Podcast – The Bible Controversy

Continuing with Luke 2:41-3:6, Mark 1:1-6 and Matthew 3:1-6. What do we know about Jesus’s childhood?  Was he aware of the special nature of his birth?  What is the synoptic problem? Did Matthew and Luke use Mark as a source? What was John the Baptist’s mission?

We look this week at the birth narratives of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2:1-39. How did Matthew and Luke deal with the problem of a Jesus of Nazareth who was supposed to be born in Bethlehem?  What are the various views in Bible Scholarship on Jesus?  Do the mythicists have a case?  Did the Magi actually visit Jesus in Nazareth and not Bethlehem? Is there a way to reconcile the stories?

The story continues as we examine Matthew 1:18-23 and Luke 1:5-56.  Who were the Maccabees? How did Herod the Great come to power?  Does Malachi predict the coming of John the Baptist? Is Christianity just about “being like Jesus” or does it require belief in the “essential” doctrines?  Does Isaiah predict the virgin birth of Jesus or was this just a bad translation? What does this mean for the incarnation?

In this episode we continue the history of the period from the Exile to Christ.  This part of the genealogy of Jesus can be found in Matthew 1:12-16 and Luke 3:23-29.  Does the Davidic Royal Line just fade away or does it make a comeback?  Is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 – Jesus or the nation of Israel?  Is Daniel writing about the 2nd century BC or the 21st century AD?

This week we start our study of the period from the Exile to Christ.  We will be examining the wisdom literature of the bible with a focus on what it has to say about suffering. Is all suffering deserved?  Do we gain wisdom through suffering? Is the price too high to pay?

This week we will be looking at the monarchy from David to the Exile as provided in Matthew 1:6-12 and Luke 3:30-31.  Why do the genealogies of Matthew and Luke diverge?  Why did the Kingdom of Judah fall?  What hope is left?

In this episode we will be tracing the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to David as found in Matthew 1:2-6 and Luke 3:31-34.  How do we deal with the violence in the Old Testament?  What do we make of the conquest of Canaan? What about the Amalekites? Are these events even historical?

Starting the Genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:34-38 – we take a quick look at the first 11 chapters of Genesis.  Please leave a comment on biblecontroversy.wordpress.com. You can also reach me at [email protected].

In this episode we start with a comparison of Luke 1:1-4 and John 1:1-18.   Eternal Word of God or product of its time and place?

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