Rethinking Scripture

Episode 74 -  Easter and the Cultic Calendar April 7, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall It's an Easter special! In this episode we consider the Jewish cultic calendar, which includes the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. These divinely instituted assemblies are closely connected to the Christian celebration of Easter. We also introduce and examine a literary connection (regarding...

Episode 73 -  Ancient Cosmology & Divine Rest  April 1, 2022 (no fooling!) - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode we take a little trip. We’ll be visiting the world of the Ancient Near East (ANE). Why is this important? Because the Bible was written into that ancient culture. We’ll be looking at how people who lived in the Ancient Near East understood the creation of the cosmos and what they tho...

Episode 72 -  Religious False Dilemmas March 23, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode we look discuss religious false dilemma fallacies. Sometimes these dilemmas are propagated by bad actors with malicious intent, but sometimes they are just passed along by people that don't know there are more options from which to choose. We look at how Jesus answered the false dichotomy... and venture...

Episode 71 -  Remember the Great Cessation - Exodus 20:8-11 March 2, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode we venture into the sacred ground of the fourth commandment. When God says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” He’s talking about the original 7th day of creation. That’s what He made holy. It’s because God stopped a certain type of work that day. He stopped the creative act...

Episode 70 -  Remembering Michael Heiser Feb 22, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode, we take a moment to memorialize the passing of the theologian and scholar, Dr. Michael S. Heiser. In 2020, Heiser was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Pancreatic cancer. On Feb 15, 2023 he turned 60, and five days later he transitioned to experience the unseen realm he wrote so much about. He was a...

Episode 69 -  Unscrambling Christ's Easy Yoke Feb 16, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode we attempt to unscramble Christ's easy yoke. When Jesus offered rest to the weary and heavy-laden, He harnessed a yoke to His offer. Throughout the Bible, yokes are closely associated with the work of slavery and unfortunately, Christ's yoke has been mixed-up and misunderstood by many. So, let's try...

Episode 68 -  What's Left of Sabbath Rest Feb 9, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall Many of the books written on the topic of biblical rest focus largely on the observance of the Old Testament's fourth commandment. But the seventh-day sabbath is just a small sliver of what the Bible has to say on the topic. The author of Hebrews spends nearly two chapters discussing the "rest that remains for the peopl...

Episode 67 -  Morris Dirks - 1980's Youth Group Culture Jan 26, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall 44eKtcdJnhPFE6ajx0YL Morris Dirks is well known in the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States. He was the head pastor at two large churches (in Oregon and Washington) and is the founding Director of Soul Formation, a non-profit that ministers to leaders in the church. But before all that, Morris wa...

Episode 66 - Rethinking Rest Launch Day Special Jan 19, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall This is a very special episode of the podcast. In it we celebrate the launch of my first book, Rethinking Rest. I discuss some of the things I learned in the writing the book and in the publishing process. I also read through the book's introduction to introduce you to the flavor and tone of my writing. Resources...

Episode 65 - Searching for Soul Rest an Interview w/ Author Curtis Zackery Jan 12, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In this episode we begin a new series where we will discuss and examine what it means when the Bible talks about rest. There have been many attempts to describe rest and today’s guest, author Curtis Zackery, brings a unique perspective to this ancient discussion. Resources Referenced an...

Episode 64 : Acts 27-28 - Survivor - Malta Jan 7, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall The last two chapters in Acts contain the details of an amazing shipwreck where all the crew and passengers are brought safely to the island of Malta. The story is better than a similar reality tv program you may have watched… and for several reasons it’s also a fitting end to Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles...

Episode 61 : Acts 24-26 - Felix, Festus, and Agrippa Dec 30, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In Acts 24-26, Paul stands before three Roman backed rulers, Felix, Festus, & Agrippa II. You may have read this story not really understanding who these rulers were. If that’s you, you are not alone. Most people gloss right over these Roman sychophants. So sit back, relax, and let’s talk about the men who j...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast -  Episode 62: Rethinking Advent Rewind December 21, 2021 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall Join Gregory Hall for a special rendition of the advent story. In this episode we'll look at some of the details from last year's advent series (episodes 28-33) and combine those details into the well-known story of the our Savior's birth. Gather your family around... turn up the volume....

