Prayer is one of the most crucial parts of the entire Christian experience, offering an opportunity to connect with God, connect with others, and to make a difference in our world. But if God is perfectly good and perfectly loving, what difference do our petitionary prayers actually make?

In this episode, Joel speaks with philospher Dr. Isaac Choi and theologian Dr. Thomas Jay Oord about the puzzle of petitionary prayer, open relational theology, and collaborative nature of the Biblical narrative.

NEXT STEPS:

Read Dr. Choi’s article “Is Petitionary Prayer Superfluous?”

Read Dr. Oord’s book God Can’t: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils

Other books by Oord:

Questions and Answers for God Can't

Open and Relational Theology

Other helpful resources on prayer:

Richard Foster: Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home

Tim Keller: Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

Scott Davison: Petitionary Prayer: A Philosophical Investigation

Matthew 7:21-23

Christians often pride ourselves on our “assurance of faith,” but there are passages where Jesus seems to call that notion into question. If people who performed miracles and wrote prophecies aren’t able to get into heaven, what does that mean for the rest of us?

In this episode, Joel works through the larger themes of the Sermon on the Mount with Dr. Jonathan Pennington to better understand what Jesus really means when he says “depart from me; I never knew you.”

NEXT STEPS:

Read Dr. Pennington’s book: The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing.

Check out the resources on JonathanPennington.com.

OTHER RESOURCES:

BibleProject’s explainer videos on the Sermon on the Mount.

They also have a podcast series that goes further in depth.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking HERE

While it may sound like a joke, the story of a prophet sending bears to murder a group of teens is really in the Bible, and is really disturbing. Elisha curses the boys to death after they make fun of his bald head for seemingly no reason, making this story one of the most bizarre and uncomfortable scenes in the Bible. Is this really as petty of a move as it seems?

In this episode, Joel sits down with biblical scholar Dr. Brian Irwin to discus his article “The Curious Incident of the Boys and the Bears.” During their conversation, they explore the context surrounding 2 Kings 2, the function of covenant curses, and the secret meaning hiding in this violent story.

NEXT STEPS:

Read Dr. Brian’s article: The Curious Incident of the Boys and the Bears: 2 Kings 2 and the Prophetic Authority of Elisha

Read Leviticus 26 and highlight important words. Then, refer back to that list as you read other passages and see how they connect back to those blessings and curses.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Read Dr. Irwin’s new book, After Dispensationalism: Reading the Bible for the End of the World

1 & 2 Kings: An Introduction And Survey (Apollos Old Testament Commentary)

More episodes about violent passages in the Bible:

Does God Command Genocide?

Does God Plan for us to Suffer?

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

The Psalms are often used as a quick stopping point for when people need a quick word of encouragement, but the poems you find there are often much deeper than we realize.

In this episode, Joel speaks on how studying chapters like Psalms 147 can be in itself an act of worship.

Resources:

Psalms 73-150 (Kidner Classic Commentaries)

The Book of Psalms (New International Commentary on the Old Testament)

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Conversations surrounding the Bible’s opening pages have been completely overwhelmed with debates about creation versus evolution, creating a tense environment and alienating people on both sides of the cultural rift. are we destined to have this debate forever, or is there something we’re missing about Genesis 1-3?

Next Steps:

Read What Hath Darwin to Do with Scripture?

Use promo code IVPPOD25 for 25% off your order!

Other Resources:

The Henry Center - A collection of many scholars with a variety of views exploring how science and Scripture are connected and how both can lead to wisdom

BioLogos - An organization of theistic evolutionists with insightful articles about their often overlooked perspective

The Genealogical Adam and Eve by Joshua Swamidass - A unique perspective that is simultaneously evolutionist and fundamentalist

Bible Project Classroom: Adam to Noah - An in-depth dive into the wisdom of Gensis 2-6 that we can easily miss in our cultural debates.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Christians use verses about “the plans God has for us” as a way to encourage one another, but the full passages often tell much bleaker stories. How can we hope in God’s plan when it’s filled with so much suffering?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Bryan Beyer about the dark context of Jeremiah 29:11, how God delivers justice, and how we can have hope when we face unexpected evils.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Next Steps:

Check out Ezra Journey for courses, Bible studies, and devotionals exploring the Old Testament prophets and much more!

For more information or to donate, visit Sister2Sister’s website

In 2021, I had the chance to visit Purity Ruchugo, the founder of Sister2Sister International Outreach Ministry. The non-profit works to support women and children in Kenya through housing, feeding, and mentorship programs. In this conversation, Ms. Purity discusses her journey to the U.S., how the ministry became what it is today, and how she has stayed devoted to her mission all this time.

Reach Out:

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Church members are frequently told to use their spiritual gifts to bless others and glorify God, but 1 Timothy 2:8-15 seems to go out of its way to limit the acceptable roles women can take. Is this passage as regressive as it appears? Or is there important information we’ve missed in our surface level interpretation?

I sit down with Dr. Sandra Glahn, author of the recently released book Nobody’s Mother, in order to discover who Artemis of Ephesus was, how her cult impacted Paul’s writing, and what that means for how we read 1 Timothy today.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Read Dr. Glahn’s book: Nobody’s Mother

Use promo code IVPPOD25 at checkout for 25% off your purchase!

Other Resources:

Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians By Clinton Arnold

Ephesians and Artemis: The Cult of the Great Goddess of Ephesus as the Epistle's Context by Michael Immendorfer

Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts By Lucy Peppiatt

One of the core ideas in Christianity is Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves. However, the Bible is filled with violent, disturbing passages that seem to encourage tribal acts of genocide. How can a God of love also be a God of war?

In this episode, I discuss the bloodiest chapters of Joshua with Dr. Daniel Hawk to understand the historical context of these passages, how they were supposed to be read, and what we should do with these violent verses in the modern age.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Next Steps:

Read Dr. Hawk’s book: The Violence of the Biblical God

Learn more about the author

Christians are taught that humans are made in the Image of God from the first page in the Bible, but what does that actually mean? Is God just a big man in the sky, do we posses some sort of divine attribute that sets us a part from the animals, or is it something different entirely?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Carmen Imes, author of the book Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters. Together, we discuss how ancient Jewish audience made sense of this “Image,” why our identity is tied to physical creation, and what that means for the way we live our daily lives.

Got a Bible passage that's been bothering you? Send a message my way by clicking Here

Next Steps:

Read Dr. Carmen Imes book: Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters

Learn more about the author

Check out her Teaching Torah series on YouTube!

Other Resources:

The Bible and Disability: A Commentary