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John and Ron conclude their series on throne room scenes throughout scripture. In this episode, they address the baffling book of Revelation, chapters 4-5. The author of Revelation sees himself in direct line with the prophets of the Old Testament, and the throne room scene of Revelation bears remarkable similarities to experiences that the prophets reported. Image: Part 3; [48]. Chorus:...

In this second episode of the series, John and Ron explore how the ancient Hebrews understood the heavenly court. They also examine encounters with the presence of God by Moses, Ezekiel,  and Daniel.  The post Before the Throne, Part 2 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron introduce their new series, Before the Throne . It starts with the awe-inspiring and terror-inducing pyrotechnics of Isaiah 6! Join them as they look into the prophet Isaiah’s encounter with the presence of God. The post Before the Throne, Part 1 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron conclude their series on the pivotal character of Samuel. In this episode, Saul falls and David rises, but Samuel’s story ends with a strange scene: a medium conjures his spirit for Saul at Endor. The post The Strange Ending to Samuel’s Story appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

The nation of Israel demanded a king, and it fell to Israel’s prophet-judge and acting priest Samuel to fulfill their demand. In this episode John and Ron address the quandary Samuel faced and the way this pivotal character led the nation through a fundamental leadership change. The post Samuel the Kingmaker appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron move deeper into the story of Samuel. Now it becomes the story of two families, Samuel and his parents on one side, Eli and his sons on the other. In one of the most moving scenes of the entire cycle, the boy prophet Samuel hears directly from God and reluctantly confronts the high priest Eli with the stern rebuke God had delivered. The post Samuel: Prophet and Leader appeared first o...

Samuel’s story in the Old Testament begins with a birth narrative that highlights his importance in God’s redemptive work. In fact, he is a key figure in Israel’s transition to the monarchy that begins with Saul and David. His early story bears similarities to other stories from Israel’s history. It is a model that even gets repeated in the gospels. In this episode, Ron and...

In this episode John and Ron conclude their series on grace and free will. Can modern Christians maintain original sin but stop short of predestination? Who has done this in the past, and how did they do it? How do modern Christian philosophers approach this problem? Join them as they conclude this search for a “middle way” between Pelagius and Augustine. The post Grace and Free W...

We as humans are completely dependent on God’s grace to restore the relationship God always intended for us. At the same time, though, it’s clear humanity is called to make a decision to side with God and participate in the restored relationship. The tension between God’s grace and our own free will flamed into an explosive debate between Augustine and Pelagius in the fifth centu...

This is the second episode where Ron and John explore the interplay between grace—what God does for us—and free will—what we decide for ourselves. In this episode, they delve into numerous excerpts from scripture that inform this topic, but it includes passages that also raise as many questions as they answer. As always, though, they look to all of scripture, the Old and New Testaments alike, and...

Ron and John begin discussing a longstanding tension in Christian theology in this first episode of the series, “Grace and Free Will.” They set the stage to examine the theological question of human choice. How do free will and what many call “predestination” interact? What are the extremes in this discussion, and are these ideas meant to be pitted against each other? The p...

This episode is the second of two in which Ron and John each choose a favorite from the archives to share. This time it’s John’s choice. We hope you enjoy this as we prepare to begin our newest series in the next episode. Here’s what John has to say about his selection: “My favorite episodes are those that blend our expertises especially well to bring a fully biblical witne...

This episode is the first of two in which Ron and John each choose a favorite from the archives to share. Ron goes first, and next time it’s John’s choice. We hope you enjoy this as we take time to prepare our next series and get ready to lean into the summer. Here’s what Ron has to say about his selection: “One of my favorite episodes was our treatment of the Doctrine of G...

After feeding more than 5,000 people, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat while he stayed behind. But when they ran into trouble, Jesus walked out to them on the water. Mark tells us that Jesus went to “pass by” them, but that probably means much more than most of us realize. John and Ron look at this and other surprises in the dramatic and well-known story from Mark 6. The...

Ron and John conclude their short series on the temptation of Jesus. They examine closely the exchange between the devil and Jesus because it is packed with allusions, parallels, and direct references to the history of the ancient nation of Israel. The post Temptation of Jesus, part 2 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

There are fascinating connections between the Old Testament and the New in the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In this episode, Ron and John look closely at this scene in the gospels. They look for what’s going on with each of the offers that the devil makes, the background to Jesus’ responses from scripture, and how that informs our reading. The post Temptation of Jes...

This is the final episode in the series that covers the first three chapters of Genesis. Guided by a close reading in the original context, John and Ron look back and ask: What is essential from this story? The post Genesis 1-3: Conclusion appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

The story of the fall in Genesis 3 may be one of the most widely recognized sections of scripture. John and Ron push past millennia of interpretation, reinterpretation—and outright misinterpretation!—to consider just what original readers of Genesis might have perceived in the story. The post Genesis 1-3: The Fall appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this third episode on Genesis, John and Ron move into the creation story told in chapter 2. If chapter 1, is the “God’s-eye view,” chapter 2 might be called the “view from the ground.” The post Genesis 1-3: View from the Ground appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this second episode of their series on Genesis 1-3, John and Ron begin looking directly at the text . . . in the beginning. They start with Genesis 1 and the first of the creation stories in these three chapters. The post Genesis 1-3: In the Beginning appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

John and Ron open their fourth season of Orthodocs.faith with a new series on the first three chapters of Genesis. The stories told there are crucial to the way Christians describe God’s work in the world—just not always the way we expect! John and Ron open with an orientation to these foundational three chapters, and they discuss how important it is to read them in context. The po...

John and Ron conclude their third season of Orthodocs.faith with a Christmas episode on joy. This is a key theme in the Bible for Christians, and it is one that can be easily misunderstood in today’s culture. What is joy in scripture? How does it work? And why do we associate it so closely with Christmas? The post Joy appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

In this episode John and Ron have a returning guest, Dr. Craig Gilbert of Purposed Heart Ministries. They discuss his new book,  Launching a New Worship Community: A Practical Guide for the 2020s , and get his perspective on some important topics in Christian worship today. You can find resources, podcast episodes, teaching, sermons, and contact information for Dr. Gilbert at purposedheartministri...

John and Ron conclude their Introduction to Christian Theology series by asking, What can we reasonably say about God’s final purposes for creation given what we read in scripture? Wild theories abound. What real biblical expectations do we have, and what do they mean for us today as we live toward what God will finally do? The post Doctrine of Last Things appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .

Ron and John now consider the doctrine of the church as they near the end of their series on a basic introduction to Christian theology. What is the church? What role does it play? The conversation takes a noticeably practical turn as John and Ron ask how someone can know the Holy Spirit is at work in a specific congregation. The post Doctrine of the Church appeared first on Orthodocs.faith .