BibleProject

This is episode three in our series outlining the development of the character of God in the Bible! In this show, Tim and Jon walk through the big ideas of the “Divine Council” and spiritual warfare. In part one (00:00-23:40), Tim outlines a strange story in 1 Kings 22:19 about the prophet Micaiah. Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left." Jon asks what a “host” is in the Bible. Tim explains that "host" is used to describe an army or a set of advisers. Tim says the point is that God is depicted as a military captain with a set of lower ranking officers. This theme continues in other passages like Job 1:6 and 7:6. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and the satan also came among them." "The Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” Jon asks who are the "sons of God are. Tim explains that it is a turn of phrase used to represent a class of spiritual beings. Followers of Old Testament prophets were often called “sons,” not to demonstrate physical sonship, but to demonstrate a sort of relationship where the greater power was in a position of authority over a lesser power. Tim says the point is that the Bible portrays God as having a sort of staff team, or mediators, that do his bidding in order to interact with the world. This is God’s “divine council.” In part two (23:40-49:48), Tim outlines a very strange section in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 32:8-9 When the Most High [Yahweh] allotted the nations, and set the divisions for the sons of humanity, He fixed the territories of peoples According to the number of sons of God [Heb. sons of elohim] For Yahweh’s portion is his people Jacob his own allotment. Tim says there is a large biblical scholarship debate over the interpretation of this passage. To explain this passage, Tim quotes from Jefferey Tigay: “Deuteronomy 32:8-9 refers to an early tradition, that when God was allotting nations to the delegated authority of other divine beings, he made the same number of nations and territories as there were such beings. Verse 9 implies that He then assigned the other nations to those divine beings, and states explicitly that He kept Israel for Himself. This seems to be part of a concept hinted at elsewhere in the Bible and in postbiblical literature. When God organized the government of the world, He established two tiers: at the top, He Himself, “God of gods (ʾelohei ha-ʾelohim) and Lord of lords” (Deut 10:17), who reserved Israel for Himself, to govern personally; below Him, seventy angelic “divine beings” (sons of ʾelohim), to whom He allotted the other peoples. The conception is like that of a king or emperor governing the capital or heartland of his realm personally and assigning the provinces to subordinates.” Jon seems flabbergasted. God put other gods in charge of other nations? Jon asks how this view can be reconciled with actual knowledge of world history and human development. Tim says this is a theme in Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 4:16-19, Moses says to Israel, “Don’t act corruptly and make a image for yourselves in the form of any figure… And don’t lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you...to be a people for His own possession, as today." Tim says this hints at a concept in Hebrew culture that portrayed a spiritual rebellion against God that coincided with a human rebellion. Tim says the human rebellion is told in detail in the Bible, but the spiritual rebellion is only hinted at. The complex story of the “sons of God” sleeping with human women in Genesis 6 could be viewed as them going into rebellion and crossing a line. Tim says this theme reaches its culmination in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel and the story of the Prince of Persia. In part three (49:48-1:01:26), Tim says the Jesus carries these themes of other elohim forward into the New Testament. The greek word for “demon” in the New Testament is connected to the word “daimonion” (δαιμόνιον). Demon is a word that means “demi” or lesser god. In Hebrew categories, it would be a son of elohim. Tim says he has a tough time reconciling this with a western “rational” worldview. He says Jesus and the authors of the New Testament clearly believed in a world that included unseen spiritual forces. Tim says that the New Testament passage in Ephesians 6, referring to the "armor of God," shouldn’t be appropriated as passages about spiritual warfare of demonic attack; rather, they should be seen as warnings against elevating differences above unity in the body of Ch

This is episode 2 in our series discussing the character and theme development of “God” in the Bible. In part 1, (0-17:25) the guys discuss the meaning of Monotheism in the Bible and Ancient Judaism. Tim offers a modern definition of monotheism as - “The belief or doctrine that there is only one God” -- Dictionary.com Tim says this is different than an ancient definition because last week, we’ve already seen that the biblical authors do not believe there’s only one Elohim. Rather, Biblical/Jewish Monotheism could be defined as = “The belief that there is one supreme Elohim (Creator and Ruler) who has no rivals among all other Elohim: Yahweh the God of Israel.” So, Tim offers resources for more accurate definitions of what the ancient Hebrews believed. William Horbury has proposed a nuanced definition: Inclusive Monotheism: Yahweh is the supreme deity in association with other divine spirits and powers. Exclusive Monotheism: Denies the existence of any divine beings other than Yahweh. However, there is no evidence that any ancient Israelites or Jews or Christians believed in that definition of “Exclusive Monotheism.” In part 2, (17:25-end) Tim continues to express his frustration with the current definition of exclusive monotheism. Tim cites several Old Testament examples. (NIV) Deuteronomy 4:35 “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; beside him, there is no other.” In Hebrew it literally says …”know that Yahweh, he is the Elohim, there is not another besides him.” In these passages, Elohim has the Hebrew word “the” attached (ha-elohim), which means the claim being made is that Yahweh alone is the chief God, not that Yahweh is the only elohim that exists. Tim cites Michael Heiser on this point saying “ A close reading of these passages in Deuteronomy and Isaiah shows… that the denials are not claiming that other אֱלֹהִים (elohim) do not exist, but that Yahweh’s has unique and incomparable qualities in relation to other gods: Yahweh’s pre-existence, his role as creator of all things, including other elohim, his ability to save, and national deliverance. The focus is on Yahweh’s incomparable status and the impotence of the other gods. It would be empty praise to compare Yahweh to beings that did not exist. The biblical authors assume they do exists, but that they are “nothing” compared to Yahweh.” -- Michael Heiser, “The Divine Council,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Next week on the show, Tim and Jon discuss “The Divine Council” It will be an exciting and mind-bending episode! Show Resources: William Horbury, "Jewish and Christian Monotheism in the Herodian Age." Paul Jouon & T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew Michael Heiser, “The Divine Council,” The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Michael Heiser: The Naked Bible Podcast Psalms 97:9 Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Another Chance: Tae The Producer Produced by: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first episode in our new series on the Bible’s portrayal of God! We are currently working on a theme video about God that will be released later in 2018. In part 1, (0-8:33) Tim overviews the whole subject. He says later on in the discussion they will talk about the Trinity in the Bible, but for now, they will just focus on the development of the word God in the Bible. In part 2, (8:33-37:34) Tim outlines the problems of modern conceptions with God compared with ancient Hebrew conceptions of God. Tim says that it comes down to how people use the word ‘God’. Today people use the word ‘God’ to refer to a personal being that exists. ‘God’ is both a title for a kind of being and a name for a specific being: the Judeo Christian God. Tim says that if you look up “monotheism” in the dictionary, they define it as “the belief there is only one God, specifically in Judeo Christianity.” Tim asks how can this be the case if the Bible says things like “Lord of lords” and “God of gods”. How did monotheism today come to mean something that it didn’t mean to the ancient Hebrews? Tim says the Hebrew word for “God” is ‘Elohim’. The short forms of this word is “el” and also “eloah”. Tim says that in Hebrew “Elohim” is plural. In part 3, (37:34-54:05) Tim outlines a unique use of the word “Elohim” the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 28:12-13: Saul has a spirit-medium conjure up the presence of the deceased Samuel: “And the woman saw Samuel, and she cried out...and said ‘I see a elohim rising up from the ground.” This refers to a human who exists apart from their body. This is not saying Samuel is “God” or a “god.” Rather, the word elohim apparently refers to the mode of existence: a member of the non-physical, spirit realm. The later biblical authors developed vocabulary to talk about these beings to more clearly distinguish between them as elohim and the one elohim: Angel, demon, spirits, etc… The implications are Yahweh is an elohim, but not the only elohim (= spirit being). He is the most powerful, and authoritative, and he alone is the creator of all things, including the other elohim. Tim cites this quote by theological scholar Michael Heiser: “Yahweh is an elohim, but no other elohim is Yahweh. Elohim is a place-of-residence term. The word tells you what the proper domain is for that being. By nature, the God of Israel, the many elohim of God’s council, demons, angels, the departed human dead like Samuel, they are part of a non-physical domain, that’s related to, but distinct from the physical, embodied domain. An elohim is by definition and by nature a disembodied entity, so the word can refer to many different beings who inhabit that realm.” In part 4, (54:05-end) Tim outlines a New Testament example. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6: Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” Tim says Paul is telling the Corinthians that there are other “Elohim” but for the Hebrews, their is “one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” What does this mean to the Hebrews? Find out next time in episode 2! Thank you to all our supporters! Resources: Paul Jouon & T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew Michael Heiser: The Naked Bible Podcast 1 Samuel 28:12-13 Check out all our videos and resources at www.thebibleproject.com Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert Howen Music By: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music In the Distance: Tae the Producer Nocturne: Nomyn 2. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Tim and Jon take a break from discussing theology to talk about some exciting developments at The Bible Project. The guys talk about upcoming theme videos and podcast series, transitioning to a season-based format, and a brand new initiative called “Classroom.” Say hi to us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/jointhebibleproject/ https://twitter.com/JoinBibleProj https://www.instagram.com/thebibleproject/ And find all of our resources for free at thebibleproject.com Show Produced by: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Loudness and Clarity: Joakim Karud Love Mode: Joakim Karud Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our Poetry and Metaphor Q+R! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions! We responded to seven questions: (1:20) Ivan from El Salvador - “How do you identify poetry? For example, in Genesis 1, some people say Genesis 1 is poetry, some people say Genesis 1 is actual history. How can you identify if it's poetry? I know there's a lot of poetry in the Bible, and there's also a lot of narrative.” (14:45) Chris from Illinois - “You talk about the metaphor of time as a possession and used it as an example of a modern metaphor, then you say that the Bible doesn't view time in this way. However, in Psalm 31:15 David says, "My times are in your hand," and in Ephesians 5:16 Paul writes, "We should redeem the time." Don't these phrases suggest that both David and Paul view time as figuratively, as a tangible and valuable possession?” (21:55) Jackson from San Luis Obispo, California - “Can you provide a short list of other commonly used metaphor schemes throughout the Scriptures? Sort of like the base layer metaphors to have in my mind while I'm reading through Scripture. I think this would be very beneficial.” (29:45) Tyler from Vancouver, Washington - “You talked about how the biblical authors are using metaphoric imagery to describe the abstract ideas of the new heavens and the new earth, and it seemed like you were talking about that in regards to Eden and Creation. So my question is: Should we think about things like Eden and the new heavens and the new earth as symbolic places, or are they actual real places? And if they are, how do we understand them if the imagery is metaphoric as opposed to descriptive?” (35:25) Kerrie from Australia - “Christians consider the Bible a book that influences the way we live. In the realms of creativity, how should biblical poetry influence Christians today in their writing and creative writing?” (39:30) Clayton from Alabama - “Your conversation about metaphors seem to include a painstaking process of proving and affirming the driving metaphors and schemes that you've focused on. Are there any "guardrails" you suggest for communities of lay people, like college students, that may discover schemes beyond the two that you mentioned, or is there a list or a resource that could serve or help us catch these essential schemes as we engage Scripture?” (42:35) Maggie from Wisconsin - “Can you share any other stories from the New Testament that continue the metaphors that were covered in the Old Testament? Thanks!” Thank you to all of our supporters! Check out everything we're up to at thebibleproject.com Show Resources: Our video on poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9yp1ZXbsEg Umberto Eco, The Name of a Rose Books by George Lakoff and Mark Turner: More Than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor Metaphors We Live By William Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen Show music: Rosasharn Music, Defender Instrumental Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part one (00:00 - 25:35), Jon reviews the image of the ideal state of humanity and postulates it as a garden mountain fortress. He asks Tim why this is so different from a more familiar one of a heaven full of clouds and angels. Tim says that it’s important not to mistake the image of a metaphor for the reality of what the image points to. Tim also quotes TS Eliot saying that poetry is a “raid on the inarticulate.” In other words, poetry is meant to describe things that can’t be described in normal, factual use of language. Tim begins to outline the use of the metaphor of chaotic water in the Bible. Chaotic water is the first image given in the Bible. It’s meant to convey a state of un-creation, a state that is uninhabitable and unwelcoming of life. Tim begins to contrast the dark chaotic water that is present at the start of Genesis with the river of life that flows through Eden and is created later in the creation story. In part two (25:35 - 40:25), Tim explains that chaotic waters often become personified as evil. For example, in the story of the Exodus, Pharoah and his army is made equivalent to the chaotic waters in Exodus 15. This story runs in parallel with Psalm 18. "O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm." (Rahab is a Hebrew word for Egypt). In part three (40:25 - 52:25), Tim outlines Isaiah 17:12-14. 