BibleProject
By Tim Mackie & Jon Collins
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Subscribers: 3028
Reviews: 15
joel
May 24, 2020
Can't say I say I agree with every conclusion they come to but I appreciate how they try to intelligently unpack scripture. One of the best Bible podcasts out there.
Ibiene
May 5, 2020
This podcast makes me see Jesus and the Bible in a new and marvelous light! 💜 Thank you, Tim and Jon!
Joyce
Jan 9, 2020
Makes me love to read the bible more and more!
Dec 1, 2019
Really helpful, biblical, explanations & overviews
Nov 16, 2019
Description
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Honor-Shame Culture and the Gospel - Letters E4
00:52:22
Paul wrote his letters in the shadow of Rome. His words stood in stark contrast to Roman rule and its honor-shame culture. Join Tim and Jon in exploring the cultural context of the New Testament letters and the questions we should consider when reading these texts. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
Additional Resources
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Show produced by Dan Gummel and Camden McAfee. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jul 06, 2020 |
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How to Live Like Jesus is Lord - Letters E3
00:57:51
The New Testament letters all share a core conviction that shapes how the apostles taught followers of Jesus to live in the first century. Listen in as Tim and Jon discuss the focus of the New Testament letters and how they help us live wisely today. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
Additional Resources
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Show produced by Dan Gummel and Camden McAfee. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jun 29, 2020 |
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A Living Sacrifice? - Letters E2
00:59:16
How do the New Testament letters fit with the rest of the biblical story? In this second part of a live recording in Dallas, Texas, Tim and Jon talk about how the apostles saw themselves as fulfilling God’s promise to bring blessing to all nations and how this perspective transforms the way we read the letters. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
Additional Resources
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Show produced by Dan Gummel and Camden McAfee. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jun 22, 2020 |
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Context is Crucial - Letters E1
00:55:14
In this live episode, Tim and Jon interact with an audience in Dallas, Texas for the launch of a new series on how to read the New Testament letters. Letters make up much of the New Testament, and knowing how to view and interpret them is essential for seeing the story of Jesus woven through the New Testament. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
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Show produced by Dan Gummel and Camden McAfee. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jun 15, 2020 |
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The Blood Cries Out - Apocalyptic Special Episode
00:52:29
In this special mid-week podcast episode, Tim and Jon address recent events in light of The Revelation. Listen in as they discuss the use of “word and testimony,” the meaning of Babylon, and the exposure of slavery in the book of Revelation. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
Additional Resources
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Show produced by Dan Gummel and Camden McAfee. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jun 10, 2020 |
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Does the Bible Predict the End of the World? - Apocalyptic Q+R
01:03:06
Are these the end times? Why does the Bible use language of fiery judgment? And what is the mark of the beast? In this episode, Tim and Jon answer your questions about how to read apocalyptic literature. View full show notes from this episode → Timestamps
Additional Resources
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Jun 08, 2020 |
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Five Strategies for Reading Revelation - Apocalyptic E6
00:53:54
The book of Revelation is full of symbols and images that are confusing when we remove them from the context of the Hebrew Bible. But if we understand the context, community, and nature of apocalyptic literature, the text can reshape the way we see the world. In this final episode of our series How to Read Apocalyptic Literature, Tim and Jon look at the book of Revelation. View full show notes from this episode → Additional Resources
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Jun 01, 2020 |
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A Walking, Talking Apocalypse – Apocalyptic E5
01:04:02
The opening pages of the Bible show us God’s good plan to rule with humanity as his image in heaven and on earth. Later characters in the story experience apocalyptic moments where they glimpse this ideal world and gain perspective to bring comfort and challenge to the world. Listen in as Tim and Jon discuss how this all points us to Jesus. View full show notes from this episode →
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May 25, 2020 |
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The Jewish Apocalyptic Imagination - Apocalyptic E4
00:38:19
Our dreams are often filled with strange images. What happens when a prophet, steeped in the Scriptures, receives a dream from God? The resulting imagery is packed with hyperlinks to the Hebrew Bible. In this episode, Tim and Jon begin discussing Revelation and tracing these visions through the rest of the Bible. View full show notes from this episode → Additional Resources
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May 18, 2020 |
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Is the Gospel an Apocalypse? Apocalyptic E3
00:39:49
Are the Gospel accounts apocalyptic? In this episode, Tim and Jon break down the use of the word apocalypse in the ancient Jewish world and highlight examples from the Gospel accounts and the life of Paul. View full show notes from this episode → Show Music
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May 11, 2020 |
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Dreams and Visions – Apocalyptic E2
00:53:20
The Bible is filled with key moments that hinge on dreams. How did people in the Bible understand these moments, and what can we learn from them? In this episode, Tim and Jon have a fascinating conversation about the nature of apocalyptic dreams and visions in the Bible. View full show notes from this episode → Show Music
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May 04, 2020 |
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Church at Home by BibleProject
00:06:05
At BibleProject, we want to come alongside small groups, churches, and home churches to help you continue to engage in Scripture with a Bible study newsletter sent weekly right to your inbox. To sign up for our Church at Home email Bible study, or to learn more about it, click here: https://tbp.xyz/cahpod This week's theme focuses on biblical justice and how followers of Jesus should respond to the injustices we see in the world today. Our world looks entirely different than it did a few weeks ago. As we’ve all worked together to curb the spread of this virus, all of our lives have been changed, but not to the same degree. Our most vulnerable neighbors are seeing devastating effects from this unprecedented time. As we look to the Scriptures this week, let’s take the time to sit in that reality. How did God see those forgotten by society? How did Jesus care for the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners? Show produced by Dan Gummel. Powered and distributed by SimpleCast. |
May 02, 2020 |
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Apocalypse Please – Apocalyptic E1
00:55:23
Is this the apocalypse? Tim and Jon begin a new series, How to Read Apocalyptic Literature. They’ll be talking about the COVID-19 pandemic and how the Bible opens our eyes and changes us in our present moment. View full show notes from this episode → Additional Resources Show Music
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Apr 27, 2020 |
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Parables in Context – Parables Q+R
00:51:45
Why didn’t Paul use more parables? Is the parable of the four soils about salvation, or something else? In this episode, Tim and Jon answer these and other excellent audience questions on the parables of Jesus. View full show notes from this episode → Additional Resources
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Apr 23, 2020 |
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Finding Meaning in the Parables – Parables E6
01:22:55
How do you determine the meaning of a parable? And how should you apply it to your life? In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss how to identify the meaning and significance of the parables of Jesus. View full show notes from this episode → Additional Resources
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Apr 20, 2020 |
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Decoding the Parables – Parables E5
01:11:12
In this episode, Tim and Jon talk about the first of three questions to help us become wise readers of the parables and gain insight from them. What symbols did Jesus weave in the parables—and which did he not? Join Tim and Jon for this fascinating discussion. View full show notes and images from this episode → Additional Resources
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Apr 13, 2020 |
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The Crisis of Decision – Parables E4
00:52:37
The parables of Jesus force a choice for his listeners. Will they embrace the upside-down value system of the Kingdom of God, or will they refuse to participate in the party? In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss two additional themes of the parables. View full show notes and images from this episode → Show Music
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Apr 06, 2020 |
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Parables as Subversive Critique – Parables E3
01:03:48
Jesus often used parables as a means of indirect communication to critique and dismantle his listener’s views of the world in order to show them the true nature of God’s Kingdom. In this episode, Tim and Jon talk about the role of the parables in persuading listeners through subversive critique. View full show notes and images from this episode → Additional Resources
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Mar 30, 2020 |
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Jesus and the Parables of the Prophets – Parables E2
01:14:53
Many of Jesus’ parables sound oddly similar to the parables of the prophets. This isn’t coincidence. Jesus saw himself as fulfilling the role of a prophet to Israel’s leaders. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss the parables as part of Jesus’ prophetic role to Israel. View full show notes and images from this episode → Additional Resources
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Mar 23, 2020 |
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Taking God’s Name in Vain? - feat. Dr. Carmen Imes
00:56:30
In this interview with Dr. Carmen Imes, Tim and Jon discuss the command, “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” What does this mean? Carmen discusses how many people miss the point of this commandment all about who we are and what we’re called to do. View full show notes and images from this episode → (link out to website) This month, we launched Classroom—free online graduate-level courses from BibleProject. Learn more and sign up for the beta at bibleproject.com/learn. Resources
Show Music:
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Mar 19, 2020 |
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The Purpose of Parables – Parables E1
01:11:45
View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources
Show Music:
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Mar 16, 2020 |
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Is the Tree of Life Practical? Tree Q+R 2
01:04:40
View full show notes and images from this episode → Watch our video on the Tree of Life.
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Mar 09, 2020 |
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Jesus on the Cursed Tree - Tree of Life E9
01:20:05
View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources Music
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Mar 02, 2020 |
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Back to the Tree of Life – Tree of Life E8
00:52:20
View full show notes from this episode →
Watch our Tree of Life video.
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Feb 24, 2020 |
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David, Isaiah, and New Eden – Tree of Life E7
00:53:24
King David sets up a new Eden in Jerusalem, but the people continue to set up false Edens in high places. How will God respond, and when will he raise up the seed who will usher in a new Eden? The book of Isaiah brings these themes together and points us to God’s answer. View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources
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Feb 17, 2020 |
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Moses, Israel, & The S’neh Tree – Tree of Life E6
01:07:40
The story of Moses repeats key themes from the stories of the garden, Noah, and Abraham. Moses and Israel both face tests before trees on high places, and Moses takes the act of sacrifice one step further. Listen in as Tim and Jon discuss Moses and the s’neh tree. View full show notes and images from this episode → Show Music
Show produced by Dan Gummel and Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Feb 10, 2020 |
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Are Humans Naturally Immortal? Tree of Life Q+R #1 – Tree of Life E5
00:37:00
Why are moments of testing on high places often accompanied by sacrifice in the Bible? Why does the Eden story seem ambiguous about the number of trees in the garden? Were humans mortal when they were placed in the garden? Tim and Jon respond to these questions and more in this question and response episode. View full show notes and images from this episode → Music
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Feb 03, 2020 |
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Dismantling the Tree - Tree of Life E4
01:08:45
View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources
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Jan 27, 2020 |
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The Tale of Two Trees - Tree of Life E3
00:50:09
View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources Music
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Jan 20, 2020 |
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Trees of the Ancients – Tree of Life E2
00:58:08
View full show notes and images from this episode → Resources
Music
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Jan 13, 2020 |
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Humans are... Trees? - Tree of Life E1
01:07:02
Resources
Music
Show produced by Dan Gummel. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Jan 06, 2020 |
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Happy New Year and What's Ahead for The Bible Project
00:17:56
Check out all we're up to in 2020 and beyond at www.thebibleproject.com. View our classroom beta at www.classroom.bible.
And learn how you can join a growing family of supporters at www.thebibleproject.com/vision
Happy New Year!
Theme Music: Defender Instrumental by Tents
Show Produced By: Dan Gummel |
Dec 31, 2019 |
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Hebrews: The Quest for Final Rest - 7th Day Rest E14
00:57:36
QUOTE "The design of the wilderness narratives in the Torah are trying to tell us that the arrival in the promised land is an image of the future seventh day rest that is beyond.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES: In part 1 (0-21:10), Tim and Jon recap their previous conversations. Tim shares a resource called “From Sabbath to Lord’s Day” by D.A. Carson, a collection of essays examining the evolution and relationship of historical Jewish Sabbath celebrations and the celebration of Sunday as “the Lord’s Day.” In part 2 (21:10-33:00), the guys dive into Hebrews 3. Hebrews 3:1-19 "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”’ “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: “‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.’ “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” Tim notes that in verse 7, the writer begins to quote from Psalm 95. Earlier in Psalm 95, Yahweh is referred to as “the rock of rescue.” This name originally comes from a story in Exodus 17. Exodus 17:5-7 “The Lord answered Moses, ‘Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.’ So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” In Israel’s wilderness journey, there are seven stories of rebellion. Israel chose to doubt God and rebel against Moses seven times. These seven stories exclude them from being able to enter the promised land. Instead, that generation dies in the wilderness. In part 3 (33:00-40:30), Tim notes that the author of Hebrews then reads the wilderness narratives as a story that still applies to all people today. People can still miss out on the promised land of God’s rest if they harden their hearts and do not listen to Jesus. God’s rest is something that Christ inaugurated, but it has yet to be completely fulfilled and will be fulfilled in the future. In part 4 (40:30-end), Tim mentions that Hebrews seems to be written as an oratory speech or a written sermon. Jon says that he feels an urge to have some sort of practice or Sabbath ritual that he can rely on to create a rhythm in his life. Tim mentions that perhaps the most helpful part of a Sabbath rhythm is that it should be a constant reminder that our time does not belong to us, but is a gift from God.
