blindingly bright lamp in a window across the street and had to know what it was.  He walked across the street, knocked on the door, and found out that the lamp—one that ran on pressurized gasoline—was made by a small local company.  Within days he'd tracked down that little company and bought it.  That company would become the Coleman Lamp Company and pretty soon those blindingly bright lamps—the “Sunshine of the Night” as they called it—would be selling across North America and the technology would be adapted to lanterns you could carry with you.  With a Coleman lamp there was no more fumbling around or straining your eyes in the dim light of a wick lantern.  In fact, it'd be crazy to go back to those old kerosene wick lanterns.  A Coleman was not only brighter, it was also safer.  Back in the 20s and 30s displays would show a table lamp mounted on a rotating arm.  Around and around it would turn and it would never go out and it would never start a fire.  You couldn't do that with a kerosene wick lantern. With that in mind, think of our Epistle from the book of Hebrews.  Hebrews is sort of like a biblical Coleman lamp display, except here the writer of Hebrews holds up the New Covenant for his fellow Jews and turns it around and around to show all the ways it's better than the Old and how you'd be a fool to want to go back to the Old.  Matt talked about this in his sermon last week—although without the Coleman illustration.  Last week's Epistle from Galatians highlighted just how tempting it was for Jewish Christians to fall back into the old way—the old covenant way—of doing things.  Some of this was that it was simply the life they knew.  When they became Christians they didn't stop being Jewish.  But there were also Gentiles now coming into this messianic movement.  The unbelieving Jews didn't like that.  As far as they were concerned Gentiles were unclean.  And so these Jewish Christians were shunned by their friends and family and even kicked out of their synagogues for associating with Gentiles.  It got worse as the Jews began to actively persecute the Church.  Jesus had given these new Jewish believers so much more than they'd had in the old covenant, but it was easy to think only about living for the day.  For Jewish Christians it was tempting and it would have been easy to simply drift away from the church and fall back into old covenant Judaism.  And so the writer of Hebrews urges them not to do that.  Despite the persecution, what they have now in Jesus is so much better than what they had before.  The old covenant gave a promise of a new world and a new life in the Messiah.  In Jesus, the Messiah has finally come and he's fulfilled that old promise.  He's inaugurated the new world and the new life.  In Jesus we take part in the fulfilment of God's promises and that's worth it, no matter the cost. To make this point the writer of Hebrews takes us back to the tabernacle, the precursor to the temple in Jerusalem.  Look at Hebrews 9:11-14.   But when the Messiah arrived as a high priest of the good things that were coming, he entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (that is, not of this present creation), and not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood.  He entered, once and for all, into the holy place, accomplishing a redemption that lasts forever.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the sprinkled ashes of a heifer, make people holy (in the sense of purifying their bodies) when they had been unclean, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit as a spotless sacrifice, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God!   The tabernacle.  Think back to the book of Exodus.  The Lord rescued his people from their bondage in Egypt and at Mt. Sinai, in the wilderness, he gave him the law, written on stone tablets.  At the same time he also gave Moses very detailed instructions for building the tabernacle—the tent complex where the people would worship the Lord and present their offerings and sacrifices. That tent, the tabernacle, was built to mimic Eden as we see it in the first chapters of Genesis.  The imagery used to decorate the tabernacle was meant to invoke the idea of a garden.  At the core of the tabernacle, as you progressed from the camp of the Israelites into the outer court of the tabernacle and then into the centre of it was the holy place, where only the priests went, and then beyond that was the most holy place.  That was where the ark of the covenant was kept.  It was God's throne room.  That was where the cloud representing the glory of the Lord rested—God in the midst of his people.  But no one was permitted into the most holy place.  Sin and uncleanness cannot enter the presence of the Lord.  Only once a year did the high priest enter the Lord's presence to offer expiation for the sins of the people. Sinners cannot enter the presence of our holy God.  This is why Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden.  But there in the wilderness, as God's plan of redemption began to move forward, he instructed his people to build this tabernacle so that they could once again know him, so that they could live with him in their midst.  It was a partial undoing of the consequences of sin.  Adam and Eve had once lived in the most holy place, in God's presence.  That's what Eden was about.  They were to live and to serve in God's presence, cultivating his garden.  And as they were fruitful and multiplied, the garden, that holy place would grow—until it filled the whole earth.  Because of their rebellion, Adam and Eve were driven out from God's presence.  But in the wilderness the Lord helped Israel to build a model of that most holy place, he took up his residence in it, and he gave the people a law by which they could live on the periphery of that manifestation of his glory.  They couldn't enter directly into his presence, but whereas Adam and Eve were driven away, in the tabernacle, the Lord now drew his people near.  It was the beginning of something good.  The beginning of renewal.  The tabernacle, the law, the whole old covenant were good things.  They reminded God's people of his promise to one day set all of creation to rights and to restore his people fully to his presence.  It was a light in the darkness. The problem for Israel was that in the day-in and day-out activity of living around the tabernacle, of living the law, and of routinely making sacrifices and offerings, it became very easy to forget that all of this pointed to a greater reality and a greater fulfilment.  These things were like the dim light of a wick lamp.  The tabernacle, the sacrifices, the law were never meant to be a permanent arrangement.  The point was never for God's people merely to camp out around the place of his presence, merely to be able to get close to the Holy of Holies.  The goal was to return to Eden itself, to return to a life in the presence of the Lord.  God and humanity brought back together; heaven and earth rejoined.  A far greater light was coming.  As Christians we're, too, often guilty of forgetting God's end goal.  We come to the Lord's Table on Sundays, we gather with our brothers and sisters for worship, and we make it very routine and hum-drum, forgetting that what we have here is a down-payment on the full inheritance that Jesus will be bringing with him when he returns—of resurrection and new life and of living fully in the presence of the Father. This is what the writer of Hebrews is getting at when he talks about Jesus as our great high priest of the good things to come.  The tabernacle was a good thing, but it pointed to better things, just as the Lord's Supper is a good thing, but points to something even better.  And Hebrews says, as our high priest, Jesus entered not in to the most holy place of the tabernacle.  No.  At the cross Jesus entered into the true, the real holy of holies—the one of which the holy of holies in the tabernacle was only a representation and only a shadow.  In his death, Jesus entered the real, the actual presence of his Father.  The good news is that because Jesus has entered the Father's presence as our great high priest, since he has made purification for us, we're now ourselves welcomed into the Father's presence as well. Again, in the face of hostility and persecution, many Jewish Christians were tempted to just go back to the old way of doing things.  In their day the temple, the great building of stone on the mountain above Jerusalem, had replaced the tabernacle, but it was laid out on the same plan and served the same purpose.  The temple and the sacrifices were good things.  Why not just do things the old way?  The Lord had commanded them, after all.  Why risk persecution by joining with Gentiles to worship Jesus?  And so Hebrews reminds them: as good as the temple was, Jesus went to the real place the temple represents.  The temple was a model that pointed to the heavenly reality.  When Jesus takes us into the heavenly reality, how can we possibly justify going back to the model? Jesus as our great high priest entering the most holy place naturally leads us to the second point Hebrews makes here about the new covenant and how it's better than the old.  The priests of the old covenant entered the most holy place of the tabernacle once every year.  We're told here that Jesus entered once and for all time.  The old sacrifices were good until the next time you sinned.  The sacrifice that Jesus made at the cross is good forever.  Why?  Because when the old priests went into the holy of holies they took with them the blood of goats and calves.  Jesus entered the presence of the Father with his own blood. This was hard for many Jews to understand.  The Messiah was supposed to triumph over Israel's enemies and reign forever.  He wasn't supposed to die, let alone die the most humiliating death imaginable at the hands of their pagan overlords.  Maybe the Messiah would be their great high priest, but priests make sacrifices.  They aren't supposed to be sacrifices themselves.  That's what bulls and goats were for.  And yet, it's all there in Israel's scriptures—if you know how to look at it.  And that's what Hebrews is about. So, first, the Old Testament sacrifices taught the people to trust the Lord.  To offer a sacrifice is to give up something valuable.  This is a principle throughout the law.  The sabbath, for example, taught people to give one day a week to the Lord.  The gentiles scrambled for a living six days a week, but not God's people.  The sabbath taught them to trust in the Lord's provision.  Think of the manna in the wilderness.  Five days they gathered what they needed, but on the sixth day the Lord provide an extra measure to see them through the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was an act of faith.  And so was the tithe.  The gentiles held on to everything they got, but God's people gave him the first tenth—not the last, not what was left over—but the first tenth of everything.  It was an act of faith and he provided. But the animals sacrificed for the people in the temple took things a step further.  They reminded the people of the cost of sin.  Because of their sin, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, cut off from the tree of life.  Brothers and Sisters, sin puts us outside the presence of our holy God. Sin separates us from the source of life.  Sinners die.  The only way back into the presence of our holy God is by the shedding of blood.  And that's the second point made about sacrifice here.  Redemption from sin requires the death of another in our place.  The animals sacrificed in the temple were costly sacrifices, but they were also imperfect sacrifices.  They were dumb and unwilling.  They served only until the next sin was committed.  And they brought the people only into the tabernacle or the temple.  For the people to be truly cleansed from sin, for the people to enter into the Holy of Holies would require an even costlier sacrifice. Those sacrifices pointed to Jesus.  In Jesus, God himself took up our flesh—he became one of his own people.  He did that so that he could represent them.  He became like a second Adam.  And so Jesus obediently and willingly gave his life for them—and for us.  He was the costly sacrifice—the spotless lamb, the best of the flock.  As our representative, he took on himself the death that we deserve.  This is why we can say, as we do in the Lord's Supper, that by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world has been made.  This is why we can pray that by his flesh and by his blood our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and our souls washed through his most precious blood.  The blood of animal sacrifices gave a superficial cleanness to people who had been defiled by their sin, but Jesus' blood doesn't just make us superficially clean.  It purifies us from the inside out.  And so we can also pray that as his body and blood make us clean, we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  By his blood we can finally enter the Holy of Holies, we can finally be restored to the presence of our holy Creator. And that gets at the third point made here—the third way in which Jesus' sacrifice is better than the old sacrifices and the new covenant is better than the old.  