In this episode, we take a look at Romans 12:9-21, where Paul encourages Christians to live out genuine, unhypocritical love toward others. The apostle gives readers a strategy for facing the trials and tribulations of life -- namely, exhorting them to a life of hope, endurance, and prayer. As Matt comments, prayer entails communication with God, but it is also, at the same time, deeper than that. It is, most fundamentally, communion with God. Matt also connects the discussion back to Genesis 1, outlining the way Paul conceives the Christian life as one that embodies God's original creation plan by conquering darkness with light.

Pre-order Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It at ⁠⁠Lexham Press⁠⁠.

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In this episode, Matt dives into Romans 12:1-8, where Paul encourages the church to be a living sacrifice. What does this mean? What is the significance of that word "sacrifice," and how does Paul use this concept to shape his readers' ecclesiology? And what does it have to do with spiritual gifts? Listen to find out!

Pre-order Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It. You can purchase through (1) ⁠Amazon⁠⁠ or (2) ⁠Lexham Press⁠ (as well as other outlets).

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If you read Romans 9, you need to read Romans 11. The points Paul makes in Romans 11 are so significant such that, if you were to miss them (or ignore them), you'll misunderstand how he reads key parts of the Jewish story. In this episode, we dive into Romans 11 and see how Paul continues, and builds upon, his previous discussions about "foreknowledge," "election," and "hardening." We also look at Genesis 12 -- what does that passage have to do with Paul's argument in Romans 11? The answer is: everything. Listen to find out how Paul understands the promise of Genesis 12:1-3 in light of his christological convictions.

Pre-order Matt's newest book, The End of the World As You Know It. You can purchase through (1) Amazon⁠ or (2) Lexham Press (as well as other outlets).

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Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠www.matthewhalsted.com⁠

In this episode, Matt gives a tour through Romans 10, where Paul showcases some of his creative exegetical moves. In this chapter, Paul says Jesus is the telos (culmination) of the Torah (Rom 10:4). In this vein, Paul continues along the same road as his previous statements about the Law and its relationship to the manifestation of the righteousness of God through Jesus the Messiah (e.g. Rom 2-3). In Romans 10, readers see specifically how, for Paul, everything (including his hermeneutics!) revolves around Jesus the Messiah.

Pre-order Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It (Amazon)

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In this episode, Matt chats with Sandra Glahn (PhD, University of Texas at Dallas) about her latest book, Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament. Sandra's book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Greco-Roman world and, specifically, the New Testament. Of particular interest in this conversation is how to make sense of the phrase "she will be saved through childbearing" (1 Tim 2:15). Sandra makes a strong case that Paul is addressing the Artemis cult in this passage, which, arguably, has ramifications for how one interprets this and other parts of the pericope.

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What does it mean to be "justified"? This is a question that has been discussed and debated for a long time within the Christian tradition. And it's one that continues to garner much attention even today. This week Dr. Matthew J. Thomas joins the show to chat about his recent article on the doctrine of justification, which was published by the St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (link below). Dr. Thomas discusses the major historical players, the variety of reformed views, as well as fields listener questions.

About Matthew J. Thomas: https://dspt.edu/matthew-thomas

Read his article "Justification" here: https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/Justification

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Matt is joined by Dr. Paul Thigpen, the author of Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith: Are We Alone in the Universe with God and the Angels?  Matt and Paul discuss some of the biblical and theological issues that might come up if we were to discover extraterrestrial existence. For example, what sort of ontological status would ETs have? Would they be with or without sin? Or a mix of both? And if ETs were sinful, how might God redeem them?

As a historical theologian, Dr. Thigpen invites listeners to hear the wisdom of the Christian tradition. He believes the theologians of the past can lend invaluable insights for this topic. And in this vein, he leads us back to some of the church’s greatest thinkers: From Jerome to Augustine to Aquinas to the celebrated Christian apologist of the last century, namely, C.S. Lewis -- each of these giants of the faith can, arguably, help us ponder the ET question.

About Paul Thigpen:

Paul is the author of 60 books, as well as a graduate from Yale University in religious studies. He also has an MA and PhD in historical theology from Emory University. In addition to having been appointed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to their National Advisory Council, Paul has also served the church in a variety of capacities, including as a university professor, historian, apologist, catechist, and musician. 

Purchase Paul's book: https://www.amazon.com/Extraterrestrial-Intelligence-Catholic-Faith-Universe/dp/1505120136

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In this episode, we visit some interesting (and, indeed, controversial) texts. What does Paul mean when he says wives should "submit" to their husbands (Ephesians 5)? When he writes a letter to Corinth, Paul also says that women are to be "silent" in the church (1 Corinthians 14). How should we interpret that passage? And why does Peter call women weaker vessels (1 Peter 3)? I address these questions and more by taking a look at not just the textual context, but also the Hellenistic/cultural context. To do this, I bring attention to an important ancient text, namely, Aristotle's Politics. This provides relevant background material that will help us to see what life was like for women in ancient Greek culture and how it compares to what the New Testament says about the roles of women in ministry, marriage, and society.

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In Romans 9:14-33, Paul talks about God's right to show mercy in the way he wants, with the same being said about divine hardening. To illustrate this, the apostle brings to the fore the story of Pharaoh, who God hardened. Matt connects this story, and the concept of hardening, back to Romans 1, which arguably sheds some light on how to understand what Paul means by "hardening." Matt also explains the metaphor of God as "the potter," who, according to Paul, fashions some for destruction and others for glory. Does this mean that salvation (and damnation) is not ultimately up to the individual? How does this relate to the question of human free will? Moreover, how does all this talk of "election" relate to the question of God's righteousness and the covenant--not least with respect to the Jews and Gentiles? Listen to find out!

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In this episode, Matt continues to discuss Paul's concept of election. He tackles a range of questions, such as: What do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have in common with respect to their election? And what does that have to do with the Gentiles? Moreover, what does Paul intend to communicate in Romans 9:13, when he says that God has “loved Jacob, but... hated Esau" (quoting Malachi 1:2)? Is this proof that God elects some to eternal salvation and others to eternal damnation? Listen to find out!

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