Resources: D.A. Carson, From Sabbath to Lord’s Day
Music:
Show Produced By: Dan Gummel |
Dec 30, 2019 |
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Lord of the Sabbath - 7th Day Rest E13
01:10:08
QUOTE "We're getting into the scandal that Jesus represented—which wasn’t offering an alternative religion; it was saying that he was bringing the whole storyline of the Scriptures to fulfillment." KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES: In part 1 (0-7:15), Tim and Jon review the conversation so far. Jesus is claiming to bring the eternal seventh-day rest into reality. In part 2 (7:15-21:15), Tim dives into words of Jesus in Matthew. Matthew 11:25-30 “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in your sight. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal him. “‘Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” Tim quotes from Samuele Bacchiocchi. “The metaphor of the ‘yoke’ was commonly used to express subordination and loyalty to God, especially through obedience to his law. Thus Jeremiah speaks of the leaders of the people who knew ‘the law of their God, but they all alike had broken the yoke, they had burst the bonds’ (5:5; cf. 2:20). In the following chapter, the same prophet says to the people: ‘Find rest for your souls’ by learning anew obedience to God’s law (6:6; cf. Num 25:3). Rabbis often spoke of ‘the yoke of the Torah,’ ‘the yoke of the kingdom of heaven,’ ‘the yoke of the commandments,’ ‘the yoke of God.’ Rabbi Nehunya b. Kanah (ca. 70) is reported to have said: ‘He that takes upon himself the yoke of the Law, from him shall be taken away the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of worldly care’ (Pirke Aboth 3:5). What this means is that devotion to the law and its interpretation is supposed to free a person from the troubles and cares of this world.” (Samuele Bacchiocchi, “Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus’ Rest and the Sabbath,” p. 300-303.) The quote continues: “Matthew sets forth the ‘yoke’ of Christ, not as commitment to a new Torah, but as dedication to a Person who is the true Interpreter and Fulfiller of the Law and the Prophets. The emphasis on the Person is self-evident in our logion: ‘Come to me . . . take my yoke . . . learn from me ... I will give you rest.’ Moreover, the parallel structure of vss. 28 and 29 indicates that taking the ‘yoke’ of Jesus is equivalent to ‘come to’ and ‘learn from’ him. That is to say, it is to personally accept Jesus as Messiah. Such an acceptance is an ‘easy’ and ‘light’ yoke, not because Jesus weakens the demands of the law (cf. Matt 5:20), but because, as T. W. Manson puts it, ‘Jesus claims to do for men what the Law claimed to do; but in a different way.’ The difference lies in Christ’s claim to offer to his disciples (note the emphatic kago) the rest of Messianic redemption to which the law, and more specifically, the sabbath, had always pointed.” (Samuele Bacchiocchi, “Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus’ Rest and the Sabbath,” p. 300-303.) In part 3 (21:15-30:00), Tim moves into the next story in Matthew. Matthew 12:1-14 “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and his disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, ‘Look, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.’ But he said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that one greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’ “Departing from there, he went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’—so that they might accuse him. And he said to them, ‘What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand!’ He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.” Tim says that the controversies caused by Jesus on the Sabbath are not meant to show Jesus as divisive. Rather, when Jesus says he is “Lord of the Sabbath,” he is saying fundamentally the same thing as when he declares, “The Kingdom of God is here.” Both of these phrases are declarations by Jesus that he is beginning the restoration of creation. In part 4 (30:00-38:00), Tim and Jon have a quick discussion about practicing the Sabbath, taking one day out of seven to rest. Did Jesus value this? Yes! Jesus went to synagogue on Sabbath. But Jesus seems to place a greater importance on the concept of the Sabbath. Jesus is effectually saying that what the Sabbath pointed to—a time of constant communion between God and man—is here because he is here. In part 5 (38:00-61:30), Tim talks about instances of Sabbath practice in Paul’s writings. Romans 14:1-12 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Tim also shares from Paul’s writings in Colossians. Colossians 2:16-19 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” Tim notes that eating kosher and Sabbath practices were controversial issues in the early Church as they are now. Tim also notes that once the Christian movement became majority non-Jewish, the Christian movement quickly lost respect for its Jewish roots and traditions. Tim then asks, based on Paul, whether modern Christians should have some sort of Sabbath practice? It seems that Paul was flexible. He always went to synagogue and even fulfilled Jewish vows. But he also stood up for Gentiles who had no history or desire to begin practicing Sabbath law. Instead, Paul was excited to build a Christian community where all experienced equality under the lordship of Jesus. In part 6 (61:30-end), the guys quickly talk about the resurrection narrative at the end of the Gospel of Mark. Mark 16:1-3 “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb And they were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’” Jesus’ resurrection is literally and metaphorically the first dawning of a new week. He was literally raised on the first rays of a new week, and metaphorically, this represented Jesus and all who follow him entering a new age of communion with God. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Samuele Bacchiocchi, “Matthew 11:28-30: Jesus’ Rest and the Sabbath,” p. 300-303. Show Music:
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Dec 23, 2019 |
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Hidden Sevens & Practical Sabbath: 7th Day Rest Q&R #2 - 7th Day Rest E12
00:43:42
Tim and Jon Responded to Questions:
David from Arizona (2:25) My question is, does the frequent occurrence of the number 7 and the seventh day in Genesis, Exodus and the rest of the Bible have more to do with the authors creating design patterns within the narrative to make theological claims? Or is it actually how God himself worked in history? Maybe these are synonymous, but I would love to hear your response. Ashley from Arizona (13:30) Jesse from North New Zealand (20:50) Jisca from Rwanda (25:34) John from Malaysia (25:55)
Resources: To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer God Dwells with Us: Temple Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel by Mary Coloe The Subversive Sabbath by A.J. Swaboda
At Home with God: A Complete Liturgical Guide for the Christian Home by Gavin Long
Learn more about us and join The Bible Project by financially partnering with us: www.thebibleproject.com/vision
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Dec 19, 2019 |
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Jesus and His Jubilee Mission - 7th Day Rest E11
01:15:17
QUOTE "What Jesus is claiming is that the ultimate jubilee that the prophets pointed to has begun. Here it is. I’m doing it. It’s a massive claim." KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES In part 1 (0-29:15), Tim and Jon review the conversation so far. Tim shares a quote from Samuele Bacchiocchi and his scholarly work, “Sabbatical Typologies of Messianic Redemption.” His essay examines traits of Genesis 1-2 that are carried forward in Jewish texts of the Second Temple period. One of the things that characterized the giving of the Sabbath laws was man’s relationship to and peace with the animals. Consider this excerpt from the Babylonian Talmud. “A. A man should not go out with (1) a sword, (2) bow, (3) shield, (4) club, or (5) spear. “B. And if he went out, he is liable to a sin-offering. “C. R. Eliezer says, ‘They are ornaments for him.’ “D. And sages say, ‘They are nothing but ugly, “E. ‘since it is said, “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4).’” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 12a: Jacob Neusner, The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary, vol. 2 [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011], 269.) Tim also shares Bacchiocchi’s findings on the connection between the themes of food, the Sabbath, and material abundance. Tim shares from 2 Baruch 29:4-6, “the Messiah shall begin to be revealed ... the earth also shall yield its fruit ten thousandfold and on each vine there shall be a thousand branches, and each branch shall produce a thousand clusters, and each cluster produce a thousand grapes and each grape produce a cor of wine.” Abundance through unending food, Tim says, was one of the signs viewed by the prophets as an indication that the Messiah had come. Tim also shares from Bacchiocchi’s findings on the theme of what he calls “Joy and Light.” Bacchiocchi cites Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Zimra. “‘For the Sabbath day,’ that is, for the day which darkness did not attend. You find that it is written of other days, ‘And there was evening and there was morning, one day.’ But the words, ‘There was evening’ are not written of the Sabbath. And so, the Sabbath light continued thirty-six hours.” (The Midrash on Psalms, translated by William G. Braude [New Haven, 1959], p. 112. Quoted in Samuele Bacchiocchi, “Sabbatical Typologies of Messianic Redemption,” p. 159.) In part 2 (29:15-34:00) Tim and Jon dive into Luke 4. Luke 4:14-21 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” In part 3 (34:00-50:45), Tim examines the word “release” or “freedom” in the Isaiah passage (Grk. aphesis, “release,” or Heb. deror, “Jubilee liberation.” See Isaiah 61:1 and Leviticus 25:10). This is the common word for “forgiveness” in Luke (Luke 1:77 and 3:3), but the word’s meaning is broader in this instance. It’s denoting release from burden or bondage. The word in Isaiah 61 is rooted in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), and it is about release from the social consequences of society’s collective sin—a freedom from debt, slavery, poverty, and oppression. Tim notes that forgiveness and release are the same word in the New Testament. The guys talk about how Jesus would have viewed “releasing” people from slavery to sin. In part 4 (50:45-58:30), Tim and Jon talk about the controversy Jesus created around the Sabbath. They note that the conflict was not about whether the Sabbath should be observed but instead about what that observance of the Sabbath entailed in practical terms. Take for instance this story from Matthew 12. Matthew 12:9-13 “Departing from there, he went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’—so that they might accuse him. And he said to them, ‘What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand!’ He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.” Tim cites scholar R.T. France on this passage: “Fundamental to the rabbinic discussion was the agreed list (m.Šabb. 7:2) of 39 categories of activity which were to be classified as ‘work’ for this purpose, some of which are very specific (‘writing two letters, erasing in order to write two letters’) others so broad as to need considerable further specification (‘building, pulling down’), while the last (‘taking anything from one “domain” [normally a private courtyard] to another’) is so open-ended as to cover a vast range of daily activities. The 39 categories of work do not explicitly include traveling, but this too was regarded as ‘work,’ a ‘Sabbath-day’s journey’ being limited to 2,000 cubits, a little over half a mile. These two rules together made Sabbath life potentially so inconvenient that the Pharisees developed an elaborate system of ‘boundary-extensions’ (ʿerubin) to allow more freedom of movement without violating the basic rules. The ʿerub system illustrates an essential element of all this scribal development of Sabbath law: its aim was not simply to make life difficult (though it must often have seemed like that), but to work out a way in which people could cope with the practicalities of life within the limits of their very rigorous understanding of ‘work.’ The elaboration of details is intended to leave nothing to chance, so that no one can inadvertently come anywhere near violating the law itself. Some rabbis spoke about this as ‘putting up a fence around the law.’” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007], 455–456.) In part 5 (58:30-65:30), Tim and Jon discuss how Jesus didn’t really dispute the validity of Sabbath practice. Instead, he insisted that he was fulfilling all the symbolism that the Sabbath pointed to. Tim notes that one way to characterize the life of Jesus is as one big jubilee announcement tour. Jesus went around and released people from sickness and death. In part 6 (65:30-end), Tim and Jon note that Western Protestant tradition tends to separate a social gospel from a proclaimed verbal gospel. This is a false dichotomy that didn’t exist in Jesus’ mind. To proclaim a full gospel of release meant release from cosmic sin and death as well as working to release from physical bondages as well. Thank you to all our supporters! Have a question? Send it to us at info@jointhebibleproject.com. Want to join The Bible Project? 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Dec 16, 2019 |
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Seventy Times Seven - Prophetic Math - 7th Day Rest E10
01:04:39
QUOTE “Welcome to a fascinating industry in biblical scholarship. What we know is that every Jewish group that left a literary record, whether it’s the Qumran community, the Pharisees, the Zealots, and the early Christians—everyone is is talking about Daniel 9. And you can see why. It sets the clock." KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES In part 1 (0:00–8:20), Jon briefly recaps the conversation so far. Tim shares a verse from Isaiah, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15). This verse, Tim says, is at the core of the theological claims behind the theme of seventh-day rest in the Bible. In part 2 (8:20–27:30), Tim turns to the book of 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 “He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.” Tim says that the author of this passage would have had two prophecies from Jeremiah in mind when writing this. Jeremiah 25:11-14 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ‘But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will make it desolate forever. I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’” Jeremiah 29:10-14 “This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’” Tim notes that this is a very famous verse in the Bible, but many people aren’t aware of its original context—a promise from God that Israel will return from exile. In part 3 (27:30–46:45), Tim dives into Daniel 9:20, a passage commonly known as “the seventy sevens.” Daniel 9:20-27 “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill—while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision: Seventy “sevens” are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.’ “‘Know and understand this: from the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens, and sixty-two sevens. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: war will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.’” This passage, Tim says, maps directly onto the two Jeremiah prophecies. Tim notes that Daniel would have been heartbroken because he was hoping that this would have been a proclamation of good news that Israel would return from exile. Instead, the message is that Israel has a long way to go in its exile. There are many ways to read and interpret the 490 years (seventy sevens) in Daniel 9. Tim shares about a study from scholar Roger Beckwith, who has done an enormous study on the various interpretations of Daniel 9 in his paper, “Daniel 9 and the Date of Messiah’s Coming in Essene, Hellenistic, Pharisaic, Zealot and Early Christian Computation” (see show resources for link). In part 4 (46:45–end), Tim and Jon cover an important prophecy in Isaiah about a coming jubilee. Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Tim shares a quote from scholar Bradley Gregory in his essay on Isaiah 61, called “The Post Exilic Exile in Isaiah.” “In Isaiah 40-55, the Babylonian exile is understood as an image of the Egyptian captivity. In the last ten chapters of Isaiah (56-66), the oppressive situation in Jerusalem after the exile has become another symbol. One gets the impression that the author doesn’t see the situation after the exile as any better than the situation in Babylon or enslaved in ancient Egypt. In all cases Israel is shackled because of sin, awaiting deliverance by Yahweh. The prescriptions for the jubilee have been eschatologized—the jubilee is now a metaphor and an image for a future hope. Isaiah has moved the concept for jubilee from a law to a concept of future deliverance.”
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Dec 09, 2019 |
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Rest for the Land - 7th Day Rest E9
00:43:52
KEY TAKEAWAYS
QUOTE
SHOW NOTES In part 1 (0-18:35), Tim and Jon review the conversation so far and quickly go over the Jewish festival calendar year to recap how it reflects the theme of seventh-day rest. They also discuss the Year of Jubilee. In part 2 (18:35-32:40), Tim shares from Leviticus 26 and talks about the “covenant curses” that God pronounces. If Israel disobeys the commands, they will be exiled. Their exile is portrayed an inverted jubilee. Covenant loyalty will result in Eden blessing, freedom, abundance, and security, much like the jubilee. Leviticus 26:3-13 “If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full (Heb. שבע, seven) and live securely in your land. “I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land… “So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm my covenant with you. You will eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. Moreover, I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you (cf. Genesis 3:8) and be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.” Tim says the takeaway from this passage is that covenant violation will result in seven anti-jubilee curses, slavery, poverty, and oppression, which is also portrayed with symbolic seven imagery. Leviticus 26:14-18, 21, 23-24, 27-28, 33-35 “But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. “If after all this you will not listen to me, I will discipline you for your sins seven times over. “If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. “If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. “If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will discipline you for your sins seven times over. “I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.” Jon notes that Western culture allows us to think that we own land. However, owning land in ancient Israel wasn’t reality. Instead, the land would return to the family originally entrusted with it every fifty years. God considers the land to be his, and Israel is tenants upon it. In part 3 (32:40-end), Tim finishes Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26:40-45 “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against me, and also in their acting with hostility against me… or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.” Tim notes that the same logic that gives the land rest in Leviticus 26 also appears in the New Testament, when Paul writes in Romans 8. Romans 8:19-23 “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” Creation will be liberated from its bondage when humans are liberated from theirs.