The sacrifices of the old covenant were shadows pointing to the real sacrifice.  The holy of holies in the temple was a shadow of the real holy of holies, not just the heavenly presence of the Father, but it looked forward to the day when Creation will finally be set to rights, when heaven and earth will finally be joined together and humanity can once again live in God's presence, just as Adam and Eve did before they sinned.  The cleanness and atonement offered by those old sacrifices was a shadow of the atonement and the cleanness offered by Jesus.  Jesus didn't just enter the central room of the temple in Jerusalem to offer the blood of an animal on our behalf.  Jesus, who is both God himself and our perfect human representative, entered into the actual presence of his Father with his own blood shed at the cross.  In doing that he offers a sacrifice that washes us clean from sin to the very core of our being. Somehow the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, Hebrews says, purifies our conscience from dead works so that we can serve the living God.  Brothers and Sisters, through Jesus we are transformed.  Chapter 6 introduced this language of “dead works”, but it refers to our repentance from our old pagan and sinful ways and also, for the Jewish Christians, from the obligations of the old covenant and its temple and sacrificial system.  As good as those things were, as God-given as they were, Jesus now offers something better.  Jesus' sacrifice undoes our sin once and for all.  Through him we have access to the presence of God.  What we lost when Adam sinned we now have back—or at least we have the down payment of it and hope for its fullness in the future.  Jesus washes us clean with his blood and having purified us for the presence of God, he makes us his dwelling place, his tabernacle, as he fills us with the Holy Spirit.  And the Spirit then sanctifies our hearts and our minds, making them holy again so that we can serve the living God just as Adam did in the garden.  Jesus, by his sacrifice, not only leads us into the holy of holies to know God's presence, but in giving us the Spirit he also makes us—you and me and, collectively his Church—the holy of holies: God's presence in us. Verse 15 stresses again that this is all and only through Jesus: For this reason, Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant.  The purpose was that those who are called should receive the promised inheritance of the age to come, since a death has occurred which provides redemption from transgressions committed under the first covenant.   Jesus is the mediator.  There's no other way.  Even the old way—the way of the tabernacle and the sacrifices—that God once gave is now defunct.  It's been fulfilled.  The thing to which it pointed, the thing for which it was preparing the people, the new thing has finally come in Jesus. Imagine a frozen river.  The first time Veronica and I went to Montréal the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers were frozen.  We were driving across the bridge from the west end of the island where the two rivers meet and we saw a Jeep cruising over the ice back towards Montréal.  The ice was that thick.  You can do that in the middle of a cold Québec winter, but when Spring comes the bridge is the only way across.  Try driving your car on thin ice—or try driving on water—and you'll die. In Jesus, Spring has come to the world.  In Jesus a bridge has been provided across the water.  The law was perfectly good in its time, just as the ice was safe to drive on if you wanted to cross the river in January, but the time has passed for that.  If you want to cross the river now the bridge Jesus provides is the only way.  Hebrews was written to people who feared persecution for following Jesus.  They were used to driving on the ice and despite the fact that it was now melting and thin, they were still tempted to keep driving on it.  Last week in our Epistle from Galatians we read about the Judaisers.  They were insisting that to follow Jesus the Gentiles had to be circumcised, follow the right dietary rules, and observe the Sabbath.  They still said they were following Jesus, but it doesn't work that way.  That's like telling everyone how perfectly good the bridge is while trying to drive your car across the thawing river.  The ice is melting.  The time for those old ways has passed.  Jesus offers something better and his way is now the only way. Brothers and Sisters, do our lives demonstrate faith in Jesus as our sole mediator?  While you and I may not be tempted to go back to the law or the temple or the old covenant sacrifices, we have our own pasts to which we often hold more tightly than we may realise.  We profess faith in Jesus, but we still haven't repented of all of our old loyalties, all of our old ways of doing things, all of our old sources of security.  We profess Jesus, but we still find satisfaction in sin and in self.  We say we trust Jesus, but we still look for security in work and in money.  We say we trust Jesus, but we often evaluate ourselves not based on what he has done for us, but on what we think we've done for him.  Friends, it's like giving people directions to the bridge, while we ourselves are sitting in our cars with the engine running, nosing our wheels into the water and thinking we'll somehow get across the river.  Lent is a time for us to look around, to take stock, and to evaluate our situation.  Easter is only two weeks away.  It's a reminder that in Jesus Spring has arrived.  The river isn't frozen anymore.  We need to let go of the old ways of life and follow Jesus across the bridge. Yes, to follow Jesus means challenge and sacrifice, but Jesus is better in every way.  He and he alone has redeemed up from death to serve the living God. Let us pray: Gracious Father, we thank you this morning for the sacrifice you have made in the death of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  In Jesus the price of our sin has been paid once and for all.  By his blood we are washed clean through and through.  Strengthen our faith, Father, that we might trust fully in Jesus as our only mediator.  Open our eyes to the areas of life in which we've failed to repent, and give us the faith to entrust those things to you.  We ask this through him, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.

