In this two-part episode we begin a conversation about the discipline of Textual Criticism and what it can tell us about the New Testament that we read today. Is it reliable? How strong is the evidence behind it? Can we ever know how close it is to the original?
Who is God addressing in Genesis 1:26 when he says "Let us make man in our image"? Is this evidence for the Trinity? Despite the verse often being used in this way, it doesn't take long to find some problems with this conclusion.
We kick off a new 3 part series on aspects of church history and start by exploring the Christian practice of baptism from the early church, through the Middle Ages and beyond. How and why does it change over time, and does it matter?
The meaning of life is the stuff of song lyrics. But it's also the big question of the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. At first reading the author of this book seems to be concluding that life is meaningless, but there's more than meets the eye, all of which leads (surprise!) to Jesus and his resurrection.
A recent survey puts a surprising number of American Christians outside orthodoxy in relation to the birth of Jesus and his supposed pre-existence. Is there a good explanation for this? Perhaps the straightforward narrative of scripture, and its teaching about the man Jesus Christ, is what sincere church-goers pick up on with good reason.
When Jesus said "I and the father are one", what was the context? Our discussions lead us to understand that the phrase shouldn't be a theological battleground but is part of an intensely profound and practical theme for the lives of believers in Jesus which weaves through all parts of the New Testament.
We talk about practical ways of getting to know Jesus even though we only have written accounts in the Gospels to work with. Just as we change when we know and love someone really well, knowing Jesus should change us too.
All sorts of terrifying images come to mind with the word hell! We build up a coherent picture that makes sense in the light of a moral God who has shown himself in the face of Jesus as full of grace and truth.
In this episode Dan chats with Professor Anna Whittaker about her expertise and how it relates to the Bible. There is plenty to learn from Jesus about stress and anxiety. He knows from experience of course, because he endured acute times of stress himself.
The first book of the New Testament is packed full of insight about Jesus, God, the problem with humanity and God's kingdom that Jesus announced. If you want to understand what the Bible and Christianity is really about, you can't go wrong starting with the gospel of Matthew.