Podcast appearances and mentions of jerry wierwille

Happy New Year everyone! Have you started to think about what you want to change in this coming year? Today we’re going to listen to a powerful message by Dr. Jerry Wierwille about standing strong in the Lord. The world is always pressing on us, squeezing us into its mold. How can we resist? What can we do? In this sermon Wierwille explains how putting on the armor of God will empower you to withstand the darts that come your way. Turning to God as your protector and refuge will help you stand strong today and throughout the coming year. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price.

Have you ever noticed that the New Testament authors love to quote the Old Testament? This happens hundreds of times. Sometimes the quotation is direct, other times it is a paraphrase, still others a New Testament author will allude to the Old Testament. In today’s episode, we’re going to hear Dr. Jerry Wierwille explaining what Paul did in Romans 10.13 when he quoted Joel’s prophecy and applied it to Jesus. Not only will this presentation help you to understand Romans 10.13 better, it will open your eyes to the various interpretive methods that first-century Jews used when quoting the Old Testament and applying it to various situations. Dr. Wierwille has been a frequent guest on Restitutio over the years so many of you will be familiar with him. Nevertheless, let me give you a brief bio. Wierwille’s first love was science and so his Ph. D. is in biodmedical engineering. After that he shifted his interest to NT studies and earned both an MTS and an MDiv with a focus on Pauline literature. Now he’s working on a Ph. D. in NT at Stellenbosch University. He’s also the lead translator for Revised English Version and the director of research at Spirit and Truth. He is a teaching elder at Living Hope Community Church where I serve as the lead pastor. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Get the transcript of this episode Check out these other episodes with Jerry Wierwille Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this precious pearl of great price.

As the dust continues to settle from last week's debate between Dale Tuggy and James White, reviewers are coalescing on a rather exciting conclusion. Tuggy handedly won the debate! Rumor has it that James White has even requested a rematch! We'll have to wait and see if anything happens on that front, but requesting a rematch is not something the winner typically does. In today's episode, I bring on Dr. Dustin Smith of the biblical unitarian podcast to respond to James White's arguments, not only in his opening statement, but also in his rebuttal, cross-examination time, and conclusion. Yes, he introduced new arguments in every single phase of the debate. One wonders why he didn't respond to any of Tuggy's arguments. Let's see what Dustin Smith has to say. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Watch the original debate between Dale Tuggy and James White Check out Dale Tuggy's review of the debate See Sean Finnegan's paper and video presentation "The Deity of Christ from a Greco-Roman Perspective" See the video responses of Dustin Smith on Hebrews 1.10-12, Sean Finnegan on 1 Peter 3.15, Jerry Wierwille on Philippians 2.6-11, and William Barlow on John 12.41 Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Experience the James White / Dale Tuggy debate ("Is Jesus YHWH?") first hand, with "man on the street" interviews and a next-day roundtable discussion. RESOURCES Dale Tuggy and James White debate: "Is Jesus YHWH?" (best quality, with slides) Curious Christianity (YouTube channel) Curious Christianity - Discussion with Dr. Tuggy on Intellectual Honesty and the Trinity Debate Analysis - White/Tuggy Debate - by William Barlow Brandon Duke - Why the UCA is an "alliance" (WW2 illustration) The Council of Trent: DIALOGUE: Is Jesus God? (and the "Protestant Trinity Problem") - Interview with Sam Tideman The God of Jesus in Light of Christian Dogma - Book by Kegan Chandler Hebrews 1 - Tuggy/White debate response - Dustin Smith John 12 - Tuggy/White debate response - William Barlow Philippians 2 - Tuggy/White debate response - Jerry Wierwille 1 Peter 3:15 - Tuggy/White debate response - Sean Finnegan Restitutio: 539 Dale Tuggy's Thoughts on the James White Debate: Is Jesus Yahweh? 55. Meant to Be Understood - Tom Huszti Unitarian Anabaptist - The Tugboat of Debate, Dale Tuggy Pulls The Weight James White's follow up thoughts on debate 2. Mother Disrupted - Hildy Chandler (Part 1) 3. Scripture vs. Scales - Hildy Chandler (Part 2) EPISODE INDEX 00:01:08 - To The Trinitarians I Met That Night 00:03:50 - A Challenge In Next Episode 00:05:02 - Pre-debate Street Interviews 00:15:31 - Debate Compressed 00:16:11 - Post-debate Street Interviews 00:25:46 - Roundtable Participants 00:27:12 - Roundtable 00:27:42 - What Is A Debate? 00:29:57 - Projection and Fallacies 00:31:36 - Undesirables 00:32:17 - The Theory of the Perfect Debate 00:33:55 - Corralling the Sheep 00:35:04 - Warnings of the Outskirts  00:37:03 - Debate Discipline 00:39:42 - Subordinating Logic 00:41:36 - Cross Examination Rules 00:43:20 - Dual Nature Contradictions 00:47:57 - The Value Of A Debate 00:49:19 - In-person, Real-life, Unitarian Christians 00:50:42 - The Energy In The Room 00:52:26 - What Is Victory? 00:53:52 - Going To An Away Game 00:55:58 - Thanks to All 00:59:01 - Events FEEDBACK Love the sound of your voice. Send a short recording. Say your first name and your state or country. Email recording to podcast@unitarianchristianalliance.org Click here to RECORD A MESSAGE Or call: 615-581-1158 LISTENING TIPS Pauses and pacing are hand crafted, artisan efforts. If your podcast app lets you remove silences, please don't. You will enjoy this better with the silences left in. ENGAGE The UCA Podcast email list! Large and enjoyable episode art, additional thoughts from the host, and notifications when there are delays. The UCA events listing. Keep up on what's coming up. Podcast twitter @UCApodcast - Episode announcements Official UCA twitter account @UnitarianChrist  Podcast Webpage: https://podcast.unitarianchristianalliance.org  

