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

It's Greek to Me: Why knowing the languages of the Bible helps understanding it

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2434833/fan_mail/new] One of the strangest things you will hear when speaking about the Bible online is "I don't need to learn Hebrew or Greek to understand the Bible." I agree that you can do great work with good solid English translations, but there is always more to learn. In this practical episode, I speak about the strengths and weaknesses of different study methods. I describe how to use Interlinear Bibles and Concordances. Nowadays, the best language study can be done online. I tell you about the pitfalls. Greek and Hebrew word study can be very helpful, but you must be very careful because there is must more than just the definition of words. Verbal aspect and idiom are very important. Don't be afraid to approach the biblical languages, just be sure to listen to good scholarship and know how to use the tools well.  The Bible was written in ancient languages long before we got it in English. English like we know it wasn't even around until about 500 years ago, but the Bible is over 2000 years old. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. A lot of people work hard to understand what the Bible really said, because it is hard to translate from one language to another. You know this if you speak Spanish or French or any other language than English too. What makes it even harder with the Bible is that Hebrew and Greek are so old that we can't just ask someone what they meant. I had to learn about Hebrew and Greek to become a pastor. I am not an expert, but I know enough to know what is important. In this episode, I tell you about the history of the Bible and how it came into English. Then I tell you why it is still important to know something about these ancient languages. We continue to learn so much more and our English bibles are still changing. It is always interesting and exciting.

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.