17:17 Podcast

What spirits did Jesus preach to in 1 Peter 3? Was it humans or angels? Did He go to Hell after his death? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through a few verses in 1 Peter 3 that have caused much confusion for theologians over the years. We talk through three primary views on this passage and look at the merits and holes i...

God's punishment is....hemorrhoids?! In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an account in 1 Samuel 5 and 6 involving the Philistines, some rats, and tumors. We look into what caused this form of judgment, why God used these exactly, and what we can take from this account and apply to our lives today! The 17:17 podca...

What does it mean to be baptized for the dead? Is this a practice Christians are supposed to do since Paul mentioned it? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an odd verse in 1 Corinthians 15 that has become the foundation for some problematic doctrines. We look at what it means (and what it doesn't mean) to be bap...

God sends Moses on a mission and immediately threatens to kill him? Why does his wife then call him a "bridegroom of blood?" In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an account in Exodus 4 where Zipporah has to circumcise her son to prevent Moses from being killed by God. This passage brings a lot of questions, a...

One of David's men tries to stop the Ark of the Covenant from falling off a cart and God strikes him dead for it...seems harsh, right? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an account in 1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel about a man named Uzzah who is struck dead for trying to prevent the Ark of the Covenant from falling o...

There was a fight over the location of Moses' body...but why? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through an odd passage in the small book of Jude. Satan and the archangel Michael argue over the corpse of Moses, but there isn't much context around the significance of this or why it's included in Scripture. We l...

Don't boil a goat in its mother's milk...why is this even in the Bible?! Is there any application for us today? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through a few different passages in the Law that forbid the Israelites to boil a goat in the milk of its mother. We look through a few different principles and beliefs a...

Proverbs tells us not to answer a fool according to his folly, yet the next sentence tells us we SHOULD answer a fool according to his folly...so which is it? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through Proverbs 26:4-5 and wrestle with what seems like a contradiction of commands. We dig through what makes a proverb a proverb...

Why would Jesus curse a fig tree that is out of season? Why lash out over something like this? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through Matthew 21 and the cursing of the fig tree. We dive into the context of Passover around this passage and what Jesus' greater point was in why He cursed a fig tree that had leaves, but...

Making fun of a bald man ends up with a massacre by the paws of she-bears...huh? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie continue through their Strange Scriptures series and talk through 2 Kings 2, looking at the young men who were mauled by she-bears for mocking Elisha's bald head. This passage is stated fairly matter-of-factly and seems like a crazy story to just gloss over. We d...

A woman would get her hand chopped off for doing what??? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie start through a new series titled "Strange Scriptures" where we break down some of the most peculiar passages in Scripture and attempt to bring clarity to the meaning. Today, we talk through Deuteronomy 25 and look at the penalty for a woman hitting another man below the belt and t...

Was there a point that abortions were a punishment for sin in the Bible? Were American evangelicals largely pro-choice in the 1950s and 60s? Why didn't Jesus speak directly about abortion? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around a few pro-choice arguments in Scripture and church history surrounding abortion. We look through some controversial...

The Bible says plenty about husbands and wives, but should single women interact the same way with their boyfriends? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around the role of men and women in a romantic relationship that hasn't been brought together in matrimony. Should men expect submission from a woman they are dating? Should women be expected to...

Is it true that a number of people got up out of their graves and talked to others when Jesus resurrected?   In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around the account in Matthew 27 of what feels like a bunch of random resurrections. We look at other historical writings and their accounts of this event, as well as why none of the other gospel writers men...

Some denominations have relied on catechisms heavily throughout their history, but what exactly are they? Are they something modern churches should be using, or something that is better to leave in the past? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question around the nature of catechisms. We look through some of the history of catechisms, specifically some of the...

There are many universal human rights that have been established over the course of history, but which ones does the Bible support? Where is the basis for human rights come from anyways? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question that deals with where human rights come from and the main universal rights that humans have from God's perspective. We dig i...

This is a rewind episode. Derek was out sick this week, so we have a throwback episode for you back from April 11, 2022. Is committing suicide unforgivable? What happens to Christians who commit suicide? If a loved one has taken their own life, do we have any hope that they will be in heaven? On today’s podcast, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a very heavy topic that has had an impact...

The Bible is mixed with historical narrative and with prophecy and poetry, but how can we know the difference? There are so many debates over passages of Scripture, so how can we know which one is right? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question that deals with how to interpret a variety of passages in Scripture and how to know the context of them as well...

We know there are differences in the two religions, but what are the main differences? What are the similarities? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question and look at a comparison of Judaism vs. Christianity and the similarities of the two religions, as well as the important differences. Our hope is that this episode can be helpful to your understanding o...

God couldn't possibly instruct someone to sin, right? How do we make sense of a confusing passage in 2 Samuel that seems to indicate this? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question on a specific passage of Scripture to explain why David was in sin while instructing a census to be taken. We dig through who influenced this (hint: it likely isn't Go...

We've seen all sorts of protests around our country recently, but are any of them biblically justifiable? Are they legal? Are they actually peaceful? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question on whether or not Christians should participate in peaceful protests. We look through the definition of a peaceful (and legal) protest, biblical examples of prot...

Most people have experienced some church hurt, sometimes to the point of losing faith in what the church even is or what it stands for. Some feel isolated and confused because church is supposed to be safe. What should we do when these things happen? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question on how to respond when faith has been lost in the institutional c...

ICE vs Protestors has been all the news rage recently, and everyone out there has some (usually very strong) opinion on it. How should Christians think about ICE and the work they are doing? How should we respond to law enforcement in general? What about when we don't agree with everything they are doing? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through a listener question on w...

A church near us recently had protestors storm in during a worship service and derail everything. How should Christians be responding to actual persecution? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie talk through what the Bible has to say about persecution. We look at how often the Bible tells us to expect it, as well as how to respond in moments of persecution and the results of respondin...

We believe God knows everything, but if He does, why does He do things that grieve Him? Why does he regret decisions He makes if He doesn't make mistakes? In today’s episode, Pastor Derek and Pastor Jackie answer a listener question around God's omniscience (knowing all things) and how that connects to his grief and sorrow over how things play out. There are some Scriptures that may give...