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How the Bible Was Formed E3 — Today, most Bibles are a single book that's easy to carry and flip through. But the Bible started as an assortment of scrolls, bound together into a collection. The Hebrew Bible—or the Old Testament—went through a centuries-long, iterative development process with a variety of scribes and prophets. It didn't come into its final form until roughly the time of Jesus. So how does this history interact with a view of Scripture as God's word? In this episode, Jon and Tim continue exploring the formation of the Bible, discussing how to hold a high view of these sacred texts while also acknowledging the humans who shaped them. CHAPTERSAn Inspired, Collaborative Work Over Centuries (0:00-12:00)A Final Shaping of the Hebrew Bible After Exile (12:00-26:59)The Second Temple Period's Flourishing Literary Culture (26:59-43:42)The Tanak's Standardization as the Masoretic Text (43:42-53:32)Wisdom Literature Designed for Meditation and Formation (53:32-1:00:03)Coming to Peace With the Bible's Formation (1:00:03-1:05:02)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible by Paul D. WegnerYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Nice Day ft. Marc Vanparla, John Lee” by Lofi Sunday “Know My Name” by Lofi Sunday, Opto Music “But Hopeful ft. Maddox.” by Lofi Sunday “Forever Yours ft. Cassidy Godwin” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, and he also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Shavuot/Pentecost dates 2025: Begins sunset Sunday, June 1, 2025 Ends nightfall Tuesday, June 3, 2025 ********************************************** Pentecost didn't begin in the book of Acts—it began at Mount Sinai. Join Rabbi Schneider as he uncovers the deep, Jewish foundation of this powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit and what it means for your walk with God today.
Welcome back to the pod! Have you ever wondered how the Bible was written, and how exactly it's structured? Listen to today's episode as we talk about those things, as well as unpacking why it matter to us spiritually.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --How the Bible WorksToday we continue our How Stuff Works series with a topic that's both deeply theological and intensely practical: How the Bible Works. For Christians, the Bible is more than just a religious book—it's the inspired Word of God. But where did it come from? How is it structured? And how do we read it in a way that transforms our lives?These are big questions, and this summary explores three essential truths that come from our Bible Basics series:1. Where Did We Get the Bible?The Bible didn't fall from the sky, nor was it just a random collection of human wisdom. Scripture teaches that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit.2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”“Inspired” literally means “God-breathed.” That means the words of the Bible carry the very breath of God, and He speaks to us through its pages.Mark 12:36 (NLT) “For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said…”Jesus affirmed the divine origin of the Old Testament scriptures. The human authors wrote using their own style and voice, but were guided by the Spirit of God.2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT) “No prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding... those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”Verbal plenary inspiration means that the very words (verbal) and all parts (plenary) of Scripture are inspired by God. Though the original manuscripts were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, God has preserved His message through faithful transmission and translation.Translation Types:Word-for-Word (Formal): ESV, NASBThought-for-Thought (Dynamic): NIV, NLTWhile only the original manuscripts are infallible, modern translations are trustworthy because of careful preservation, thousands of manuscripts, and the sovereignty of God.2. What Is the Structure of the Bible?The Bible is one book made up of 66 individual books, divided into two testaments:Old Testament (39 Books): Written over 1,000 years and originally part of the Hebrew Bible, it includes:Law (Genesis–Deuteronomy)History (Joshua–Esther)Wisdom/Poetry (Job–Song of...
Welcome to Day 2636 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Perspective Changes Everything” – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2636 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2636 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 57th lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Perspective Changes Everything.” Is the book of Revelation a linear chronology of distant future events? Or does the book describe the Roman persecution of Christians and Rome's destruction of the temple—events that occurred in John's lifetime? The first view opts for a mid-AD 90s authorship (long after the temple was destroyed), the second supports a pre-AD 70s authorship (when the temple was still standing). Each of these readings is complicated by Revelation 11:1-2: Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty- two months." Taken literally, these verses indicate the Jerusalem temple still stands— apparent proof that Revelation was written before AD 70. If so, the idea that John is describing the Roman persecution and invasion—empowered by Satan and his hatred for the Church—must be valid. However, while the defense of this view takes this passage literally, most people who prefer to see Revelation written before AD 70 read the rest of Revelation symbolically, matching John's descriptions to some feature of the Roman Empire and its caesars. Those who read Revelation in terms of distant future events often point to the mid-90s authorship. They prefer a symbolic reading of Revelation 11 —a departure from their preference for taking the rest of Revelation quite literally (even to the point of describing futuristic military weaponry in John's visions). Who is the literalist now? It's difficult to be consistent in the book of Revelation. The early church father Clement of Rome offers us clues for understanding how this passage might be understood. Clement wrote long after the Jerusalem temple had been destroyed, but he used the present tense when speaking of the temple (1 Clement 40-41). He does this to strike an analogy between the orderly worship of the temple in times past with a current concern about worship. The same may be true of Revelation 11:1-2. It's not unusual for biblical writers to speak of a past event in language that sounds contemporary. In other words, the temple might be long gone, but references to it serve some other literary or theological purpose taking center stage in...
In this episode #216 of Hebrew Voices, Does God Command Divorce? Part1, Lynell welcomes Dr. Nehemia Gordon for a thought-provoking discussion on the Hebrew Bible's perspective regarding divorce—exploring whether God hates it or, in certain cases, may even require it. … Continue reading → The post Hebrew Voices #216 – Does God Command Divorce? Part 1 appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.
Jeremiah 30-31 are chapters often quoted and sung because of their beautiful images of divine closeness, renewal, and the posthumous figure of Rachel crying in prayer for the return of her exiled children. Dr. Malka Simkovich, who spent more than a decade teaching in Christian settings, always overlooked these prophecies as significant for the Jewish story, having long ago been adopted by the Christian world as the foreshadowing of their ‘new testament' (Jer. 31:30-32). In this conversation, she highlights the importance of these chapters for the Jewish narrative in this challenging moment, and thinks out loud with us about what it means for the Jewish world to enter a new chapter of history, devoid of divine metaphors and full of embrace for one another. Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society and Visiting Professor at Yeshiva University's Revel Graduate School for Jewish Studies. She has written several award-winning books on Second Temple Judaism and hundreds of articles. Simkovich served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies at Catholic Theological Union from 2014–2024, and speaks regularly to audiences across North America and beyond on topics related to the Hebrew Bible, Jewish history, and contemporary Jewish-Christian relations. This is a special podcast miniseries produced by Matan and hosted by Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble which will drop each week of the Omer counting between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuot. In each episode, a Bible scholar explores an iconic biblical text in light of the changing Israeli, Jewish, and world realities.
