The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary

Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians share a name, but they carry very different moods. In this episode of The Bible in a Year, hosts Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Jennifer Wojciechowski welcome Dr. Matt Skinner, professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary. Together they explore 1 Thessalonians, likely the oldest surviving piece of Christian literature. Here Paul is at his most tender. He gives thanks twice, compares himself to a nurse caring for children, and teaches a struggling church how to grieve with hope.

Then the tone shifts. 2 Thessalonians warns against wild speculation about the day of the Lord and names a mysterious lawless one. It also speaks openly about retribution, raising real questions about its setting and purpose. Matt unpacks holiness, gratitude, and why the promise of Jesus’ return is meant to encourage, not terrify. He also offers a seven-word summary of each Thessalonians letter that captures the contrast perfectly.

• Enter the Bible - Podcasts, maps, commentaries, and courses. Matt notes he has written more on 1 and 2 Thessalonians there, including the return of Jesus passage in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5
• The Bible in a Year podcast - Galatians episode, referenced as an upcoming conversation.
• Inferno work by Dante - Cited as a major source of popular images of hell and afterlife punishment.

What does it mean to say Jesus Christ is Lord of all? In this episode of The Bible in a Year, Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker talks with Rev. Dr. Elisabeth Johnson about the book of Colossians. This short letter was written to a church in Colossae, a wealthy city in Asia Minor. There, mystery religions promised salvation through secret rites and hidden knowledge. The book of Colossians responds with a mystery open to everyone: Christ, in whom all things hold together.

Elisabeth explains why scholars debate whether Paul wrote the letter and how it shaped the book of Ephesians. She also walks through key passages, including the Christ hymn in Colossians 1:15-20. In addition, she addresses the household codes and their historical context. Finally, she shows why the book of Colossians still matters today. Its vision of Christ at the center of creation calls the church to care for the whole world God loves.

In this episode of The Bible in a Year, Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Jennifer Wojciechowski welcome New Testament scholar Dr. F. Scott Spencer to explore the book of Philippians. Paul wrote this short letter from prison to a beloved congregation in a Roman colony. It is both a prison letter and a heartfelt thank you note. Scott explains why Paul’s “secret of life” is no self-help formula. Instead, it is a living relationship with Christ, summed up in Philippians 1:21: “For to me, living is Christ.”

Scott also plays Bible Bingo with koinonia, grateful joy, longing, salvation, and the messenger Epaphroditus. He walks through the Christ hymn in Philippians 2 and beloved verses on peace and strength. He shares how the book of Philippians has carried him through a lifelong struggle with anxiety. Finally, he reflects on “thin places,” where the boundary between heaven and earth grows thin. Join us to discover why this letter still speaks with such power today.

In this episode of The Bible in a Year, Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson returns to explore the book of Ephesians. She calls it an album of covers of the Apostle Paul’s greatest hits. Sarah takes on the authorship question directly. Who wrote Ephesians, and was it even sent to Ephesus? She explains why ancient writers often wrote in a beloved teacher’s name. Then she gives a quick Ephesians summary and offers a fresh reading of the hard passages in chapters 5 and 6.

Along the way, Sarah plays Bible Bingo with Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Katie Langston. Her words are one, plan, grace, mystery, and love. She shows why Ephesians may be the Bible’s true love letter. She also highlights a surprising theme in the book of Ephesians: the ascension of Christ. Finally, she makes the case that Ephesians is the first Trinitarian writing. Whether you’re new to Scripture or rereading an old favorite, this conversation will deepen your reading.

Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson joins Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Rev. Katie Langston to unpack Paul's fiery letter to the Galatians and why so much is at stake.

Galatians is not the first smackdown between Judaism and Christianity. It's a detonation of every human effort to get right with God. Sarah walks through the big tensions in Galatians: flesh and spirit, freedom and slavery, faith and works of the law, "I" and Christ, and circumcision and uncircumcision. Along the way, she explains what Paul really means by justification, why Martin Luther loved Galatians like his own wife, and what the "marks of Jesus" on Paul's body might be.

Whether you're new to the Bible or an old hand, this Galatians Bible study will leave you feeling gloriously undone.

Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in York, Pennsylvania, and host of the Queen of the Sciences podcast. Her recent books include Seven Ways of Looking at the Transfiguration and Forty Facets of the Ascension.

The Book of 2 Corinthians can feel disorganized and emotionally jarring, but Dr. Lois E. Malcolm argues it may be the letter our era needs most. Joining hosts Dr. Kristofer Phan Coffman and Dr. Jennie Wojciechowski, Malcolm explores the book's two-part structure: Paul's proclamation of the gospel through his suffering body, and the holiness that gospel creates in our relationships, wealth, and power. She explains what it means to carry the death of Jesus so his life is revealed in us, how 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 5:17 reshape the way we see one another, and why a culture chasing wisdom, wealth, and power needs Paul's message of reconciliation.