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Dec 02, 2019 |
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Jubilee: The Radical Year of Release - 7th Day Rest E8
00:57:57
QUOTE “Since it occurred usually only once a lifetime, an impoverished Israelite would spend most of his life anticipating this event of restoration. So when we get to Jesus and the Jesus movement, it was a jubilee movement. Jesus started his mission by reading from Isaiah 61. He said it’s the favorable year of the Lord, the year of release.” KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES In part 1 (0-7:30), the guys quickly review the conversation so far. In part 2 (7:30-21:30), Tim dives into Leviticus 24. Leviticus 24:1-4 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually.’” Tim shares a quote from Jacob Milgrom. “There are three kinds of oil. The first when the olives are pounded in order and put into a basket, and the oil oozes out. Rabbi Judah says, ‘Around the basket and around the sides, the oil that runs out of the basket, this gives the first oil…. The first oil is fit for lampstands.’” Tim and Jon observe that the first oil would be the safest, least likely to smoke. This would keep the soot for accumulating in the rooms where it is burning. Tim makes several observations about the lamp from Leviticus 24.
Tim shares this quote from Michael Morales: “The menorah lampstand contains the same seven-fold structure, symbolizing the entire seven-part structure of time provided by the heavenly lights…. Just as the cosmos was created for humanity’s Sabbath communion and fellowship with God, so too tabernacle was established for Israel’s Sabbath communion and fellowship with God “every day of the Sabbath” (Lev 24:8). This ritual drama of the lights and the bread, symbolizes the ideal Sabbath, the tribes of Israel basking in the divine light, being renewed in God’s presence Sabbath by Sabbath.” (Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord, 189-190 [with embedded quote by Vern Poythress].) In part 3 (21:30-36:00), Tim dives into Leviticus 25 and the practice of jubilee. Leviticus 25:1-55 “The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you—for yourself, your male and female servants, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten. ‘“Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. ‘“In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property. If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do not take advantage of each other. You are to buy from your own people on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And they are to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God. ‘“Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, ‘What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?’ I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. ‘“The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. ‘“If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them but later on they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, they are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property. But if they do not acquire the means to repay, what was sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and they can then go back to their property. ‘“Anyone who sells a house in a walled city retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time the seller may redeem it. If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and the buyer’s descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as belonging to the open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee. ‘“The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess. So the property of the Levites is redeemable—that is, a house sold in any town they hold—and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession. ‘“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. ‘“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. ‘“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can bequeath them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. ‘“If a foreigner residing among you becomes rich and any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to the foreigner or to a member of the foreigner’s clan, they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them: An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in their clan may redeem them. Or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves. They and their buyer are to count the time from the year they sold themselves up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for their release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired worker for that number of years. If many years remain, they must pay for their redemption a larger share of the price paid for them. If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, they are to compute that and pay for their redemption accordingly. They are to be treated as workers hired from year to year; you must see to it that those to whom they owe service do not rule over them ruthlessly. ‘“Even if someone is not redeemed in any of these ways, they and their children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”’” Tim makes a few observations about the practice of jubilee and the Year of Jubilee. Giving people back their ancestral land would prevent the formation of monopolies and land owner dynasties. It would be a consistent (about once a lifetime) check to level the economic playing field of ancient Israel. Tim also notes that there are no narrative stories about Israel actually observing this Year of Jubilee. This causes some scholars to wonder whether the jubilee ever happened, or whether it was set up as an ideal to aspire to. Tim says that jubilee anticipates a future restoration. He shares a quote from scholar John Bergsma. “There is something inherently ‘eschatological’ about the jubilee, long before it was seen as a symbol of the eschaton by later writers. Since it recurred usually only once in a lifetime, the impoverished Israelite—or at least the one projected by the text—would spend most of his life in anticipation of this event of restoration. Also, from the perspective of the entire Pentateuch, the conquest and settlement of Canaan was a kind of ‘realized eschatology’—the fulfillment of the promise of the land of Canaan originally made to Abraham. Leviticus 25—in its present position in the Pentateuch—looks forward to the time when the ‘eschatological’ condition of Israel dwelling within her own land will be realized, and enacts measures to ensure that periodically this utopian, ‘eschatological’ state of Israel will be renewed and restored.” (John Bergsma, The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran: A History of Interpretation, 81) In part 4 (36:00-end), Tim and Jon talk about how the jubilee crosses into social, economic, and political views. Tim notes that Jesus launched his movement by declaring that the Year of Jubilee had arrived. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources:
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Nov 25, 2019 |
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7th Day Rest Q&R #1 - 7th Day Rest E7
00:53:51
7th Day Q+R 1 Sam from Ohio (1:55): “I've heard you use the phrase that the Hebrew authors are in conversation with their Canaanite neighbors. In the creation narratives, when the Hebrew authors use the word avodah—for slave labor or work—are they saying something significant to their Canaanite neighbors, who in some of their creation accounts claim that the gods created humans to be their slaves? Is the word avodah tied to a unique claim that the Hebrew authors are trying to make about the relationship between God, work, and rest?” Laura from Missouri (11:46): “As you were talking about sacred time built into the fabric of creation—particularly how the sun, moon, and stars are indented to mark the days and times for seasons and feasts—would these things still have been the case if the fall did not occur? Were these intended to be part of the people of God regardless of the fall? And if so, what would they be looking back to or forward to?” Mike from South Africa (22:20): “Is the number seven a divine construct imported into the Israelite thinking? Or is it (or was it) an already established cultural idea that God just adopted to teach something that they would have understood if you spoke in their language?” Brianna from Wisconsin (32:35): “I have a question about the flood narrative, and what’s going on there with all the uses of time and sevens that keep getting repeated. I’m wondering if all the references to time are supposed to get mapped onto Israel’s calendar and the feast days? And if so, does that somehow tie into Noah and his name meaning “rest?” What are we meant to see there with all the reference to time and sevens and the idea that Noah is rest and bringing rest into the world.” John from Virginia (43:27): “You mention that the Exodus story participates with days one, two, and three of the creation account. I was wondering if there was anything following that that maps onto days four, five, and six that maps onto the new Eden.” Show music Defender Instrumental by Tents Show Produced by Dan Gummel Powered and Distributed by Simplecast. |
Nov 21, 2019 |
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The Seven Festivals - 7th Day Rest E6
01:07:23
QUOTE “The Holy One, blessed be He, created seven ages, and of them all He chose the seventh age only, the six ages are for the going in and coming out (of God’s creatures) for war and peace. The seventh age is entirely Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting.” – Rabbi Eliezer KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES In part 1 (0-16:10), Tim and Jon recap the conversation so far, including the story of God giving Moses the Ten Commandments and instructions for the tabernacle. Interestingly, Tim notes that he isn’t pointing out all the layers of seven in the Bible, just highlighting some of the significant ones. For example, Moses goes up and down the mountain to commune with God seven times in the whole story of the TaNaK. Tim moves into the next part of the story. God is now dwelling in the tabernacle, also known as the tent of meeting. Unfortunately, God’s presence is so intense that no one can go in. In part 2 (16:10-25:00), Tim expands on the theme of Sabbath in Exodus. Exodus 23:9-12 Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed. Tim observes that Sabbath rest isn’t just for the Jews. It’s also rest for the servants, the land, and the animals. All of creation is called to participate in seventh-day rest. In part 3 (25:00-35:00), Tim looks at a passage from Deuteronomy 15. Deuteronomy 15:1-6 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. Cancelling debts would sometimes happen in the ancient world when a new ruler came into power as an act of political and social favor. What’s unique about the Jewish idea in Deuteronomy, Tim notes, is that this release from debts is meant to be observed independently of any kingship or political system. In part 4 (35:00-44:00), Tim goes back to Leviticus to trace out the appointed feasts. Leviticus 23:2-4 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times.’” Here’s a simple way to lay out the sabbath and the appointed festivals. 1. Sabbath The seventh day of each week. Duration: one day Restrictions: no work 2. Passover & Unleavened Bread The first feast of the year. Duration: one day plus seven days Restrictions: no work on the first and seventh days 3. Firstfruits Held the day after the seventh day of Passover Duration: one day 4. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) Seven times seven and one days after Passover Duration: one day Restrictions: no work 5. Trumpets First day of the seventh month Duration: one day Restrictions: no work 6. Day of Atonement Tenth day of the seventh month Duration: one day Restrictions: no work 7. Tabernacles Middle of the seventh month (7/15-7/21) Duration: seven days Restrictions: no work on the first and seventh days (Numbers 5-7 are commonly known as "The Days of Awe") The Sabbath represented a burst of Eden rest into ordinary time. These seven feasts all participate and develop aspects of the meaning of the original Sabbath.
The dates of these feasts float independently of the perpetual seventh-day cycle. Occasionally, when a feast falls on the Sabbath, it becomes extra special. For example, passover falls on the Sabbath during Jesus’ week of passion when he is crucified. In part 5 (44:00-47:45), Tim moves on and discusses the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks / Pentecost. In part 6 (47:45-end), Tim covers the last three festivals: the Festival of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Tim notes that there are lots of overlapping calendars in the Hebrew Bible, and it can be difficult to keep them all straight. In modern times we have calendars like “the school year,” “the financial year,” “the sports year,” etc. All of these years and calendars overlay on our actual year in a different way. This is true of feasts in the Bible as well. These last few feasts are commonly regarded as “the days of awe and wonder” in modern Jewish life. The Festival of Trumpets is now known as Rosh Hashanah. This is would have been considered the Jewish New Year. The Day of Atonement is the next holiday where a symbolic goat takes Israel’s sins out of the camp. The Feast of Tabernacles is last. This feast is meant to reenact the Israelite wandering and journey in the wilderness. Israelites are expected to not work for seven days and camp out. Tim quotes from Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer. “The Holy One, blessed be He, created seven ages, and of them all He chose the seventh age only, the six ages are for the going in and coming out (of God’s creatures) for war and peace. The seventh age is entirely Sabbath and rest in the life everlasting.” Thank you to all our supporters! Have a question for us? Send it to info@jointhebibleproject.com. We love reading your reviews of our show! Show Music:
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Nov 18, 2019 |
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The Cathedral in Time - 7th Day Rest E5
00:57:08
QUOTE "The Sabbath is to time what the tabernacle and temple are to space: a cathedral in time. On the seventh day, we experience in time what the temple and tabernacle represented in spaces, which is eternal life with God in a complete creation." KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES: In part 1 (0-8:30), Tim and Jon recap their conversation so far. They go over the story of the Passover and review how it reflects the creation account in Genesis. In part 2 (8:30-22:30), Tim transitions to the story of Israel collecting manna in the wilderness in Exodus 16. Exodus 16:4-35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.” On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day. Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.” As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. Tim notes that manna was supposed to be a little taste of the new creation. Manna was a new work of creation that violated normal creation while also fitting within God’s ideal purpose for creation (i.e., within the seven-day scheme). Manna was a divine gift that came from proximity to the divine glory (Ex 16:9-10). This miraculous provision didn’t behave like normal food, and there was more than enough each day, no matter how much was gathered. Tim also shares that the rhythms of gathering and not gathering on the Sabbath is an imitation of God’s own patterns of work and rest in Genesis 1. Similarly, God announced “good” days one through six and “very good” on day seven. This parallels with Israel collecting manna on days one through six and “double manna” on day seven. Furthermore, on the seventh day God “rested” (took up residence in his temple), and on the seventh day Israel “rests” and Moses “rested” a perpetual sample of manna “before Yahweh” and “before the testimony.” Tim cites scholar Stephen Geller: “... manna is presented as a new work of creation that disrupts the established order of creation. In fact, there is a clear parallelism between the creation account in Gen 1-2:4 and Exod 16. In both passages there is a dichotomy between the first six days and the seventh day. In Gen 1, the work of each day is stated by God to be "good," a term that marks its completion. But on the sixth day the phrase "very good" marks the completion not just of the acts of creation on that day, but of the first six days as a whole. Genesis 2:1 states explicitly that "the heaven and earth were completed." Yet, to the perplexity of exegesis, the very next verse says that "God completed on the seventh day the work he did and ceased on the seventh day all work he did." The second of these two statements must be viewed as an explanation of the first: God completed his work by ceasing.” (Stephen Geller, “Exodus 16: A Literary and Theological Reading,” Interpretation vol. (2005), p. 13.) In part 3 (22:30-36:30), the guys dive into the actual Sabbath command as part of the Ten Commandments, which is given in seven Hebrew sentences. The Sabbath command in Exodus 20:8-11 is expressed in seven statements arranged in a chiastic symmetry. Tim says this is another fascinating layer of the theme of seventh-day rest in the Bible. Exodus 20:8-11 A – Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. B – Six days you will labor C – and do all your work, D – but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; C’ – you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant, or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. B’ – For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; A’ – therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Tim cites scholar Leigh Trevaskis to make his point: “The sabbatical rest seems to remind Israel of her covenant obligations as YHWH’s new creation. Though this rest is more immediately connected to the exodus in these chapters, it has its roots in the creation story (Gen 2:1-3; cf. Exod 20:11) and by connecting Israel’s remembrance of her redemption from Egypt with the sabbatical rest, the exodus becomes infused with further theological significance: just as Gods seventh day rest in the creation story marks the emergence of his new creation, so does Israel’s sabbatical rest attest to her emergence as YHWH’s new creation through his act of redemption. And since her identity as a new creation is tied up with the covenant (cf. Exod 15:1-19; 19:4-5), Israel’s sabbatical rests… presumably recall her obligation to remain faithful to this covenant, encouraging her to live according to the Creators will.” (Leigh Trevaskis, “The Purpose of Leviticus 24 within its Literary Context,” 298-299.) Tim then walks through Exodus 24, which is the start of God giving the tabernacle instructions to Moses. This story is a crucial layer to understanding how the building of the tabernacle (the “tent of meeting”) weaves into the theme of seventh-day rest. Exodus 24:1-11 Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. In part 4 (36:30-49:50), Tim continues the story in Exodus 24. Exodus 24:12-18 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.” Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Tim notes that the theme of sixth and seventh day is now clearly established. God appears to Moses on the seventh day. Here in Exodus 25-31, God presents Moses with the plans for the tabernacle. These plans are dispensed in seven speeches by God. [1] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 25:1] [2] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 30:11] [3] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 30:17] [4] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 30:22] [5] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 30:34] [6] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 31:1] [7] “And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying…” [Exodus 31:12] The seventh and final act of speech covers the Sabbath. After this, in Exodus 40, the completion of the tabernacle is given with seven statements of Moses completing the work God commanded him. Exodus 40:17-18a And it came about in the beginning month, in the second year, on the first of the month, the tabernacle was set up (הוקם), and Moses set up (ותקם) the tabernacle… [1] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:19] [2] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:21] [3] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:23] [4] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:25] [5] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:27] [6] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:29] [7] “…just as Yahweh commanded Moses” [Exodus 40:32] “And Moses completed (ויכל) the work (המלאכה)” [Exodus 40:33b] Tim cites scholar Howard Wallace to make the following point: “The structuring of the narrative in Exodus 25-40 binds the Sabbath observance closely with the construction of the sanctuary. Both are tightly connected with the question of the presence of Yahweh with his people…. The Sabbath is a significant element in the celebration of the presence of Yahweh with his people. Just as the tabernacle was built along lines specified by divine decree, so too in the sequence is the human sabbath institution modeled on the divine pattern. Since the tabernacle, which is patterned on the divine plan, reveals the presence and shares in the role of the heavenly temple to proclaim the sovereignty of Israel’s God, so the Sabbath shares in the proclamation of the sovereignty of Yahweh.” (Howard Wallace, “Creation and Sabbath in Genesis 2:1-3,” 246.) Tim also shares a quote from Rabbi Abraham Heschel. “The sabbath is to time what the temple and tabernacle are to space. The sabbath is a cathedral in time. On the seventh day we experience in time what the tabernacle and temple represented as spaces which is eternal life, God in the complete creation.” (The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel) In part 5 (49:50-end), the guys finish up their conversation. Tim notes that the cliffhanger at the end of Exodus is that Moses and all of Israel have successfully built the tabernacle (or the tent of meeting) and God then comes to dwell in it, to meet with Israel. But when he does, his presence is too intense, and Moses is unable to go in. So what will happen? Find out next week when we turn to Numbers and Leviticus. Thank you to all our supporters!
