The Bible Nerd Podcast

There is a huge misunderstanding about the nature of truth in popular Christian circles today.

Sadly, a lack of theological precision and the growth of apatheism have contributed greatly to this loss of truth. Many think truth doesn’t exist, and many think that it does but we could never know what it is!

These notions are both false.

So in this podcast we’re going to unpack a couple of quotes which serve to illiterate these views, and then bring some real clarity to this issue.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

The simple definition of truth and why it must be objective.

How and why an accurate understanding of reality is escaping even many Christian circles.

A look into the motivation behind these ideas and the biblical answer to them.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 081: (Part 1) “Your Truth” is Not a Thing appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Last week, we began discussing the importance of the pro-life argument, and how to understand the issue in simple terns.

The fact is that arguments for abortion are quite weak, and many stay out of the debate altogether for the fear that they are not well-enough educated on this issue.

In this final part of our miniseries, I’ll give a quick defense of the premises that make up the pro-life syllogism:

It’s morally wrong to take the life of an innocent human being without proper justification.

Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being without proper justification.

Therefore, abortion is morally wrong.

We’ll also talk about a few of the misleading/inaccurate terms that get thrown around in the abortion discussion. Ultimately, my prayer is that this short series leaves you feeling equipped to begin making the pro-life case.

While this doesn’t answer every question or dilemma, it will get you started on the right foot.

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 080: (Part 2) Fighting for the Unborn: The Pro-Life Case Explained appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Do you feel mystified by the abortion debate? Does it seem like the world is just devolving into insanity as you fight for what seems to be an obvious human right? Would you like to be able to articulate a defense for the defenseless unborn with clarity and grace?

If so, this podcast episode is for you.

As Christians, we understand that all human life is intrinsically valuable; that is, from the moment of conception/fertilization, a human baby is growing in the womb of his/her mother, and that human baby has vale in virtue of its humanity.

The best science we have today confirms this, and even our most basic moral intuition is that human life is valuable.

Nevertheless, this is a complicated issue, and it’s easy to become frustrated. And as I’ve written about recently, I’ve been there too.

In this series I am going to walk you through some thoughtful arguments which demonstrate the pro-life case. We’ll explain it in simple terms, and even try to work through the confusing terms, unclear arguments, and unrelated moral dilemmas that aim to distract from the simplicity of the pro-life case.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

Why we, as Christians, have a duty to stake our claim in this fight (and, it *is* a fight).

A formal argument that makes the pro-life case clear.

How an appeal to basic intuition can go a long way in this debate.

Mentioned in this lesson:

God, Teach Me to be Less Indifferent

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 079: (Part 1) Fighting for the Unborn: The Pro-Life Case Explained appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

A hot subject of evangelical study today is the relationship between Israel and her ancient Near Eastern neighbors.

There are numerous views on this issue. Some say no relationship, some say it’s a deep relationship that means the Bible is another useless myth, and scholars land nearly everywhere in-between. This is far from a settled issue in academia.

According to Currid, polemical theology is:

…the use by biblical writers of the thought forms and stories that were common in ancient Near Eastern culture, while filling them with radically new meaning…The biblical authors take well-known expressions and motifs from the ancient Near Eastern milieu and apply them to the person and work of Yahweh, and not to the other gods of the ancient world. Polemical theology rejects any encroachment of false gods into orthodox belief; there is an absolute intolerance of polytheism. Polemical theology is monotheistic to the very core…The primary purpose of polemical theology is to demonstrate emphatically and graphically the distinctions between the worldview of the Hebrews and the beliefs and practices of the rest of the ancient Near East.

It’s important to note that, in affirming this relationship, Currid does not deny the historicity of Genesis (or any of the Hebrew Bible). In fact, he believes polemical theology only serves to highlight the distinctness of Israel—in nearly every way possible.

While polemical theology cannot explain every facet of the relationship between Israel and her neighbors, it goes a long way toward better understanding it. And—if I may say, provides a wonderful new lens through which to view the Word of God.

I hope you’ll join me on part 3 of this journey! In this lesson we’ll briefly rehash what we talked about over the last few weeks, and look into the warranted extent to which polemical theology can be taken.

Hey—don’t forget to download this week’s free handout, The #1 Textual Reason to Think Jesus Thought Genesis was History.

==>Click here to download it now!<==

Enjoy the podcast!

Mentioned in this lesson:

Against the Gods

The Bible Among the Myths

TCA Lesson 022: Does John Walton Get Genesis Right?

TCA Lesson 030: Who Was Ancient Man?

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 078: (Part 3) A Primer on Polemical Theology appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

A hot subject of evangelical study today is the relationship between Israel and her ancient Near Eastern neighbors.

There are numerous views on this issue. Some say no relationship, some say it’s a deep relationship that means the Bible is another useless myth, and scholars land nearly everywhere in-between. This is far from a settled issue in academia.

One scholar, Dr. John Currid, has become known for highlighting an important aspect of this relationship—called “Polemical Theology.”

According to Currid, polemical theology is:

…the use by biblical writers of the thought forms and stories that were common in ancient Near Eastern culture, while filling them with radically new meaning…The biblical authors take well-known expressions and motifs from the ancient Near Eastern milieu and apply them to the person and work of Yahweh, and not to the other gods of the ancient world. Polemical theology rejects any encroachment of false gods into orthodox belief; there is an absolute intolerance of polytheism. Polemical theology is monotheistic to the very core…The primary purpose of polemical theology is to demonstrate emphatically and graphically the distinctions between the worldview of the Hebrews and the beliefs and practices of the rest of the ancient Near East.

It’s important to note that, in affirming this relationship, Currid does not deny the historicity of Genesis (or any of the Hebrew Bible). In fact, he believes polemical theology only serves to highlight the distinctness of Israel—in nearly every way possible.

While polemical theology cannot explain every facet of the relationship between Israel and her neighbors, it goes a long way toward better understanding it. And—if I may say, provides a wonderful new lens through which to view the Word of God.

I hope you’ll join me on part 2 of this journey! In this lesson we’ll briefly rehash what we talked about last week, and begin looking into some possible misuses of polemical theology we find growing in Christian circles.

Hey—don’t forget to download this week’s free handout, The #1 Textual Reason to Think Jesus Thought Genesis was History.

==>Click here to download it now!<==

Enjoy the podcast!

Mentioned in this lesson:

Against the Gods

The Bible Among the Myths

TCA Lesson 022: Does John Walton Get Genesis Right?

TCA Lesson 030: Who Was Ancient Man?

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 077: (Part 2) A Primer on Polemical Theology appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

A hot subject of evangelical study today is the relationship between Israel and her ancient Near Eastern neighbors.

There are numerous views on this issue. Some say no relationship, some say it’s a deep relationship that means the Bible is another useless myth, and scholars land nearly everywhere in-between. This is far from a settled issue in academia.

One scholar, Dr. John Currid, has become known for highlighting an important aspect of this relationship—called “Polemical Theology.”

According to Currid, polemical theology is:

…the use by biblical writers of the thought forms and stories that were common in ancient Near Eastern culture, while filling them with radically new meaning…The biblical authors take well-known expressions and motifs from the ancient Near Eastern milieu and apply them to the person and work of Yahweh, and not to the other gods of the ancient world. Polemical theology rejects any encroachment of false gods into orthodox belief; there is an absolute intolerance of polytheism. Polemical theology is monotheistic to the very core…The primary purpose of polemical theology is to demonstrate emphatically and graphically the distinctions between the worldview of the Hebrews and the beliefs and practices of the rest of the ancient Near East.

It’s important to note that, in affirming this relationship, Currid does not deny the historicity of Genesis (or any of the Hebrew Bible). In fact, he believes polemical theology only serves to highlight the distinctness of Israel—in nearly every way possible.

While polemical theology cannot explain every facet of the relationship between Israel and her neighbors, it goes a long way toward better understanding it. And—if I may say, provides a wonderful new lens through which to view the Word of God.

I hope you’ll join me on this journey!

Hey—don’t forget to download this week’s free handout, The #1 Textual Reason to Think Jesus Thought Genesis was History.