12 Woe to the many nations that rage— they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar— they roar like the roaring of great waters! 13 Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. 14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. The metaphor of chaotic waters further expands to equate the warring nations with chaotic waters. Then Tim begins to outline the new creation prophecies and their relation to the chaotic water metaphor. Joel 4:18: 18 And in that day The mountains will drip with sweet wine, And the hills will flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; And a spring will go out from the house of the Lord To water the valley of Shittim. Zechariah 14:6-9: 6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day, known only to the Lord with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. 8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. Isaiah 2:1-4: 2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream [lit. “river”] to it…. 3 And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war. He says that new creation means the restoration of the cosmic mountain and the reunification of the waters. In part four (52:25 - 57:35), the guys try to crystalize their thought process. Danger and death in the Bible are described as chaotic waters and love, peace and security are described as a river of life. Tim says these images are fundamental to understanding the Bible, especially the prophets. In part five (57:35 - end), the guys recap their conversation on metaphor and talk briefly about creating the video on metaphors in the Bible. Tim briefly touches on the story of Jesus walking on the water. Why is this story in all the gospels? Because in the Jewish tradition, it represents Christ’s command over the chaotic waters that threaten human life and originally appear in Genesis 1. Thank you to all our supporters! Next week we will have a Poetry and Metaphor Q+R episode. Send us your questions at [email protected] by June 25th! Show Produced By: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins Show Music: Defender Instrumental, Rosasharn Music Show Resources: Books by George Lakoff and Mark Turner: More Than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor Metaphors We Live By Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the first part of the show, the guys quickly review some common metaphors used in our everyday language. “Time is money,” “life is a journey,” etc. Tim quotes again from George Lakoff saying that in every metaphor, there are elements contained within a metaphor. For example, in the “life is a journey” metaphor, there is embedded vocabulary like viewing people as “companions” and viewing obstacles as “bumps in the road.” Tim posits four main metaphors in the Bible: God is a dryland/mountain/rock. Waters are danger/evil/chaos. Humans are either at peace or at war with animals. The Garden of Eden river and the Tree of Life. In part two, the guys begin to break down the first metaphor listed above. Why is God thought of as “dryland?” To find out, Tim and Jon dive into Genesis 1 and 2, outlining creation. Tim says the imagery found later in the Old Testament is rooted in imagery in Genesis 1 and 2. For example, in Genesis 15, “you plant them in the mountain of your inheritance” shows that the Hebrews viewed their cosmic mountain Garden of Eden as paradise, and the Jewish temple is considered the symbol of paradise, which is man in communion with God. Jon makes a comment about a Fuller Projection map. This is an alternative geographic map of the world that lays out the continents in a different order. The guys discuss how different points of view lead to different thoughts and imagery used in a person’s worldview. In part three, Tim outlines the imagery in Joel 2 and Psalm 48. Here the writer(s) uses some of the imagery originally found in Genesis (holy hill, holy mountain, citadels, the city). Jon asks how critical the imagery of God as a rock/fortress/refuge is in the Bible. Tim points out that these images are fundamental to the Hebrew worldview. To prove his point, Tim does a quick word search and finds 78 hits of the words rock, fortress, and refuge in just the book of Psalms! Tim crystalizes the thought by saying the ideal state of humanity is in a relationship with God, working in a stable garden that acts as a fortress or mountain in which all of humanity can securely dwell. Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins Show Music: Defender Instrumental, Rosasharn Music Josh White, Pilgrim Instrumental E2 Resources: www.thebibleproject.com William Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor Fuller Projection of Globe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_map Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first episode in our three-part series on the use of metaphor in the Bible! In part one, the guys discuss the metaphors used in Psalm 46. 1 God is our refuge and protection, found to be a great help in times of distress 2 Therefore we won’t be afraid when the land shifts when the mountains totter into the heart of the seas; its waters roar, they churn, mountains quake at its swelling. Selah. 4 A river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High God 5 God is in its midst, it will not totter; God will help it when morning dawns. 6 The nations roar, the kingdoms totter; He raised His voice, the land melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our tall fortress. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the land. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the land; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the land.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our tall fortress. Selah. ————————————- In this Psalm, there are some obvious metaphors used. Specifically, God // protective refuge (v.1) // tall fortress (v.7) God // Jerusalem temple // river Chaotic, pounding ocean waves // nations at war God melting earth // God breaking nations // God’s exaltation. These are vivid images, but what is going on here? Every culture has its own way of developing metaphors and imagery unique to their history and experience. Biblical poetry is drawing on a core “encyclopedia of production,” from which the poets draw to develop images and metaphors. In part two, the guys go over the core images that are presented above. Why would a poet use these image pairings and combine them in this specific way? Jon comments on how metaphors change over time and within each culture. For example, when the steam engine was popular and represented a huge change in society, people would say things like, "he’s hot-headed” or “my gears are turning.” Then once computers came along, our cultural metaphors shift to sayings like, “let me process that.” In part three, Tim and Jon discuss the differences between these figures of speech: Metaphor: Describing one thing as if it were another. Example: "She is a ball of fire." Simile: Explicit comparison between two things. Example: "She is like a ball of fire." Metonymy: Referring to something by naming what it’s associated with. Example: "The pen is mightier than the sword." "Hollywood produces so many films." Synecdoche: Naming a whole thing to refer to part of it, or naming part of a thing to refer to the whole of it. Example: "The U.S. won a gold medal today!" "Portland is a quirky town." " My hands were tied in this situation." "Let’s do a head-count." Thank you to all our supporters! You can find our more about The Bible Project and get free resources at www.thebibleproject.com Show produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins Show Music: Defender, Instrumental Magnificent Defeat, Josh White Show Resources: Umberto Eco, The Name of a Rose Books by George Lakoff and Mark Turner: More Than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor Metaphors We Live By Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Show Notes: In part one (00:00-08:30), Jon gives a brief recap of the conversation on biblical poetry so far. The guys summarize the first part of the conversation with the idea that reading great poetry, like the kind found in Scripture, can change you. How things are communicated in Scripture is important, and the biblical poets have a series of tools they use to connect on a deeper level with readers. To understand and fully appreciate this brilliant poetry, there are three key aspects to understand: rhythm, terseness, and parallelism. In part two (08:48-23:00), the guys break down Psalm 51, the poem David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, and Isaiah 11. Both of these poems are tremendous examples of classic Hebrew poetry. In Psalm 51, David uses parallelism and descriptive language that communicates the fullness of his guilt and repentance. In Isaiah 11, Tim explains that the seemingly mixed metaphor of a stem and a root points to the coming Messiah, a “new David,” that will come from the existing family line of Jesse. Tim then explains the well-known image of seven spirits resting on the savior. He explains that this is poetic imagery used to illustrate the seven-fold spirit of God resting on Jesus. In part three (23:01-35:34), Tim shares a quote from Adele Berlin regarding the use of creative language pairing in Hebrew poetry. This poetic principle of pairing creates an infinite number of ways to communicate creatively. For example, there are 29 times in the book of Psalms where the poet asks God to hear their prayer (example from Berlin, Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism, 127-130), and none of them are identical. Tim mentions the following examples: Ps 54:4 O God, hear my prayer // listen to the word of my mouth Ps 61:2 O God, hear my cry // pay attention to my prayer Ps 66:19 Truly God has heard // he paid attention to the sound of my prayer Ps 84:9 Yahweh, hear my prayer // listen, O God of Jacob Ps 102:2 Yahweh, hear my prayer // may my cry come to you Ps 88:3 may my prayer come before you // incline your ear to my cry Ps 88:14 to you, Yahweh, I cry out // in the morning my prayer meets you Ps 28:2 Hear the voice of my petition // when I cry out to you The guys also cover juxtaposition in film and how it relates to poetry. Tim mentions the film Baraka by Ron Fricke; the whole film is set up with juxtaposition. Jon comments that humans have an innate ability to recognize patterns, so when an author sets things up in juxtaposition, it allows a person to use their ability to search for patterns and meanings. Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein says that the pairing of two unexpected scenes or images makes a new creation, and, like poetry, it’s an abundant form of communication. Tim comments that perhaps more church gatherings should use poetic imagery and juxtaposition in their services to encourage people to dive deeper into the Scriptures and their meanings. In part four (36:11-40:29), the guys briefly summarize the discussion with a quote from Robert Alter. Tim paraphrases the quote to say that 99% of divine speech in the Bible is presented as poetry; when God talks to the prophets, he talks in poetry. Tim goes on to further explain Robert Alter’s belief that this use of poetry to communicate the voice of God in Scripture has allowed these texts to stand the test of time and touch people far removed from the original audience. Resources: Chip Dobbs-Allsopp, On Biblical Poetry Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein Ron Fricke, Baracka Music: Chilldrone Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is episode 1 in our series on Biblical Poetry! In part 1 (0-4:43), the guys discuss the fact that about one third of the modern biblical text is poetry. But what exactly is poetry? Tim explains that every culture has its own definition of poetry. Tim prefers this definition from Laurence Perrine: “Poetry is a kind of human language that says more, and says it more intensely than does ordinary language.” (Laurence Perrine, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry) In part 2 (4:43-27:00), Tim and Jon dive into Psalm 29. Tim offers the poem as a biblical meditation on a storm moving over the landscape. The guys pause on the image in verse 6 of a “wild ox.” This was a species now extinct called an “auroch” (see the show resources). Tim comments that in the Bible, the most dangerous animals are depicted as a lion or a wild ox or auroch. In part 3 (27:00-35:30), the guys discuss the use of cadence, metaphor, and meter in poetry. This varies from culture to culture. The guys note that rhyming and syllable structure allows a person to memorize the lines more easily. Additionally, Tim says that a core concept is that poetry always carries an overabundance of meaning. The limited use of words expands the meaning of them. In part 4 (35:30-54:25), Tim and Jon discuss that the ancient Israelite poetry preserved for us in the Bible doesn’t fit any kind of master “system” like meter (though some think so). However, the Israelites were aware of a certain kind of speech that was poetic, dense, and distinct from normal speech. They even have vocabulary for it. “Song” (Heb. shir / shirah): Exodus 15:1, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song…" “Psalm” (Heb. mizmor): Many headings to the Psalms have these: Psalm 3, “A mizmor of David.” “Lament” (Heb. qinah): 2 Samuel 1:17, “David lamented this qinah over Saul and Jonathan.” There are three keys to reading Hebrew poetry: Rhythm: Hebrew poetry is shaped into a “line-rhythm” or “verse.” It is not metrical (based on syllable counts), but a form of “free verse.” The line in Hebrew poetry is most often: a. A complete sentence or subordinate clause b. Consisting of 3-5 words c. Marked by repetition and clear end-stop signals The Dead Sea Scrolls show the earliest divisions of Hebrew poetry into line-columns. Terseness: This poetry is often concise and uses as few words as possible to communicate as much as possible. “The terseness of biblical poetry gives the impression that each word or phrase is more loaded with meaning, since fewer words must bear the burden of the message.” (Adele Berlin, Introduction to Biblical Poetry) Parallelism: Robert Lowth's Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews and a commentary on Isaiah created the first comprehensive synthesis of features in Biblical poetry. In his words: “There is a certain conformation of the sentences, which is chiefly observable in those passages which frequently occur in Hebrew poetry, in which they treat one subject in many different ways, and dwell upon the same sentiment; when they express the same thing in different words, or different things in a similar form of words: and since this artifice of composition seldom fails to produce an agreeable and measured cadence, we can scarcely doubt it must have imparted to their poetry an exquisite degree of beauty and grace.” In part 5 (54:25-59:24), Jon asks whether or not more people should make an effort to learn to read and understand Hebrew. He says he feels discouraged. Why would God hide himself in a language that is so hard to understand and takes so much effort to learn? Tim says that every serious community of Bible followers should have someone in it who’s committed to studying the scriptures in their Hebrew form. In part 6 (59:24-end), the guys continue to discuss parallelism in Hebrew poetry. All the Proverbs are cast in this poetic form. In fact, the word “proverb” in Hebrew (mashal) means “a comparison.” In Proverbs 16:32, both lines are positive, “better than” sayings. Being slow to anger is better than being a warrior, And being one who rules their passions is better than one who captures a city. Show Resources: Adele Berlin, Introduction to Biblical Poetry Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry Extinct species of wild ox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs Laurence Perrine, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry Psalm 29 Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins Show Music: J Cole Type Beat, Thunderstorm Instrumental (Educational and Non Profit Fair Use) Rosasharn Music, Defender Instrumental Unwritten Stories, All Night Miss Emeli, General Vibe Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part 1 (0- 14:00), Paul was a zealous Pharisee before he converted to following Jesus. Tim says this “zeal” that Paul showed as a Pharisee is a hyperlink to an Old Testament story in Numbers 25 where the priest Phineas exercised “zeal” to preserve the Jewish law. Jon comments that zeal is an interesting emotion that is complicated to understand in religious movements. Tim comments that Paul never lost his zeal; he just redirected it upon his conversion to Jesus. In part 2 (14:00-25:30), the guys discuss Acts 13 and the missionary journeys. Tim explains that there were more missionary journeys going on than just those recounted in the book of Acts. He references a book called “The Lost History of Christianity” by Philip Jenkins. Regarding Paul’s missionary journeys, Tim recounts that Paul bridged the gap between Jews and Gentiles, and Luke recounts this with all these short stories about converts like Lydia the Gentile purple merchant, Timothy the child of a Jewish mother and Greek father, the Philippian jailer, a rough and tough character, and Dionysius the Areopagite an ancient intellectual aristocrat. Luke desires to portray Paul as a person who reaches a diverse group of people with the message of Jesus. In part 3 (25:30-36:00), the guys discuss the circumcision controversy portrayed in Acts 15. Should Gentile converts to Christianity be required to observe traditional Jewish customs? This is one of the fundamental questions underpinning the whole New Testament, but it’s largely missed today because Christianity is now majorly non Jewish. Tim says the disciples determined what to do by using a passage from the Old Testament prophet Amos found in Amos 9:11-15. In part 4 (36:00-48:45), the guys discuss what ancient Rome was like and why Christianity was viewed as a threat to the Roman empire. The Roman economy was made up largely of indentured servants and slaves. Roman religion was polytheistic. Tim cites quotes by scholars Kavin Rowe and Larry Hurtado saying that Christians posed both an economic and religious threat to the Roman society. Why? Because they refused to participate in communal worship of the Roman gods or in the economy built on violent nationalism. Tim says this is evident in the stories Luke shares, like the one about the silversmith Demetrius in Acts 19. He views Christianity as a threat to the entire religious and economic system of the world and incites a riot in Ephesus against Paul. In part 6 (48:45-53:05), Tim shares a few quotes from NT Wright. The guys discuss how modern Americans’ lives look very similar to Roman lives. We tend to worship sex and money as a culture, but without the mythology wrapped around it. Are Americans or modern westerners that much different from our historical Roman predecessors? Perhaps we’re more alike than we care to believe. In part 7 (53:05-59:50), the guys cover Acts 17. Wherever Christianity spread, there tended to be riots as the local communities felt the Christians were disrupting their way of life. Tim says that Luke was purposefully portraying the Jesus movement on a collision course with the Roman world. Paul and other Christians would create disruption wherever they went, yet they were preaching a gospel of peace. In part 8 (59:50-end), the guys make an interesting historical observation that the foundation for religious liberty and the separation of church and state comes from the ancient church fathers like Tertullian arguing for their right to worship the Jewish God, but serve a Roman emperor. Thank you to all our supporters! Produced By: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen Resources: Philip Jenkins, Lost Christianity Kavin Rowe, World Upside-Down: Reading Acts in a Graeco-Roman Age Larry Hurtado, Destroyer of the Gods Larry Hurtado, Why on Earth Did Anyone Become Christian? N.T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God Music: Beautiful Eulogy, The Fear of God Beautiful Eulogy, Come Alive (Hidden) Beautiful Eulogy, Come Alive Moby, Shot in the Back of the Head Shipwrecked, Noah Dixon KV, Wild Rosasharn Music, Defender Instrumental Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is episode 3 in our series outlining the book of Acts! In part 1 (0-11:00), the guys briefly discuss the other Jewish messianic sects that were also in the ancient world. Jon comments that in his imagination, there were just two sects of Judaism, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Tim responds saying that in fact, Judaism was extremely diverse. There were more sects and messianic movements than just the ones that were explicitly covered in the Protestant Bible, and ancient Judaism had a whole spectrum of beliefs with nominal to radical followers. In part 2 (11:00-34:00), Tim outlines Acts chapter 8-11. This section is known as the persecution and scattering of the ancient church. Luke (the author) intentionally weaves stories of Peter and Saul/Paul together. Peter and Paul both wake up to the reality of the risen Jesus in two different ways. Peter’s vision on the rooftop, where God shows him that the kosher food laws no longer apply, would have been extremely offensive and destabilizing for ancient Jews. Jon says that it’s difficult for him to imagine the lives of ancient Jews and their customs. Jon asks if there are any modern cultural symbols that we hold to be true that could be equivalent to how the ancient Jews saw these laws. Tim comments that every culture has their norms, their accepted beliefs, and those who choose to break away or live outside of those cultural norms will be thought of as strange and potentially undermining the culture they live in. This is exactly how the early Christians were viewed. In part 3 (34:00-44:00), Tim outlines a few famous stories in Acts, like Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch and Paul visiting Antioch. Antioch was a melting pot city, a kind of San Fransisco of the ancient world. While Jerusalem was the symbolic center of Christianity, Antioch became the hub from which the first missionary journeys were launched. In part 4 (44:00-end), Tim explains that fundamentally Christianity is an ancient eastern, multiethnic religious movement. This is unique among other world religions. Christianity is the largest multiethnic religious movement in history. The guys discuss how this places Christians in a unique position in their respective cultures. Thank you to all our supporters! Resources: Rodney Stark: Cities of God. Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Alan Thompson, The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus, Kavin Rowe, World Upside-Down: Reading Acts in a Graeco-Roman Age Christopher Nolan: Dunkirk (The Movie) Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Reveur: Pyrus Lights: Sapphiros Ehrling: Typhoon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Episode 2 in our series on Acts! In part 1(0-10:50), the guys cover the story of Pentecost in Acts 2. Jon notes how remarkable this story is. Tim agrees, but responds that the Jews had been waiting for a promised outpouring of God’s spirit. And the way that it happened, with tongues of fire hovering over peoples’ heads and a violent rushing wind, is different than what was expected. Jon asks a question about the difference between “tongue” and “language” in the original Greek. In part 2 (10:50-23:45), Tim asks, where the the other places are in the Bible where fire is used to show God’s presence. The burning bush with Moses, the fire in the Tabernacle, and several others. Tim says the point of “tongues of fire” in the Pentecost story is to show that God’s presence is dwelling in men and women. God has chosen to tabernacle himself with people. Paul later writes “you are the temple of God” meaning that quite literally, Heaven and Earth now meet in the bodies of God’s people. Then Luke chooses to outline all the different Jews in Jerusalem from Pentecost. He specifically names 15 different places the Jews are from. Tim points out that many times this scene gets mistaken for “multi-ethnic” when at this point, it is not just “multi-cultural” but “mono-ethnic”. Meaning they are all Jews, but from different cultures around the world. In part 3 (23:45-30:45), Tim continues to outline the Pentecost story. He says Peter’s sermon is evidence that God has answered the question the disciples asked Jesus, “when will the kingdom be restored to Israel?”. Peter is now declaring that God’s kingdom is here in Jerusalem and it will begin spreading outward as Jews leave Pentecost and return to their homelands. In part 4 (30:45-end), the guys briefly cover the references between this story and other stories and lists in the Old Testament. For example, the list of 15 different regions in Acts 2 overlaps with a list of the exiles in Isaiah 11. Tim says that next up in the story is “The Tale of Two Temples”. The physical Temple of Judaism is now in direct conflict with the spiritual temple of God dwelling in humans. Thank you to all our supporters! more at www.thebibleproject.com Show Resources: Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Alan Thompson, The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen Music: Color Pallette 90: Dan Koch Do it Right: Dan Koch Fall Back: Dan Koch Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is episode 1 in our series on the book of Acts! In part 1 (0-19:20) Tim and Jon cover the opening verses in Acts 1. Acts 1 is designed to seamlessly connect with the end of the book of Luke. Tim comments that Luke has laid the plot line of the book of Acts on top of the plot of the book of Luke. There are three main movements in both books. 1) The Galilee mission of Jesus with the disciples mission in Jerusalem, 2) the missionary journeys of Jesus with the missionary journeys of Paul, and 3) the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem with the arrival of Paul in Rome. In part 2 (19:20- 24:40) Tim makes a point that the title of the book is “The Acts of Jesus through the Holy Spirit” because Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the only two characters that are consistent throughout. Jon asks a question about titling of ancient scrolls. In part 3 (24:40-35:55) the guys discuss the question the disciples ask Jesus “Is it at this time you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” and Jesus answer in Acts 1:7-8 ““It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Was this a dodge answer from Jesus? Tim says no. But in fact this verse unlocks the structure of the entire book of Acts. The disciples will start by being Jesus witnesses in Jerusalem, then moving into Judea and Samaria, then moving to other parts of the world. In part 4 (35:55-end) the guys discuss the use of the phrase “the kingdom of God.” Tim says this phrase frames the entire book: Acts 1: (repeated 2x): Jesus spends 40 days teaching the disciples about “the kingdom of God” (1:3) generating their question about arrival of “the kingdom” (1:6). Philip goes to Samaria to “announce the good news of the kingdom of God” (8:12). Paul and Barnabas challenge the disciples in Antioch that entering the kingdom of God requires suffering (14:22. Paul arrives in Corinth “bearing witness to the kingdom of God” (19:8). Paul describes his ministry in Ephesus as a period of “preaching the kingdom” (20:25) Acts 28: (repeated 2x): Paul under house arrest in Rome “bears witness to the kingdom of God” (28:23) and ends the book “announcing the kingdom of God” (28:31). Thank you to all our supporters! more info at www.thebibleproject.com Show Resources: Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Alan Thompson, The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus, Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen Music: Acquired in Heaven: Beautiful Eulogy Excellent: Beautiful Eulogy Conquer: Beautiful Eulogy Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part 1 (0- 18:10), 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. In Joshua 3, Joshua is getting ready to lead Israel across the Jordan river into the promised land. This story maps onto the story of Israel getting ready to cross the Reed/Red Sea in Exodus as they are fleeing Pharoah. Tim says this story is an example of the “salvation template” being used in Biblical stories. Tim gives another example of Mary’s song that she sings at the birth of Jesus in Luke 1. Tim says this song is a remix of older songs in the Hebrew scriptures. Mary uses the same words, images and phrases used in other parts of the Bible to express her feelings. The guys discuss how these stories allow people to create metaphors and analogies and help people construct a worldview. In part 2 (18:10-25:21) Tim describes the famous passage in Isaiah 11 describing the stump, root, and shoot of Jesse’s descendants. In this part of Isaiah, a “remnant” is being redeemed. Where else in the Bible does a “remnant being redeemed” occur? In the story of Noah and the flood. Noah and his family were the remnant. Tim says Isaiah is using this story in an analogous way to say that God will rescue his scattered nation of Israel from the “chaotic waters” of exile among the nations. In part 3, (25:21-32:34) the guys move to a New Testament story, The Baptism of Jesus in Mark 1. Tim and Jon uncover the similarities in this story and the foundational stories of the Old Testament. Tim asks, "when looking for similarities in biblical stories, what are the controls? What should a person be looking for or be guarded against?" In part 4, (32:34-50:10) the guys move further into the New Testament and discuss Pauline passages in 1 Corinthians 10. Paul describes “our fathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea, and all were baptized into moses in the cloud and in the sea.” What does this mean and why would Paul include it? Tim says Paul is writing to a Gentile audience but views them as being directly related to ancient Jewish fathers. The Corinthians fathers are the fathers of Israel. Therefore the Jewish story of salvation is the Corinthians story as well. Tim shares another example in Romans 6. Here, Paul compares people being “slaves to sin.” Paul borrows language and imagery from the Exodus. Slavery of Israel, Pharoah, death, chaos, and liberation/salvation. Paul also outlines the purpose of Christian Baptism. When a Christian gets baptized, they are reenacting the salvation story, being saved “through the waters” and brought to new life on the other side. Jon ponders why all of this seems so complicated, when he thought salvation should be simple. What does it mean to be “saved from chaos” today? Tim offers that this perhaps means people should be willing to wrestle with the ambiguities and mysteries that these stories present. Everyone has their own slavery, their own salvation story, but the biblical stories provide templates. God conquers chaos and brings order. He sets people up in his image to do the same. In the final part (50:10 -end), Jon asks a question related to the rainbow in the flood story and the future of the world. “Is God going to totally destroy the earth and start fresh? Or will God fundamentally restructure and reorder the earth? In other words, is God not going to flood the earth, or is he not going to let creation collapse back in on itself again?” Tim points Jon to 2 Peter ch. 3 which is the biblical text Jon is thinking of. There are challenges of translation, interpretation, and also a textual variant in the ancient manuscripts of 2 Peter 3. When read closely, the text is clear that God's "fire" is a moral purification that will remove evil from his creation rather than completely destroy the earth itself. 2 Peter is adapting imagery from Zephaniah 3 saying that the evil will not be allowed to pass through the Day of the Lord. In the Old Testament prophets intense, fiery imagery, was not trying to predict future events by giving us “video camera footage”, but instead using provocative imagery to encourage the reader to imagine a purified creation. Thank you to all our supporters! You can learn more about what we’re up to at www.thebibleproject.com Resources: George Lakoff: : Metaphors we Live by George Lakoff: More Than Cool Reason The Bible Project Video on Design Patterns in the Bible : https://thebibleproject.com/videos/design-patterns-biblical-narrative/ Show Music: Rosasharn: Defender Instrumental Dan Koch: Blooms Dan Koch: Caramel Dan Koch: Chop Shop Dan Koch: El Capitan Show Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Tim Mackie. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is another episode in our How to Read the Bible Series. Today Tim and Jon discuss literary design patterns in the Bible. In part 1 (0-12:27), the guys discuss the ways Bible stories often pattern after each other. Tim explains that he is working on a project with other Bible scholars studying how many biblical stories build on each other. Tim says many Bible stories are set up in parallel, to replay key themes the writers are trying to make. Jon provides a real life example of Toy Story 3. The Toy Story 3 writers watched dozens of prison break movies in order to write the “daycare/prison break out” scene in Toy Story 3. Tim says that’s a good example of a layering technique being used in modern day. The classic prison break is layered into a children’s movie. In part 2 (12:27-19:15), Tim says the biblical authors were very intentional about building an entire universe of meaning in the biblical stories themselves. There are thousands of hidden “hyperlinks” of key repeated words, phrases and repeated characters that link all Bible stories together. There is no such thing as an isolated story in the Bible. An example of Bible stories linking together is David and Bathsheba and the eating of the apple in Genesis. In Hebrew, it says “(Bathsheba) was good of sight, very.” Tim says this links back to Adam and Eve seeing the “fruit was good of sight” which links back to God saying things were “good, very good.” So the reader is supposed to ponder upon who decides what “good” is in these stories. David? God? Adam and Eve? In part 3 (19:15-26:46), the guys dive into the creation story at the beginning of the Bible. Tim says Genesis 1 is set up in a very unique way. Tim says the fundamental image of chaos is dark, untamed waters. Jon offers an interesting comment about a new shark species that was recently discovered in the dark ocean. Tim outlines the first three days as the separation of realms. (Day 1) separating light from dark, (day 2) separating water from water, (day 3) separating water from dry land. Then the next three days, 4,5,6 are the creation of inhabitants of the realms in the first three days. In part 4 (26:46-35:18), Tim says, the creation account is presented in such a way that God separates the chaotic waters to create a stable habitation where humans can live. Thinking about the Biblical authors desire to layer stories on each other, Where else does this theme of God separating waters appear in the Bible? All over the Bible. The story of Noah is depicted as the “de-creation” of the world. The world sinks back into “chaotic waters.” God remembers Noah and causes a “ruach to to pass over the land” just like the original creation story, he is separating the waters from the land and re-creating a habitation for humans. In part 5 (35:18-end), Tim asks Jon “what was God doing with all this separating?” Jon and Tim discuss how the cause of creation descending back into chaos is human evil. Humans choose violence, bringing the world back to a place where God turns it over to chaos. The next story where God tames the waters to rescue his people is the Exodus story. God “remembers Israel” when they cry out about their oppression in Egypt just as he “remembers Noah”. Tim says when Israel crosses the Red (Reed) Sea, it merges days 2 and 3 in creation. Moses splits/separates the waters to reveal dry land. Israel also passes through the waters, saved by God, just as Noah passed through the waters, saved by God. Jon asks what’s the purpose of telling stories like this is. Jon is confused, is salvation really this complicated? What does all this mean for the modern person? Tim tells Jon to be patient, and that the ultimate end of the flood and water imagery in the Bible is the Christian tradition of baptism. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Our video on “Design Patterns in The Bible”: https://thebibleproject.com/videos/design-patterns-biblical-narrative/ The new species of shark discovered: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/11/prehistoric-frilled-shark-bycatch-deep-sea-spd/ George Lakoff: Metaphors We Live By George Lakoff: More Than Cool Reason Jon Walton: The Lost World of Genesis 1 Show Music: Rosasharn: Defender Instrumental Tae The Producer: Cocoa Tae The Producer: Fujiyama Tae The Producer: Mom Great Scott: Don’t Hold Back Show Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Tim Mackie. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 2 in our live conversation from Milpitas California! Tim and Jon continue their discussion on design patterns in the Bible. Tim outlines the layering of Adam and Eve’s story with Cain and Able’s story. In both stories, there is a change agent that tempts the humans. In the first story it is “the serpent”, in the second story it is “sin crouching at your door.” God calls out to both Adam and Eve and Cain saying “where are you?” and “what have you done?” Both of these stories mirror and reflect each other in many, many ways. The pattern that sets up in these first two stories becomes a template that other biblical stories use. Tim shares another example of Eve mapping onto Sarah. Eve shared the fruit with her husband Adam, and later God reprimanded Adam saying “because you listened to your wife.” Similarly, at Sarah’s suggestion, Abraham “listened to his wife Sarah” and slept with Sarah’s servant Hagar. Tim says these stories are meant to mirror each other as well. Abraham is struggling with the same human condition, the same inclination to sin that Adam was. Tim shares more examples of Israel at Mt Sinai and Israel at Jericho. Israel is told not to make any idols. The first story told after they are given this command is the story of the golden calf. This story is a combination of the earlier stories. Aaron listened to the people like Adam listened to Eve and Abraham listened to Sarah, Aaron shifted the blame like Adam shifted the blame. Then in a later story, when Joshua leads Israel to overthrow Jericho, Achan takes and hides a “gold tongue” after having been explicitly told not to take any of the plunder. Joshua asks Achan, “What have you done?” Why do the Biblical authors record this story? Because they want to continue to drive home the point that when humans listen to a voice that tempts them to “take” after they were explicitly told to not take, it leads to death. Q1. (56:15) In light of word repetition do you recommend a particular translation? Q2. (57:55) How would you approach reading the Bible with reluctant readers? Q3. (1:00:25) How do you talk about the humanity of the Bible while still honoring the divine? Q4. (1:05:55) How does a non Phd stay current with this topic? (Part of Tim’s answer was later recorded in studio) Q5. (1:12:10) How do you know that any patterns you find are real? And that you’re not just seeing things and reading things into the text. Show Resources: Robert Alter: The Art Of Biblical Narrative John Sailhamer: The Pentatuch as Narrative Seth Postell: Adam as Israel: Genesis 1-3 as Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh Jerome Walsh: Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative Michael Fishbane: Text and Texture: A Literary Reading of Selected Texts Our video on Design Patterns in the Bible: https://thebibleproject.com/videos/design-patterns-biblical-narrative/ Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Produced By: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is a special episode in our podcast series on “How To Read The Bible”. Tim and Jon went on the road to do this podcast live before an audience in Milpitas, California! Tim and Jon discuss literature design patterns in the Bible and answer questions from the audience. The guys do a brief recap of the How to Read The Bible series. There are key elements to reading the Bible well. Understanding plot, character, setting and biblical narrative style. (We have videos on each of these, you can see the links below in the show notes.) In this episode, the guys combine all of these elements to talk about “patterns and design elements” in the Bible. Tim and Jon use the “hyperlink” analogy, saying that all the stories in the Bible link to each other in subtle and creative ways. People can learn to see these links and see the stories layering on top of each other by understanding key design patterns and techniques. Below are timestamps of questions and examples: (36:16) Jon asks the question, "Is understanding design patterns in the Bible an “elite” way to read the Bible?" Isn’t the Bible supposed to be user friendly? It seems like studying to understand the historical context of the ancient Hebrew biblical literature is a time consuming task that some people might not be able to do. (40:38) A gentleman asks a question about the city of Joppa being mentioned in both the book of Jonah and in Acts. Is this intentional and a reference to a hidden theme in the Bible? (42:25) A gentleman asks a question about the creation of stories in the Bible. What’s the role of historical accuracy, retelling and condensing of events in the writing of the Bible? (49:58) A gentleman asks a question: If the Bible is a magnificent piece of timeless art and literature, How do you explain the Bible to people who value brevity and directness, not artful literature and analogy? (52:40) Tim gives an example of word plays and repetition in the Bible. The hebrew word “Tov” means good. Tov/Good is used in the creation story as a key repeating word. It develops first to describe creation. Then it describes humans (very good). Then it describes the “tree of the knowledge of good and not good/evil.” This theme culminates when the woman “sees that the tree is good” when the serpent tempts her, she has effectively switched places with God. God was the original one who “saw things as good”. (1:03:05) Tim gives another example in Luke. The baptism of Jesus culminates with God speaking from heaven declaring Jesus is his son. Then the next story is not a story, it’s a genealogy that works its way backward to Adam being declared “the son of God”. Then Jesus is tempted, with the devil asking him if he “really is the son of God”. Then Jesus goes to his first town and people ask “Who’s son is this?” Then Jesus casts out a demon who declares that Jesus is “the son of God”. Luke uses repetition to make a point to the reader, that Jesus is indeed who he has been declared to be, he is the Son of God. (1:07:10) Tim gives an example of the selection of Saul to be the king of Israel. The hidden word in the story is “see or seeing.” At the start of the story, we are told Saul is tall. This is a strange detail. Most Bible characters have no physical attributes described about them, but here, Saul is tall, which is later used as a symbol in the story. Saul looks for a “seer” or a “prophet” when searching for his father’s donkeys. Why would the word “seer” be used in the story? Because it is a hidden key word in the story. Samuel “sees” Saul. Samuel tells Israel to look upon Saul and “see” their king. Samuel and Israel “see” Saul and they are impressed by his height. But Saul is not a good king and God rejects him. God sends Samuel to anoint a new king. God says he has “seen a new king.” Samuel “sees” Jesse’s son Eliab and thinks one of these is to be the new king. But God speaks to Samuel and says “God doesn’t ‘see’ as humans ‘see’, humans ‘see’ with their eyes, God ‘sees’ the heart.” This line is the climax of a whole trail of breadcrumbs that started at the introduction of Saul. Show Resources: Robert Alter: The Art Of Biblical Narrative Our How To Read The Bible Video Series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak06MSETeo4&list=PLH0Szn1yYNedn4FbBMMtOlGN-BPLQ54IH Show Music: Defender Instrumental - Rosasharn Music Produced By: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen Thank you to all our supporters! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Part 7, in our “How To Read The Bible Series.” Tim and Jon discuss the importance of understanding “Setting” in Bible stories. In the first part (0-15:37) of the show the guys talk about how in the Bible, locations and directions are a big deal. For example, after the fall, man is banished to the east of the Garden of Eden. The direction east, is generally associated with exile and banishment in the Bible. This is reinforced in other stories in the Bible. Tim says when a direction or a place is repeated, it becomes a symbol. In part 2 (15:37-23:48), the guys discuss the use of “time” in the Bible. When reading a story, there can be a speed up or slow down timing process. In the books of Kings and Chronicles the author generally presents episodic events in a paced, chronological order. Yet in the book of Mark, Mark chooses to race through the earlier parts of his life in 10 chapters by briefly recounting key events and then slowing things down immensely when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem. He takes 6 chapters to recount the stories surrounding the crucifixion. In part 3 (23:48-27:33), Tim continues to outline the use of timing in the Bible. Some moments, speeches or books are expanded into real time. For example, Tim says the whole book of Deuteronomy took place in one day. Whereas, other moments are condensed, such as the speech Paul gave to the Greek philosophers in Acts. Paul would have given a longer speech, but it has been condensed for literary purposes. In part 4 (27:33-end), the guys briefly discuss the usage of days, times, and years. For example, the number “40” is associated with a period of waiting. 40 days, 40 years, etc...40 is associated with “expected waiting.” Israel was waiting to go into the promised land for 40 years. Jacob was embalmed for 40 days. Jon asks about distinguishing Biblical time from “bible code” meaning and searching the bible for hidden references, meanings, or numeric/alphabetic codes. Tim says that while it is true the Hebrew alphabet and numerical system were the same, and both used in reading and writing the Bible, he doubts the Bible writers would try to intentionally hide information. More Bible Project resources are here on the website: thebibleproject.com Watch the accompanying video to this content here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FuT8WtoAK0 Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Wings: Nicholai Heidlas Thule: The Album Leaf Acoustic Instrumental: Hyde Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert-Howen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our Exile Q+R! We loved doing this series and are so grateful for everyone’s questions and interest. Our Exile video is currently in production and is due out later this year (2018). We answered 6 Questions: (2:00) Austin: My question is about the lines "this is my home, but not my home" and the concept of the new heavens and the new earth. Now y'all have used this to make the point that we should take care of this earth because we're going to be living on it for the long-haul, but doesn't the fact that it is going to be renewed mean that no matter how good or bad of stewards we have been, God is going to make it hospitable for the long-haul, for all of eternity? (18:37) Rebecca: My question is about the 12 tribes of Israel, especially post-exile, so much of the history of Israel revolves around tribe identity. But other than Paul identifying as a Benjamite, and the temple priestess, Anna from the tribe of Asher in Luke, not much is mentioned in the NT. I just wondered, how important was tribe identity both right after the return from Exile, and if it still exists today? (27:50) Jonathan: Does the concept of exile also apply to our whole beings? Physical bodies, and consciousness. In the sense that, I am who I am, but I am not fully myself as I'm awaiting renewal. (37:45) Jonathyn: How does repentance play into the theme of Exile? In the OT, we see the prophets constantly speaking to Israel, telling them that God was communicating to them that if they repent and turn back to Him, that He would bring them back to Himself. John the B (baptist) and Jesus constantly preached repentance, and it's also all across the Apostles writings. Does exile play into this theme at all, and if so, how? (46:30) Mike: 2 Questions. 1. Could you talk about how the ideas of Exile and Return (from exile) form a foundation of understanding death and resurrection, specifically in Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. 2. The Israelites are told to seek the peace "Shalom" of the city, during one of the least peaceful contexts, namely exile. Could you talk about how the coexistence of peace and exile affects the way in which we understand these individual concepts? (56:10) Wade: In the book of Daniel, I noticed that even King Nebuchadnezzar had a time of exile during his life, and he came out of it praising God. I had a question about Exile and sanctification. Namely, is there any time in the Bible where someone went through exile and did not come out praising God for who He is? Thank you to all our supporters! All of this is possible because of you :) Show Resources: The On Script Podcast: http://onscript.study/ www.thebibleproject.com Produced by: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our last episode in our Exile series. In part 1 (0-9:50), Tim and Jon summarize the conversation. Tim shares an insightful quote from C.S Lewis found in the Weight of Glory. Lewis believed that un-fillable human longings are a clue that there is another future reality that will one day be realized. In part 2 (9:50-14:50), the guys discuss the differences between “home” and “Home.” “Home” is the ultimate paradise of humanity. Man is at “Home” in all aspects. Tim says that ancient Israel called on the nostalgia of their past kings of Solomon and David to give vocabulary for what a future kingdom ruled by God will look like. In part 3 (14:50-26:10), Tim and Jon discuss how today people are considered exiles in time. Christians should consider themselves exiles of an age. Christians are loyal to the kingdom of God and King Jesus. But they currently live in an age where Christ’s kingship is not always recognized. Tim says the ultimate story of the cross is that God is willing to take the consequences of humanity’s creation of “babylon” upon himself in order to create a world where all can be at “Home.” In part 4 (26:10-end), Tim revisits how the ethic of the wisdom warrior leads a person to a constant state of “radical doubt”. Christians should be grateful for and enjoy their lives. But their ultimate hope is in God re-creating the physical world as a “Home” for all who choose to abide in him. Thank you to all our supporters! We're doing a Q+R on Exile! Do you have a question on the biblical theme of exile? Send it to us! [email protected] Show Resources: The Weight of Glory: C.S Lewis The Religion of the Landless: Daniel Smith Christopher A Biblical Theology of Exile: Daniel Smith Christopher Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music I Know The Way Home: Andrew Garlucki The First Day: Tell The Story At Humanities Core is the Need for Grace: Tell The Story Restless: Tell The Story Show Produced By: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins, Matthew Halbert Howen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. In part 1(0-10:23), Tim outlines the historical context of Jesus’ life. Israel was occupied by Rome. Rome was an oppressive military ruler who disenfranchised the Jewish people. Many Jews were waiting for a Messiah to come overthrow the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel. When Jesus began performing miracles and declaring a new kingdom, “the kingdom of God” he quickly made a name for himself. But was he the ruler the Jews were hoping for? In Matthew 22, the Jews want to test Jesus and find out if he wanted to overthrow the Romans and ask him if it's lawful to pay taxes to Rome. Jesus replies with his famous saying “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s. Give to God that which is God’s.” Tim says Jesus is the ultimate expression of the “wisdom warrior” that is outlined in the Old Testament books and characters like Daniel and Jeremiah. It seems the way Christians are supposed to interact with their government is one modeled after Jesus and Daniel. Be subversively loyal to your rulers. Work for the peace of your “Babylon” but realize there will be times when your allegiance to the kingdom of God is more important than allegiance to a country or people group. In part 2 (10:23 - 28:21), Tim and Jon discuss 1 Peter 2. Christians are supposed to “submit themselves to worldly institutions… and act like they are free.” Tim and Jon briefly discuss the movie Hacksaw Ridge, a true story where a Christian joins the US Army in WWII as a medic and refuses to carry a gun because it goes against his beliefs. Tim postulates that perhaps the reason “the exile ethic” in the Bible is overlooked is because many Christians in western countries have grown up with a government that has a layer of civic religion. This civic religion is usually based on Judeo-Christian teachings. But this civic religion is not a substitute for following Jesus. Tim says at the end of the day, God has chosen to redeem and form an international people, his new-covenant family, not the various kingdoms and empires that rise throughout history. In part 3 (28:21 - 34:06), Jon asks about how New Testament writers used the Garden of Eden analogy. Tim says there’s no indication the writers believed humanity would return to the “original garden.” Tim cites Romans 4:13 “Abraham will become an inheritor of the world.” Tim says this means the original promised land of Abraham was an image of what God wants to do for the whole world. Tim and Jon discuss the difficulties of thinking in this way. Modern Christians living today are actually exiles in time, not necessarily exiles in location. In part 4 (34:06 - end), Jon and Tim discuss Hebrews 11 and the image of the “new Jerusalem” in Revelation. Tim says the new Jerusalem is supposed to be the anti-Babylon image. It is a picture of humanity’s civilizations working together as was originally intended. Humanity will finally no longer be in exile but will have truly returned home. Thank you to all our supporters! Have a question about the theme of “Exile in the Bible”? Record yourself, keep it less that 20 seconds with your name and where you currently live (in exile :) ) and send it to [email protected]. We will be collecting the questions for our upcoming Q+R podcast! Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Fills The Sky: Josh White I’ve Been Surprised: Josh White Only Your Presence: Pilgrim Show Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 4 of our conversation on the biblical theme of exile. In Part 1( 0- 18:10), Tim summarizes the conversation so far. Then Tim explains that John the Baptist lived in the physical promised land of Israel, but he would quote from Isaiah when baptizing his followers because for John it was a symbolic rebooting of return from exile. Before baptism, a person was symbolically in exile. After baptism, the person has returned and entered into a new way of life. Next, Tim explains that in 1 Peter, by referring to believers as "immigrants and exiles in Babylon" (even though the kingdom of Babylon had ceased to exist for hundreds of years), Peter is continuing the exile metaphor as a way to think of the Christian journey as a whole. In part 2 (18:10 - 30:40) Tim explains that there’s a surprising twist in the story of exile. When the Hebrews are exiled, they spread and bless the nations in a way that would not have happened had they remained centrally located. Tim outlines the books of Ezekiel and Isaiah and explains how both of those prophets used exile imagery in their own unique ways. In part 3 (30:40 - 38:35 ) Tim talks about the book of Jeremiah, Tim quotes Jeremiah 29. This is the famous passage where the “for I know the plans I have for you” verse is. But Tim says that before that verses about Israel working for and doing good on behalf of Babylon. Tim says this passage mirrors the imagery of the Garden of Eden and life in the Promised Land. Israel is supposed to make the best of the exile situation and make homes and gardens and work for the peace of Babylon. In part 4 (38:35 -end) Tim shares a quote from a Hebrew scholar Daniel Smith Christopher. Tim says there was conflict in the Jewish community in Babylonian exile. Some wanted to hear Jeremiah’s call for a peace ethic in Babylon, but others wanted to hear Hananiah’s call to a resistance ethic. Should Israel just accept their fate as an exiled and broken nation and absorb completely into Babylon? Or should they resist their overlords and actively work to undermine Babylon? Or should they do something in between? Tim also outlines the book of Daniel. The story of Daniel is a perfect example of limited cooperation with Babylon. Daniel was loyal to Babylon to a point. He was a faithful and esteemed government official, but there were times when Babylonian interests conflicted with his Jewish beliefs. Daniel’s posture toward Babylon is a mix of loyalty and subversion. Daniel is considered a “wisdom warrior.” A person who wisely works for Babylonian good and peace, but who also has an ethic that he will stand for if Babylon chooses to defy the Jewish God Yahweh. Tim summarizes Daniel Smith Christopher’s ideas on the peace ethic, saying the peace ethics of the wisdom warrior is a practice of radical doubt toward empires and kingdoms. Wisdom warriors should believe that God’s ultimate work in the world comes from his people, not through empires and nations. Jon comments that this type of stance is difficult in modern western democratic governments. Tim says he thinks this is because there is a layer of civic religion in many countries that often have Judeo Christian vocabulary, but it’s not an excuse to be fully committed to whatever government we live under. Instead, Christians should follow the subversive peace ethics of people like Daniel. Thank you to all our supporters! Resources: The Religion of the Landless: Daniel Smith Christopher A Biblical Theology of Exile: Daniel Smith Christopher Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Magnificent Defeat: Josh White Outrageous: Pilgrim Surrender: Pilgrim Produced by: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our third episode discussing the Biblical theme of exile. 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. In part 1 (0-10:27), Tim begins in Genesis 1 and 2, explaining that Eden is depicted as a “cosmic mountain”. This is in reference to other ancient religions that believed their gods lived on mountains. For example, the Greeks believed in their storytelling that the gods lived on Mt Olympus. The Canaanites believed their gods lived on Mt Zaphon. The Hebrews believed in Mt Zion. (See Psalm 48:2 “Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.” ) Tim’s point is that the writers of Genesis 1 and 2 placed Eden and Zion as their idea of paradise which directly competed with their pagan neighbors religious ideas. In part 2 (10:27-29:15), Tim outlines the depiction of peace in the garden. There is peace with the created order, depicted as the fruit being abundant and easy to harvest. There is peace with animals and nature, depicted as man naming animals. Tim explains that in Isaiah 11, part of the vision of the new creation is when humans and animals will live at peace with each other. (A baby playing with a snake.) Tim outlines the history behind the two trees placed in the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After Adam and Eve eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they are banished to the East of the garden. Tim says this is the first use of exile language in the Bible. They are exiled to the East, which is later the direction where Babylon is placed. Then in the next story, Cain is also banished/exiled to the East after he kills his brother Able. In Genesis 11, all of humanity is depicted as migrating to the East, and then scattered from there. Tim’s point is that the biblical authors are intentionally developing a theme that humanity is banished/exiled to the East. Tim quotes from Joseph Blenkinsopp saying that biblical authors intentionally placed humanity’s story of fall from the paradise of Eden as a foreshadowing of the coming fall of Israel. In part 3 (29:15-36:56), Tim outlines the story of Abraham. Tim says Abraham is a wandering nomad originally from the geographical area of Babylon. Abraham is called and given a promise of his own land for him and his descendants. Tim explains that Abraham only owns one plot of land in the Bible when his wife Sarah dies and he buys a burial plot. Abraham refuses to be gifted the land and buys it outright. In the story, Abraham uses the phrase “I am a stranger and sojourner in this land among you.” That phrase is adopted in Psalm 31 and 1 Peter to describe the human experience of living in exile. The story of Abraham becomes an archetype that other biblical authors use to say that humanity is rightful home, meaning we are supposed to live on the earth, but it is not in its promised state of existence. In part 4 (36:56-end), Tim outlines the story of the journey of the nation of Israel. Israel inherited Abraham’s promise. But they chose to disobey God and not cross over the Jordan into the promised land. As a result, God exiled them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Resources: Joseph Blenkinsopp - Exile Show Music: Take Off With Me: JGivens So Fly: JGivens Faherenheit 99: JGivens Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Produced by: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 2 of our new podcast series prepping for our video release on the Exile theme in the Bible. In part 1 (0 - 5:30), Jon and Tim recap their earlier conversation in the first episode. Tim explains that when the Hebrews returned from exile to Jerusalem under Persian rule, their empire and city was in shambles, but they kept clinging to this promise that God had given their ancestral father, Abraham. In part 2 (5:30 - 18:10), Tim explains that the exile metaphor became a theme that runs through the entire Bible. The Hebrew bible authors wrote Genesis believing that humanity has been exiled from the Garden of Eden and perfect unity with God. The Hebrews believed that their exile represented all humanity’s exile of heaven and earth being separated from each other. Jon comments about how often times people feel displaced in life. Many people feel melancholic, knowing they should be at home here on earth, but often times wondering why life can be so hard and why humans make it harder with how they behave. Tim summarizes Walker Percy and says the fundamental mystery of the universe is why we feel so alone in the world. Tim explains that the Bible states that the solution to both Israel’s exile problem and humanity’s exile problem is the same solution. A king who will come and deliver them and reunite heaven and earth for all. In part 3, (18:10 - end) Jon comments that this conversation is totally different than how he thought of it growing up. He recalls a book by Randy Alcorn, Heaven On Earth, and says that the point is not to magically escape the world to an ethereal heaven, but to work for and hope for a new heaven and a new earth. Tim explains the oddity of the 1 Peter introduction. Peter chooses to address the people in the letter as “immigrants and exiles.” Peter chooses to identify Christians as exiles in a world that is waiting to be redeemed. Tim explains when a person becomes a Christian they shift their allegiance to the kingdom of God, not the earthly kingdom of Babylon. Tim says that words like “immigrant, and exile” and “citizens of heaven” becomes a type of code language that the Bible writers use to continue the metaphor and theme of the exile of humanity. Tim and Jon recap the biblical idea of evil - a force that both rules the world and is somehow engrained in human nature. The biblical hope is that Jesus has come and broken that power. Tim says that Jesus modeled for humans what it’s like to live in and build the kingdom of God on earth. Thank you to all our supporters! SHOW RESOURCES: Walker Percy: Lost in the Cosmos: Humanity’s Last Self Help Book. Randy Alcorn: Heaven. SHOW MUSIC Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Luvtea: Autumn Leaves JGivens: 10 2 Get In SHOW PRODUCED BY: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert-Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Exile. It’s one of the biggest, but least discussed themes in the Bible. And it’s the subject of our new podcast series and a theme video that will be coming out later this year (2018). The exile is a foreign concept to many modern people. Tim and Jon break down what and how the Jewish exile impacted our modern Bible. In the first part of the episode (0-20:00) Tim shares a background story of John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace. Newton’s own personal story is one of exile and return from exile and led him to write Amazing Grace. Tim explains he thinks this is a good example of how trying experiences shape and color someone’s worldview. In the second part (20:00-25:50), Tim explains that our modern Bible was shaped by the Jewish people who were exiled from their homeland in 586 BC by the Babylonian Empire. The cultural trauma of that event influenced the writings that Christians hold dear today. The 586 exile colors all of the Bible, start to finish. In the third part (25:50-37:50), Tim does an overview of the whole Bible outlining Abraham’s nomadic roots, how his family originally immigrated from Babylon, how they lack a true home but Abraham has a promise from God that he will have a “promised land.” Tim quickly explains the divide of the nation of Israel into two smaller kingdoms after the death of Solomon. And how eventually both of those kingdoms were conquered by foreign invaders. Many of the Old Testament books like Ezekial are written in exile. Tim explains the Persian Empire coming to power and allowing the Jews to begin to return to their homeland, Jerusalem, but it was nothing like it had been before. Instead of returning independent, Israel was now living in their homeland but subject to a foreign ruler. In the final part (37:50-end), the guys discuss how the Hebrew authors who wrote the Bible used the exile experience to prophecy of a new king, a king who would deliver them from their occupiers. Show Resources: The Murashu Family (archeology documents): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murashu_family More info on our website: thebibleproject.com Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Amazing Grace Guitar Solo: Rick Graham. (Fair Use) Miss Emile: General Vibe Mellow Relaxed Background Music: Jonathan Dennill Show Produced by: Dan Gummel and Jon Collins Thank you to all our supporters! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here is our Nephesh/Soul Q+R! Thank you to everyone who sent in questions! We love doing these and hearing what others are thinking. Q’s and Timestamps: (7:19) Sam: Why did Paul write that each of us has a soul, spirit and body in 1 Thessalonians 5? (18:57) Johnny: In Hebrews 4:12, it seems man is dual natured, physical and spirit, but how can we reconcile this by understanding man as a single natured being, meaning that man is a soul? (24:45) Daniel: In Psalm 63 it says that David’s Nephesh/Soul thirsts after God. What does that mean practically? (33:20) Kevin: What’s the biblical writers perspective on the future state of being? And how does that relate to burial practices like cremation? (45:47) Natalia: What do we actually know from the biblical writers and first century believers saying what our bodies will be like in the new creation? Resources / Books: John Cooper: Body, Soul and Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism/ Dualism Debate Joel Green: Body, Soul and Human Life: The Nature of Humanity in the Bible Ronald Rolheiser: The Holy Longing Ronald Rolheiser: Against An Infinite Horizon The Bible Project Video on Nephesh/Soul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_igCcWAMAM Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Show Produced by: Dan Gummel and Jon Collins. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus looked like? Or maybe why the Bible rarely tells us what a person what thinking? Characters in Bible stories are described and portrayed very differently compared to characters in modern stories. In this episode Tim and Jon discuss character design in the Bible. The guys start out (0-9:50) showing how our modern tradition of telling every detail about a character in a story, where they are from, what they look like, what their inner thoughts are, comes from Greek story telling tradition. This is the exact opposite of ancient Jewish storytelling. The biblical authors didn’t rely on telling you about a character, instead, they would tell you what they did. The characters themselves remain very mysterious. Tim says this lack of detail is done intentionally so the reader has to work for an interpretation. In the second part of the episode (9:50-21:13), Tim explains the two ways biblical authors use character details. One, a narrator will use “direct characterization.” A specific detail will be given because it is useful in the story. We are told Saul is tall because later, we find out that David is short. We are told Joseph is handsome because later, Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce him. Jon asks if this technique is used because the of the constraints of passing stories on pre printing press. The second way is the names of characters. In Hebrew literature, a character’s name represents the very essence of their being and shows their role in the story. Saul means “The one who was asked for” because Israel asked him to be king. The two sons of Naomi in the book of Ruth, their names are Mahlon and Chilion mean “one who is sick” and “to die”. Their only role in the story is to die and set up the plot conflict. In the third part of the episode, (21:13-25:56) Tim explains that just because a character does something in a story, doesn’t mean the author is endorsing the action. Many authors use a minimalist technique of telling the reader the character’s choices but not saying why the character made these choices. A famous is example is when Moses kills the Egyptian who was beating the Hebrew. We don’t know why Moses killed him, we only know that he did. Biblical narrators refuse to tell us if a character is “good” or “evil” instead they let us decide for ourselves. In the fourth part of the episode (25:56-end) Jon asks why. Why would biblical authors take the risk of their work being misinterpreted? Tim says the Biblical authors want readers to puzzle over the ambiguities of their stories because it is meant to represent the ambiguities that are inherent in life. The big narrative of the Bible puts meaning and purpose in the world, but individual stories are meant to create a feeling of opaqueness and mystery. More Bible Project resources are here on the website: thebibleproject.com Watch the accompanying video to this content here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQDGax19xk Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Shimon Bar-Efrat, ​Narrative Art in the Bible​ Adele Berlin, ​Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative​ Meir Sternberg, ​The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading​ Robert Alter, ​The Art of Biblical Narrative​ Yairah Amit, ​Reading Biblical Narrative Cormac McCarthy, ​The Road​ and ​The Border Trilogy: ​(1) All the Pretty Horses, ​(2) The Crossing, ​(3) Cities of the Plain. Music Credits: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Educated Fool: Jackie Hill Perry Ruby: CJBeards Flooded Meadows: Unwritten Stories Produced By: Dan Gummel. Jon Collins. Matthew Halbert Howen. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our last episode for 2017! Thank you to all our supporters! All of this is because of you. We’ll be back in 2018 with a full slate of exciting podcast episodes, videos, and some surprises as well! We discussed four questions in this episode: Questions: Jenn (3:25): “How does Jesus’ death work to satisfy God’s ‘justice’? Corey (23:08): “How do we distinguish ‘doing justice’ from being an issue of the church or the state to address? Logan (39:05): “How do we determine who is oppressed and who isn’t? And how do we stand up against people who refuse to see the oppressed? Also, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 has been used as a case against helping the homeless… is this correct?” Vic (57:15): “What’s the relationship in the Bible between justice and power?” Resources: Michael Sandel: Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? You can check out our video on Justice here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A14THPoc4-4 More resources are at: thebibleproject.com Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Show Produced by: Jon Collins, Dan Gummel and Matthew Halbert-Howen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Want to participate in our Nephesh Q+R? Have a question about your “soul”? Send us your question [email protected]. Don’t forget to tell us your name and where you’re from! What happens to our souls after we die? This is our third episode on the Hebrew word “Nephesh”. It usually gets translated as “soul” in modern bibles. But to the hebrews the word often meant “throat”. This episode Tim and Jon discuss the Hebrew concepts of an afterlife. The Hebrews would often use the word “Nephesh” when talking about eternal life in the Scriptures. In part 1 (0-7:00), the guys talk about the difficulty of getting the nephesh concept across in a short video. They discuss the possible gradients of ways to read the Shema. In part 2 (7:00-17:30), Jon asks “Isn’t there some sort of non material part of me that survives death?” To which Tim replies “Yes.” But it’s not necessarily what you think. Tim says the biblical authors refuse to speculate about what happens after death, only that the authors say we are “with the Lord.” He uses Psalm 16 and Psalm 49 as an example. Psalm 16:8-10: I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my nephesh to the grave; Nor will You ballow Your Holy One to see the pit. You will make known to me the path of life; Tim says Bible scholar NT Wright calls it “life after life after death.” In part 3 (17:30-end), the guys discuss the concept of Nephesh in the New Testament. Nephesh is translated with the Greek word “psuche.” It’s often used to describe a person as an embodied, living organism. A few of Jesus’ famous sayings with the word “psuche” include: Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your psuche, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Luke 17:33 Whoever tries to save their psuche will lose it, and whoever loses their psuche will preserve it. Psuche can also be used to describe the animating life-energy of a person (very similar to pneuma/ruakh) Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of psuche and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, psuche and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Our video on the word Nephesh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_igCcWAMAM More resources on our website www.thebibleproject.com N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God. Music Credits: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Scream Pilots: Moby Boost: Joakim Karud Back To Life: Soul II Soul: Non-Profit and Educational Fair Use Produced by: Jon Collins and Dan Gummel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to the Bible, we don’t have souls, we are souls. And people will live forever not in a disembodied existence as a soul, but in an embodied existence. So what do we do with physical/body desires like hunger and sex? In part 1 (0-9:00) Tim outlines some other uses of the word "nephesh" in the Old Testament including translating the word as “person” or “people” and calling kidnappers and murderers “nephesh thief” and “nephesh slayer.” In part 2 (9:00-17:25) the guys discuss the uses of “nephesh” when referring to the human physical desires for food or water (like in Psalm 42) and sex. In Song of Solomon, the erotic love poetry book in the Old Testament, in the original Hebrew, the writer expresses physical desire for their lover using the word “nephesh.” Tim and Jon discuss why we’ve spiritualized the physical sexual desires of people. In the third part (17:25-end) of the episode, Tim explains that animals and immigrants are described as “nephesh” in the Bible and the “righteous” people are called to respect their “nephesh.” Tim outlines Psalm 35 and explains that the author uses the word “nephesh” in seven different ways in this Psalm. Tim says it’s a great example of the diversity and depth of the word. You can view our video on the word Nephesh here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_igCcWAMAM&index=5&list=PLH0Szn1yYNeclOdfwWBawnNT5ZkGFHxBf Thank you to all our supporters! Check out more free resources on our website: www.thebibleproject.com Produced by: Jon Collins and Dan Gummel Show Music: Defender Instrumental- Rosasharn Music The Darkest Night - Alert 312 Pop Romantic - The Bluest Star Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first episode related to our new word studies video on the Hebrew word “Nephesh” which often gets translated as “soul” in English bibles. In Hebrew the most basic meaning of the word is “throat.” Which seems weird to us. So how did we get “soul” from “throat”? Tim and Jon discuss. In the first part of the episode (0-12:30), Tim and Jon outline where the word “soul” comes from (Old English), and why most people think that a core teaching of the Bible is people “having souls.” Jon asks how much you can really separate the ideas of a person’s “mind, soul, and body.” In the second part of the episode (12:30-41:20), Tim explains that the Hebrew word “Nephesh” is an extremely common word in the Hebrew Old Testament. It occurs over 700 times, but less than 10% of the time is it translated as “soul.” It also gets translated as “life”, “heart”, “you”, “people” and several other words. Tim outlines some famous verses in the Old Testament that use the word soul. Like Psalm 42 “ As the deer pants...My soul thirsts for you” the original meaning is Hebrew is “my throat thirsts for you.” Tim explains that the word Nephesh is designed to show the essential physicality of a person. Whereas “soul” connotes the non-physicality of a person. In the third part of the episode (41:20-end), Tim says “Nephesh” isn’t just used to describe humans, but also used to describe animals and what the land produced in Genesis. “And God said ‘Let the waters teem with living Nephesh.’” The bottom line, biblically, is that people don’t have souls. They are souls. They don’t have “nephesh” they are “nephesh.” And the ultimate hope for Christians is not a disembodied existence living as souls, but an embodied existence living in their Nephesh. You can check out our new word studies video on Nephesh here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_igCcWAMAM Thank you to all our supporters! Check out more free resources on our website: www.thebibleproject.com Show Resources: The Shema: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Original uses of the word Nephesh meaning throat: Psalm 23 Psalm 42:1-2 Isaiah 58:11 Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music River Deep: Retro Soul (Danya Vodovoz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B1tVfm832w) Lotus Lane: The Loyalist Herbal Tea: Artificial Music Show Produced By: Jon Collins and Dan Gummel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our final episode in our Youtube Q+R Series. In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to questions on the Old Testament book of Jonah. Below are the questions and time marks they appear. You can view the original video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIabZc0O4c&t=1s&list=PLH0Szn1yYNeeVFodkI9J_WEATHQCwRZ0u&index=21 Want to learn more about the ancient empire of Assyria and how it impacted the Bible? Tim references the "Lachish Carvings" in the podcast, check out more info here! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachish_reliefs Thank you to all our supporters! Learn more about what we're up to and sign up to receive more free resources from us at: www.thebibleproject.com Jonah Overview - 0-6:30 Is Jonah a real person or a parable? (6:30) If God is interested in choosing upright people to work with, why would God choose Jonah, who doesn’t seem to be an upright man? (16:10) Why is Jonah so angry about God showing compassion on Nineveh? (20:00) Why do we think Jonah’s five word sermon in Jonah 4 is the whole thing? How do we know the rest wasn’t lost? (28:45) How do you know that Jonah is “angry” with God? (32:55) What happened between the book of Jonah and Nahum? Was the Nineveh's repentance a fluke? (36:43) What is Jesus talking about in Matthew 12 and the sign of Jonah? (39:35) How does Jonah describe God’s character and how does that compare to how Job describes God’s character? (44:25) Show Resources: Lachish Carvings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachish_reliefs Show Music: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music. Show Produced by: Jon Collins and Dan Gummel Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 3 in our Justice series where we discuss Jesus and his mission for justice. Tim and Jon begin the episode (0-12:30) discussing why its a big deal to think of humanity being made in the “image of God.” Tim and Jon speculate on what separates man from animals. And whether there were vegetarians in the ancient world. In the second part of the show (12:30-23:40), Jon ponders the juxtaposition of viewing life as a competition vs viewing it as an opportunity to do social justice. Tim discusses the social justice themes of Jesus in the gospel of Luke. Tim also outlines, the unique justice of Jesus dying on the cross. The final act of the show (23:40-end) the guys discuss what the Christian response is after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Tim says the people of Jesus should be at the forefront of creating and doing social justice to create a better society in which all people are honored as sacred and divine images of God. Thank you to our supporters! If you would like to participate in our Justice Q+R episode next week, record your question (keep it less than 15 seconds) and email it to us [email protected] . Deadline: Weds October 25th, 2017. Don’t forget to include your first name and where you’re from. Show Resources: Bruce Waltke: Proverbs Commentary Show Music: Rosasharn Music: Defender Instrumental Hang Massive: Once Again Beautiful Euology: Blessed are the Merciful Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Show Notes: This is episode two of our Justice series. Tim and Jon discuss the twin ideas of Justice and Righteousness in the Bible. Those two words are often paired together in the Bible. The guys start the episode (0-18:10) by finishing up the discussion from episode 1 on retributive and restorative justice. Jon shares a story about some of the difficulties in practices community justice. In the second part (18:10-25:30) of the episode Tim shares a poem in the book of Jeremiah 9 and says it’s ideally captures the biblical vision of justice, mercy and righteousness. Tim and Jon speculate what they would do if they won the lottery. In the third part of the episode (25:30-end), the guys discuss the word “righteousness” in the Bible. Tim explains that the root word of righteousness is a word that means “to be in right relationship with someone” Tim talks about how Job is described as righteous, and how those descriptions are words that describe his efforts in social justice, defending the poor and the widow. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Nicholas Wolterstorff: Justice, Rights and Wrongs. Gustavo Gutierrez: A Liberation Theology Moshe Weinfeld: “righteousness and justice” Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Organized Religion: Beautiful Eulogy According to God: Beautiful Eulogy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first episode in our new series on the theme of Justice in the Bible. When most of us hear the term "justice" we think of courtrooms, judges and cops. Some of us might think of biblical justice as “God’s Judgement”. What did the Hebrews believe justice looked like? And what was the biblical vision for a “just society?” In the first part of the conversation (0-22:50) Tim outlines where the words “Justice” and “Righteousness” come from in the Bible and what they meant in their original context. The guys speculate about why every person seems to have an ingrained idea of “fairness”. Tim shares three common perspectives of Justice from a Harvard professor (Brian Sandel) book Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? Justice is Maximizing Welfare Justice is Respect of Individual Freedom Justice is Promoting Virtue In the second part of the show (22:51-44:45) Tim outlines the famous verse in Micah “do justice, love mercy” and what that verse originally meant to Hebrews. The guys talk about the differences between retributive justice and restorative justice. Tim shares the prophets ideas of the quartet of the vulnerable: widows, orphans, immigrants, the poor. Finally, (44:50-end) the guys discuss the story of the Hebrew Exodus, and how that story framed many images in the Bible about justice. Thank you to all our supporters! You can learn more about the bible project on our website: https://thebibleproject.com/ Resources: Books: Annie Dillard: Pilgrim At Tinker Creek Michael Sandel: Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do? Show Music: Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Flooded Meadows: Unwritten Stories You Can Save Me: Beautiful Eulogy Exile Dial Tone: Beautiful Eulogy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we continue our series on How to Read the Bible. How should we read stories in the Bible? 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. When most people read a Bible story, they might just dive in and expect Bible stories to be exactly like modern stories. But they aren’t. They are thousands of years and many cultures removed from each other. The first half of the show (0-23:20) Tim and Jon outline biblical narrative and talk about how sometimes Bible stories can seem overly simplistic, but they are actually extremely sophisticated. The second half of the show, the guys discuss specific plot techiques Bible stories use to deliver their message. (24:00-end). Tim outlines the purposes of plot, place, time and people in Bible stories. Each tool is used differently at different times for Biblical authors. Tim uses the Old Testament story of Gideon to illustrate some of the literary design techniques that are used in that story. Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Our How to Read the Bible video series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH0Szn1yYNedn4FbBMMtOlGN-BPLQ54IH The Treachery of Images by Rene Magritte John Sailhammer: Introduction to Old Testament Theology Sean McEvenue: Introduction to Biblical Interpretation NT Wright: The New Testament and the People of God Show Music: Alone: Beautiful Eulogy Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. In the first part of the episode (0-11:45), they discuss what divine life looks like according to Old Testament authors and Peter in 2 Peter 1. The guys ponder on whether holiness is an attribute someone has, or if it is someone's nature. Then (12:00-20:00 ) they ask how are people supposed to participate in the divine life? They discuss how to best reframe holiness, from a word that conjures up stiff, uptight religion (like SNL's Church Lady), to a word that excites and inspires people with the possibility of living a transcendent and abundant life. Finally, (20:01-end) the guys talk about why we often stand in awe when we meet celebrities and some words that could be used as synonyms instead of holiness. They also ask what does living spellbound or enchanted with God's spirit look like? Thank you to all our supporters! Resources: Our theme video on Holiness: INSERT LINK Subscribe here and get an update when our workbook on Holiness will become available: INSERT LINK Music Credits: Defender Instrumental : Rosasharn Music Heal My Sorrows : Greyflood Where Peace and Rest Are Found : Greyflood Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is the first episode in a two part discussion on the Christian “Ideal.” What is the Christian Ideal? That’s exactly what we ask. Why does it seem that humanity has an inner drive to find something transcendent? What is it that we’re all searching for and hoping to attain? In other words, why aren’t things a little more rad in our day to day? The ancient Hebrew authors of the Bible also wrestled with these questions. They often used the word “holiness” to describe the quest for the ideal life. But today “holiness” is a confusing and loaded word. Spoiler alert: The way the Hebrews understood holiness is not how we do in modern times. Tim, Jon, and a special guest, Paul Pastor hold an honest discussion asking why we all strive for something that seems just out of reach, and what that might have to do with God’s holiness. Thank you to all our supporters! None of this would be possible without you. Show Resources: The Bible Project Theme Video on Holiness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9vn5UvsHvM Dictionary of the Old Testament by IVP: Holiness: J.E. Hartley. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis: Jackie Nowdeh (Rudolph Otto) Show Music: Where’s Love: Jackie Hill Perry Defender Instrumental: Rosasharn Music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 6 in our How to Read the Bible series. In this episode 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. Most of the things that modern readers find frustrating in this story are actually key features of ancient Jewish literature. The first half of the show, (0-25:30) the guys finish the discussion on Cain and Abel. The second half (26:00-end) Tim outlines Psalm 1 and how it describes the ideal reader of the Hebrew scriptures. The guys also have a brief discussion on the differences between modern meditation practices and ancient Jewish meditation practice. Tim talks about the Jewish community that gave us the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, and how their habits of Scripture meditation give us a window into the kind of meditation described in Psalm 1. This episode is designed to accompany our How To Read The Bible video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmlJBUIoLk Thank you to all our supporters! You rock :) Show Resources: Jordan B Peterson Podcast Jerome Walsh Books Show Music: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Capital by Silent Partner Voyage by Lemmino Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why aren't there more details in Bible stories? 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. And this is frustrating to modern readers because we like lots of detail. We want to know everything about a character and the setting and the story background. This week Tim and Jon take a look at why so many of the stories in the Bible are perplexing. It's because they were intentionally designed that way, in an ancient style of writing known as Jewish Meditation Literature. Using the story of Cain and Able, the guys ask why are so many of the details in the story left out? Is this lazy writing or is there a purpose behind it? Watch our video on Jewish Meditation Literature here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhmlJBUIoLk&t=209s&list=PLH0Szn1yYNedn4FbBMMtOlGN-BPLQ54IH&index=4 This podcast series is partnered with our Youtube series on "How to Read the Bible" you can view the series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH0Szn1yYNedn4FbBMMtOlGN-BPLQ54IH Thank you to all our supporters! Show Resources: Jordan B Peterson: https://jordanbpeterson.com/jordan-b-peterson-podcast/ Jerome Walsh: Old Testament Narrative: A Guide to Interpretation.​ Show Music: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Lifepainting by Musciojad Color Grade Agape by ALERT312 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 4 of our How to Read the Bible series. Jon and Tim discuss the different literary styles used in the Bible. (It's not just a history book!) In the first part of the show (0-28:00), the guys go over an example of both poetry and narrative in the Bible, Exodus 14 and 15. Its the Hebrew Exodus story told in both narrative style and then Hebrew poetry. In the second half of the show (28:00-End), Tim shares an example of prose discourse in one of Paul's epistles. Tim discusses how Paul's writing style was heavily influenced by philosophers like Seneca. This series is designed to accompany our video series on Youtube called "How to Read the Bible. You can view the accompanying video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUXJ8Owes8E Show Resources: "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins Thomas Long, ​Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible​. "Jabberwoky" by Lewis Carroll Music Credits: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Take It Easy by Beautiful Eulogy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is part 3 in our series of how to read the Bible. In this episode, Tim introduces us to the three main times of literature styles found in the Bible. Narrative, poetry and prose discourse. The first half of the show (0-28:15), Tim introduces us to the three forms of literature in the Bible and how they are laid out using the analogy of a grocery store. The guys talk about the challenge of reading the Bible. Wishing that they had UN automatic translation headphones. In the second half of the show (28:15-40:00), the guys talk about some of the inner psychological stories we tell ourselves. And how stories are a way to make sense of the world. Tim shares a quote from CS Lewis talking about the importance of reading expanding our worldview. Tim explains that many people expect the Bible to be a set of moral instructions, but actually the narrative structure of the Bible is much more open-ended. The last part of the show (48:00-End), the guys discuss how our brains are hardwired for narratives and how the stories of the Bible work in our brains. Jon muses about maybe all of life and the Bible can be distilled down to asking “What do I desire?” and Tim breaks down the structure of Psalm 19. Next week the guys will dive into the Scriptures and talk about some examples of the different types of literary styles. This show is designed to go with our new youtube video series, “How to Read the Bible” you can check it out here: "we will update this Thursday, June 22 when it launches"! Additional Resources: An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis The Skeptical Believer by Daniel Taylor Read The Bible For A Change by Ray Lubeck The Secular Age by Charles Taylor Music Credits: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Good Grief by Beautiful Eulogy Respect, Power and Money by Eshon Burgundy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our second episode in our How To Read The Bible Series. At the beginning (0-21:40) Tim and Jon start the episode talking about how the ancient Hebrew practice of reading the Torah aloud spun out into the New Testament. Jesus himself participated in public readings of Hebrew scriptures, and actually announced his public ministry at one. The second part of the show (21:40-34:36 ) the guys have a fascinating discussion on the sociology and group identity formation elements of Christianity. They discuss ideas by famed sociologist Peter Berger about how humans both create environments and are created by environments. Jon wonders if Christianity is just a social construct or if there is something real to gather around. In the final part of the show (34:36-End) Tim shares part of an essay by N.T. Wright called “How is the Bible Authoritative?” Tim and Jon discuss the differences between stories and facts, how stories have a different kind of power than facts, and why it’s more powerful to view the Bible as a story, not as a rulebook. This show is designed to accompany our new video on reading Scripture together in a community. You can check it out on our Youtube page here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO1Y9XyWKTw Show Resources: The Didache - early Christian manual on discipleship. Wikipedia Resource. Desiring The Kingdom. By James Smith. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. By Peter Berger The Sacred Canopy: Elements of A Sociological Theory of Religion. By Peter Berger. Essay: How Is The Bible Authoritative? By N.T. Wright Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. By Yuval Noah Harari Show Music: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music The Size of Grace by Beautiful Eulogy Conquer by Propaganda Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our first episode in our series "How To Read The Bible." 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. In the first half of the show (0-34:00) the guys talk about the differences between modern day emphasis on application the reading of God’s word, and the Old Testament emphasis on “responding” to hearing God’s word. The second half of the show (34-50:00) Tim exposits on the ancient Hebrew practice of reading the Torah out loud together. A practice that was instituted in the Old Testament and has continued all the way through to modern times in today’s synagogues. Tim also talks about an interesting piece of Jewish history, the Dura Europos Synagogue. Jon asks why is it so important to read the Bible together as a group. The last ten minutes of the show the guys ask what the origins of the sermon are and why ancient Israel had such a difficult time remembering what God had done for them. We have a video coming out later this month that will accompany this podcast series. You can view all our videos on our youtube channel: youtube.com/thebibleproject Additional Resources: The Word Of Promise: Dramatic Reading of The Bible App. Dura Europos Synagogue in Syria [see Wikipedia] Jeffrey Tigay, ​The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy​ Mesha Stela [see Wikipedia] Music Credits: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Acquired in Heaven by Beautiful Eulogy The Truth about Flight, Love and BB Guns by Foreknown Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bible can often seem like a weird ancient book that many people use to say different things. These things can even sometimes lead to using the Bible to oppress or hurt others or the world. And on top of the confusion, reading the Bible can also be tedious and confusing, so most of us just stick to the parts we know and understand. But what is the story of the Bible? Like the big, meta story? The ideas in this episode might surprise you. In this episode Tim and Jon discuss the big, narrative arcs of the Bible. What is the Bible really talking about? Sin? Salvation? Judgement? Tim and Jon first discuss the importance of the, oftentimes overlooked, Old Testament, which is essential in understanding the overall narrative of the Bible. They then discuss the centrality of the texts (the Bible) to second temple Jews, Jesus, and the early Christian church, and the uniqueness of such texts. The Bible is BIG and can be confusing. Tim and Jon cover the major movements of the Old Testament, and the over-arching point! What is this Kingdom of God Jesus is talking about, and how is this in contrast the default condition humanity finds itself in? This episode is designed to accompany our new video series and our new video called "The Story Of The Bible". You can view it on our youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_CGP-12AE0 Book References: The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence by Dacher Keltner The Prince by Nicollo Machiavelli Show Music: Defender by Rosasharn Music Good Morning by Unwritten Stories All Night by Unwritten Stories Chilldrone by Unwritten Stories Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is our Q+R episode for the Day of the Lord theme. Thank you to all the people who submitted questions! Q's and Timestamps: The Day of the Lord can be a sensitive subject, so how do you have good and respectful conversations with others about the Day of the Lord? (2:40) What is the spectrum of views that Christians have on the Day of the Lord and what is the view the Bible Project is presenting? (12:30) What is the role of divine violence in the Bible? Why does Jesus seem so nice and peaceful in the New Testament but God seems mean and violent in the Old Testament? (17:20) In Revelation 19, The blood on Jesus’ robe is before the battle. This seemed to be a main point in the Day of the Lord video by the Bible Project. Why is this significant? (47:45) What is Jesus talking about in Matthew 24? And what is the deal with people disappearing? (121:13) How should Christians think about staying or migrating in different parts of the world that may be more oppressive than others?(132:25) Links: Original video conversation: youtube.com/thebibleproject. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBc2gSSW04 Additional Resources: Gregory Boyd, "Divine Aikido" chapter 15 in Crucifixion of the Warrior God. Ian Boxall, The Book of Revelation. Leon Morris, The Book of Revelation. Dale Allison and W.D. Davies, The Gospel according to Matthew. Music Credits: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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.” Tim and Jon dive in and tackle some of the tough imagery in Revelation. The guys also pose another penultimate question: When will Jesus come back? Spoiler alert: no one knows. The first ten minutes of the show talks about some of the New Testament and Pauline ideas on the Day of the Lord. Specifically coming from 1 Thessalonians. Then Tim and Jon move on and discuss Revelation. The last part of the show, beginning at 28:30 is dedicated to discussing modern political implications of following Jesus. How are Christians supposed to live in a world that has Babylonian tendencies? This episode is designed to accompany our new Day of the Lord video on our youtube channel. Check it out and let us know what you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBc2gSSW04&t=3s EPISODE RESOURCES Joshua Ryan Butler - The Skeletons in God's Closet http://joshuaryanbutler.com/books/the-skeletons-in-gods-closet/ Mere Fidelity Podcast - "The Righteous Mind": Jonathan Haidt’s thesis that conservatives and liberals are divided https://mereorthodoxy.com/mere-fidelity-righteous-mind/ EPISODE BIBLE REFERENCES 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 Revelation 5:1-10 and 19:11-19 Isaiah 63:1-4 EPISODE MUSIC Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Where Peace and Rest are Found by Greyflood The Butler’s Son by Greyflood Next episode we will do a Day of the Lord Q+R. Have a question? Record it and send it to [email protected]. Deadline 9am May 23rd 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode Tim and Jon finally get to Jesus. Ancient Israel was being occupied by the Roman Empire. A brutal military power that used violence and war to bring "Pax Romana" or "Roman Peace." But Ancient Israel has a hope, long ago they were promised a Messiah. Someone would come and lead them out of oppression into true freedom. Jesus of Nazareth shows up and begins performing miracles and speaking of a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Many people think this is the man who will lead them in war against the Romans. But instead, Jesus goes to war with something else entirely. Tim and Jon also discuss a story that is often misunderstood in modern Christianity, the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. This podcast series on the Day Of The Lord is designed to accompany our new video. You can check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBc2gSSW04 We're a nonprofit animation studio in Portland Oregon. Thank you for being a part of this! www.thebibleproject.com Show Music Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Blue Skies by Unwritten Stories. Flooded Meadows by Unwritten Stories. Show Produced by Dan Gummel www.dangummel.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do books like Amos, Habakuk and Zephaniah fit in the story of the Bible? These books can be really confusing and their violent imagery is disturbing to many readers. Tim and Jon discuss these books, their original context and some of the challenges that come when reading them, including the origins of evil. The Bible believes evil is real but often seems confusing when readers ask questions like "where did evil come from?" and "why does evil exist?" These episodes are designed to accompany our Day Of The Lord Video, that we just released. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBc2gSSW04 Take a look and let us know what you think! P.S. Have you been enjoying this series and have some questions? We're going to be hosting another Q+R episode at the end of the series. So, get your question ready and send it to us! [email protected] Show Music: Defender Instrumental by Rosasharn Music Radio Station by Moby Cartilage by Moby FYI Bible Passages Referenced In This Episode: Amos 4 Isaiah 33 Habakuk 3 Revelation 12 Isaiah 14: Isaiah's poem about the Babylonian God Marduk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.