Search the Scriptures Live

Dr. Jeannie continues her discussion on Hebrews and focuses this week on how the Orthodox Church uses the epistle readings from Hebrews during Great Lent to prepare us for Holy Week, and especially to give us a theological explanation of the sacrifice of Christ. The word "atonement" does not exist either in Greek or in Hebrew. But the use of that English word suggests a certain understanding of th...

Dr. Jeannie continues her discussion on Hebrews and focuses on the mysterious person of Melchizedek. Who is this person that Hebrews mentions so often, and what does he have to do with Jesus Christ? In particular she looks at the word "atonement" and the so called debt that must be paid for our sins in order to satisfy God.

Some of the canons of the Church are taken directly from the epistles of St. Paul, but how can we know which canons are permanent and unchanging and which are a product of their time and culture? Some canons seem "outdated." Are they ever "invalid"? How are the Orthodox canons different from the canons of the Catholic Church?

Dr. Constantinou discusses the book of Hebrews, a difficult and strange book for many Christians. It was hotly disputed in the early Church. Why did some people want to keep it out of the New Testament? Who was the author? Why and when was it written?

The shortest Pauline epistle we have is a very personal one, addressed to Philemon, a Christian and friend of Paul, concerning Philemon's runaway slave named Onesimus. What does Paul ask of Philemon and why? Was Onesimus ever granted his freedom? How did someone become a slave during antiquity? Why didn't St. Paul or the Church condemn slavery outright? How were slaves treated as members of the Ch...

Some of the canons of the Church are taken directly from the epistles of St. Paul, but how can we know which canons are permanent and unchanging and which are a product of their time and culture? Some canons seem "outdated." Are they ever "invalid"? How are the Orthodox canons different from the canons of the Catholic Church? Join Dr. Jeannie Constantinou for an explanation of how the holy canons...

"I do not permit a woman to teach." "A woman will be saved through childbearing." People have misinterpreted and misconstrued those statements by St. Paul to subjugate and silence women through the centuries. Others have labeled St. Paul a misogynist. Why did St. Paul write these things to Timothy, and what did he mean by them? Listen as Dr. Jeannie Constantinou. looks at these verses in St. Paul'...

Neither male nor female? Clean or unclean? And what does Eve have to do with all of this anyhow?

Dr. Constantinou begins the epistles to Timothy and Titus, personal letters of guidance from St. Paul to Timothy and Titus. Paul emphasizes sound doctrine. Were there really problems with heresy at this early stage? What does he say about the use of human reasoning when talking about God? What advice does Paul give them for being good church leaders?

Why is Jesus called the Icon of God? Why is Jesus called "the firstborn of creation" instead of Adam? Colossians contains one of the most important passages about the divine and human natures of Christ. Dr. Jeanniel examine it through the eyes of St. John Chrysostom and continue her study of St. Paul by taking a closer look at the book of Colossians.

Dr. Constantinou continues her overview of the epistles of Paul. Can you believe that even in the time of Paul, there were Christians in Caesar's household? How do we know that? We will also look at an important feature found in Colossians and Ephesians about Christian life, as well as other important passages in those books which express the theology of the Church.

We finish our discussion of Romans, including the final chapter which, although it appears very ordinary, actually contains interesting insights into the early church. After completing Romans, we will investigate Philippians, which contains one of the most theologically important passages in the New Testament. Fr. Costa joins Dr. Constantinou at the end to explore the humbling of Christ found in P...

Dr. Constantinou continues her overview of the book of Romans, including the passage which inspired the theology of Martin Luther and led eventually to the Protestant Reformation, as well as the passage which prompted Augustine's view of original sin.

Dr. Constantinou explores the book of Romans, the longest, most famous, and most influential of Paul's epistles. Romans has many unique features, but it has also played a singular role in Christian history. Join her as she presents an overview of this important book.

Dr. Constantinou continues her discussion of Galatians and some of its most famous passages. Galatians is the source of one of the most famous Orthodox hymns. St. Paul wrote the verses which became our baptismal hymn, and then he stated that there is neither male or female, slave nor free, Jew nor Greek. How did the Fathers of the Church explain that important passage?

Dr. Constantinou discusses the epistle to the Galatians. Although the epistle is short, it is very emotional. Paul was very upset with the Christians of Galatia. What had they done? This epistle is also famous for autobiographical information that St. Paul gives us about his life, including his famous confrontation with St. Peter.

Dr. Constantinou discusses the first controversy that the the Church faced; Do you have to be Jewish to be a member of the Church? Why would this even be an issue? What developments had taken place in the Jesus movement that led to the issue? What were the arguments on each side? Who finally decided and what was the decision? How did this decision impact the Church and how did it create a preceden...

Surprisingly enough, St. Paul was not considered an apostle by most people in the early Church. This is unthinkable today, but it was St. Paul's reality, which at times was a tremendous challenge for him. In 2 Corinthians, Paul painfully expresses his sorrow when the Corinthians reject him because they agree with Paul's critics that he is not an apostle. How did St. Paul defend his apostleship and...

Dr. Constantinou continues her study of St. Paul and his writings. In this episode she shows us passages which are the earliest written accounts of two extremely important events in Christian history. What are they and what do we learn from them?

Dr. Constantinou begins by answering a listener question about teh book of Revelation and the canon of scripture. Then she gives her attention to the Apostle Paul's letters to the Corinthians.

We are continuing our crash course on St. Paul and his epistles. Tonight we focus on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Paul wrote these letters to explain the Parousia, the Second Coming of Christ. What issues had arisen among the Christians of Thessalonika that led them to enquire about the Second Coming, and what does St. Paul say about it? Join us live tonight with Dr. Jeannie Constantinou to find out!

Dr. Constantinou begins her study of the specific letters by St. Paul, beginning with the oldest Christian document in existence: 1 Thessalonians. We will also discuss why some people dispute Paul's authorship of some of the letters and learn about how to recognize the basic structure of his letters.

What was daily life like as a Jew or Christian during the first century of the Roman Empire? St. Paul lived and interacted with the world around him, which was Roman in administration but culturally Greek. He was a Jew when the practice of Judaism was very different from the Judaism of today. Join us tonight as we seek to place and to understand St. Paul as a man immersed in the cultural and relig...

Paul is such an important apostle that he is referred to by the Fathers as "THE Apostle." But during his lifetime, most people did not consider him an apostle. Why not? St. Paul defended his apostleship in a very surprising way. What is the most important criteria to remember when reading Paul's epistles? How can we remember the order of his epistles? Why are they in that particular order in the B...

Dr. Constantinou begins the brand New Year with a brand new series on Saint Paul, the most influential saint in the history of the church. Why was St. Paul so important? How much do we really know about his life, his mind, and his world? Most of our epistle readings are taken from St. Paul's writings. This series will introduce St. Paul: the man, his life, and his letters.