How the Bible Was Formed E2 — The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, is a collection of 24 scrolls, passed down for generations, that tells the long, complicated story of ancient Israel. But who wrote these scrolls, and how did they come together in their final form? And how do we understand the claim that these books are the very voice of God? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and the crew who shaped its stories, poems, and laws into intricately designed literary works.CHAPTERSThe First Writing Mentioned in the Torah (2:56-13:01)Prophets as a Spirit-Led, Multigenerational Literary Community (13:01-36:30)Divine Inspiration in a Diverse, Literary Mosaic (36:30-1:03:20)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Lost World Series by John H. Walton and othersThe Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority by John H. Walton and Brent SandyThe Shape of the Writings (Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures), edited by Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. StoneYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“StrollingThroughThePark ft. Goodiegumdrops” by Lofi Sunday“Radiance ft. solae” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, and he also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Cyrus II was the founder of the Persian Empire, arguably the greatest empire of the Ancient Near East. Cyrus wasn't only a hero to the Persians. In the Hebrew Bible, Cyrus is the only non-Jew that God calls His "anointed one" or "messiah." But does Cyrus really deserve his reputation as the "liberator" of the Jews from Babylon or is it all a piece of ancient propaganda? The incomparable Lloyd Llewelyn-Jones joins Helen and Dave to discuss the glory of the Persian Empire and how Cyrus was interpreted by biblical authors. For more great stuff from Lloyd, check out his latest books:Persians: The Age of the Great KingsThe Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of EgyptAncient Persia and The Book of Esther: Achaemenid Court Culture in the Hebrew BibleSUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHYCheck out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos
This is the first Syriac reader for the New Testament. It guides the reader through the Syriac New Testament Peshitta, glossing the uncommon words and parsing difficult word forms. It is designed for two groups of people. First, for students learning Syriac after a years' worth of study this series provides the material to grow in reading ability from the primary texts. Second, this series is designed for scholars, linguists, theologians, and curious lay people looking to refresh their Syriac, or use them in preparation for their work of study, and teaching. The Syriac Peshiṭta Bible: The New Testament (Gorgias Press, 2023) immerses the reader in the biblical texts in order to build confidence reading Classical Syriac as quickly as possible. To achieve this, all uncommon words that occur fewer than 25 times in the Syriac New Testament are glossed as footnotes. This enables the beginner or intermediate student to continue reading every passage unhindered. Therefore, this book complements traditional language grammars and is especially ideal for beginner and intermediate students learning to read Syriac. However, even advanced readers will appreciate the glossing of the occasional rare word. Other features include: Maps from the New Testament period with Syriac place names Paradigm charts of Syriac nouns and verbs A glossary of all the words not glossed below the text The base text is the Antioch Bible which includes the Peshitta for the canonical Syriac books, and later translations (probably Philoxenian) for the rest which makes this ideal for readers. For listeners who are interested in buying this tool for themselves, Gorgias has offered a 10% discount code for listeners of this podcast through the end of May 2025. If you order through the Gorgias website, simply enter the discount code NBNNTR10% at checkout. The book can be purchased from Gorgias here. A preview of the book can be found here. Timothy A. Lee is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on textual criticism of the Greek and Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical interpretation, ancient history, and theology. Some of his work is published in journals such as Revue de Qumran, Textus, the Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies, and Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha. He has three previous degrees from the Universities of Oxford and Durham. 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/middle-eastern-studies
This is the first Syriac reader for the New Testament. It guides the reader through the Syriac New Testament Peshitta, glossing the uncommon words and parsing difficult word forms. It is designed for two groups of people. First, for students learning Syriac after a years' worth of study this series provides the material to grow in reading ability from the primary texts. Second, this series is designed for scholars, linguists, theologians, and curious lay people looking to refresh their Syriac, or use them in preparation for their work of study, and teaching. The Syriac Peshiṭta Bible: The New Testament (Gorgias Press, 2023) immerses the reader in the biblical texts in order to build confidence reading Classical Syriac as quickly as possible. To achieve this, all uncommon words that occur fewer than 25 times in the Syriac New Testament are glossed as footnotes. This enables the beginner or intermediate student to continue reading every passage unhindered. Therefore, this book complements traditional language grammars and is especially ideal for beginner and intermediate students learning to read Syriac. However, even advanced readers will appreciate the glossing of the occasional rare word. Other features include: Maps from the New Testament period with Syriac place names Paradigm charts of Syriac nouns and verbs A glossary of all the words not glossed below the text The base text is the Antioch Bible which includes the Peshitta for the canonical Syriac books, and later translations (probably Philoxenian) for the rest which makes this ideal for readers. For listeners who are interested in buying this tool for themselves, Gorgias has offered a 10% discount code for listeners of this podcast through the end of May 2025. If you order through the Gorgias website, simply enter the discount code NBNNTR10% at checkout. The book can be purchased from Gorgias here. A preview of the book can be found here. Timothy A. Lee is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on textual criticism of the Greek and Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical interpretation, ancient history, and theology. Some of his work is published in journals such as Revue de Qumran, Textus, the Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies, and Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha. He has three previous degrees from the Universities of Oxford and Durham. 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
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore typology, a method of biblical interpretation that aims to meaningfully link people, places, and events in the Hebrew Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament, with the coming of Christ in the New Testament. Old Testament figures like Moses, Jonah, and King David were regarded by Christians as being ‘types' or symbols of Jesus. This way of thinking became hugely popular in medieval Europe, Renaissance England and Victorian Britain, as Christians sought to make sense of their Jewish inheritance - sometimes rejecting that inheritance with antisemitic fervour. It was a way of seeing human history as part of a divine plan, with ancient events prefiguring more modern ones, and it influenced debates about the relationship between metaphor and reality in the bible, in literature, and in art. It also influenced attitudes towards reality, time and history. WithMiri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History at Queen Mary, University of LondonHarry Spillane, Munby Fellow in Bibliography at Cambridge and Research Fellow at Darwin CollegeAnd Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe, Associate Professor in Patristics at Cambridge. Producer: Eliane GlaserReading list:A. C. Charity, Events and their Afterlife: The Dialectics of Christian Typology in the Bible and Dante (first published 1966; Cambridge University Press, 2010)Margaret Christian, Spenserian Allegory and Elizabethan Biblical Exegesis: The Context for 'The Faerie Queene' (Manchester University Press, 2016)Dagmar Eichberger and Shelley Perlove (eds.), Visual Typology in Early Modern Europe: Continuity and Expansion (Brepols, 2018)Tibor Fabiny, The Lion and the Lamb: Figuralism and Fulfilment in the Bible, Art and Literature (Palgrave Macmillan, 1992)Tibor Fabiny, ‘Typology: Pros and Cons in Biblical Hermeneutics and Literary Criticism' (Academia, 2018)Northrop Frye, The Great Code: The Bible and Literature (first published 1982; Mariner Books, 2002)Leonhard Goppelt (trans. Donald H. Madvig), Typos: The Typological Interpretation of the Old Testament in the New (William B Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1982)Paul J. Korshin, Typologies in England, 1650-1820 (first published in 1983; Princeton University Press, 2014)Judith Lieu, Image and Reality: The Jews in the World of the Christians in the Second Century (T & T Clark International, 1999)Sara Lipton, Images of Intolerance: The Representation of Jews and Judaism in the Bible Moralisee (University of California Press, 1999)Montague Rhodes James and Kenneth Harrison, A Guide to the Windows of King's College Chapel (first published in 1899; Cambridge University Press, 2010)J. W. Rogerson and Judith M. Lieu (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies (Oxford University Press, 2008)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production
Welcome to Day 2631 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “666: What Theories Add Up?” – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2631 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2631 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 56th lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “666: What Theories Add Up?.” If there's one part of the Bible virtually everyone has heard of, it's 666—the "number of Beast." And if there's one thing no one can agree upon, it's what that number stands for. We see 666 in Revelation 13:18: "let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." The wording here is important: John tells readers that the number must be “calculated," which means there must be a hidden meaning behind it. But how do we calculate it? Calculating Symbolism One option for solving this biblical riddle is gematria, the idea that numbers have symbolic meaning. While some have called gematria a tool for speculation, it actually derives from an ancient convention in languages like Greek and Hebrew where letters of the alphabet are used to represent numbers. But gematria is not limited to just Revelation; the New Testament contains several other symbolic figures. The 153 fish of John 21:11 could be interpreted as ancient symbolism for the Church, the body of Christ, and the Old Testament sons of God as analogous to believers in the Church. The Greek word for "dove," like the dove that descends on Jesus at His baptism, has a numerical value equivalent to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, thus symbolizing the Alpha and Omega (Rev 1:8). Calculating 666 When it comes to 666, one gematria explanation is that the number represents Nero Caesar. The Greek Neron Kaisar adds up to 1,005, but when the name is transliterated into the Hebrew letters nrwn qsr, the sum is 666. Nero Caesar also would explain the variant number of the Beast (616) found in some New Testament manuscripts. Transliterating the Latin Nero Caesar into Hebrew, nrw qsr, yields 616, suggesting John may have been thinking of the well-known Nero Redivivus myth when writing about the Beast (i.e., that Nero would rise from the dead to destroy Christians). The gematria solution presents three major problems: It could be viewed as cheating with the spellings (the usual Hebrew spelling for Caesar is q'st, not qsr, although the qsr form does exist). It assumes that readers knew Hebrew well enough to do the transliteration from Greek back into...
