The Two Testaments

Joel with Dr. Christopher Seitz

Dr. Christopher Seitz (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) guides us through the Book of Joel. We discuss:

* How to read a book (like Joel) that does not situate itself historically and temporally

* The significance of the four locusts in Joel–the swarming locust, the hopping locust, the destroying locust, the cutting locust (Joel 1:4)

* How Joel’s phrase “the day of the LORD” can refer to two days

* The place of the nations in God’s future deliverance and judgment in the book of Joel

Works by Christopher Seitz

* Canon and Prophecy: The Rise of a New Model for Interpretation. Mohr Siebeck, 2021

* The Character of Christian Scripture: The Significance of a Two Testament Bible. Baker Academic, 2011

* ITC (International Theological) Commentary on Joel. T&T Clark, 2016

* Prophecy and Hermeneutics: Toward a New Introduction to the Prophets. Baker Academic, 2007

This Week’s Blurb

Christopher Seitz recommends:

* Music from Cory Asbury 

* The Ignatian Spiritual Method 

* Works by Elisabeth Elliot 

Next Episode 

In our next episode, Jeff Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) guides us through Revelation 2-3.

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The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes.

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

This episode is co-sponsored by Samford University and the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this episode do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the National Endowment for the Humanities or Samford University.

Revelation 1 with Dr. Robyn Whitaker

Dr. Robyn Whitaker (Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity) guides us through Revelation 1. We discuss:

* The rhetorical/persuasive and iconic function of vivid imagery

* Whose apocalypse is this, and what does it mean that it is a prophecy? 

* Which John is responsible for Revelation and why is he in Patmos?

* John's descriptions of: God; the seven spirits; and Jesus Christ

* The vision of the Son of Man and how it functions as ekphrasis (i.e., vivid visual description)

* What it means that Jesus is "the First and the Last" and that he has the keys to death and Hades (1:17–18)

Works by Robyn Whitaker

* Even the Devil Quotes Scripture: Reading the Bible on Its Own Terms. Eerdmans, 2023.

* "Invoking Jezebel, Invoking Terror: Exploring the Sexualization of Conflict in the Biblical Tradition." In Terror in the Bible: Rhetoric, Gender, and Violence. Edited by M. Melanchthon and R. Whitaker. SBL Press, 2021.

* Ekphrasis, Vision, and Persuasion in the Book of Revelation. Mohr Siebeck, 2015.

This Week’s Blurb

Robyn Whitaker recommends:

* Vegemite, an Australian spread

* Recommends listening to the book of Revelation

Next Week 

Next week, Dr. Christopher R. Seitz (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) guides us through the Book of Joel.

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

This episode is co-sponsored by Samford University and the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this episode do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the National Endowment for the Humanities or Samford University.

The Book of Hosea

Dr. Bo Lim (Seattle Pacific University) guides us through the book of Hosea. We discuss:

* When, where, by whom Hosea was written

* Main themes of Hosea

* How Hosea relates to the Book of the Twelve

* The significance of Hosea's marriage and children

* The difficult metaphor of God's marriage to Israel and if the metaphor sanctions violence.

* God's judgment upon Israel as temporary discipline

* The father-son image that depicts God's relationship to Israel, and the tricky theological issue of if God's heart changes (11:8)

* Hosea as an enduring exhortation to subsequent generations

Works by Bo Lim

* Hosea. Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary. With D. Castelo. Eerdmans, 2015

* The 'Way of the LORD' in the Book of Isaiah. T&T Clark, 2010

This Week’s Blurb

Bo Lim recommends:

* Korean sunscreen

* the spiritually transformative effects of exercise

Next Week 

Next week, Dr. Robyn Whitaker (Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity) guides us through Revelation 1

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

This episode is co-sponsored by Samford University and the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this episode do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the National Endowment for the Humanities or Samford University

Introduction to the Book of Revelation

Listen here as Jamie Davies (Trinity College Bristol) introduces us to the book of Revelation. We discuss:

* When, where, by whom, to whom Revelation was written

* The dominant purpose of Revelation

* The importance of Revelation's imagery, and not minimizing its imagery

* The meaning of the term "apocalypse" and the significance of reading Revelation in the genre of an apocalypse

* The literary structure of Revelation

* Revelation's contested inclusion within the canon and the significance of its canonical placement.

* Issues that have challenged interpreters throughout history

* Revelation's contemporary significance

* The issues and approaches to Revelation that preoccupy scholars today

Works by Jamie Davies

* Reading Revelation: A Literary and Theological Commentary, Smyth & Helwys, 2023

* The Apocalyptic Paul, Cascade, 2022

* Paul Among the Apocalypses? An Evaluation of the ‘Apocalyptic Paul’ in the Context of Jewish and Christian Apocalyptic Literature, LNTS 562, T&T Clark, 2016

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Jamie Davies recommends:

* Two movies produced by Christopher Nolan: 

* "Memento"

* "Inception"

Next Week 

Next week, Dr. Bo Lim (Seattle Pacific University) guides us through the book of Hosea.