We return to our study into the third Epistle of John and look at how we are to be faithful in supporting those who proclaim Christ.

April 5, 2025

* Epistle to the Romans: Today Bob presents his verse-by-verse study of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, answers: Is there proof of God's existence? What can be known of God apart from the Bible? Are men born with a knowledge of God? Are men basically good or basically evil? What role will a man's conscience play on Judgment Day? Why does God condemn sexual immorality including homosexuality? Why do we blame Adam more than Eve? Who is Jesus Christ? Is there any hope for the man who has never heard the Gospel? Did God's choosing of Israel actually benefit the Jews? Is the world still under the law? Are Christians under the law? Why did God give Abraham two covenants, the first of grace, and the second of works? The Romans Bible study is available on MP3-CD and download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. NEW Monthly Downloads: Enjoy your monthly subscriptions downloaded rather than on disc. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* Epistle to the Romans: Today Bob presents his verse-by-verse study of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, answers: Is there proof of God's existence? What can be known of God apart from the Bible? Are men born with a knowledge of God? Are men basically good or basically evil? What role will a man's conscience play on Judgment Day? Why does God condemn sexual immorality including homosexuality? Why do we blame Adam more than Eve? Who is Jesus Christ? Is there any hope for the man who has never heard the Gospel? Did God's choosing of Israel actually benefit the Jews? Is the world still under the law? Are Christians under the law? Why did God give Abraham two covenants, the first of grace, and the second of works? The Romans Bible study is available on MP3-CD and download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. NEW Monthly Downloads: Enjoy your monthly subscriptions downloaded rather than on disc. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