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Nov 11, 2019 |
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Sacred Time & The Feast of Flight - 7th Day Rest E4
01:07:26
QUOTE "Another layer of Genesis is that the first, the middle, and last day are all designed to show God creating structures of time. In the timing of the middle fourth day, God appoints the sun, moon and stars to rule over day and night, and they are to mark the moadim, the sacred feasts, the annual sacred feasts. So the whole sacred calendar of Israel that you’ll meet in Exodus and Leviticus is already baked into the story at the beginning of Genesis. (This is) sacred time." KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES Welcome to our fourth episode discussing the theme of the seventh-day rest in the Bible. In this episode, Tim and Jon look at the Passover and Exodus stories and talk about their importance to the development of this theme. In part 1 (0-12:30), the guys quickly go over the conversation so far. Tim briefly covers the days of creation and notes how God sets up structures of time on days one, four, and seven. These structures are reflected in the Hebrew calendar. In part 2 (12:30-19:30), Tim begins to share broadly about the Hebrew sacred calendar. Tim notes that the Jewish calendar is designed to heavily reflect symbolic “seven” imagery. In part 3 (19:30-37:30), Tim briefly recaps the calling of Abraham that was discussed in the previous episode. Tim notes that Abraham believed that God would bring about an ultimate seventh day. A brief conversation follows about fasting in Christianity as well as a brief discussion on the differences between “hope” and “optimism.” Tim cites scholar Cornel West about the differences between optimism and Christian hope. In part 4 (37:30-43:00), Tim starts to talk about Passover, which originates in the book of Exodus. Tim says that Passover is the most important feast on the Jewish calendar. The Exodus story is presented in cosmic terms on analogy with the Creation story of Genesis 1. In part 5 (43:00-56:20), Tim explains the story of the Exodus and how it maps onto the Genesis story. The powers of evil destroy Israel (i.e. new humanity) through slavery (lit. “working” in Hebrew, עבדה), and through the waters of death. But God acts and rescues Israel. The famous story of the ten plagues are inversions of the ten creative words of God in Genesis 1. All of the plagues “de-create” Egypt back into chaotic darkness. Consider these examples: The Plague of Darkness Genesis 1:2-3 …and darkness (חשך) was over the surface of the deep…. Then God said, “let there be light (יהי אור)….” Exodus 10:21, 23 …that there may be darkness (ויהי חשך) over the land of Egypt… but for all the sons of Israel, there was light (היה אור) in their dwellings. The Plague of Frogs Exodus 7:28 And the Nile will swarm (ושרץ) with frogs… Genesis 1:20 …let the waters swarm (שרץ) with every swarming (שרץ) creature… The Plague of Locusts Exodus 10:5 [the locusts] will eat every tree (עץ) which sprouts (צמח) for you from the field (השדה). Exodus 10:15 …fruit of the tree…all vegetation in the tree and green thing (ירק) in the field… Genesis 1:29-30 I have given to you for food all vegetation… all the tree which has the fruit of the tree… every green thing (ירק)…. Genesis 2:9 …and Yahweh sprouted (צמח) from the ground every tree (עץ)… Pharaoh sends Israel out of Egypt at night (Exod 12:29, 31, 42) and Israel flees to the edge of the Reed Sea where Pharaoh’s army chases them for a night showdown (Exod 14:20). It’s at night that God parts the waters (Exod 14:21), and during the last watch of the night (Exod 14:24), the Egyptians falter in the midst of the sea, and at sunrise (Exod 14:27) the waters destroy the Egyptians while the Israelites flourish on dry land. Tim says that this story maps directly onto the creation narrative. The passage through the Reed Sea is all days 1-3 together in Genesis. In part 6 (56:20-end), Tim goes to Exodus 15 to discuss the first “worship song” in the Bible. Exodus 15:10-13, 17-18 You blew with your wind, the sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand, The earth swallowed them. In your lovingkindness you have led the people whom you have redeemed; In your strength you have guided them to your holy habitation. You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, The place of your dwelling (שבתך / shibteka / Sabbath!), which you have made, The sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever. Tim notes that the English word “dwelling” in verse 17 is a wordplay on the word “sabbath,” because it is composed of the same letters. Tim then discusses more details about the Passover and why its importance in the Bible. The Passover is on the 14th (2 x 7) and is followed by a seven day festival of unleavened bread (15th – 21st), that begins and ends with a “super sabbath” rest. In Exodus 12:1-2, the new beginning given by God as he says, “beginning of the months, the beginning it is for you,” parallels with Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning….” Passover is compared to creation as a seven-day ritual the restarts the calendar, like a new creation. Tim then dives back into Exodus 12:14-16, 34, 39. Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders. They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. Tim makes the following observations:
Here's a quote Tim cites in his notes for this verse: “But why require eating unleavened bread as the special focus of the exodus memorial meal, the Passover? The answer is that unleavened bread was the unique food of the original exodus, the event God wanted his people to be sure not to forget. People everywhere normally eat leavened bread. It tastes better, is more pleasant to eat, is more filling. Leavened bread was the normal choice of the Israelites in Egypt too. But on the night they ran, there was no time for the usual niceties—a fast meal had to be eaten, and hastily made bread had to be consumed. The fact that a lamb or goat kid was roasted for the meat portion of the meal or that bitter herbs were eaten as a side dish was not nearly so special or unusual as the fact that the bread was unleavened, thus essentially forming sheets of cracker. Eating it at the memorial feast intentionally recalled the original departure in haste. Eating it for a solid week tended to fix the idea in one’s consciousness.” (Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus, vol. 2, The New American Commentary, 283) Consider these points:
Tim concludes by saying that Passover and the Exodus are a kind of “new creation” as enslaved humanity is liberated from the realm of exile, death, and darkness and led through the waters of death into the new Eden of the promised land, marked by the celebration of a seven-day ritual (in the month of Abib on the 14th-21st). The liberation brought about at Passover is a new creation. The liberation requires that humans not try to provide their own security or provision (bread) but eat only what God allows and provides. This is clearly in preparation for the manna. Thank you to all our supporters! Have a question? Record your question and send it to info@jointhebibleproject.com. Tell us your name and where you’re from. And try to keep the question under 20-30 seconds. Thanks! Show Music
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Nov 04, 2019 |
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Two Kinds of Work - 7th Day Rest E3
01:00:58
QUOTE “So once [the fall] happened, we go to Genesis 3, and all of a sudden the ground that was the source of humanity’s life as a gift from God—‘cursed is the ground because of you.’ So all of a sudden, we’ve lost the seventh-day ideal and not attained to it.” KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES Welcome to episode three in our series on the theme of the seventh-day rest in the Bible. In part 1 (0-21:45), Tim comments on Genesis 2:15. Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the human and ‘rested him’ (וינחהו / nuakh) into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. God “rests” the human in the garden so that he can “work” it. Tim notes that this is the first appearance of the Hebrew word nuakh in the Bible. This becomes an important word in the theme of seventh-day rest. Tim says that this word can be understood as “to dwell,” or “to abide and rest in.” Humanity is to be fully present in the garden (Heb. nuakh = “to take up residence”). Tim also says that this abiding rest is conditional. Will humans obey God and not take of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad? Answer: no. So what happens? Humanity rebels and is exiled from the heaven and earth Eden mountain, sent to “work/labor” the ground. Genesis 3:17-19 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. Tim says that this is a change in the nature of our work. The work is no longer enjoyable by default; instead, work becomes a task done for survival. In part 2 (21:45-33:20), Jon asks how this idea fits with God’s call for humanity to tend and maintain the garden. Wouldn’t ruling and subduing creation take work? Tim responds by talking about two different types of work. Humanity was created to work, but the original work they were destined for was fundamentally different from the post-fall, post-eden work. Tim quotes from Abraham Joshua Heschel, a famous 20th century Jewish rabbi and his book The Sabbath. “We are all infatuated with the splendor of space and the grandeur of the things of space. Thing is a category that lays heavy on our mind, tyrannizing all our thoughts. In our daily lives we attend primarily to that which are senses are spelling out for us. Reality to us is thinghood, consisting of substances that occupy space. Even God is perceived by most of us as a thing. The result of our thinginess is a blindness to all realities that fail to identify itself as a thing. This is obvious in our understanding of time, which being thingless and unsubstantial appears to us as having no reality. Indeed we know what to do with space but do not know what to do with time, except to make it subservient to space. Most of us seem to labor for the sake of things of space. As a result we suffer from a deeply rooted dread of time and stand aghast when compelled to look into its face. Time to us is sarcasm. A slick treacherous monster with a jaw like a furnace incinerating every moment of our lives. Shrinking therefore from facing time, we escape for shelter to things of space.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath, prologue) In part 3 (33:20-40:45), Tim focuses on Psalm 90. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! Tim notes that in verse 14, the English word “satisfy” is the Hebrew word for seven. So the writer is asking God for a completeness that only he can give. In part 4 (40:45-49:30), Tim looks at the calling of Abraham in Genesis 12. Tim says that this is a seven-lined poem, and there are five promises of blessing which match the five curses earlier in Genesis 3-11. Jon notes that the conversation is actually looking at new creation through the lens of the sabbath and seventh-day rest. In part 5 (49:30-55:45), Tim dives into a story about Abraham in Genesis 21. Genesis 21:22-34 Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do; now therefore, swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned.” Abraham said, “I swear it.” But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.” Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set by themselves?” He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well.” Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. Tim notes that this story is symbolic on many levels. Tim notes that the Hebrew word sheba can be translated as both “seven” and “oath.” So the story represents Abraham making a “seven” oath with Abimelech, who symbolically represents the nations. This oath results in peace and abundance for all people involved. Tim and Jon both agree that once you start to look for it, the themes of seven, completeness, and seventh-day rest are all over the Bible. In part 6 (44:45-end), Tim and Jon recap the episode and preview the next part of the story, which is Israel’s enslavement in Egypt and the Exodus story. Show Music:
Show Produced by: Dan Gummel Show Resources: Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Oct 28, 2019 |
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The Significance of 7 - 7th Day Rest E2
01:05:09
FAVORITE QUOTE “Genesis 1 isn’t just telling you about what type of world you’re living in; it’s showing you, as a Israelite reader, that your life of worship rhythms are woven into the fabric of the universe.” KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES Welcome to our second episode tracing the theme of seventh-day rest in the Bible! In part 1 (0-18:30), Tim shares some of the numeric symbolism in Genesis 1. The opening line of Genesis 1 has seven words, and the central word, untranslated in English, is two Hebrew letters, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet: aleph and taw. When one isolates the theme of time in Genesis 1, another design pattern emerges that provides a foundation for all of Israel’s rituals of sacred time. Tim points out that there are many other ways the number seven is symbolic in the Genesis narrative: there are seven words in Genesis 1:1, and fourteen words in Genesis 1:2. There are seven paragraphs in Genesis 1:1-2:3 marked by “evening and morning.” The concluding seventh paragraph in Genesis 2:1-3 begins three lines which have seven words each (Gen 2:2-3a). In part 2 (18:30-28:30), Tim points out similar observations. Each of the key words in Genesis 1:1 are repeated by multiples of seven in Genesis 1:2-2:3.
