We take a look at all of the major theories and ideas about what Jesus accomplished on the cross and make the argument that we need them all in order to have a full picture of what happened - except for one. The picture of Penal Substitutionary Atonement that we have inherited is flawed and must be understood in light of the Biblical narrative.

Research sources:

Bird, Michael F. , What Christians ought to Believe

Bird, Michael F. , Evangelical Theology

Gonzalez, Justo L., Concise History of Christian Doctrine

Myers, Ben, The Apostle's Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism

Wright, N.T.; The Day the Revolution Began

In this discussion, we talk about Jesus's life of suffering and how it ought to inform every aspect of our lives.

We discuss the orthodox belief that Jesus was both fully divine and fully human.

Today we deal with the doctrine of creation and how it stood (and stands) in opposition to the many competing religions and narratives of the world. We delve into the problem of evil that we see around us, which was the problem many of these other ideas sought to explain, and how the early Christians dealt with it.

Research sources:

Bird, Michael F. , What Christians ought to Believe

Gonzalez, Justo L., Concise History of Christian Doctrine

Myers, Ben, The Apostle's Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism

This week, we look at the reasons for and implications of calling God "Father" and describing him as "Almighty." Too often, both are abstracted from their biblical contexts and the revelation that God gives us through Jesus. If we are going to be true to the original message, we must come to an understanding of God that is rooted in the Biblical text and the witness of the earliest Christians.

Research sources:

Michael F. Bird, "What Christians ought to Believe"

Myers, Ben, "The Apostle's Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism"

We begin a look at the core, ancient, and orthodox beliefs of the Church - those things that define Christianity. We're using the Apostle's Creed as the basis of our discussion and today we talk about the implications of declaring that "We believe"

Research sources:

Michael F. Bird, What Christians ought to Believe

Myers, Ben, The Apostle's Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism

For most Protestants, we have inherited a view of Romans from Luther and the Reformation that focuses on justification. But justification is not the point of Romans. It is the premise on which Paul builds his larger, more important point - The Unity of the Church.

Today we discuss The Pastoral Epistles and the thrust of their message, which is to ensure that the truth of the Gospel remains pure.

There is much misunderstanding, and misinformation about what happened on Pentecost. Today, we look at how Luke employs the term "filled with the Holy Spirit" and what the experience is that he describes.

A discussion of 2 Corinthians and its implications for the church today.