In this episode I explore the economic and political consequences of two passages in Mark 10. I explain how modern progressive and conservative Christians implicitly assume the nineteenth-century nation state model of political authoritarianism while undervaluing the role of the New Testament for ethical transformation. The church is supposed to be shaped by the teachings of Jesus, and we cannot explain them away. I return to the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10:17-27, showing how Jesus allows the man to walk away with his possessions. Jesus doesn’t follow after him or attempt to confiscate his property through political coercion but prophetically announces eschatological judgement. Modern Christians who want to follow Jesus should reject economic arrangements based 

Media Referenced:

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-105-jesus-and-the-rich-young-ruler/

Helen Bond on Gospels as Biography: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-167-the-gospels-as-biography-with-helen-bond/

Cornelis Bennema on Imitation: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-206-imitation-in-early-christianity-with-cornelis-bennema/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode I discuss Paul’s statements in Romans 13:1-7 that governing authorities “are established by God” (Rm. 13:1) and that “rulers are servants of God” (13:6). I explain the need to understand the function of Romans 13 before drawing any conclusions regarding its meaning, and how it must correspond with the rhetorical context of Romans and Paul’s thought generally. I then explore the promises of a coming Messiah made in the Old Testament, particularly 2 Samuel 7, and argue that Paul believes those promises have been fulfilled in Christ. I then examine two passages in the Old Testament in which the prophets refer to pagan emperors as “servants of God”. In Isaiah 10, the Assyrians are God’s servants for the purpose of punishing Israel but will be destroyed, and in Jeremiah 25 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, also execute God’s justice before being himself judged by God. The final two oracles of woe in Jeremiah 50-51 envision the destruction of Babylon, and both Isaiah and Jeremiah proclaim the future day when David’s house will be restored and a Davidic king will sit on the throne forever. Paul knows this tradition and is not legitimizing human government as an eternally valid institution. In fact, Paul is suggesting, ala 2 Corinthians 2:6-8, that time is running out for the authorities believers must pragmatically obey. 

Media Referenced:

Everyone is Wrong about Romans 13 episode: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-130-everyone-is-wrong-about-romans-13-including-me/

Ascension, Kingdom, and Eschatology: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-235-ascension-kingdom-and-eschatology/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

This episode features a debate I had with Cody Cook on LCI’s Greenroom, moderated by Jacob Winograd, where Cody and I debate whether libertarianism is compatible a right-wing or left-wing phenomenon. I take the position that modern libertarianism should rightly be classified as right-wing while Cody argues it is more compatible with left-wing ideology. Enjoy the friendly debate!

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com. 

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode I talk with Cody Libolt, writer, podcaster, and co-author of the new book Redeeming the West: A Christian Defense of Reason and Individualism. Cody defines both ‘reason’ and ‘individualism’, demonstrating how these terms are often misused in modern discourse. He discusses the dangers of collectivism for Christianity, the Biblical basis for individualism, why Christians need reason and common sense, and how the church can redeem this important Western tradition. 

Media Referenced:

Redeeming the West: https://a.co/d/dgTeJvl

Cody on X: @CodyLibolt

Cody’s Website: https://www.codylibolt.com/

For the New Christian Intellectual Website: https://christianintellectual.com/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode David Beito and Phil Saunders debate Walter Block on the Israel/Palestine conflict. David and Phil defend the proposition that a Swiss-style canton model of government could resolve the conflict, offering a decentralized political arrangement which incentivizes cooperation and economic growth. Walter Block thinks the Palestinians are to blame for the conflict and need to be removed from the land. Dr. David Beito is a professional historian and proposed the Swiss-canton model. Phil Saunders lives on the border between Israel and Palestine and works for several peace-promoting NGOs. Walter Block is an accomplished Austrian economist and author of numerous books and articles. 

Media Referenced:

David Beito on FDR: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-229-the-real-fdr-with-david-beito/

David Beito on the New Deal: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-118-the-new-deals-war-on-the-bill-of-rights-with-david-beito/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode Dr. Dru Johnson returns to discuss his new book Understanding Biblical Law: Skills for Thinking Through and With the Torah, out now on Baker. Dr. Johnson explains how modern people have misunderstood the Law, reading it through our contemporary legal and theological frameworks, and busts several myths about Biblical Law. We then explore how the Law must be understood in in ancient legal context, how intersects with narrative, its role in community formation, its movement from specific instances to general principle, and its overall concern with righteousness and human wellbeing. We also discuss the need to understand the Law in its ancient context, its impact on New Testament interpretation, and its enduring relevance for Christians today.