Key words repeated seven times:
God speaks 10 times in Genesis 1:1-2:3. Seven times are divine creative commands to the creation itself: “let there be….” Three times are divine initiatives toward humanity: “let us make ‘adam…,” “be fruitful and multiply,” and “behold I have given to you….” Tim cites scholar Umberto Cassuto: “To suppose that all these appearances of the number seven are mere coincidence is not possible. This numerical symmetry is, as it were, the golden thread that binds together all the part of the section.” (Umberto Cassuto, From Adam to Noah: A Commentary on the Book of Genesis) Tim says all of this numerical symbolism is completely intentional. The authors want us to learn that seven represents both a whole completed creation and a journey to that completeness. In part 3 (28:30-41:00), Jon asks why the number seven became so symbolic in ancient Hebrew culture. Tim says the origins of the number seven being associated with completeness is likely tied to the lunar calendar of moon cycles. The biblical Hebrew word for “month” is “moon” (חדש). Each month consisted of 29.5 days, and each month consisted of four 7.3-day cycles, making a “complete” cycle of time. However, the sabbath cycle is independent of the moon cycle, and sabbaths do not coincide with the new moon. It is patterned after creation, and stands outside of any natural cycle of time. Tim then makes an important note on Hebrew word play. Seven was symbolic in ancient near eastern and Israelite culture and literature. It communicated a sense of “fullness” or “completeness” (שבע “seven” is spelled with the same consonants as the word שבע “complete/full”). This makes sense of the pervasive appearance of “seven” patterns in the Bible. For more information on this, Tim cites Maurice H. Farbridge’s book, Studies in Biblical and Semitic Symbolism, 134-37. In part 4 (41:00-52:30), Jon asks what it means for God to rest? In response, Tim says there are two separate but related Hebrew concepts and words for rest. The Hebrew word shabat means “to cease from.” God ceases from his work because “it is finished” (Gen 2:1). Compare with Joshua 5:12, “The manna ceased (shabat) on that day….” The Hebrew word nuakh means “to take up residence.” Compare with Exodus 10:14, “The locusts came up over the land of Egypt and rested (nuakh) in all the land.” When God or people nuakh, it always involves settling into a place that is safe, secure, and stable. 2 Samuel 7:1 says, “Now when King David dwelt in his house, for Yahweh had provided rest from his enemies….” The drama of the story, Tim notes, is the question as to whether humans and God will nuakh together? All of this sets a foundation for later biblical stories of Israel entering in the Promised Land, a land of rest. In part 5 (52:30-end), Tim asks what it means that God blessed the seventh day? Tim cites scholar Mathilde Frey: “Set apart from all other days, the blessing of the seventh day establishes the seventh part of created time as a day when God grants his presence in the created world. It is then his presence that provides the blessing and the sanctification. The seventh day is blessed and established as the part of time that assures fruitfulness, future-orientation, continuity, and permanence for every aspect of life within the dimension of time. The seventh day is blessed by God’s presence for the sake of the created world, for all nature, and for all living beings.” (Mathilde Frey, The Sabbath in the Pentateuch, 45) Tim says in Genesis 1, the symbolism of seven is a view that the “seventh day” is the culmination of all history. Tim cites scholar Samuel H. Balentine. “Unlike the previous days, the seventh day is simply announced. There is no mention of evening or morning, no mention of a beginning or ending. The suggestion is that the primordial seventh day exists in perpetuity, a sacred day that cannot be abrogated by the limitations common to the rest of the created order.” (Samuel H. Balentine, The Torah’s Vision of Worship, 93) Tim also cites scholar Robert Lowry: “The seventh-day account does not end with the expected formula, “there was evening and morning,” that concluded days one through six. Breaking the pattern in this way emphasizes the uniqueness of the seventh day and opens the door to an eschatological interpretation. Literarily, the sun has not yet set on God’s Sabbath.” (Richard H. Lowery, Sabbath and Jubilee, 90) Show Music:
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Show Produced By: Dan Gummel Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Oct 21, 2019 |
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The Restless Craving for Rest - 7th Day Rest E1
00:56:37
SHOW DESCRIPTION The sabbath. Talking about it can be complicated and confusing, yet the biblical authors wrote about it a lot. So what’s it all about? The sabbath is more than an antiquated law. It’s about the design of time and the human quest for rest. The sabbath and seventh-day rest is one of the key themes that starts on page one of the Bible and weaves beautifully all the way through to the end. FAVORITE QUOTE “The seventh day is like a multifaceted gem. One of the main facets is the fabric of creation as leading toward a great goal where humans imitate God and join him in ceasing from work and labor. But there’s going to be another facet that’s all about being a slave to our labor. And so the seventh day is a time to celebrate our liberation from slavery so that we can rest with God.” KEY TAKEAWAYS
SHOW NOTES Welcome to the first episode in our series on understanding seventh-day rest in the Bible! In part 1 (0-6:35), Tim outlines the theme in general. He says the seventh-day rest is actually a huge theme in the Bible, even more prominent in the Scriptures than other TBP videos. Tim calls it an “organizing main theme in the Bible.” In part 2 (6:35-23:45), Tim recounts a story from when he and Jon visited Jerusalem. They were both able to share a Sabbath meal with practicing Jews in Jerusalem. Tim shares that the Sabbath tradition is one of the longest running traditions in any culture in the world. Even the word shabat’s most basic meaning is “to stop.” In part 3 (23:45-33:00), Tim says this series isn’t really going to be about the practice of sabbath but about the theme and symbolism of sabbath and seventh-day rest in the Bible. This theme is rich and complex, woven from start to finish in the Scriptures. The practice of the Sabbath itself is only one piece of the underlying message the authors are trying to communicate. In part 4 (33:00-45:30), Tim and Jon discuss “keeping, observing, or remembering” the sabbath in the Ten Commandments. This command sticks out as a unique Jewish practice. The Jews are told to keep the sabbath for two different reasons according to two different passages: Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested (Heb. shabat) on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Keep the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest (Heb. nuakh) as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. Tim notes that in the first passage, Jews are told to keep the sabbath because it is an act of participation in God’s presence and rule over creation. But in the second passage, keeping the sabbath is an act of implementing God’s presence and rule by the liberation from slavery. Tim says these two ways of viewing the practice of the sabbath are two of the core ways to think about the seventh-day rest theme in the bible. In part 5 (45:30-end), Tim cites scholar Matitiahu Tsevat about the biblical phrase “it is a sabbath of Yahweh” (שבת ליהוה), literally, “a sabbath that belongs to Yahweh.” “This phrase is so important, it’s easy to miss its centrality... Just as in the 7th year of release man desists from utilizing the land for his own business and benefit, so on the sabbath day he desists from using that day for his own affairs. And just äs the intervals in regard to the release year and the jubilee years are determined by the number seven, so too is the number seven determinative for that recurring day when man refrains from his own pursuits and sets it aside for God. In regular succession he breaks the natural flow of time, proclaiming, and that the break is made for the sake of the Lord. This meaning which we have ascertained from the laws finds support Isaiah 58: “If you restrain your foot on the sabbath so äs not to pursue your own affairs on My holy day…” Man normally is master of his time. He is free to dispose of it as he sees fit or as necessity bids him. The Israelite is duty-bound, however, once every seven days to assert by word and deed that God is the master of time. … one day out of seven the Israelite is to renounce dominion over his own time and recognize God's dominion over it. Simply: Every seventh day the Israelite renounces his autonomy and affirms God's dominion over him in the conclusion that every seventh day the Israelite is to renounce dominion over time, thereby renounce autonomy, and recognize God's dominion over time and thus over himself. Keeping the sabbath is acceptance of the kingdom and sovereignty of God.” (Matitiahu Tsevat, The Basic Meaning of the Biblical Sabbath, 453-455.) Tim says the structure of the sabbath is meant to be inconvenient. God is the master of all time, and he holds all the time that we think actually belongs to us. Show Music:
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Show Produced by: Dan Gummel Powered and distributed by Simplecast |
Oct 14, 2019 |
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Can I Get a Witness?
01:04:19
The word witness is a key word in the bible, and the theme of “witnessing” is a key theme in the bible that can be used to understand the whole story of the bible.
Favorite Quotes “It’s weird how simple and how big of a responsibility being a witness is. God wants a group of witnesses who experience him and then talk about it.” Show Notes In part 1, (0-7:45) Tim and Jon introduce the topic and also introduce Carissa Quinn a biblical scholar on staff with the bible project. Carisa is responsible for researching and writing the script for the upcoming video on witness. The group talks about the popular usages of the word witness. Jon toes that in a Christian context, “witness” is often meant to be an activity that someone will do to try and logically convince or debate somebody (a non believer) about Jesus and the truth of the bible. The group also notes that oftentimes ‘witness’ is best understood in a modern legal context. In part 2, (7:45-16:50) Carissa says the word witness occurs over 400 hundred times in the bible in a variety of forms. In hebrew the word ‘witness’ is basically (1) someone who sees something amazing or important--in Hebrew, this person is an עֵד (eid) and in Greek, a μάρτυς (mártus). And (2) if this person begins to share what they’ve seen, we call this ‘bearing witness’: in Hebrew עוּד (uwd) and in Greek μαρτυρέω (marturéo). Carissa shares the story of Ruth in Ruth 4:9, when Boaz buys land from Naomi’s family, he calls together witnesses to see the transaction, so that if there’s a later dispute about the land, they can bear witness about what they saw. Tim notes that this passage is somewhat related to Deut 25:9 a law about sandals and witnessing being used as a form of legal documentation. The group briefly discusses the role of a public notary in modern culture. They act as official witnesses to legal signings. In part 3, (16:50-24:50) Carissa goes to Psalm 27 and the theme of “false witnesses”. Carissa notes that God is referred to as a witness throughout the bible. For example in Genesis 31:49 ... “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.” In the New Testament God the Father is said to bear witness to the identity of Jesus. Jesus also says he bears witness to himself in John 8:17-18 “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” Carissa then notes that many times Paul uses a phrase like “God is my witness” for example in Romans 1:9 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” In part 4 (24:50-42:45) Carissa continues the conversation by bringing up the fact that an object can be a witness in the bible. For example in Joshua 24: 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” Carissa then notes that the word “witness” in the bible can be used to trace the whole story of the bible. Tim says that the word “witness” is an interesting way to think about the image of god. People are created in God’s image to “witness” god and his creation to the rest of the world. Carissa says that israel is called to be a witness to the other nations in Exodus 19:4-6 “ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Carissa says that later in the bible the torah is referred to as a “witness” and is often called “the laws of the testimony”. Meaning the laws are testifying or witnessing the relationship between god and israel. Additionally, Moses writes a song in Deuteronomy 32 to bear witness to Israel about God. Carissa points out that in John 5, Jesus says the Torah points to him in John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” In part 5 (42:45-49:20) Carissa notes the theme of the word witness in the prophets. For example 2 Chronicles 24:19 "Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. These testified (witnessed) against them, but they would not pay attention. Carissa notes that to testify against or to witness against was one of the primary roles of prophets in the Old Testament. They were warning/ witnessing to Israel about what would happen to them if they didn’t follow god. Carissa also notes that Isiah 43:10-12 is a crucial passage to understand the role that the whole nation of Israel was to have in acting as God's witnesses. Isaiah 42:10 ““You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, In the last part, (49:20-end) Show Resources: Show Music Show Produced by: Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Oct 07, 2019 |
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The Obvious & Extravagant Claim of the Gospel - Gospel E4
00:52:16
Key Takeaways:
Quotes: “The main mode that many Christians, especially Protestants, read the Bible in is the ‘lessons for my life’ approach to the Bible. The deeply held assumption is, ‘the Bible is a moral handbook and each story is giving me a life application lesson that I can apply to my life.’ And I don’t think that’s what the Gospel authors are trying to do.” "(The gospels are) tying in Jesus’ story as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scripture storyline which is the story of Israel and all humanity. And then all of them are saying the story leads up to the moment of a Jewish wonder-worker’s execution. It’s a simple point. But that is their main point." In part 1 (0-11:30), Tim and Jon briefly recap the series so far. They discuss the earlier tips for reading the gospels more effectively and deeply. Tim says readers should always remember that the gospels are meant to be stories about Jesus, but they have been specifically selected to be persuasive stories about Jesus. The Gospel authors want the reader to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Sometimes they make this intent obvious and explicit, but other times, they make the claims indirectly. Tim says this method of indirect communication and indirect claims about Jesus is the primary way that Gospel authors design their portraits of Jesus. In part 2 (11:30-22:00), Tim notes that many of the stories about Jesus, including the stories of miracles, sound unbelievable to many modern Western audiences. Whereas in other cultures, healings and miracles and those who performed them were considered an integral part of life and evidence of God or the gods’ work. Tim shares a helpful resource called The Lost Letters of Pergamum, which is a short historical novel set in ancient Roman culture during the early days of Christianity. The novel helps readers more accurately picture what the original claims of the gospel would have meant to the first followers of Christ. Tim then says most Western Protestants read these accounts through asking, “What’s the application of this gospel story to my life and how will it improve my life?” Tim says he doesn’t think this is the best way to read the gospels. Instead, readers should learn to read the gospels as intricate and complete portraits of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that are claiming that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah. In part 3 (22:00-32:00), Tim notes that every Gospel climaxes with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Tim then contrasts this with the Gospel of Thomas, which does not include Jesus’ death and resurrection narrative. To the gnostics who used the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus was a wise, divine teacher who dispensed knowledge to humanity to help them learn to be wise. Tim then says that a good example of the gospels climaxing with Jesus’ death and resurrection would be the Gospel of Mark. Most of the book highlights the final week of Jesus’ life and does a fast fly-by of Jesus’ earlier life leading up to the week of the Passover and crucifixion. Most stories, Tim observes, end with the good guy defeating the bad guy, thereby using force and violence to triumph. The Jesus story claims that Jesus triumphed by allowing himself to be killed by his enemies. He then was raised from the dead and gives his enemies an opportunity to enter into new life by believing in him. In part 5 (32:00-end), Tim and Jon discuss the differences between the gospels. Tim says that some of the variances between the stories in the gospels used to bother him. Why couldn’t all the stories be the same? Aren’t the discrepancies evidence that these stories and authors might be unreliable? However, Tim continues by sharing that over time, his perspective has changed. Now, he realizes that the Gospel authors are advancing a claim about Jesus, not recounting security camera footage of his life. The authors want the reader to understand that Jesus had a totally different way of seeing the world, so they highlight this in their own style. Tim says he would actually be highly suspicious if all the gospels’ stories are exactly identical. That would imply that the Jesus story was not authentic. It also should be taken into consideration that what many modern Christians may perceive to be untruths or discrepancies in the Bible were much more accepted by early Christians. Modern readers should attempt to understand the context and culture of how the gospels were formed instead of importing our own modern view of a biography onto an ancient text. Show Music:
Show Resources: The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World by Bruce Longenecker Show Produced by: Dan Gummel Powered and distributed by Simplecast |
Sep 30, 2019 |
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Why are there four accounts of the Gospel? - Gospel E3
01:08:45
In part 1 (0-5:00), Tim and Jon briefly recap the last episode. Tim says he’s going to unpack four ways that readers can better understand and uncover themes in the gospels. In part 2 (5:00-14:00), Tim dives into advanced ways to read these accounts. One way to take your reading of the gospels to the next level is to get a Bible that shows when a Gospel is citing or quoting an Old Testament passage. For example, Tim focuses on the book of Mark. Most scholars view Mark as the oldest of the gospels. Mark 1 shares links to both Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 4:5-6 in the first verses. Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” Tim says that this should alert the reader to the fact that Mark is heavily influenced by the Old Testament. Mark is reading the Old Testament, and his Gospel is structured around and informed by the Hebrew Scriptures. In part 3 (14:00-22:30), Tim then looks at the start of Matthew. The book begins with a genealogy. This genealogy is broken into three movements of fourteen generations: fourteen from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile, and fourteen from the exile to Jesus. In order to stick to this pattern, Tim notes, generations would have been left out. So why would Matthew use this pattern? There are several thoughts. One is that the number fourteen is the numerical value of the name “David.” So Matthew is disguising his claim that Jesus is a new and better David in this genealogy. Tim also mentions that four women are mentioned in this genealogy. Each of them are non-Jewish women. Again, why does Matthew do this? He wants you to know that Gentile women in the Old Testament played a crucial role in carrying on—and in some cases rescuing—the messianic seed. In part 4 (22:30-32:30), Tim dives into the opening of the Gospel of Luke. The story of Elizabeth and Zacharias is meant to map onto the story of Abraham and Sarah. Both couples are old and have no children or heirs. Luke then moves onto the introduction of Mary. Mary’s response to the angel’s proclamation is different than Zacharias’ response. So Luke uses a lot of character design to overlap Old Testament and New Testament characters in order to show a new act of God. In part 5 (32:30-47:30), Tim dives into the opening in the Gospel of John. There are themes of Genesis 1 (“In the beginning”) and Lady Wisdom from Proverbs 8 in the opening lines of John. Many modern Western readers find John's writing style to be the most approachable and easy to understand. John's links and callbacks to earlier Hebrew Scriptures are more obvious to the untrained eye than in the other gospels. In part 6 (47:30-end), Tim and Jon dive into Mathew 11. Matthew 11:2-6 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Tim says that this passage is heavily influenced by Isaiah 35 because Jesus quotes from this passage to answer John's question about whether he is the Messiah or not. Isaiah 35:1-7 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Show Music:
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Show Produced by: Dan Gummel Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Sep 23, 2019 |
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The Gospel is More Than You Think - Gospel E2
00:55:08
In part 1 (0-19:00), Tim and Jon give a brief historical overview of Israel at the time Jesus was born. Israel had been under hundreds of years of military occupation by different empires. At the time of Jesus, that empire is Rome. Tim notes that the entire Jewish people would have had a sense of expectation. The Hebrew Scriptures taught them that the glory of the Jewish kingdom would return and a messiah would rescue them. This mindset—though difficult for us to imagine—was that of an ancient Jew under Roman rule at the time when the gospels were written. In part 2 (19:00-25:00), Tim notes that for one to declare or be declared as “messiah” while under Roman rule would have been viewed as an act of politcal insurrrection and revolution. In part 3 (25:00-38:45), Tim outlines the history of the word gospel, which comes from the old English word “godspel” or *good tidings*. This word in Greek is εὐαγγέλιον and Tim notes that “the euangelion” is what Jesus is said to proclaim in the beginning of Mark. Mark 1:1 *The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.* Tim then notes how Paul uses the same word at the start of Romans. Romans 1:2-4 *the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.* Tim also shared 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. *Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas,and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.* Tim notes that Paul doesn’t have a stock phrase or answer for “what is the gospel.” Instead he tweaks the message in both of these books and offers two complimentary answers. This example from Paul should make us cautious of trying to boil down the gospel to a simple formula. If Paul didn’t really do it that way, why should we? Instead we should try to learn how to articulate the whole story of the Jewish Scriptures and distill the gospel through that lens. In part 4 (38:45-44:45), Tim also brings up Paul’s speech to the Athenians in Acts 17: Acts 17:22-34 *Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.* *“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’* *“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”* *When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.* Tim notes that also in this presentation, Paul does not bring up Christ’s atoning death explictly. The atoning death of Christ is part of the gospel, but it is not the whole. The larger story of the gospel is portrayed in the four books known as the Gospels. What is the larger story? It is about Jesus inaugurating the kingdom of God. In part 5 (44:45-end), Tim gives his own definitions of the four books known as "the Gospels." "The gospels are carefully designed theological biographies of Jesus of Nazareth. They focus on his announcement of the euangelion. They are not merely historical records. They are designed to advance a claim that will challenge the readers thinking and behavior, and you are going to be forced to make a decision about Jesus after reading the book. And what is the claim? That the crucified and risen Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of Israel and true Lord of the world." Tim closes with an insight from scholars Loveday Alexander and Richard Burridge, as well as a book called *Reading the Gospels Wisely* by Jonathan Pennington.
Show Resources: * Richard Burridge: [*What are the Gospels? A Comparision with Graeco Roman Biography*](https://www.amazon.com/What-Are-Gospels-Comparison-Graeco-Roman/dp/0802809715). * Loveday Alexander: [*The Preface to Luke’s Gospel*](https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Preface_to_Luke_s_Gospel.html?id=HLjtGILFiOcC). * Jonathan Pennington: [*Reading the Gospels Wisely*](https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Gospels-Wisely-Theological-Introduction/dp/0801039371/ref=sr_1_2?crid=LN20A72IJRSW&keywords=reading+the+gospels+wisely&qid=1567096955&s=books&sprefix=reading+the+gos%2Cstripbooks%2C184&sr=1-2). * [A brief overview of Jewish history pre-Christ and during Roman rule.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_history#The_Hasmonean_Kingdom_(110%E2%80%9363_BCE))
Show Music: * Defender Instrumental by Tents * Hello from Portland by Beautiful Euology * For When It’s Warmer by Sleepy Fish * Instrumentals of Mercy by Beautiful Eulogy * Chilldrone: Copyright free
Show Produced by: Dan Gummel
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Sep 16, 2019 |
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What Does the Word "Gospel" Mean? Feat. N.T. Wright - Gospel E1
01:11:18
Welcome to a special episode that kicks off our series of How to Read the Gospels. In this episode, Tim sits down with Dr. N.T. Wright to discuss the historical meaning of the word “gospel.” In part 1 (0-21:20), Dr. Wright notes that word studies are great, but it’s important to understand how words derive their meaning and live in a narrative context. Alternaitve “gospels,” including the Gospel of Thomas, typically are a collection of good advice or wise sayings from Jesus about how to live a good life, whereas the whole “gospel” or good news is the story of Jesus being crowned king and Israel being used by God to bless all the nations. Tim shares an interesting historical ancedote: a birthday announcement from a historical source called the Calendar of Priene. It’s an old royal announcement from the Roman emporer Augustus Caesar, and it uses the Greek word for “gospel,” εὐαγγέλιον, evangelion, meaning "good news." "Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings for the world that came by reason of him.” (The Calendar of Priene, Caesar Birthday announcement) Dr. Wright says this historical announcement reveals a very interesting historical narrative. The Roman emporers continually decreed that they had brought peace and justice to the world through violent and political power. These emporers used the same language and vocubulary as the gospel authors when they proclaim Jesus of Nazareth as the one who brings true peace and justice to the world. In part 2 (21:20-27:10), Tim and Dr. Wright discuss that “news” is an ineffective modern word to describe the gospel. A better alternative in our day would be “announcement” or “proclamation.” Today, the word “news” is used most often to describe everyday occurences, whereas the historical word εὐαγγέλιον, evangelion, was far less common and treated with importance. In part 3 (27:10-42:45), Tim and Dr. Wright dive into the Gospel of Mark and Matthew. Dr. Wright focuses on the Beatitudes in Matthew. Instead of it being just an ethical to-do list, the Beatitudes are meant to model what God’s kingdom actually looks like. They represent the corporate moral ethic of God’s kingdom, showing what a world looks like when God becomes king and showing how God's kingdom spreads throughout the world. Tim and Dr. Wright both cite Isaiah 53, one of the key bridges between the Old and New Testament in the Suffering Servant. They move on to discuss a book by Dr. Richard Hayes called, “Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels” and discuss the royal enactment portrayls in the gospels. Tim and Dr. Wright note that these are very obvious themes. Jesus is given a purple robe and crowned with a crown of thorns. These themes are meant to be picked up by the reader as evidence of the upside down nature of the kingdom that Jesus was enacting. He became king through suffering. In part 4 (42:45-56:00), Tim and Dr. Wright talk about Paul and his perspective of εὐαγγέλιον, evangelion. Tim reads from Romans 1:1-6: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ." Tim also shares 1 Corinthians 15:1-11: “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” Tim thinks this 1 Corinthians passage may be over-dominant in Western Christianity’s understanding in defining the gospel. Dr. Wright notes a historical view stemming from German and Lutheran interpretation that wants to see “the gospel” only as a salvation by faith that Christ died for our sins on the cross. This view, Dr. Wright asserts, shortchanges the story of the Hebrew Scriptures. While this is part of the meaning of the word “gospel,” the whole story of the Hebrew Scriptures involves the signficance of Jesus being the new and exalted human, the new Adam, through whom humanity can now realize their orginal destiny that was laid out for them in the Garden of Eden. In part 5 (56:00-end), Tim and Dr. Wright wrap up their time together by discussing how word studies are important but need to be tied into an informed understanding of the whole narrative of the Hebrew Bible. Show Produced by: Show Music:
Show Resources:
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Sep 09, 2019 |
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Generosity Q&R: Overpopulation, Cain's Sacrifice & Manna Hoarding - Generosity E5
01:01:52
Welcome to our Q+R for our series on Generosity. Tim and Jon respond on this episode to six questions. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions! Below are the questions with corresponding timestamps. Raphael from Austria (1:36): Nadia from the UK (11:27): Seth from Cincinnati (12:03): Lauren from Indiana (30:00): Nathaniel from New Orleans (35:56): Secret from Wisconsin (48:00): Show Music: Show Produced by: Show Resources: Powered and distributed by Simplecast. |
Sep 02, 2019 |
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Jesus as the Ultimate Gift - Generosity E4
00:56:57
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Aug 26, 2019 |
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The Abraham Experiment - Generosity E3
01:04:05
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Aug 19, 2019 |
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God as the Generous Host - Generosity E2
00:39:54
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Aug 12, 2019 |
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Abundance or Scarcity - Generosity E1
01:08:50
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Aug 05, 2019 |
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Wisdom Q&R - Wisdom E7
01:12:49
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Jul 29, 2019 |
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Did Jesus Really Think He Was God? - Feat. Dr. Crispin Fletcher-Louis
01:07:43
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Jul 22, 2019 |
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Solomon the Cynic & the Job You Never Knew - Wisdom E6
01:05:26
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Jul 15, 2019 |
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Destined for Glory - Feat. Dr. Haley Jacob
00:57:31
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Jul 11, 2019 |
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Song of Songs: Semi-Erotic Love Poetry - Wisdom E5
01:04:39
Welcome to episode 5 in our series on How to Read Biblical Wisdom Literature! In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss Song of Songs.
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Jul 08, 2019 |
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Proverbs: Lady Wisdom & Lady Folly - Wisdom E4
00:45:44
Welcome to episode four in our series of How to Read the Wisdom Literature of the Bible. Today, Tim and Jon dive into the book of Proverbs.
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Jul 01, 2019 |
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Solomon: The Wisest of the Fools - Wisdom E3
01:00:51
Welcome to our third episode discussing the theme of Wisdom in the Bible.
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Jun 24, 2019 |
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The Jesus Creed - Feat. Dr. Scot McKnight
01:08:43
Welcome to this special episode of The Bible Project podcast. In this episode, theologian and author Dr. Scot McKnight stopped by the studio to discuss his books and the impact they’ve had on Tim and The Bible Project.
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Jun 20, 2019 |
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The Tree of Knowing Good & Bad - Wisdom E2
00:48:52
Welcome to part 2 in our series on reading the books of wisdom literature in the Bible.
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Jun 17, 2019 |
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The Quest for Wisdom - Wisdom E1
00:46:04
Welcome to our new series on how to read the wisdom books in biblical literature!
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Jun 10, 2019 |
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Law Q&R - Law E6
00:56:32
Welcome to our Question and Response episode discussing How to Read Biblical Law!
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Jun 03, 2019 |
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Jesus Fulfills the Law - Law E5
00:48:26
Welcome to another episode exploring how to read biblical law. This is the final part of this discussion before our Q+R episode for this series.
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May 27, 2019 |
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God's Wisdom in the Law - Law E4
00:51:45
Welcome to our fourth episode on how to read biblical law!
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May 20, 2019 |
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The Emergence of Sin with Dr. Matt Croasmun
01:01:28
Welcome to this special episode of The Bible Project podcast!
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May 16, 2019 |
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The Law as a Revolution - Law E3
01:02:15
Welcome to our third episode on how to read biblical law!
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May 13, 2019 |
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The Law as a Covenantal Partnership - Law E2
01:13:13
Welcome to our second episode on how to read biblical law!
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May 06, 2019 |
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The Purpose of The Law - Law E1
01:02:48
Welcome to our first episode looking at laws in the Bible!
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Apr 29, 2019 |
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Prophets as Provokers - Prophets E2
00:56:22
Welcome to Episode 2 in our series on How to Read the Prophets!
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Apr 22, 2019 |
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What Prophecy is For - Prophets E1
00:58:04
Welcome to episode one in our miniseries on How to Read the Prophets!
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Apr 15, 2019 |
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N.T. Wright Interview #2: Paul and the Powers
01:03:55
In this episode, Tim and Jon interview the prolific theologian N.T. (Tom) Wright.
