Podcasts about trinitarian

On Trinity Sunday, the Church enters the long season of Trinitytide, often called Ordinary Time—not because it is plain or unimportant, but because it is the ordered season in which Christians learn to live out the faith revealed in the great mysteries of Christ's life, death, resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. As living temples of the Holy Trinity, believers are called to contemplate the mystery of the one God in three Persons, a truth revealed throughout Scripture and faithfully confessed by the Church. Though God remains beyond full human comprehension, He has revealed Himself as both Trinity and Love. The eternal communion of self-giving love shared by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit becomes the pattern for Christian life. Throughout Trinitytide, the faithful are invited to grow in this Trinitarian love toward God, neighbor, and self, learning to hear Christ's voice and follow His will in the daily journey toward salvation.

In this Q&A episode, Peter Leithart is joined by Jeff Meyers, Alastair Roberts, and James Bejon to answer listener questions on Trinitarian theology, church unity, family worship, evangelism, and liturgy. They discuss the monarchy of the Father, the biblical pattern of calling the Father “God” and Jesus “Lord,” and the mystery of the Trinity's unity. They also consider what a future united church might look like, how families can practice worship at home without confusing household devotion with church liturgy, whether evangelism is hindered in places devoted to other gods, and how evangelicals can recover richer liturgical practices without simply becoming “high church.” GIVE TO THEOPOLIS! theopolisinstitute.com/give/ Get the Theopolis App! app.theopolisinstitute.com/menu Use Code "theopolitan" to get your first month free! Sign up for In Medias Res mailchi.mp/0b01d726f2fe/inmediasres Show less

Pastor Lucas Miles continued our summer series through the Book of Revelation with a message focused on Revelation Chapter 1 and the unveiling of Jesus Christ as the central figure of the entire book. He explained that Revelation is not primarily about end-times events, but about the person, authority, and victory of Christ.The message explored the book's opening verses, including the Trinitarian greeting from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the significance of biblical symbolism and numbers, and the purpose of the seven churches as representatives of the complete Church. Pastor Lucas highlighted the importance of understanding Revelation as apocalyptic literature, where symbols and imagery communicate theological truths rather than serving as secret codes.He also examined John's exile on the island of Patmos and the powerful vision of the glorified Christ recorded in Revelation 1. Drawing connections to the prophetic visions of Daniel and Ezekiel, the sermon emphasized Jesus as the resurrected and reigning King who holds authority over history, death, and eternity.A major focus of the message was the biblical tension between the "already" and the "not yet" of God's Kingdom. While Christ's victory has already been secured through His death and resurrection, believers continue to live in anticipation of its full realization. Christians are called to remain faithful in the present, trusting God's promises even when they have not yet been fully manifested.The sermon concluded with a challenge to fully surrender every area of life to Christ's dominion. Rather than merely acknowledging Jesus as Lord, believers were encouraged to submit their fears, struggles, addictions, anxieties, and uncertainties to the One who reigns forever and holds the keys of Death and Hades.Key Themes:The Revelation of Jesus ChristThe Trinity in RevelationBiblical Symbolism and NumbersThe Seven ChurchesThe Blessings of RevelationJohn's Exile on PatmosThe Glorified ChristThe Already and the Not YetChrist's Dominion and AuthorityFaithfulness Through TribulationTimestamps:0:26 — The Book's Identity5:40 — Seven Beatitudes10:47 — The Trinity & Numeric Symbolism31:38 — John on Patmos & The Lord's Day35:05 — The Vision of the Glorified Christ39:33 — Christ's Declaration46:24 — The Already and the Not Yet51:24 — The Call

Who God is, gives pattern to what God does. The Trinitarian vision sees ordinary life as a participation in the life of God that is both being and doing.

2 Corinthians 13:5-14, Matthew 28:16-20 The Rev. Dan Marotta

Rev. Ken Buck

Send us Fan MailThe words are familiar. The reality is staggering: one God in three divine Persons. We take a slow, prayerful walk into the Holy Trinity, not as a theological brain teaser, but as the living relationship that powers Christian life. If you've ever made the sign of the cross without thinking, or heard “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” and wondered what it actually means, this conversation is for you.We unpack what the Catholic Church truly teaches: not three gods, not one God wearing three masks, but one divine nature shared fully by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. From there, we connect doctrine to devotion, showing why the Trinity is woven into every Mass, every sacrament, every Glory Be, and every moment we dare to call God “Father.” Along the way, we lean on the witness of saints and the steady language of the creeds to keep the mystery reverent and clear.Then we open the Bible and follow the “golden thread” of Trinitarian revelation through salvation history, especially the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan and Christ's command to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We also clarify the often-confusing Catholic terms “person” and “nature,” so the faith you profess can feel less foggy and more like an invitation.If this helped you pray with more confidence and wonder, subscribe for more, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Open by Steve Bailey Support the showChat with US 24/7 Ask us anything https://chatting.page/mjxs9aerrtgm3lmpndlcepmbyosntrjnDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints PodcastsPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith Help us Grow!Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site!New Mega Search Engine!Lowest Prices and Higher discounts up to 50%Free Shipping starts at $18 - Express Safe Checkout Click HereCannot find it let us find or create it - - Click HereRewards Program is active - click Here

Our desire for companionship suggests something profound about our Creator. Homily for Holy Trinity Sunday.

On Trinity Sunday, Revd Ian Millgate explores the doctrine of the trinity using Paul's final greetings from 2 Corinthians 13 v 14, that we often call The Grace and use as a benediction - the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ; the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Read OnlineGod so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16–18Saint John the Apostle is identified in his Gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” a title that appears multiple times and has been consistently understood in the Church's tradition to refer to John himself (cf. John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). By calling himself the beloved disciple, John was revealing his interior experience of the perfect love he encountered in Jesus. Certainly, Jesus loved everyone—equally and without limit. Yet John includes this personal designation not to claim favoritism, but to offer a personal testimony to the divine love made manifest in Christ's humanity—love he experienced firsthand and which changed his life.Love plays a central role in John's writings—not only in his Gospel but also in his letters and the Book of Revelation. In his First Letter, likely written to the Christian communities he helped convert and shepherd, John declares: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (1 John 4:16). This is both a personal sentiment and a profound theological affirmation. John speaks from both divine inspiration and lived experience; he had walked with Love Incarnate. To say “God is love” is to profess that love is not something God merely does—it is who God is. God's love is not a feeling, not sentimentality, but the pure, self-giving, eternal communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a love that precedes and surpasses all creation.That mystery lies at the very heart of today's Solemnity. Because God is Love in His very essence, love naturally flows from His divine nature in superabundance. God loves because He is Love. Today's Gospel reveals the most perfect expression of that divine essence: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” This eternal, Trinitarian love is made visible in time when the Father sends the Son, conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Why does God give His Son? So that we might not perish but have eternal life. That is, so we may be drawn into the very life of God—into the Trinitarian communion of love. God desires to rescue us from condemnation and to share with us His Divine Existence.This is the essence of Divine Love. This is the Trinity. And this is the astonishing invitation extended to every soul: To believe in the Son is to begin participating in the eternal love that flows ceaselessly between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit—a love that never ends. We are invited to be caught up by the love of God into Love Himself: the eternal communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.Trinity Sunday is set apart on the Church's calendar to renew our awe, deepen our understanding, and intensify our worship of the central mystery of our faith: that God is One in essence and Three in Persons. While every liturgy honors the Trinity—through prayers to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit—this solemnity invites us to pause and gaze more intentionally into the inner life of God as it has been revealed to us. We do not celebrate a theological abstraction but a divine Personhood: the eternal exchange of love between the Father and the Son, perfectly expressed and eternally proceeding in the Holy Spirit.Reflect today on the Most Holy Trinity. We were made to share in Their Life and Love. Though the fullness of the Trinity remains a mystery beyond human grasp, it is not beyond human encounter. Through grace, revelation, and contemplative union, God draws us to Himself—not to explain Himself, but to be consumed by Him. Celebrate this day by repeatedly praying one of the most ancient and simple prayers in the Church:Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen! Most Holy Trinity, I love You and trust in You!  Image: Leandro Bassano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

