Was Eden ever the perfect paradise we imagine? Exploring J. Harvey Walton’s groundbreaking dissertation on Genesis 2–4. Walton challenges the familiar Eden–Fall–Redemption narrative, arguing that the text’s original audience didn’t see a perfect paradise shattered by sin, but a fragile, unfinished order constantly threatened by chaos and evil.

We unpack:

Along the way, Carey offers her own insights, engages early church perspectives, and asks what this reframing means for our understanding of the gospel.     

On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan

Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  

Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

In this special episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey shares the heart and vision behind her new online community—On This Rock—a distraction-free space for deep Bible study, discipleship, and ministry growth. From the biblical inspiration in Matthew 16 to the practical ways members can connect, learn, and serve together, Carey invites you into a global conversation that’s Christ-centered, Scripture-drenched, Spirit-led, and community-shaped.

Whether you’re passionate about the Divine Council Worldview, eager to explore the Bible in its original context, or simply looking for a place to grow in faith alongside others, this is your invitation to join a movement where theology meets life.

Links & Resources:

Website: genesismarksthespot.com     

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan

Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  

Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

Did female Nephilim exist? It's a fascinating question—and one that seems straightforward from a modern lens. But this episode takes you deep into the symbolic, theological, and cultural frameworks of the ancient world to explore why the biblical narrative omits female Nephilim entirely.

Unpack the logic of Genesis 6 through the lens of biblical theology, cultural anthropology, ancient gender norms, and frame semantics. You'll also explore the significance of “gibborim,” the role of the queen mother in Israelite tradition, ancient conceptions of reproduction, and why projecting modern biological assumptions onto Genesis may distort what the text is affirming.

This episode loops in Walton’s concepts of “referent and affirmation” and gives bonus insight into the conquest narratives, giant clans, and the enduring theological danger of false worship—whether it comes from the sword or the seduction of idolatry.

Are queen mothers the female counterpart to the gibborim?
⚔️ Why is violence—not biology—the defining symbol of Nephilim identity?
What does this all mean for how we read Genesis today?

A thoughtful, bold, and theologically grounded journey through ancient texts and modern assumptions.

On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan

Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  

Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

What if the Bible talks about things it doesn’t actually affirm? That’s the question John and J. Harvey Walton explore in their referent/affirmation hermeneutic—a method that seeks to distinguish between what Scripture uses culturally and what it teaches theologically.

In this content-heavy episode, we dig deep into the Waltons' approach, explore strengths and critiques (especially in relation to canonical reading and supernatural conflict), and propose ways to integrate their work into a more theological, Christ-centered, and canonically-aware method of reading.

We’ll examine where this model helps (especially with ancient Near Eastern context), where it struggles (like with canonical coherence and spiritual conflict), and how it interacts with voices like Michael Heiser. Along the way, we’ll ask the hard questions:

If you’ve wrestled with how the Bible speaks of firmaments, spirits, demons, cosmic powers—or just how to read your Bible with both eyes open—this episode is for you.

On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan

Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  

Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

Venturing deep into the world of biblical interpretation—exploring the methods that shape how we read Scripture, how we understand righteousness, holiness, and obedience, and why John Walton's work continues to spark both admiration and controversy.

We’ll survey key interpretive methodologies: literalist, historical-grammatical, canonical, literary-narrative, historical-critical, and the socio-cultural ancient Near Eastern approach. Then, we dive headfirst into the power of frame semantics—a tool that challenges modern assumptions and re-centers our understanding around ancient biblical worldviews.

Topics covered:

Mentioned Resources:

Whether you're a seminarian, a Sunday school teacher, or just someone who wants to understand the Bible on its own terms, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Also, join my new Biblical Theology Community!  Find it here: on-this-rock.com
“On This Rock” Biblical Theology Community  

This episode of Genesis Marks the Spot centers on an example of biblical theology, reframing how we understand law—not as rigid legislation, but as wisdom anchored in covenant relationship. Drawing from The Lost World of the Torah by John Walton and J. Harvey Walton, Carey challenges modern assumptions about law, obedience, and divine command theory, while weaving in reflections on context, tradition, and the role of interpretation in the church.