==>Click here to download it now!<==

Enjoy the podcast!

Mentioned in this lesson:

Against the Gods

The Bible Among the Myths

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 076: A Primer on Polemical Theology appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Okay, so you’re first starting to dive into the Bible deeply and learn more about defending your spiritual convictions, and you’re stuck.

Everybody teaches different things, so who do I trust?

Is that you? Can you identify? Because I KNOW I can. Or, maybe you’ve been at this awhile and have more blogs to read, podcasts to listen to, and video to watch than you know what to do with!

If you’re in either of these boats, this episode is for you. And trust me, you’re not alone. Countless others are struggling with the exact same problem, and I still struggle with it from time to time.

But together we can struggle no more.

In this episode we are going to walk through four categories (and nine questions) that will help you clarify who you should be learning from. Along the way, we’re even going to bust a huge myth—it’s the criteria you probably use right now to determine who you listen to, and it’s entirely wrongheaded.

So buckle in! You’ll want to take notes, but you don’t have to! I’ve taken them for you in the form of a helpful checklist that will make all of this much easier, and much more tangible.

==>Click to download the Expert Evaluation Checklist.<==

Enjoy the podcast!

Mentioned in this lesson:

Expert Evaluation Checklist: 9 Questions to Help You Know if You Can Trust Your Expert

5 Ways to Learn From Others Every Day of Your Life

062: How Does Science Relate to the Bible?

064: 7 Ways to Identify a Bad Argument (Part 1)

065: 7 Ways to Identify a Bad Argument (Part 2)

Thanks so much for listening. Pleasesubscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 075: How to Know Which Experts to Trust appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Over the past few decades, there have been a number of young age creationist suggestions for a some important questions raised by Genesis 1. For example, what was the nature of the firmament? If the heavens were created in Verse 1 (Day 1), how were they given the same name as the firmament created on Day 2 (See v. 8-9)?

In recent years Dr. Danny Faulkner has made some interesting observations about these passages, and discovered a startling implication for modern science that could potentially serve as evidence for the young age creationist view: The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.

If you know anything about big bang cosmology, you’ve likely heard this term. It is the name given to a radiation field which penetrates each and every corner of the known universe. This is often interpreted as the best observable evidence for the big bang that we have today. Many creationists would likely contend that it actually isn’t evidence for the big bang, but that seems incredulous. While it certainly could serve as evidence for the big bang, it could also serve as evidence for something else!

In fact, this week’s free lesson handout will help demystify the big bang. It’s called 3 Reasons Creationists (and Everyone Else!) Should Reject the Big Bang Theory.

==>Click here to download the free lesson handout now!<==

There has not been a tidy explanation for the CMB within young age creationism—an unfortunate reality that still rings true today. However, the suggestion of Faulkner’s we’ll present within this podcast episode just may bring us closer. Humphreys (2014) has also posited an explanation; I’ll echo the sentiments of Dr. Faulkner by welcoming others to bring their solutions to the table.

After reading and reflecting on Faulkner’s paper, one thing has become clear: The answer to this “problem” for young age creationists could indeed stem from a misunderstanding of the text. This is unfortunate; but not as unfortunate as the reality that many young age creationists are unwilling to change long-held traditions and beliefs, even in light of convincing evidence suggested by conservative scholars!

My prayer is that you’ll listen with an open mind. As with all papers I review here on the podcast, I don’t teach this as though it’s the gospel truth! It’s merely a possibility I’ve deemed worthy of consideration.

>>Don’t forget to join us in the brand new, (FREE!) Facebook community where you can ask questions and share your thoughts about this week’s episode.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

Why most Hebrew scholars reject the idea that Genesis 1:1 directly describes Creation Ex-Nihilo, and what the means for interpreting the rest of the chapter.

A biblical proposition for the true identity of the firmament (Heb. rāqîaʿ). Hint: The solution is strikingly obvious, yet has been elusive from the creation literature for most of its existence.

Three important implications that result from the above observations, and the additional benefit we just may have if this interpretation is correct: A creationist solution for the CMB.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Thoughts on the rāqîa‘ and a Possible Explanation for the Cosmic Microwave Background

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 074: A Young Age Creationist Explanation for the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation? appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Last week we began discussing a brand new solution to the so-called “distant starlight problem” facing young age creationists.

