In this episode of the Outlaw God, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith continue their exploration of Psalm 51, focusing on David's confession that sin is not merely something we do but something that defines us apart from God's intervention. Paulson explains Luther's understanding of repentance as two distinct words preached from outside the sinner—the law, which exposes and kills, and the gospel, which forgives and raises to new life through absolution. The conversation highlights David as prophet, showing how God creates faith by joining the seemingly incompatible realities of a holy God and sinful humanity through the promise of the gospel.

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In this episode of Outlaw God, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith continue their exploration of Psalm 51, examining how David's encounter with Nathan reveals the difference between God as a mere judge and God as the Justifier who forgives sinners through the gospel. They argue that the law can only expose sin, punish wrongdoing, and attempt reform, while only God's absolving word can truly remove sin and create a new heart. Through David's prayer, "Have mercy on me, O God," the episode presents justification as God's complete and decisive act of forgiveness, accomplished apart from the law through the promise fulfilled in Christ.

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• 1517 Podcasts

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New Books from 1517 Publishing:

• By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

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In this episode of the Outlaw God podcast, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson explore Luther's understanding of being "Theodidact" — taught by God through the preaching of law and gospel rather than through inward spirituality or self-discovery. Using Psalm 51 and David's confrontation with Nathan after Bathsheba, they unpack how the law exposes humanity as completely sinful while the gospel creates an entirely new identity through God's mercy alone. The conversation centers on Luther's theological "summa": "God the Justifier, I the sinner," showing how true knowledge of God comes not through self-improvement, but through forgiveness spoken by God himself.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of the Outlaw God podcast, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith conclude their series on repentance by contrasting legal repentance with repentance rooted in the Gospel alone. Through Psalm 51, John the Baptist, and Luther's theology, Paulson explains how true repentance is not self-improvement or sacrifice, but a total death and resurrection brought entirely by the Word and the Holy Spirit. The conversation explores how God justifies sinners outside the law, why faith is created through promise rather than free will, and how baptism itself is a complete exorcism from the spirit of Satan into the life of the Holy Spirit.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of Outlaw God, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith examine Luther's teaching on Psalm 51 to contrast medieval "legal repentance" with true repentance. They explain how generations of Christians—and even modern secular culture—tend to treat repentance as self-improvement powered by human will, rather than recognizing original sin as unbelief that cannot be fixed by inner effort. The discussion shows how legal systems of repentance try to restore human willpower, while the gospel instead gives faith from outside the sinner through Christ's promise.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

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• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of the Outlaw God, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith continue their discussion of Psalm 51 by looking at repentance. Dr. Paulson explains how true repentance comes not through ritual cleansing or self-improvement, but through the Holy Spirit working through preaching to reveal original sin and deliver justification through the Gospel. The episode also connects repentance to baptism, critiques natural law approaches to morality, and previews Luther's challenge to the church's law-centered understanding of repentance.

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What's New from 1517:

• 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

• Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of Outlaw God, Dr. Steven Paulson and Caleb Keith discuss the evangelical doctrine of sin, contrasting it with medieval and modern approaches that define sin primarily as individual acts or failures of free will. Using Psalm 51 and David's encounter with the prophet Nathan, they explain how sin is truly revealed and forgiven not by the law or human effort, but through the external promise of the gospel. The conversation highlights Luther's insight that sin is ultimately unbelief, while faith itself is a gift created by God's Word that frees the sinner through mercy rather than merit.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

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• 1517 on Youtube

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• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

• Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of Outlaw God, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson continue their exploration of Psalm 51 by examining the question, "What is sin?" The conversation highlights how sin is not something humans can objectively analyze or fix through self-reflection, but is revealed when God's Word exposes the sinner and delivers mercy. Drawing on Luther's teaching, the episode contrasts repentance based on remembering individual sins with an evangelical understanding grounded in confession and absolution through preaching.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

• Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of the Outlaw God podcast, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson turn to Psalm 51 to explore sin, repentance, and the human will. Drawing on Luther's teaching, they show how David's confession comes after God's Word confronts him through the law and restores him through the gospel. The discussion emphasizes that repentance is not self-improvement but God's work of creating a new heart in the sinner. Psalm 51 is presented as a living prayer that teaches how God moves sinners from death to forgiveness.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

• Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson

In this episode of Outlaw God, Caleb Keith and Dr. Steven Paulson return to Moses in the cleft of the rock to clarify what Scripture means by the glory of God. Paulson explains how Luther learned to read the entire Bible through the distinction between Law and Gospel, showing that Moses was commanded to preach the Law while Christ Himself preached mercy to him. The discussion highlights how God's glory is not found in human ascent or mystical experience but in the preached Word of Christ that delivers grace apart from works. Ultimately, the episode reveals that the Old Testament centers on Christ's promise and proclamation, making Moses a recipient of the Gospel even as he served as the preacher of the Law.

Show Notes:

• Support 1517 Podcast Network

• 1517 Podcasts

• 1517 on Youtube

• 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts

• 1517 Events Schedule

• 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education

What's New from 1517:

• 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today

• Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith

• A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco

• Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann

• The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

• Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper

More from the hosts:

• Caleb Keith

• Steven Paulson