Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights

Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights

By Rob Christ | Inclusive ChristianityReligion & SpiritualityChristianitySpiritualityReligion
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Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights episodes

  • The Temple of the Heart: Bible Interpretation and Modern Christian Faith in Luke 21:5-8

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    Explore the importance of the temple in the biblical narrative and its impact on modern Christian faith in this episode of the Affirming Christianity Podcast. Discover how the temple's role shaped Judaism and how Jesus' prophetic words in Luke 21:5-8 reflect the spread of the Jesus movement beyond Jerusalem. As a Presbyterian USA minister committed to inclusive Christianity, we delve into how these themes challenge our views on orthodoxy, reform, and the spreading of the word. Join us for a thoughtful Bible interpretation that honors all voices within the faith and the ongoing journey of affirming Christianity today.

    #temple #oldtestament #newcovenant #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    38 min
  • Understanding Love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Affirming Christian Perspectives

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    Affirming Christianity invites us to explore the true meaning of love through the lens of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This episode unpacks how Bible interpretation of this key passage reveals the heart of an inclusive Christian spirituality that often contrasts with exclusive or manipulative understandings of love. We discuss the impact of gaslighting within the church and why this passage is pivotal for modern Christian faith and the affirmation of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Join us as we dive deep into understanding why love, central to both Scripture and affirming Christianity, is often misunderstood—and how embracing its full meaning can transform our ministry and personal spiritual growth.

    #love #lovenothate #lgbtq #inclusion #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    33 min
  • The Only Way Out is Through with Charmella Williams

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    Welcome to the Real Bible Rob podcast. I am delighted to welcome Charmella today. She speaks on TikTok about American history, religion, race, and politics in such an insightful way. What really caught my attention was her realism about our moment coupled with a sense of optimism. With all the terrifying changes we are going through, how can we see any of this change as good? With old and young alike pining for days that never were, can we grasp what's really happening. It's reckoning. Charmella said something that blew my mind, "The only way out is through." The reckoning is uncomfortable, but it's necessary. We have been avoiding for too long and we need to change. I've quoted Charmella in several sermons and a few podcasts. So I really wanted to speak with her here. 

    References:

    "People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil" by M. Scott Peck, 1985
    "A Peoples History of the United States" by Howard Zinn, 1980
    "The Third Reconstruction" by Rev. Dr. William Barber, 2016
    "Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision" by Dr. Randy Woodley, 2012


    #deconstruction #reconstruction #peopleshistory #journalism #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    55 min
  • The Jesusing of Hate, Luke 18:11 and 19:10

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    I have been shocked at how Jesus has been used in recent years to cover hate. I recently said, "The Jesusing of Charlie Kirk is neither about Jesus nor Charlie Kirk." His assassination and raising him to be a martyr is completely genuine for some and completely cynical for most. And we know this by how Christian nationalists have latched on to him. The casual use of Christianity to hurt people who aren't Christians, or even Christians of a certain type is very old. But it is shocking to see how this old tool of ignorance is pulled out as a weapon all the time. So why are Christians so mean nowadays and so willing to toss aside the principles of Jesus for the principles of power? I offer three parallels which are at once comforting and frightening. One is the Second Great Awakening and the massive rise of spirituality of the era. It was both the source of great good and tremendous harm. And it was a movement primarily based on fear, especially of slave rebellion and war. The next one is the Cold War in which there are so many parallels. Author Tom Nichols recently asked, "What happened to the fear of the apocalypse of nuclear war? The weapons are still there." Finally, I will talk again about Rapture. The rapture narrative and its popularity even though it is not biblical tells us everything about which Jesus we are following. 

    Tom Nichols article: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/10/kathryn-bigelow-house-of-dynamite/684569/

    #charliekirk #martyr #heathercoxrichardson #jesus #pharisee #taxcollector #zacchaeus #christiannationalism #revival #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    39 min
  • Spiritual Warfare is Non-Violent Resistance in Ephesians 6:5-17 and Hebrews 4:12

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    The "gospel of peace" in Ephesians 6:15: How can this sit in the midst of descriptions of weapons and warfare? This is the paradox of Spiritual Warfare. It is not against flesh and blood but it is against rulers and principalities. It is ideas over brute force. I go in and out of love for various scriptures. I spent years fighting against the terrible use of Ephesians 6, especially to support slavery, patriarchy and Christian Nationalism which are inextricably linked. But whenever this happens and I am compelled to do a deep dive into the scripture, I fall in love with it again. Ephesians 6 has done this for me once again. Submission of slaves in the household codes must be seen in the context of Spiritual Warfare. Slave uprisings were a huge fear in ancient Rome, with over 30% of the population being slaves. But insurrections always end bloody. Spiritual Warfare is akin to Civil Rights marches. Active, but non-violent. Good trouble as John Lewis said. The change in society that lasts. The warfare is for justice and peace, not with devils and end times. Paul spoke against the extinction of the movement. Recalls the temptation of Jesus for expediency and cheap grace. There is a lot of debate about the sword being an offensive or defensive weapon. Hebrews 4:12 may give us a clue.

    References:
    Sandra Glahn, "Nobody's Mother", 2023.
    Lynn Cohick, "Letter to the Ephesians (NICNT)", 2020.

    #spiritualwarfare #bible #sworddrills #civilrights #nonviolentresistance #resist #nokings #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    43 min
  • Don’t fear Satan: 1 Chronicles 21:1 & Job 1:5

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    The best antidote for a nightmare is to turn the lights on. When you screamed in the middle of the night, nothing was more comforting than mother coming in cradling you in her arms. We’ve been living with a 2400 year long nightmare of Satan and devils. It’s time to turn the lights on and dispel the myths that have propped up religious bullies for so long. Satan was a vague Hebrew word meaning Adversary but it didn’t take on a personality until it became The Satan in the Persian period and then happily lapped up by the New Testament writers with heavy Greek mythological influences. How did such a minor character in the Old Testament become a central character in the New Testament, especially in modern Christian churches? Is there evil in the world? Yes. Is there a hierarchy of evil beings tempting and tormenting you? No, they vanish when you flip the lights on. 

    #satan #lucifer #devil #hell #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    39 min
  • Rapture Abuse, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 & Acts 8:39

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    There's a common question among pastors: "What's the most unbiblical thing your congregation believes is biblical but isn't?" Some are quite funny, but I think the most harmful one is the Rapture. It is a theology developed by John Nelson Darby in 1833 based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the Greek word "harpazo." Modern dispensationalists (Darby's theology) claim harpazo proves the Rapture is true. I discuss the use of this word. I also discuss why Paul used the imagery of Jesus meeting people in the air in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. There is nothing that says this is about separating believers from non-believers, or the saved from the unsaved. That was entirely fabricated by mashing this verse with Matthew 24:40-41 and Revelation 20:4-6. I also discuss the great harm to civic life and the environment Rapture theology has done. It is the main source for Christian Zionism, anti-environmentalism, and anti-intellectualism in American evangelicalism. 

    #rapture #harpazo #endtimes #saved #unsaved #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    44 min
  • Evolution, Nature and the Bible

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    Einstein famously said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."  This is a topic I am comfortable with. Why? Because I studied Thermodynamics and Randomness in college and I have been pondering it ever since. If you know how these work in biology and nature, then you quickly realize that all the arguments of "Creation Science" are nonsense. Rather than debating point by point, which is pointless with creationists who are driven by ideology and not science, I discuss the scientific method and the faithful use of scripture. Someday we will find strong evidence of life on Mars or Europa or Enceladus and then we will be confronted with another milestone where human beings on Earth are not at the center of the universe. So discussing who God is and our relationship with faith must always face the reality of nature.

    Note: For my biochemistry friends, I did a pretty lousy job describing Gibbs energy. Please accept my apologies. 

    #evolution #genesis #lifeonearth #originoflife #science #thermodynamics #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    35 min
  • How the Buddha saved my faith in Jesus

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    One way to tell how people approach religion is to express your admiration for another belief. I certainly admire Judaism, not just in the way of supersession like more Christians, but as a way of getting to know God. Over the years I have become much more aware of Islam and more recently Hinduism. But none of these impacted me like getting to know more about Buddhism, through great authors and discussion. I can confidently say that the Buddha saved my faith in Jesus. This may be offensive to you or at least incongruous. For me it hasn't been a passing fad in open-mindedness, but it has rooted deeply, because there is no conflict between Buddhist thought and Christianity. Buddhism is not a theistic faith. Of course there are Buddhist who are theistic, but it is not a requirement as it is in Christianity. In this episode, I discuss how I came to understand this, how it challenged me in a way I needed it to and how I found compatibility and peace. I have always been ecumenically minded, but my experience has opened my heart to a deeper appreciation for the sharing of faiths. 

    References:
    Charlotte Joko Beck, "Nothing Special: Living Zen", 1993
    Pema Chödrön, "Comfortable with Uncertainty", 2003
    David Brazier, "The Feeling Buddha", 1997
    Thich Nhat Hanh, "Living Buddha, Living Christ", 1995

    #buddhism #christianity #zen #ecumenism #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    41 min
  • Through Her Eyes with Rev. Rebecca Craig

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    I'm excited to welcome Rev. Rebecca Craig to the Real Bible Rob podcast today! Rebecca is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, an Artist, and an Author. She has a terrific new book called "Through Her Eyes" telling the stories of women in the Bible in a creative new way. It gives a narrative of 26 different women from their perspective and then several insightful study questions for each. It's a fascinating approach to understanding their stories. 

    Reference:
    "Through Her Eyes: Biblical Women Speak" by Rebecca J. Craig, 2025.
    "Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the looking glass of narcissistic abuse" by Rebecca J. Craig, 2024.
    "Womanist Midrash, Vols 1 & 2" by Dr. Wilda C. Gafney, 2017 & 2024.
    "The Prophetic Imagination" by Walter Brueggemann, 2nd Ed. 2001

    #womeninministry #womenpastor #biblicalwomen #elca #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa

    55 min

About Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights

From the publisher's feed

Exploring Bible interpretation and modern Christian faith, I am a Presbyterian USA minister who interprets the Bible in all of its messy and varied voices. I teach and preach spiritual growth to…