A face value interpretation of Scripture suggests that the cosmos is young. Last week’s discussion mentioned, in brief, a few of the solutions that have been posited to this point. I’ve yet to be completely satisfied by any solution offered, but I must admit that I have relatively few questions about this one because:

It lacks subjectivity.

It is compatible with most current thought on astrophysics and cosmology.

It is derived directly from Scripture.

It is clear and unambiguous.

Though we presented the model last week, this week, we will finish our discussion by first giving physical and biblical evidence for a young cosmos. Then, we’ll provide a detailed comparison between the CTC solution and other cosmologies (both Christian and secular).

Finally, we’ll answer potential objections to the CTC to find whether they carry any weight.

Don’t forget to download today’s FREE lesson handout:

==>Click here to download now.<==

The handout gives my 5 personal step response to challengers of creationism who use the starlight problem as firepower. We have good answers! Don’t get discouraged. Here’s a teaser: We’re not the only ones with a problem ;]

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

How the CTC solution compares with other models, and why it’s the most parsimonious creationist solution.

Specific physical evidence that shows why our universe is young, as seemingly suggested by Scripture.

Why many potential objections to the ASC do not apply to the CTC because of its clarity and formulation.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Lesson Handout: A 5 Step Response to the Distant Starlight Issue

A SOLUTION FOR THE DISTANT STARLIGHT PROBLEM USING CREATION TIME COORDINATES

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 073: (Part 2) Distant Starlight and Creation Time Coordinates appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Have you ever been stumped by the distant starlight problem?

[If you’re not familiar, in brief, the distant starlight problem (also known as the light travel time problem) is the thesis that young age creationism cannot be true because light from distant stars would take many millions of years to reach Earth—which, on conventional cosmology, indicates such stars are millions of years old.]

If you’re like me (and probably 99% of all other young age creationists) the answer is YES!!

Over the years, a number of solutions to this problem have been proposed. Here’s a list of the most common:

Light Created in Transit (Morris 1976)

Variable Speed of Light (Setterfield 1989)

Gravitational Time Dilation (Humphreys 1994)

Supernational Time Dilation (Hartnett 2003)

Anisotropic Synchrony Convention (Lisle 2010)

Dasha Theory (Faulkner 2013)

This problem is crippling for many, and with so many solutions having been proposed (and the unsettling lack of consensus among creationist astronomers), it’s no surprise that this issue might cause some unrest in taking Genesis at its word.

This week I offer yet another solution proposed by a team of three writers at the 2018 International Conference on Creationism. The solution uses what the authors call “Creation Time Coordinates” (CTCs) to talk about the age of stars in our universe.

The CTC solution is fascinating, refreshing, and best of all, is completely consistent with special relativity and leaves the door wide open for others to offer additional elements of a more complete young age cosmology.

This EXCITING new solution needs to be heard, because I think it might be the most convincing thus far; so I’m excited to bring it to you today. Make sure you download this free 5-step guide that will help you respond when skeptics challenge you on the starlight issue.

==>It’s the free lesson handout for today.<==

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

Why I’ve been unconvinced by many of the starlight solutions thus far, and how I think this one eases some of my concern about creation astronomy.

The fundamental assumption that EVERY young age starlight model should reject.

The mechanics and advantages of the Creation Time Coordinates solution, and what makes it different from the Anisotropic Synchrony Convention (of which CTC is a reformulation).

Mentioned in this lesson:

A SOLUTION FOR THE DISTANT STARLIGHT PROBLEM USING CREATION TIME COORDINATES

TCA Lesson 058: The Current State of Creation Astronomy II | S02L01

Anisotropic Synchrony Convention—A Solution to the Distant Starlight Problem

A New Facebook Community!

What is God’s Relationship to Time?

Quick Response: Stand to Reason on Distant Starlight

Lesson Handout: A 5 Step Response to the Distant Starlight Issue

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 072: (Part 1) Distant Starlight and Creation Time Coordinates appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.