So We Speak

In the last two weeks, Israel and Iran escalated their attacks, leading to the decimation of Iranian military and scientific leadership, and the destruction of their nuclear facilities. On June 22, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer and struck Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility. Just this week, the two countries have declared a cease fire. What will happen next? Col...

In his new book, Why Religion Went Obsolete, sociologist Christian Smith argues that religion is not just declining; it is increasingly seen as unnecessary. People can be good without God. Religion does not play a positive role in the world. So, what is the future for the church? In this interview, Cole talks with Christian Smith about the data, the rise of the spiritual but not religious, and wha...

The book of Joshua serves as a hinge point in the Old Testament. It is the end of the long journey out of Egypt and the beginning of life in the land. Even the name points to Jesus, which is the Greek way to say Joshua. The whole book points to the ministry of Jesus - and may even contain an appearance of Jesus in the opening chapters. 

Deuteronomy is a cornerstone of the Old Testament. It is the theology and history of Israel, and was widely revered and studied in the time of Jesus. In fact, Jesus quotes from this book as much as any other during his life. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of passages that point to Jesus in Deuteronomy as well. From the example of Moses to the curse placed on everyone hanged on a tree, this book s...

The overturning of Roe v. Wade marks one of the biggest moments of our lifetimes. For 50 years, abortion was protected by the Supreme Court, but in the Dobbs decision in 2022, the court overturned Roe, allowing states to protect life by restricting abortion. What can Christians do now? How should we continue to treasure and preserve life? How can we live biblically in the world after Roe v. Wade? ...

Despite the name, Numbers is one of the most intriguing books in the Old Testament. The Israelites get right up to the edge of the Promised Land before they tragically doubt God's promises and return to the desert for 40 years. In the desert, God teaches them to walk with him and trust him. Along the way, we get some important glimpses of Jesus that resurface across the New Testament. 

Leviticus gets a bad rap. The sacrifices and priestly rules don't always make for lively reading. But don't take that as a sign that it's not important. When you see Jesus through the lens of Leviticus, his life, death, and resurrection take on new meaning and significance. 

The Exodus is the ultimate pattern of salvation in the Bible. God tells Exodus stories over and over again. But that's not all in this book. God also shows us the importance of a sacrifice in the Passover and the power of his presence in the Tabernacle. Exodus is full of themes that point to Jesus. 

It doesn't take long to see a glimpse of Jesus in the opening of the Bible. When sin entered the world, God didn't go to his backup plan; he promised to send his Son to bring his people back. All through Genesis, God is setting the stage for the coming of Christ far in the future. 

After his resurrection, Jesus walked with two other from Jerusalem to Emmaus and "starting with Moses and the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27). What did he say to them that day? How can we see those same things? In this new series, Cole and Terry will discuss finding Jesus in each book of the Old Testament. Look for the first episo...

We saved the best for last. The book of Revelation says it is written by John. But the question is: which John? Cole and Terry discuss the background and authorship of Revelation to conclude this series on the authors of the New Testament. 

Paul's letters are disputed, but so are the other letters in the New Testament, called the general epistles. These letters, written from leaders in the Jerusalem church, Peter, John, James, and Jude, have varying backgrounds and histories. Some of them have never been doubted. One is the most controversial of all the letters in the New Testament. 

The authorship of Hebrews is one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Bible. While many in the early church believed it was a letter from Paul, the evidence seems to be that it was written by someone else. If so, should it be in the New Testament? Dive into these discussions and see who Cole and Terry think might have written Hebrews in this Friday bonus episode. 

Were all of Paul's letters really written by Paul? It's common among scholars to divide up the thirteen letters of Paul into disputed and non-disputed, with many claiming Paul did not write 6 of the books in the NT. Cole and Terry work through these arguments and show that we can have confidence in Pauline authorship and the inspiration and authority of the epistles. 

How do we know that we really have the words of Jesus in the Bible? Differences in the gospels are often held up as proof that we can't know much about Jesus's earthly life. But is that what the evidence shows? Cole and Terry talk about what the Gospels are, how they were written, and what we should expect as we read them. 

The resurrection is the center of the Christian faith. Everything depends on the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. So, how do we know that it really happened? Cole and Terry discuss the best arguments for the resurrection and the mountain of evidence that Jesus did exactly what he said he would on Easter morning. 

Apologetics is back... kind of. There are great opportunities for the gospel in today's world, but they're different than they were even 10 years ago. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss apologetics, evangelism, religious "nones," and ways to reach people with the gospel today. 

There are so many villains we couldn't get to in the Bible and so many stories of God's faithfulness. Who didn't make the list? Here are the ones who didn't make it, from Judas to Jezebel to Alexander the Coppersmith. Who did we miss? 

It comes as no surprise that our number one villain in the Bible is Satan, but what do we actually know about him? He appears only a few times as a character in the Bible, but is referenced dozens of times. And even as his beginning is mysterious, his end is certain. The greatest villain in Scripture will not be able to thwart the plans of God; in fact, he will ensure they come to pass. 

The worst event in Israel's history was the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The general in charge of that destruction was Nebuchadnezzar, a king who became an emblem of all those who would elevate themselves against God. Unlike other rulers, we get an up-close look at Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. There we see God humbling and chastening him for his pride and brutal...

When Jesus was proclaimed King of the Jews, there was another King on the throne. Herod the Great was one of the most powerful men in the world at that time. Given a mandate by Caesar himself, Herod accomplished some of the most amazing building projects in antiquity. He is also the arch-villain of the opening chapters of the Gospel. Though he styled himself a king like Solomon, God saved his Son...

The next villain on our list is the Assyrian king Sennacherib. There may be no greater trash-talker in the Bible than the Assyrian kings. Just 20 years after the northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered, Hezekiah faced an enormous army outside the walls of Jerusalem, led by one of the great conquerors of history. Hezekiah turns to God, and once again, God shows himself faithful against the backdro...

He may not be the best-known villain in the Bible, but he certainly makes the list. Haman was a vizier in the Assyrian Empire who tried to eliminate the Jews from the world. God intervened through two very unlikely figures, with a strong dose of irony, and showed himself faithful in the only book of the Bible that doesn't mention his name. 

Why is Tolkien's work so enduring? It's more popular now than it's ever been. There's something about Lord of the Rings that is real. It showcases the real world, true reality, through fantasy. In the final episode of the Tolkien series, Cole and Terry discuss Tolkien's legacy, his life, and why his books are still some of the most popular books ever printed. 

After World War I, Tolkien was looking to find his footing. He looked for jobs and ached for another fellowship of friends like he'd had before. He found both in the 1920s when he landed a job at Oxford teaching English literature. It was during this great season of his life that his major works began. Soon, he would be working on his masterpiece, the Lord of the Rings.