Bible Feed

Josh and Paul tackle the far-reaching concept of inspiration.  What does it mean for something to be the inspired word of God?  Is it possible to explain how that happens, and if we can't, what certainty can we have about divine authority behind the text of the Bible?  As they consider these questions it becomes clear how important it is to treat the text with respect and be responsible and humble in how we draw out our interpretations.   

Paul and Laurence pick up from where the previous episode left off with a look at the book of Exodus. They find it's a book that starts with a great story about how the Israelites escaped from Egypt. There's high action, drama, goodies and baddies... and then intricate detail about how to construct a large tent. Why is that included?  How does that fit into the overall narrative?  Listen in to hear Paul and Laurence's ideas on that!

We're hoping this new series turbocharges your Bible reading!  We're doing little introductions to different books of the Bible to give you a head start on how they are structured and what the main themes are to look out for.  And where better to start than Genesis?!  Dan and Laurence discuss the first book in the Bible and think about where it all began, but they also find some pointers on where it all might be heading!

We've invited Becky Lewis back for this discussion.  In past centuries, going to church was a deeply embedded part of how western society worked.  But today, with so much emphasis on personal faith and opportunity to do community activities outside church, is there any point in being part of a religious group and meeting with people?  Becky talks about three key reasons: Support, Diversity and Magnifying.  Listen in to see what she means by each of those! 

We're back!  After a break for a couple of months we're back with a new season of podcasts on the Bible and faith in the modern world.  To kick off a new series on Biblical themes, Dan and Paul look at 8 different ideas about the Kingdom of God.  They find that both Jesus' statements about it and the expectations of his audience were deeply rooted in the Old Testament, Hebrew scriptures.  This brings to life a tangible picture of what is involved but also something far greater and more universal than even the Jews expected!

Dan welcomes a new guest and author, Martha Sales, to talk about her zany novel, "The Enormous Tiny Experiment". In the story, aimed at 8 to 12 year olds, a somewhat idealistic professor creates a perfect mini world free from suffering - or so he thought. What could possibly go wrong when 21 tiny people are placed together in a wonderful environment without rules or regulations?! The conversation ranges from the New Atheists and questions about suffering to plate tectonics, go-karts and the universal existence of morality. Listen in to discover more about the book and Martha's approach to stimulating discussion on the important issues of life.

Laurence and Stephen conclude this 3 part series looking into aspects of early church history.  This time they explore how people became members of a church and the significance of sharing the bread and cup of wine to remember Jesus.  As in previous episodes, there are some similarities with churches today, but also some differences that are worth reflecting upon.

Paul and Dan investigate the many and varied Biblical images for the judgement.  They discuss whether we should think that any of those word-pictures and metaphors describe what will actually happen - or are they designed to teach us something else?  If you've ever experienced that moment of fear at the thought of trying to explain what you've done, listen in, as there are some encouraging messages of comfort hidden away in this topic!

Paul chats to Mark Vincent, the author of a small book with big ambitions, entitled Life's Biggest Questions.  They talk about how the book came about and step through some thoughts on those major questions - Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we headed?  The book is a highly accessible read (at only 140 pages), so enjoy the conversation with Mark and we hope you'll enjoy reading the book as well!

Laurence and Stephen continue this mini-series on themes from early church history. This time they look at Jesus' prediction that Christians might be persecuted for believing in him and how that unfolded over the first few centuries of the church.  Stephen explains what led to two periods of persection - under Emperor Nero and the Great Persecution of Diocletian - and how the church emerged from them as a changed institution. Was that a good thing?  Listen in to find out!