God will provide in the line of David a “righteous Branch”Friday • 4/4/2025 •Week of 4 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 95; Psalm 102; Jeremiah 23:1–8; Romans 8:28–39; John 6:52–59 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 10 (“The Second Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 55:6–11; BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

This is the Unchanging Word Bible study. We are studying through the book of Jude, currently in verses 14-19.In our lesson today, we are introduced to an O.T. worthy by the name of Enoch. He is written about in Gen.5 and in Hebrews 11. And in this passage in Jude, we hear a quote from him concerning the coming of the Lord in judgment upon the world of the ungodly just before the flood of Noah.Jude uses this same prophecy of Enoch to proclaim the yet coming of the Lord to judge all who live ungodly.But there is encouragement for us to remember the words of the apostles who spoke of the fact that there would yet be these mockers who have not the Holy Spirit.Turn with us in your Bible to Jude 14 to remember what is written with our teacher, Dr. Mitchell.

Jude concludes his book with great confidence and assurance. That is, God is able to keep the believer from falling. He will present him before the presence of His glory blameless, without blemish with great Joy.The book of Jude verses 20-25 is the focus of this Bible study on the Unchanging Word Bible broadcast.In these last 6 verses of this book, Jude addresses the beloved believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives us three exhortations, and how to serve the Lord in witness to three types of people. With great praise and worship Jude gives God our Savior the glory and honor who has all the power to do exactly what He said He could do and would do and will do. Dr. Mitchell shares with us here in Jude 20-25. So open your Bible to the book of Jude vs.20. Here is Dr. Mitchell.

God's Word captured Josiah's heart.Thursday • 4/3/2025 •Week of 4 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 69:1–23(24–30)31–38; Jeremiah 22:13-23; Romans 8:12–27; John 6:41–51 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 8 (“The Song of Moses,” Exodus 15, BCP, p. 85); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)  

Pastor Dan Bodin  ~  4th Midweek Lenten Service                                    Lenten Midweek Series: “The Body of Christ” (5 of 9)   Old Testament:  Isaiah 65:17- 66:2 Epistle:  1 Corinthians 15:19-28 Gospel:  Luke 7:36-50 The post April 2, 2025 ~ “The Feet of Christ” ~ Luke 7:36-50 appeared first on Beautiful Savior Fargo.

The Unchanging Word Bible study continues in the book of Jude verses 11-13.In verse 11, Dr. Mitchell discusses the way of Cain, salvation without sacrifice, and the error of Balaam, commercialization of spiritual things, and perishing in the gainsaying of Korah, which is opposition to the authority of God. These three O.T. examples are given as comparisons to the current rash of teachers who have despised and rejected the Savior Himself. Even our current society, politics and culture, is permeated with such people.In 2Peter 2, Peter also writes of these false teachers. Read that chapter as well.As Dr. Mitchell reminds us from 2Peter 3, "God is not slack concerning His promise, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."Open your Bible to Jude 11 and join us with Dr. Mitchell.

