Biblical Literacy Podcast

Mark completes Snapshots of Jesus from the Book of Mark lesson series by reflecting on the spread of Christianity after the Crucifixion of Christ.

The journey starts with a pictorial view of the spread of Christianity across continents and Oceans bringing us to 2021 and beyond.

Mark identifies the top four countries that,to this day, continue persecution of Christians in many forms.

He shows statistics that hundreds of millions of people are still in 2021 being

persecuted for their religious beliefs. Mark also showed that tens of thousands of Christians are still being persecuted in various other ways including death, illegal detention, imprisonment and more.

Mark then introduced two prominent historical figures who were staunch

believers, willing to give their lives to have a better life in God’s Kingdom.

Tertullian 155- 220 and Polycarp 69 -156.

Mark discussed in detail Mark 8: 34 and 9: 1

These verses address thought of self, verses denying one’s self and following God.

Mark closes by answering the question should you lose yourself in the pursuit of God.

Mark interviewed William Lane Graig, who delighted the class with a very heartwarming and deeply spiritual review of his life growing up and his achievements throughout his life in search of the truths about being a Believer in the power of God, since accepting Christ at the age of sixteen.

He recounted his acceptance of Christ as his Savior and his pursuit of higher education in the fields of Philosophy of Religion, Christian History of Thought, and Historical Evidence of the Resurrection of Jesus

In this pursuit he achieved two Masters Degrees, PhD in England and D, Theology in Germany. He also lived with his wife and family in Brussels where he did research at the University of Louvain.

He displayed an incredibly positive and joyous attitude about being a Christian. He shared his life, accomplishments and precious family with us that made your heart beat faster and brought a big smile to your face.

He is currently a Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University.

Mark continued teaching Snapshots of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. Today’s lesson was

titled How Do You Walk Through Life?

Mark 4:35-41 presents a crescendo of Jesus’ four miracles—

1. Defeats Nature: Jesus calmed the sea. We see the humanity of the weary Jesus and His divine

power.

2. Defeats Demons: Jesus casts out a legion of demons and sent them into pigs and drowns them.

3. Defeats Sickness: The healing of Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter and the woman with a

discharge of blood for twelve years.

4. Defeats Death: Jesus raises a twelve-year-old girl from the dead.

Listen to Mark share insights of these four miracles. No power can withstand the Kingdom of God or the Lord

In this chapter of Snapshots of Jesus, Pastor Brent Johnson discusses the idea of Biblical Worldview. He provides a definition for “World View, as “an understanding of the world, which informs one’s fundamental beliefs and assumptions, which builds a framework of ideas & attitudes about the world and how it works.” It is informed by your upbringing, your culture, your religion.

Brent in his discussion addresses topics and questions that are reflected in our World View:

1. What is the prime reality?

2. Origin

3. Destiny

4. Purpose

5. Morality

He continues by referring to several World Views, but his focus is the World View of “Theism,” which is what Christianity is associated with. Brent also addresses the difference between Christian World View and the Biblical World View, and specifically discusses the Biblical view of the Kingdom of God, Evangelism, Communing with God and revealing the laws.

Biblical references: Luke17:20-21, Luke4:42-44, Mark1:14-15, John3:3-8

Biblical-Literacy 2-13-22

Dr DavId Capes continued as guest teacher in the Snapshots of Jesus series from the Gospel of

Mark. Today’s focus was How do you see Jesus?

In the Gospel of Mark ,we see Jesus locked in conflict. In chapters 5 and 6, we see three

accusations and Jesus’ response to each.

1. Friend of sinners. Those who are well have no need of a physician.

2 Lord of the Sabbath - the sabbath was made for man.

3. Has all authority in heaven and earth.

Listen to Dr. Capes share how culture and age affect how Jesus was praised, criticized, and

condemned because the people didn’t understand His mission.

Mark continued Snapshots of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark asking the question: Where are you headed in life? Mark began the lesson with the definition of the Greek word hodos, which has three meanings that are used throughout the Bible: 1) a way for traveling or moving from one place to another, way, road, or highway 2) the act of traveling, way, trip, journey 3) a way of behavior or the course of life. The Gospel of Mark used hodos, translated this way 16 times. Life is a unique journey that we make when we choose to follow Jesus.

The way:

1. Path or road - the physical road we walk

2. Way of life - the Christian way is one of practical, everyday trust and faith.

3. Christ is the way of salvation.

Listen to Mark teach how the Greek word Hodos or the way applies to followers of Christ today.

2-6-22 Biblical-Literacy

Mark continued with Snapshots of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. Today’s topic: What is the Significance of the references to "Son of Man” throughout the Bible? The Gospel of Mark mentions Jesus as the Son of Man fourteen times. During biblical times, culture used the term to show a man was known as son of man (Name of man, son of Name-of-the-father). In the Old Testament, son of man was reference 107 times, meaning me or people themselves. In Daniel 7:13, the term takes on apocalyptic meaning or prophecy of Jesus.

In the Gospel of Mark, son of man can be categorized as either:

Present activity of Jesus

Sufferings of Jesus

Future Vindication

Listen to Mark explain the significance of Jesus as the Son of Man. We want to see Jesus, so we can praise Him, and follow Him.

Mark continued with the series, Snapshots of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. This week’s topic was “How Do You See Jesus?” Mark had three lenses for us to grasp:

1. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God.

2. Jesus in the midst of spiritual warfare. Jesus came to destroy evil.

3. Don’t miss Him. Have faith and trust in The Son of God.

Listen to Mark teach on how to see Jesus beyond His role as our Lord and Savior. He is the holy One of God, the One who makes us clean.

Mark joined with Dr. Michael Lloyd, the Principal of Wycliffe Hall at the University of Oxford in England, who is a specialist in all things evil and suffering. Mark and Dr. Lloyd discussed the three most historically prominent views from a Christian philosophical perspective on suffering and evil.

1. Instrumental in that God allows things to happen to bring good
2. Inevitable in our world where satan dwells
3. God is inimical. He hates suffering and evil. This is what Dr Lloyd believes.

Listen to Mark and Dr. Lloyd review various Scripture passages about the issue of suffering and evil, God’s character, the various degrees of suffering, and how we are personally affected.

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