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Recently Tom Huszti interviewed me for his YouTube channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist. We talked about the importance of geography, archeology, and Greco-Roman history for interpreting the bible, especially the New Testament. Next we delved into early church history, starting with the earliest forms of Jewish Christianity in the first and second centuries. We talked about the Jerusalem church, the Nazarenes, and the Ebionites. Next we considered the persecution many Christians faced at the hands of the Romans for their unwillingness to give their ultimate allegiance to Caesar. The conversation was wide ranging, but what came through over and over is the importance of studying the bible and history in order to restore authentic Christianity and live it out today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KefOimH6ZU —— Links —— For the trip to Greece and Turkey with Jerry Wierwille, see the itinerary here and the map here. Follow Huszti's YouTube Channel, the Unitarian Anabaptist Check out episode 478 Unitarian Anabaptist (Tom Huszti)  Get the free class on Early Church History here. Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Transcript —— This transcript was auto-generated and only approximates the contents of this episode. Sean Finnegan:Hey there, I'm Sean Finnegan. And you are listening to restart studio podcast that seeks to recover authentic Christianity and live it out today. Tom Huszti: Sean Finnegan, welcome to Unitarian Anabaptist. Sean Finnegan: Thanks for having me. Tom Huszti: So this has been a long time in the waiting. I was interviewed by you about 8 months ago and now you're being interviewed by the Unitarian Anabaptist. What a privilege there is. A lot that you have to say today in the limited time that we're going to do this, you just came back from a trip of Italy and Greece. You finished a 500 year history of the early church. There's just so much interrelated and what I would like to do, as we discussed earlier is to relate these things back to the 1st century faith of our early Christian brethren. So to begin, could you give us a summary of the important highlights that you saw on your trip related to church history? Sean Finnegan: Yeah, we ended up going to a number of touristy spots in Greece like Santorini and Mykonos, but we also hit Athens and we came into the port of Piraeus and then got to the city of Athens and and the first thing that I will note. And anyone who's been to the Mediterranean in August will. We'll know what I'm about to say is. That it's hot. It's a very.SpeakerHot part of the. Sean Finnegan: World. So is the Middle East, so it's it's. It's interesting that, you know, like times I've been to Israel, times have been to Greece or Turkey. It is a very different climate than what I'm used to here in New York or you in Ohio there. Tom Huszti: Sure. Yes, yes, absolutely. Uh. Sean Finnegan: And you know that that. Brings to mind the importance of water. Hmm. And something that really stuck out to me in Israel I. Would have never. Gotten that from reading books, but going to Israel you go to these ancient sites and. These cisterns dug into the ground these huge caverns to store water because it doesn't rain that much water is is still a big deal in the 1st century in Rome in.SpeakerYes. Yeah. Sean Finnegan: Other cities Pompeii also got to visit Pompeii. Tom Huszti: A lot. Sean Finnegan: And they brought. The water in through aqueducts and this is. All part of. Their system of city structure, but the question. Who pays for the aqueducts? Who pays for the bath houses? You know, I got to see some bath houses in Pompeii where you had the the frigidarium, the tepidarium and the calidore. Yum, you know, and this is the really cold water, the tepid water and the hot water. And this is just what people did. These are these are public facilities. This actually ended up having a great deal of prestige. As wealthy people step forward and this happened in the 1st century, but also in the the 2nd century, was really the heyday of this period, where wealthy people would come forward and they would donate money to build these public works and they would build other great structures like theaters. And whatnot. And these would then be the ones who controlled the cities and won political office. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: And so it's a very different kind of world, you know, just like I don't think about water, I don't think. About wealthy people building bath houses or pools, right? It's just we, you know, we pay taxes and then, you know, we argue about the police. It's just a very different world. And that was really driven home to me on the trip, you know, in Athens, you're on the Acropolis and you're seeing the Parthenon and some of the other structures that still remain. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes. Sean Finnegan: It's just like this is an utterly different world, and it's just so helpful to remember that Tom because. We don't do that when we read the Bible, what we do is we just. We have what we. Understand the world to be, and then we encounter the scripture. We read the text and then we think to ourselves. How can I incorporate this new information? I'm reading about the book of acts or one of the church epistles. For example, how do I incorporate that into what? I know about the world. This is an automatic process and the problem is if you don't force yourself to stop and say wait, they lived in a different world where they had different. Different language, different politics, different weather, different everything. Then you can easily misunderstand so much of the New Testament I. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: Think that's a? Lot of what we as pastors do is we're trying to help people understand the scriptures. So the trip was really enlightening in that sense. Also, I'll make another quick point about it is that we did manage to go to the very edge of Mount Vesuvius. Now Mount Vesuvius blew in 79 AD 79, and that's what killed all the people in Pompeii and Herculaneum. And so they say it's still an active volcano. But you can take a.SpeakerOK. Sean Finnegan: Bus all the way up to the top and then you hike until. Tom Huszti: What's the way? Sean Finnegan: You get to the very crater. You can look down into the crater and it's just incredible. It's just dirt and some like grass and stuff. There's no like lava. Or anything cool but. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: It's just a weird experience to like, stand on the edge of an active volcano and think, wow. This thing blew. And you could kind of see why ancient people were like, ohh, the gods are angry, right? Because. Like who would it? Tom Huszti: Uh-huh. Well, yeah. Sean Finnegan: There's no one in living memory of seeing this thing blow the last time, and it's just such a otherworldly power, sure. Tom Huszti: How far is Pompeii from Rome? Sean Finnegan: I think about two hours. If I had to guess something like that, so we approached. Tom Huszti: Ohh that far OK. Sean Finnegan: Pompeii, from Naples, Naples, is on the. Coast came at it from the West to get to Pompeii in the east, and then you get to Vesuvius and. At the top. Of the Zeus, you can see everything you can see just miles and miles in different cities and. It's really incredible. Tom Huszti: My, my. So how far did the lava have to travel to make it to Pompeii from? Sean Finnegan: Well, wasn't it? They didn't get buried in lava, actually. Yeah, you, you. You would, I guess you would expect that, but it was, it was a I think it was a toxic gas. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: That swept through it well. Initially it was uh. Was launching projectiles and ash and rock straight up, and then that fell because of the wind onto the city and so that, you know, imagine like a hail storm, but with stones and bigger ones and smaller ones. But then a gas came from the mountain and. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: I believe that's what happened and it killed the people, but then it continued to rain. Ash, I think they said like 20 feet of ash, something crazy. Tom Huszti: Oh wow. OK.Speaker 5And it just. Sean Finnegan: Settled on the city and people just didn't have a reason to go there for anything or I'm. I'm not really sure why, but it just laid there. Century after century, and I'm not sure exactly when. Maybe in the 1700s eighteen, 100 something something around there, they're just like, hey, I think we found. A city over here, you know? Archaeology. Just finally gets started. And what happened, Tom, is they would come against these air pockets. So they're digging through. And they hit like a pocket of air and they're. Like this is so weird. What is this? And someone got the bright idea of. Of squeezing into it some plaster, yeah. Tom Huszti: plaster plaster. OK OK. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, if you have you seen these images? Tom Huszti: Yeah, I have. Yeah. That's what I was wondering. OK. Sean Finnegan: Yeah. Yeah. And so then they let it dry and harden, and then they chip around it and then they see the exact shape of a human being. Sometimes even with fine detail. Of like facial expressions and stuff. That's kind of become their customers when they hit an air cavity. They just do that and there there are lots of these casts of human beings in various positions. And what's crazy about them is it's. Just like a. Plaster, but inside the plaster are that person. 'S actual bones. Tom Huszti: Yeah. I was gonna ask. OK. I was gonna ask, you know, something that you mentioned to me back. Louisville, KY, was the length of time that bones. Yeah. And we were talking about resurrection and literal resurrection. And you mentioned that bones last a long time. That's something I really was impressed by something that Rabbi Tovia singer was speaking out against being cremated because. Because the bones are supposed to be the material that used for in part anyhow to reconstitute us as human beings in the resurrection. So that view is very Jewish in origin, as you well know. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, I tend to agree with Rabbi Tovia singer on that. I'm not a fan of cremation. I'm not going to say it's going to defeat God's ability to resurrect somebody, feel like that's a pretty extreme position to take. But I have learned a lot and I know you've been to Israel and you've stood on the Mount of olives and you see. Well, the the tombs there that are, I don't know why they're buried above ground, but they're all these stone rectangles and or stone boxes, really rectangular shaped boxes and inside are the bones. And it's like, well, what's the deal with this? Why are they so worried about bones or not worried but concerned about bones and focused and. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes. Sean Finnegan: About caring for the bones and you know they have these ossuaries where you know they they found Caiaphas ossuary. Tom Huszti: I know I saw it when I was in Israel. Sean Finnegan: Incredible ornate. Tom Huszti: In the Israel, yeah. In the Israel hit Natural History Museum of all places, back in 2004, I was shocked. Sean Finnegan: Isn't it beautiful? Tom Huszti: Well, well, it's a beautiful ossuary, but what was most shocking was the was the plaque beside it. The plaque, the plaque beside it, said this was the high priest in the days of Jesus that was responsible for his crucifixion. And I thought to see that advertised in the Israel. Sean Finnegan: Oh, what did it say? Tom Huszti: Natural History Museum was just shocking because it's a recognition that this thing happened and this is the man responsible to it. I was, yeah, that was the last thing I saw in the museum on my way out because we were we had a very short time frame and it was at the entrance of the. Museum so we saw it as we exited. Very cool. Fascinating, yes. Sean Finnegan: Very cool. And you see that stuff? You just say to yourself. These are real. These are true stories. This is history, you know. You see. The the litho what is that Lithos Stratos? You know that that street that is beneath Jerusalem, that was discovered where this is where Jesus was beaten or. He was. It's the layer that goes back to the 1st century. It's kind of underneath the city of Jerusalem. You see these things you say to yourself like I like. I've stood there, Tom. Like, I know for sure. Now. Vesuvius is a real volcano. I looked into the. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes. Crater. Yes, yes. Yeah, right, right.SpeakerIt's like not that. Sean Finnegan: I ever really doubted it, but like when you do it and you stand there and you see and you, you know, you see the cast and the horror on the faces of the. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: People in Pompeii, you're like. OK, this is not a story, this is history. Tom Huszti: Yeah, no. Sean Finnegan: And it's very powerful. But back to your point about resurrection and bones. What really started me on this, this is going to be a really random source, is a Freakonomics podcast episode. They're talking about cremating animals. The guy was saying, when it comes to cremating animals, they it was, they were trying to do an investigation. The big question they had was. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: Do they actually give you the ashes for your animal? This is like a pet crematorium. Or are they just like scooping random ashes? And you know what? What's really going on here? Right. And they were talking it. So they got into the subject of cremation and bones. And they're like, well, you know, what really happens to the crematorium is they burn, you know, the human or the animal or whatever. And then the bones are there. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: Their bones are not burnable, they just, they're just there. Tom Huszti: Right, right, right. Sean Finnegan: So what they do is they grind them. Tom Huszti: That's what Tovia said, too. Sean Finnegan: And after they grind them down, that's the ashes that you get. They're actually ground bones. Tom Huszti: Ohh, is that right? Sean Finnegan: That they return to you. At least, that's what this podcast episode was saying. It was talking about animals, but like, it also talked about humans, whatever. And it and it made me think to myself, like, wait a second. I always just assumed the bones desiccated. I assumed that they disintegrated over. Tom Huszti: OK. Ohh you did. OK. Sean Finnegan: Time and then it it it kind of informed my thinking about, you know, the James Ossuary and the Caiaphas archery and some of these other ossuary findings, like some of the more sensationalized ones said we think we found Jesus and all this, which has been pretty much not accepted by scholarship but anyhow.Speaker 5The idea of. Sean Finnegan: Bones lasting for centuries and centuries was just like common sense to ancient people because they didn't have this separation. Like we have from our dead. Like we don't, we don't. Know but like they would go. Sean Finnegan:A year later. Sean Finnegan: Back to the tomb and they would pick up the bones and put them in a. Little bone box. Space is limited and you want to fit as many ancestors, descendants, relatives in the same cave or tomb as possible. But you're not looking to, like, mix all the bones together. So yeah, it just kind of made sense to get a box the width of the skull and the length of a femur, and to use that to, you know, organize people and just scratch on the side, the person's name. And so I think this all goes back to whether we're talking about the amount of olives. Tom Huszti: Yeah, yeah. Tom Huszti: Oh, OK. Sean Finnegan: To this day in Jerusalem, or we're talking about the austrias in the 1st century this or or Tovia Singer's preferences. This all goes back to the same thing which is this. Really strong belief in resurrection and so burying your dead in a way that preserves the bones or cares for the bones is is in a sense, I think a an act of faith that the Jewish people have always had. Again, I'm not saying that cremation is a sin or that it's going to damn somebody to, you know, eternal judgment or, you know, that's not where I'm going here, but I think. Tom Huszti: Yes. No. Sean Finnegan: We should ask the question, is this really this is really fit as Christians like I know it's less expensive. OK, but like is it? Is that always the right course of action? Just cause something's less expensive. So I I think burial. Traditional burial it can be an act of faith because you're saying I'm going to Mark Toome. I'm going to rise. Out of this to. Him so. Tom Huszti: Let's get back to your your trip details. I'm trying to picture this, the framework of well picture this setting that the acts of the apostles was written in. Is Athens set on a hill? Sean Finnegan: Well, the Acropolis certainly is. Tom Huszti: The acropolises OK. Sean Finnegan: Yeah. So, yeah, there there are definitely hills there. The propolis is a very high point in the center of Athens and it is kind of steep. I don't know what you call like a plateau that just. Rises out of nowhere. In the old days, that would be the spot where you would retreat to if Athens were invaded, because it can be held much longer. Tom Huszti: Apostle Paul preached in that place. Sean Finnegan: Well, I think he preached. On Mars. So which is right next to it. So it's yeah, it's right. Right nearby. Tom Huszti: Can you imagine the possible Paul in that setting? Sean Finnegan: Yeah. Well, I mean, the interesting thing about the apostle Paul at the Areopagus or Mars Hill is that he is looking at all these statues. And I when I was in Athens, I got to go to the museum. Tom Huszti: Can you picture him there? Carry out this OK? Sean Finnegan: The Acropolis Museum, which is. Walk. We got there and we went inside and you see all these statues? These are all these statues that they found? Of course. The Acropolis had actual temples to gods on it and that wouldn't have been unusual. There would be temples and statues of gods all throughout the city. And that's not weird for Athens. All Greco-roman cities had statues to gods, shrines, little other ways of worshipping their gods, you know, depending on what gods we're talking about, they're all a little different. You know, there's Paul. He's not really from the West, you know, for and for his perspective as as somebody from. Horses and cilicia. Athens is the. West, we say Athens is east, but for him that's. Tom Huszti: OK, he's from us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sean Finnegan: West and you know, so for Paul, he would have seen plenty of this throughout his travels and stuff. But for whatever reason, his heart was just so troubled in Athens, he saw that people just in the city just given to this in Act 17, he finds this altar to the unknown God and he's like. All right, well, here's. Here's someplace where I can hook on a gospel presentation. Really good speaking. But it's interesting too, going back to our former conversation about burial and resurrection, when it comes to the part where Paul says that God has furnished proof by raising that Jesus is the Messiah by raising him from the dead. The Athenians had no trouble hearing that Jesus would be the Messiah. I don't think that was like a really understood category to them. They wouldn't have a hang up about that as him being a king or whatever. But when he says. He has given proof by raising him from the dead. Suddenly they're just like this is ridiculous. Everybody knows you don't want your body back again. This is stupid. I'm out of here. And like the Greeks, the Greeks, they're standard approach to the afterlife. Tom Huszti: Ohh yeah yeah. Sean Finnegan:That's right. Sean Finnegan: Was to get rid of the body. It was not to keep the body or to get the body back. Restored and renewed. And so this. This was always a big issue between Jews and Christians. Agree on. Over against the the Greco-roman, whether the philosophers or just like the folk religion of like going down to Hades and you know all the stuff they, you know, they had stories about all that. Tom Huszti: Have you been to Cesarea Philippi in Israel? Sean Finnegan: Yeah, it's like they call it banya or. Tom Huszti: Something banyas. Yes, banyas. And actually, I guess you know why it's called banyas. Sean Finnegan: Well, there was a. Shrine to the God pan there. Tom Huszti: Right pan, right. So the original name was panyas. But the Arabs have a hard time pronouncing the sound, so they change it to bond. Yes, believe it or not. But yes, yes, yes. So now. Sean Finnegan: Well, that makes sense. Thank you. Tom Huszti: You learn something. From me for a change, right? OK. Sean Finnegan: There it is. There it is. Yeah. I have been there. It's a beautiful spot. And you know, again, talking about the heat and the the arid climate of Israel to have a place with a beautiful water supply. Tom Huszti: Oh my. Sean Finnegan: Like sensory flip by where you say, OK, this is it. This is going to be a big spot. This is going to be a place where people are going to want to go and build things and live because there's plenty of water. Tom Huszti: Yes. Yeah. Tom Huszti: Yeah, it's beautiful there, isn't it? Maybe the most beautiful place in Israel. In my my view, as far as the physicality of it, that's arguable, but. Sean Finnegan: I don't know. I loved Dengeki. I thought it was. Tom Huszti: And Betty was beautiful too. Yes. Also water the the shrine. So do you remember what the shrine of Pan looked like? And and with the details about what was happening there. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, yeah. No, no, remind me. Tom Huszti: OK, there's a a graven image of pan on the the wall of the the side of Mount Hermon, the base of Mount Hermon there. And there is a cave right next to it. And there would would have been an altar for a member, correct? There would have been an altar in front of The Cave, and they were doing sacrifices to the God pan, and they were throwing the sacrificed beast into The Cave and the Jordan River begins flowing from that area. So. There was some kind of a relationship to throwing the sacrifice into The Cave and and whether or not the blood came out at the Jordan River that cave. On the side of the mountain, Mount Hermon was supposed to be the gateway to the underworld. Sean Finnegan: It is certainly the case that the Greeks and the Jews looked very differently at the dead. The Jewish mindset was at the dead are resting and they had the term show all for that. The sort of realm of the dead where all the dead are they're they're awaiting, they're asleep, they use that language. Lot, even in the the Christian New Testament. Tons of references, a lot of our translations, just like get rid of it and they say died or. Something like that. But that it actually says fall asleep or fell asleep. Ohh which you know the a Greek person wouldn't say that they would say no, they're in a different realm. And they're in the underworld of Hades, and Hades is not just a realm. It's also the name of a God who's in charge of all of those shades or departed souls. And you know, so, like, these are very different views. You know what I mean? And it's sad to say, but Christianity has more often than not. Agree with the pagans over against the early Christian. Of view, which is a shame, right? Tom Huszti: Unfortunate indeed. Yes, it is in the the first conversation I had with Tovia Singer, we hit upon so many touch points that we agree upon resurrection life in the age to come. The term Messiah is something that we can talk freely about. There's so many things from my Christian view that actually are terms that you can talk to Jewish people in this present day about, especially those who are inclined to study the Old Testament. And that's a conversation that most nominal Orthodox kind of Christians cannot have with Jewish people. The the rule seems to be that Jews have to leave Judaism in order to come over to Christianity. But strangely enough, we received Christianity from the Jews. And so the context that you're you're seeing here is something that is is very interesting. In restoring Christianity to its 1st century foundations, which is your your big desire so. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, yeah, I mean, that's what, that's what I'm all about, is trying to clear away the accretions of the Middle Ages and the post Christian. Developments and getting back to that original earlier version of Apostolic Christianity, you know what? What would the church have thought about this in the 1st century rather than in the 2nd and following centuries? The the subsequent centuries? And, you know, I'm not against technology. Renovation. But I am against changing our beliefs from what the New Testament says and that has happened a lot and it happens very slowly. And I've had a a a desire to understand that development. For a long. Time and did my masters on the subject and was really surprised to see that, you know, people are just not asking this question. Like I'm I'm a member. Of the even to this day of the the Boston area patristic society. OK. And so I get emails and, you know, invitations to attend their meetings, which I attended when I lived out there. And, you know, they're held either at Harvard or at Brown University or sometimes at Providence College as well as three schools have good patristic good, early church history programs. And you know so. They they issue these papers a couple. Of times a year. I don't know like 3 or. Four to five times a year and you know you have lint chocolates and a little wine and a little cheese. And you know, you sit around and, you know, just kind of listen in with these, you know, somebody presents on some aspects some facet of. Early church history. Three, I've been a member of this for I don't know a decade they have never done. A doctrine not once. Not once. There's no interest at all in doctrinal development or this mindset that says, hey, let's get back to living out our faith the way they lived out there is, as far as how we treat people or how we think about the government or whatever practical area. There's zero interest in that. In the the more liberal side of the fence and then on the conservative side of the fence, you have the Catholics that really dominate. And not that there aren't liberal Catholics. I'm sure there's plenty of them too. But I'm talking about the more conservative minded ones and they're always just trying to show that what the church teaches now is really what Christians have always believed. So it's apologetic. It's not OK, let's see what happened. It's more like, alright, well, this person like, for example Ignatius of Antioch, there's going to be an amazing presentation on this. Tom Huszti: Come on. Sean Finnegan: At the Unitarian Christian Alliance Conference next month, Nathan Massey has done some cutting edge research on Ignatius of Antioch. But anyhow, people, Catholic scholars in particular love Ignatius, and they'll go to Ignatius and they say, well, see, Ignatius calls Jesus God. Therefore, the Trinity is true as we, you know, 20 centuries later. Teach it it. It's it's all true because Ignatius said Jesus is God, and there's just more problems with that than you can shake a stick at, which you know I won't get into unless you're interested. But like my my point is. There's very few scholars who are honestly going to the sources of ancient Christians. Whatever books have survived right, and saying what were they saying? And and just taking them on their own words, their own terms, giving them the credit that they knew what they. Were talking about even. If it disagrees with what the? First later said was the right way to think, right? So let me let me just give. You one example. So for example. Justin Martyr, Justin Martyr doesn't fit with anybody, right? I mean, he's just idiosyncratic. He has his own way of thinking and talking. About things, he will even call Jesus, the second God sometimes. And you know he doesn't. Think at all that. Jesus, even in his preincarnate state, was equal. With God the. Father ever, you know, at the same time he's he's sort of like very much like in mesh with the Jews and and like very much talking to the Jews and at. The same time, incredibly rude. And it, you know, by what I would say, it's totally inappropriate. You know, some of the ways he he talks to in in one of his books, the book against Trifle. So yeah. So anyhow, Justin Moorer, you know, a church historian will come along and say, Justin, Monta was just. Tom Huszti: Ohh trifle.Speaker 5You know, he was reaching in the dark for the doctrine of the Trinity. He just didn't quite have the language yet to express it, and it's like. Sean Finnegan: No, he wasn't. He had a he had a mature developed view of who he thought Jesus was. And it's just different than yours, man. Just just. Allow him to be him. Tom Huszti: He might have squeeze everybody into the. Sean Finnegan:You know. Tom Huszti: Same mold, huh?SpeakerHe's not. Sean Finnegan: Hinting at anything he thinks he knows what he's talking about. You're not. Tom Huszti: Right. Tom Huszti: He wore the philosopher's robe, didn't he? Sean Finnegan: He did, and he had a he had a a little meeting spot in Rome above a, you know, above a shop, you know, he had a little apartment or whatever, and he'd he'd meet with people and he'd teach him what he thought was the definitive understanding of the Christian religion, just because nobody else later on agrees with him doesn't mean he was just like. Undeveloped or something, you know, he he believes what he believed, and it's just different and that's OK. And what I see when I look at Justin or Irenaeus or, you know, a lot of these guys is I see development. And when I see development, I think to myself, let's rollback the tape and see the trajectory overtime. Yeah. What is the vector? Where is this heading? So if I see you know a couple of points on a line that go in One Direction, I could say OK, I make a measurement here, make a measurement here, connect those dots and trace it backwards. What's there in the? 1st century and that's that's what I love to do. That's what I want to know. That's my my research, my investigation to find. What's the earliest beliefs and practices and that I'm crazy enough to think we can live that out today? Tom Huszti: Yeah, you are a strange bird, but I agree with you I. Guess I am too so. Sean Finnegan: Well, and The thing is we both came to this from very different milieus, different backgrounds, denominations and so forth. But we both recognize that it makes logical sense that if the church has gotten off track. Then you know the best way to do it is to reform back to the, you know, whatever we can recover of the original version of Christian. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: And you know, that's. Yeah, it makes sense to me. A lot of people don't. They don't believe in Restorationism. They they say, oh, that's you can't go back there. It's impossible and it's like. Tom Huszti: That's so true. Sean Finnegan: Well, well, why let? Tom Huszti: Me. Share you with you my thought on this. So the the 1st century church was waiting for the return of Jesus and it didn't happen in their age, but. We who claim to desire the return of Jesus need to be postured as they were. Like I'm I'm just. Wondering you know. Like if Christianity gets far enough away from their origins, it's an awful lot to ask Jesus to return when we've strayed so far from. What our forefathers believed so that the church that I was put out from is called the Apostolic Christian Church Nazarene. And the term Nazarene is a a term that is very, very honorable, I would say. But when you think in terms of the early church, the term Nazarene meant Jewish believers in Messiah. And I still call myself a Nazarene, even though my community has, for the by and large, has disfellowship. Hit me. I'd like to to trace my origins back to the the Nazarenes my my Jewish Brethren, believers in Jesus, and this is something that you touched upon in your. Your church history. You think you could fill us in a little bit about the views of different Jewish Christians, Abbey Knights and Nazarenes and. Any others that would kind of fit that category maybe give us a little summary. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, to do work on the Ebionites or the Nazarenes is to read late reports. By their enemies. I don't know of a single document that survives other. Than I would. Argue that, dedicate, I would say that dedicat is a Nazarene document. Tom Huszti: Oh wow. Sean Finnegan: It reads that way to me. It has a low Christology. It's very Jewish, you know, it's very Christian, you know. And it it just seems to kind of fit that that mindset. So I would argue that the dedicate would be a Nazarene document. Now these these terms, Nazarene, it's actually in the New Testament. The sect of the Nazarenes. Where was that? They said. Tom Huszti: Right, Paul Paul, was it? Yes, they did. That's correct. Yeah. Yes. Sean Finnegan: That about Paul, right? Yeah. So that's old school. Right. But what we can kind of gather is from these late reports and when I say late, I'm talking like from the year 375, we get this heresy hunter named Epiphanius of Salamis and he writes a book called The Panarion. You know, so this is this is riding 300 years after all the action and the excitement has already happened, right? Where's where's the action? Where's the parting of the ways? As James Dunn's famous book called it? Well, it's really in that post 70AD pre. Justin. So like between like 70 AD when the temple. Tom Huszti: Yeah, yeah. Sean Finnegan: Got destroyed and the Romans conquered Jerusalem to the time of Justin Mortar where, like he begins in, you know, maybe like 135 was the 2nd revolution. Right. So you have the the bar Copa revolt. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: Actually, some people might call it a third revolution because there was another one in between the two, but whatever. It wasn't in. Jerusalem. But you know, in that period there, what is that like? Probably like 60-70 years something happened and there was a a splitting away and Gentile. Tom Huszti: Ohh there was OK Ohh. Sean Finnegan: Christians and Jewish Christians. Stops influencing each other. And it's a really murky period of time. Scholars have all kinds of theories from there was never a parting of the ways. What are you? Talking about to it. Tom Huszti: Uh-huh. Well. Sean Finnegan: It happened because of this or because of that. But let's just put it this way, the the the official Christian line on it has always been since. The time of Eusebius. That the followers of Jesus when they. Saw the Roman legions coming. Abandoned the city of Jerusalem. And if that's true and they, he says they went to power, they went to this other area. If that's true, then the native Jewish people who stayed and fought and died. And then many of them also survived. Would not very much like the Jewish Christians because. They didn't stay, they didn't like. Tom Huszti: So you're talking for 70, you're talking about from 70 AD that the Christians would have left. Sean Finnegan: Yeah. Yeah. So, like, after the city is conquered by the Romans, things kind of settle down politically. I mean, I guess the last holdouts are at Masada up until what, like 7370? Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: 4 but like. Then that OK, this period ends, the Romans have reasserted their dominance. But you know a lot of Jewish people survive and and. And they're not looking at the Jewish Christians positively, they're looking at them negatively. And we have this Birkat hominem. Yes. Are you familiar with that? It says for the apostates, let there be no hope and uproot the Kingdom of arrogance speedily. And in our days, may the Nazarenes and the sectarians perish, as in a moment let them be blotted out of the book of life. Tom Huszti: I am. Sean Finnegan: And and so forth. So it's like OK by the time of Justin, he makes mention of this and he says you. Know why? Why? You guys cursing us in your synagogues, right? So like Justin knows about it, so. It's got to be before 160 and it's. Probably after the month. Tom Huszti: So let me ask you this, would that curse? Be specific to Jewish believers in Messiah Jesus. She will. Or would it? That was specifically for them because they were thought they were thought to be created. Sean Finnegan: Well, they they would be the ones to go to the synagogue. So this is something. That would be spoken. Publicly in the synagogue, along with the other blessings and. Tom Huszti: OK. Ah. So that would discourage them from attending synagogue. Sean Finnegan: It would expose them as well because they wouldn't be able to recite that. Tom Huszti: Oh, they wouldn't be able to recite it, OK. Sean Finnegan: You can't curse yourself, you know. It's just awkward. Tom Huszti: Yes, so so so.SpeakerYou know, right. Tom Huszti: During the time of the Barkha revolt, the Jewish believers in Yeshua Miss Jesus would not have taken up arms against the Romans and this would have been a further offense against the. Against the revolution, revolutionaries against the Jews. Sean Finnegan: Well, you know. We we see we see rumblings even before in the I don't know if it's the Jewish war or the antiquity of the of the. Jews with Josephus. He talks about how there was a power vacuum just for a moment in Jerusalem and during that power vacuum when the old governor had, I don't know if he died or just had left or whatever happened to him. But the new governor, I think, was Albinus, was on his way then the non Christian. Jewish people were able to gang up on James, and when James was fairly old brother of Jesus and that they were able to more or less lynch him, you know, they just got a mob together and they they were able to to kill. Tom Huszti: A friend. Sean Finnegan: Him. So there was already animosity before the war. War starts in 66, you know it. It did blow up from time to time. We see it in the book of Acts. Right. There's a lot of animosity between the Jewish Christians, the non Christian Jews. OK, so this this continues. But after the war.SpeakerOK. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: It it's it seems like there's not even much real space left for Jewish Christians to even go to a synagogue with this curse that's put there specifically against them. Again, the war is such a massive historical event. The Jewish War of Rome, 66 to 74, where I mean, how many kinds of Judaism. Do we know? About from the 1st century, you have your Sadducees, you have your Essenes, you have the rebellious types. They call the 4th philosophy and Josephus. You have your Pharisees, and then you have the Christian Jews. Tom Huszti: They would be the zealot. Would there be the zealots or the sikari? Sean Finnegan: Yeah, yeah, that would be the 4th philosophy. The Zealots, the sicari, all the revolutionary types. Right. So you have like, five types of Judaism. And so the Christian Jews. Tom Huszti: OK. OK. Sean Finnegan: Five and the Pharisaic Jews survive, but the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the revolutionaries. They're all gone, or completely disempowered. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: After the war, so now you have pharisaic Judaism, which eventually kind of develops into rabbinic Judaism, and you have the Jesus Jews. And they gave birth to the Christian movement, which is kind of like, it's almost like in a sense gone public like a like a corporation offers an IPO. And then, like, the, the company has kind of a life of its own, independent of what the founder, really. Tom Huszti: Yeah. OK.SpeakerHis vision was. Sean Finnegan: And maybe that's a good analogy for it, cause like Christianity goes pretty much Gentile and there it's Jew and Gentile together in the 1st century for sure. But like as we get into the 2nd century. The kinds of literature that survive from Christian pens. It's just like either ignorant of Jewish practices and interpretations of the Old Testament or outright antagonistic, where you get like documents from like the middle of the 2nd century. Like I'm thinking of the Epistle of Barnabas, and some of the other documents in the Apostolic Fathers, where like they're just like you, Jews are crazy because you kept the law. And it's like, how could you ever say that if you're if you're a little more aware of what the, you know, that that was the law that God gave to the Jewish people to keep, why would they be crazy to keep it? Right? So it seems like there's just a parting of the ways. And that's the term James Dunn used for it. And, you know, we just wish so much that we had. We have more information about it. We just kind of get these little bits and pieces. We don't know exactly how it happened. We just know that it happened.SpeakerOh yeah. Tom Huszti: Some hostile witnesses, of all places. Sean Finnegan: So now you've got. These Jewish Christians, Tom and they're kind of isolated in the east, they're not well loved by the Gentile Christians or they don't have access or I don't know, for whatever reason, there's just not a lot of interaction, which is tragic in my opinion. Tom Huszti: Yeah. Yes.SpeakerBut they're also. Sean Finnegan: Alienated from their own Jewish brothers and sisters because they're not allowed in the synagogue and you know, if you're in a little village and there's only one place putting shoes on horses. Or doing some other craft or trade. And they don't want to sell to you. Guess what? You're in trouble, you know, because you're one of the Nazarenes or. One of the Ebionites. Tom Huszti: Sure, sure. Sean Finnegan: So you know these people had a really tough go of it and you know, we hear about them later on and they may have survived pretty well. Outside the Roman Empire, in the east, in the Persian Empire. But we don't know much about that either, so it's really hard to do scholarship on them. There are more questions than answers, but my best guess, OK. And that's really what it is, is it's a guess is that the community of James, the brother of Jesus, they didn't really get on board. With what Paul? And Gentile Christianity was doing they got on board to a certain degree and and this we see this conflict in the book of. Acts 15 and then later. Tom Huszti: Yeah, 15. Sean Finnegan: On in .2 what happens is.SpeakerThey say all. Sean Finnegan: Right. Well, you you can have. Gentiles and they don't need to keep the law. Fine, but we Jews are going to keep the law. Still, I don't think Paul got on board with that. Paul would say Jews don't need to keep the law either. Obviously they can. Anybody can keep the law. Who wants to? But Jewish Christians, I should say I should be clear. I'm not talking about just Jews in general. I'm saying Jews who believe in Jesus because of a covenantal understanding expressed later. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes. Sean Finnegan: In the Book of Hebrews, whoever wrote Hebrews that it is clear that Jewish Christians don't need to keep the law. James and his group of Jewish Christians disagree with. That viewpoint, they say no. This is the covenant. We're Jewish Christians. We're going to continue to keep the law. So I think this James Community is what left during the war and survived north and east of Jerusalem. And that then this community had a doctrinal division where some of them. Accepted the Gospel of Matthew, which possibly was in Hebrew or Aramaic. You know some language that the people could readily read. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: There are lots of hints of that in the patristic literature. People talk about it quite a bit. They don't talk about any other writing. From the new. Testament, all the other books in the New Testament. They never mentioned as being in Hebrew, just Matthew. Tom Huszti: Wow, just Matthew cross. Sean Finnegan: It's the only one. Yeah. So why would you? Put it in Hebrew, whether it was written in Hebrew originally or translated into Hebrew. Why would why? Because you have Jewish people. Reading it. You read the Gospel of Matthew. What does it begin with? A genealogy? Who loves genealogies? The Greeks? No, they don't care about genealogies. The Jews love genealogies. So Matthew begins by making a convincing argument that this Jesus of Nazareth has a claim. And. Could possibly be the Messiah because of his ancestry. That's how it starts. So you've got this community and in. The Gospel of Matthew as well as. Luke, you have. The virgin birth. You have the virgin conception and you know this idea that in in some way Jesus is the son of God.Speaker 5Some of the. Sean Finnegan: Jewish Christians in this community don't believe that. And others do, and that is, and again, this is a reconstruction based on hostile sources like Epiphanius, and you siberius, and there are plenty of later ones too. Like Jerome mentions this stuff and it, and and it's even possible that these Jewish Christians survive. Arrived and they there was some interaction with them. It wasn't just all hearsay. OK, but it's possible for us to know today how reliable these reports are. But so you have the James, Jewish Christians. They go away from Jerusalem and they settle in north and east of of Jerusalem. And they have this difference. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: Among them the ones who? Believe in the virgin birth. Are Nazarenes the ones that do not? Are Ebionites both of them believe that Jesus is a human being? Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: Whom God anointed as a Messiah. They both believe in crucifixion. Both believe in resurrection. Both believe in Ascension. Both believe in the coming Kingdom. So the question is, you know whether he is biologically. Whatever that means, you know, like, if there was this miracle to get him started or if he was the son of Joseph. OK, so that's that seems to be the disagreement there between the Nazarenes and the Ebionites. And here's here's just one more thing to complicate it, make it worse is some Christians will call both groups of unites. Tom Huszti: Yeah, that's a mistake. Sean Finnegan: And they're saying, well, some of you guys believe this and some even nice believe. That it's like. Tom Huszti: Yes, right. Well, it seems to me the very, very important doctrines they agreed upon. And I know I noticed in the Apostle Paul's writing, he never mentions the virgin birth, he does emphasize. The authority that Jesus received through the resurrection, most notably in Romans chapter one, that's where. Sean Finnegan: Yeah. I mean, I think the closest pull comes is Galatians 4 four, where it says when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law. Sort of like the closest. To it you. Can interpret that a number of different ways. Tom Huszti: So it's fascinating to understand that we've actually lost connection to a large extent to the original source of our our gospel message. And I suppose that makes that makes your challenge of restoring 1st century Christianity even a bit. Your task you're trying to recreate these things based on what you know and based on hostile witness accounts. Sean Finnegan: Here's the good news. We still have the Bible. We have the New Testament. You know, we can read it, we can see. And it's not like the New Testament is hiding or covering over any controversy like the The Paul. James, things is is is plain as day in Galatians like pull, yes, pull lays it out, you know, and I and. I'm going with Paul on. This I'm going to. I'm going to disagree with James. I think he was a great. And but I think he just didn't have the full understanding of how Jesus, through his actions, how he affected our relationship with God and and this whole understanding of covenant. So I'm going to go with Paul on that. What happened among Pauline Christianity is. A development that slowly moved away from the New Testament read from a Jewish perspective because I think Pauline Christianity basically got swamped by Gentiles. Tom Huszti: Yeah, I think so. Tom Huszti: Too and I. Sean Finnegan: Think the leaders. Of Pauline Christian. Probably not in his day, but maybe within a generation or two. Became highly educated intellectual gentiles who were financially well off enough to get an education because education costs them money. Otherwise you got a farm or you got to do a craft or a trade, right? So is that is that sort of movement occurred away from? Apostles and their appointed success. More towards these intellectuals. We get Christian doctrine shifting away from what's in the New Testament into these more Greek and Roman ways of thinking. And that's kind of an area where I've been doing a lot of work recently. Trying to understand. Especially on Christology, how would a a Greek or a Roman person? How would they hear the story of Jesus? What would that sound like to them? And so I've done a lot of work on that and I'm going to be presenting that in a month as well at the UCLA conference. Yeah. But that will be out later on YouTube as well. If you don't make. Tom Huszti: Ohh at the OK. But that should be very interesting. Sean Finnegan: It to the conference, you know. Tom Huszti: I bought my ticket already. Ohh, good. Yes. Yes. I'll look forward to that. I guess we probably shouldn't talk too much about it in advance because we have to. We don't want to. Take the the. Thunder out of your presentation. Sean Finnegan: Well, I I just mentioned, I'll just mention one thing, OK. So let's imagine you're a non believer, you're a Pagan. You've worshiped the gods all your life. You've heard stories about Apollo getting banished down to Earth and having to work as a servant. You've heard stories about Zeus coming down impregnating women. You've heard stories about. Tom Huszti: Hercules. Dad. Huh, Hercules. Dad. Sean Finnegan: You've heard stories about Hercules as well, and Asclepius was originally a human who got deified, and he got deified to such a level that he became essentially an Olympian God, that that level of. Elevation and exultation was possible. So you hear all these stories about these gods who come down to become men, or appear as men being made in appearance as a man, right? Like this is this. Is their vocabulary. That's their world. And then you hear lots of stories. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes, right. Sean Finnegan: Humans, who had a beginning normal humans, but were so exceptional that they got to skip Hades and instead go to Olympia or instead go to some heavenly realm like. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: You this is just your.Speaker 5World these are all your stories. Tom Huszti: OK. Uh-huh. Sean Finnegan: Now you're going to hear a story about a miracle worker, Jewish miracle worker. Who was executed came back to life. And now lives in heaven. And is immortalized. You have a category for that. Kind of a being. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: It's called a God. Tom Huszti: Yeah. Yes. Sean Finnegan: Like in our in our language. Today we would say a lower case G God, right? They didn't fuss with capital. A lowercase. You know, like everything's capital pretty much and all the inscriptions we have in the manuscripts from this period, right. So they would just say, oh, that yeah, we. I know, I know. Plenty of other beings that are like that too. Yeah, they're they're called. Gods. And so you're you're trying to say that Jesus is a man and now he's become. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: God. So like you could just imagine a like an evangelism encounter going like that. And if you don't have that Jewish sensibility to say, well, hold on a second.SpeakerThere's only. Sean Finnegan: One God, and that's the supreme God who created everything. You can just see like Christian saying well. Yeah, I guess so. Like in that way of thinking. Yeah, he's a God. So now people. Start calling Jesus God. And now the question becomes well, in what sense has he got? Does he have a beginning before he was a human, you know, and you're just operating in a totally foreign. World View, mindscape than the Jewish mode, which is the Jewish mode, sees Jesus doing miracles and they say how great it is that God has given such authority to men. Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: What do they say when they see a miracle in the book of acts, when Paul and Barnabas? Tom Huszti: Right. Sean Finnegan: You know, get that guy filled. Tom Huszti: The gods are come down to us, the gods. Sean Finnegan: Of course, that's what they. Said that's what they believe could happen, right? We really have two different thought worlds that are combining in in weird and innovative ways. And that's just like one step along the path that leads to the doctrine of the Trinity, which doesn't really get fully developed until the late 4th century. Tom Huszti: Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. Tom Huszti: So Paul is trying to emphasize that Jesus is a human being, a second Adam. So that has a different flavor to it, like you have to. Paula is using the first Adam story to introduce the second Adam. And this is a glorified human being who is residing in heaven until God sends him back. That's a different. Category isn't it? For the Greco Roman mine? Sean Finnegan: Yeah, they don't. They don't. That doesn't. That doesn't make sense to them. You know, it's just that's just weird. That's like resurrection. Like, why do you want your body back? And what did Christianity do with that one? We get rid of it. You go to any funeral like unless it's somebody from my own group of churches, network of churches, or maybe like one or one or two other denominations. Right. Like you go to a funeral. What 99% of the? Funerals you go to they. Say this person is now in heaven and their soul. Whatever you know, they make up all this stuff. You know, it sounds just like the Greco Roman stuff from the ancient times. It doesn't sound. Like the Bible. Tom Huszti: Right, yes. Can you imagine sitting in the audience when Paul was preaching from the Acropolis? Sean Finnegan: Not to me. Tom Huszti: Can you put yourself in the in the shoes of a a Greek sitting in the audience hearing this message for the first time? And you know the setting. What would have impressed you or what you already mentioned this earlier but like if you as an individual were doing this? What would be going through your mind? Given your background and context. Sean Finnegan: Well, I think. There's a lot of misunderstanding going on. And and that's just normal. We shouldn't be upset about that. We should expect that. I think we see the same thing today. In the 21st century, where you try to explain something and somebody just doesn't get it, who's not a Christian, and I think that's what was happening here. And what happened is Paul is is evangelizing people. He's talking to people in the marketplace, his Jewish sensibilities, I think, are offended by seeing a city full of idols. It's just as somebody who was raised with the 10 Commandments, it's offensive. I mean, it's offensive to most Christians. Well, I don't say most, but many Christians today are offended. By seeing idols and statues and seeing people actually worshiping them, Paul is very disturbed by this. He's trying to to help. He's reasoning in the synagogue. And also in the marketplace every day. You've got the Epicureans, you've got the Stoics there, and then they say this is act 1718, he says. He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities. Because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection and see the word resurrection, there is Anastasia. Tom Huszti: OK. It's a Greek. Sean Finnegan: Word it means resurrection. You know, stand up again, but it seems like. And I I think some translations might do it this way, that they're thinking that. Jesus is 1 divinity. And they think that Paul saying that Jesus is divine being, which is interesting, right in light of what I said just a minute ago. And then the other thing they think resurrection is is another divinity. Right. So there's just. Misunderstandings all over the place. They're. Like you know, it seems like he's bringing in some new gods. Let's go here. What these new gods have to say, he's kind of like you. Remember. Back in the old days, kids would collect baseball cards. Or like when my kids were little, it was Pokémon cards. And you know, you trade with each other. This one, it's like gods to the, to the Athenians. You know, they're like, oh, you've got that. Tell me about that. God, I let me tell you. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: The story about this. One you know, so they're. Tom Huszti: Yes, yes. Sean Finnegan: Interested. And they put them up there and they say, OK, what is this new teaching? Tell us what this is all. About and so we know. There's going to be misunderstanding. We know there's going to be confusion, but that's no reason not to get started. And so he does. He starts in a very friendly and flattering way. Tom Huszti: He used their own poets. Their own poetry. Yeah, yeah. Sean Finnegan: He's building the bridge as much as he can to their thought world, but at the same time. He's so disturbed. Buy the idolatry that like he just. He just wants to hit that, you know, like it's just and it's not. It's not out of sense of superiority. I don't think. I think it's a sense of empathy and compassion. And so it just starts in with, like, explaining who God is. And he's like there's a God above everything else that made everything else. And he doesn't need you. He doesn't need you to. To offer animals. And he believed in animal sacrifice. I don't know if he still believed in animal sacrifice or not, but he believed in it. At least most of his life. And still, he's just like, look, he doesn't need. He doesn't need anything. God is radically. What do they say? Ah, say he's not contingent or dependent on us for anything, and that's not. How they thought about their Greek gods. They thought their Greek gods needed to be cared for. They believed that the Greek gods created humans to do the work for them, so they didn't have to do the work all the time, including feeding them these sacrifices that nourish them.SpeakerRight. Tom Huszti: Right, right. Tom Huszti: A hutch. Sean Finnegan: You know it's a. Tom Huszti: Very the gods. They were very dependent. They're their gods, were very dependent. Sean Finnegan: They needed a bunch of slaves to do all the hard work of cultivating the lands, raising the animals, planting the vegetables, do all the things so that they could be properly cared for and fed. And if you didn't do that, then they messed with you. They stopped the rain, or they brought war or whatever, you know. So that's the kind of thing he's coming against here. And he says, look there the the God who made the world and everything in it, Lord of heaven and Earth, does not need temples. This is a radical message. I mean, it's just like. You're in a. City, now that I've been there, like I've literally seen the temples.SpeakerWith my or. Tom Huszti: Not they're still there. They're still there. Tom remnants. Amazing. Sean Finnegan: Wow, there's actually, when I was there was scaffolding all around it. You know, they're always restoring these things because of the weather erosion and what, you know, but. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: You know, massive, massive. Structures unquestionable. You don't go to a Greek ancient Greek city and say God doesn't need tempo. Tom Huszti: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sean Finnegan: You know that they. Would really get their attention, it's. Like, wow, what is this guy saying? Tom Huszti: Yeah, I can imagine. What would it like these temples were full of pillars and the structure would have been probably unprecedented structures. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're looking at structures that are so impressive that if you didn't live in a city. If you live somewhere out in the country, you can't in the city. It would just take your breath away and then going into the temple itself, seeing most cities, temples they have what's called an apps, which is kind of like the back curved area where they had the statue itself and to see, you know, this huge statue. The artistry was magnificent. And you know, I've seen this where I think I saw this in a museum in Ephesus, on site, they have a little Ephesus museum there. And they had the head of Domitian. Which is a Roman. And it looked like a baby head. The proportions were all wrong. You know, just you know how, like, baby heads look. Weird, I don't know really how to describe it like there. May be a little spot. Tom Huszti: Oh yeah, yeah. Compared to the rest. Of the body you mean? Sean Finnegan: No, no, it was just the head. It was just the head and it and it. It looked like a baby head. And I asked my team. I was a part of a class at Boston University. I asked my teacher. I'm like, what's the deal with this? Why does it look like a baby head? And he just kind of laughed a little bit. And he said. Tom Huszti: Or it was just a hat? A hat. OK, OK. Sean Finnegan: Get low. Imagine this being 20 feet up in the air. Change your perspective and look at it again and it was exactly right. If you got. Low and looked at that same head. Of the mission. From that angle that you would see it. From the ground. All the proportions were perfect. Tom Huszti: So it was designed to be looked up to right? Sean Finnegan: So we're looking at people that have the. Artistry of the skill. Well, to to you know to like factor in perspective and angle. You know what I mean? Like that's something I would never think of you.SpeakerOh yeah. Sean Finnegan: Know. Of course I'm. Not a sculptor, but you know. I mean, you come in and you and you're.Speaker 5Confronted by this? Sean Finnegan: Stone object that is beautifully done. You just takes your breath away. For anyone to question it. It would just be like. What are you talking about, man? Everybody believes in this. And then there's a parade where they bring the portable idols through the city, and then they end up out front of the temple and you get a big barbecue and everybody's rejoicing and you know, the Jews and the Christians are just like, we're not going, we're going to stay home free. Tom Huszti: Oh yeah. Tom Huszti: Neat, right? And they're they're. Sean Finnegan: Well, free meat. Tom Huszti: For the pagans, right? Yeah. For the pagans. Right. Right. Yeah. Do you happen to know this story about the Roman general? Was it Pompeii that when he came into Jerusalem? And he was going to go into the holiest of holies, and the priests were. Standing in the way. And he ordered several, several of them killed with a sword. He wanted to see what the God of Israel looked like, and and he entered in the Holy, Holy Holiest of Holies. After these priests gave their life and he found nothing. What a surprise, right? Yeah. Yeah. So, so the Paul is preaching the same unseen God, but he's preaching the Jewish Messiah, who was seen, who was raised from the dead. Exalted into heaven, and whom God made judge over the earth. So this is the Athenians are being told that this Jesus God gave authority to for judgment, and that the world will be judged by him. Sean Finnegan: Yeah, even before that, you know, just talking about how you mentioned that Paul quoted a couple of their poets. You know that in him we move and have our being, we live and move and have our being and the other statement for we indeed are his offspring. You know, there's a lot of depends on how deep you want to go in this town. But like, there's a lot going on. The schools of the philosophers. Tom Huszti: You know, delve into it? Sure. Sure. Please. Sean Finnegan: OK, so so you have the Epicureans. Founded by Epicurus, and then you have the Stoics founded by Zeno, and they are just. Like total opposites? Right. So the the goal of the Epicurean is to to seek pleasure. Tom Huszti: OK. Sean Finnegan: But not in a primitive like spring break frat party way. You know where, like you just go crazy, and then you you're in pain and suffering the next morning. That's amateur hour. For that, you'd be curious. Or maximizing pleasure over the course of your entire life. Tom Huszti: OK. OK. Sean Finnegan: What would maximize my pleasure, and the Epicureans tended to say that either the gods don't exist, or they exist, but they don't care about us. So you don't need to worry about the gods. There's a lot of precursors to modern atheism and agnosticism there, but the Stoics are saying, ohh pleasure is bad and you got to serve the gods. You have civil duty. The Stoics tended to be the ones in charge of the cities, and the Stoics are absolutely convinced pleasure is. Inherently sinful, like any kind of any kind of pursuit of bodily pleasure, is well, I would say, at least, question. Bowl, but probably like if you could really live without food that tastes really good, or beds that are nice and soft, or a woman's touch or a man's touch if you're. A woman, you. Know like that you would be happier, you would live the good life. So the philosophers are all all about Greek philosophers in particular, or all about how do you lead the good life? Then