This talk explores the concept of prophecy and prophethood from a multi-faith perspective. Prophets existed before the Bible, as seen in ancient texts describing the Mesopotamian nabū, muhhum, and assinnu. Biblical prophets came in many forms—true and false, charismatic and solitary, loyal to kings or opposing them. The debate over prophecy persisted for millennia: Jews saw it as ending with the Hebrew Bible, Christians viewed Jesus as its fulfillment, and Muslims recognized Muhammad as the final prophet. Yet, prophecy endures in groups like the Mormons and Baha'is. The speaker will examine how different traditions understand prophecy, its historical evolution, and its continued relevance today. Speaker Reuven Firestone, Regenstein Professor in Medieval Judaism and Islam, Hebrew Union College
Episode Overview: In this captivating episode of the Higher Density Living Podcast, host Jason Rigby sits down with Dr. Rick Strassman, a world-renowned psychedelic researcher and author of the groundbreaking book DMT: The Spirit Molecule. Known for his pioneering clinical research on DMT and his deep explorations into altered states of consciousness, Dr. Strassman brings a unique perspective to the table as he dives into the Book of Genesis. Together, they explore the intersections of biblical narratives, Jewish tradition, and the spiritual insights gleaned from his decades of psychedelic and personal inquiry. From the creation accounts to the Fall, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel, this episode unpacks Genesis through a lens that blends science, spirituality, and prophetic wisdom. Dr. Strassman shares his journey from Zen Buddhism to Judaism, his literal approach to interpreting biblical texts, and how his DMT research informs his understanding of human consciousness and divine interaction. Whether you're a spiritual seeker, a psychedelics enthusiast, or simply curious about the deeper meanings of Genesis, this episode offers a thought-provoking and enriching discussion. Meet Dr. Rick Strassman Born in 1952 in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Rick Strassman is a clinical psychiatrist, psychedelic researcher, and author whose work has reshaped our understanding of consciousness. After graduating with honors from Stanford University in biological sciences and earning his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he built a distinguished career in psychiatry and psychopharmacology. His groundbreaking DMT studies at the University of New Mexico in the 1990s marked the first U.S.-approved psychedelic research in over two decades, earning him global recognition. Dr. Strassman's books, including DMT: The Spirit Molecule (a quarter-million copies sold and translated into over a dozen languages) and DMT and the Soul of Prophecy, bridge science and spirituality. His latest work, My Altered States (December 2024), is an illustrated memoir exploring his personal experiences with altered states from birth to early adulthood. Currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Dr. Strassman resides in Gallup, New Mexico, where he continues to write and consult for psychedelic startups. Connect with Dr. Strassman: Website: rickstrassman.com Books: Amazon Author Page Joe Rogan Appearances: 2022 Episode | Earlier Episode Key Topics Discussed: 1. Genesis Through a Jewish Lens Dr. Strassman shares how his return to Jewish texts after leaving Zen Buddhism in 1996 shaped his understanding of Genesis. Raised in a conservative Jewish household, he re-engaged with the Hebrew Bible as an adult, finding parallels between the vivid experiences of his DMT volunteers and the prophetic visions of biblical figures. Two Creation Narratives: Genesis 1 offers a cosmic, orderly account, while Genesis 2 zooms into a detailed, human-focused story. Dr. Strassman views them as complementary—an overview followed by specifics—reflecting a divine act of creation from nothing. Divine Order and Cause-and-Effect: He explores how Genesis reveals God's nature through the laws of cause and effect, suggesting that nature itself mirrors divine will. 2. The Fall: Free Will and Consciousness The conversation delves into Adam and Eve's disobedience, which Dr. Strassman frames as the first exercise of free will with explicit consequences. He challenges the notion of the fruit as a psychedelic, instead emphasizing its role in shifting human perception from truth to the duality of good and evil. Shabbat as Eternal Rest: Jason raises the idea of the Sabbath lacking an “evening and morning” close, hinting at an eternal state. Dr. Strassman connects this to emulating God's rest, though he notes the Hebrew Bible avoids afterlife specifics. 3. Cain, Abel, and the Flood: Sin as a Virus From Cain's envy-driven murder of Abel to the violence (Hebrew: Hamas) preceding the Flood, Dr. Strassman sees these stories as literal events encoding lessons about human nature and societal decay. The Flood, he suggests, was a divine reset prompted by humanity's failure to align with God's intent. Sons of Elohim: Theories range from angels to elites interbreeding with humans, disrupting divine order. Dr. Strassman remains open but grounded in the text's ambiguity. 4. Tower of Babel: Misunderstood Ambition Dr. Strassman offers a fresh take on the Tower of Babel, arguing it's less about hubris and more about humanity's refusal to disperse post-Flood as God commanded. The scattering, he posits, fulfilled an original divine plan, with the tower as a symbol of misdirected unity. 5. Abraham's Covenant and Monotheism The patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12–50) shift focus to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Dr. Strassman highlights Abraham's call as a pivotal revelation of monotheism, questioning why Abraham was chosen—a mystery deepened by Midrashic tales of his iconoclastic zeal. Egypt's Role: He attributes Egypt's prominence to its cultural dominance, akin to the modern U.S., rather than mystical significance. 6. Prophecy, Psychedelics, and the Living Word Drawing from his DMT research, Dr. Strassman theorizes that prophetic visions might stem from endogenous DMT spikes, serving as a bridge for divine communication. He views Genesis as a prophetically received text, resonating with readers through its altered-state origins. Is the Bible Living? While Jason sees it as God's living word, Dr. Strassman approaches it as a guidebook to cause and effect, enduringly relevant but not inherently “alive” beyond its influence. 7. From Zen to Judaism Dr. Strassman reflects on his shift from Zen Buddhism—where he felt alienated by iconography—to Judaism's monotheistic grounding. This transition, sparked by personal and professional changes, led him to a more literal, grounded study of biblical texts. Memorable Quotes On DMT and Reality: “When volunteers said it felt ‘more real than real,' I learned to take it at face value—it opened up the strangest, most fascinating parts of their experiences.” On Genesis: “If you assume it's real, you can enter its world and learn what it's like. It's complex and rich in ways you miss if you see it as just archetypes.” On Prophecy: “The Hebrew Bible's appeal lies in its prophetic state—it's like reading a text that tingles with divine resonance.” On Monotheism: “It's not about whether it's wise—it's about whether it's true.” Why You Should Listen This episode is a rare fusion of psychedelic science and biblical exegesis, offering fresh insights into Genesis from a thinker who's explored both the outer edges of consciousness and the depths of Jewish tradition. Dr. Strassman's literal yet open-minded approach challenges conventional interpretations, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in spirituality, human potential, or the mysteries of existence. Resources & Links Books by Dr. Rick Strassman: DMT: The Spirit Molecule – Buy on Amazon DMT and the Soul of Prophecy – Buy on Amazon My Altered States (Dec 2024) – Buy on Amazon Joe Rogan Episodes: 2022 Interview Earlier Interview Dr. Strassman's Website: rickstrassman.com Call to Action Enjoyed this deep dive into Genesis with Dr. Rick Strassman? Subscribe to the Higher Density Living Podcast for more thought-provoking conversations. Share this episode with friends, leave a review, and grab Dr. Strassman's books to explore his groundbreaking work further. Let us know your thoughts in the comments—what's your take on Genesis as a living text?
How the Bible Was Formed E1 — If you've ever compared a Protestant Bible to a Catholic Bible, you may notice some additional books in the Catholic Bible, such as Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, etc. These books, called the Deuterocanon by Catholics and the Apocrypha by Protestants, are Jewish Literature from the period after the Babylonian exile but before the time of Jesus. The Jewish people were back in the land, being ruled by Syria and other empires descended from Alexander the Great. As they read the Hebrew Bible, they created many new literary works, reflecting on stories in Scripture and what was happening in their own day. So how do we understand the status and value of these books when compared to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the background, history, and content of this Second-Temple Jewish literature.CHAPTERSMultiple Bibles on the Shelf (00:00-21:10)History of the Protestant Apocrypha (21:10-34:35)How Jesus and the Apostles Engaged With These Books (34:35-43:05)Why We're Talking About the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha (43:05-57:36)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Old Testament Pseudepigrapha by James H. CharlesworthOld Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, edited by Richard Bauckham, James Davila, Alex PanayotovYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Pure Joy ft. John Lee” by Lofi Sunday“Chillbop ft. Me & The Boys” by Lofi Sunday“Answered Prayers ft. PAINT WITH SOUND” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today's episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The laws and punishments meted out in the Bible sound pretty harsh. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth—not to mention all of the commandments that are punishable by death! Ancient law expert Bruce Wells joins Helen and Dave to answer the question: were biblical laws really enforced? How did they compare with other law codes from the Ancient Near East like Hammurabi? And if they weren't enforced, why do laws play such a central role in the Hebrew Bible? Check out Bruce's books:Everyday Law in Biblical IsraelThe Cambridge Companion to Law in the Hebrew BibleSUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHYCheck out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos
In her highly anticipated return to the podcast, Dr. Malka Simkovich takes us on a journey through the rich and complex world of Second Temple Judaism, drawing from her acclaimed book Discovering Second Temple Literature. We begin with the extraordinary discoveries of the Cairo Genizah and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and explore why these moments of preservation are so central to understanding the period. We then unpack the deep identity tensions faced by the Jewish people—especially in communities like Alexandria—as they navigated dual roles as both imperial citizens and members of a semi-sovereign Judea. Dr. Simkovich clarifies the role of sects during this era, showing how minority movements like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes related to the mainstream Jewish population, and challenges the assumption that sectarianism defined the age by highlighting the resilience of a shared Jewish identity. The episode also features a deep dive into the fascinating literature that expanded upon biblical texts, including a close look at the non-canonical Testament of Abraham. Finally, we end with a preview of Dr. Simkovich's latest book, Letters from Home, and discuss what inspired it and the conversation she hopes it will spark.---*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh---• Bio: Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society and Visiting Professor at Yeshiva University's Revel Graduate School for Jewish Studies. Her first book, The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria, was published in 2016, and her second book, Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism, was published with JPS in 2018 and received the 2019 AJL Judaica Reference Honor Award. Her third book, Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity, was published in June 2024. She is also the author of over a hundred published articles, including pieces that have been published in journals such as the Harvard Theological Review, the Journal for the Study of Judaism, the Jewish Review of Books, Tablet, and The Christian Century. A Leon Charney Fellow at the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, a Sacks Scholar for the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Foundation, and a Kogod Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Simkovich served as the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies at Catholic Theological Union from 2014–2024, and speaks regularly to audiences across North America and beyond on topics related to the Hebrew Bible, Jewish history, and contemporary Jewish-Christian relations.---• Get her books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Malka-Z.-Simkovich/author/B084JHCV8Q?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1746991336&sr=8-2&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=c1f5bf2f-1e29-4536-8420-48672ac2ff47---• Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Rod Ilian, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Vasya, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel Maksumov, Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support!
