Want the full, unedited conversation? Parts 1 and 2 combined with some bonus parts, over 80 minutes with Tim Mackie. Available exclusively for premium members at faithlabshow.com/support

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Tim Mackie, co-founder of The Bible Project. Listen to Part 1.

Tim walks through one of the most disturbing stories in Genesis (what actually happened between Noah and Ham) and uses it to reveal how biblical authors embedded narrative riddles that only unlock as you read further. He explains why the Bible isn't a rulebook but an epic narrative pointing to a person, how Jesus himself engaged Scripture when asked about hot-button issues, why head-on theological debates almost never change anyone's mind, and what he means when he says "faithfulness" is a better word than "inerrancy."

If Part 1 introduced design patterns, Part 2 shows what happens when you let them reshape how you read everything.

In this episode:

The Noah and Ham story, what actually happened and why the Bible leaves it ambiguous on purpose. How narrative riddles work across Genesis, Leviticus, and Samuel. Tim's Yoda analogy for how we misread the Bible. Why the Bible is a narrative pointing to Jesus, not a rulebook. How Jesus handled marriage and divorce by going back to Genesis 1–2. Why head-on theological debates almost never work. Inerrancy vs. faithfulness and why Tim prefers the Bible's own vocabulary. Bible translations as a bag of golf clubs. Tim's personal experience of encounter through Scripture.

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