Does the Bible say THAT?!?

On this special episode, host Dave Lester discusses the problem of evil called the nastiest question that theists have to deal with. He talks about how the problem of evil is philosophically formulated, how people of faith respond to the challenge of theodicy and ends talking with Terrence Malick's all-encompassing spiritual vision of life in his film, "The Tree of Life."

Sources for this episode:

*Questions that Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy by Ed L. Miller

*"Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" by David Hume

*"God, Freedom and Evil" by Alvin Plantinga

*"Process Theology" (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/process-theology/) by John S. Feinberg

*"Process and Reality" by Alfred North Whitehead

*"Face of the Deep: A Theology of Becoming" by Dr. Catherine Keller

*The Problem of Pain by CS Lewis

*"The Blink of a Life, Enclosed by Time and Space" (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-tree-of-life-2011) by Roger Ebert

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

On this episode, Dave tackles a big, long genealogy in Genesis chapter 5. Lots of names. Lots of begetting. From Adam to Noah, Dave unpacks the passage and dives into two major questions: how did people in the Bible live so long (900+ years in most cases in this chapter)? Also, are there gaps or holes in the genealogy?

Sources:

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H. Walton, Victor H Matthews & Mark W. Chavalas

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey by Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer

*When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties By Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe

*Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? Three Views on the Bible's Earliest Chapters by James K Hoffmeier, Gordon J Wenham, and Kenton L Sparks

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

The start of genealogies in Genesis. Cain gets a wife, has a son and builds a city. His lineage adds culture to the city with more expansive shepherding (perhaps animal domestication), music and arts and metalworking. Finally, there are dueling genealogies between Cain's offspring and the children of Seth (Adam and Eve's third recorded son). Plus what is up with polygamy?

Sources:

*Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C Gafney

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H. Walton, Victor H Matthews & Mark W. Chavalas

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

The first murder in the Bible! The tragic account of Cain and Abel and the unfolding drama east of Eden. Plus, where did Cain get his wife? All of this and more on this episode of Does the Bible Say THAT?!? with David Lester.

Sources for this episode:

*"The Mark of Cain: Marked for Death. Marked for Life" Womanists Wading in the Word by Dr. Wil Gafney. https://www.wilgafney.com/2021/04/25/markofcain/

*Come Out My People! God's Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond by Wes Howard-Brook

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H. Walton, Victor H Matthews & Mark W. Chavalas

*From Creation to the Cross: Understanding the First Half of the Bible by Albert H. Baylis

*The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say About Human Origins by Peter Enns

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

Dave unpacks the curse delivered to Adam and Eve and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. Trouble in paradise. And what does it mean for God to be walking in the cool of the day?

Sources for this episode:

*Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne by Wilda C. Gafney

*Come Out My People! God's Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond by Wes Howard-Brook

*Man and Woman, One in Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Paul's Letters by Philip B. Payne

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe

*She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse by Elizabeth A. Johnson

*The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr

*The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H. Walton, Victor H Matthews & Mark W. Chavalas

*The Kingdom of Children: A Liberation Theology by R. L. Stollar

*The Challenge of Liberation Theology: A First World Response by L. Dale Richesin

*"The Truth About Pain in Childbearing" The Gospel Coalition by Jen Wilkin (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-truth-about-pain-in-childbearing/)

*"Why Do So Many Black Women Die in Pregnancy? One Reason: Doctors Don't Take Them Seriously" AP News by Kat Stafford

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

The Fall of Humanity, the serpent's deception of Adam and Eve and an analysis of if Adam and Eve were historical people on this episode of "Does the Bible Say THAT?!?"