The Hebrew Key to Prophecy, Time Travel, and the Universe Chaim Hiam Bentorah part 1Pastor Bob Thibodeau welcomes listeners to the Kingdom Crossroads podcast, where he engages in enlightening conversations with notable Christian figures who are making significant impacts in the world. Today's guest, Haim Ben Torah, brings over 35 years of experience in exploring the depths of Hebrew Scriptures, challenging listeners to reconsider their understanding of biblical texts. The discussion revolves around intriguing philosophical questions, such as whether heaven exists as another universe and how the Hebrew Bible conceals profound insights about God, time, and eternity. Through Haim's insights, Pastor Bob and their audience embark on a journey that reveals how a deeper comprehension of a few Hebrew words can transform one's approach to reading scripture, prayer, and daily life. Haim's unique background, including his studies at Moody Bible Institute and interactions with Jewish scholars, provides a rich context for the conversation, leading to revelations about the intricate connections between Jewish and Christian teachings.Takeaways: Pastor Bob Thibodeau emphasizes the podcast's global reach, featuring influential Christian leaders to promote their impactful messages. Haim Ben Torah, an expert on Hebrew scriptures, reveals the significant layers of meaning embedded within the Hebrew Bible. He discusses how a deeper understanding of Hebrew can transform one's engagement with scripture and spiritual practices. The dialogue touches on the intersection of Jewish and Christian beliefs regarding the afterlife and the existence of parallel universes. Haim shares insights from over thirty-five years of study, highlighting the importance of Jewish teachings in understanding biblical prophecy. The episode explores the concept of 'zimzum', explaining its relevance to understanding God's presence and the nature of reality. CONTACT INFORMATION: Website: www.chaimbentorah.com Website: www.hebrewwordstudy.com _____________________________________________Check Out These Amazing LinksPastor Bob "HIGHLY" recommends "Captivate.FM" as YOUR podcast host! They have a lot of very helpful features (and more all the time) - and NO CHARGE for the features or upgrades!ModernIQs is a sponsor of the Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast Newsletter: Transform your creative workflow with ModernIQs! Explore AI-powered tools for content creation, from smart question generators to automated blog writers. Streamline and create with ease! Go to ModernIQs.com for more information!Grow your faith and your business with The Faith-Based Business Newsletter! Get practical tips, biblical insights, and strategies for success. Subscribe at FaithBasedBiz.Substack.com and tune in to the podcast at
The Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, serves as a vital link between Judaism and Christianity. In this presentation, we will explore its origins, significance, and The Beginnings of the Septuagint Translation and Its Significance for Diaspora Judaism and its role on early Christianity. For more in depth lessons about Second Temple Judaism check our online Academy www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com
In this episode, Zen speaks with Claire Mummert, the incoming host and producer of Currents in Religion.Our GuestClaire is a second year PhD student at Baylor University, specializing in the Hebrew Bible.
Welcome to Day 2626 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Jesus, God, a.k.a., The Name” – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2626 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2626 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 55th lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Jesus, God, a.k.a., The Name.” It only takes a few words to produce dramatic theology. In the short letter we know as 3 John, the apostle is writing to a beloved friend, Gaius (v. 1). He commends Gaius for ministering to fellow believers who were strangers because "they have gone out for the sake of the name" (v. 7). John doesn't use the phrase "in Jesus' name" or "the name of Jesus"; it's simply, "for the sake of the name." Why this phrase? Is John trying to keep a secret? John isn't trying to be cryptic. He's actually drawing on an Old Testament expression. When understood in that original context—and the context of his other writings—‘ odd wording amounts to a powerful statement on the deity of Jesus. The Name in the Old Testament In Deuteronomy 12:5, God instructed the people of Israel that—when they got into the promised land—He would show them the place where they were to worship Him. God described that location as "the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name." God wasn't talking about writing His name on a town or a building. He was referring to where the tabernacle—and ultimately the temple—was to be stationed. But He wasn't talking about writing "Yahweh" on that either. Nothing of the sort is ever recorded in Scripture. Rather, God was talking about the place where He would choose to meet Israel personally—His very presence. The description "the name" actually refers to the presence of God. This presence was at times visibly evident through the so-called "glory cloud" (e.g., 1 Kgs 8:10-11). At other times the name came in human form. For instance, in Exodus 23:20-23, God tells Moses that He is sending an angel to bring Israel to the promised land. God warned Moses that this angel would pardon no transgression since "My name is in him." We learn from Judges 2:1-5 that the angel did indeed lead them to the land. But how could God's name be in an angel? The answer is that "the name" referred to the very presence of God—His essence. This is confirmed in Deuteronomy 4:3 7. Here, we read that—instead of the angel being credited as the one who would bring Israel to Canaan—it is God who brought them there "with his own presence." Jesus Has and Is the Name Before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus prays: "I am no longer in the world, but they...
Paula Faris has won an Emmy Award as a broadcast journalist. She's anchored Good Morning America Weekend, and hosted The View. But this inspiring working mom's greatest calling is as a mother.And throughout her career at ABC News and running her own organization, CARRY Media, Paula has also felt called to support and give voice to the nearly 25 million mothers in America's workforce.As we celebrate the mothers in each of our lives, join Yael for this empowering conversation with Paula Faris in support of the moms who worked—and work—to make each of us who we are today.Read Paula Faris' insightful and practical book for moms, You Don't Have to Carry It All: Ditch the Mom Guilt & Find a Better Way Forward, as well as this working mother of three's children's book, Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?And join Yael five days a week to journey through the Hebrew Bible on The Chosen People.
On today's program, Fellowship President and Global CEO Yael Eckstein shares a teaching from the Hebrew Bible.
Many Christians are not aware that the order of the books of the Old Testament in the Hebrew Bible differs from the order of books we find in the Bibles in use among most Christians. This older order was most likely he way Jesus knew and used the Canonical books of what we call the Old Testament. In Luke 24 our Lord refers to "everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms." There were three sections in the Bibles in use among the People of Israel, three sections in the Bible that Jesus knew. It is this third section that began with the book of Psalms and incorporates a wide variety of books likely written or compiled at the time of the return from captivity in Babylon that is the theme of this new study we have begun in the third section of the Old Testament, called the Writings.