Dr. Lois E. Malcolm teaches systematic theology at Luther Seminary, where she has taught since 1994. Her forthcoming theological commentary on 2 Corinthians will be published as part of the Belief series.

Find more resources at enterthebible.org.

Seven-Word Summary:

The Pathos and Consolations of the Messiah

Scripture References:

• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• 2 Corinthians 4:10-11
• 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
• Galatians 3:28
• Jeremiah 9:23-24

References:

Books by Lois Malcolm:

• God, The Westminster Collection of Sources of Christian Theology, ed. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)
• Holy Spirit: Creative Life and Power (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2009)
• Second Corinthians, Belief Theological Commentary Series (Louisville, KY:
• Westminster John Knox, 2027, forthcoming)
• The Holy Spirit’s Generative Grammar, Cascade Series: Reconstruction in Lutheran Doctrinal Theology (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2027, forthcoming)

Excerpt/Meta Description (100 characters):

Lois Malcolm unpacks 2 Corinthians: Christ's presence in suffering and a message of reconciliation.

If you want to see someone else's church coming apart at the seams, read 1 Corinthians. In this episode of The Bible in a Year, Rev. Dr. Mary Hinkle Shore joins Rev. Katie Langston and Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker to explore Paul's letter to a small urban congregation in Corinth. The church was likely no bigger than a courtyard gathering. Yet its members were deeply divided by factions, social class, and competing claims to knowledge and spiritual gifts.

Mary walks through the heart of 1 Corinthians, from Paul's focus on Christ crucified to the Lord's Supper, the difficult passages about women, and the love chapter. She explains why Paul keeps drawing the Corinthians back to what unites them: the crucified and risen Lord, drawing people together through the Spirit. It is a timely word for a divided church and culture. Mary also shares where she finds her own story in the letter and offers a seven-word summary borrowed from a 1960s song.

In this episode of The Bible in a Year, hosts Katie Langston and Kathryn Schifferdecker sit down with Dr. Jenny Pietz, Associate Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, to explore justification by faith in Romans. Dr. Pietz walks through the letter's historical context, its thesis in Romans 1:16-17, and how Paul's core message of the gospel unites Jews and Gentiles as one body in Christ. The conversation also touches on Paul's likely reasons for writing to a church he had never visited, and how his own life and eventual martyrdom underscore the stakes of the gospel he proclaimed.

The discussion moves through some of Romans' most memorable passages, including chapter 8's assurance that nothing can separate believers from the love of God, and Romans 12's call to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. Dr. Pietz also highlights the influence of Romans on Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, and points to women named in the letter — including Phoebe and Junia — as early evidence of women in gospel ministry. Whether you are new to Paul's letters or returning to Romans again, this episode offers a rich, accessible entry point into one of the most theologically significant books in the New Testament.

This episode offers a Book of Acts summary and overview featuring Dr. F. Scott Spencer, New Testament general editor for the SBL Study Bible. Hosts Jennie Wojciechowski and Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker welcome Dr. Spencer to discuss the structure, genre, and major themes of Acts. He traces the gospel's expansion from Jerusalem to Rome using the geographic outline in Acts 1:8, and describes the book as a historical narrative of faith. The conversation also explores the meaning of "the Way," or hodos in Greek, and the significance of the word unhinderedly, which closes the book.

Dr. Spencer shares the striking story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, reflects on how the Book of Acts shaped his own faith during 2020, and joins the hosts for a round of Bible Bingo. He closes with a seven word summary of Acts: "Amazing journey of God's free spirit." Listeners will come away with a richer Book of Acts summary and a renewed sense of how this book speaks to openness, growth, and the movement of the Spirit today.

In this episode, we explore an overview of the Gospel of John with Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis, the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary. She walks us through the book's clear structure, from the prologue in John 1 to the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. Along the way, she highlights the seven signs, the farewell discourse, and the resurrection appearances. Most importantly, she shows how each piece points to one central message: Jesus invites us into an intimate, mutual relationship with God.

We also play a round of Bible Bingo, digging into key words like abide (meno), along with figures such as Lazarus, the beloved disciple, and the Good Shepherd. Dr. Lewis unpacks well known verses including John 3:16 and John 1:14, plus the story of the woman at the well, one of her favorite passages in all of scripture. Ultimately, she reminds us that faith in John's gospel is not about having all the answers. Instead, it is about relationship, witness, and testimony. Join us as we enter the Gospel of John with curiosity and faith.