Those strong hands that are determined not to give up on us, not to set us aside.Wednesday • 4/2/2025 •Week of 4 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 101; Psalm 109:1–4(5–19)20–30; Jeremiah 18:1–11; Romans 8:1–11; John 6:27–40 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 11 (“The Third Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 60:1–3,11a,14c,18–19, BCP, p. 87); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 16 (“The Song of Zechariah,” Luke 1:68–79, BCP, p. 92)

“I do the very thing I hate”… The trick is to stay in the fight.Tuesday • 4/1/2025 •Week of 4 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 97; Psalm 99; Jeremiah 17:19–27; Romans 7:13–25; John 6:15–27 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 13 (“A Song of Praise,” BCP, p. 90); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.Monday • 3/31/2025 •Week of 4 Lent This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 89:1–18; Jeremiah 16:10–21; Romans 7:1–12; John 6:1–15 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)

3-30-25 - Biblical-Literacy Mark Lanier began a new series on Romans. Today's focus merged how to study an Epistle and began an introduction into the book of Romans. 1. How to study Romans, an Epistle, in 8 basic steps.  Historical context  Literary context  Textual analysis  Paragraph exegesis  Theological analysis  Application  Mix-in others  Constant ongoing reflection 2. The occasion of the letter - Mark explains historical context that result in the church in Rome consisting of both Jewish and Gentile Christians with an appeal for unity. 3. The opening of Romans - Learn how Romans differs from Paul's other epistles in his introduction which includes the author, recipients and a greeting. Points for home  God works through history  Gospel is amazing news  You are loved, called, and forgiven

Fourth Sunday in Lent Old Testament Joshua 5:9-12 The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year. The Psalm Psalm 32 Beati quorum 1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, * and whose sin is put away! 2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, * and in whose spirit there is no guile! 3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, * because of my groaning all day long. 4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; * my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, * and did not conceal my guilt. 6 I said," I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." * Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. 7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; * when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. 8 You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; * you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; * I will guide you with my eye. 10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; * who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you." 11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; * but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. 12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; * shout for joy, all who are true of heart. The Epistle 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The Gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

March 29, 2025

* Epistle to the Romans: Today Bob presents his verse-by-verse study of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, answers: Is there proof of God's existence? What can be known of God apart from the Bible? Are men born with a knowledge of God? Are men basically good or basically evil? What role will a man's conscience play on Judgment Day? Why does God condemn sexual immorality including homosexuality? Why do we blame Adam more than Eve? Who is Jesus Christ? Is there any hope for the man who has never heard the Gospel? Did God's choosing of Israel actually benefit the Jews? Is the world still under the law? Are Christians under the law? Why did God give Abraham two covenants, the first of grace, and the second of works? The Romans Bible study is available on MP3-CD and download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. NEW Monthly Downloads: Enjoy your monthly subscriptions downloaded rather than on disc. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

* Epistle to the Romans: Today Bob presents his verse-by-verse study of the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Romans, the greatest theological treatise ever written, answers: Is there proof of God's existence? What can be known of God apart from the Bible? Are men born with a knowledge of God? Are men basically good or basically evil? What role will a man's conscience play on Judgment Day? Why does God condemn sexual immorality including homosexuality? Why do we blame Adam more than Eve? Who is Jesus Christ? Is there any hope for the man who has never heard the Gospel? Did God's choosing of Israel actually benefit the Jews? Is the world still under the law? Are Christians under the law? Why did God give Abraham two covenants, the first of grace, and the second of works? The Romans Bible study is available on MP3-CD and download.   BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. NEW Monthly Downloads: Enjoy your monthly subscriptions downloaded rather than on disc. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.

The First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an admonishment of the church over their internal division and reliance on human wisdom. What exactly occasioned Paul's advice has perennially troubled New Testament scholars. Many scholars have asserted that Paul disapproved of the Corinthians' infatuation with rhetoric. Yet careful exegesis of the epistle problematizes this consensus.  In Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians (Eerdmans, 2024), Timothy A. Brookins unsettles common assumptions about the Corinthian conflict in this innovative monograph. His close reading of 1 Corinthians 1–4 presents evidence that the Corinthian problem had roots in Stoicism. The wisdom Paul alludes to is not sophistry, but a Stoic-inspired understanding of natural hierarchy, in which the wise put themselves above believers they considered spiritually underdeveloped. Moreover, Paul's followers saw themselves as a philosophical school in rivalry with other Christians, engendering divisions in the church.  Combining scriptural exegesis and investigation of Greco-Roman philosophical culture, Brookins reconstructs the social sphere of Corinth that Paul addresses in his letter. His masterful analysis provides much needed clarity on the context of a major epistle and on Pauline theology more broadly. Timothy A. Brookins is Professor of Early Christianity at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research interests include the Pauline epistles and the Greco-Roman philosophical and rhetorical traditions. He is the author of Reading 1 Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary and Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul's Letters. Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In episode THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN, Wade and Jason discuss God's covenants and the relationship between works and faith. Do Paul and James disagree? What do Abraham and Moses teach us? Are there different ways of being saved?  The guys discuss all this and more. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi  Bible in One Year with Chad Bird Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th: The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James More from the hosts Michael Berg @ 1517 Wade Johnston @ 1517 Let the Bird Fly! website Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