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Apr 08, 2019 |
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To the Ends of the Earth - Acts E7
00:35:45
This is our last episode (for now) in our series on the book of Acts and Luke.
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Apr 01, 2019 |
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Paul in Prison - Acts E6
00:51:43
Welcome to episode 6 of our Acts series!
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Mar 25, 2019 |
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Paul's Journey to Jerusalem - Acts E5
00:52:39
Welcome! This episode continues our series on the book of Acts.
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Mar 18, 2019 |
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Q+R: Son of Man - Son of Man E9
00:57:06
Welcome to our Question and Response episode on the topic of the Son of Man.
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Mar 11, 2019 |
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Thieves by the Throne - Son of Man E8
01:07:58
Welcome to our final conversation on the Son of Man theme in the Bible! Next week we will do a Q+R episode. Have a question for us? Send it to info@jointhebibleproject.com.
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Mar 04, 2019 |
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Jesus With Wild Beasts - Son of Man E7
00:54:21
Welcome to our 7th episode discussing the Son of Man in the Bible!
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Feb 25, 2019 |
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The True Human - Son of Man E6
01:04:04
Welcome to the 6th episode of our podcast series covering the Son of Man theme in the Bible.
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Feb 18, 2019 |
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The Beastly King - Son of Man E5
00:59:53
In this week's episode, Tim and Jon continue exploring the book of Daniel and discuss King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his animal-like tendencies.
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Feb 11, 2019 |
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Power Over the Snake - Son of Man E4
01:02:41
Welcome to episode 4 of our series on the Son of Man!
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Feb 04, 2019 |
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The Snake in the Throne Room - Son of Man E3
00:48:30
Welcome to episode 3 of our series on the Son of Man! In this episode, Tim and Jon dive deep into the history, the story, and the ideas surrounding one of the most famous figures in the Bible: the Serpent.
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Jan 28, 2019 |
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Humans & Animals - Son of Man E2
01:00:33
Welcome to episode two of our series discussing the biblical theme of the Son of Man. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss humanity's role in relation to other parts of creation, specifically animals.
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Jan 21, 2019 |
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The Empty Throne - Son of Man E1
00:51:31
Welcome to the first episode in our series on the Son of Man!
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Jan 14, 2019 |
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God Series Recap - God E22
01:02:59
Welcome to our recap episode on the God series!
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Jan 07, 2019 |
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Merry Christmas & Thank You from The Bible Project
00:06:08
We wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Dec 31, 2018 |
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The Trinity & God's Identity - God 21
00:55:22
Welcome to the final episode in our series on God! Today Tim and Jon discuss the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.
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Dec 17, 2018 |
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Jesus' Identity in John's Gospel - God E20
00:51:41
Tim and Jon dive into the Gospel of John and how it portrays the relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
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Dec 10, 2018 |
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Jesus and God's Spirit - God E19
00:37:49
Tim and Jon dive into Paul’s understanding of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
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Dec 03, 2018 |
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Acts E5: N.T. Wright Interview - Getting to Know The Apostle Paul
00:55:24
This week we interview New Testament and Jewish Studies scholar N.T. Wright! Wright has heavily influenced many areas of theology, especially through his work outlining the Apostle Paul.
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Nov 26, 2018 |
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Who Did Paul Think Jesus Was? - God E18
00:38:40
This episode continues our series on God as a character in the Bible. Today Tim and Jon dive into the writings of Paul in the New Testament.
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Nov 19, 2018 |
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Q+R: Your Questions About Jesus' Identity - God E17
00:53:18
This is the fourth Q+R in our God series. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions! Tim and Jon discussed seven.
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Nov 12, 2018 |
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Who Did Jesus Think He Was? - God E16
00:53:47
Tim & Jon dive deeper into the portrayal of Jesus as a character in the New Testament. They ask the big question: Just who did Jesus think he was?
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Nov 05, 2018 |
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Is Jesus God? - God E15
00:56:22
Today Tim and Jon dive deep into the story of Jesus of Nazareth.
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Oct 29, 2018 |
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Who is the "Son of Man?" - God E14
00:53:20
In this episode Tim and Jon finally (finally!) begin to talk about Jesus.
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Oct 22, 2018 |
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What is God's Name? Feat. Dr. Michael Heiser - God E13
00:59:18
Dr. Michael Heiser from the Naked Bible Podcast joins us in this week's God episode.
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Oct 15, 2018 |
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God, Abraham, Demons, & Giants Q+R - God E12
01:01:35
This is our third Q+R in our God series. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions! Tim and Jon discussed four.
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Oct 08, 2018 |
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God’s Word, Spirit, & Wisdom - God E11
01:08:43
Tim and Jon have part two of their conversation on God’s attributes used as a character. They discuss God’s Spirit, God’s wisdom, and God’s word.
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Oct 01, 2018 |
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God's Name is a Character - God E10
00:34:08
Tim and Jon zoom in on a confusing part of the Bible: God’s attributes. Specifically, God’s name, glory, word, spirit and wisdom. Today Tim and Jon will be covering the first two. God’s name and his glory or "kavod."
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Sep 24, 2018 |
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The Angel of the Lord - God E9
00:38:49
This episode continues our series on the development of God as a character in the Bible! Today Tim and Jon sit down and discuss angels, specifically the "Angel of the Lord.”
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Sep 17, 2018 |
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God Series Live Q+R - God E8
00:47:13
This is our 100th podcast episode!
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Sep 10, 2018 |
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God's Fusion With Humanity - God E7
00:59:45
This episode continues our series on the development of the character of God in the Bible.
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Sep 03, 2018 |
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Experiencing God Through Humans - God E6
00:50:44
This episode continues our series on the development of the character of God in the Bible. Today, Jon and Tim tackle how God would portray himself in and through humans.
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Aug 27, 2018 |
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Q+R: Nephilim, Enoch, Satan and Demons - God E5
01:21:40
This is our first, full Question and Response episode for our God podcast series. Enjoy!
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Aug 20, 2018 |
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Origin of Spiritual Beings & Mini Q+R - God E4
01:08:01
This is a unique episode of our podcast. Tim and Jon originally sat down to have a Q+R on the first three episodes in our “God” series. Tim shared that before he responded to questions, he wanted to give some updates about new things he’s been learning pertaining to the conversation on God.
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Aug 13, 2018 |
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Spiritual Warfare - God E3
01:12:43
In this show, Tim & Jon walk through the big ideas of the “Divine Council” & spiritual warfare.
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Jul 30, 2018 |
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No Other God - God E2
00:37:58
This is episode 2 in our series discussing the character and theme development of “God” in the Bible.
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Jul 23, 2018 |
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God or gods? - God E1
01:08:06
Tim & Jon introduce the problems with the term "god."
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Jul 16, 2018 |
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What’s Next for the Bible Project
00:27:09
Find out what we're working on next!
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Jul 09, 2018 |
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Poetry Q+R
00:48:25
Here is our Question and Response episode where we answer our listeners' questions about poetry and metaphor usage in the Bible.
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Jul 02, 2018 |
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Metaphor E3: Chaotic Waters
01:11:35
In the last episode of our Metaphor series, Jon and Tim discuss how water is often displayed as rambunctious and dangerous in the Bible.
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Jun 25, 2018 |
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Metaphor E2: The Mountain Garden & the Human Ideal
00:46:30
This is our second episode in our series on reviewing metaphors in the Bible!
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Jun 18, 2018 |
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Metaphor E1: Metaphor & Our Imagination
00:59:06
This is our first episode in our three-part series on the use of metaphor in the Bible!
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Jun 12, 2018 |
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Art of Biblical Poetry E2: God Speaks in Poetry
00:44:02
This is the 2nd episode in our Art of Biblical Poetry podcast where we explore how God speaks in poetic language.
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Jun 04, 2018 |
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Art of Biblical Poetry E1: The Thunder of God
01:18:45
This is episode 1 in our series on Biblical Poetry!
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May 28, 2018 |
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Acts E4: Saul & Subversive Christianity
01:11:51
This is episode 4 of our series breaking down the book of Acts!
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May 21, 2018 |
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Acts E3: Global Christianos
00:54:54
This is episode 3 in our series outlining the book of Acts!
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May 14, 2018 |
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Acts E2: Pentecost and the Expected Unexpected Spirit
00:35:37
This is Episode 2 in our series on Acts!
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May 07, 2018 |
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Acts E1: The Startup of Christianity
00:40:40
This is episode 1 in our series on the book of Acts!
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Apr 30, 2018 |
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Design Patterns in the Bible Part 4: Chaotic Waters & Baptism
01:02:56
Tim and Jon continue to recap key stories in Genesis and the Old Testament. The key themes in these stories are chaotic waters and salvation through them.
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Apr 23, 2018 |
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Design Patterns in The Bible Part 3: Crossing the Chaotic Waters
00:51:32
Tim and Jon discuss literary design patterns in the Bible.
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Apr 16, 2018 |
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Design Patterns in the Bible, Live from Milpitas! Part 2
01:18:44
This is part 2 in our live conversation from Milpitas California! Tim and Jon continue their discussion on design patterns in the Bible.
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Apr 09, 2018 |
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Design Patterns in the Bible, Live from Milpitas! Part 1
01:16:53
Tim and Jon discuss literature design patterns in the Bible to a live audience and answer questions from the audience.
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Apr 02, 2018 |
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Understanding Settings in the Bible
00:35:47
Tim and Jon discuss the importance of understanding “Setting” in Bible stories.
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Mar 26, 2018 |
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Exile Q+R
01:03:08
This is our Exile Q+R!
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Mar 19, 2018 |
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The Exile and the Way Home
00:31:39
This is our last episode in our Exile series.
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Mar 12, 2018 |
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The Ethic of an Exile
00:40:57
This is our fifth episode in our series on Exile. In this episode, Tim and Jon discuss the theme of Exile in the story of Jesus and the New Testament.
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Feb 26, 2018 |
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The Exile and the Wisdom Warrior
00:56:46
This is part 4 of our conversation on the biblical theme of exile.
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Feb 19, 2018 |
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Exile From The Cosmic Mountain
00:44:31
In this show Tim and Jon breakdown famous Old Testament stories and how the exile theme is often an overlooked aspect of many Bible stories.
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Feb 15, 2018 |
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The Exile Of All Humanity
00:43:38
This is part 2 on the Exile theme in the Bible.
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Feb 05, 2018 |
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The Jewish Exile: How It Made The Bible
00:42:56
Tim and Jon break down how the Jewish exile impacted our modern Bible.
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Jan 30, 2018 |
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Nephesh/Soul Q+R
00:55:04
A question and response episode on the topic of the Hebrew word "Nephesh".
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Jan 22, 2018 |
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Characters In The Bible
00:48:33
In this episode Tim and Jon discuss character design in the Bible.
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Jan 15, 2018 |
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Justice Q + R
01:05:07
Jon and Tim respond to questions on the theme of Justice.
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Dec 18, 2017 |
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What Happens After We Die?
00:31:30
This is our third episode on the Hebrew word “Nephesh”. Tim and Jon discuss the Hebrew concepts of an afterlife.
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Dec 12, 2017 |
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Let's Get Physical
00:27:55
According to the Bible, we don’t have souls, we are souls.
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Nov 22, 2017 |
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You Are A Soul
00:55:44
How did we get the word “soul” from “throat”? Tim and Jon discuss.
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Nov 13, 2017 |
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Jonah Q + R
00:51:09
A Question and Response episode on the book of Jonah.
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Nov 06, 2017 |
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Justice Part 3: Jesus and His Mission of Justice
00:31:12
This is part 3 in our Justice series where we discuss Jesus and his mission for justice.
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Oct 23, 2017 |
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Justice Part 2: What is Social Justice and Righteousness in the Bible?
00:39:01
This is episode two of our Justice series. Tim and Jon discuss the twin ideas of Justice and Righteousness in the Bible.
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Oct 17, 2017 |
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Justice Part 1: What's the Biblical Vision of Justice?
00:58:06
What did the Hebrews believe justice looked like? And what was the biblical vision for a “just society?”
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Oct 09, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 7: Understanding Plot and Narrative in Bible Stories
00:51:40
Tim and Jon discuss how understanding the unique ways plot and narrative are used by the Hebrew authors to write Bible stories can impact how we read the Bible.
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Oct 02, 2017 |
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The Christian Ideal Part 2: Our Divine Nature
00:37:43
This is part two of our discussion on the Christian Ideal. Tim, Jon and their colleague Paul Pastor continue their discussion on redefining and reimagining holiness.
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Sep 21, 2017 |
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What’s the Christian Ideal? Part 1: Defining Holiness
00:38:36
What is the Christian Ideal? That’s exactly what we ask.
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Sep 15, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 6: Jewish Scripture Meditation vs. Modern Meditation
00:40:11
In thie sixth episode of this series, Tim and Jon continue discussing the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible and why its a good example of Jewish Meditation Literature. The Cain and Abel story is famous for its lack of detail, mysteriousness and brevity.
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Aug 11, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 5: Why isn't there more detail in Bible stories?
00:44:26
Many of us have wondered something like this and sometimes walk away from the Bible confused. We don't know why a character did what they did, or what they looked like, or even what the "moral of the story" is.
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Aug 04, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 4: Poetry, Narrative and Prose Discourse Genres.
00:45:17
Jon and Tim discuss the different literary styles used in the Bible.
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Jun 23, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 3: Intro to Literary Genres and the Stories We Tell Ourselves
01:00:50
Tim and Jon discuss the big three of literary styles employed in the Bible: Narrative, Poetry, & Prose-Discourse.
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Jun 19, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 2: Is Reading The Bible Together Just a Form of Group Think?
00:48:19
A jam packed episode where Tim and Jon discuss the ancient Hebrew practice of reading the Bible aloud, the sociology of both creating environments and being created by environments in Christianity, and the different kind of power between stories and facts.
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Jun 09, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Part 1: Reading the Bible Aloud in a Community?
00:59:24
Tim and Jon discuss the differences in ancient and modern ways of reading scripture, including why the Hebrew people would read scripture together as a group. The guys also talk about how challenging it can be to read the Bible by yourself.
