Reasonable Theology Podcast

Is it true that the story of Jesus is just a retelling of pagan myths that also featured gods who were born of a virgin, died, and rose again? It is often alleged that a number of ancient gods have biographies shockingly similar to that of Jesus of Nazareth. Names that are commonly included in this group of doppelganger deities include Mithras, Dionysus, and Osiris, among others. This allegation i...

The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most famous of all of Jesus’ teachings, and the beatitudes in particular have come to be some of the best-known and best-loved verses in the whole of the New Testament. Christians have much to gain from a deep study of these passages, and our guest today is going to give us some insight into how our study of these verses (and all the New Testament) can benefi...

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was a sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards in 1741 during the First Great Awakening. Edwards is perhaps the greatest theological mind America has ever produced, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is one of the most famous sermons of all time. Its vivid imagery depicting the precarious position our lives are in — and the judgment that awaits us...

Thanks to the internet, false teachers are able to gain a wider influence than ever before. They don't even have to enter your church to negatively impact your congregation - they can spread their errant theology on YouTube, Twitter, TikTok and elsewhere. Given the proliferation of false teachers and the ease at which people can encounter their teaching, it is vital that we know how to recogn...

C.H. Spurgeon , the Prince of Preachers, passed away on January 31, 1892. The impact of his ministry, however, continues to this very day.  In picturing the day of his own funeral 20 years earlier, Spurgeon said to his congregation: …when you see my coffin carried to the silent grave, I should like every one of you, whether converted or not, to be constrained to say, “He did earnestly urge us, in...

Let's talk about four critical areas of evidence for the reliability of the Bible. We'll explore the wealth of evidence supporting the trustworthiness of Scripture, from thousands of biblical manuscripts and archaeological findings to the faithful preservation of original writings and the timely composition of the New Testament. 1 | Manuscript Evidence: Discover how the 6,000 New Testame...

Benjamin Keach was a pivotal figure in 17th-century Baptist history. Known for his influential writings and his role in introducing hymn singing in Baptist congregations, Keach's contributions have left an indelible mark on religious thought and practice. His journey from a persecuted dissenter to a respected preacher and author paints a vivid picture of the religious and political turbulence...

Jonathan Edwards is regarded by many as the greatest mind America has ever produced and he is held up as an excellent example of a pastor-theologian. Even so, many people’s familiarity with Edwards does not extend beyond his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” In this conversation with Dr. Jeremy Kimble we discuss the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards as well as what Christia...

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a Baptist preacher in London who lived from 1834 to 1892. By the end of end of the 19th century, more than 100 million copies of Spurgeon’s sermons had been sold in 23 languages.  This figure has long since been surpassed many times over, and Spurgeon's sermons continue to minister to people today.  The 6-volume collection of Spurgeon’s sermons – known as the New P...

Jonathan Edwards is regarded as many as the greatest mind America has ever produced, and he is held up as an excellent example of a pastor-theologian. Even so, many people's familiarity with Edwards does not extend beyond his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." On this episode, we speak with Dr. Jeremy Kimble about the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards and disc...

If our calendar is broken up into B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (anno Domini, the year of our Lord) doesn’t that mean Jesus was born in year one (since we don’t count year zero)? Actually, the issue is a bit more complex than that. Although the Gospel writers did not focus primarily on preserving a precise chronological history of Jesus’ life and ministry, we can still approximate some key dates b...

Hark the Herald Angels Sing is one of the best-known and best-loved Christmas songs and has been for well over 260 years. But you might not recognize the original lyrics. It began with: Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings What on earth is a welkin? And how did this hymn change over time? Here’s the story behind the original hymn, the change in its lyrics, and how it came to b...

You may have come across the terms “deconstruction” or “exvangelical” in recent years, or have perhaps seen high-profile Christian leaders walk away from the faith. But what is deconstruction, and why does it seem to be a growing problem? On this episode of the podcast I’m talking with Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett, who have just written a new book together called The Deconstruction of Christiani...

What are the Five Points of Calvinism and what do these doctrines teach us about salvation? Known as both the Doctrines of Grace and the Five Points of Calvinism, these doctrines are named for the distinct theological stances taken by the reformer John Calvin (who didn’t use this term himself). You have likely come across the acrostic T.U.L.I.P. as a memory aid for these doctrinal positions. In th...

Apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason   provides an overview of the "Columbo Tactic" and how it can help you stay in the driver's seat in challenging conversations. The "Columbo" tactic, named after the TV detective, is a strategic approach for introducing spiritual topics into conversations through simple, leading questions. It involves asking open-ended, inquisitive qu...

How would you respond if someone presented a challenge to the truth claims of Christianity? Would you be nervous? Feel ill-equipped? What if you could eliminate your anxiety, take control of intimidating conversations, and help others think more clearly about their views and the truth of Scripture?  The key to all of this? Asking good questions.  That’s what Greg Koukl’s latest book, Street Smarts...

The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle that Jesus performed that is recorded in all four Gospels. This alone shows us just how important this event is in the ministry of Christ. In this sermon we examine Matthew 14:13-21 alongside the parallel accounts in Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6 to gain a fuller understanding of what this miracle revealed about Christ to those who witnessed these things a...

Martin Luther was a man whose heart was held captive to the Word of God. He was used mightily by God to usher in the Protestant Reformation, which would serve to recover the core truths of the Gospel that had been obscured by medieval religion and superstition. On this episode we will examine the life of the man who sparked the Protestant Reformation. Learn more at ReasonableTheology.org/Luther So...

Christians have more access to Scripture than ever before. At the same time, study after study reveals that our time actually reading the Bible is declining. If we’re honest, most of us have experienced difficulty with getting into the Word and really engaging with the text. Why is this the case, and how can we overcome our tendency to leave our Bibles unread? On this episode of the podcast I spea...

Introducing the 5-Foot Bookshelf, my list of 57 must-have books every Christian should own, all fitting neatly into a 5-foot shelf! This whole idea was sparked by Charles W. Elliot, a past president of Harvard University, who believed you could get a solid education with just a 3-foot bookshelf. Eventually, he expanded it to 5 feet and filled it with a wide range of books now known as the "Ha...

William Tyndale was a Reformer, a Bible translator, and – ultimately – a martyr. He became an outlaw as he worked in secret to give England a translation of Scripture in their own language directly from original Hebrew and Greek texts. In doing so, he had a tremendous impact not only on the history of the church but also on the history of the English language. Every modern translation of the Bible...

The three main philosophies which characterized Judaism in the New Testament period and before were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. So what’s the difference between these three groups? In this short episode you'll get an overview of each in order to help you as you encounter them in your study of the New Testament and its historical context. Support the show GET THE NEWSLETTER Each edi...

The Holy Spirit has been referred to as the “forgotten member of the Trinity.” At one extreme there are those who all but ignore the person and work of the Spirit and at the other extreme there are those who stray from Scripture in seeking to harness the power of the Spirit for their own purposes. We don’t want to commit either of these errors, but instead we desire to have a right understanding o...

Can the techniques used to solve homicides be the same tools to establish the case for Christianity? J. Warner Wallace was a seasoned homicide detective and a devout atheist. But everything changed when he turned his investigator’s eye towards the claims of Christianity, applying ten common rules of evidence that he’d used to solve crimes throughout his career. The result? A transformation from sk...

When was the book of Acts written, and what difference does it make? Understanding when the book of Acts was written allows us to determine when many other New Testament books were composed. Unfortunately, Biblical writings do not contain a copyright date, like a modern book do and so there is a wide range of opinion on when Acts was written. Even so, we can be confident that it was composed in th...