Whereas last time we examined 6 interpretations people hold for Hebrews 1.10-12, today we look at just one--the 7th. Jerry Wierwille is my guest again and in this episode he explains his take on Hebrews 1.10-12. He delves into wisdom christology to show how these verses speak of Jesus protologically as wisdom that created the heavens and the earth. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Recommended Reading —— "Intertextuality and Interpretation of Hebrews 1:10-12" by Jerry Wierwille Jesus the Sage by Ben Witherington III The New Testament Age, Vol 1 —— Links —— Check out these other episodes in this series on Hebrews 1 See more episodes with Jerry Wierwille More resources on Hebrews 1.10 Support Restitutio by donating here Designate Restitutio as your charity of choice for Amazon purchases Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

In our last episode, Dr. Jerry Wierwille led us through a contextual overview of Hebrews 1 and 2 in order to situate Hebrews 1.10-12. Today, we'll consider seven interpretations of Hebrews 1.10-12, including: Father as referent, doxology Jesus as creator of Genesis creation Jesus as creator of figurative heaven and earth (referring to people and political institutions) Jesus as creator of figurative heaven and earth (referring to Mosaic order) Jesus as creator of heaven and earth for millennial kingdom Jesus as creator of new creation Jesus as the embodiment of God's wisdom This survey should help shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of these views. We won't get into the seventh position much in this episode, but we will cover it in detail in the next one. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Check out these other episodes in this series on Hebrews 1 See more episodes with Jerry Wierwille More resources on Hebrews 1.10 Support Restitutio by donating here Designate Restitutio as your charity of choice for Amazon purchases Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