Episode 61 : Acts 22-23 - The Commissioning Formula Dec 13, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall There is a common way the biblical authors tell the story when a person is commissioned by God for a specific task. While these revelations are always unique to those who receive them, they all share a literary form found throughout the Bible and other Ancient Near Eastern literature. Luke uses this formula t...

Episode 60 : Acts 20-21 - The Eutychus Syndrome Dec 1, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  In Acts 20, we are introduced to Eutychus. He’s a young man who, falls asleep while listening to one of Paul’s sermons, then falls to his death from an upper story window. In this episode we ask what lessons we should learn from a story such as this. We will also figure out how to avoid the Eutychus Syndrome.   ...

Episode 59 : Acts 18-19 - The Liminal Leftovers of Johnny B. November 13, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In Acts 18-19 we are introduced to a subgroup of the faithful. They are folks that knew and followed the teachings of John the Baptist. But these events occur about thirty years after the ministry of Johnny B. So just how should we understand these folks who don’t fit nicely into any of our mode...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 58 : Acts 16-17 - What Must I Do to Be Saved? October 29, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In Acts 16-17 Paul and his traveling companions hit the road. These chapters record some of the events in his second missionary journey… and they are packed full of interesting topics. In this episode we discuss circumcision, baptism, a python spirit, and the very important...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 57 : Acts 15 - Who Were Those "Appointed to Eternal Life?" October 19, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall In Acts 15, a decision is made. The question on the table was how to keep peace between the different cultural expectations of those who had come to faith in Jesus.  The list of action items they came up with might be a little surprising to our modern ears. But...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 56: Acts 13-14 - Who Were Those "Appointed to Eternal Life?" September 28, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall *10-12-23 Note - The original release of this episode had some minor production errors. Those have been corrected and the new version is available for download.  There are many ideas about how people get "saved." Is God in control of the whole process, or do...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 55: Acts 12 - The Logos and the Mythos September 28, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  In ancient times stories used two general concepts, logos and mythos, to convey meaning to their readers.  It’s true of stories outside the Bible, but it’s also true of the stories we find within the Bible as well. In this episode we look further into the ancient understanding o...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 54: Acts 10-11 - The Gentile Pentecost September 9, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  When we read Acts 10, we often make Cornelius the focus of the chapter. But a careful reading of the text suggests that Peter is really the dynamic character with the most movement. Could it be that Peter was also given a gift of the Holy Spirit the day the Gentiles spoke in tong...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 53: Acts 9 - What Exactly Happened on the Way to Damascus? August 27, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  Acts 9 is where we find the story of Saul’s conversion. But you may be surprised to discover that’s not the only place this story is found. Luke included two other versions of the story later in Acts, and each episode adds important details not found in chapter...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 52: Acts 8 - The Samaritans August 20, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  In Acts 8, Philip made his way to Samaria to tell them the story of the Christ. This was significant for a number of reasons, but mostly because the Samaritans and the Jews didn’t normally associate with one another. You may already know that, but today we will examine more closely how and wh...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 51: Acts 7 - The Gospel in the Story of Stephen August 9, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  In Acts 7, Stephen becomes the first of the "Christ-Followers" to be killed for his faith. And right before he dies he gives a long sermon that most readers just skip right over… because they think it’s not relevant. But for some reason, Luke under the inspiration of the Ho...

Rethinking Scripture Podcast Episode 50: Acts 6 - Living Sacrifices July 25, 2022 - Host: Dr. Gregory Hall  In act 6, we read about a problem in the early days of the church. Some widows in the church were being overlooked by other church members. And it turns out it was an ethnic issue. The locals weren’t getting along with those from out of town. In this episode we’ll look a little deeper into t...