In this episode we talk with our most frequent guest, Dr. Ronn Johnson. We discuss how the ancient and early church spoke on, dealt with, and developed the idea of Trinitarian doctrine.Dr. Ronn Johnson has a Ph.D. in Bible Exposition from Dallas Theological Seminary. His dissertation on the created gods of the Old Testament (“The Old Testament Background for Paul's Principalities and Powers”) provided him the opportunity to research the divine council worldview of the Hebrew Bible and apply it to New Testament exegesis. Ronn has taught Bible and theology courses at the college level for over 20 years, has pastored two churches in the Minneapolis area for fifteen years. He is also a sitting board member at the Dr. Michael S. Heiser Foundation and is also the Biblical Scholar for the Divine Council Worldview Podcast.Dr. Ronn has been known to ruffle a few evangelical feathers. He consistently urges Christians to remember and consider the ancient worldview of the Scriptures. He emphasizes that it does not always align with modern Western ideas that have been handed down through tradition, denominational creeds, or church statements. This is why we love and listen to him.Check out Dr. Ronn on the Divine Council Worldview Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/4UdkIcEWNTw9EoniNWSa4eConnect with us:Social: Instagram.com/behindthecurtainpcYoutube.com/btcmysteriesTikTok.com/btcmysteriesEmail: behindthecurtainpc@gmail.comMusic in this episode: Opening & Closing track"80's Synth" By AlexHulgin

Across decades of reading and travel, something has struck me again and again: wildly different traditions, from Daoism to Hinduism to Christianity, converge on a threefold or Trinitarian model of ultimate reality. In this talk I trace that pattern through philosophy, theology, and modern physics, and suggest it reflects something fundamental about the nature of things.Many churches will be celebrating the Holy Trinity on Sunday May 31, Trinity Sunday.This talk was recorded live at St James's Church London, May 13th, 2026 as part of the Alternatives programme. The full video with human readable transcript is available on substack.

Fr Daniel McCaughan says the Trinity, is a mystery which God has progressively revealed through Scripture and salvation history. The human family — husband, wife, and children bound together in life-giving love is an earthly reflection of this Trinitarian life

Why are 85% to 90% of Catholic kids walking away from the Church as adults—and what are the rare 15% of successful families doing differently? In this episode of The Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt sits down with Catholic psychologist, author, and EWTN radio host Dr. Greg Popcak to look at the groundbreaking research surrounding the "Liturgy of Domestic Church Life." If you've ever felt like your parenting is reduced to a "toolbox of manipulation techniques" to force external compliance, this conversation is the breath of fresh air you need. Dr. Greg breaks down how families can transition from behavior-focused parenting to a deeply relational, Trinitarian model that emphasizes warmth, mutual self-giving, and mentorship. We cover:

Paul addresses the why and Who behind the Trinity. Power. ful.

This discussion and attached sermon with Brad and Paul builds upon the work of Raymond Panikkar and William Desmond in their description of the "between" as this applies to the Trinitarian nature of truth.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!

This episode argues for anon-Trinitarian, “new beginning” interpretation of John 1:1–4. John's“beginning” does not refer to Genesis creation or a preexistent divine Christ,but to the beginning of Jesus' ministry and the gospel message. “the Word” isthe human Jesus functioning as God's ultimate spokesman and agent, with phraseslike “the Word was with God” and “the Word was God” describing Jesus' intimaterelationship with and representation of the Father rather than shared divineessence. John 1:3 is better understood and translated as “all happened throughhim,” referring to the events and life-giving work of Jesus' ministry ratherthan the creation of the universe. John's introduction is about the new lifeand light which came to be through the historical man Jesus in the firstcentury, not about a pre-incarnate 2nd creator figure, or a personifiedwisdom/plan. Blog Text:https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2026/05/what-about-john-1-what-john-11-4-means.html  

God Is Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and You Pray to One Triune Being – God, the Creator of the Universe MESSAGE SUMMARY: In Mark 8:29, Jesus asked His Disciples the question He asks you: “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ {Messiah}.'". As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1-6: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”.  God IS Father, IS Son, and He IS Holy Spirit. Jesus told the crowd in the Temple; and He tells us, as it is recorded for us now by the Apostle John, in John 10:25,30: “Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me . . . I and the Father are one.'”. Also, Jesus provides more insights to your Trinitarian relationship with God in John 14:18-20: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.". God is one God, but He is in three natures: God is Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when you pray, you are praying to one triune being – God, the Creator of the Universe.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to be still and to wait patiently for you in silence. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 125). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, He will supply all my needs (Philippians 4:19). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 4:1-8; John 10:24-30; Mark 1:9-11; Psalms 139a:1-12. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Are You Filled with the Holy Spirit?”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

This is a debate clip between Joel Settecase (Trinitarian Christian) and a debater promoting Oneness Theology. Debate clips seem to be doing well. Let us know what you think of this. ===================================================Download your free apologetics guide here: https://thethink.institute/store/p/transcendental-argument-for-god-tag-cheat-sheet-downloadable-pdf Men: Want to become the worldview leader your family and church need? Join the Hammer & Anvil Society. We provide in-depth education and community for Christian men: https://thethink.institute/society===========================================================Think Debates is a ministry of the Think Institute, NFP. We rely on the generous support of our Ministry Partners to pursue our mission. Your financial contributions help equip Christian fathers and their families with the education, resources and community needed to stand firm on God's word in today's challenging climate. Thank you for your help in preparing thousands of regular believers to explain, share and defend the Christian message all over the world.The Think Institute, NFP is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-3225438). Donations to The Think Institute are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.Donate now: https://thethink.institute/partner