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

This episode is co-sponsored by Samford University and the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this episode do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the National Endowment for the Humanities or Samford University.

Introduction to the Book of the Twelve

Dr. James Nogalski (Baylor University) introduces us to the Book of the Twelve. We discuss:

* The significance of the titles, "The Book of the Twelve" and "Minor Prophets."

* The historical context of the development of The Twelve.

* The different canonical placements of The Twelve, and the different traditions of ordering the individual books of The Twelve within the collection.

* Catchwords that link the individual books within The Twelve.

* A speed round where Jim quickly summarizes each book within The Twelve.

* Jim's favourite book within The Twelve.

* The genre of prophetic literature.

* The challenge of relating historical crises to God's judgment.

Works by James Nogalski

* Literary Precursors to the Book of the Twelve. BZAW 217. De Gruyter, 1993.

* Redactional Processes in the Book of the Twelve. BZAW 218. De Gruyter, 1993.

* Two Sides of a Coin: Juxtaposing Views on Interpreting the Book of the Twelve/Twelve Prophetic Books. With Ehud Ben Zvi. Gorgias Press, 2009.

* The Book of the Twelve: Hosea - Jonah. Smyth and Helwys, 2011.

* The Book of the Twelve: Micah - Malachi. Smyth and Helwys, 2011.

* Interpreting Prophetic Literature: Historical and Exegetical Tools for Reading the Prophets. Westminster John Knox, 2015.

* The Book of the Twelve and Beyond: Collected Essays of James D. Nogalski. SBL Press, 2017.

* An Introduction to the Hebrew Prophets. Abingdon Press, 2018.

* The Books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah. NICOT. Eerdmans, 2023.

* The Book of Micah. NICOT. Eerdmans, 2024.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, James Nogalski recommends:

* Greg Iles' trilogy: Natchez Burning; Mississippi Blood; The Bone Tree.

Next Week 

Next week, we begin our journey through Revelation as we talk to Dr. Jamie Davies (Trinity College).

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Archaeology and the Gospels with Dr. James Strange

Dr. James Strange (Samford University) talks to us about archaeology and the gospels. We discuss:

* The Shikhin excavation project in Israel

* Oil lamp production in the first century

* How archaeologists relate archaeology and the text of the gospels

* How an archaeologist may read Matthew 5:14-15, including:

* "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid" (v. 14)

* "People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket" (v. 15)

* The function, structure, and significance of synagogues

Enter the Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links

* Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods. 2 Volumes. Fortress, 2014/2015.

To enter, look out for the giveaway posts on social media. Follow us, like, and share/retweet the giveaway post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Giveaway closes Monday, April 24. USA only.

Other Relevant Works

* Excavating the Land of Jesus: How Archaeologists Study the People of the Gospels. Eerdmans, 2023 (forthcoming).

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, James Strange recommends:

* The older version of the 5 inch Marshalltown trowel

* Friends of ASOR Webinars (American Society of Overseas Research)

* Just So You Know by E.R. Brown (Youtube channel on archaeology and the Bible)

Next Week 

That’s a wrap for our season through Deuteronomy and Matthew. You can find all our episodes at thetwotestaments.com.

Stay tuned for our upcoming season this fall. We will take you on a guided journey through The Twelve Prophets (i.e., the Minor Prophets) and The Revelation to John.Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Matthew 28 (Resurrection and the Great Commission) with Dr. Terry Donaldson

Dr. Terry Donaldson (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) talks to us about Matthew 28. We discuss:

* The Great Commission scene as Matthew's narrative conclusion

* How Matthew's ending compares with Mark's ending

* Matthew's apologetic concern in the presentation of Jesus' resurrection

* Whether to translate the Greek term "Ioudaiois" (in 28:15) as "Judeans" or "Jews"

* The significance of mountains in Matthew, and Zion traditions

* Whether Jesus instructs his disciples to disciple "all the nations" or "all the Gentiles" (28:19)

* What the triadic formula (“the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”) and the promise of Jesus' ongoing presence (vv. 19–20) suggests about Matthew's christology

Enter the Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links

* Gentile Christian Identity from Cornelius to Constantine: The Nations, the Parting of the Ways, and Roman Imperial Ideology. Eerdmans, 2020.

To enter, look out for the giveaway posts on social media. Follow us, like, and share/retweet the giveaway post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Giveaway closes Sunday, April 16. USA only.

Other Relevant Works

* Jesus on the Mountain: A Study in Matthean Theology. T&T Clark, 1987.

Other Works Mentioned

* James Parkes, The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue: A Study in the Origins of Antisemitism. World Publishing; Jewish Publication Society, 1961.

* Jules Isaac, Jesus and Israel. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Terry Donaldson recommends:

* John Kloppenborg, Christ's Associations: Connecting and Belonging in the Ancient City. Yale University Press, 2019.

Next Week 

Next week, we have a bonus—and final—episode of the season. Dr. James Strange (Samford University) talks to us about archaeology and the gospels.Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes.

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Rebekah Eklund (Loyola University Maryland) talks to us about Matthew 26–27. We discuss:

* Matthew's use of the Passover festival

* Jesus' prayer of lament at Gethsemane

* Peter's denials of Jesus and his restoration

* why Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man

* Judas' betrayal of Jesus

* Matthew's use of the theme of blood

* the meaning of "his blood be upon us and on our children" (27:25)

* Matthew's use of Psalm 22 when Jesus prays, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

* the eschatological signs that occur at the death of Jesus

Relevant Works by Rebekah Eklund

This post contains affiliate links

* Jesus Wept: The Significance of Jesus’ Laments in the NT. T&T Clark, 2015. 

* The Beatitudes through the Ages. Eerdmans, 2021.

* "Matthew, the Cross, and the Cruciform Life," in Cruciform Scripture: Cross, Participation, and Mission. Eerdmans, 2021.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Rebekah Eklund:

* Dale C. Allison, Jr. The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemics, History. T&T Clark, 2021.

* Amy Peeler. Women and the Gender of God. Eerdmans, 2021.

* Andor (TV Series)

Next Week 

Next week, we finish our journey through Matthew as we talk to Dr. Terence Donaldson (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto) about Matthew 28 (the Resurrection).Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Dr. Daniel Block (Wheaton College) talks to us about Deuteronomy 31–34. We discuss:

* these chapters as a death narratives

* their rhetorical purpose

* why Moses is barred from the land

* the Song of Moses

* how to translate 32:8 (gods/sons of Israel/angels)

* Moses's final blessings on the tribes of Israel

Books by Daniel Block

This post contains affiliate links

* The Triumph of Grace: Literary and Theological Studies in Deuteronomic Themes. Cascade, 2017.

* Lexham Context Commentary: Volume 1: The Pentateuch. Lexham, 2021. [This book is available only as an ebook on the Logos platform]

* Covenant: The Foundation of God’s Grand Plan of Redemption. Baker Academic, 2021.

* Deuteronomy. NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan, 2012.

* The Gospel According to Moses: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Book of Deuteronomy. Cascade, 2012.

* How I Love Your Torah O LORD! Studies in the Book of Deuteronomy. Cascade, 2012.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Daniel Block Recommends:

* Amy Jill Levine, Light of the World: A Beginner's Guide to Advent. Abingdon, 2019.

Next Week 

Next week, Dr. Rebekah Eklund (Loyola University Marymount) talks to us about Matthew 26–27 (Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus).Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.

Matthew 24–25 (God's Judgment; the Coming of the Son of Man) with Dr. Anders Runesson

Listen here as Dr. Anders Runesson (University of Oslo) talks to us about Matthew 24–25. We discuss:

* God's wrath and judgment

* the significance of the destruction of the temple

* the relationship between the destruction of the temple and the death of Jesus

* signs of the coming of the Son of Man

* the meaning of "the abomination of desolation"

* the parable of the talents

* the judgment of the sheep and the goats

* the meaning of "eternal fire" and "eternal punishment" and the purpose of Matthew's judgment imagery

Enter the Giveaway

This post contains affiliate links

* Divine Wrath and Salvation. Fortress, 2016

* Matthew within Judaism: Israel and the Nations in the First Gospel, ed. with Daniel Gurtner. Society of Biblical Literature, 2020. 

To enter, look out for the giveaway posts on social media. Follow us and like and share/retweet the giveaway post on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Giveaway closes Sunday, March 26 at 11:59 pm. USA only.

Other Works Mentioned

* John S. Kloppenborg, "The Representation of Violence in Synoptic Parables." Pages 323–51 in Mark and Matthew I: Comparative Readings: Understanding the Earliest Gospels in Their First Century Settings. Ed. Eve-Marie Becker and Anders Runesson. WUNT 271. Mohr Siebeck, 2011.

This Week’s Blurb

In this episode, Anders Runesson Recommends:

* Journal of the Jesus Movement in its Jewish Setting (a free and open access academic journal)

* A Comparative Handbook to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke: Comparisons with Pseudepigrapha, the Qumran Scrolls, and Rabbinic Literature. Brill, 2021.

Next Week 

Next week, we finish our journey through Deuteronomy as we talk to Dr. Daniel Block (Wheaton College) about Deuteronomy 31–34.Click here to meet our guides through Deuteronomy and Matthew. 

Subscribe and don't miss an episode

The Two Testaments takes you on a guided journey through Scripture with leading experts on the Bible, hosted by Rony Kozman and Will Kynes

Visit our website at thetwotestaments.com, where you can subscribe, access all episodes, and meet our guides through Scripture. Sign up now so you don’t miss an episode.Find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Vurbl, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts.

You can also watch us on Youtube.