Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights

Phoebe: The woman who carried and read Paul’s letter to Romans

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I tell about one of the most important people in the whole New Testament. There are only two verses about her, but her story is much deeper. She was a prominent Christian leader because she was a deacon and a benefactor. Mostly likely a wealthy widow, she was many who strongly supported the Christian mission and who were crucial in the spread of Christianity. She was the person who carried the letter to the Romans. This was Paul's most important letter and Phoebe as a single woman had to carry 500 miles and then read and explain it to people in Rome. How do we know all of this? Bible scholars know what the cultures were like. They know how Paul worked with other people. Most of all they know how the early church was supported. The story of Phoebe tells us so much about how we can know so much about the Bible almost 2000 years after it was written, especially about how women worked in the church.  Introduction to Phoebe 16 I’m introducing our sister Phoebe to you, who is a deacon (servant) of the church in Cenchreae. 2 Welcome her in the Lord in a way that is worthy of God’s people, and give her whatever she needs from you, because she herself has been a sponsor (benefactor) of many people, myself included. Greetings to Roman Christians 3 Say hello to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life. I’m not the only one who thanks God for them, but all the churches of the Gentiles do the same. 5 Also say hello to the church that meets in their house. Say hello to Epaenetus, my dear friend, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. 6 Say hello to Mary, who has worked very hard for you. 7 Say hello to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners. They are prominent among (as) the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

Blasphemy! The Unforgivable Sin Myth | Modern Bible Interpretation for Healing

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] Young Christians live in fear of committing the "unforgivable sin"—a false doctrine rooted in harmful theology that keeps people trapped in shame. In this healing episode, Real Bible Rob explores how affirming Christianity and modern Bible interpretation can free you from this fear. Whether you've struggled with intrusive thoughts about blasphemy or questioned punitive theology, this conversation offers grace-centered perspective grounded in Scripture. I tell you about the most heartbreaking messages I receive from young people when ask me if they have committed the unforgivable sin. They worry they are doomed to hell because of blasphemy. I always wonder if it was a pastor or a Sunday school teacher that filled them with this fear. In this hard hitting episode, I tell you why you don’t need to fear it. Blasphemy is a very aggressive and special kind of sin that few of us, and virtually no teenager, can commit. Also, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was something very special that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-30. If you are worried about this, it is really important to understand what it means and how people use this fear to scare and control you. This is important knowledge to have. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is a story of unconditional love, repentance, and forgiveness. This is super useful for understanding the character of God.  The unforgivable sin, or "unpardonable sin," in the Gospels is  blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, specifically described in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10. It involves willfully and persistently attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, as the Pharisees did when accusing Jesus of using demonic power, indicating a hard-hearted, final rejection of Christ's salvific work. Outline:  The heartbreak of hearing people fret about the unforgivable sin.  Unforgivable Sin Misconception Blasphemy Biblical Origin Defining Blasphemy Why Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is different Prodigal Son Forgiveness Rejecting Fear Tactics - pushing punishment and reward

Daniel is the Last Book of the Old Testament

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] Daniel is such a fun book. It has the men with funny names thrown into the fiery furnace. They are saved without even the slightest burn and with an angel appearing in the fire with them. It has Daniel thrown into the Lion's Den by King Belshazzer in a fit of rage. Then the lion's mouth is shut. These miraculous stories are amazing. A follower of mine said, "why don't you talk about Daniel's dreams in Chapter 7?" So I will tell you about this amazing dream because it connects the two parts of Daniel: the first part with these amazing stories and the second part with all these crazy images, just like Revelation. Dreams are such a big part of the Bible. Daniel was the last book of the Old Testament written between 167 and 165 BC. That is confusing, because our Bibles put Malachi last, but they did this to link the Old Testament with the New Testament. Even though Daniel was written about things that happened 400 years before, it's story telling tells us so much about the people living just before Jesus. If you could take your Bible apart and put it back together, you should put Daniel last. I explain how this timeline is so interesting and how it helps to make this weird dream make sense. Reference: "Strong As Death Is Love" by Robert Alter

Depravity Porn: Psychological warfare of evangelists using Proverbs 3:5 and Jeremiah 17:9

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] Does your pastor tell you “the heart is deceitful” and “lean not on your own understanding” to get you to not trust yourself or your intuition? This is pure gaslighting and you should run away from them. It’s often a trick played by dominant men to push down women and minorities. I call it depravity porn and you don't have to fall for it. The verses Jeremiah 17:9 and Proverbs 3:5 are grossly misused for this. They mean the opposite of what these pastors use it for. In this episode, I explain what these verses mean in context, looking at Hebrew and its interpretation. I also talk about the psychological manipulation that reformed evangelists like Paul Washer use. Like boot camp, the goal is to weaken and breakdown a person and then fill them with your perspective. Depravity porn is their main tool for psychological gaslighting. The NET does by far the best job of translating Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done." Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.

No Doubting About Thomas: How John showed his importance

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] Thomas was one of the most impressive apostles for a number of reasons. He is the instigator of change and perception in the Gospel of John. He is unfairly called Doubting Thomas to highlight his saying he wouldn't believe in the risen Christ until he put his hands on Jesus’s wounds to believe Jesus had risen. Without we would not have had such a clear physical manifestation of Christ. Thomas shows up 3 times in the Gospel of John. He also inspired the Gospel of Thomas which many people thought should have been in the Bible. The “doubting” was really more about being practical and smart than about unbelief. In this episode I explain why we should look up to Thomas. Also why many people really admire him even today.