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Jun 02, 2017 |
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How to Read the Bible Intro: What is the story of the Bible?
00:59:40
In this episode Tim and Jon discuss the big, narrative arcs of the Bible. What is the Bible really talking about? Sin? Salvation? Judgement?
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May 19, 2017 |
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Day of the Lord: Q + R
01:39:27
Tim and Jon respond to questions from our listeners on the theme of the Day of the Lord.
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May 18, 2017 |
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Day Of The Lord Part Six: Revelation and Jesus in Modern Politics
00:50:42
This is our final episode in our Day Of The Lord series. In this episode Tim and Jon discuss the book of Revelation. It's perhaps the most famous and obvious thing people think about when talking about a future “Day Of The Lord.”
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May 17, 2017 |
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Day Of The Lord Part Five: Jesus and the War Against Evil
00:56:32
Ancient Israel thinks that Jesus will lead them in war against the Romans and are surprised when Jesus alternatively goes to war with Evil itself.
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May 10, 2017 |
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Day of the Lord Part Four: The Evil Behind Babylon
01:04:48
A look into Amos, Habakuk, and Zephaniah. Where does evil come from and why does it exist?
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May 04, 2017 |
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Day of the Lord Part Three: Solomon, the Richest Man in Babylon?
01:01:46
Things aren't always what they seem in ancient Israel, and is it possible that there are Babylons among us today?
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Apr 21, 2017 |
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Day Of The Lord Part Two: Pharaoh vs. The Warrior God
00:42:27
A discussion on the role of technology in the Bible.
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Apr 14, 2017 |
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Day Of The Lord Part One: What's The Deal With "Babylon"?
01:04:39
A look into how Bible authors deal with the future of the world.
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Apr 07, 2017 |
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Deuteronomy Q + R
00:48:25
This week is our second to last release in our Old Testament Q+R series.
We talk Deuteronomy.
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Apr 06, 2017 |
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Numbers Q + R
00:45:50
A Q+R on the book of Numbers in the Old Testament.
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Apr 05, 2017 |
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Leviticus Q+R
00:43:25
Tim and Jon respond to questions about the book of Leviticus
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Apr 05, 2017 |
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Exodus 19-40: Q + R
00:45:44
A Q+R on the second half of the book of Exodus in the Old Testament.
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Apr 04, 2017 |
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Exodus 1-18: Q + R
00:38:59
A Q+R on the first half of the book of Exodus.
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Apr 03, 2017 |
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Genesis 12-50: Q + R
00:42:25
Responses to listener's questions from Genesis 12-50.
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Apr 02, 2017 |
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Genesis 1-11: Q + R
00:46:01
Responses to listeners questions from Genesis 1-11.
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Apr 01, 2017 |
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Word Study: Shema - "Listen"
00:28:00
An introduction to the Hebrew word "Shema". What does it really mean to listen?
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Mar 24, 2017 |
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The Holy Spirit: Question and Response
01:27:03
We respond to your questions regarding The Holy Spirit
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Mar 16, 2017 |
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The Holy Spirit Part 3: Holy Spirit in the New Testament
00:48:16
An overview of how God's Spirit is understood in the New Testament.
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Mar 10, 2017 |
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The Holy Spirit Part 2: God's Ruakh
00:51:31
What does it mean for man to have a spirit? How does God's Spirit interact with man's spirit?
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Mar 03, 2017 |
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The Holy Spirit Part 1: Spirit of the Old Testament vs. The Spirit of Christianity
00:57:37
This is our first conversation about the Holy Spirit. It's a big theme in Scripture and often a controversial topic. Tim and Jon talk about how ancient Hebrews viewed the Spirit and the differences between ancient and modern views on the Spirit.
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Feb 23, 2017 |
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What's in your Bible?
01:10:42
Why are the books of the Bible ordered the way they are? Is there a value in reading the Bible in any other order?
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Feb 14, 2017 |
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The Bible as Divine Literary Art
01:03:22
Learn to see the Bible as an extremely sophisticated piece of literary art that has a theological message.
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Feb 08, 2017 |
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Story: Friend of Sinners
00:35:43
Harvey Turner, a youth group flunkie, grew up on the streets of Reno in the 90's. His passion for hip-hop leads him deep into drug culture but his search for meaning brings him face-to-face with Jesus.
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Jan 29, 2017 |
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Luke Part Four: Jesus, Rebels, and Resurrection
01:02:53
We discuss Luke 9-24. What did Jesus do and talk about when he was alive? Why did his message get him in trouble? Was Jesus a rebel? How does Luke want us to see Jesus?
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Jan 06, 2017 |
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Luke Part Three: Good News for the Poor
00:56:00
Luke Chapters 1-6 ooze with references and allusions to the Old Testament to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of the story of Israel.
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Dec 13, 2016 |
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Luke Part Two: An Overview of Luke
00:28:42
Tim and I are working on a series of videos that will tell the story of Jesus as recorded by Luke in his gospel. In this episode we do a quick overview of the entire book, working through each of the sections, observing how they all fit together.
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Nov 22, 2016 |
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Luke Part One: An Intro to Reading the Gospels
00:41:59
This episode is our preparation for making a video series that walks through the entire life of Jesus as told by Luke in his Gospel.
This first episode is an introduction to what the Gospels are, and what it means to trust them as an accurate representation of what happened in human history. The Gospels are the version of what happened according to his disciples, and not only what happened, but why it all matters.
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Oct 28, 2016 |
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The Wisdom of Job Part 3: Job Vs. Elihu
00:59:03
This is our third and final conversation about the book of Job. First we talk about Elihu, a character that seems to pop up our of nowhere.
Then we talk about chapter 28 in Job, how it stands apart from the rest of the speeches and gives us a clue as to what the point of the whole book is. Then we talk about the final showdown. God responds to Job’s accusations of being unjust and unfair.
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Sep 10, 2016 |
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The Wisdom of Job Part 2: Where on Earth is "Uz"?
00:41:31
This is part two of our three part conversation on Job. The question in Job is if God is just does that mean that the universe ought to always be run by the principle of strict just compensation. In this way the book of Job is a perfect thought experiment to explore this question. Job has done nothing to deserve the suffering that is inflicted on him. God acknowledges there was no reason. But even though Job doesn’t deserve it, he is still human and he reacts to the suffering in a myriad of ways. Sometimes trusting and praising God, sometimes accusing God of being cruel and untrustworthy.
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Aug 29, 2016 |
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The Wisdom of Job Part 1: Suffering Well
00:51:06
Why do good people suffer? Why is there evil in the world? Why can’t God make it so that everyone always gets what they deserve? Many people turn to Job to learn about how to deal with suffering as it is a very realistic portrayal of someone dealing with circumstances that are unfair. But is that all the book of Job is about?
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Aug 03, 2016 |
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Story: God and Money
01:02:40
In this episode of The Bible Project Podcast, Jon and Tim explore a story about two Harvard Business School Graduates who are confronted with a biblical view of money that changes their lives.
John Cortinez and Gregory Baumer were young, successful Christians making more money than most of us dream of. They were faithful Christians tithing to their church regularly, but when they take an elective class at Harvard Divinity school about God and Money their paradigm about money turns upside down.
Does the Bible say we have to tithe? How does the Bible ask us to view money? What does it look like when God’s view of money confronts two young Christian businessmen?
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Jul 14, 2016 |
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Wisdom of Ecclesiastes Part 2: The "Teacher" vs. Jesus
01:07:01
Hanging out with Ecclesiastes isn’t fun. The book goes on about the endless march of time that results in death for everyone. Everything dies––humans and animals. We can see that all living creatures go to the dirt, and we don’t have any concrete proof of what happens after that. Depressing, right? Yes––it can be. The teacher is trying to shake things up and dismantle the illusions of the reader, but it can be rough to read. The guys will talk about the context of Ecclesiastes, and why we as Jesus followers can see things differently.
I
n the first part of the episode (02:37-11:14), the guys talk about the “endless march of time.” Ecclesiastes has a whole poem about aging. We are all moving towards old age, and on top of that, life is unpredictable. We can’t guarantee that when we do the right thing it will work out. Where is the hope?
In the next part of the episode (11:45-21:37), Tim and Jon discuss the teacher’s warning about being overly righteous. According to the author of Ecclesiastes, it is good to be righteous and strive to live an upright and moral life, but when that becomes our sole focus we can become entitled.
In the next part of the episode (22:15-35:38), the guys try to make sense of all of the despair in this book. What are we supposed to do with this? We need to come to terms with our inability to control the circumstances of our lives. Acknowledging this is the secret to enjoying our lives.
In the final part of the episode (36:04-1:07:10), the guys talk about how to live beyond all of the hevel of life. The teacher is talking about "life under the sun,” or our metaphor, “life in the fog.” Life still has meaning long into the future even though it can be hard to see in the present. Justice will come, life won’t always be shrouded in hevel, and one day the fog will be lifted.
Video:
This episode is designed to accompany our video on the book of Ecclesiastes. You can view it on our youtube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeUiuSK81-0
Scripture References:
Ecclesiastes
Show Music:
Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music
Blue Skies by Unwritten Stories
Flooded Meadows by Unwritten Stories
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Jul 07, 2016 |
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Wisdom of Ecclesiastes Part 1: Not Another Proverb...
00:51:20
The book of Ecclesiastes is a unique book in the Bible that has delighted and confused Christians throughout the years. It is our second book in the Wisdom Series. One thing that makes it unique is where scripture relies on ancient wisdom as core to understanding God’s world, Ecclesiastes’ Wisdom is based off of experimentation. The core conclusion of Ecclesiastes is that life is Hevel. “Hevel, Hevel, everything is Hevel.” And while modern translations typically translate that Hebrew word as “Meaningless”. And it is all over the book. In Hebrew, it is the word for smoke or vapor.
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Jun 18, 2016 |
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Wisdom Series: Proverbs
00:48:48
This book is for understanding Proverbs and Parables and Riddles for the wise. This book claims that there is a powerful, mysterious force in the universe called Hochma, we translate into “Wisdom". Wisdom is built into the universe principle in which the whole universe is ordered and which it coheres. The book starts with nine chapters of speeches encouraging us to seek after Hochma.
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Jun 08, 2016 |
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Intro to Wisdom Literature
00:31:52
Tim and Jon discuss the Wisdom Literature in the Bible: the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.
All of these books are wrestling with a particular set of questions. We’ll talk about how we got these wisdom books in our holy scriptures We’ll discuss why there are three different books with three very different perspectives on why their is suffering in the world and the perspective we should have on how to live.
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May 25, 2016 |
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Image of God Part 4: Glory of God
00:52:33
What does it mean to glorify God? Is it simply singing songs? Does it somehow how to do with our behavior. Why is God so interested in his glory? How does this connect to the Image of God?
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May 04, 2016 |
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Image of God Part 3: The Garden Was Not Perfect
01:07:08
What is the chief end of man?
How does being an Image of God affect me practically?
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Mar 12, 2016 |
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Image of God Part 2: God and Human's Makeover
00:47:14
Being remade into the Image of God is a different Christian narrative then we usually hear. Jesus is the truly human one who represents God's reign on earth and we are joined with him through the Holy Spirit to participate in that reign.
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Feb 29, 2016 |
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Image of God Part 1: Humans as Middle Managment
00:44:53
What does it mean that humans were created in "the image of God". Jon and Tim discuss this biblical theme and its implications for Jesus followers.
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Feb 18, 2016 |
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Holiness: Q + R
00:50:19
A Question + Response episode on the Biblical theme of holiness.
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Feb 18, 2016 |
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Heaven + Earth: Q + R
00:44:31
Jon and Tim respond to questions about the theme of Heaven + Earth in the Bible.
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Feb 12, 2016 |
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Heaven and Earth Part 4: What Did The Biblical Writers Think Happens After You Die?
00:55:19
Tim and Jon talk about some of the confusing language in the Bible about heaven.
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Feb 12, 2016 |
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Heaven and Earth Part 3: Jesus, The Ultimate Heaven & Earth Meeting Place
00:41:54
How Jesus followers saw themselves as a manifestation of God's presence on earth. How to seek God's Kingdom here on earth. And what happens when I die?
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Feb 10, 2016 |
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Heaven and Earth Part 2: When Heaven Meets Earth
00:36:53
In this episode we discuss why God's space and our space was torn apart, Cherubim, the prophetic hope for New Creation and how Jesus saw himself as a new temple.
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Feb 04, 2016 |
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Heaven and Earth Part 1: What is the Old Testament referring to as "Heaven"?
00:40:53
How does the Bible talk about where God lives? Tim and Jon walk through the biblical themes of Heaven and Earth in a three part conversation.
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Jan 28, 2016 |
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The Kingdom of God Part 3: God Vs. Kings
00:22:49
What does it mean for Jesus to bring the Kingdom of God?
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Nov 15, 2015 |
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The Kingdom of God Part 2: Co-Ruling with Jesus
00:43:37
God's Kingdom is introduced to us in Genesis 1 but then something goes wrong. We discuss how the Bible describes the conflict of the Kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God and God's plan to fix it.
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Nov 10, 2015 |
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The Kingdom of God Part 1: The Kingdom of God Is the Gospel, starting from Genesis 1
00:29:18
The Kingdom of God is central to Jesus' message. It is a theme in the Bible that spans from page 1 all the way to the second to last paragraph of the Bible.
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Nov 03, 2015 |
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Understanding The Law Part 2: The Prophets
00:50:05
Tim and Jon discuss the metaphors used by Moses and The Prophets for why humans are incapable of obeying the law and how God plans to fix it. We discuss Jesus' teaching on the law, the Great Command, and how his followers dealt with the law.
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Oct 20, 2015 |
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Understanding the Law Part 1: The LAW
00:48:03
Tim and Jon discuss why God gave so many laws to ancient Israel in the Bible. There are 613 laws found in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and they were the basis of God's covenant with Israel. What role does the laws play in relationship to the overall narrative of the Old Testament?
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Oct 19, 2015 |
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Intro to BibleProject Podcast
00:02:26
Here is a quick introduction to our podcast. For more information on our organization, visit bibleproject.com. Website: bibleproject.com
Show produced by Dan Gummel.
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Oct 01, 2015 |