Martin Tanner's Religion Today

The name Israel was changed to "Palestine" as a cruel joke by a Roman Emperor in the second century AD. The Jewish people still lived there and continued to call the location Israel. The word "Palestine" means "Philistinia," which was land north of Israel occupied by the Philistines, the most notable of whom was Goliath, who was killed by David. The Philistines became extinct as a people in 604 BC when Babylon invaded Philistinia, north of Israel, and destroyed them.

Host Martin Tanner describes the near-death experiences of three people—Brad, Jacque, and Vicki—who were blind from birth but could see during their near-death experiences. Their descriptions were confirmed by medical personnel.

Tips for making Isaiah easy to read and understand.

Early Christians did not call themselves "Christians"; they called themselves followers of "The Way," meaning the way taught by Jesus. Host Martin Tanner shares the details.

The Gospels and other New Testament books say Jesus had brothers named James (the author of the book of James), Joseph, Jude (the author of the book of Jude), and Simon. The New Testament also mentions that Jesus had sisters. Jesus was one of at least seven siblings. Hear the details from Martin Tanner in this podcast.

Host Martin Tanner gives you a short introduction to the Apostle John, including his appearance, how he was viewed in Early Christianity, how he got his nickname from Jesus, and other details.

The Nephilim are fascinating. They are mentioned in Genesis 6, Jude and 2 Peter. The use of the word "renowned" or "mighty" seems to be a literal description, while "giants" seems to be hyperbole. Nevertheless, they are described as having extraordinary size, strength, or status, though the biblical texts provide only brief and ambiguous descriptions. In this podcast, host Martin Tanner cuts through the confusion and leaves with a clear idea of who the Nephilim were.

Why was Eve formed from Adam's rib? How can a snake be a deceiver in the Garden of Eden, and then be a savior in Numbers 21, when people who looked at a bronze snake were cured from snake bites? Did people really live over 900 years? Adam, Seth, Enosh, and Methuselah lived from 912 to 969, according to the Bible.

What is an angel? Are angels supernatural? What is their purpose? Martin Tanner answers these and other questions, and also explains why some angels are depicted in art and in the Bible as having wings.

Recorded in Luke 4:16-21 is Jesus' first proclamation that he is the Messiah. In this episode, host Martin Tanner explains why Jesus read Isaiah 61 from a Greek Bible, and why he stopped reading his quote in the middle of verse 2, mid-sentence. He also explains where the Greek Bible came from, and why it was used in Jewish Synagogues in the first century.