Hebrews 1.10-12 is a confusing passage for many of us. It seems to say that Jesus created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. Today we are beginning a three part series in which Dr. Jerry Wierwille will address this important passage in context. Our first part is Wierwille's presentation from last year's UCA conference. In this overview, he reviews the context, extending from chapter 1 all the way to 2.8. Next he presents lexical connections between Hebrews 1 and wisdom literature. He concludes that Hebrews 1.10-12 is a wisdom christology text, attributing to Jesus what wisdom had accomplished prior to his birth. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_F_T2o3WWo Here is the paper that accompanies this talk. —— Links —— Check out these other episodes in this series on Hebrews 1 See more episodes with Jerry Wierwille More resources on Hebrews 1.10 Support Restitutio by donating here Designate Restitutio as your charity of choice for Amazon purchases Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow us on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] God of GRACE — 1 Pet 5:10 The grace of God has been most fully revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are recipients of God's grace through trusting in Christ. Everything we have received is given by God's grace. God doesn't owe us anything. Therefore, whatever He has given to us is completely unmerited. We have done nothing to deserve it. God of PERSEVERANCE — Rom 15:5 Our own strength is limited. If we had to rely on what we could accomplish or put up with, we would not be able to endure through trials and adversity. But God gives us the ability to persevere even if the troubles of life are many. God of HOPE — Rom 15:13 Hope is what keeps us looking forward rather than backward. God has a plan that He is bringing to pass according to His plan and purposes. And because God is faithful and trustworthy, we can believe in His promises and have hope in their certain fulfillment at the proper time. God of PEACE — Rom 15:33; 16:20; 1 Cor 14:33; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 5:23; Heb 13:20 God is the source of our peace—both within ourselves and with one another. Through Christ, we are brought into a relationship with God that heals our restless souls and brings a quietness and harmony to our lives. The God of peace is bigger than any of our worries or anxieties.The post God According to the Epistles first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] The Writings (Ketuvim) – Third division of the Old Testament books in the Hebrew Bible: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles. —-Yahweh is WISE—- Wisdom is knowing the right way to act. In human terms, it is the path of right living—living according to the authority and rule of Yahweh. Human flourishing results from living with wisdom. For Yahweh, wisdom means possessing perfect knowledge and full understanding of everything. No decision or action can be superior to or preferred to what Yahweh has done and will do. Proverbs 2:6; 3:19; Job 9:1-4; 12:13; Daniel 2:20-22; Psalm 104:24-26 —-Yahweh is full of COMPASSION—- Having compassion means showing affection and care, being favorably disposed to someone. It includes being able to understand the suffering and struggles of others and to show concern toward them. Yahweh knows what life is like for us and desires to help us in our weakness. Psalm 86:15; 103:13-14; 116:15; 25:6; 40:11; 51:1ff —-Yahweh is the KING—- Yahweh is the rightful ruler of the universe. He is the one governing and overseeing the affairs of His creation, and He is the one that all people owe their allegiance to and should submit to His will. Psalm 145:1-2; 24:7-10; 5:2; 10:16The post God According to the Writings first appeared on Living Hope.

Some things in life it seems like we can escape from, or at least avoid the direct consequences of them. But when it comes to sin, the consequences always seem to find a way to come around and bite us in the end. That is because sin is destructive no matter which way you look at it. It will destroy you and likely also injure those around you. And if it is the sin of adultery, you can be sure the damage will be severe. It will bring great harm upon you, everyone involved, and countless others. Illustration: Carl Lentz, prominent and highly successful Hillsong Church pastor in New York City, and the adultery that destroyed his life and his career in Christian ministry. Verses: -- Prov. 5:20-23; 14:12; 16:25; Rom 14:10-12; 1 Tim 5:24 Teacher: -- Jerry Wierwille

Some things in life it seems like we can escape from, or at least avoid the direct consequences of them. But when it comes to sin, the consequences always seem to find a way to come around and bite us in the end. That is because sin is destructive no matter which way you look at it. It will destroy you and likely also injure those around you. And if it is the sin of adultery, you can be sure the damage will be severe. It will bring great harm upon you, everyone involved, and countless others. Illustration: Carl Lentz, prominent and highly successful Hillsong Church pastor in New York City, and the adultery that destroyed his life and his career in Christian ministry. Verses: -- Prov. 5:20-23; 14:12; 16:25; Rom 14:10-12; 1 Tim 5:24 Teacher: -- Jerry Wierwille

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Philippians 3:10 — Paul desired to experience the “power of his [Jesus'] resurrection.” While certainly he looked forward to being raised to an immortal life at Christ's return, there is a dimension of “resurrection power” that Paul anticipated and desired to experience currently in his mortal life. Some Benefits of Christ's Resurrection New Birth — 1 Pet 1:3 No Longer “In Sin” — 1 Cor 15:17 Intercession of Christ — Rom 8:34 Christ Fills All Things — Eph 4:7-16 Christ Fills All Things Ephesians 4:7-16—Christ ascended into heaven and gave gifts to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Some people have these gifts; some have others. Rom 12:3-8; 1 Pet 4:10-11 There are many grace-gifts, and we each have received a gift by God's grace. We must recognize that our function in the body is dependent upon the gift we have received. The purpose of Christ's gifts is for the building up of the body of Christ until we attain the full stature of Christ at his return. Because of the gifts Christ has given, we are not deceived and tricked or pushed around by false ideas and teachings. Rather, we are to speak the truth in love with every part of Christ's body doing their work (i.e. their function) that they were empowered to do so that the body grows and builds itself up in love. Let's live a resurrection life until we see the Lord return and receive our complete redemption!The post Resurrection Life first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Galatians 5:13-18 For you, brothers and sisters, were called to freedom; only do not use the freedom for an opportunity to indulge the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, in the command, Love your neighbor as yourself. 15But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 16Now I say, walk by the spirit and you will absolutely not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, with the result that you are not doing what you want. 18But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. “Freedom” means freedom from the powers of the old age—the power of sin, the cosmic forces of evil, and the law. “Christian freedom in the Spirit means voluntarily offering oneself in service to one's fellow Christians, in opposition to living in line with the self-centered and self-serving orientation of the flesh.” (DeSilva, NICNT) “Flesh” refers to the power that is in us from our life connected to Adam and his fall. It presses us to satisfy our desires and inclinations in ways that are totally devoid of God. “It is the sum total of the impulses, urges, and desires that lead human beings away from virtue toward self-promotion and self-gratification, often at the expense of the interests and well-being of others, of the harmony of community, or of the accomplishing of the purposes of God in our lives, communities, and world.” (Desilva, NICNT) Romans 8:1-8 John 15:4-5 Galatians 5:24-26 Be encouraged if you feel the battle raging inside you. The sign of the spirit at work in your life is not that you are free from bad desires but that you experience the war that is going on inside you.The post The War Within first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] John 13:12-17 — Jesus left us the ultimate example of being a servant and commanded that we do likewise for each other. If we follow these instructions, he said that we will be blessed. Matthew 25:31-46 — When Jesus comes in his glory and judges the nations of the earth, the basis for his judgment will be that when we serve one another, even the least of us, we are in fact serving our Messiah. What we do for each other is a representation of our attitude toward Jesus. Proverbs 3:27-28 — Waiting to serve one another until it is convenient for us or that will provide some advantage to our lives is self-centered service. Why wait if you can do something good for someone right now?The post Serving first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] “Self-awareness” (also known as self-knowledge) is the capacity to understand our personal desires, feelings, motivations, thought patterns, and tendencies. Being self-aware (i.e., knowing yourself) is critical for effective growth in life. We will struggle to grow in areas of our lives when we fail to understand what is happening inside us and how we choose to act or behave in response to our thoughts and experiences. Knowing yourself is about knowing your heart. Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 4:23; Psalm 26:2 God knows us more intimately than we even know ourselves. He searches our hearts and can help us understand them. And if we think we understand it, He can reveal new insights about ourselves and what is stirring inside us. Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24 Ask God to reveal to you aspects of who you are that you may not fully understand regarding the inner working of your heart, so that you can better know yourself and therefore realize the ways you need to change. Then, you can also grow in honoring and glorifying Yahweh and the Lord Jesus in your life. Proverbs 23:15-18 Hebrews 4:12-13The post Knowing Yourself first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Eph 4:17-29 Without Christ, things go very wrong in life. Paul lists 4 problems for those who do not know Christ. They walk in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding. They are alienated from the life of God. They have lost all sensitivity and given themselves over to unrestrained behavior. Eph 4:20-24 Christ followers are called to change. Paul commands 3 changes that we are called to make after having learned the truth that is in Jesus. Put off the old self (cf. Eph 2:1-3). Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (cf. Eph 3:16). Put on the new self (Col 3:5-9; Rom 13:11-14). Eph 4:25-28 Verses 25-32 begin the ethical instruction for living Christ-like according to the new self. Eph 4:29-32 Out of all the godly behaviors Paul lists, he ends with the need to show forgiveness. Forgiveness is to be a defining characteristic of Christ's followers.The post Ephesians 4:17-32 first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Eph 2:11-12—Circumcision was a distinguishing mark that separated out the Jewish people from the rest of the world, but it was only a physical mark in their flesh. What God truly wanted was the change/cleansing of a person's heart. When seeking to understand the significance of something, it is often helpful to contrast it with what has changed to better grasp the difference. Five-fold depiction of Gentiles: 1) without Christ, 2) excluded from citizenship of Israel, 3) strangers to the covenants based on the promise, 4) having no hope, 5) without God. Rom 9:5—The Jews had many advantages and privileges over those of the Gentiles. Eph 2:13-16—The Law stipulated that God's people, Israel, were to be separate from the other nations and were to live under the rule of Yahweh as their King. In the temple, there was a separate courtyard for the Jews and another one further away from the holy place for the Gentiles. But Christ has now destroyed that barrier and brought all people together into one new humanity. Eph 2:17-20—The message that Christ brought was a message of “peace” for both Jews and Gentiles. Now everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord has “access” to God by one spirit. Focus on unity: “both groups into one” (v. 14), “one new man” (v. 15), “one body” (v. 16), “one spirit” (v. 18), Eph 2:21-22—God's people are His building, His dwelling place through the spirit. It is not only that we now have access and are able to approach God, but that God has made His home in us by His spirit that He has given to us. We are the holy sanctuary/temple of God.The post Ephesians 2:11-22 first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Our God Fights for Us! 2 Corinthians 10:1-4 We are in a spiritual war, both outside ourselves and within. Physical weapons are of no use in this battle, but the armor of God is powerful and can defeat our enemy. Romans 8:31-39 “God is for us” means that He is on our side. And if God is on our side, then we are on the winning side. We don't need to let the enemy take ground that God through Christ has already conquered because He has made us more than victorious in Christ. What enemy can stand against us if God is for us! 2 Chronicles 14:8ff Example: the foolishness of King Asa When we forget or take for granted what God has done and can do for us, we will begin to look inwardly at ourselves and will not remember how important trusting God is for victory. The enemy is still mighty and can bring untold amounts of destruction to this world and our lives, but our God is greater and is the mightiest of all. He is the one who fights our battles, and with Him on our side, we are guaranteed victory over our enemy.The post Spiritual Warfare 2 first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] The post Ruth 4 Looking Out for Each Other first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Faith is trust. It is having confidence in something and viewing it as reliable and certain. Therefore, how we think about things and our perspective toward them significantly affects our trust in them. We will see from the Scriptures that the way we think in our minds directly influences our trust. We need to understand the power that our thoughts have upon what we trust in. Abraham–the father of faith Genesis 17:1-22 Romans 4:16-20 Doubts, double-minded, and unstable James 1:6-8 Caleb Numbers 13:26-33 The Woman with the Issue of Blood Mark 5:21-34 Take every thought captive 2 Corinthians 10:1-5The post As I Thought to Myself first appeared on Living Hope.

Who are you and why does your life matter?  These two piercing questions get to the heart of your identity.  Our society in the West has increasingly embraced an internally discovered identity on the basis of individual passions.  Such expressive individualism is exciting to live out, especially if those around you push back, however, the Read more about 398 Why Christianity 11: Christian Identity (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Who are you and why does your life matter?  These two piercing questions get to the heart of your identity.  Our society in the West has increasingly embraced an internally discovered identity on the basis of individual passions.  Such expressive individualism is exciting to live out, especially if those around you push back, however, the Read more about 398 Why Christianity 11: Christian Identity (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Let’s face it, suffering is a major problem for those of us who believe in a good and powerful God.  How do you answer skeptics who challenge your belief in God because of the gratuitous suffering endemic in human history?  In this episode we’ll explore some answers to this question offered by several worldviews before Read more about 397 Why Christianity 10: Suffering and Evil (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Let’s face it, suffering is a major problem for those of us who believe in a good and powerful God.  How do you answer skeptics who challenge your belief in God because of the gratuitous suffering endemic in human history?  In this episode we’ll explore some answers to this question offered by several worldviews before Read more about 397 Why Christianity 10: Suffering and Evil (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] 2 Corinthians 5:16-17   So then, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh (even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him that way no more). So then, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away, Look!, things have become new. New vs. Old—When we become united with Christ through faith in him, there is a change that happens to us: we become “new.” Becoming something new means that we are leaving behind what is old. Ephesians 4:17-24   Therefore I say this and insist in the Lord: you must no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding and are alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. They have lost all sensitivity and have given themselves over to unrestrained behavior to engage in every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. But that is not the way you learned Christ! Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, because the truth resides in Jesus, you are to put off the old self that belongs to your former way of life and that is being corrupted because of deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which has been created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Romans 6:1-4   What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin so grace will increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into union with Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into union with his death, in order that just as Christ was raised out from among the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also could walk in a new way of life.The post New in Christ first appeared on Living Hope.