"For the longest time, Paul's Epistle to the Romans has been used to justify misogyny, homophobia, eternal conscious torment, and blind allegiance to the State. However, the truth is that the Apostle Paul never intended his letter to the Church in Rome to teach any of those things. That's why co-authors Keith Giles and Matthew J. Distefano have collaborated to correct these misunderstandings and illuminate the true meaning of Paul's theological masterpiece for today's Christian reader." In this engaging conversation, hosts Zack and Andy welcome Keith Giles and Matthew J. Distefano from Quoir Publishing to discuss their new book on Romans, "Reading Romans Right: Correcting Common Misreadings, Restoring Paul's Original Intent". They explore themes of faith, disagreement, and the importance of listener feedback in the podcasting world. The discussion delves into the misreadings of Romans, the nature of God's wrath, and the implications of eternal torment not being mentioned by Paul, challenging traditional interpretations and emphasizing the need for a more nuanced understanding of scripture. The conversation highlights the role of scholarship in making complex theological concepts accessible to a broader audience, ultimately aiming to foster a more compassionate and understanding approach to faith. In this conversation, the speakers delve into various theological perspectives, particularly focusing on the teachings of Paul and the interpretation of his letters. They explore the concept of God's wrath, the importance of understanding the historical context of scripture, and the role of women in the early church. The discussion also touches on the impact of video games on narrative engagement and how these experiences can parallel the exploration of faith and belief. Ultimately, the speakers aim to present a more nuanced understanding of Paul's message, emphasizing that it is rooted in good news rather than fear-based theology.Check out more from Keith and Matthew:https://quoir.com/Heretic Happy Hour PodcastWatch Keith debate "dr" James White HEREMatthew J. Distefano is the author of multiple books, including The Wisdom of Hobbits, winner of the 17th annual National Indie Excellence Award for best philosophy book. He is an audio engineer, the producer of the Heretic Happy Hour podcast, cohost of Apostates Anonymous, and is a regular columnist for Patheos. He holds an undergraduate degree in Education from California State University, Chico, and has been in social work for over a decade, currently working as a Professional Service Coordinator in Butte County, California. In addition to his professional life, Matthew enjoys gardening, bicycling, and European football. He is a huge Tolkien nerd who one day hopes to live in Bag End with his wife and daughter. You can find his work at allsetfree.com.Keith Giles is the best-selling author of the Jesus Un series. He has appeared on CNN, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and John Fugelsang's "Tell Me Everything." Keith and his wife currently reside in El Paso.  SUBSCRIBE & SHARE us this week!Contact Us: brosbiblesbeer@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave Us A VoicemailYouTubeSimpleCastSpotifyApple PodcastsFacebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠XInstaBros Bibles & Beer is: Jeff, Zack & Andy Find us wherever fine podcasts are distributed. Oh, and share us with a friend this week! Grace. Peace. Cheers!