The Exodus Way Q+R (E14) — What birth imagery do we find in Exodus? Are there hyperlinks elsewhere in the Bible that connect to Pharaoh's hardened heart? And is the circumcision story with Zipporah and Moses' son connected to Passover? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our Exodus Way series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSIntro (0:00-2:27)Do the seven women in Exodus mirror the seven women in Genesis? (2:27-11:31)What birth imagery can we pull out of the exodus story? (11:31-24:27)Are there hyperlinks elsewhere in the Bible that connect to Pharaoh's hardened heart? (24:27-34:37)Is the circumcision story with Zipporah and Moses' son connected to Passover? (34:37-38:54)How are the Passover and Yom Kippur lambs connected? (38:54-58:57)Is there any connection between God's Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove at his baptism and the dove Noah sent out of the ark? (58:50-1:07:28)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESFind our special interview episode with BibleProject Fellow Tamara Knudson: The Seven Women Who Rescued Moses—and IsraelRecovering Paul's Mother Tongue: Language and Theology in Galatians by Susan Grove EastmanIn response to the question about God hardening Pharaoh's heart, Tim references our series on the Exodus Scroll, specifically episode 2, Yahweh and the Exodus. We also addressed this topic in the Exodus 1-18 Q+RTim mentions Hebrew Bible scholars Richard Whitekettle, Jacob Milgrom, and Jonathan Klawans, though not any specific works by them.Jon mentions a previous episode where we discussed Zipporah and Moses' son: Did God Try To Kill Moses?Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus's Death by Andrew Remington RilleraYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSICBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today's episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
John 6:1-15,After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. One morning last week it occurred to me, in a fresh way, that God's mercy to me has always been deliberate. Whatever good God has ever given to me, he meant it. He meant to give it to me. It was on purpose. And that's true for all of us.The only kind of kindness we ever receive from God is purposeful kindness. This means there's not a single blessing in our lives that is arbitrary or whimsical — and that goes for everything big and small — from a cup of coffee to a roof over our heads, from a good parking spot in a crowded lot to a dinner table crowded with children. Every good thing in our lives is from the hand of God on purpose. Purposeful kindness. And when we get this truth in our heads, we start to see it everywhere. It's all over the place in John Chapter 6 in this story of Jesus feeding the five thousand — which, by the way, this miracle is unique because it's the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each tell this story because it was monumental for the early church. Through this miracle Jesus is shining brightly as the fulfillment of Old Testament hope, and in the Gospel of John especially, the main message that John wants us to get is that Jesus is greater than Moses. Jesus has already said in Chapter 5, verse 46 that Moses wrote about him, and now we're going to see how he surpasses Moses. That's the narrative strategy going on here, but I don't want us to be too fixed on the narrative strategy that we miss the wonder of Jesus's heart in this story — his purposeful kindness is on display. And that's our focus. I want to show you the purposeful kindness of Jesus in three ways. Here's the first:1. Jesus is a patient provider. Let's start in verse 1 and notice that it opens with a new setting (and it's all important information) … Jesus is back in Galilee (where he's from) and there's a “large crowd” of people following him. That phrase “large crowd” is used twice, and we learn later that it's large as in likely over ten thousand people. Now why was this large crowd following Jesus? Verse 2 says it's because they've seen his signs. We already know from Chapter 4 that the Galileans really loved the signs, and so here they are again coming to see more. Important InfoThen verse 3 says that Jesus went up on the mountain — John doesn't tell us what mountain because it doesn't really matter — we just need to know that Jesus was on a mountain. And this is important because it's an allusion to Moses. It's what we could call a ‘Moses-wink.' (John gives us several little clues in this story to remind us of Moses; you could call them Moses breadcrumbs, but we're gonna call them “Moses-winks.”)The most famous mountain in the Hebrew Bible is Mount Sinai where Moses received God's Law — we know a big part of Moses's ministry was on a mountain, and then the other big part of Moses's ministry was, of course, leading the Exodus — which by the way, verse 4 tells us it's Passover. Passover is the annual feast in Jewish life that remembers Moses leading the exodus (so verses 3 and 4 have back-to-back Moses-winks).Jesus is on a mountain, during Passover — and there's a large number of people following him — and look what Jesus does in verse 5. The text says he lifted up his eyes.This could just be the basic information of what he did, except that earlier in Chapter 4, verse 35 Jesus commanded his disciples, “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” Jesus was telling them: Recognize the work of God in the world and join in! And that's exactly what Jesus is doing here! He's about to work the work of God! So there's a drumroll. We're on the the edge of our seats.But then he asks one of his disciples a question.Humorous IronyHe has twelve disciples, but this time he's talking to Philip, who was from that area, and he asks him, verse 5:“Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”And I think there's meant to be humor in this question. Because the question, at face-value, is crazy. There are thousands of people here, Jesus, what do you mean buy bread? In fact, everybody look at verse 6 for a minute. This is one I really need you to see, verse 6. Everybody, verse 6. This is John the narrator talking — Verse 6:“[Jesus] said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.”So this means the question in verse 5 seems so absurd that in verse 6 John as the narrator has to chime in and explain to us that Jesus is up to something. John is saying: Hang on and watch this. And at this point, I think the main thing that separates this story from a modern-day sitcom is a laugh track. Now we're gonna try something we've never tried before. Do y'all think we could make our own laugh track? …Now I'm gonna read this dialogue and when I point at y'all, laugh together. We're gonna make a live laugh track. Because there's humorous irony going on in this story and it'll make sense to you. You're gonna see it. Here we go:Jesus, looking at thousands of people, says: “Hey Philip, where are we gonna buy bread so that these people can eat?” [laugh track]Philip: “16,000 dollars worth of bread would not be enough for each person to get a bite!” [laugh track]Andrew: “I gotta kid here whose got five loaves and two fish.” [laugh track]See, this is a sitcom! It's a situation-comedy.And then Jesus says, “Have the people sit down” — which instantly takes this scene from comedy to He's gonna really do it. He's gonna feed these people. And we'll get there in a minute, but the first thing that stands out here is that Jesus is even taking the time to have this dialogue with his disciples.He Takes Care of ItVerse 6 tells us that he knew what he was going to do; so he could have just done it, but instead he chooses to involve his disciples. He chooses to slow the whole thing down to double his giving — because not only is he gonna give food to this crowd, but now he's gonna give a lesson to his disciples. And this takes amazing patience. And every parent in this room gets this. …I'm at home and I've got to fix a broken cabinet door, so I've got my wood-glue and some screws and a clamp and my drill — I'm ready to go — and then one of my dear children walks in and says, “Hey, Dad, can I help?” And in that moment I've got to decide: Do I wanna make this go twice as long and be twice as stressful?You bakers in the room know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you just wanna make a batch of cookies … and then sometimes you want your five-year-old to help. It all depends on your patience level.Look at how patient Jesus is here! I'm guessing Philip failed this test. A better response would have been to answer Jesus's question with another question. Philip should've said: “Jesus, you can do all things, would you feed them?”See Andrew gets a little closer (maybe he remembers Jesus turning the water to wine), but neither of these disciples get it exactly right. And notice that Jesus doesn't rebuke them. He doesn't shake his head in frustration. He just takes care of it.One day we're gonna find out how many times Jesus has done this for us — how many times we've not had it right but Jesus was our patient provider.There's a prayer of thanksgiving I pray often that goes:Jesus, thank you for the blessings in my life I was neither capable of achieving nor wise enough to ask for but which you sent anyway. Thank you for the particular mercies you've bestowed on me and for all the ways you've been patient with me — for the ways you've helped me change and break bad habits and patterns of thought, heart attitude, and practice; and for the ways you've protected me from the fuller consequences of my own blindness.He's so patient with us. He just takes care of it. One way the purposeful kindness of Jesus is on display is that he is the patient provider.2. Jesus is a generous host. In verse 10, Jesus tells the disciples to have all the people sit down, and there are five thousand men. Now if you add the women and children it would at least double the number (that's where the 10,000 number comes from; some scholars estimate 20,000 total) — either way, this is a lot more people than one paper-bag lunch can serve. That is the most obvious thing going on here. Again, it's comically obvious.But Jesus took that little lunch, he gave thanks to his Father, and in verse 11 “he distributed [the lunch] to those who were seated.” And he didn't ration out the food, but he gave everyone as much bread and fish as they wanted, verse 12, and they all got full.And then he told his disciples to gather up all the leftovers, which ended up being twelve baskets — so they ended with more food than they had when they started; and each of the twelve disciples had his own basket to carry. Which means each disciple would've had a tangible reminder of what Jesus does with basically nothing but a willing heart. (By the way, that's our only hope in ministry — our hope is that Jesus does it this way, and that he's the one who gives us a willing heart.)Putting on a FeastNow I want to draw special attention to two details Jesus does here. The first is that Jesus distributed the bread. Now I don't think this means he himself gave a slice of bread to each person individually — the disciples helped him spread it — but the point is that Jesus was hands-on in this experience and none of it was required.There was a crowd and they were hungry, and all he had to do was just say something. He could've just said “Hunger, be gone.” Jesus has the power to just speak and instantly make the empty stomachs not feel empty. He could have just said the word, but he didn't do it that way.Also, he could have just limited everyone to a slice of bread — just tear off a piece — but instead it's Take all you want! Which means Jesus is putting on a feast here — this whole thing is about more than solving hunger. That's not the point. The point is that Jesus is showing himself to be a generous host. (So he's kinda like Moses with the manna, except that he's greater!)He makes this wide open space his dining room. The ground these people are standing on, which John tells us was lush with grass, becomes banquette seating.Last week, our younger kids, at their school, did a production of Beauty and the Beast. And my favorite scene of the play, by far, is when Belle is in the castle and the staff invite her to dinner, and the kids altogether sang maybe the greatest Disney song of all time, Be Our Guest. It starts:Be our guest, be our guestPut our service to the testTie your napkin ‘round your neck, chérieAnd we provide the restLook, that's what is happening here, except the “we” is an “I.” Jesus is hosting all of these people as his guests. And it's to everyone's surprise.The disciples apparently didn't even think about Jesus doing this. Nobody in this crowd expected this — they were looking for signs, yes, but they couldn't have guessed this. And that's what makes it even more amazing! This is the part that puts Jesus over the top as a generous host. It's that none of these people deserved this. Jesus knows they're not really seeking him. He will say later in verse 26 that the only reason these people are sticking with him is for the free food. And look, he knows all of that now! He knows that on the frontside and yet still, look what he does!He not only gives to those who can't repay him; he gives to those who don't even want to repay him.I feel like if I were there, I'd say: Jesus, your strategy here is all wrong (and I know because I'm a church planter). See, what you win them with, you win them to. Jesus, you're making shallow followers here. You're just meeting their felt-needs and creating a positive experience — at least make the parking bad.Jesus knows all of the pitfalls here, and he does it anyway. Why? … Because he's generous. Because he loves people. Because he wants somebody in that crowd to know he's generous and loves people — because he wants us to know. What if the purposeful kindness of Jesus on display in John 6 is actually for us who are reading this story two thousand years later?Let us marvel at how Jesus is a generous host. And let's learn from him.3. Jesus is loyal to his Father's will. The conclusion to this miracle is the response of the crowd in verses 14–15, which was not humble worship, but ignorant zeal. They recognize, first, because of this miracle, that Jesus is the prophet promised in Deuteronomy 18:15. That's when Moses himself said,The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.This is not a Moses-wink, this is a straight up Moses-spotlight. Jesus is that ‘prophet like Moses.' Moses wrote of him, and he's greater than Moses. The crowd is 100% correct in their assessment of Jesus in verse 14. But it goes sideways in verse 15 because they wanted to take Jesus by force and make him king. This means that these 5,000 men are a mob-in-the-making, but they're not against Jesus, they want to ‘promote' him. And that's exactly why Jesus gets out of there. But why?! They wanna make him king, Jesus is a king, why doesn't he go along with this?Jesus walks away from thousands of ‘loyalists' because he is loyal to his Father's will, and the path to the throne prepared by his Father requires a cross. That's the reason why. Jesus is the Prophet. Jesus is the King. And Jesus is also the Lamb, and soon enough the will of his Father is gonna lead him to Jerusalem, as one theologian puts it, “not to wield the spear and bring the judgment, but to receive the spear thrust and bear the judgment.” See, Jesus's ascendancy to glory won't come through popularity and prestige, but through suffering and sacrifice. Which he endured for us.Do you see, his loyalty to his Father's will is our salvation? That's what he's after. That's why the Father has sent him.He will be crucified in our place, slain for our sins, taking the punishment we deserved. Jesus will die and be raised to live forever so that we can too.Jesus says, verse 40:“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”Church, it is good news that Jesus is loyal to the will of his Father. It's good news that he does not buckle to the demands of our ignorant desires.Because if we were there, we would have wanted to make him king too. Like Peter, we would have deterred him from the cross. But he went there anyway even as we stood in his way, because he follows his Father's will, not ours, on purpose. This is grace unmeasured, love untold! This is the purposeful kindness of Jesus to us!Jesus is a patient provider. Jesus is a generous host.Jesus is loyal to his Father's will.And that's what brings us to the table. The TableWhat can we do but just thank him? This morning let's marvel at the glory of Jesus. That's my invitation to you now.
