Video: Jairus’ Daughter and the Woman with the Issue of Blood

Today’s question:

What’s going on with the story of the healing of Jairus’ daughter and the woman who touches the hem of Jesus’ garment? I know there are similarities between the two, but I’m not sure what to make of them.

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Bible, Hermeneutics, Luke, Mark, Matthew, NT, NT Theology, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, The Gospels, Theological, Video | Leave a comment

Theopolis Podcast: Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (Beatitudes, Sonship, and the 144,000)

In this episode of the Theopolis Podcast, John Barach and I discuss the readings for the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:2-17.

You can follow the Theopolis podcast on SoundcloudiTunes, and on most podcast apps. You can read show notes over on the Theopolis podcast website. You can also see past episodes I have contributed to by clicking the ‘Theopolis’ link in the bar above.

Posted in 1 John, Audio, Bible, Matthew, NT, NT Theology, Podcasts, Revelation, Theological, Theopolis, Worship | Leave a comment

Video: The Cherubic Faces of Solomon’s Water Chariots

Today’s question:

Why are the stands and basins of the Solomonic temple decorated with bulls, lions and cherubim? The bulls have sacrificial associations, the lions – kingly, and the cherubim just divine, I guess. But is there any specific significance to these three appearing together? I am reminded of the four creatures, but the eagle is missing here. Do you think there’s anything to this?

Within my discussion, I reference James Jordan’s article ‘Chariots of Water’, available from WordMP3 as part of his collected writings or complete works (I cannot recommend this set highly enough).

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in 1 Kings, Audio, Bible, OT, OT Theology, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Theological, Video | Leave a comment

Podcast: Procreation—For and Against

Mere FidelityOn this episode of Mere Fidelity, Matt, Derek, and I continue in the vein of last week’s episode on infertility and discuss Matt’s PhD thesis, on the subject of arguments for and against procreation.

You can also follow the podcast on iTunes, or using this RSS feed. Listen to past episodes on Soundcloud and on this page on my blog.

If you would like to support the production of the podcast, you can do so over on Patreon.

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Philosophy, Podcasts, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | Leave a comment

Video: Being Born Again, Baptism, and the Subjective and Objective Work of the Spirit

Today’s questions:

What is your understanding of what regeneration, being born again, and the new birth mean in Scripture? And how do common contemporary Christian understandings align or deviate from what Scripture means by these things?

And:

Really quick follow-up, I missed your earlier video on Baptism, possibly, but I’m wondering if you wanted to fill in your view of the role of the Spirit in both the objective and subjective dimensions to baptism you talk about here. In other words, what is the connection between the Baptized and the Regenerate, or the agent of Regeneration and the act of Baptism. Another way of putting it is, what do we make of the baptism of the Spirit in Paul?

See my earlier video on the notion of being born again here.

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Bible, Christian Experience, NT, NT Theology, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Sacramental Theology, The Sacraments, Theological, Theology, Video | 2 Comments

Video: Peter Leithart and Me on Baptismal Efficacy

Today’s question:

I just finished Leithart’s The Priesthood of the Plebs. It was one of the most stimulating books I have read in a long, long time. I also have recently watched some of your videos on baptism. How does your thought relate to his? I may be misreading Leithart, but he emphasizes baptism working ex opere operato and seems to say that baptism is salvific for all those baptized. This seems to stand in contrast to your statement in “Does Baptism Save Us?” at 13:28 that not every person baptized is saved and brought into the realities you are speaking of. Perhaps I am misunderstanding one or both of you. Or perhaps you have disagreements with Leithart. Either way, I would enjoy hearing you talk about his book and how your understanding of baptism compares and contrasts with his.

See my earlier video on baptism here. Within the video, I also mention Peter Leithart’s books The Priesthood of the Plebs and The Baptized Body.

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Controversies, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Sacramental Theology, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological, Video | 8 Comments

Video: Richard Rohr on Scripture

Today’s question:

I came across this post from Richard Rohr on how Jesus interpreted scripture (https://cac.org/jesus-interpreted-scripture-2017-01-10/). Here is a quote from the post:

“Jesus consistently ignored or even denied exclusionary, punitive, and triumphalistic texts in his own inspired Hebrew Bible in favor of passages that emphasized inclusion, mercy, and honesty. He read the Scriptures in a spiritual and selective way. Jesus had a deeper and wider eye that knew which passages were creating a path for God and which passages were merely cultural, self-serving, and legalistic additions. That becomes self-evident once you know enough to see the “comparative meaning” of an incident or statement.

When Christians pretend that every line in the Bible is of equal importance and inspiration, they are being very unlike Jesus. This is precisely why Jesus was accused of teaching “as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29, RSV), and why they hated him so much. Jesus even accused fervent and pious “teachers of the law” of largely missing the point. “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” he asked them (Mark 12:24, RSV). We cannot make the same mistake all over again—and now in Jesus’ name.”

How would you respond to the idea that Jesus read the scripture in a spiritual and selective way and that he emphasized some while ignoring or denying others?

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Bible, Controversies, Ethics, Hermeneutics, NT, NT Theology, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Scripture, Theological, Video | 7 Comments

Video: Singles Adopting

Today’s question:

I am curious about your thoughts regarding the growing trend of singles in the church adopting children. More specifically- is the Biblical prohibition of sexual immorality simply a nominal command to keep sex within marriage for its own sake because God commanded? Or is it also a safeguard that ensures children, the natural consequence of sexual intercourse, are birthed into a covenanted relationship? If the answer is the latter, should it also inform our view of singles adopting? Or does it matter since the family structure is already fractured and the single person is trying to repair the breach? Does single adoption betray any aspect of God’s designs? Or should an unmarried believer consider other factors?

There was recently a single adoption at my church, and largely the women gushed with how brave this woman was to take this child on alone, how this is caring for widows and orphan like James commands, etc. The men I spoke with were much more skeptical and reserved in their praise. But they couldn’t put their finger on why they were flummoxed.

Wondering if you could give some wisdom….

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Culture, Ethics, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Society, Video | 3 Comments

Video: Is there Meaning to be Found in the Ordering of the Books of the Bible?

Today’s question: “Do you think there is meaning to be found in the ordering of the books of the Bible?”

Within the video. I reference James Jordan’s discussion of the ordering of the Old Testament books. I also reference Yoram Hazony’s The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture.

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Bible, Hermeneutics, NT, NT Theology, OT, OT Theology, Podcasts, Questions and Answers, Scripture, The Gospels, Theological, Video | 3 Comments

Video: Meredith Kline, ‘Images of the Spirit’

Today I discuss Meredith Kline’s wonderful little book, Images of the Spirit.

If you have any questions for me, please leave them on my Curious Cat account. If you have found these videos helpful, please tell your friends. If you would like to support my continued production of them, you can do so on my Patreon account. You can also get the audio of these videos on Soundcloud or iTunes.

Posted in Audio, Bible, Christology, Creation, Eschatology, Exodus, Genesis, Hermeneutics, NT, NT Theology, OT, OT Theology, Podcasts, Revelation, Theological, Video | 1 Comment