Media Referenced:

Understanding Biblical Law: https://a.co/d/ccRVa7U

Dru on X: @Dru_Johnson

OnScript Podcast: https://onscript.study/

Biblical Mind Podcast: https://thebiblicalmind.org/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode I am joined once again by the great Cody Cook, this time to discuss the recent controversy regarding Kirk Cameron’s changing views of hell. Cameron defended the annihilationist position, also known as ‘conditional immortality’, and castigated by many evangelicals who hold to eternal conscious torment. We talk about the fallout of Cameron’s remarks and explain the differences between eternal conscious torment (ECT), annihilationism, and universalism. We then argue in favor of the annihilationist perspective, discussing the Biblical and theological evidence, and explain what is at stake in the debate. 

Media Referenced:

https://anarchistanabaptist.com/

https://www.cantus-firmus.com/

Cody on X: CantusFirmusCC

Class on Hell: www.udemy.com/course/three-views-on-hell/

Gospel of the Resurrection Book: https://a.co/d/fQjQSoG

Universalist Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-124-hell-eternal-damnation-and-universalism-with-derek-kubilus/

TPLP 212: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-212-why-anabaptists-arent-like-other-protestants-with-cody-cook/

TPLP 183: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-183-anabaptist-anarchy-with-cody-cook/

TPLP 155: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-155-christianity-and-nonviolence-with-cody-cook/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com. 

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode I discuss “the antichrists”, a group of people who appear exclusively in 1 and 2 John. John describes “the antichrists” in 1 John 2:18-25, 4:1-6, and 2 John 1:7-11. Despite many popular eschatological interpretations which a singular antichrist figure who signals the end of time, John specifically defines what he means by the term. The antichrists (John uses the plural) are literally “against Christ”; they were once a part of the believing community but chose to leave and are not an individual but rather a type of person. They are characterized by denying two beliefs: one, that Jesus is the Messiah, or “Christ” (hence antichrist) and two, denying that Jesus came in the flesh. The term ‘antichrist’ appears nowhere else in the New Testament. I discuss how modern statist Christians are essentially denying the Messianic identity of Jesus, denying that which makes him Christ, and are in danger of following down the path of those John labels antichrists.  

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this fourth edition of my annual Christmas series I discuss six of the most important books I read in 2025. The list includes:

FDR: A New Political Life by David Beito

The Struggle for Liberty by Ralph Raico, edited by Ryan McMaken

Interpreting Jesus by Dale Allison

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel by Mark Goodacre

The Place of The Past by Drew Holland

Jesus and the Law of Moses by Paul Sloan

I highly recommend all of them. Treat yourself to something nice this Christmas! Links and interviews below.

Media Referenced:

FDR: A New Political Life: https://a.co/d/2inp1Ty

Beito Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-229-the-real-fdr-with-david-beito/ 

The Struggle for Liberty: https://a.co/d/id17KtN 

Interpreting Jesus: https://a.co/d/69u7ZLN

Allison Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-201-interpreting-jesus-with-dale-allison/ 

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel: https://a.co/d/dClhNR5

Goodacre Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-224-johns-knowledge-of-matthew-mark-and-luke-with-mark-goodacre/ 

The Place of The Past: https://a.co/d/3lwgM3i

Holland Interview: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-226-history-and-biblical-interpretation-with-drew-holland/

Jesus and the Law of Moses: https://a.co/d/6UwDMxe 

Six Books 24: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-171-six-essential-books-of-2024/ 

Six Books 23: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-97-six-essential-books-of-2023/

Six Books 22: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/six-books-that-shaped-my-political-thinking-and-theology/

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com. 

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!

In this episode I reflect on the relationship between the ascension of Jesus, his status as king over all creation, and inaugurated eschatology. The resurrected Jesus was taken up into heaven during his ascension and currently sits at the right hand of God, ruling over all creation as king and presiding over the cosmic temple as priest. Because of this, the promised ‘final days’ have already arrived. God’s kingdom grows through the empowering Spirit which the ascended Jesus poured out upon his church to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. The eschatological end has been inaugurated and will be completed upon the return of Jesus. I explore how passages like Acts 1:1-11, Matthew 28:18-20, Hebrews 1, and Psalm 110 attest to this reality, why we often ignore the dangerous political ramifications of the ascension, and the impact on Biblical studies and theology. 

The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!