Restitutio Classes

This is part 8 of the One God Over All class. Does the bible call Jesus God? If so, how many times? This seems like such a straightforward question, but it’s pretty hard to answer. We’ll examine three types of texts in which Jesus might be called God, including those with manuscript issues, translation issues, Read more about 418 One God 8: Jesus Called God? […]

This is part 7 of the One God Over All class. In the bible we encounter a strange phenomenon. Sometimes beings other than Yahweh are called Gods. How can we square that with monotheism–the idea that the Father is the only true God? Although most Christians are aware that the bible calls Jesus God a Read more about 417 One God 7: Jesus, God’s Agent […]

This is part 6 of the One God Over All class. The bible routinely recognizes the subordination of the Son to his Father. Throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus repeatedly and unapologetically taught, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14.28). Further, after his exaltation, Jesus remains dependent on the Father as his superior (1 Read more about 416 One God 6: Jesus, God’s Subo...

This is part 5 of the One God Over All class. Last time we looked at what Jesus taught about God. Although this class is called “One God Over All,” it’s also important for us to talk about Jesus. If the Father alone is the one God over all, then what does that mean about Read more about 415 One God 5: Jesus, God’s Messiah […]

This is part 4 of the One God Over All class. Today we enter the New Testament and ask the question, “What did Jesus believe about God?” After all, whatever Jesus said on the matter is primary for us as Christ-followers, right? As it turns out, Jesus not only believed the Shema, but strongly endorsed Read more about 414 One God 4: Yahweh, the God of Jesus […]

This is part 3 of the One God Over All class. Yahweh is particularly sensitive about fidelity.  He wants his people to be solely devoted to him; he’s not content to share them with other gods. Century after century, when Israel strayed from him, Yahweh sent prophets to confront his people.  Eventually, he could not Read more about 413 One God 3: Yahweh Versus the Idols […]

This is part 2 of the One God Over All class. This class is all about who God is. That Yahweh is our God and that Yahweh is one are truths we must take to heart if we want to think biblically about God. Today we’ll continue our march through the Hebrew Bible, stopping to Read more about 412 One God 2: Yahweh Our God, Yahweh Is One […]

Today we are starting a brand new class called “One God Over All!”  My plan is to work through scripture to build a biblical theology of the one true God and his Son, Jesus the Messiah. This class will cover both texts supporting God’s exclusive oneness as well as misunderstood verses that seem to teach Read more about 411 One God 1: Yahweh, the Supreme Creator […]

This is the last episode of our class, Why Christianity.  We’ve covered so many different reasons why Christianity is attractive, makes sense, and is worthy of our attention.  We’ve looked at scientific, logical, epistemological, social, psychological, and historical reasons for God’s existence, Christ’s resurrection, and the gospel’s effectiveness.  Today, we conside...

Although many throughout the Western world are quick to criticize Christianity, Jesus remains well-liked.  In fact, one of the most obvious answers to the question, “Why Christianity?” is “Jesus.”  To this day, reading the Gospels  draws the reader to Jesus’ magnetic and compelling way of life.  What’s more, the less satisfied we are with our Read more about 402...

Community is so important.  As so many continue to struggle with the ache of loneliness, anxiety about social encounters, and the gnawing pain of depression, we who belong to Christian communities have a huge opportunity and obligation to invite outsiders in, provide them a taste of God’s goodness, and welcome them with a spirit of Read more about 401 Why Christianity 14: Hypocrisy and Commu...

What is the proper role of your emotions?  Should you trust them?  How do you know when they are helping and when they are hurting?  Today we’ll take a look at another exciting advantage that Christianity provides.  In this episode, you’ll learn about the problems endemic to emotional reasoning, the robust biblical teaching about your Read more about 400 Why Christianity 13: The Heart...

One of the most enduring problems we have faced throughout human history is tribalism.  From the Nazis to the Rwandan genocide, we’ve repeatedly seen the devastating results of group think and dehumanizing outsiders.  Although some Christian groups have tragically fallen into this sin, we don’t have to.  Christianity provides a better way.  We can draw Read more about 399 Why Christian...

Who are you and why does your life matter?  These two piercing questions get to the heart of your identity.  Our society in the West has increasingly embraced an internally discovered identity on the basis of individual passions.  Such expressive individualism is exciting to live out, especially if those around you push back, however, the Read more about 398 Why Christianity 11: Christian Identity...

Let’s face it, suffering is a major problem for those of us who believe in a good and powerful God.  How do you answer skeptics who challenge your belief in God because of the gratuitous suffering endemic in human history?  In this episode we’ll explore some answers to this question offered by several worldviews before Read more about 397 Why Christianity 10: Suffering and Evil (Jerry...

Freedom and morality are two interrelated concepts that everyone has an opinion about. From a Christian perspective, we limit our freedom based on our received moral code. We believe that the restrictions the bible provides us are for our good; They are not the result of a capricious deity’s arbitrary or stifling whims. In fact, Read more about 396 Why Christianity 9: Christian Freedom and M...

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 8 of the Why Christianity class. Last time we delved into the first two components of scripture’s overarching story line: creation and fall.  These two explain where the world came from and what went wrong with it.  Today we’ll consider the last two Read more about 395 Why Christianity 8: Metanarrative 2 (Jerry Wierwille)...

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 7 of the Why Christianity class. So far in this class we have stuck to classic apologetics topics like reasons for God’s existence, the historicity of the resurrection, and the rationality of Christian epistemology.  Now we are going to shift gears and do Read more about 394 Why Christianity 7: Metanarrative 1 (Daniel Fitzsimmo...

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 6 of the Why Christianity class. The Bible is such a strange thing. On the one hand, it looks like a big book, on the other hand, it’s a library of books. It’s loaded with very different kinds of literature from poetry and Read more about 393 Why Christianity 6: The Origin and Authority of the Bible (Jerry Wierwille) [&#8...

  Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 5 of the Why Christianity class. How would you go about convincing someone that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened?  Now, what if that person didn’t recognize the scriptures as inspired by God.  How would you go about making a case for Read more about 392 Why Christianity 5: The Resurrection of Jesus Happened (S...

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 4 of the Why Christianity class. Is Christianity irrational?  Is believing in God intellectually vacuous?  Jerry Wierwille will address the criticism of skeptics that Christian belief is arrogant, unjustified, and irrational.  Next, he’ll describe the popular secular belief in scientism before exposing its Read more about 391 W...

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 3 of the Why Christianity class. How do you know God is real?  What sorts of evidence would you marshal to make a case for God’s existence?  It won’t do to tell skeptics you believe in God because you’ve always believed in him, Read more about 390 Why Christianity 3: God Is Real (Sean Finnegan) […]

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts This is part 1 of the Why Christianity class. In a culture where biblical Christianity is falling more and more out of fashion, it’s increasingly important to have confidence in your faith. Today we are beginning a class called Why Christianity, in which we will lay Read more about 388 Why Christianity 1: Introduction (Jerry Wierwille) [&#8...

This is now our last episode in this 24 part class on How We Got the Bible.  Today after a quick review and an appeal to learn the biblical languages, I’ll recommend a number of Bible translations.  Although I’m hesitant to do this, so many have written in asking for it that I would be Read more about 353 Bible 24 – Recommended Bible Translations (Which Bible Is Best?) […]

This is our fifth and final example of bias in translation. After this episode, we’ll have one more to conclude our class on How We Got the Bible.  Today our focus is God’s spirit.  Should it have an uppercase ‘S’ or a lowercase ‘s?’  Should pronouns referring back to spirit be masculine (like “he”) or Read more about 352 Bible 23 – Spirit Who...