The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

As we continue to examine the plural of majesty, which seeks to explain how Israel's one God came to be expressed in occasional plural forms, we see that God's holiness is poetically depicted in the plural. We also explore references to God as the Creator and even as the covenant husband of Israel, which are sometimes in the plural. Lastly, we find that the plural of majesty has extended into bibl...

The God revealed in the Old Testament is awesome and majestic, but this God is still a single, undivided self--one person. He is expressed in plural forms, like elohim, for intensification purposes, and this is regarded by Hebrew grammarians as the plural of majesty. This episode explores how the plural of majesty is expressed throughout the Hebrew poetry of Psalms, where plural forms indicative o...

Does the plural form of the Hebrew noun elohim indicate that Yahweh is a plurality of persons? Hebrew grammarians call this concept the plural of majesty--namely when elohim is paired with singular verbs to indicate that God is only one person (not two or three persons). This episode introduces the plural of majesty in order to understand better the significance of plural references to God within...

Apologists who attempt to defend the preexistence of Jesus sometimes suggest that Malachi 3:1 proves their claim. This episode examines Malachi 3:1 to see what it says, if anything, about the preexistence of Jesus. We listen to the wisdom of biblical scholars on Malachi and consider how the New Testament authors interpret it. Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating...

This episode of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast lets us tune into the never before released live Q&A that took place after my recent debate on whether Jesus Christ consciously preexisted his birth. You can listen to the debate in its entirety here: https://youtu.be/Nmg_y4q4RsQ . Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks    ...

In this episode, we get to hear the final portions of my recent debate regarding whether Jesus Christ preexisted his birth consciously. In particular, we will listen to the cross-examination and the closing statements. I also offer some insider perspective on why I chose the cross-examination question that I used as well as some thoughts on the conclusion of the debate. Please consider supporting...

In this episode, we listen to the next segment of my recent debate/dialogue with Mr. Eric Miller on the nature of Jesus' preexistence. Eric Miller argued that Jesus did consciously preexist his birth while I argued that Jesus came into existence at his birth. We both have a chance to offer two rebuttals, with Mr. Miller beginning and with me following afterward. I offer some insights and commentar...

In this week's episode, we will listen to the opening statements of my recent debate with Mr. Eric Miller on the nature of Jesus' preexistence. I also offer a few reflections on the debate. To listen to the entire debate, click on this link: https://youtu.be/Nmg_y4q4RsQ   Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks         To vi...

The first letter of Peter offers much insight into Petrine Christianity, especially its monotheism and Christology. This episode examines how Peter regarded the God of Jesus and wrestles with difficult passages surrounding Jesus' person and preexistence. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus: htt...

Philippians is the letter of Paul that many interpreters feel exhibits high Christology. What we actually find is that Paul holds a high human Christology, where the obedient king took upon the attitude of the Suffering Servant and was highly exalted afterward. Paul continues to portray his monotheism, human Christology, and his understanding of the relationship between God and Christ in terms tha...

Paul's massive letter to the Romans has much to say about monotheism, Christology, and the relationship between God and Jesus. For Paul, God continues to be one person, as expressed in the Jewish Shema. Jesus is the descendant of David and the second Adam--a human being. This episode also explores some of the trickier passages in Romans surrounding the person of Jesus and his exalted role as Lord....

In this episode, we examine 2 Corinthians to see how Paul understands the true God and the risen Jesus. We discuss the benediction of 2 Corinthians, which is often thought of being a reference to the Trinity. Furthermore, we examine the theology of the "rich" Jesus who became poor, asking if this is even a reference to incarnation at all. We also pay special attention to the theology of the God an...

In 1 Corinthians, Paul clearly defines the Christian God to be one person, the Father alone. Jesus is the human Messiah whose death was sufficient to cover sins. The risen and exalted Jesus remains subordinate to the Father in both rank and function. Paul also details his Wisdom Christology in 1 Corinthians, and in doing so, he regards God's personified Wisdom as the type of the man Jesus Christ....

