The Bible (Unmuted)

In this episode, Matthew talks about the benefits of taking weekly communion and following the Christian calendar. He reminds us that Christianity is a communal faith -- one that promotes unity with Christ and each other. There are no "lone ranger" Christians, and rugged individualism is not part of our ancient faith. As a church, therefore, we are called to the communion table, and we a...

In this episode, I interview two of my Eternity Bible College colleagues, Ernesto Duke (President) and Joshua Walker (Vice President/Academic Dean). We talk about a range of things: from the rising cost of biblical education to curriculum to the virtues of thinking deeply and critical about our theological assumptions. In this honest and transparent conversation, we talk about the history, heart,...

In this episode, Matt offers an interpretive tour through Romans 4. In this chapter, Paul quotes from Psalm 31 (LXX) and key portions of Genesis. One of the interesting questions about these quotations is the way in which Paul employs them as part of his argument that circumcision (works of Torah) are not required for covenant membership. But how would Paul's contemporaries (his non-Christian...

This episode serves as a bridge of sorts between Romans 3 and 4. In the last episode, Matt discussed Paul's idea that God's righteousness is revealed through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah. This took listeners back to Genesis 11-12, as well to Isaiah's "Servant Songs" and connected those back to Jesus. In this episode, Matt look further into Paul's understanding of...

In this episode, we dive back into Romans -- this time in chapter 3. This is a pivotal chapter in the book itself. From the start, Paul asks a very important question: If Israel has been unfaithful to her God-given vocation to be a light to the nations, then will God be unfaithful too? Will God backtrack on his promises to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)? That's the question of Romans 3. For Paul, the an...

In this episode, Matt talks with Jerome Van Kuiken about his new book The Judas We Never Knew . Everyone is familiar with Judas in the New Testament, namely, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. But there's another Judas who many might not be familiar with at all. This Judas wrote a little book that can be found near the end of the New Testament -- the book of Jude. It's a rather short letter,...

In this episode, it's all about Q&A. Matt is accompanied by a very special guest as he offers answers to a range of questions, such as: Is evolution compatible with the Bible? Can the "Divine Withdrawal" view of God's wrath capture the full scope of what it means for God to bring judgment? Can Christians lose their salvation? and Would the existence of aliens undermine the tr...

In this episode, Matt continues the journey through Romans 2, this time addressing vv. 17-29. The discussion centers around Israel's calling to be a light to the nations and how, due to her sin, Israel has not fulfilled this God-given mission. In fact, according to Paul, not only has Israel not glorified God's name among the nations, but her sin (and exile) has caused God's name to be...

In this episode, Matt takes listeners through the first section of Romans 2 (vv. 1-16). This episode covers a lot of ground, tackling topics such as the relationship between good works and the final judgment, as well as addressing larger questions about the relationship between "grace" and "faithfulness." Specifically, this show focuses in on Paul's enigmatic statement that...

In this fourth installment of the Romans series, Matt guides listeners through the text of Romans 1:18-32, where Paul talks about the "wrath" of God. How should we think of divine wrath and judgment? Is the concept of divine wrath consistent with the idea that God is love? Matt addresses these and other questions in light of Greg Boyd's work on the subject -- particularly with respec...

+ + + If you like this podcast, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. You can do so by visiting https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted Don't forget to subscribe and share with others! www.matthewhalsted.com

In this third installment of our series through Romans, Matthew gives a tour through Romans 1:8-17. He begins by talking about "charisma" and Paul's mention of "grace-gift" in vv. 11-12. After a brief discussion regarding "spiritual gifts," Matthew takes listeners to the heart of this section, namely, to vv. 16-17. It is there where Paul offers readers his fundame...

In this episode, Matthew continues through Romans 1:1-7, finishing up the introduction of Paul's letter to Romans. He revisits the concept of "gospel" by looking at Isaiah 52:7 and how Paul uses this verse in Romans. Matthew also looks at how Paul thinks Jesus' resurrection vindicated (=justified) his claim to be "son of God" and how this helps us understand the believe...

In this episode, Matthew kicks off his extended series through the book of Romans. In this first installment, Matthew focuses on Romans 1:1. Specifically, he talks about Paul's calling as an apostle and his Damascus Road experience of the risen Christ. The remainder of the time is spent unpacking what Paul meant by "gospel” (Rom 1:1). To guide us in this investigation, Matthew points list...

In this “review and preview” episode, Matt offers reflections on some of the highlights from the last 8 episodes. He also shares about an upcoming series from the New Testament he will be doing, as well as the various topics/subjects that will be explored in the weeks and months ahead related to that series. Hint: If you’re interested in questions surrounding divine and human agency with respect t...

Is it reasonable to believe Jesus rose from the dead? Do the historical facts support the conclusion that Jesus resurrected? During this holy week (2023), I chat with Dr. Gary Habermas about these and other related questions. Gary is a well-known scholar of resurrection studies, and in this conversation he shares about his lifelong investigation into what really happened on that first Easter morni...

In this episode, we dive back into Revelation, only this time with a special guest: Dr. Scot McKnight. Scot is a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He's a well-known biblical scholar and is the author of a number of books. Our conversation centers around his latest book, Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple. We talk about a host...

In this episode, Matthew continues his discussion on Revelation. In the previous episode, Matthew talked about one mistake people make when they read Revelation -- namely, not knowing that Revelation is a letter to seven first-century churches (it's not a book in the modern sense of the word). In this episode, Matthew talks about two other common mistakes people make. He draws awareness to the...

In this episode, Matthew talks about one of the most common mistakes people make when they read Revelation. Many people have been taught that Revelation is a play-by-play of future, eschatological events. A lot of people assume that this last book of the New Testament lays out a blueprint for the end times. Is this true? In this episode, Matthew tackles these and other questions. He helps rea...

In this episode, Matthew offers some quick thoughts on Psalms. How can reading the psalms teach us to pray? What can we learn from them about faith and doubt? Is it ever okay to share our doubts with God, even if they're about him? What about the imprecatory psalms -- should we pray them, too? What do they reveal about humanity, and what can they teach us about God? +++ If you like this podcast, p...

In this episode, Matthew talks about reading the Bible faithfully. What things should we keep in mind when we read Scripture? Does a person need to know the original context? If so, how does the original context relate to the interpreter's modern context? Can we read Scripture without bringing our presuppositions to it? Does applying Scripture to our unique situation play a role in our understandi...

In an age dominated by secularism and philosophical naturalism, the idea that people have supernatural experiences is often considered to be a relic of a bygone era. And yet, credible people still report such experiences. That's the subject of this episode, which features an interview with Dale C. Allison about his recent book, Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age. In his bo...

In this episode, Matthew introduces The Bible Unmuted . What can you expect from the podcast in the days ahead? What's the format going to be like? In addition to answering these questions, Matthew also explains why he named the show "The Bible Unmuted." Here's a hint: the name is all about hermeneutics! If you like this podcast, consider subscribing and sharing with your friends.