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This episode consists of our opening statements. In my opening statement (slides here), I first briefly explain why a trinitarian should not want to identify Jesus and God. I assume that when my opponent says that “Jesus is God” he means that Jesus is fully divine/has the divine nature. I then explain a terrible problem of the official Christology of the Council of Chalcedon in 451: the implication that the divine nature of Christ is a someone (self, person) and the human nature of Christ is another someone (self, person). They try to fix this by asserting that there is only one someone there, but that’s no real solution. I then explain how later, the fully developed Chalcedonian catholic tradition does solve this problem by saying that Christ’s “complete human nature” (human type of body + human type of soul), is not, because of its “assumption” by the divine nature/eternal Son/Word, a human person. But this clashes with the clear New Testament teaching that Jesus is a man/human person. It is no help to say there there is a “human” person here, meaning a divine person who now bears some mysterious relationship to a human type of soul and a human type of body which don’t compose a human person. The problem is only exacerbated by the sixth ecumenical council in 681 at Constantinople, which seems to make each of Christ’s natures a person/self/someone by saying that each has a will (an ability to choose). Against this messy, catholic Christology I set out the clear New Testament teachings that the one God is (only) the Father himself, and that Jesus, his Messiah/Christ, is a miraculously conceived man, a human person born to Mary who did not have a biological human father. Properly trinitarian (tripersonal-God-involving) ideas seem to have originated in the latter half of the 300s, and so are alien to the thought world of the New Testament. Against various later speculations, the New Testament Jesus is the Messiah (a.k.a. the Son of God), a man, not an additional, lesser god to the one true god (the Father), or the same god as the Father, or a “divine Person” in an imagined triune god. I then explain five qualities which according to the New Testament Jesus has which rule his being fully divine. About Dr. Bird’s claim in his book Jesus Among the Gods that the New Testament Jesus is an ungenerated or unbegotten god, I point at that this is contrary to catholic traditions that say the Father “eternally generates” the Son. He also says there that the New Testament Son is supposed to “a Jewish god,” but, I object, that would make him the Jewish god, and so, the Father/Yahweh. I then lay out four lines of evidence that the New Testament authors did not think Jesus to be fully divine, and rebut Dr. Bird’s claim that early Christian theology should be seen as “incipient trinitarianism.” Dr. Bird says that he holds Jesus to be the second Person of the Trinity because this is what best makes sense of all of Scripture. The Bible teaches monotheism, that there is, strictly speaking, only one god, the creator, Yahweh. He points out that the Alexandrian Jewish philosopher-theologian Philo rejected the possibility of a human becoming a god and the possibility of God becoming a human. He suggests that if Philo had read John 1:1-14 he would have accepted all but the final verse. The author of the Fourth Gospel, Bird says, believes that Jesus in the eternal, divine Son, the Word–not (only) a man attested by God. The one God is known through his actions and is said in the Old Testament to create by his word and by his wisdom. Also, “the angel of the LORD” seems to be both God himself and someone else–a contradiction, or maybe a merely apparent one, a paradox. New Testament authors, he suggests, did not consider Jesus to be only human. In particular, the give him religious worship. They all thought Jesus to be “divine”–the only question was: In what sense? As Thomas said (John 20:28), Jesus is his god. Jesus is worthy of our worship. Paul closely associates together Jesus and God, often mentioning them together. Engaging with Jesus is engaging with the divine. Jesus in the New Testament doesn’t claim to be God, Bird argues, but texts like Mark 1:1-3, where the author applies a Yahweh text to Jesus, imply that he is Yahweh returning to Zion. Again, in Mark 2 we see Jesus forgiving human sins, which only God can do. And in Mark 14, before the high priest, Jesus claims that he will be co-enthroned with Yahweh, so that Jesus has divine authority. And John 1 teaches that God’s Word is one and the same with the man Jesus. Philippians 2 teaches the full deity of Jesus and says Jesus is worthy of worship–and so we see that Jesus participates in the divine identity. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Bird says, Paul gives a revised, duality-including version of the Shema. And in Hebrews 1:3 Jesus is a representation of God’s own being, not a mere man. This Jesus has a unique relationship with the Father, enabling us to have a relationship with him. His opponents understood (John 10:33) that he was claiming ontological equality with God. Thus in Revelation 5 we see the Lamb getting the same worship that was given to God Almighty in the vision of Revelation 4. But Jesus does not deserve that worship unless he is fully divine. It would be blasphemy to worship Jesus if he were a creature. Jesus’s full divinity is also implied by prayer to Jesus. Of course, it took mainstream tradition a few centuries to work it all out. But Bird cites Eusebius the historian, Melito of Sardis, the Sibylline Oracles, Justin Martyr, and Ignatius of Antioch as early recognizers of the deity of Christ. He also mentions two pagan testimonies of the early worship of the Son–yet more support for “early high Christology.” Bird says that he’s not impressed with analytic theology, but at any rate, many analytic theologians are trinitarians, such as Oliver Crisp. He says that he is an exegete, historian, and theologian, suggesting that he is more qualified to answer historical questions about early Christianity. In his view early Christians closely associated Jesus with God and thought Jesus was “from the same source of divinity.” Trinitarian theology, he suggests, is not so much taught in the Bible as it is a hermeneutic, a way of reading it, a way of making sense of what the Bible as a whole affirms and denies. He points out that it does better, for instance, than modalism when it comes to reading the accounts of Jesus’s baptism. Contrary to what I said it my opening, Dr. Bird says we should think and take comfort in the fact that God was and is one of us, mentioning this 1990s song. In this way, he says, God moved from empathy to sympathy. This was far greater, he says, than sending “a super-human Messiah” to help us. Finally, while conceding that some early Christians may have thought something like what I presented, he suggests that the closest analogue to the Christology I presented was the Christology of the pagan Neoplatonist and critic of Christianity Porphyry, who acknowledged Jesus as (only) a pious and wise man. Bird’s Christology, he suggests, far better fits the Bible and the facts of history. Which side put forward the better opening case, and why? Leave us a comment below. Here below is the UCA-produced video. Special thanks to Canterbury Christadelphian Hall for hosting and recording this debate, and to UCA Podcast host Mark Cain for his expert help in producing the audio for this episode and for the video. https://youtu.be/tJKFqF7lYKY?si=KIfP2ez2tekxkztH Links for this episode: Dr. Michael Bird’s YouTube channel Dr. Bird’s blog, Substack Bird, Jesus Among the Gods (interview on Transfigured) Bird, Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed. Ehrman, Bird, and Stewart, When Did Jesus Become God? podcast 270 – Origen's “one God” podcast 348 – Novatian's On the Trinity – Part 2 – Two Thieves and Three Arguments podcast 277 – Was Christ tempted in every way? podcast 391 – Jesus' Temptations and Ours – Part 1 – Luke 4 podcast 392 – Jesus' Temptations and Ours – Part 2 – Things Apologists Say podcast 384 – Mainstream Christian Theologies in the Late 100s – Early 200s and Early Trinitarian “Fool's Gold” podcast 381 – Mainstream Christian Theologies in the year 240: What Trinitarian Apologists Don't Know Tuggy, Nicaea at 1700: Myths vs. Reality podcast 291 – From one God to two gods to three “Gods” – John 1 and early Christian theologies biblicalunitarian.com Catholic Theologian Hans Küng on New Testament theology This week’s thinking music is “Ignite! (instrumental)” by Lemon Knife.

Matt Skinner, Karoline Lewis, and Cody Sanders dig into one of the most theologically demanding Sundays of the church year.The lectionary texts span Genesis 1:1–2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11–13, and Matthew 28:16–20. The hosts explore what it means to preach a doctrine that Scripture imprints rather than spells out, and why the Trinitarian formula in the Great Commission sends disciples not after their doubts are resolved, but right in the middle of them.

I. The one to whom he prays. Notice how deliberately Trinitarian is his prayer. II. Notice the manner of his prayer. It's urgent, humble, and thoughtful. III. Notice he lifts his prayer to God the Father with childlike confidence and expectancy. IV. He prays to God the Father, to strengthen his people by the Spirit. 

Have you ever heard the expression “a smoking gun”? It comes from an earlier era of guns when black powder produced a good cloud of smoke each time someone fired the weapon. Originally a smoking gun referred to a situation when someone was caught with the weapon in hand, still emitting smoke. The implication of this is not just that the smoking gun is evidence of the person’s guilt, but that such is conclusive and undeniable evidence. Today were going to consider the topic of bias in our English Bible translations. I’m going to present to you four independent grammatical smoking guns of Trinitarian mischief in evangelical translations. In each case, rather than rendering the source language into the target language, we’ll see how translators tweak the translation to support the personality of the holy spirit.   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts This talk was originally presented at a Unitarian Christian Alliance (UCA) event held at the Cantebury Christadelphian Ecclesia in Melbourne, Australia on March 21, 2026. Thanks to the Christadelphians for providing a venue and giving me access to the recording. —— Links —— Download the slides from this presentation Read the article that inspired this presentation Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Facebook group, follow on X @RestitutioSF or Instagram @Sean.P.Finnegan or Threads @sean.p.finnegan Leave a 90 second voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play it out on the air 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. Get the transcript of this episode Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.

A fresh encounter with God is not something we create—it is something the Triune God grants. So we glorify the Father, amplify the Son, and rely on the Spirit. Listen to the third of our 2026 Fresh Encounter sermons from Pastor Todd.

A @Christadelphians Video: Pleased to present in collaboration with the Bible Unlocked team, this thought-provoking presentation from the sixth season of Bible Unlocked Live, A foundational series, “Why You Should Believe the Bible,” revealing how faith is built on a rock-solid foundation of evidence and reason. They hold a webinar each week....Find out more @ https://www.bibleunlocked.com/Inspiring. Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful exploration of one of Christianity's most debated doctrines. In this outstanding presentation, we trace the historical origins of the Trinitarian teaching, examine its foundational claims, and offer a revealing, scripture-based perspective on the true nature of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction: The Central Question14:03 - Defining the Trinity Doctrine14:49 - The Biblical Principle: Tracing a Doctrine to its Origin16:20 - The Foundational Problem: No Direct Biblical Reference17:29 - Historical Origins: From Ignatius to the Nicene Creed20:27 - Constantine and the Council of Nicaea22:35 - Enforcement and the Absence of Challenge23:48 - Can God Be Understood? A Biblical View25:17 - Conclusion: The Call to Personal Bible Study26:10 - Deep Dive & Q&A: Examining Key 'Proof Texts'27:18 - John 1:1-3: "The Word was God"30:44 - Philippians 2:6 & John 14:9: Further Analysis33:08 - Summarising the Biblical Relationship: Father, Son & Holy Spirit35:11 - Closing Remarks & Preview of Next Topic**Bible Verse Category:**

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This episode of WARD RADIO dives into the recurring debate: Did Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Church, originally hold a Trinitarian view of God, and if so, did his beliefs evolve over time? Featuring Cardon Ellis, Jonah Barnes, and Ryland, the conversation deconstructs common narratives, both from within the church and from ex- or anti-Mormon voices.

