Apantesis — Encounters with Biblical Texts and Their Ancient World

We often see/hear this phrase in the modern Christian community: "Jesus is coming back." As with most concepts in the Church, there's always a scripture reference to support. The most popular textual reference for the 'coming of Jesus' is Mat 24:1-3. In this episode, I will challenge you to take a second look at the narrative and ask if we can confidently say that Jesus is coming back in our lifetime or after. 

During the reign of Jeroboam and those kings who succeeded him, Israel became immersed in the doctrines of idolatry, such as the concept of demon possession. ~ The deception of this false spirituality so deluded Israel that they even took part in many of its dangerous rituals. The most extreme of which was the sacrifice of their children.

Since movies are still being made about the existence of demons, there remains some sense of relevance in our culture on this...and you'll find that a large number still believes in it - and so the ideology continues to inform people's thinking on the spiritual realm.  However, I found myself thinking more about God's perspective on spirituality. Asking, what did God teach in the scriptures about the spiritual realm? In this episode, we'll explore God's teachings on the spiritual realm and see for ourselves where demons fit in it.

The concept expressed in Luke 14:25-28 has been troubling for some people because it would seem at first glance that Jesus was teaching hate as a condition for discipleship. But was that the case? Tune in as I explore what Jesus truly meant when he used "hate" in his conversation with his disciples.

When Jesus and the 1st-century believers spoke of the last days, they were, in essence, referring to the closing days of an age coming to an end. It was a time associated with ONLY the 12 tribes (Israel) in the 1st Century - the Roman Empire (Greco-Roman world) was not concerned or preoccupied with notions of the last days. In this episode, we'll continue exploring the historical meaning of “last days” and why the first-century context may shape how we read these passages today.

When something tragic happens, such as increased crime, senseless killings, or even natural disasters. You might hear someone say that we’re living in the last days. Many Christians today believe the phrase “last days” refers to events happening in our own time. But how did the earliest readers of the New Testament understand this expression? In this episode, we explore the historical meaning of “last days” and why the first-century context may change how we read these passages today.

A few years ago, I heard of a perspective on Gen 6:1-7; it alleged that the terminology sons of God were angelic beings. Specifically, the claim was that the sons of God were divine beings who had sex with human women—as a result, they produced a hybrid human race of giants called Nephilim. In this episode, I'll debunk this teaching, showing that it doesn't align with the overall context of what Moses wrote in Genesis.

Ezekiel 28 is another set of bible verses to support the traditional story about Lucifer/Satan. Many in the Christian community have been told an interpretation of these texts in various ways: (about a beautiful angelic being named Lucifer who lost his way and became evil incarnate.) As far back as I can remember, the story's main points have remained unchanged. - BUT who or what was Ezekiel writing about?

In this segment, we'll examine how celestial imagery is used in the NT. In Luke 10:18, Jesus made this statement to his disciples: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (NKJV). The question is: Was it a sight of the physical eye or perceptual understanding?

Every now and then, I'll highlight a question someone asks me, and I'll share my perspective on it. This is the first episode of People Are Asking!!