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In this new four-part series called “Audio Tours,” Ron and John visit some important archaeological sites related directly to the Bible. This first episode begins with a brief discussion of archaeology itself, then they take the audience to Galilee for a look around a key location in the life and ministry of Jesus: the city of Capernaum. The post Audio Tours, pt. 1: Capernaum appeared...

John and Ron conclude their series on Old Testament quotes and allusions in the New.  This time they look at the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and Revelation. The post Old in the New, pt. 4: John and Revelation appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

The prophet Jeremiah used the phrase “new covenant” to describe God’s restored relationship with Israel. That phrase was crucial to the way Jesus described what God was doing through him, and the apostles picked it up. It has even come to represent the documents of the New Testament itself. In this third installment of their series “Old in the New,” John and Ron turn...

This is the fourth episode in the Introduction to the Bible series John and Ron first released several years ago. In this episode, they turn their attention to the New Testament. When they first released this episode in Season 2, John and Ron solicited ideas for a series. The series they suggested, the Sermon on the Mount, actually happened!  You can find it on their website. However, suggestions...

No New Testament without the Old … John and Ron have repeated it over and over. In this episode they look at how the apostle Paul quoted the Old Testament in his first letter to the Corinthians. According to them, Paul’s point was intellectual humility, although he had a point to make about hope, too. He reached for the Old Testament multiple times to support his argument. The post Old...

Ron and John conclude the Old Testament portion of their survey through the Bible. We talk about King David, some history of the Israelite kingdoms that followed him, the prophets that spoke to those kingdoms and their neighbors, and the poetry that reflected on life with God. The post Bible Survey, Part 3: Kings, Prophets, and More (Encore) appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron open their new series,  Old in the New , with a study of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost in Acts 2. How did Peter rely on his Bible, the Old Testament, to interpret what they had seen up to that day? The post Old in the New, pt. 1: Peter at Pentecost appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

The story continues as God works through Moses and his successors in Israel to fulfill a promise to redeem humankind. Ron and John survey the books of Exodus through the reign of Saul in 1 Samuel. The post Bible Survey, Part 2: From Moses to King Saul (Encore) appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron conclude their series on Faith and Reason with this episode. In a wide ranging discussion, they cover everything from Galileo’s discoveries to modern biblical criticism. The post Faith and Reason, Pt. 5: Modern Conundrums appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

As we enter the summer of 2024, John and Ron are wrapping up a series on Faith and Reason . They will finish that series in the next release. Through the summer they plan to release a series of episodes called The Old Testament in the New . They will examine places where the New Testament quotes or alludes to the Old.  When they do that, it will help to have the big picture of how the Bible is put...

What does it mean to “bet on God”?! That’s the question as John and Ron read through portions of the classic argument called “Pascal’s Wager.” They introduce Pascal himself, and they tease out what he was trying to say. The post Faith and Reason, Pt. 4: Pascal appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this episode, John and Ron turn their attention to Anselm, a medieval archbishop of Canterbury. They walk through Anselm’s “ontological proof” for the existence of God—and then argue the proof isn’t really what mattered to Anselm! The post Faith and Reason, Pt. 3: Anselm appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

This is the second episode in the Faith and Reason series, and John and Ron consider an ancient figure named Irenaeus. Irenaeus argued that Christian faith is far more reasonable than alternatives being offered by the Gnostics. Did you ever wonder when Christians started calling the New Testament “scripture”? What was the Gnostics’ big secret? These and other questions...

In this second of three episodes on 1 Corinthians 15, Ron and John continue the discussion of resurrection and why the hope of the Christian faith rests so heavily on it. How does the logic work? What should our response be? And what is the "big-picture" point of it all? We look at First Corinthians 15:12-34 for some answers.

In this new series, Ron and John argue that Christian faith is reasonable. Christians have reasons for what they believe, and those reasons are defensible. Perhaps most surprising, they insist there is no virtue in a “blind leap of faith”! The post Faith and Reason: Where We Start appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this episode, John and Ron conclude their series on Ruth. The story is ultimately a story of redemption, a story where God provides hope where there was none before. The post The Story of Ruth, part 4: Redeemed appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In episode 3 of their series on Ruth, John and Ron discuss the famous—some would say infamous!—threshing floor scene. As always, though, the focus is on the original context. Naomi and Ruth still have pressing needs. How will God provide? Image: Stan Zurek , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons The post The Story of Ruth, part 3: Securing the Future appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

Ron and John continue into chapter 2 of the Book of Ruth as the picture begins to change dramatically for the two main characters, Naomi and Ruth. God’s providential guidance emerges along with hope in God’s redemptive work. The post The Story of Ruth, part 2: Survival appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

Season five opens with a new series on the book of Ruth. Ruth is a masterful example of Hebrew narrative and a favorite story of many. In this episode, John and Ron discuss the background of the book and work their way through chapter 1 and the setup to the story. The post The Story of Ruth, part 1 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron conclude their survey of the Gospel of John in this episode. They look closely at the remarkable opening chapter of the book. The post Gospel of John, pt 5: Conclusion appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this episode, John and Ron work their way through John 9, where Jesus heals a man born blind. This fascinating mini-drama yields crucial clues to the context in which the Gospel was likely written. The post Gospel of John, pt 4: Out of Division appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron revisit an episode from a previous season where they address John 2, the story of Jesus turning water into wine. Why is that story so important? Why does the Gospel of John place it first among the miracles Jesus performs? The post Gospel of John, pt 3: Water into Wine appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this second episode on the Gospel of John, Ron and John survey the “march to the cross,” and they examine John’s unique emphases in the story of the crucifixion. The post Gospel of John, pt 2: The Passion appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron introduce a new series on the Gospel of John. In this first episode they examine how John tells the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. They compare it to the way Mark tells the same story, and they uncover several of the features that make the Gospel of John so distinct. The post Gospel of John, pt 1: Feeding the 5,000, John’s Way appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

This week John and Ron are re-releasing an earlier episode. From season 2, it is the first episode of their four-part series on  The Problem of Evil : why is there evil in a world created by a good God? Here, they lay the groundwork for a conversation that deals with the problem of accounting for evil things that happen in the world around us given what we say we believe about God. The post The Pr...