Sources for this episode:

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*The New Interpreter's Bible: Acts; Introduction to Epistolary Literature; Romans; 1 Corinthians 10 by Robert W Wall, J. Paul Sampley, N.T. Wright

*Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? Three Views on the Bible’s Earliest Chapters by James K Hoffmeier, Gordon J. Wenham and Kenton L. Sparks

*Logos.com: "Tremper Longman Responds to Justin Taylor on the Historicity of Adam by Tremper Longman III. https://www.logos.com/grow/tremper-longman-responds-to-justin-taylor-on-the-historicity-of-adam/)

*The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H Walton, Victor H Matthews and Mark W Chavalas 

*The Knowledge of Good and Evil as the Knowledge for Administering Reward and Punishment by Nathan French

*Rediscover the Bible Or Discover It for the First Time by Michael Pickard

*Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson

*And the Leaves of the Tree are for the Healing of the Nations: Biblical and Theological Foundations for Eco-Justice by Carol Johnston

*Confessions by Augustine of Hippo

*A Treatise on the Grace of Christ and On Original Sin by Augustine of Hippo

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

in this special episode, Dave Lester offers a community prayer that he prayed on 10/08/2023 at his Presbyterian Church USA congregation that his family attends. Pray for peace.

In this episode, Dave Lester talks about the two creation accounts (Genesis 1 and Genesis 2) and how to think about them. He also dives deep into the text of Genesis chapter 2 discussing the Garden of Eden, the tree of Life, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the formation of Adam and Eve.

Sources consulted for this episode:

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*Biologos article: "What is the Relationship Between the Creation Accounts in Genesis 1 and 2?" by J. Richard Middleton. https://biologos.org/articles/what-is-the-relationship-between-the-creation-accounts-in-genesis-1-and-2

*Biologos article: "Israel's Two Creation Stories" by Pete Enns. https://biologos.org/articles/israels-two-creation-stories

*Reading Genesis 1-2: An Evangelical Conversation edited by J. Daryl Charles

*When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe

*Religion News Service article: "Breath, the Divine Metaphor, Becomes a Hallmark of America's Twin Crises" by Holly Lebowitz Rossi. https://religionnews.com/2020/07/08/breath-the-divine-metaphor/

*The Cosmology of Ancient Egypt by JM Plumley

*Biblical Archaeology Society article: "The Adam and Eve Story: Eve Came from Where?" by Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

*Marriage in the Bible: What Do the Texts Say by Dr. Jennifer Bird. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538121054/Marriage-in-the-Bible-What-Do-the-Texts-Say

*The New Evangelicals Podcast: Tim Whitaker interviews Dr. Jennifer Bird. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/143-why-you-dont-want-a-biblical-marriage-jennifer-bird/id1557794865?i=1000614196039

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

Host David Lester walks through the remainder of the creation account starting with Day 5 and closing out with God resting (the establishment of a Sabbath day). Dave also shares ideas that he is thinking about after studying and walking through the Bible's first passage.

Sources for this episode:

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*Learning to Speak God From Scratch: Why Sacred Words Are Vanishing- and How We Can Revive Them by Jonathan Merritt

*The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible by Dr. Michael Heiser

*BioLogos article: "What does "Image of God" Mean? by Pete Enns https://biologos.org/articles/what-does-image-of-god-mean

*The Weight of Glory by CS Lewis

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong

On this episode, Dave gets to walking through a Bible passage- the first chapter of the book of Genesis! The Creation account! Also discussed is the culture war baggage that has been applied to Genesis in the 20th and 21st century American culture wars. The first 4 days of the creation account are explored, as far as what the verses say and what they mean, with part 2 (coming next episode) exploring the rest.

Sources for this episode:

*The National Center for Science Education: https://ncse.ngo/young-earth-creationism

*On the Origin of the Species: By Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin

*Creation and the Modern Christian by Henry M Morris

*The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications by Henry M. Morris and John C. Whitcomb

*Answers in Genesis website: https://answersingenesis.org/

*Creation Museum website: https://creationmuseum.org/

*Institute for Creation Research website: https://www.icr.org/

*Encountering the Old Testament by Bill T Arnold and Bryan E Beyer

*Commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman

*Face of the Deep: A Theology of Becoming by Dr. Catherine Keller

*The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis by Dr. John Walton

*Word Biblical Commentary: Genesis 1-15 by Gordon J. Wenham

*Website: https://www.christianity.com/

*"The First Four Days of Genesis in Concordist Theory and in Biblical Context” Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith by P. Seely

*On First Principles by Origen

*The Literal Meaning of Genesis by Augustine (https://www.worldhistory.org/article/91/st-augustine-from-the-literal-meaning-of-genesis/)

Opening Music: Struttin With Some Barbeque by Louis Armstrong