After Class Podcast

The guys continue the discussion on the sacrificial system as they drive towards answering the question - why did God have Jesus die on the cross - is Jesus's death just an extension of God's violent nature that needed to be poured out?  In this episode they explore the seven purposes for animal sacrifice as commanded in Torah; you might be surprised by what is NOT mentioned.

This week the guys start a series on the topic of sacrifice. Is the entire sacrificial system evidence that God's wrath requires blood, death, and violence? They begin to form an answer to this issue by exploring the sacrificial customs of the Ancient Near East.

You've probably heard or seen something about the recent "defund the police" movement. This week the guys offer a biblical perspective on the Church's response to the cultural/political upheaval we are all experiencing. How should Christians respond to the powers and principalities at play in the world around us?  What does a kingdom-centered posture look like?

In this episode they guys reflect on the charged racial climate stemming from the deaths of multiple people of color, most notably George Floyd. Not wanting to be a bunch of white guys lecturing anyone about what should be done, they reflect on the ideals of the Kingdom that should be lived out in the church. 

The guys give an update on what they've been up to over the past several weeks of quarantine.  They land on a discussion of how the Church is handling the Covid-19 situation and how important it is to choose the path of unity no matter what.  The Church has the opportunity to show the world something really rare: true unity.  Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8-10

This week the guys move on to engage another listener-posed issue: the hurdle of the conquest is still too high, surely God could have done more to mitigate the loss of life and the displacement of the Canaanites.  These are important questions for all Christians to ask - it is right to wrestle with the constancy of God's character as revealed in Scripture.  But it's crucial to understand - the ra...

The guys engage tough listener questions about Old Testament violence, like "Aren't you just sugarcoating genocide?" They also explore how modern political and geo-political biases tend to influence our interpretation of tough biblical passages. Is there a right or left leaning way of reading Joshua? Do we sometimes project our understanding of the modern day Israeli-Palestinian conflict back onto...

If you've ever wondered why the "conquest" had to happen this is the episode for you.  Many, like Rhett and Link, have struggled to reconcile their understanding of the God of the (seemingly violent) conquest of Canaan with the God who embodied love in the person of Jesus.  The guys explain - the love embodied in Jesus only makes sense with the land of Canaan in the background.  

In a follow-up episode to last week's conquest discussion, the guys focus in on the issue of war and violence.  What should we do with passages that seem to portray God as violent, vengeful, or wrathful?  Are there aspects of God's character (Justice/Holiness vs. Love/Mercy) that are unable to be reconciled?

In their continued response to Rhett and Link's faith challenges the guys begin a discussion on the biblical conquest of Canaan by Joshua.  Archaeological records don't seem to line up with the traditional understanding of a conquest.  But is "conquest" an appropriate term for what happened when Israel entered Canaan?  Maybe not, according to the biblical witness.

The series continues!  The guys offer some more answers to the issues raised in Rhett and Link's "anti"-testimonies.  This week's episode deals with the numbers in the Exodus census account.  Did Moses bring 2 or 3 million people out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan?  Does it matter if the numbers aren't 100% accurate by today's standards?  

This week the After Class guys continue their interaction with material from Rhett and Link's "anti"-testimonies. Here they address the question of whether modern archaeology supports and upholds material in the Old Testament. Are our assumptions about the Bible and archaeology potentially leading us to a shaky place? And how do they affect our interpretation and understanding of the Exodus event....

The guys wrap up the walk-through of the history of biblical interpretation in this episode.  It is beneficial to understand where the church has been throughout the centuries in relation to doctrine and what was considered "orthodox".  This is an important step in understanding why some Christians face a crisis of faith when their "foundations" are shaken.  

This week the guys continue to engage the "anti"-testimonies of Rhett and Link and the issues that led them away from faith.  This episode is unique as they spend little time walking through Scripture and instead embark on a walk through the history of biblical interpretation.  How did we get to the traditional, literal interpretations of Scripture that are considered orthodox today?

This week's episode continues the interaction with Rhett and Link's publicly shared "anti"-testimonies.  Here the guys discuss the importance of Adam and how his story functions in God's big picture redemption story.  Is he central to the redemption story or not?  

At the moment, it seems that the only thing people can talk about is the Coronavirus. While many educational institutions and businesses have shut down for the moment, what should churches do? More importantly, what does it look like for Christians to be witnesses in the midst of a pandemic?

This week finds the guys interacting with the shared testimonies of YouTube comedians and fellow podcast hosts Rhett & Link.  In their podcast, Ear Biscuits, Rhett & Link discuss the challenging questions that ultimately pushed them away from the Bible and away from their faith.  Listen in as the After Class guys respectfully offer some answers to the challenge of how to understand creation accoun...

What is mortal sin, or sin unto death? Is there a sin you can't come back from? Listen in as the guys finish this 2-part discussion. 1 John 5:14-17 Hebrews 6:4-8

Is there a sin that God will not forgive? If not, what is the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit"? The guys discuss these questions in part 1 of 2. Matthew 12:31 Mark 3:28-30 Luke 12:10

Like discipleship, fellowship, and family, the inauguration of God's Kingdom changes how we view friendship. The guys explore the Greco-Roman view of friendship to better understand the biblical understanding of how these relationships are transformed in the Kingdom. 

This second episode on the family continues to explore priorities in light of the Kingdom of God. 

Most American Christians will order their priorities as God, Family, Church. But does the Kingdom of God affect our family relationships by causing a change of priorities? We discuss all that and more in our latest episode. 

Not satisfied with how they left it, the guys return to the topic of biblical fellowship (koinonia) and set forth some practical ways that churches can engage in such a lifestyle of "doing life together."

This episode discusses fellowship and not just the church meals. Listen now to dig into the history of the early church and hear about what fellowship really means. Through anecdotes and Lord of the Rings references, this episode will teach you how to incorporate fellowship into your life on a deeper level. Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35

The guys discuss discipleship in God's Kingdom by pointing out misconceptions and laying out a way forward.