What does the raucous laughter of Nicki Minaj and Billy Graham have to do with 14th century saint? Find out in PART TWO of our MOST requested episodes ever -- diving deep into the question "Who is Saint Julian of Norwich???" Author of Revelations of Divine Love, coiner of the phrase "All Shall Be Well," and delighter in God's delight, St. Julian is such a powerful visionary and leader we needed two episodes to do her justice. We're joined again by the The Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, one of Lizzie's professors from her time at Duke Divinity School. In part two, we explore "Christ as our true mother," the nature of the devil, and we see how Julian has echoes for us to consider in today's religious landscape. We also get a little teaser for Dr. Hall's new book, out in May 2026, called ERECTING THE PULPIT: MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY FROM TEDDY ROOSEVELT TO DONALD TRUMP. Amy Laura Hall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University, where she has taught since 1999. She is the author of four books, including Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction (2007) and Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich (2018). A noted authority on Christianity and culture in the U.S., Hall has also contributed provocative essays on Protestantism and politics to Religion Dispatches and Religion News Service. Resources mentioned in this episode: Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich trans. by Elizabeth Spearing https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/261039/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich-translated-by-elizabeth-spearing-introduction-and-notes-by-a-c-spearing/ Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ By Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt --https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268022082/julian-of-norwich/ The Writings of Julian of Norwich A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love Edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins -- https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02547-6.html?srsltid=AfmBOoopOJOEaY69eupR8Rx1uxzSJyVJpaSpLJKpJoHSPKAQ9ry8HPJY Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall's works: FORTHCOMING: Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/erecting-the-pulpit-9798216383475/ Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil https://arcmag.org/home-movies-for-holy-week/ +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

Jesus Asks: “But who do you say that I am?” and Jesus Answers: “you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” MESSAGE SUMMARY: In Mark 8:29, Jesus asked His Disciples the question He asks you: “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ {Messiah}.'". As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:1-6: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”.  God IS Father, IS Son, and He IS Holy Spirit. Jesus told the crowd in the Temple; and He tells us, as it is recorded for us now by the Apostle John, in John 10:25,30: “Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me . . . I and the Father are one.'”. Also, Jesus provides more insights to your Trinitarian relationship with God in John 14:18-20: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.".  God is one God, but He is in three natures: God is Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when you pray, you are praying to one triune being – God, the Creator of the Universe.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, help me to grab hold of you today. I need you. Set me free to begin reorienting my life around you, and you alone. Help me to pay attention to and honor how you have uniquely made me. Thank you for the gift of rest. In Jesus' name, amen.       Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 122). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 4:1-8; John 10:24-30; Mark 1:9-11; Psalms 139a:1-12. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Marriage – A Current Assessment (Christ the King Anglican Church; Birmingham, AL)”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Tim takes us on a journey from the tomb complex of Ramses II to the spiraling arms of the Milky Way, tracing the threads that connect ancient Egyptian mythology with the Law of One. Beginning with an inscription found in the world's oldest known library — Psyches Iatreion, "The House of Healing for the Soul" — Tim explores Ra's stated purpose in coming to Earth: the healing of mind/body/spirit complex distortions. That word, distortions, becomes the interpretive key. Ra didn't come to fix something broken in us. They came to address the warping, the misalignment — a distinction Tim unpacks with a lawyer's eye for language and a seeker's heart. From there, Tim walks us through Ra's contact with the wanderer-pharaoh Akhenaten, the Trinitarian faces of Ra (Khepri the scarab at dawn, Ra the falcon at zenith, Atum the human at dusk), and the eternal nightly battle between Ra and the great serpent Apophis — chaos personified, endlessly regenerating, never fully vanquished. Through stunning Egyptian art and reliefs, Tim reveals how Apophis coils around canopic jars, boxes in Ra's light on all sides, and mirrors the spiral of the galaxy itself. The way up, it turns out, has always been through descent. The group discussion opens into rich territory: the ankh as the archetype of archetypes (dying and rising, loss and renewal), the universality of serpent symbolism across cultures, and Tim's memorable metaphor for the Law of One as a "hairnet" — holding together Steiner, Jung, Eastern philosophy, process theology, and a Mormon upbringing without forcing any of them into a rigid mold. His wife's grounding question echoes through the evening: How has this made you more loving? Key Ra Material references: Sessions 2.2, 14.23, 14.26, 23.6, 1.5

What if reality isn't made of isolated things—but of relationships all the way down?In this episode, we sit down with John Milbank to explore the strange and surprisingly relevant world of Trinitarian ontology. Together, we dig into a bold idea: that being itself might be more like a living communion than a collection of separate objects.Along the way, we tackle big questions: Why does the Trinity still matter? How does it reshape our understanding of politics and the world? And what would it mean to see reality as fundamentally relational rather than competitive?Expect a mix of deep theology and a few moments where your brain might do a happy double-take. Whether you're a seasoned thinker or just Trinity-curious, this conversation opens up a fresh way of seeing the world—and your place in it.For more on the New Trinitarian Ontologies, check out another interview with Ryan Haecker on our Patreon!

What does Rage Against the Machine and motherly images of God have to do with a 14th century saint?  Turns out ... a LOT. We are (finally) doing one of the MOST requested episodes ever -- diving deep into the question "Who is Saint Julian of Norwich???" And in order to dive into this saint whose revelatory witness of radical love, the wounds of Christ, and laughing at the nothingness of the devil, we have called in an expert: The Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, one of Lizzie's professors from her time at Duke Divinity School.  This conversation was so rich that we had to split into two parts, so join us this week for PART ONE where we get a lay of the land of 14th century England, the bubonic plague, feudalism and its violence, and in this despairing time how Saint Julian received an incandescent vision of Christ's love for the whole world.  Amy Laura Hall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University, where she has taught since 1999. She is the author of four books, including Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction (2007) and Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich (2018). A noted authority on Christianity and culture in the U.S., Hall has also contributed provocative essays on Protestantism and politics to Religion Dispatches and Religion News Service. Resources mentioned in this episode: Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich trans. by Elizabeth Spearing https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/261039/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich-translated-by-elizabeth-spearing-introduction-and-notes-by-a-c-spearing/ Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ By Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt --https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268022082/julian-of-norwich/ The Writings of Julian of Norwich A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love Edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins -- https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02547-6.html?srsltid=AfmBOoopOJOEaY69eupR8Rx1uxzSJyVJpaSpLJKpJoHSPKAQ9ry8HPJY Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall's works: FORTHCOMING: Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/erecting-the-pulpit-9798216383475/ Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil https://arcmag.org/home-movies-for-holy-week/ +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

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Series: Building 4th Community — Member Presentations Russell takes us on a journey through the history and heart of Unitarian Universalism, from the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to the pews of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas. He traces the anti-Trinitarian thread from Arius through the martyrdom of Michael Servetus — burned at the stake on green wood by John Calvin's Geneva — to the Transylvanian kings who first legalized Unitarianism in 1568. In early America, the movement intertwined with the Revolution itself: Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin held Unitarian views, and the Lexington Green meetinghouse served as both church and battlefield hospital. Russell highlights Theodore Parker — the self-taught abolitionist who walked ten miles to Harvard, harbored escaped slaves, funded John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, and coined the phrase about the arc of the moral universe bending toward justice. Parker's words later shaped Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches. The presentation turns personal as Russell describes his own congregation's 125-year history of radical hospitality — hosting Muslim and LGBTQ+ congregations when no one else would, playing a foundational role in Roe v. Wade, and running the OWL comprehensive sexuality education program. He reads the church's affirmation — "Love is the doctrine of our church" — and shares how a minister recently preached that Unitarianism has an infinite number of sacraments, because the searching itself is holy. The group explores where UU emphasis on social justice intersects with the Ra Material's understanding of catalyst, suffering, and the activation of green-ray consciousness. Russell reflects that his understanding of suffering as integral to the human condition has deepened through his participation in Building 4th — a meeting point between UU's outward-facing compassion and the community's contemplative, inward-turning work with the Law of One. Key References: Ra, Session 34.6 (suffering as catalyst); Ra, Session 32.14 (acceptance of self as the Creator, an entity of infinite worth); the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism; Theodore Parker's "arc of the moral universe"; the UUA's 2024 Core Shared Values.