What happens when two of the world's oldest and most influential religions—Judaism and Catholicism—stand side by side? Today, we explore the shared roots, divergent paths, painful history, and surprising points of connection between these two traditions. From ancient Israel to Vatican II, from the Hebrew Bible to the New Testament, and from centuries of tension to moments of true dialogue, we ask: What do Jews and Catholics really believe about one another? How have theology, politics, and history shaped that relationship—and where do we go from here?Join us as we unpack the theological crossroads, cultural intersections, and the evolving conversation between Catholicism and Judaism—past, present, and future.Want more history? Go back and listen to this series from the beginning, as Winston Churchill once said “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” so we are going all the way back, so we can understand what is happening now and plan for the future.Check out more about Rabbi Ken Spiro and his work at www.KenSpiro.comLearn more about Ellie Bass and her work at www.elliebass.comLearn more about The Jewish Family Institute at www.MyJFI.comTo send us questions and ideas for topics email us at rememberwhatsnext@gmail.com Thank you for joining us on Remember What's Next with Rabbi Ken Spiro and Ellie Bass. This is a project that we do out of love for our people, if you would like to be a supporter or patron of this project please let us know! We would love to continue to do this project and expand it beyond the thousands of listeners we already have! Our podcast has now hit number one multiple times in multiple countries and we want to keep the momentum going. Get in touch with us atrememberwhatsnext@gmail.com and let us know your thoughts, topic ideas and how you would like to support us going forward. Don't forget to like, share, subscribe and review us which helps more people find our podcast and have access to the essential knowledge and understanding of who we are as a Jewish people and what is happening in the world today through the vital lens of history. Subscribe to the YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSK8eyX12C-4pa2PpAdcOrg
Welcome to Day 2621 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Tough Love” – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2621 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2621 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 54th lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Tough Love.” It's a common myth that God will always bring us back to repentance. This myth is debunked in the first letter of John. While John writes that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), he also tells us that sometimes God never gives us another chance to confess our sins and be forgiven. In 1 John 5:16-17, the apostle gives us the other side of the sin-confession- forgiveness coin: If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. Put simply, there are sins that Christians commit that don't lead to death— but there are some that do. Is John talking about a divine law of cause and effect, where a specific sin irrevocably results in death? Not exactly. We can be certain that John has no specific sin in mind because he never names a sin in this passage. John is saying there may come a time when God has had enough of our sin, and then our time on earth is up. We cannot know when such a time might come—so we shouldn't be in the habit of sinning with impunity. John had actually seen this happen. In Acts 5:1-11, Luke relates the incident of Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to Peter (and to God) about the proceeds from a piece of property they had sold. They were under no obligation to give any of it to the church, but pretended that they had given all the money to the Lord's work. When confronted by Peter, both of them collapsed and died on the spot. Luke writes that “great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). No kidding. No doubt this incident left an imprint on John's mind. But John would have also known that there was Old Testament precedent for “sin unto death” as well. In Numbers 11, in response to the latest wave of complaining about their circumstances, the LORD sent the people of Israel meat to eat in the form of quails. “While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD
Yael Steiner and Jonathan Schwab explore one of the most astonishing archaeological discoveries in Jewish history: two tiny silver scrolls unearthed in Ketef Hinnom, just outside Jerusalem's Old City. Dated to the First Temple period—centuries older than the Dead Sea Scrolls—these amulets contain the earliest known inscription of a Biblical verse: the Birkat Kohanim, or priestly blessing. Yael shares how a 13-year-old boy accidentally uncovered a hidden burial chamber packed with ancient treasure, including the scrolls, and how scholars painstakingly unrolled and deciphered them using cutting-edge techniques. Click here to see images of the Ketef Hinnom amulets and archeological site. Click here for facts and sources referenced in the episode. Click here for a vocabulary list from the episode. Be in touch. We want to hear from you. Write to us at nerds@unpacked.media. This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews
The Exodus Way E13 (Bonus Interview) — The exodus from Egypt was a foundational story for ancient Israel, but without a special group of seven often overlooked women, the exodus would have never happened! In this episode, Jon and Tim have a conversation with BibleProject Scholarship Fellow Tamara Knudson about the seven women in Exodus 1-4 who save Moses—and by extension—all of Israel.View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSIntroducing Tamara and the Seven Women of Exodus 1-4 (0:00-6:29)The Two Midwives and Moses' Mother (6:29-21:20)Pharaoh's Daughter and Moses' Sister, Miriam (21:20-31:08)Zipporah, Moses' Wife (31:08-46:39)Other Books of the Bible That Start With Women (46:39-54:54)REFERENCED RESOURCESRead the BibleProject article that Tamara contributed to: “7 Powerful Women in the Bible Who Help Rescue God's People.”Tim references a previous Q+R episode, “Did God Try To Kill Moses?” where they responded to an audience member's question about Exodus 4:24-26.Tamara references Carmen Imes' Exodus Overview Classroom course.You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Hope in the Morning ft. CRFT & GXNXSIS” by Lofi Sunday“Redeemer ft. Cassidy Godwin” by Lofi Sunday“That Gospel ft. Bobcat” by Lofi Sunday“Eden Dreaming ft. sxxnt.” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today's episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Special thanks to Tamara Knudson.Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Party Episode: Hebrew Bible Scholars Read Revelation!Lectionary Date: May 11, 2025 [4th Sunday of Easter, Year C]All four of us are together to celebrate Easter with a look at the gathered multitudes in Revelation 7. What happens when Hebrew Bible scholars read Revelation???
