Biblical Phronesis Podcast

Galatians 3:28 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. - KJV By design and make, the assembly of the saints – the Church – belong to no man or race. The Church of Jesus Christ is Catholic – it is universal. The greatest experience of a Church Service is the presence of the bridegroom – our Lord Jesus C...

I Corinthians 1:2 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's. - KJV The unending failures of carnal Christians in the visible Church do not invalidate the second Nicene Creed: The Church is Holy. This creed is grounded on th...

Hebrews 10:25 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - KJV The above verse supports and encourages the coming together of Christians through the visible Church that all the world can see. However, the visible Church houses the invisible Church. While the world sees the good, th...

1 Timothy 1:4 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. - KJV A drift in doctrine is evident in the modern-day Church. The drift, inter-alia, sow and grow divisions in the Church. It does this through the agency of false doctrine propagated by either a man or woman, leading many away from the truth to impla...

2 Timothy 3:16 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. - KJV In contrast to the Apostolic age, doctrinal drift is common today. Apostle Paul’s letter in 1 Timothy 1:3-4 cautioned against strange doctrines. Doctrine must be based on the scripture, not the wisdom of man or the culture of a group....

John 17:17    17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. - KJV The Church today suffers from truth deficiency, which limits the move of the ‘Spirit and Word’ in the fellowship and accounts for the vulgar characters within its fold. Tasteless and unrefined characters endanger a sense of family, fulfilment, faithfulness, fruitfulness, and unity in the Church. The essence of the prayer of...

2 Corinthians 10:1    1 Now I, Paul myself, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you. - KJV The Church (the assembly of the saints) is at war instead of being “one” due to a chronic lack of meekness and gentleness in the fold. We can hardly hear reports of a leader willing to suffer ‘wrong’ for the sake of the unit...

John 17:11    11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. - KJV When Jesus prayed to God in the above verse, He prayed for unity. Major news headlines may appear contrary because followers and leaders alike strive with each other daily. The person and w...

Nehemiah 6 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”. - NLT The key verse of S5E12 (Neh. 6:3) shows that leaders must never take their eyes off the ball. Leaders must show a clear understanding of the mind of God concerning their assignments. In this season, Nehemiah shows us that there are...

Nehemiah 13 11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties. - NLT The passage of S5E11 (Neh. 13:11-14) shows that leaders must be mindful to leave a godly legacy that endures. Leaders must empower others to lead for the work to go on after a season. All leaders must...

Nehemiah 6 15 So on October 2[d] the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. - NLT The passage of S5E10 (Neh. 6:15-16) shows that leaders who commit to the work of God will finish well and strong. As indicated in the...

Nehemiah 2 17 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” - NLT The passage of S5E9 (Neh. 2:11-20) shows that leaders who navigate do more than share a vision that is communicated effectively. Like Nehemiah, the navigation abilities of leaders wil...

Nehemiah 4 20 When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!” - NLT The passage of S5E8 (Neh. 4:20-23) shows that leaders must have God fighting their battles to have a real chance of success. God defends his chosen leaders against ridicule, anger, and discouragement, as He did for Nehemiah. Leaders following a godly mandate must use prayer...

Nehemiah 3 1 Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. 2 People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.. - NLT The passage of S5E7 (Neh. 3:1-32) shows that leaders...

Nehemiah 5 19 Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it. - NLT The passage of S5E6 (Neh. 5:14-19) shows that leaders must be credible to be seen to have done everything right before God and man. Like Nehemiah, those who lead best, lead by what they do and say. When we see a mismatch between what a leader says and what the leader does, credibility is sacrificed....

Nehemiah 6 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”. - NLT The passage of S5E5 (Neh. 6:1-4) shows that leaders must be focused on overcoming ‘plots’ against them. Despite the relentless efforts to distract him, Nehemiah remained focused and resolute in verse 3 quoted above. Leaders face con...

Nehemiah 5  7 After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem. - NLT The passage of S5E4 (Neh. 5:1-7) shows that leaders must be hands-on in tackling issues that would make others suffer. Nehemiah acted in verse 7 quoted abov...

Nehemiah 4 13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. - NLT The passage of S5E3 (Neh. 4:9-15) shows that steadfastness is vital to defeating problems. Nehemiah never gave in to ridicule, resistance, and rumour. Instead, he relied on God, respected the opposition, reinf...

Nehemiah 2:5 "I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”. - NLT. While a mere cupbearer with little or no position power, Nehemiah made a request to the King of Persia in the above verse. He could dare to make the request because he had a great influence on the King and the people. Episo...

Nehemiah 2 18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. - NLT God is in the business of working through His people to accomplish impossible tasks. But without the hand of God on us, progress and success will remain a mirage. This introductory episode to BP season 5 shows rebuilders win the heart before asking for followers' ha...

This season four of biblical phronesis showcases three principal church fathers, Paul, Peter, and Polycarp. The early church fathers started out as sinners with features of entitled leaders we see on and off the pulpit today. However, after their individual encounter with the loving grace of God, they ended up as Engaged Leaders who shaped the church. In this season finale, we address:  “What made...

Polycarp was a bishop in words and deeds. Like John and Paul before him, he left letters to reinforce the early church's faith. His letters relay accounts of courage and character. So, in this episode, we focus on:  “What does the epistle of Polycarp say?” Beloved, the epistle of Polycarp, although not included in the Bible, says a lot about the person and character of a church leader. Polyca...

In ancient times, Christian congregations thrived in modern-day Turkey. Just as the roots of Saul of Tarsus can be traced to Turkey, the same can be done for Polycarp, a foremost Apostolic Father. Polycarp, who lived between 69 and 155AD, showed leadership, courage and confidence until death, like Paul before him. He was instructed by John the Beloved, who was close to Jesus. So, in this episode,...

The leadership profile of Paul, who lived between 5 and 67AD, shows someone who served God and humanity with courage and confidence. The 13 epistles (minus Hebrews) attest to his erudition and care for people. So, in this episode, we focus on: “Who was Paul as a brave/courageous Church Leader?” Beloved, the life of Paul shows us that what we know does not give us confidence and courage. Instead, w...

Paul applied the power of knowledge in his ministry to advocate for outsiders. An advocate is an expert in presenting and arguing on behalf of others. In the case of Paul, he stood for the non-Jews in his time to win them for Jesus Christ. In this episode, we address: "Who was Paul, the advocate for outsiders)?" Paul shows that standing up for outsiders requires courage backup by eruditi...