In this compelling solo episode, Jesse Schwamb unpacks one of Scripture's most famous—and misunderstood—passages: Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees and Herodians over paying taxes to Caesar. Far from being a simple political soundbite, Matthew 22:15-22 reveals Jesus' brilliant wisdom in dismantling false dilemmas and redirecting our focus to identity rather than ideology. Through careful exegesis, Jesse demonstrates how Christ's response cuts through political posturing to address the deeper question: Whose image do we bear? This episode serves as both a masterclass in biblical interpretation and a timely reminder that our ultimate allegiance belongs not to any earthly authority, but to the God whose image we carry. Perfect preparation for the podcast's upcoming journey through the parables of Jesus. Key Takeaways Jesus Cannot Be Cornered: The Pharisees and Herodians crafted what seemed like an inescapable trap, but Jesus transcends false dilemmas by reframing the question entirely, demonstrating His divine wisdom and authority. The Imago Dei Is Central: By asking "Whose image is this?" about the coin, Jesus points to the deeper question: Whose image is on you? We bear God's image, making our primary obligation to Him, not Caesar. Civil Authority Is Real but Bounded: Jesus affirms legitimate temporal authority ("render to Caesar") while establishing that all such authority is derivative and limited by God's ultimate sovereignty. Hypocrisy Is Exposed by Action: The Pharisees' immediate production of a Roman coin revealed they were already participants in the system they questioned, undermining their supposed concern for Jewish law. Amazement ≠ Transformation: The opponents "marveled" and left, demonstrating that intellectual defeat or astonishment at Jesus' teaching is not equivalent to spiritual conversion or surrender. Identity Precedes Politics: Before asking what we owe the government, we must ask what we owe God—the answer being ourselves, as those created in His image. The Breath of Divine Life: Our creation bears special intimacy—God breathed life into humanity, making us doubly unique as both image-bearers and recipients of His divine breath, foreshadowing spiritual regeneration. In-Depth Analysis The Imago Dei Is Central Jesus' response to the tax question brilliantly redirects attention from political obligation to theological identity. When He asks "Whose image is this?" about the denarius, He's employing the Greek word eikon—the same term used in the Septuagint translation of Genesis 1:27 for humanity being made in God's image. This isn't coincidental wordplay; it's deliberate theological teaching. The profound truth here is that while Caesar's image on a coin establishes his claim to that piece of metal, God's image stamped on humanity establishes His total claim on us. We are not our own; we were bought with a price far greater than any taxation. The coin metaphor works because it's a physical representation of ownership and authority—but our bodies and souls are the true "coinage" that belongs to God. This reframes every political question as ultimately subordinate to our identity as image-bearers, reminding us that our primary citizenship, allegiance, and obligation is heavenly, not earthly. Civil Authority Is Real but Bounded Jesus' statement "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" has often been misinterpreted as establishing a complete separation between sacred and secular realms. However, Reformed theology—particularly Calvin's interpretation—understands this passage as establishing legitimate but limited civil authority within God's sovereignty. Caesar's authority is real and should be respected; Christians are called to submit to governing authorities as Paul argues in Romans 13. However, this authority is derivative, not ultimate. Caesar operates within a sphere that God ordains and limits. There is no zone of existence that belongs exclusively to Caesar, outside God's jurisdiction. The state has legitimate claims on our obedience, our taxes, and our civic participation—but never on our worship, our ultimate allegiance, or our conscience when it contradicts God's law. This creates a framework for Christian citizenship that takes earthly government seriously while never granting it the totalizing authority that belongs to God alone. Amazement ≠ Transformation The conclusion of this encounter is sobering: the Pharisees and Herodians were "amazed" but unchanged. They marveled at Jesus' wisdom, were intellectually outmaneuvered, and had nothing more to say—yet they walked away to plot His crucifixion. This demonstrates a crucial truth for evangelism and apologetics: winning an argument is not the same as winning a soul. Intellectual defeat can coexist with spiritual hardness. Someone can acknowledge the brilliance of Jesus' teaching, be unable to counter His logic, and still refuse to surrender their life to Him. This reminds us that conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit, not merely the result of superior argumentation. Our task is faithful witness and clarity in presenting truth, but we must pray for the Spirit to do what only He can do—soften hearts, open eyes, and bring dead souls to life. Astonishment at Jesus must give way to submission to Jesus. Memorable Quotes "You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question." "Caesar can have his coin, but he cannot have you. Not in any ultimate sense. You and I, loved ones, we belong to God." "Being out argued is not the same as being transformed. You can leave someone with nothing to say and still not reach the heart." Full Episode Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: So here's the trap. If Jesus says yes, pay the tax, he completely alienates the crowd of Jewish pilgrims who are beginning to believe that he might be the Messiah who will liberate Israel from Rome if he says. No, do not pay it. He could obviously be reported to the Roman authorities as a seditious rebel. Either answer loses. There's really no good way out of this. At least on the face. Either answer costs him something, his popularity or his freedom, and this is what we call a false dilemma. The Pharisees think that they've got him cornered. But here's the thing, loved ones they haven't. You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not. Go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question. And Jesus doesn't play this game. Welcome to episode 487 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast for all those with the Imago Day. Hey, brothers and sisters, so let's talk taxes. Now you should know that the Reform Brotherhood is not that kind of podcast, but I suspect that you had one of two responses when you heard that topic. Either it piqued your interest or you thought, I'm just totally gonna skip this episode, and I get that. That's a polarizing topic. It's in part why I said it at the top, but I want us to chat a little bit today about a passage of the scripture where Jesus himself brings up taxes, but not in that way. In fact, he demonstrates some exceptional teaching, showing the wisdom of God in a very difficult and complex circumstance. And so we're gonna spend just a little bit of time hanging out in Matthew 22.  [00:02:17] Why Matthew 22 [00:02:17] Jesse Schwamb: Now, why are we doing this? Why this on this episode? Well, we're about to continue on the podcast, our inexorable march through all of the parables of Jesus as we go into the summer months. It's parable, summer loved ones, which I realize sounds like a horrible name for like a low budget drama. But in this case, Tony and I are about to reem embark or pick up our journey in the parables of Jesus. And what we find in Matthew 22 is this little exchange. It happens. And it actually is in the midst of a bunch of parables that are happening. It's in some ways a response to the parables that Jesus is bringing forward. And also, I just love this passage so much, and since we're doing one more solo episode, before we, we reunite and the band comes back together and we start talking about parables. I thought this is a great way for us to, again, consider the teachings of Jesus. In light of everything that he's saying and teaching in these really lovely stories. And so we find ourselves to think right in Matthew 22, which is a great place to be. So come hang out with me there. Grab a Bible, go stop your car right now and pull up on your phone the Matthew 22 so you can read along with me because this is something fantastic. It's one of the most famous passages actually in the gospels. And also at the same time, it's one of the most misused texts in the history of political theology. Because people on every side of almost every date about this topic, especially taxes since they're mentioned here, have reached for this passage, like it's some kind of Swiss Army knife. So I think the best thing that we can do. Our conversation right now is, let's slow down a little bit. Let's chill out. Let's get easy. Let's read it carefully and figure out what Jesus was actually doing here because it is, I promise you, far more interesting than just like a soundbite about taxes and the way that I beta you. At the top of this episode by saying, let's talk about taxes. [00:04:09] Setting the Scene [00:04:09] Jesse Schwamb: Now, before we get to this particular passage, here's a bit of scene setting, which I think is really important before we get to verse 15, which is where we're gonna pick up. Jesus has entered Jerusalem in the triumphal procession. He's cleansed the temple. He's cursed a fig tree, and he delivered three withering parables aimed directly at the religious establishment. We've got the parable of the two sons. The parable of the Wicked Tenants, the parable of the wedding banquet, which by the way, we're gonna get to all those bad boys. They will all have their own episodes because they're all brilliant and exceptional in each their own way, and they deserve for us to sit in them a little bit. But by the time we reach chapter 22, verse 15, I think at this point the Pharisees have heard enough. They are not stoked about the fact that Jesus is coming after them and coming in hot. And so the response is, let's set a trap. Let's now go back on the offensive. Let's give Jesus a test in front of everybody. So he's gonna be pinned down with something very difficult to explain or to answer. And so that's exactly where we find Matthew writing in 22 verse 15.  [00:05:15] Reading the Passage [00:05:15] Jesse Schwamb: Here's where we pick it up. Matthew writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Then the Pharisees went and took counsel together about how they might trap Jesus in what he said, and they sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians saying, teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth and deferred a no one for you are not partial to any. Therefore, tell us what do you think? Is it lawful to give a tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus knowing their wickedness said, why are you testing me? You hypocrites, show me the coin used for the tax. And they brought him a denarius and he said to them, whose likeness in inscription is this? They said to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, therefore rendered Caesar, the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are god's. And hearing this, they marveled and leaving him, they went away. What an incredible passage. I love this so much in part because we're about to see here this wisdom in the teaching of God through Jesus. It's both spicy. It comes with almost like a clenched fist. It strikes back, but it gets to the root of something that wasn't even part of the original question and unentangle the trap to such a degree that the end result is that. Everybody is left speechless and they just have to walk away.  [00:06:41] Enemies Unite [00:06:41] Jesse Schwamb: And it starts with this idea that the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. Matthew actually uses this interesting word here, this idea of they took counsel together. It's a formal deliberate scheme. In other words, they definitely talked about this. It's premeditated, it's not impulsive. It's a confrontation with design. And the Pharisees are doing opposition research. They want to. Trap him, tangle him up. The Greek is to snare or to trap in a net. So they're hunting. They're trying to snipe Jesus, and they're going to send in this least likely combination of collaborators, collaborators, to do this whole thing. It's worth noting here. These groups that we have in the passage, the Pharisees and the Herodians, these guys were natural enemies. The Pharisees were Jewish priests or purists who despised Roman rule, and the Herodians were political pragmatists who basically owed their power to Rome. And so these guys, you can imagine, they agreed on almost nothing except that Jesus needed to be stopped. And when your enemies join forces to come after you. I guess you know, you've been effective. We might think about the own, own, our own times in which we live and the kind of polarized way our societies tend to be bending and tilting right now. And to think what would it take for everybody to come together, unite on common hatred or disagreement about some kind of third element or party? What would it take for that to happen? And so here, there is. The sense in which both the Pharisees and the pros for all of their dislike toward each other, for all their philosophical and religious disagreements, for all of their political conniving against each other, they are completely united in this purpose. And they easily come together to say, Jesus, we must deal with, and it requires all of us, let us come together and reason against him finding a way that we can consolidate our effort and power to such a degree that we leverage one another to entrap him. So there's something here where I think they're demonstrating what the Psalms say that God, when the nation's rage against God, he laughs. He holds 'em in derision. And here's a perfect example of that. In a microcosmic kind of way, we find these two groups who really should never be with one another, finding common ground and unity to try to defeat. Jesus.  [00:08:56] Flattery as a Trap [00:08:56] Jesse Schwamb: And so this delegation arrives and here is their approach to Jesus. They say, teacher, we know that you are true and you teach the way of God truthfully, and you don't care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances. This is some kind of magnificent flattery, and it actually, it's almost entirely true, which just makes this so ironic. There's a confession among the Herodians and the Pharisees, even as I tried to undermine Jesus, you know, that's what makes this so dangerous. They say you don't care about anyone's opinion. You're not swayed by appearances. They're essentially saying you can't be pressured. You'll answer honestly no matter what. And in saying so, they're trying to pressure Jesus, of course, into answering honestly. But it's like a rhetorical judo move. The compliment is the trap spring mechanism. Calvin, in this passage, likes to know that they address Jesus as teacher to feign respect while concealing this animosity, this ho hostility that they have towards him. They want him to be relaxed. Flattered off guard as if it's possible to take the son of God off guard, but notice what they're actually confessing in that flattery. Jesus is truthful. He teaches God's way accurately. He's not a respecter of persons. Every word they speak in false praise is true testimony about who he is, which makes their hypocrisy all the more damning. And this is the thing, for as much as anybody wants to try to blaspheme Jesus for as much as anybody wants to come at him with one particularly. Facet of his character. For instance, he's a good teacher or he seems to teach peace and love and truth and that, and that's it. They compliment him while at the same time confessing themselves short of the true confession of who he is. And so it's ironic to me that these guys. Who in their hearts are holding all of this malice toward Jesus. Say, well, you're not a respecter of persons because you th see things as they are and not merely as they appear to be, while all the time thinking that they're truthfully concealing the fact that they hate him and yet are flattering them with his, flattering him with their tongues. The absurdity of this is absolutely insane. And so I think if you're in this moment, you have to be appreciating. This sense of what is building here? How is Jesus going to respond? The trap has been set. They've tried to flatter him, and of course he's not buying it. But they start with this question. All of that's a set up to say here is like the real punchline. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?  [00:11:36] The False Dilemma [00:11:36] Jesse Schwamb: Now, if you're like me, quite honestly, you might wish that Jesus answered this question differently. This is the trap, the trap. Snapshots on this single question or so they think, I mean, I, I truly believe they think they're being really smart here, that they've come to terms with maybe lots of ideas. I don't know what they did. Whatever the equivalent of using chat GPT was, they said, how can we entrap Jesus? They all got together. They devised a plan. I'm sure they had. Some kind of whiteboard where they're brainstorming ideas and some came up and said, no, that's not gonna work. And others came. I imagine they settled on this because they thought there was no way outta this. And in some ways it's actually a really brilliantly engineered dilemma. The tax in question here is the kenzos. This was the Roman poll tax. A denarius per head paid directly to Rome, and it was incredibly and deeply controversial. Some Jews viewed paying it as completely an act of collaboration with an occupying pagan power, and the zealots called it outright sin, and the HEROs thought it was perfectly fine. So here's the trap. If Jesus says yes, pay the tax, he completely alienates the crowd of Jewish pilgrims who are beginning to believe that he might be the Messiah who will liberate Israel from Rome if he says. No, do not pay it. He could obviously be reported to the Roman authorities as a seditious rebel. Either answer loses. There's really no good way out of this. At least on the face. Either answer costs him something, his popularity or his freedom, and this is what we call a false dilemma. The Pharisees think that they've got him cornered. But here's the thing, loved ones they haven't. You can never corner Jesus. Of course, you can never catch him off guard. And while those seem like very just trite and straightforward explanations of who he is and what his character is like as the son of God, we should not. Go away from them too quickly because what we find here is the wisdom and the brilliance of God in providing teaching to cut to the hearts of what is actually in the question. And Jesus doesn't play this game.  [00:13:40] Coin and Hypocrisy [00:13:40] Jesse Schwamb: Jesus aware of the malice says, why? Put me to the test. You hypocrites, show me the coin for the tax. He doesn't even pretend to take the question at face value. He immediately identifies what's happening. This is a test and you all are hypocrites. Now, for me, I think if you are in the seats or standing in the shoes or the sandals, I suppose, of the Herodians or the Pharisees. I would be like, if I were on the side, I would be like, pull up, pull up, get out, get out. He's onto us just just with Jesus directly coming at them and labeling them as hypocrites. I think that itself undoes all of this. They've been exposed from the very beginning and Jesus doesn't mess around. It's like him coming into the temple to cleanse the temple, and it's as if in his left hand, he has mercy in his right hand. He has that cord that whip. And the word that Matthew uses here for hypocrites is one that Jesus deploys with like surgical precision throughout his this gospel. A hypocrite is someone performing virtue they do not possess. And right away he identifies it. These men are performing concern for Jewish law while actually serving their own political agenda. And I love that the son of God in power does not put up with that at all. And then, and I think this is. Absolutely delightful. Jesus asked them for a coin of all the things he could have said or done. Here's where there is like a little bit of a kind of a parable feel to this. He asked for the physical object, the thing that they're talking about. He asks, and interestingly, he doesn't have one. He's the guest of Pilgrim, the one without a Roman Denarius in his pocket. But, and here's what's interesting. Loved ones, they produce one immediately for him, which means the people who are asking whether it's lawful to use Roman currency are already using Roman currency. Jesus hasn't even answered yet, and hypocrisy is already self-evident. I think that's a considerable fact. The, the instance that they're able to produce the coin promptly, I don't think is a minor detail. It implicates them. They're already participants in the Roman economic system, which. I would say it's not necessarily a bad thing. Their question about whether it's lawful to pay taxes to Caesar is somewhat undermined though by the fact that they're carrying Caesar's money in the temple precincts. In other words, the whole thing just smells a setup. And even Jesus asking for the coin is showing them and others around them that not is he onto them. Not only does he see through them, but he is undermining the complete argument that they're making, showing that the question that they need to have answered is actually not about taxes at all. It's about something much deeper he's about to answer or bring forward the question, rather, whose image is on you. [00:16:29] Whose Image [00:16:29] Jesse Schwamb: And he starts by holding up the coin and saying, whose image is on this? So they bring him a denarius and Jesus says to them, whose likeness and inscription. Is this now the denarius of Tiberius Caesar bore his portrait in the inscription. The inscription, generally historians say, said something like Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus, and it was a claim of divinity stamped into everyday commerce. This is why so much of the Jews found it so offensive to participate because it felt as if in every transaction you were affirming in some way the divine authority of Caesar. It was a claim that was stamped on the coin and therefore represented in every kind of transaction that took place throughout the lamb. Every time a Roman coin changed hands, Rome's imperial theology was in some ways quietly proclaimed, and Jesus holds it up and he asks this obvious question. Whose face is on this thing, and the Greek word for likeness here, whose likeness is, this is the word for image. This is the word the SubT uses in Genesis one. When God makes humanity in his image, in the Imago day, Jesus is about to build an argument that depends on this resonance, whether his questioners hear it or not. Whose image is on the coin and whose image is on you. Those are two very different questions with two very different answers. And of course, they lead to this incredibly famous reply, one that's known by most people, but I think not understood by many. So they said, Caesar's Caesar's image is on this coin.  [00:18:12] Render to God [00:18:12] Jesse Schwamb: So Jesus says to them, therefore. Render to Caesar, the things that are Caesars and to God, the things that are God. I think of almost all the places in the scriptures. This might be Jesus at his most dazzling. I say that partly. Subjectively, because I'm captivated by this whole encounter. I'm captivated and drawn in by the son of God and his teaching here. I'm captivated by his ability to see through what's happening here, and I'm captivated by the truth that he delivers. But I think I'm not alone because objectively, when we get to the end of this, we find everybody else marveling. Notice that Jesus doesn't choose between the two horns of this dilemma. He reframes the entire question. He blows up the entire premise because even here, the choice of language is so incredible. The word render means to give back what is owed, to return, what belongs to someone. Sometimes we hear this as give, give to Caesars. What is Caesars? Just give it to him. This seems like a, a secular question you're asking me. So keep this secular nonsense out of what is this sacred life? But instead it's not just give it's give back, render as in this was already his to begin with. So give Caesar back. What has Caesar's image on it? The coin bears his image. The coin belongs to his realm, fine. But when that, but then comes this, this second half, this glorious truth, that's far better, and this is where the weight falls. Give to God, what has God's image on it. And what of course, bears the image of God, you and I, every human being made in the mago de bears the divine image. Caesar can have his coin, but he cannot have you. Not in any ultimate sense. You and I loved ones. We belong to God. And of course, from a reform perspective, this is the bedrock of what we mean when we speak of the Lordship of Christ over all of life. There's no zone of existence that is only Caesar's. Caesar operates within a sphere that God ordains and limits. The state has legitimate authority. Paul's gonna argue that in Romans 13, but the authority is derivative. It's not ultimate Caesar's domain is real, but bounded God's domain is total and unbounded. And so that's why. Calvin insists that Jesus never divides life neatly into sacred and secular. Rather, he is establishing that all of life is lived before God, and within that totality, there are legitimate temporal authorities to whom we owe appropriate submission. The coin goes to Caesar, but the person. The image bearer of God is owed entirely to the Lord.  [00:20:50] Imago Dei and New Life [00:20:50] Jesse Schwamb: I was thinking, again, reading through Genesis, just how beautiful the CR creation narrative is when it comes to mankind, that God is ex ne hill speaking things into existence. He's showing his great command over all things. The spirit hovering over the waters from the beginning. And here's God in this Trinitarian act, bringing into the existence, all the things that you and I know, all the things which are familiar to us that we still marvel at, but are part and parcel peace wise of the world in which we live. And I sometimes forget that when it comes to that day, when God creates man, that he forms him and then he takes a breath and he breathes. The specialty of that type of creation that you and I are derivative and contingent beings, but we're way separate than all of creation because God has breathed his very breath of life into us. And in that way, it's not just that he set us up and said, let me design mankind to be like me, which he does. Let us make mankind in our own image that Trinity says in the scriptures, but also that consummation of life. Comes from the very breadth of God himself. And in that way we find that human beings are doubly special. I would say that one, that God has formed us to be like him to exhibit many of his qualities, but two, that life itself didn't come just from merely speaking, but there's an intimacy. More or less loved ones. He put his lips on ours and breathed into us so that we might be alive. And of course, the scripture itself tells us that the second life, the abundant life, salvation itself is very much like that. In the same way, Jesus didn't come to make bad people good. It came to make dead people alive. And so we need that breath of life again. And when we are surrendered to him, when he comes and arrests our hearts, when he does that incredible surgery of cutting us and removing that heart of stone and replacing it, one with flesh, we are made alive in Christ so that we gain more in Jesus than what we lost in Adam. [00:22:50] Amazed Not Changed [00:22:50] Jesse Schwamb: So what is everybody's response when Jesus explains all of this? Well, I love what the scripture says when they heard it. They marveled and they left him and went away. They marveled the Greek here is, is the word actually for enthusiasm. They were amazed and astonished. It's not actually polite appreciation. This is like draw drop of people who came to spring a trap and watched it spring BRAC on them. There was no follow up question. I love this, don't you? That this is so complete, so succinct, so confronting, so condemning, so damning that they had nothing, they, they left. Imagine maybe they looked at each other with that look of like, does anybody else have anything else they wanna say? 'cause if not, I just want to get outta here right now and notice what Matthew doesn't say. He doesn't say that they repented, he doesn't say that they believed they were astonished. And they left. They walked away. And this is one of those sobering realities of the gospels. Jesus could silence his opponents without converting them. Intellectual defeat is not the same thing as spiritual surrender. The Pharisees went away to a pla to a. Construct a plan essentially of crucifixion of how to kill him. And being out argued is not the same as being transformed. I think for us in evangelism and apologetics, it's a good reminder that winning the argument is not the goal. Clarity is a gift and faithful witness matters, but conversion is the work of the spirit. You can leave someone with nothing to say and still not reach the heart, and this should move us to pray accordingly. So I'm amazed by this teaching because it draws us back to this understanding that what the Pharisees meant to use for entrapment to in the temporal space. To divide Jesus, to make him basically say something that he did not want to say, to put him in a place he did not want to be. Instead, he uses the convey the greatest message of all, and that is we are God's children. And ironically, the ones who are professing to be God's children had missed the point altogether because what they really needed to ask was, whose image is on you? And as a result of that, what ought you to render that is to give back to God, and that is ourselves.  [00:25:00] Takeaways and Application [00:25:00] Jesse Schwamb: So here's some things I would say that we can take away from Matthew 22. A few things I think worth holding onto as you and I go about our weeks first, Jesus can't be cornered. And I, I understand that that's like obvious to say, but don't you love that about the God man? Like every intent to trap him. In this chapter and throughout the gospels now and forevermore results in his opponents looking worse than when they started. And this is how we know that we can trust Jesus, that we can trust his power, that he is for us, that his enemies will ultimately be subdued, that they will be humiliated and made low, that he is the one who cannot be caught in his words because his words are truth. I love that the scripture just tells us the truth about reality, and so we come back to it time and time again because we find it both. Warm, comfortable blankets in which we might cuddle up as it were and find ourselves comforted by God. But also it does have a sharp edge that like a knife cuts against us sometimes to remind us that we serve a holy God and that we are sinful people. It never shrinks away from the truth when that hard edge of the law must be brandished against us, and it also at the same time, never ceases to apply the bomb of the gospel to our lives where we need healing and restoration and comfort. Here's the second thing in my mind, this question, this big question, is it lawful? And what a question by the way, right? Like, you know, you could couch this in lots of different ways. Should we pay taxes? That's kind of how we think about it. But this idea of like, no, no, no. Is it lawful? Which law are we talking about? The law of God or the law of the land Even that is left for this kind of subjective reasoning to entrap. This was a question though about politics. And Jesus answered with a question about identity. I love that. Whose image is this? That is always the deeper question in my mind. And before you ask what you owe the government, we ought to ask what do we owe God? And remember that you yourself are what you owe him because you bear his image. So we start from this place where we don't get it twisted like we do in Romans one, when we're outside of God. That is, we don't wanna change the truth of God for Allah here. We need to remember that Presuppositional, all that we are, all that we have, all that we've been given, all of this is God's. And so in that contingent sense, we are merely pouring back to him that which is already due, his name and his praise. And so that's the place where we start. Third, I think there is a legitimate but bounded role for civil authority in Christian understanding of the world. That's something Tony and I have talked about before. You can go back into the Reform Brotherhood catalog, which by the way exists in reform brotherhood.com. You can find all of the 400 deficits back there. There's a search function, so you can just type in a word and at this point I'm guaranteed some episode will come up. We've talked about this before. How we're not theocrats, we're we're pilgrims. Who hold our earthly citizenship loosely and our heavenly citizenship with everything that we've got. So there is a role in our land for civil authority. Paul, again will argue this very cogently in Romans 13. At the same time, we don't wanna get it twisted. We don't want to have too much focus on that. And too little focus on the fact that our heavenly citizenship is what truly defines us because of who we are. And finally. Amazement is not enough. The Pharisees were amazed and walked away unchanged. We can't just be impressed by Jesus. We must be His. And to remind you, even I think as we engage in the parables that are ahead of us and the teaching that is behind us here in this episode, that it's not just to marvel and say, wow, isn't Jesus. Good because he is, and he is really great with his teaching. He's really great at perceiving all of this. But more than that, he's Lord and Savior of all. He's guiding us not into just like better rhetoric and how to defeat like Pulic argumentation. He's drawing us into the very heart of God, into love for him and for service for one another. And it starts with who we are and how much of our society right now. Has gotten all of this confused such that a lot of our problems is because we do not realize who we are. We are trying to change who we are, change the rules of who God has made us to be, and in this way we shipwreck our lives. And so Jesus calls us back with this simple question, whose image is this? And in that question, our loved ones, I would encourage you all to meditate, to metabolize it, to set yourselves to it. Because the task of answering that question is the task of understanding who God is and who we are in light of who God is. So there you go. Uh, just a little bit of teaching from Jesus that I think is so helpful for us, especially as we move into more parables that he's about to expand. As we go through, I don't know how many that we have left, but there's a lot of 'em, so you're gonna want to continue to hang out with us, I think, because we're gonna go through these, talk about them, process them together, pull in some exegetical chops at the same time, make sure that we're trying to apply these things, because that's the whole point here. There's so much here. I think that could be said. But I'm gonna leave the application to you. So take your time meditating and thinking through this lovely teaching.  [00:30:08] Join the Community [00:30:08] Jesse Schwamb: If you wanna come hang out and do some of this together, which, why would you not wanna do that? We are super fun people. That's what everybody says. Come and join us in the Telegram chat. You've heard me say before, telegram is just a messaging app, and we have a small corner of that app that's a private group of listeners from all around the world who are just hanging out together. We're talking about the episodes, we're talking about life together. We're sharing prayer requests. We're. Tasting things and recording videos of how delicious or not those things are. So if you're curious now about how you can join, it's super easy. Just go to any browser and type in t me slash reform brotherhood, t me slash reform brotherhood. One more time. Everybody in the back. It's t. It's in telegram.me back slash reform brotherhood and then you'll find a link which will take you right to the place where we are all conversing together.  [00:31:00] Closing Blessing [00:31:00] Jesse Schwamb: So that's it on this episode. Come hang out. We're about to jump back into the parables. The band will be back together. It's everything that you wanted and more and, and I hope that you'll come and hang out again. But until you do, you should definitely honor everyone and love the brotherhood. 

The sermon may (or may not) be your favorite part of the service, but did you know not all Christian services have a sermon? And there are as many definitions of what a sermon "is" as there are preachers. So we dive into what a sermon is in the most basic terms, and then get into what a sermon is for us, and what we think makes the best kind of sermon.  +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

After we received world class teaching on Christology and Trinitarian theology from Dr. Steve Wellum, Mark and Greg review some of the things we can take away and also confess areas where our understanding of Christ as one Person in two natures at times fell short of the fullness of what Scripture teaches. It's not too late to grow! You can watch this message here.

The Acts of Paul & Thecla, written between 160 and 190 AD, was one of the most popular apocryphal acts among Christian readers. This episode examines what the unknown author believed about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. After removing the later scribal additions, the Acts of Paul & Thecla appears to be a unitarian Christian document. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/NRlwAgF149A                Visit Amazon to buy your copy of A Systematic Theology of the Early Church: https://amzn.to/47jldOc    Visit Amazon to buy your copy of Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://amzn.to/3JBflHb     Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus: https://amzn.to/43DPYey    To support this podcast, donate here: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks    Episode notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lX4h0eUQACufPNJermupAXv73vwUIo2BjHc-D9PWGfc/edit?usp=sharing        Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast        Follow on Instagram: https://Instagram.com/biblicalunitarianpodcast  Follow on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast  

Easter is proclaimed in the Easter Vigil with a famous chant called "The Exsultet," and while we have lots of other famous chants and proclamations, this one is really special and has a wild backstory. So for Eastertide this year, we're excited to welcome Mother Laura back from her maternity leave and dive right into this liturgical, theological, and social history! Special thanks to The Rev. Kira Austin-Young who so expertly chanted the Exsultet for us! +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Our shout-out today goes to John Lecy from Lake Elmo, MN. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. We cannot do this without donors like you. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. — 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Have you ever noticed how quickly diversity in the church becomes competition? Paul addresses that question through a subtle yet profound move. Instead of addressing behavior first, he points to theology using the triune God. In just three verses, he sketches one of the clearest Trinitarian patterns in all the New Testament. There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. Varieties of service, but the same Lord. Varieties of activities, but the same God. This is not careless repetition. It is an intentional structure that Paul will use to illustrate how God's community and its unique gifts work within the church. Here is the nuance a lot of readers miss: diversity in the church flows from unity within God himself. The Trinity is not uniform, but perfectly united—distinct persons with a shared purpose and no rivalry. God's community is one of the rare places in life where unity should be perfectly expressed through diversity. But when believers compete over visibility, rank gifts by status, or measure spirituality by prominence, we contradict the character of the God who gives the gifts and the unity they were meant to express. Your gift is not a personal asset to leverage. It is a grace to be stewarded by God to the community. They are gifts we steward for the benefit of others and for God's glory. Then notice Paul's closing line: "the same God who empowers them all in everyone." Every gift stewarded by every believer is sustained by him. There is no spiritual elite class in God's Church. The preacher is not better than the participant. The pastor is not better than the paritionier. God is the one who empowers, not a single believer in a church, but every believer in His church. Therefore, in the church, unity is not threatened by diversity; it is generated by it. That means your spiritual gift matters, and so does the spiritual gift you do not have. The church most clearly reflects the glory of God when diverse members serve without rivalry and depend on one another without comparison. This is not merely personality management—it is Trinitarian theology lived out in the body of Christ. So this week, intentionally encourage someone whose gift is different from yours, and thank God for how their strength complements your own. DO THIS: Thank God specifically for the way he has gifted you — and for the ways he has gifted others differently. Confess any comparison or quiet competition in your heart. ASK THIS: Do I see my gifts as personal strengths — or as grace entrusted to me? Where am I tempted to measure spiritual value by visibility? How does the unity within God reshape how I respond to diversity in the church? PRAY THIS: Father, thank you for empowering your church. Lord Jesus, direct my service toward you. Holy Spirit, distribute your gifts as you will. Guard my heart from comparison and teach me to reflect your unity in the way I serve. Amen. PLAY THIS: "What A Gift"

Lent begins with the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by Satan. But ... what is temptation? As we come to the end of our 40 days of Lent now in Holy Week, we take a moment to truly ask of God and ourselves what temptation is, and is not. Join friend of Rev. Lizzie and the pod, The Rev. Angela Tyler-Williams. We're excited to welcome Rev. Laura back from maternity leave next month! Please pray for her continued rest and recovery in the meantime :)  +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST!  Cover art today is a sketch by Rembrandt of the Temptation of Christ. 

Was the Trinity invented in the fourth century? Or was it always there in Scripture? On this episode of InContext, Michael Easley sits down with church historian Brian Litfin to discuss his book, The Story of the Trinity: Controversy, Crisis, and the Creation of the Nicene Creed. Together they explore why the Trinity was not created at First Council of Nicaea, but clarified there. From the Shema in Deuteronomy to the Son of Man in Daniel, and from the Gospels to Pentecost, Scripture consistently reveals one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Chapters 00:00 Why the Trinity Matters for Salvation 03:00 Why Evangelicals Are Rediscovering the Nicene Creed 08:00 What Is a Creed? (And Why It's Not Above Scripture) 14:00 Monotheism in a Polytheistic World 22:00 Theophanies and Christ in the Old Testament 30:00 Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man 36:00 The Holy Spirit and the Fulfillment of the New Covenant 42:00 Was the Trinity Invented at Nicaea? Key Topics Discussed: -Why creeds matter for modern evangelicals -How Jesus understood Himself as the Son sent by the Father -The Holy Spirit's role in fulfilling the New Covenant -Why theology is essential—not optional—for salvation -If God is not truly Trinitarian, there is no incarnation, no atonement, and no indwelling Spirit. Links Mentioned: ⁠The Story of The Trinity by Dr. Brian Litfin More About Dr. Litfin Follow on Instagram and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelinContext https://www.instagram.com/dreasley/ For more information on Dr. Michael Easley and Ask Dr. E Visit: https://www.michaelincontext.com

The Samaritan Woman, also called The Woman at the Well, appears in John 4 in a long discourse with Jesus under the noonday sun. She famously has had many husbands and is currently "with" a man who is "not her husband," and yet ... she is also a pivotal evangelist, preacher, and leader for the early Jesus movement. We heard her story in Lent 3, Year A, so we're taking a moment dive deeper into this text and what it might to say to us who are reclaiming our Christian faith for modern Christian life.  Join friend of Rev. Lizzie and the pod, The Rev. Angela Tyler-Williams!.  We're excited to welcome Rev. Laura back from maternity leave next month! Please pray for her continued rest and recovery in the meantime :)  +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, PA ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST!  Cover art for this episode from Wikimedia commons, Carl Heinrich Bloch - Woman at the Well. 

We have arrived at the “nugget day” or In Brief section for the paragraphs examining the nature of the Father in the Trinity. Fr. Mike reiterates some of the “nuggets” of wisdom from these past few days. He emphasizes the importance of how Baptism allows us to share in the life of the Holy Trinity. We conclude this section with a reflection on this profound call to share in the glory of the Trinity even though it exists “in the obscurity of faith.” Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 261-267. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Mike explores the formation of the Church's dogma on the nature of the Trinity. He unpacks the terms used by the Church in an attempt to explain the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, as Fr. Mike reminds us, with the story of St. Augustine and the child on the seaside, the Trinity is a mystery that none of us can fully comprehend. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 249-252. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.