The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

Instead of explaining away or casting doubt on the reference to the Father, Son, and Spirit in Matt. 28:19, why not strive to understand what it does mean? This week's episode begins a new series that aims to explore the triadic formulas in the New Testament, beginning with the Great Commission. We consider that the Gospel of Matthew teaches about God, the Son, and the Spirit before drawing conclu...

This week's episode surveys six NT authors in order to see what sort of preexistence they attribute to Jesus. Do these authors (the four Evangelists, Paul, 1 Peter) regard Jesus as having existed in the plans and purposes of God? What about preexisting as personified wisdom/word? Can a NT author believe both of these things without contradiction? Is there any evidence that these authors regarded J...

This week's episode explores how Jews described the concept of preexistence. We note that "preexistence" is not a single concept, but rather we observe from several Jewish texts that preexistence can mean three different ideas: preexisting in God's plans, preexisting as a personified attribute (e.g., word and wisdom), and literally preexisting. This study aims to encourage interpreters to think mo...

Did Jesus Christ preexist as a rock? In this week's episode, we explain what Paul means in 1 Cor. 10:4 by first identifying the wisdom Christology in his letter. We then turn to place his discussion of the nourishment-giving rock in its Hellenistic Jewish context. Lastly,  we charitably interpret the way in which Paul describes Jesus before he was born (i.e., typology). As we come to better unders...

This week's episode gives another listen to our recent debate's closing statements. If you do not have time to listen to the debate in its entirety, my closing statement summarizes what took place, the strengths of our position, the inadequate attempts by our dialogue partners to address our key points, the weaknesses of their position, and a call to the audience to seek the more logical of the tw...

In this week's episode, we listen to the second round of cross-examination from our recent debate on whether Jesus is Yahweh (to which we argued the negative position). My debate partner Will Barlow asked the questions and I took the role of answering the questions offered by the affirmative side. Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10m...

This week's episode explores the first round of cross-examination questions from our recent debate on whether Jesus is Yahweh. My partner Will took the lead in asking the questions to our two dialogue partners while I took the lead in answering their questions. This is the first of two rounds of cross-examination (round two will be in next week's episode).  Please consider supporting this Podcast...

In this episode, we will listen to the rebuttal round of our recent debate on whether the Bible teaches that Jesus is Yahweh. We argued against the proposition. In addition to hearing both rebuttals (one from each team), I discuss our strategy in organizing our refutation of their opening points. If you listen carefully to their rebuttal, they fail to respond to many of the seven initial points th...

Pastor Will Barlow and I recently participated in a live debate on whether the Bible teaches that Jesus is Yahweh. Will and I argued for the negative, while our dialogue partners--Kyle and Samuel--graciously argued for the affirmative. This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast recalls the two opening statements from the debate. Check out the notes of this episode for the transcript of our ope...

In our final episode exploring the messianic expectations set forth in the Hebrew Bible, we dive deep into Micah chapter 5. This passage talks about a coming ruler to be born in Bethlehem in order to shepherd the children of Israel. We explore the origins of this messianic ruler, the ways in which Yahweh empowers this coming king, and the influence of Micah 5 upon the NT authors as they illustrate...

As we continue to explore the passages in the Old Testament that shaped the expectation of the Jewish messiah, we come to the Book of Daniel. In this work, the prophet interprets a dream by Nebuchadnezzar regarding a rock that crushes a large statue of kingdoms. This episode will look into how this image of a rock came to be understood by interpreters as the messianic son of God, after which we wi...

As we continue to look into the Hebrew Bible for clues about the promised Messiah's description, role, and relationship with the God of Israel, we come across Ezekiel 34 and its prophecy about the Davidic shepherd-king. We explore how Yahweh is the true shepherd and how he empowers his servant David--the Davidic messiah--with the divine prerogatives of the shepherd. Then we turn to the New Testame...

