What if the stories at the end of Genesis weren’t just family drama—but political storytelling?

In this episode, Nate and Shelby revisit six key moments from Genesis 27 to 50—including Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing, Dinah and Shechem, Judah and Tamar, and Joseph’s rise in Egypt—to explore how these stories may have been written to explain Israel’s political identity, tribal dynamics, and national origin.

We talk about:

Why Jacob and Esau’s rivalry reflects Israel vs. Edom

What Jacob’s wrestling match really says about the name "Israel"

How the story of Dinah might not be about justice at all

The subversive role of Tamar and why she’s called righteous

Why Joseph marrying an Egyptian priest’s daughter created tension later

And how Genesis closes by blessing tribes that already existed

These aren’t just ancient stories—they’re layered political texts that reveal how Israel saw itself and its neighbors. Join us as we read Genesis a little more historically, and a little more honestly.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

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Listen to the FULL episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/128901088

Listeners sent us 49 pages of questions and comments—and in this bonus episode, we tackle some of the best. We explore whether Paul’s theology rewrote the faith, how James and Paul define “salvation” differently, and why First Timothy might not even be Pauline. We also dive into whether Jesus really talked about hell more than heaven, what “saved through childbearing” could mean, and why Acts and Galatians paint two conflicting timelines of Paul’s journey.

Other highlights include:

Did Paul influence the Gospels?

Why doesn’t Paul quote Jesus?

Is Acts trying to legitimize Paul?

What even is Gehenna, and should we rethink hell?

Where do Nate and Shelby land with their own faith?

Plus, an honest conversation about community, politics, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and how to live together with deep differences.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

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2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

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→ Download the Practice Christianity Without Paul reflection booklet here (https://www.patreon.com/posts/jesus-faith-and-128319083)

→ Access the Paul-Free Church Statement of Faith (https://www.patreon.com/posts/church-statement-128321301)

What does it mean to be a Christian without Paul? In this series finale, we walk through five alternate paths the Jesus movement could have taken—and still can—without relying on Paul’s theology. From mystical wisdom to Jewish observance to political resistance, we explore practical ways to follow Jesus that aren’t rooted in Pauline doctrine. Nate and Shelby also unveil a brand new “Paul-Free” Statement of Faith and share a reflection booklet for premium members.

Paul Series:
Part 1 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/123045409)
Part 2 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/124165907)
Part 3 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/125186503)
Part 4 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/126248455)
Part 5 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/128318250)

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Exploring the Existence of Paul and His Influence

12:06 Imagining Christianity Without Paul

22:28 The Ebionites and Early Christian Movements

23:26 Exploring Early Christian Beliefs

28:35 Potential Paths of Early Christianity

30:05 Modern Reflections on Following Jesus

37:36 Paths of Justice and Action

41:31 Reimagining Faith Without Paul

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This is a preview of one of our bonus episodes. To get the full bonus episode (37 minutes long), click here.

How did Paul’s teachings overshadow James’s vision for Christianity? Could a Paul-free faith have survived as a Jewish sect? Does the Didache reveal a Christianity untouched by Paul? Why do Paul’s words sometimes feel at odds with Jesus’? We also explore faith, works, and navigating today’s political divides.

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Bonus ep 1 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-what-is-123011688

Bonus ep 2 - https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-did-paul-125106095

Why does Paul’s voice dominate the New Testament? How did his letters become so central to Christian theology, and what happens when we begin to question that authority? Are all the Pauline epistles actually written by Paul? What if the Paul we know today is a constructed figure—reshaped by the church over time to fit emerging doctrines? And what about the voices that didn’t get amplified—texts like James or the Didache that present a very different version of the Jesus movement? Nate and Shel explore how canon formation, authorship debates, and theological evolution all intersect in the story of Paul, and why rethinking his role might change how we read the entire Bible. (Paul Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

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1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

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Chapters

00:00 The Battle of the Texts

04:08 Paul's Authentic Letters

07:22 The Gospels and Their Influence

12:40 The Book of Acts: A Retrospective

28:25 The Jerusalem Movement's Legacy

29:19 The Jesus Movement vs. The Christ Movement

35:11 Understanding the Oral Tradition and Textual Limitations

41:23 The Impact of the Jewish-Roman War on Early Christianity

45:36 Exploring Alternative Early Christian Texts

48:20 The Canonization Process and Its Implications

53:31 Paul's Dominance in Early Christianity

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This is a preview of one of our bonus episodes. To get the full bonus episode (43 minutes long), click here.

Did Paul’s vision of Jesus redefine faith, or did James’ focus on works hold the truth? In this bonus episode, we tackle your burning questions about faith vs. works, Paul’s outsized role in Christianity, and what might have been if the Jesus movement prevailed. Join Nate and Shelby as they dive into listener debates, challenge assumptions, and rethink biblical narratives. Share your thoughts in the comments—what do you think Christianity would look like without Paul?

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What if Paul’s vision of Christ reshaped Christianity in ways Jesus’ own brother, James, never intended? In this episode, we explore the intense clash between Paul’s Christ movement and the Jesus movement, led by James in Jerusalem, as they battled over the faith’s direction. Paul’s independent gospel, born from a divine encounter, drove him to spread his message to Gentile cities like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome, outpacing the Jewish-focused Jesus movement. As the Jerusalem community waned after the city’s fall in 70 AD, Paul’s universal vision took root, defining the Christianity we know today. Join Nate and Shelby as they uncover these pivotal shifts, question Paul’s authority, and ask: could the Jesus movement have changed history if it had prevailed? Tune in to rethink the origins of your faith.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

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1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

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#apostlepaul #earlychristianity #biblepodcast

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Christ Movement

03:03 Understanding Paul and His Background

05:31 The Conflict with Jerusalem Leadership

08:35 Paul's Independent Revelation

11:40 The Divergence of Movements

16:28 The Tension of Jewish Customs

19:01 The Jerusalem Council and Gentile Inclusion

22:45 Paul's Distinct Gentile Christianity

25:13 The Expansion of Paul's Movement

35:22 Grassroots Movement and Rituals

40:19 The Decline of the Jesus Movement

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(Part 1 here) Who should guide your faith—James, Jesus’ brother, or Paul, the visionary apostle? We dive into early Christianity history to explore a battle of beliefs. James rooted his leadership in the Jewish roots of Christianity, blending faith with works. Paul preached faith alone, shaping a global faith. We uncover their clash—faith and works: Paul vs James—through the Didache and the Ebionites’ rejection of Paul. Tune in to decide whose voice speaks to you today.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email  [email protected]

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2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

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Paul contradicts Jesus, with the Apostles’ Creed skipping Jesus’ life... mirroring Paul’s letters that ignore his teachings and miracles. They share personal struggles with Paul’s towering influence on Christian theology and leadership, kicking off a must-hear series on Christianity’s origins.

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Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the Bible’s most infamous stories, but was its destruction really about homosexuality? What does the Bible actually say about the sin of Sodom? And why did Abraham nearly sacrifice Isaac—was child sacrifice common in his time? Plus, what’s the real meaning behind Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt? We unpack these troubling Genesis stories, explore their ancient context, and reveal how Jewish interpreters wrestled with them for centuries.

Thoughts, questions, stories? Please email [email protected]

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1. Bonus episodes and aftershows

2. All full-length, ad-free episodes

3. Access to Heretical Together (our private community of 350+ listeners)

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