In this episode, we examine how God and Christ are portrayed in the early letter of Galatians. We note that Paul regards God as a single person--the Father alone. Furthermore, we observe that Jesus is the Son of God who was born of a woman and who died. God, of course, woke Jesus up from the dead. The resurrected Jesus represents believers as those who are "in Christ"—those who are represented by...

How did early Christians understand the exalted Jesus alongside the one true God of Israel in 2 Thessalonians? This episode examines the contents of this epistle to see if the Jewish God is anything other than a single person—the Father alone. We also examine how the exalted Jesus is described with titles, roles, and acts of judgment. Lastly, we consider whether the Lord Jesus Christ is "our God"...

In what ways did the early Christians depict God and Christ in terms of Jewish monotheism? Some scholars have argued that, in various ways, the distinction between God and Jesus was blurred by early Christians, especially Paul. This episode examines 1 Thessalonians, the earliest document in the New Testament, to determine how Paul depicted the risen Jesus in relation to the monotheistic God of Jud...

John 1:18 concludes the Prologue of the Fourth Gospel (1:1-18). In doing so, John 1:18 defines the unseen God as the Father alone, thus distinguishing Jesus from God. There is also a tricky textual variant in John 1:18 that continues to divide commentators and translations. Arguments are made in favor of the "unique son" reading as the original. Lastly, the unique son who explains and reveals the...

According to John 1:15, Jesus, born months after John the Baptist, was before John. What does the Greek adjective "protos" mean in John 1:15 (and in its parallel in 1:30)? Is the Baptist saying that Jesus outranked him or that Jesus was prior to John, and if so, in what sense? This episode weighs the strengths and weaknesses of the two different meanings of the ambiguous adjective "protos." The st...

While some translations of John 1:14 have traditionally regarded Jesus as the "only-begotten," modern lexicons and grammarians are arguing that "unique" or "one of a kind" is a more accurate translation. This episode explores how the Prologue and the rest of the Gospel of John use the Greek adjective "monogenes" in regard to the human Jesus. In doing so, we focus on the meaning of the adjective an...

In John 1:14, the personified logos of God becomes flesh and "pitches his tent," evoking themes of the tabernacle and temple. In this episode, we explore the imagery of the logos "pitching his tent" within Jewish wisdom traditions. We discuss how Jesus, as a man, serves as the new temple presence in the Fourth Gospel, drawing people to himself while teaching in the physical temple. Lastly, we exam...

John 1:14 indicates that the logos (God's personified speech) becomes flesh as the human being Jesus. This episode shows how the embodiment of God's personified attributes was depicted in previous portrayals of Lady Wisdom, specifically in Proverbs, Sirach, and Philo. The Prologue of the Gospel of John, which has been deeply influenced by Jewish wisdom speculation, needs to be interpreted in light...

The Prologue of John portrays the personified logos coming to the world and interacting with the Jewish people. Many refused to receive the logos, but some believed and became children of God. This episode explores how the logos/wisdom of God is to be understood as coming to the world in the ministry of Jesus, who summons the world to believe. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperbac...

The Prologue of the Fourth Gospel depicts the personified logos in terms of life and light for human beings (John 1:4-5). These terms become symbolic of noteworthy narrative points that are picked up later in the Fourth Gospel. The Prologue also introduces John the Baptist and depicts him as one who testifies about the light of the world, the embodied logos, that summons humanity unto belief (John...

This episode focuses entirely on John 1:3 and its Jewish wisdom context. Prior to the writing of the Prologue of John, many Jews and Christians portrayed God as having created all things through his personified word/wisdom. We also explore the impact that Genesis chapter one had upon John 1:3. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: T...

This episode explores what some modern scholars are saying about the last phrase in John 1:1, "the Word was God." These specialists argue that "the Word" and "God" are clearly distinguished and that "God" is an adjectival predication for the personified Word. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus...