The World of the Bible: RELIGION (From RiseU)

The World of the Bible: CULTURE (From RiseU)

In this 3rd and final bonus episodes recorded during my summer RiseU class series, I discuss some of the key cultural values that distinguished people in the Greco-Roman world from how so many of us think today, shedding light on how those different values shaped how they heard and understood the message of Jesus and His followers. Specifically, we focus on the nature of a Group-Based culture (verse our current Individualistic one), an Honor & Shame driven community, and a highly stratified society that separated and distinguished between social classes and made life difficult for the poor (who were the majority of people Jesus spoke to and live among.)

The World of the Bible: RELIGION (From RiseU)

In this 2nd of 3 special bonus episodes recorded during my summer RiseU class series, I discuss the religion of the Jewish people, what their core beliefs were and how that related to their interaction with their pagan neighbors, as well as how they would have perceived (and often disagreed) with Jesus and His teachings. We also discuss some of the different religious sects among the Jewish people, like the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Zealots, and how the common, average Jewish person fit into all the simmering tensions in 1st Century Palestine.

The World of the Bible: HISTORY (From RiseU)

In this 1st of 3 special bonus episodes recorded during my summer RiseU class series, I walk through the history of the Jewish people all the way throughout the Old Testament as well as what is known as the Inter-Testamental period - the 450 years between Malachi and the arrival of Jesus. The goal of this first class is to set the stage for understanding what the first hearers of the Gospel message would have been awaiting and expecting in a coming Messiah (if some were at all).

BONUS EPISODE: Revelation and Politics

It's been a while since I've been able to do a new Like Stars Episode, but I thought this discussion on reading and interpreting the book of Revelation and how that applies to the way Christians approach politics might be a fun listen for you. Enjoy!

Ep. 34: Jesus, Scripture, & Slavery

Among the most difficult issues people often have with the Bible is the way in which is appears to support the of institution of slavery. The Old Testament Law makes clear allowances for it, Jesus often spoke about slaves without ever condemning the practice, and some New Testament authors, like Paul even seemed to go as far as to encourage the behavior, blatantly calling for slaves to submit to their masters and forcing a runaway slave to return to the very household that held him in bondage.   So what are we to make of this apparent contradiction, an evil, dehumanizing institution being not only present, but openly discussed and referred to in the Scriptures without ever once blatantly calling it out for the sin and wickedness we all know it to be today? Isn’t this all the proofanyone needs to simply reject any and all claims of the Bible being the inspired word of a truly good and moral God?  In this episode of the Like Stars Podcast, I continue on with another in a short mini-series of topics covering some of these most difficult issues that arise within the teaching and life of Jesus. Specifically, why didn’t Jesus condemn slavery when he clearly knew it was going on all around him? Join me as I discuss some of the ways in which we SHOULDN’T try to answer this question, including making the claim that ancient slavery wasn’t really that bad, nor simply accepting that the Bible is in fact just in favor of the institution. Rather, that the Biblical authors mostly accepted it as a part of their broken world and instead of immediate change, planted the seeds that would one day grow into abolishment. It’s not an easy topic to cover, but it is an important one so check it out! If you have any questions or would like to discuss this issue further, leave a comment or shoot me an email pete@risecitychurch.com [pete@risecitychurch.com] And don’t forget to pick up your copy of LIKE STARS on Amazon today!