Why does it matter how we define “law”? What does Torah as wisdom mean for our modern theological frameworks? And how can covenant thinking reshape our understanding of justice, purity, and faithfulness?

Carey doesn’t shy away from the complexities—she explores the intersection of Scripture, culture, and context with clarity and conviction. If you’ve ever wrestled with the law/grace debate or wondered how ancient covenants connect with contemporary discipleship, this episode is for you.

Plus, Carey shares details about an exciting new community platform for deeper study, discussion, and collaboration in biblical theology. Don’t miss it!

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan

Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  

Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan

This illuminating episode of Genesis Marks the Spot dives deep into the nature of biblical law—just in time for the Fourth of July. What is law, really? Is the Torah a legislative code or a curated teaching tool for ethical formation? Drawing from Michael LeFebvre’s scholarly work Collections, Codes, and Torah, Carey unpacks how law functioned in the ancient world and how it evolved into what many of us assume today.

From ancient Near Eastern ox-goring laws to the reforms of Josiah and the philosophical pressures of Hellenistic thought, walk through a legal labyrinth to uncover a surprising alignment between Torah and Jesus’ teachings. Was the Torah meant to be prescriptive legislation—or something more dynamic?

This episode sets the stage for an upcoming conversation on J. Harvey Walton’s thesis and what it means to read Genesis 2–3 without modern legal baggage. Spoiler alert: It may change the way you think about sin, covenant, and civilization itself.

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

Walk through the ancient Near Eastern background of biblical covenants to arrive at the archetypal Sinai covenant.  Picking up where Episode 132 left off, Carey explores the formal elements of Late Bronze Age treaties and how they echo within the biblical text—especially in the Ten Commandments.

Through historical, grammatical, and theological analysis, Carey challenges modern assumptions about covenantal law, explores the dynamic interplay between law and grace, and examines how the Sinai covenant shaped Israel's identity.  Are biblical covenants commands, ideals, or something even richer?

Also included are reflections on Abraham’s covenant, the significance of covenant ratification, and a glimpse into upcoming discussions on circumcision, purification, and baptism.

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

In this episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, Carey takes listeners beyond prooftexts and into the deep structure of biblical meaning by asking: What kind of thing is a covenant? Drawing from ancient Near Eastern treaty forms, the episode explores how covenantal frames shape not only Genesis but also our understanding of baptism, representation, and the sacramental life.   

This isn’t a systematics lecture or a typology sweep—it’s a frame-based investigation that pulls together Bronze Age political rituals, Reformed theology, and embodied covenant signs. Along the way, Carey untangles the difference between representation and substitution, explains why oaths are more than legalities, and opens the door to show how Genesis 2 might be less about a covenant of works and more about a narrative trajectory toward covenant presence…though we still have some work to fully flesh that out, so stay tuned!   

Whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or a curious reader of Scripture, this episode will help you see “covenant” not as a theological label, but as a deeply embedded pattern of divine-human encounter.   

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan 

What connects wine, wrath, baptism, and the flood? This powerful bridge episode toes out into the deep waters of systematic theology that will lead to biblical theology in order to explore how God's covenantal signs—from the cup to the flood—shape a story of transformation.  

The conversation sets up how creation, judgment, and restoration are tied together in symbols like water, wine, and blood, but first, a look into how we think about these using a more modern theological lens.  Why and how is the topic of covenant such contested theological ground?  Seeing this will help us step into more daring theology…theology that sees what Scripture sees.

Along the way, we’ll look at:

Whether you’re a longtime student of covenant theology or new to the conversation, this episode invites you to reflect on theology and bridging the gaps it might contain.

Website: genesismarksthespot.com   

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot   

Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan
Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/  
Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan