Rethinking Scripture

In this episode we’re in the first 12 verses of Matthew 3. It’s a deep dive into John the Baptist’s ministry and no matter how familiar you think you are with this New Testament character, I guarantee we’re going to discuss several things you’ve never… ever considered.

The story of Jesus’ birth has become more than familiar to many. But even after hearing it year after year during the holiday season, there are still elements we may be missing. In this episode, we’ll focus in on some of the finer details you may have never considered regarding how this story was written.

Mathew begins his gospel with a long list of names… and it’s a list you may be tempted to skip over just to move more quickly to the story of Jesus’ birth… but the birth story really begins with the list of names. It’s a list which includes, among other things, sexual scandal, and the stories of five faithful women.

I’ve always thought most of scripture was inspired… I mean, let’s be honest, those long lists of names in the genealogies, somebody must have snuck those in after the final edits. If that’s what you’ve always thought, get ready, because today’s episode is going to flip your script.

In the movie the Princess Bride, there is a battle of the wits between two characters, Vizzini, a “Sicilian man of genius,” and the main character Westley. For those who have seen it, you know it’s a great example of the old Switcharoony, which suggests a surprising change or reversal has taken place. Well... the gospel of Matthew is full of surprising and unexpected reversals. In today’s episode we’ll introduce the gospel and give some examples of how you’ve probably been misreading it for years.

Some of you have contacted me asking if I’m ok. Yes… everything’s good. I just took the last few months off from producing podcasts. That’s all…

For those of you listening in real time… you realize I’ve been absent the last few months. And the beauty being on a podcast means that for many of you… this will just simply be Episode 85… the one that follows Episode 84. In this episode I discuss the War in Israel and I discuss my new projects for the new year.

In an attempt to better understand the signs of the new covenant, baptism and communion, we jump into 1 Corinthians 10 and consider the significance of Paul’s instruction about baptism and communion as displayed in the story of the exodus from Egypt. I bet you haven’t had anyone walk you through what happens in this episode.

Weddings are a big deal. I’m always amazed at the many details that go into such events. It usually takes months to properly plan and execute a modern wedding ceremony. But one doesn’t actually need that much time. There’s really only a few things needed for two people to get married. In today’s episode, we’ll take a closer look at the Biblical wedding metaphor and ask if, in our modern day rendition, we’re maybe unintentionally creating shotgun wedding scenarios with Jesus… where forget to bring the engagement ring.

In this episode I welcome Dr. John H. Walton to the podcast to answer several questions posed by members of "The John H. Walton Discussion Group" on Facebook.

Dr. Walton is a scholar and was, until just recently, a professor. He recently retired from his position as professor of Old Testament and coordinator of the Masters of Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton College in Illinois. Before Wheaton He taught at Moody Bible Institute for 20 years. He specializes in the Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds of the Old Testament. Throughout his research, Walton has focused his attention on comparing the culture and literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East. He has published dozens of books, articles and translations, both as writer and editor, including his popular book, The Lost World of Genesis One.

I grew up listening to School House Rock. I know that dates me a little… but I suspect with the internet and all… there are many in every generation that are familiar with songs like Interjections, I’m Just a Bill, and Conjunction Junction. These songs were formative during my development years. It was during those years that I also learned that the number three… well... there’s something about that number that’s magic. In today’s episode we’ll look into the significance of the number three, both culturally and biblically.