The Exodus Way E12 (Bonus Interview) — If we come to the New Testament without much knowledge of the Hebrew Bible, we may think that baptism is just something that John the Baptist made up and Jesus carried on for new disciples. But there are multiple levels of meaning in this practice, including ritual purification, Israel's passage through the Red Sea, entry into the promised land, and, most importantly for Jesus, a symbol of his death on our behalf. In this episode, Jon and Tim have a wide-ranging conversation with prolific author and theologian N.T. Wright about the meaning of baptism and its connections to the Exodus story.View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSWelcoming N.T. Wright (0:00-10:20)Baptism as Repentance and Ushering in the Kingdom (10:20-33:17)Baptism as Death and New Life in the Messiah (33:17-47:37)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESN.T. Wright mentions the online learning platform Admirato, which hosts dozens of his theology courses.God's Big Picture Bible Storybook by N. T. Wright“Sonnet X” or “Death, be not proud” from Holy Sonnets by John DonneYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Faithful” by Marc Vanparla“Sanctuary” by Asaph's ArrowsBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today's episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Special thanks to N.T. Wright.Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Please note: this interview does include mention of assault and sexual abuse in the context of the Hebrew Bible. In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and co-host Cynthia Shafer-Elliott talk with Alexiana Fry about reading the Hebrew Bible through the lens of trauma, gender, and migration. Reflecting on texts like Hosea and Judges 19, Alexiana challenges traditional interpretations and highlights the importance of reckoning with the pain and complexity woven into the text. Show Notes → https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-297-alexiana-fry-trauma-in-the-hebrew-bible/ ********** This episode is brought to you by Skylight. The Skylight Calendar is here to keep your family organized! This beautifully designed digital display syncs with your existing calendars, making it effortless to track events, appointments, and reminders in one easy-to-see place. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch Calendars by going to SkylightCal.com/BIBLE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode you will learn about: The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered between 1947 in the caves of Qumran near the Dead Sea, are considered the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century. They contain over 900 manuscripts, offering profound insights into Jewish life and scriptural interpretation during the Second Temple period. The scrolls are attributed to a Jewish sect most likely the Essenes who withdrew from Jerusalem in protest against what they saw as a corrupt priesthood. They settled at Qumran, living in purity and waiting for the apocalyptic end of days. The discovery included stone vessels, ritual baths (mikvaot), and a scriptorium, all indicating a monastic, religious lifestyle deeply rooted in Scripture. There are three important historians that wrote about them: Philo of Alexandria, Josephus flavious and Pliny the Elder. Philo of Alexandria mentions that the essenes live in villages, not cities, to avoid moral corruption. They renounce wealth and personal property, living communally, they devote themselves to peace, agriculture, and virtue, rejecting war and slavery. Josephus flavius had the most information about the essenes, they reject pleasures, value virtue, and live communally without private property, they avoid marriage, live simply, and emphasize purity and ritual cleanliness, they follow strict discipline, practice daily prayers, and eat in sacred silence and their souls are believed to be immortal, and they view the body as a temporary prison. While Pliny the elder wrote only about the geographical location in his Natural history book and he says that the Essenes live near the Dead Sea, avoiding cities and women, they have no money, only palm trees and simplicity. Not much in details. Three Categories of Scrolls Biblical Canonical Texts: These are the oldest known Hebrew Bible manuscripts, predating the Masoretic Text our primary Hebrew Bible source by over 1,000 years. Every book of the Hebrew Bible was found—except Esther. Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Texts: These include works like 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees—books that were influential in early Judaism and Christianity, even if not canonized. Sectarian Texts: Unique to Qumran, these writings detail community life, beliefs, and regulations, including the Community Rule, War Scroll, and Thanksgiving Hymns. They reveal a society organized around purity, hierarchy, and eschatological expectation. For the complete Video online course check our website: www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com/paid-courses
Abstract: This article, which focuses on the role of Jeremiah as a prophet, is based on a study of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint. It also analyzes references to Jeremiah in the Book of Mormon and connects those references to current scholarly research on the book of Jeremiah. Consistent with the general consensus […] The post Jeremiah “the Prophet” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Welcome to Day 2616 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “When Angels Do Time” – I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2616 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2616 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 53rd lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “When Angels Do Time.” Most Bible study resources describe fallen angels as demons who joined Lucifer in his rebellion against God. But what if I told you that the only place in the New Testament that describes angels sinning does not call them demons, has no connection to Lucifer, and has them in jail? Welcome to the world of 2 Peter and Jude. 2 Peter 2:4: “For ... God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Jude 6: “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” Second Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 are nearly identical in their description of angels doing time, but there are differences that help us figure out “what in the spiritual world is going on.” Jude 6 defines what 2 Peter 2:4 means by the angelic sin. These sinning angels “left their proper dwelling.” Second Peter doesn't say they were in cahoots with Satan, or that they did anything in Eden. It tells us they left their designated realm of existence and did something in another realm. But what did they do? Both 2 Peter and Jude compare the sin of these angels with the Sodom and Gomorrah incident, where the sin involved sexual immorality (2 Pet 2:7; Jude 7). Second Peter also connects it to the time of Noah. There is only one sin involving a group of angelic beings in the entire Bible, and it coincides with Noah and is sexual in nature. That incident is Genesis 6:1-4, where the “sons of God” leave heaven, their normal abode, and come to earth and father children (the nephilim giants) by human women. Two features in these passages in 2 Peter and Jude point to Genesis 6:1-4. First, “sons of God” is a specific phrase used elsewhere in the Old Testament of angelic beings (Job 1:6; 2:1; 3 8:7; Psa89:6; Peut 32:8 V Second, both 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 explicitly tell us that these angels are imprisoned in chains of gloomy darkness—in “hell” until judgment day. While it is true that Genesis 6:1-4 never tells us what happened to the sons of God who sinned, Jewish...
The Hebrew Bible contains two quite different divine personae. One is quick to anger and to exact punishment while the other is a compassionate God slow to anger and quick to forgive. One God distant, the other close by. This severe contrast posed a theological challenge for Jewish thought for the ages. The Problem of God in Jewish Thought (Cambridge UP, 2025)follows selected views in rabbinic literature, medieval Jewish philosophy, Jewish mystical thought, the Hasidic movement, modern Jewish theology, response to the Holocaust, and Jewish feminist theology. In the history of Jewish thought there was often a tendency to identify closely with the God of compassion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies
The Hebrew Bible contains two quite different divine personae. One is quick to anger and to exact punishment while the other is a compassionate God slow to anger and quick to forgive. One God distant, the other close by. This severe contrast posed a theological challenge for Jewish thought for the ages. The Problem of God in Jewish Thought (Cambridge UP, 2025)follows selected views in rabbinic literature, medieval Jewish philosophy, Jewish mystical thought, the Hasidic movement, modern Jewish theology, response to the Holocaust, and Jewish feminist theology. In the history of Jewish thought there was often a tendency to identify closely with the God of compassion. 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
The JTS Commentary for Shemini by Dr. Walter Herzberg, Assistant Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Bible and Its Interpretation and Professional Pastoral Skills JTSThis commentary was originally broadcast in 2018.Music provided by JJReinhold / Pond5
The Exodus Way E11 — After Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, his followers grew into a movement known simply as “The Way”—a new exodus people delivered from sin and death, following the narrow way of Jesus through the wilderness of our present world and awaiting entry into a promised new creation. The Apostle Paul is a central figure in this movement, commissioned by the risen Jesus to spread the good news of the new exodus to the nations. He planted churches in several Roman cities and wrote letters to congregations of Jewish and Gentile believers. Paul was a Jewish man steeped in Israel's Scriptures, which is why we see him infusing Exodus language and imagery into his letters to the early Church. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Paul's letters to the churches in Corinth, Galatia, and Rome, discovering how Paul saw the death and resurrection of Jesus, the life of the Christian, and the larger story of creation as a cosmic exodus.View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSRecap of Where We've Been (0:00-3:01)Exodus Imagery in 1 Corinthians 5 (3:01-14:03)Exodus Language in Galatians (14:03-31:41)The Cosmic Exodus in Romans 8 (31:41-44:33)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians by John ChrysostomPaul and His Story: (Re)Interpreting the Exodus Tradition by Sylvia KeesmaatYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Lilo” by The Field Tapes & Middle School“Loving Someone You Lost” by The Field TapesBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Welcome to Day 2611 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “Jesus Is God: Jude and Peter Tell Me So.” - I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2611 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2611 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 52nd lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Jesus Is God: Jude and Peter Tell Me So.” The epistles of Peter and Jude are often overlooked in preaching and Bible study. Not only are they nestled among the more popular letters of Paul and the book of Revelation, but portions of these epistles sound odd to our modern sensibilities. That wasn't the case in the first century. We can better grasp the meaning of these letters if we understand what they have in common with influential ancient Jewish and Christian writings that were circulating at the time. One of those literary works is known to us today as 1 Enoch, a book Peter and Jude draw upon in their letters. Jews and Christians of antiquity considered books such as 1 Enoch important resources for understanding biblical books and their theology. Peter and Jude were no exception. For example, Jude 14-15 draws directly from 1 Enoch. 1 Enoch 1:9 Behold, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all flesh for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him. Jude 14-15 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” All of the ideas found in 1 Enoch 1:9 can be found in three Old Testament passages (Jer 25:30-31; Isa 66:15-16; Zech 14:5). Rather than quote all three, Jude quotes the verse in 1 Enoch that combines them. But the real point of interest isn't Jude's succinctness; it's his interpretation of 1 Enoch, as well as the Old Testament. In 1 Enoch 1:9 it is the “Great Holy One” (God) who is “coming with myriads of holy ones” from Sinai (1 Enoch 1:4) and who has promised to come to earth in the day of the Lord for final judgment. For Jude (as well as Mark and Paul; compare Mark 8:38; 1 Thess 3:13) this event is transformed into the return of Jesus Christ (Jude 17-18). By naming...
From 4.12.2025 Prepare to embrace the bold vision of Passover (that we are all heading toward freedom, that pharaohs crumble and fall) requires focus. Let's affirm the twin pillars of the Hebrew Bible (chesed/lovingkindness and tzedek/justice) to gird ourselves for the battle ahead!
The Exodus Way E10 — The Exodus story was core to the identity of ancient Israel. Inspired by the prophet Isaiah's words, 1st-century Israelites were awaiting a new exodus, where a new Moses-like figure would deliver them from Roman oppression. The gospels present Jesus as that figure, who saves people from sickness, hunger, spiritual oppression, and even death itself. And following Jesus' resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early Jesus movement became known as “The Way,” carrying a message of salvation for all nations. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore how the new exodus people in the book of Acts embody the prophet Isaiah's vision.CHAPTERSRecap and Acts as an “Isaianic” New Exodus (0:00-9:44)Isaiah's New Exodus Language in Luke-Acts (9:44-26:18)Exodus and Acts' Shared Theme of the Victorious Creator God (26:18-35:03)A New Exodus for All Nations (35:03-45:24)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESActs and the Isaianic New Exodus by David W. PaoYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Nimbus” by Toonorth“Silk” by El Train“Wistful” by ToonorthBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Welcome to Day 2606 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Baptism as Spiritual Warfare. I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2606 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2606 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today is the 51st lesson in our segment, Theology Thursday. Utilizing excerpts from a book titled: I Dare You Not To Bore Me With The Bible written by Hebrew Bible scholar and professor the late Dr. Michael S Heiser, we will invest a couple of years going through the entire Bible, exploring short Biblical lessons that you may not have received in Bible classes or Church. The Bible is a wonderful book. Its pages reveal the epic story of God's redemption of humankind and the long, bitter conflict against evil. Yet it's also a book that seems strange to us. While God's Word was written for us, it wasn't written to us. Today's lesson is: “Baptism as Spiritual Warfare.” The pastor had been preaching a series of messages through 1 Peter. When it was time for 1 Peter 3:14-22, he sincerely announced, “We're going to skip this section since it's just too strange.” He was right and wrong that day. As odd as it is, this passage is one of the most compelling in the New Testament —if you understand what it's saying. But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. And now the antitype—that is, baptism—saves you, not be means of a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience on the basis of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. The theme of 1 Peter is that Christians must withstand persecution and persevere in their faith. To understand how our odd passage fits with that theme, we need to get our heads around the concept of “types” and typology —a kind of prophecy that occurs in the Bible. We're most familiar with prophecies directly from the mouth of a prophet. But a “type” is an unspoken prophecy; it is an event, person, or institution that foreshadows something that will come. For example, Paul tells us that Adam was a type of Christ. He foreshadowed or echoed something about Jesus, namely that His work on the cross would affect all people just as Adam's disobedience had a global effect (Rom 5:14)....
The Exodus Way E9 — All four gospel accounts build anticipation for Jesus to accomplish a new kind of exodus when he arrives in Jerusalem. But later in the gospel narratives, Jesus begins telling his disciples that he will be arrested and killed in Jerusalem before rising on the third day. So Jesus journeys to Jerusalem and confronts the religious establishment—notably only days before Passover! And before his arrest, he shares a Passover meal with his disciples and shockingly reinterprets the bread and wine to be about his coming death. What is Jesus doing, and how is his death related to the climactic Exodus event of Passover? In this episode, Jon and Tim trace the Holy Week story leading up to Passover and explore how Jesus' death fulfills the cosmic Exodus story of the Bible. CHAPTERSRecap and Jesus' Prediction of His Death in Jerusalem (2:13-15:18)Jesus Compares His Death to Noah's Flood (15:18-23:17)Jesus Enters Jerusalem, Stirs Up Trouble, and Hosts a Passover Meal (23:17-49:38)The Cosmic Exodus (49:38-56:52)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George SpeareLast Supper and Lord's Supper by I. Howard MarshallThe Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig L. BlombergThe MishnahYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Chiaroscuro” by Toonorth“New Light” by Toonorth“Wistful” by ToonorthBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The Exodus Way E8 — Before the arrival of Jesus, Israelites already viewed their current circumstances and hopes for God's salvation through the lens of the Exodus. This is why the gospel authors tell the story of Jesus with language that points back to the main beats of the Exodus story. In this first episode of two on the gospels, Jon and Tim explore the many Exodus hyperlinks found in the stories of Jesus' birth, his baptism in the Jordan River, his testing in the wilderness, and his public ministry in Galilee. CHAPTERSThe Exodus Way in the Life of Jesus (0:00-5:42)Comparing Jesus and Moses' Birth Stories (5:42-19:45)Jesus' Baptism, Testing in the Wilderness, and “Saving” People (19:45-39:32)Jesus' Transfiguration on the Mountain Compared to Moses at Sinai (39:32-51:58)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESText & Texture by Michael FishbaneYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Nimbus” by Toonorth“Lost Love” by Toonorth“Effervescent” by ToonorthBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The reactionary Right. That is the new threat to patriotic conservatives. I explain how those with no affirmative beliefs are undermining our ability to reclaim America because they only know how to critique the Left, but then, absent their own beliefs, land in the same place. One of the areas in which this is most prominent is the rise of the secular, anti-Israel right. We're joined by Josh Hammer, whose new book, "Israel and Civilization," traces the importance of Israel and the Hebrew Bible to the foundation of America and how it still has meaning today. In a wide-ranging discussion, we delve into the reactionary Right that is joining with the Left against Israel, why we should support Israel's struggle against the Left but also end its dependence on us for weapons, and how we can form a new Jewish-Christian alliance to fight jihad and paganism. At the end, we discuss the trend of secular Israelis returning to God and how that echoes Josh's own personal journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Exodus Way E7 — In Mark 14, we're told that Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover and sang a hymn before going out to the garden of Gethsemane. So what hymn did they sing? Rabbinic tradition going back to the time of Jesus records that during Passover, Jewish people sang Psalm 113-118, a collection of songs known as the Passover Hallel. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore these six psalms' references to the Exodus story and what they might have meant to Jesus on the night of the last supper.CHAPTERSWhat Hymn Did Jesus and His Disciples Sing at Passover? (0:00-:6:15)Psalm 113: Seeing With Exodus Glasses (6:15-14:53)Psalms 114-115: Yahweh's Power Among the Nations (14:53-25:46)Psalms 116-118: Reflecting on Our Own Exodus Journey (25:46-34:58)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Babylonian TalmudThe ToseftaYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Small Town Palm Trees” by Mama Aiuto - Topic“Penpals Perhaps” by Sleepy Fish & Coa“Where the Streets Are Cold & Lonely” by Mama AiutoBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The Exodus Way E6 — By the time of the prophet Isaiah, the Assyrian Empire had already exiled the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah prophesied that the southern kingdom of Judah would survive Assyrian attack but that a new empire, Babylon, would one day take Judah into exile because of their injustice and idolatry. Within this world of empires, oppressors, and exiles, Isaiah prophesied about a more cosmic, permanent Exodus to come for God's people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the narrative beats of Exodus in Isaiah and how his prophetic images inspired the gospel writers.CHAPTERSEmpires in the Time of Isaiah (0:00-12:48)The Messiah's Ultimate Road in and Road Out in Isaiah 11 (12:48-32:19)The Highway of God in Isaiah 40 and a New Exodus in Isaiah 43 (32:19-51:05)A New Exodus of Repentance in Isaiah 58 (51:05-59:07)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Haunt Me Home (feat. Catalina Bellizzi)” by Alert312“Today Feels Like Everyday” by Mama AiutoBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The Exodus Way E5 — By the time we get to the scroll of Joshua, the Israelites are preparing to enter the land of promise. But we quickly discover a reverse Exodus happening in the narrative. The Canaanite kings—who are depicted as new pharaohs—assemble with armies to meet Israel on the other side of the Jordan River. And in the midst of the story, a Canaanite woman in Jericho actually shows more faith than anyone! Then in the following scroll of Judges, the identity of the pharaohs shifts again—this time to the Israelites, who enslave themselves due to their own corruption and injustice. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss how Joshua and Judges hyperlink back to the Exodus Way narrative theme, while also pointing to a coming Messianic leader who can lead us out of exile, through the wilderness, and into a true land of inheritance.CHAPTERSRecap of the Theme So Far (0:00-6:50)The Surprising Story of Rahab (6:50-20:15)Canaanite Kings as the New Pharaohs in Joshua (20:15-41:09)Israelites as the New Pharaohs in Judges (41:09-49:40)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESBerit Olam: Joshua by L. Daniel HawkJoshua in 3-D: A Commentary on Biblical Conquest and Manifest Destiny by L. Daniel HawkEvery Promise Fulfilled: Contesting Plots in Joshua by L. Daniel HawkYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here. SHOW MUSIC“Mario Kart” by SwuM“Self Luv” by SwuM“Reflect” by SwuM & BennoBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer. Frank Garza and Aaron Olsen edited today's episode. Aaron Olsen and Tyler Bailey provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.