This week we examine the fourth of Isaiah's servant songs, often deemed the Suffering Servant Song (Isaiah 52-53). We look closely at how this figure interacts with kings and his sinful countrymen, as well as his relationship with Yahweh. We then turn to explore at how the authors of the New Testament depict Jesus Christ as the Suffering Servant in his ministry, death, and resurrection. Lastly, we...

This week's episode explores the third Isaianic Servant Song, located in Isaiah 50. This passage describes both the obedient nature of the servant to Yahweh, while also highlighting the ways in which he is rejected and humiliated by his peers. We then turn to the New Testament to note the impact that Isaiah 50 has had on the portrayal of Jesus as humiliated during his crucifixion, as one who is ob...

This week's episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast explores the second Isaianic Servant Song, located within Isaiah 49. This passage speaks of a servant created by Yahweh in the womb who has the destiny of restoring the children of Israel as well as being a light to the ends of the earth. We also take time to consider how the NT authors, especially Luke, the writer of Hebrews, and John the Reve...

In the first of Isaiah's famous Servant Songs, the chosen servant of Yahweh has a spirit-enabled mission to be a covenant to the people and a light to the Gentiles. This episode explores the original meaning of this servant song and the ways it was adapted to illustrate Jesus Christ by the NT authors.  Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.m...

This week's episode explores the ways in which Isaiah 28:16 and its portrayal of the cornerstone in Zion was interpreted in Judaism and early Christianity to refer to the son of God--the royal Messiah.  Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks              To view the notes from this episode please click the link below: https...

This week's episode explores the "Branch" imagery used for the royal Davidic king within the Book of Isaiah. Our first reference illustrates this figure as a descendant of Jesse, David's father. We also look at a similar reference that associates this Branch with Yahweh, and in doing so, we examine the possible ways that this reference came to possess the characteristics of a bright shining star....

This week's episode looks at the prophet Isaiah and his oracle concerning Immanuel. We explore the meaning of Immanuel in Isaiah's context and in Matthew's context. After considering the messianic relevance of Isaiah 7:14, we examine the meaning of "with us is God" in light of Matthew's Wisdom Christology. Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.payp...

This week's episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast asks if the erotic Song of Solomon had any influence on Jesus' self-understanding and on the NT portrayal of the Jewish Messiah. Our study looks for traces of influence of the Song of Solomon upon Jesus' role as the bridegroom and his interaction with two women in the Gospel of John. Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects b...

This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast explores how the Jewish sages portrayed personified wisdom alongside personified folly in Proverbs chapter 9. We then turn to note the many ways that this illustration of God's wisdom impacted the historical Jesus and the early Church in their messianic understandings, namely by seeing Jesus as the embodiment of Lady Wisdom. Please consider supporting...

Proverbs chapter eight contains the most heightened picture of personified wisdom within the Hebrew Bible. This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast examines this chapter, discusses the portrayal of Lady Wisdom, and explores how the New Testament authors understood Jesus Christ as embodying many of personified wisdom's characteristics.  Please consider supporting this Podcast and future proje...

Proverbs chapter three had a massive impact on Jesus himself and on the NT writers who portrayed him as the locus of God's wisdom. This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast explores the portrayal of personified wisdom in Proverbs chapter three and notes many of her traits and qualities. Next, we turn to the New Testament to see six discernable ways in which Jesus functions as the embodiment o...

Little do most readers of the Bible know, the Book of Proverbs significantly shaped the way that the New Testament writers characterized Jesus Christ. This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast explores the first chapter of Proverbs and its depiction of the wisdom of God as a personified female figure. After examining wisdom in Proverbs 1, we offer some suggestions on ways in which the chapter...

Psalm 132 longs for a time when the Davidic kingship will be restored by God. This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast looks at the contents of this oft-neglected psalm in order to better understand the implications behind the strong New Testament commitment to portraying Jesus as the Son of David. We will, furthermore, consider how this messianic title further defines the humanity of Jesus...