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 8 of the Why Christianity class. Last time we delved into the first two components of scripture’s overarching story line: creation and fall.  These two explain where the world came from and what went wrong with it.  Today we’ll consider the last two Read more about 395 Why Christianity 8: Metanarrative 2 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 8 of the Why Christianity class. Last time we delved into the first two components of scripture’s overarching story line: creation and fall.  These two explain where the world came from and what went wrong with it.  Today we’ll consider the last two Read more about 395 Why Christianity 8: Metanarrative 2 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 6 of the Why Christianity class. The Bible is such a strange thing. On the one hand, it looks like a big book, on the other hand, it’s a library of books. It’s loaded with very different kinds of literature from poetry and Read more about 393 Why Christianity 6: The The Origin and Authority of the Bible (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 6 of the Why Christianity class. The Bible is such a strange thing. On the one hand, it looks like a big book, on the other hand, it’s a library of books. It’s loaded with very different kinds of literature from poetry and Read more about 393 Why Christianity 6: The The Origin and Authority of the Bible (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 4 of the Why Christianity class. Is Christianity irrational?  Is believing in God intellectually vacuous?  Jerry Wierwille will address the criticism of skeptics that Christian belief is arrogant, unjustified, and irrational.  Next, he’ll describe the popular secular belief in scientism before exposing its Read more about 391 Why Christianity 4: Believing in God Is Not Stupid (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 4 of the Why Christianity class. Is Christianity irrational?  Is believing in God intellectually vacuous?  Jerry Wierwille will address the criticism of skeptics that Christian belief is arrogant, unjustified, and irrational.  Next, he’ll describe the popular secular belief in scientism before exposing its Read more about 391 Why Christianity 4: Believing in God Is Not Stupid (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] Disability—“a physical or mental impairment that substantially affects an individual in experiencing life in ways that other people typically do.” Major Types of Disabilities Physical disabilities Mental/cognitive disabilities Emotional disabilities Developmental disabilities Learning disabilities Disabilities in the Ancient World Individuals with disabilities were viewed as: Cursed by the gods A burden to their family and society Inferior (“lesser”) people, not afforded the same privileges and status A means of entertainment Disabilities in the Bible Mephibosheth—2 Sam 9:1-13 Paralyzed man—Mark 2:1-12 Man with edema—Luke 14:1-15 The mission of the church is to give attention to the marginalized, the unloved, and the scorned—all those whom society would overlook or dismiss. Disabled individuals are just “differently abled” than others and need love, encouragement, and support. They need to experience the love and forgiveness of God, and we as the church are to be a tangible way they come to know the love of God in their lives.The post Reaching Those with Disabilities first appeared on Living Hope.

In a culture where biblical Christianity is falling more and more out of fashion, it’s increasingly important to have confidence in your faith. Today we are beginning a class called Why Christianity, in which we will lay out a few of the ways that our faith makes sense and works best. In this first session, Read more about 388 Why Christianity 1: Introduction (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

In a culture where biblical Christianity is falling more and more out of fashion, it’s increasingly important to have confidence in your faith. Today we are beginning a class called Why Christianity, in which we will lay out a few of the ways that our faith makes sense and works best. In this first session, Read more about 388 Why Christianity 1: Introduction (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] We are created to be in relationship! Genesis 2:15-18 From the very beginning, God saw that humankind needed companionship. For Adam, that was found in his wife, Eve. But our desire for relationships extends to every aspect of life. We desire to be in relationship with our family (parents, siblings, and children), with our friends, co-workers, and especially with those in our church (i.e. our faith community). Our earthly relationships are influenced and ordered according to our heavenly relationships, and our earthly relationships are to be a reflection of our heavenly relationships. 1 John 1:3 1 John 4:19-21 How we perceive and function in our heavenly relationships with God and the Lord Jesus directly affects our manner of living out our earthly relationships. We cannot have a healthy relationship on only one side. How we behave on one side affects the other, and vice versa. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship. The foundation of all relationships in life is our relationship with God. The fulness of life and relationships with one another cannot be attained and experienced apart from a vital and healthy relationship with God. James 4:8 Having our relationship with God as the basis for understanding how to have healthy relationships with others sets a standard that allows us to know why we are to love and treat others with respect, compassion, and grace.The post Relationships: Seeking Connection first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] The world is in a process of continual change. The sun rises and falls each day, and we grow older with each passing year. Our lives also consist of many seasons and times of change. Whether it is relationships, family, job, home, hobbies, etc. Almost every stage of life is associated with major change. But also, sometimes those changes need to come about because something is not right and needs to be addressed. Sometimes it is necessary to hit reset! Reset #1 GOD — Genesis 6:1-13 God saw that humanity was not progressing in ways that were righteous and that would produce a world of people who would be in a relationship with Him. So, He decided to start over. Illustration: Fallacy of Sunk Cost Reset #2 JOSIAH and ISRAEL — 2 Kings 22:1-23:20 When Josiah was presented with the Book of the Law, he realized that he and the people of Israel were not honoring the Lord in the ways that they should. Perceiving this error, Josiah immediately instituted a reform to bring God's people into alignment with His covenant. Illustration: Soft Reset vs. Hard Reset Reset #3 PAUL — Acts 9:1-20 After the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul, he was confronted with the reality of what he had worked so hard to destroy. It took immense humility for him to do a complete reversal of all he had stood for and dedicated himself toward previously. Challenge and Application: “What keeps us from hitting reset in life when we should?”The post New Beginnings: When It's Time to Hit Reset first appeared on Living Hope.

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Jerry Wierwille”] God's Law Exodus 12:14, 17—God gave His Law to His people and commanded that they observe and obey it. Christ kept the Law Jesus never sinned. Peter—1 Peter 2:22 John—1 John 3:5 Paul—2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul kept the Law Acts 21:23; 25:8; 28:17 Christians must keep the Law Matt 5:17-18—Christ said that not the smallest letter or stroke will pass from the Law until heaven and earth pass away. The Law was never meant to be permanent Galatians 3:19—Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed for whom the promise was intended should come, having been given through angels by the hand of a mediator. Christ is the end of the Law Romans 10:4— For Christ is the fulfillment of the law, with the result that now there is righteousness for everyone who believes. Christ made the Law obsolete Hebrews 7:12, 18-19; 8:13 Ephesians 2:14-15 Christians are not under the Law Galatians 5:18 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 Colossians 2:16-17 Romans 14:1-8The post Myth: Christians Must Keep the Law first appeared on Living Hope.

This is the second part of a conversation where Jerry Wierwille challenges Brandon Duke’s soul-making theodicy. In particular, Wierwille raises the following questions: Why is hiddenness and epistemic distance considered a necessity for moral development considering the biblical examples where people experienced God and still retained their ability to make real moral choices either to Read more about 365 Challenging Soul-Making Theodicy 2 (Brandon Duke, Jerry Wierwille)[…]

In our last two episodes, Brandon Duke laid out his way of answering the question of why God allows so much suffering in our world. He did so by putting forward a modified version of the late John Hick’s soul-making theodicy. In this episode, Jerry Wierwille pushes back on a few issues with soul-making, preferring Read more about 364 Challenging Soul-Making Theodicy 1 (Brandon Duke, Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Today, we’ve got three more texts to look at in our selection of unitarian Bible translations. Unlike last time where we focused on Christologically interesting passages, today, we’ll examine Luke 23.43, John 7.53-8.11, and 1 Thessalonians 1.3 to look at a punctuation issue, a textual issue, and a grammatical issue. By the end of this Read more about 356 Unitarian Bible Translations 3 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Last time we reviewed six unitarian Bible translations, covering some basic information about where each came from and their overall strategy for translation. Today, we’re going to analyze how they translate three key texts, including Philippians 2.6, John 1.1-3, and John 8.58. Our goal is to measure these translations against what the Greek says as Read more about 355 Unitarian Bible Translations 2 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

In our last episode, I recommended some mainstream Christian Bible translations, but I would remiss if I didn’t also review some important unitarian Bible translations.  Although often overlooked, these versions are important because they have the opposite bias when it comes to passages commonly offered as proof texts for the Trinity.  Also, I asked Dr. Read more about 354 Unitarian Bible Translations 1 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

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Teacher: Jerry Wierwille The Book of Proverbs is full of such great edification, admonition, and wisdom to help enrich and enlighten the journey of life—and in our brand-new Podcast “WORDS OF WISDOM”, we’re taking a deeper look at this wonderful part of Scripture! In this fifth installment, Jerry Wierwille teaches on having the strength of patience, holding back words, and how fools can appear wise. We pray you will enjoy this podcast immensely!   Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

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Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We are excited to share with you this new multi-part podcast series! The Book of Proverbs is full of such great edification, admonition, and wisdom to help enrich and enlighten the journey of life—and in our brand-new Podcast “WORDS OF WISDOM”, we’re taking a deeper look at this wonderful part of Scripture! In this fourth installment, Jerry Wierwille teaches on having strength on a day of trouble, how a gift can make room for a person, and empty boasting. We pray you will enjoy this podcast immensely! Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

This is part four of our series on original sin. Last time Kegan Chandler and Jerry Wierwille discussed their different views of original sin and the resultant human condition.  In this final part of our series, we circle back to Romans 5 one last time and both explain how they understand it.  What drives our Read more about 324 Original Sin Debate 2 (Kegan Chandler vs. Jerry Wierwille)[…]

This is part three of our series on original sin. In part one, Kegan Chandler discussed the history of Augustine’s doctrine of original sin, arguing that the whole idea is post biblical. Last time Jerry Wierwille responded to Chandler, explaining that we do have solid biblical grounding to believe in some form of inherited original Read more about 323 Original Sin Debate 1 (Kegan Chandler vs. Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We are excited to share with you this new multi-part podcast series! The Book of Proverbs is full of such great edification, admonition, and wisdom to help enrich and enlighten the journey of life—and in our brand-new Podcast “WORDS OF WISDOM”, we’re taking a deeper look at this wonderful part of Scripture! In this third installment, Jerry Wierwille teaches on the training a child, how fear brings a snare, and understanding your road. We pray you will enjoy this podcast immensely! Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

In our last episode Kegan Chandler presented his case against the classic doctrine of original sin.  Today we are going to hear a critique from Jerry Wierwille of Chandler’s presentation.  Wierwille makes the case for a middle position between Augustine and Chandler on the basis of the flow of thought in Romans 5.12-21.  He agrees Read more about 322 Inherited Sin in Romans 5 (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Eph 6:10-12 - “Finally be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the Devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Our strength is in our Lord God and in His power and might. He has equipped us to withstand the schemes of the devil. Eph 6:13-17 - Armor of God: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit 2 Cor 4:16-18 - "So we are not discouraged; but even though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17For our light momentary affliction is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are everlasting.” Isa 7:1-14 - The prophecy of Isaiah to Ahaz against the forces of Aram and Israel We are to stand strong in our faith in God. We have no reason to be afraid or to tremble at what we face. Rom 8:31 - “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Standing Strong In The Lord

This is the sixth and final part of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. In this panel discussion Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, and I discuss several issues before taking questions from the audience.  Questions we cover include: How can we develop relationships with non-Christians? How should we handle rejection? What should we say when Read more about 320 Evangelism Panel Discussion (Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, Sean Finnegan)[…]

This is the sixth and final part of Joshua Anderson’s Announcing the Kingdom evangelism class. In this panel discussion Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, and I discuss several issues before taking questions from the audience.  Questions we cover include: How can we develop relationships with non-Christians? How should we handle rejection? What should we say when Read more about 320 Evangelism Panel Discussion (Josh Anderson, Jerry Wierwille, Sean Finnegan)[…]

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We are excited to share with you this new multi-part podcast series! The Book of Proverbs is full of such great edification, admonition, and wisdom to help enrich and enlighten the journey of life—and in our brand-new Podcast “WORDS OF WISDOM”, we’re taking a deeper look at this wonderful part of Scripture! In this second installment, Jerry Wierwille teaches on the blessings of wisdom, guarding your mouth, and ruling your spirit. We pray you will enjoy this podcast immensely! Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We are excited to share with you this new multi-part podcast series! The Book of Proverbs is full of such great edification, admonition, and wisdom to help enrich and enlighten the journey of life—and in our brand-new Podcast “WORDS OF WISDOM”, we’re taking a deeper look at this wonderful part of Scripture! In this first installment, Jerry Wierwille covers an introduction to the Book of Proverbs, the purpose of this book, and the fear of Yahweh as the foundation of wisdom. We pray you will enjoy this podcast immensely!   Subscribe to this podcast series here: https://truthortradition.castos.com   Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Kindness - “the quality of being generous, helpful, and considerate toward other people” Kindness is not a typical attribute that our world values. Our world looks at the external, not the internal. Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is but a vapor, but a woman who fears Yahweh-she will be praised.” Isaiah 40:30, "Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted.” It is not what you have on the outside that matters; what matters is what is on the inside-in your heart. That is what makes you who you are. Proverbs 4:23, “More than anything else you protect, guard your heart, because from it flow the issues of life.” Romans 2:4, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God is intended to lead you to repentance?” Illustration: 2 Samuel 9:1-13 Showing kindness means showing grace, being generous, thinking of the good of the other, helping, and being considerate. The lie from the Enemy: kindness is viewed as weakness. Nice guys finish last??? Not in the kingdom! Kindness will always win the day.

Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We hope you enjoy this LIVE teaching by Jerry Wierwille, “8 Watts of Willingness,” on the value of having a heart to do God's will and serve Him as a faithful vessel even if we feel unequipped or underprepared. Find us online at: – http://STFonline.org – http://TruthOrTradition.com – Download our free ministry app – http://www.stfonline.org/app – Listen to our free audio seminars – http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars – Listen to our free Audiobooks – http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks – Revised English Version® & Commentary – http://www.stfonline.org/rev .pf-button.pf-button-excerpt { display: none; } The post 8 Watts of Willingness first appeared on Spirit & Truth.

9: Death 1 by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=78) This class will provide biblical and practical guidelines to help minister to people struggling with difficult circumstances. Topics covered include: good listening, depression, anxiety, suicide, marital issues, divorce, hospital visits, death, addiction, and... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=78

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille We hope you enjoy this LIVE teaching by Jerry Wierwille, “8 Watts of Willingness,” on the value of having a heart to do God’s will and serve Him as a faithful vessel even if we feel unequipped or underprepared. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

We’ve had quite a number of folks commenting in on episode 299, my interview with Dr. Jerry Wierwille, called “Does the Bible Support Abortion“.  That episode was very limited to focusing on a couple of texts relevant to building a Christian perspective on abortion.  Essentially, we concluded, as on several previous episodes, that abortion-on-demand doesn’t Read more about 301 The Bible’s View of the Body (Sean Finnegan)[…]

Abortion has been and remains a hot-button issue in our culture at large and even within some corners of Christianity.  In this episode Jerry Wierwille will explain the issues with the only biblical text that directly addresses this subject (Exodus 21.22-5).  In addition to exegeting this confusing passage, Wierwille also draws on evidence from Psalm Read more about 299 Does the Bible Support Abortion? (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

What does it mean to be “unlovable”? Unlovable -- “not deserving of love or affection, not having attractive or appealing qualities” Are there unlovable people? Or just unlovable behaviors? Luke 15:11-32 We are to love “unlovable” believers and unbelievers. Loving difficult people is difficult, but that is what God has called us to do. At some point in our lives, we can probably see ourselves as both brothers: the wayward and the judgmental and selfish. We have all been unlovable. Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died in place of the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous person will one die; though for a good person perhaps someone would even be brave enough to die. 8 But God shows his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died in our place. Galatians 6:10 Loving the unlovable requires selfless giving, but such an act of kindness will yield the greatest reward in the Kingdom. Luke 6:32-38 And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those of whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37“And do not judge and you will absolutely not be judged, and do not condemn and you will absolutely not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they give into your lap. For with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you again.”

Love the Unloveable

What is the book of Proverbs all about and what can this book teach you about wisdom?  Join Jerry Wierwille as he leads you through Proverbs to gain key insights to be able to read it and benefit from it on your own.  Proverbs are not merely cutesy clever sayings, but helpful insights into how Read more about 294 Proverbs: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

What If We Praised Enthusiastically?

Praise means “to express approval or admiration for someone or something.” Worship means “to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.” The most common Greek words translated “worship” in the NT is prokuneō, which means “to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure.” Our posture is a reflection of our heart. Our non-verbal communication is just as or even more important than our verbal. What we say with our feet, our hands, and our faces all expresses what’s in our heart. Responding to God in praise and worship can be silent and peaceful, or loud and rambunctious. Psalm 149:1-6 Psalm 150:1-6 Praise and worship acknowledges God for who he is and what he has done and will do for his people. 2 Chronicles 20:15-23 When you feel joy or excitement, you can tell God how you feel, but you can also show God. 2 Samuel 6:14-17 Acts 3:1-10 We are commanded to sing praises to God. Ephesians 5:18-19 Colossians 3:16 We worship God in spirit and in truth. John 4:23

11: Christian Identity by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76) If you aren't excited about your faith, you probably won't share it with others. This class aims to show you why Christianity is awesome. Our goal is to help you understand your faith better and see how it compares to other ways of thinking and living. Come and get... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76

10: Suffering and Evil by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76) If you aren't excited about your faith, you probably won't share it with others. This class aims to show you why Christianity is awesome. Our goal is to help you understand your faith better and see how it compares to other ways of thinking and living. Come and get... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76

8: Redemption and Restoration by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76) If you aren't excited about your faith, you probably won't share it with others. This class aims to show you why Christianity is awesome. Our goal is to help you understand your faith better and see how it compares to other ways of thinking and living. Come and get... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76

6: The Origin and Authority of the Bible by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76) If you aren't excited about your faith, you probably won't share it with others. This class aims to show you why Christianity is awesome. Our goal is to help you understand your faith better and see how it compares to other ways of thinking and living. Come and get... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76

4: Believing in God is not Stupid by Jerry Wierwille (For a higher quality video visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76) If you aren't excited about your faith, you probably won't share it with others. This class aims to show you why Christianity is awesome. Our goal is to help you understand your faith better and see how it compares to other ways of thinking and living. Come and get... To read the rest of the description visit lhim.org/resouorces/classes.php?id=76

Jerry Wierwille and I systematically refute Michael Brown’s problematic case for the deity of Christ in his recent debate with Dale Tuggy. Due to the number of texts Brown crammed into his opening statement, this will have to be a multipart series. In this episode we begin by covering Brown’s assertion that believing that Jesus Read more about 159 Refuting Michael Brown’s Case for the Trinity 1[…]

Today we are starting something new. I’m very excited to present to you in its entirety, the apologetics conference held in Paducah, KY last June. We’ve got a great line up of speakers for you including Jerry Wierwille, myself, Kenny Willenburg, Dale Tuggy, Kegan Chandler, and John Truitt. It was a wonderful time of meeting Read more about 143 Apologetics Conference 1: The Problem of Privatization (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Last time, Jerry Wierwille explained the concept of covenantal nomism–the idea that rather than seeking to earn their salvation through perfect obedience, Jews at the time of Christ looked at the Law as a covenant God graciously entered into with his people.  They enter that covenant by birth and then need to remain faithful to Read more about Interview 37: A New Perspective on Galatians (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

How did Jews at the time of Jesus understand their relationship to the Law?  Did they believe in “works righteousness”–the idea that only by obeying the commandments of Torah could they earn salvation?  Did they believe in grace?  Jerry Wierwille leads us through this important issue so that we contextualize the epistles of Paul within Read more about Interview 36: Paul and Covenantal Nomism (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille “Worship” is a common word that is often thrown around in Christianity. But what few people realize is that there is a lot more to worshipping God than prayer, going to church, and singing praise. A large and overlooked part of worship involves sacrifice. Part of our worship is giving up things that hinder us from picking up our cross and following Jesus—becoming a disciple is an act of worship because a life of following Jesus consists of a life of sacrifice. In this teaching, “When It Hurts to Bend the Knee,” Jerry Wierwille lays out a dimension of worshipping God that cuts to the very heart of the Christian faith: worship involves sacrifice. Worship is about obeying God even when we don’t feel like it or want to. Being a follower of Christ means that we must forsake ourselves and follow him, no matter the cost. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free Ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Read our free online magazine - http://thesowermagazine.com - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Join our free Academy - http://www.stfacademy.com - Donate to our Ministry - https://raisedonors.com/stfi/donate 

Teachers: Ryan, Jerry Wierwille We are so blessed to share TWO live teachings from the 2017 STF National Conference held in Atlanta, GA! In the first teaching, Ryan talks about the time we have now in life, and how we must make the most of it. Using concrete and inspirational analogies, he explores the importance of doing our best now, because our time in this life is limited…and how what we do with that time will echo in eternity. In the second teaching, Jerry Wierwille takes a deeper look into the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25; he demonstrates from the evidence of Scripture how each person is talented in their own unique way, and shows how we can look to this parable for guidance on how we should be using our talents, however great or small, to invest in the future kingdom. We trust that both of these teachings will be deeply enriching and greatly motivational for you, as you use your time and talents in this life to invest in the people around you…and in the kingdom to come. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Read our free online magazine - http://thesowermagazine.com - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Join our free Academy - http://www.STFAcademy.com

Why are there so many divergent beliefs about what the bible teaches?  Partially, this results from mistakes we make when reading scripture.  In this interview, Dr. Jerry Wierwille enumerates seven typical fallacies that bible students commit when reading: Root Fallacy Time-Frame Fallacy Misusing Parallels Fallacy Single Meaning Fallacy Word-Concept Fallacy Disjunctive Fallacy Lexical Fallacy Avoiding Read more about Interview 28: Exegetical Fallacies (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

What do you know about the book of Proverbs?  It can be quite difficult to understand what’s going on without some knowledge of how Hebrew poetry works.  In this episode Jerry Wierwille, serves as our guide to get a better grip on what Proverbs is all about.  He explains the poetic structures, general approach, and Read more about Interview 27: Understanding Proverbs (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Teacher: Jerry Wierwille As Christians, we are often warned about the perils of getting too involved in the world. We’re told not to love the things of the world; not to conform to the world; and to keep the commandment unstained while we are living in this world. With all of these instructions, it can be difficult to know how we should truly conduct ourselves in the world—to know what, in the world, we are doing! In this live teaching from our 2017 20’s and 30’s Conference in Paducah, KY, Jerry Wierwille takes a look into Scripture to determine what it means to be of the world; what it means to be in the world; what things can tarnish the teaching of the Word; and how God admonishes us to keep His commandments unstained while we navigate life and maintain a steadfast faith in a fallen world. Find us online at: - http://STFonline.org - http://TruthOrTradition.com - Download our free ministry app - http://www.stfonline.org/app - Listen to our free audio seminars - http://www.stfonline.org/audio/seminars - Read our free online magazine - http://thesowermagazine.com - Listen to our free Audiobooks - http://www.stfonline.org/audiobooks - Revised English Version® & Commentary - http://www.stfonline.org/rev

How are you at handling conflict?  Do you withdraw and avoid conflict at any cost?  Do you rush in headlong, eager to set the other person straight?  Are you a compromiser who looks at everything like a contract where both parties inevitably have to make trade-offs to get some advantage?  As with so many really Read more about Interview 13: Caring Enough to Confront (Jerry Wierwille)[…]

Have you ever struggled to interpret the bible?  Although many today think only professionals who are trained in seminaries can understand the bible, the truth is that every reader is a theologian to some degree.  The moment you pick up the book and begin reading, you also begin interpreting what you read.  The only question Read more about Interview 2: Jerry Wierwille on Hermeneutics[…]

Drawing on the work of Peter Scazzero, Jerry Wierwille discusses how we can avoid some of the common unhealthy emotional pitfalls. No matter if you are new to the faith or someone who has persevered for decades, this subject will make you examine yourself to see if there are issues you need to overcome. Access Read more about Interview 1: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Jerry Wierwille)[…]