The book of Exodus starts with a great story about how the Israelites escaped from Egypt. There's high action, drama, goodies and baddies… and then intricate detail about how to construct a large tent. Why is that included and how does it fit into the overall narrative?
To kick off a new series on Biblical themes, we look at 8 different ideas about the Kingdom of God. We find that both Jesus' statements about it and the expectations of his audience were deeply rooted in the Old Testament, Hebrew scriptures. This brings to life a tangible picture of what is involved but also something far greater and more universal than even the Jews expected!
Paul chats to Mark Vincent, the author of a small book with big ambitions, entitled Life's Biggest Questions. They talk about how the book came about and step through some thoughts on those major questions - Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we headed?
Ever wondered what it was like to be part of one of the earliest Christian communities in the 1st century church? Follow along with a thought experiment attempting to place a 21st century consciousness into the body of a 1st century Christian! We explore the where, when, what and how of a Christian gathering around 65AD, which builds towards a conversation about which aspects of Christianity should be protected from change, and where we should be flexible.
The book of Revelation closes with God's victory and it seems so violent. Will it be as warlike as the language sounds? And what could the wonderful imagery of New Jerusalem actually mean in reality?!
What should we make of the dragon, the beast of the sea and the beast of the earth in the book of Revelation? We uncover a subversive message for Christians in the 1st century and relevant for any age of history. And yes, we talk about the mark of the beast and the number 666 - finally!
What do the 7 seals and trumpets of the book of Revelation mean? We unpick the pattern and try to imagine what messages the early Christians would have taken from it. The way the sequences of images are communicated continue to confound the expectations of the hearer. But as they unfold, two powerful lessons for Christians of any age emerge.
What do you find when reading the Gospels for the first time? What's the historical basis behind it all? How do you deal with all the miracles? We consider ways to think about both what Jesus said and what he did, and how faith might develop from reading the Gospels.
What or where is heaven? We explore what "heaven" meant to the Biblical writers, concluding that it's much less about a physical location and much more about the presence of God and a relationship that ordinary people (on earth) can have with him through Jesus.
We invited Tom Gaston back onto the show to answer your questions on Unitarianism and the Trinity. The writer and editor of ‘One God, the Father, a defence of Biblical Monotheism’ gives us his thoughts on the opening of John 1, the influence of Justin Martyr, the virgin birth and why any of this matter should matter to Christians.