God is the Father of lights. He expects you to be a lightbringer. Learn how. The Epistle of James How to Pray

Pastor Sheek Teaches On Like 4:31-44 Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi  Bible in One Year with Chad Bird Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th: The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James More from the hosts: Edward Killian Darrin Sheek Bob Hiller Brian W. Thomas      

The Epistle of James: A Whole Life for the Whole WorldPrayer That Movers | James 5:13-20 NIVJeremy Olimb, Lead Pastor

Philippians: Bob Enyart's Bible study continues through the Paul's letter to the Philippians. The Philippians Bible study is available on MP3-CD or MP3 Download. BEL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Please consider one of our monthly subscriptions that will not only help support BEL, but they also promote better understanding of the Bible and may equip you to more effectively reach those around you. Monthly Downloads: Enjoy your monthly subscriptions downloaded rather than on disc. Monthly Sermons: Enjoy all of Bob's sermons from the month on Sermon Video DVD, great also to watch with the family. Or, get these on Sermon Audio CDs which are standard audio Compact Discs that will play on any CD player including the one in your car. Or get them on a single Sermon MP3-CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer. Monthly Bible Studies: Enjoy the Scriptures with Bob's Monthly Bible Study DVDs, great too for a small group Bible study. Or get these teachings on a single Monthly Bible Study Audio MP3- CD which will play on an MP3 player, in a DVD player, or in your computer.Monthly Topical Videos: Coming to your mailbox, you'll get a Monthly Topical DVD to enjoy one of Bob's great videos specially selected to be entertaining and to teach about life from a biblical worldview.Monthly Best of Bob Shows: Every month our crew selects the eight best BEL shows of the month and for the folks who might have missed some of them, we mail them out on the Best of Bob MP3-CD.Monthly BEL TV Classics: Enjoy Bob Enyart's timeless, popular TV show delivered to your home on the Monthly BEL TV Classics DVDs with great audio and video clarity thanks to our state-of-the-art mastering from the studio-quality Sony beta tapes to DVD!Monthly Donation: For folks who just want to make sure that Bob Enyart Live stays on the air, please consider making a pledge in the form of a Monthly Donation.  

In episode THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN, Wade and Mike discuss what it means to read and apply the scriptures in different times. What does it mean to have a faith for our times? Does the faith change? Do the scriptures' answers change? How does the church faithfully preach and teach in each age without being of each age? The guys discuss all this and more. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Pre-order: Ditching the Checklist by Mark Mattes Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi  Bible in One Year with Chad Bird Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Take 20% Off Our Lenten Devotionals until March 5th: The Sinner/Saint Lenten Devotional Finding Christ in the Straw: A Forty-Day Devotion on the Epistle of James More from the hosts Michael Berg @ 1517 Wade Johnston @ 1517 Let the Bird Fly! website Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner. “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Today in the Catholic Mass Series, we finish our discussion of Sacred Music in the Liturgy. There has long been tension between the creative and innovative developments of music with the need to regulate what is appropriate and fitting for use during the Holy Sacrifice. Does this mean that we need to only use music that has been composed centuries ago? What about some of the hymns that we have grown up with – are they appropriate? To answer these and other questions, we discuss what type of music is and is not proper during Mass. REFERENCED PIECES: Jacob Collier (Audience Choir) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KsF309XpJo Falsobordone Chant : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFrGqJUYceg Processional Hymn : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=12486 Introit : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=12674 Kyrie (II) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=12846 Gloria (II) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=13063 Epistle : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=13378 Gradual & Alleluia : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=13473 Gospel : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=13778 Credo (III) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=14010 Agnus Dei (II) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=15513 Communion Antiphon & Versicles : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=15854 Te Deum (Hymn) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=16705 Recessional (Sequence) : https://youtu.be/shihFsKnqu0?t=17073 de Morales, Cristóbal – Requiem Introit & Kyrie : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTtPxltC7_w Pie Jesu (Dies Iræ) & Offertory : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umW2GALmY2w Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Communion : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xvAy85WfGE  Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus – Requiem Whole with Chapters : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp2SJN4UiE4 Introit : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=80 Kyrie : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=346 Dies Iræ : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=494 Offertory : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=1552 Sanctus : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=1972 Agnus Dei : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=2332 Communion : https://youtu.be/Dp2SJN4UiE4?t=2505 To Jesus' Heart All Burning : https://youtu.be/HoRVUU1ocnA?t=46 Pure Imagination : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVi3-PrQ0pY Funeral Mass of President Kennedy : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPXSwoTcL0g Kevin Allen (O Sacrum Convivium) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWMryoC4sw ...