The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus was highly exalted after his resurrection. Was this exaltation a transformation into one of the heavenly angels, perhaps even into an archangel? This episode will examine the theology of Paul to discern if he understood the risen Jesus as a member of the heavenly hosts of angels or whether he is still a human being. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John...

Was Jesus transformed into one of the heavenly angels in his resurrected and exalted state? Or did the human Jesus remain human in his exalted status? This episode will explore the preaching of the early Church as summarized in the theology of the Book of Acts to see if Jesus was portrayed as one of the heavenly angels. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9...

In this episode, we turn to Mark and John to see if they portray Jesus as an angel from heaven. While both of these gospel accounts offer verses involving both Jesus and the heavenly angels, never once is there a suggestion that these two categories are to be confused with one another. Jesus is regarded as the human Messiah, both prior to and after his resurrection. Buy Wisdom Christology in the G...

In this episode, we examine the Gospel of Luke and its portrayal of Jesus Christ to see if he is regarded as one of the heavenly angels. Although Luke mentions Jesus and angels together in quite a few passages, the two are never confused. There is no indication that Luke wanted his readers to understand Jesus as a heavenly angel, whether prior to his birth, in his earthly ministry, or after the re...

Does the Gospel of Matthew portray Jesus Christ as a heavenly angel? Did an angel become incarnate in the human Jesus at his birth? Did Jesus rise from the dead in the form of an archangel? This episode seeks to answer these questions in regard to the identity of Jesus within the Gospel of Matthew. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of G...

In our final study of angels acting as representative agents of the one true God within the Old Testament, we explore the identity of Jacob's wrestling partner and the function of an angel in enacting judgment on behalf of God. We also ask whether God used an angel to rescue the Israelites out of Egypt. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son...

This episode continues that study of how angels function as fully authorized representatives of the one true God. In doing so, they often speak the words of God, are addressed as "God," and bear the divine name. However, these messengers were never to be confused with the true God, since they functioned as representative agents. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.c...

If heavenly angels are messengers of God, then what can they tell us about how God sends and authorizes agents? This episode looks at passages in Genesis where angels communicate with Hagar and Jacob in order to better understand the interaction between God and his heavenly messengers. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy Wisdom Christology in the...

This episode explores some of the most difficult passages in Paul that overlap the functions of the risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We ultimately conclude that the Spirit is the medium that connects believers in fellowship with the resurrected and exalted Jesus who is now seated in heaven. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy Wisdom Christology i...

This episode seeks to better understand Paul's theology of Christ and the Spirit as two overlapping experiences for believers. These interactions between the risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit are exhibited in the behavioral change of the people of God, their transformation into the image of God, and the organization of the baptized body of Christ. In short, Paul seems to regard the Spirit as the man...

This episode explores how Paul links the Holy Spirit with Jesus in light of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. What can be learned about Paul’s theology of both Jesus and the Spirit by zeroing in on texts dealing with the resurrection? Can anything be gained by looking at the Spirit’s involvement in the future resurrection of the dead and its parallels to Jesus’ resurrection? It is concluded that...

How does the Apostle Paul, who is often difficult to understand, describe the relationship between the risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit? In what way, if at all, is Jesus involved in the sending of the Spirit to the people of God? We can actually learn a lot about how Paul understands the nature of the Holy Spirit by looking closely at his letters. The Apostle seems to depict the activity of the Spi...

This episode explores how the human Jesus, the Jewish Messiah who was anointed with the Holy Spirit, became the giver of the Holy Spirit after his resurrection. This is an important question when seeking to understand who Jesus is and how his empowerments changed after his death, resurrection, and exaltation. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy W...

What sort of image do we get of God's personal Holy Spirit when it interacts with Jesus Christ in the Gospels? Do the four Gospel accounts regard the Spirit as the third person of the Trinity? Or is the Holy Spirit an empowerment in Jesus' preaching, working of miracles, and enacting of the prophet's role? Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy Wisd...

Can understanding the Holy Spirit with clarity shed light on how we view God and Jesus Christ? This episode seeks to survey the complex Holy Spirit within the Hebrew Bible in order to understand its (or his) functions and characteristics. The goal is to set a foundation upon which we can move into the New Testament in subsequent episodes. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): h...

This episode concludes our study of the epistolary introductions within the New Testament, starting with 1 Peter and ending with Revelation. Does the Spirit's appearance in 1 Peter mean that it is the 3rd person of the Trinity? Is Jesus called "God" in 2 Peter? Does the Holy Spirit send greetings in Revelation? We explore each of these key questions in this week's episode. Buy Wisdom Christology i...

Can we determine what early Christians thought about the Father and his Son by looking solely at the epistolary greetings within the New Testament letters? This episode continues our study to look at the introductory greetings from 1 Thessalonians through James to see what light they might shed on the identities and functions of both God and Jesus Christ. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of Jo...

Can we understand better what early Christians believed about God and Jesus based on looking at the epistolary introductions within the letters contained within the New Testament? This episode begins a study to look at how these introductory greetings functioned in their wider Hellenistic literary conventions to see what sort of Christology was taught in these early Christian churches. Buy Wisdom...

At the trial of Jesus, the Jews accuse him of "making himself out" to be the Son of God. Is this a blasphemous claim? Is their accusation true or have they further misunderstood Jesus? How does Pilate understand the person of Jesus? In our final episode looking at what "Son of God" means in the Gospel of John, we wrap up the relevant passages and reflect on our overall findings. Buy Wisdom Christo...

In this episode, we explore the lengthy prayer in John chapter 17 where the Son of God petitions the Father while addressing him as the "only true God." What can a prayer offered by the Son of God tell us about what this title means for John's theology? This will be our focus in this episode, and there is quite a lot of data to cover. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/iM...

In John 14, Jesus makes an exclusive statement that no one can access the Father except through the Son. He also claims that those who see Jesus have seen the Father. What do these statements mean in regard to the title "Son of God" in John's Gospel? We discover that Jesus is an obedient human agent who embodies God's personified wisdom and word. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https...

Jesus declares himself to be "the resurrection and the life" in John chapter 11. Yet, the ability to give life and to judge the dead are prerogatives usually reserved for God alone. How does this mighty claim by Jesus further explain the title of "Son of God"? We explore these points in this week's episode. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Link to the ebook:...

In John chapter 10, Jesus claims to be one with the Father and the Jews accuse him of "making himself" out to be God. What does this mean in regard to the definition of the title "Son of God"? This episode explores John chapter 10 in order to better understand the Christology of the Son of God who is one with the Father. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Link...

In John chapter 8, Jesus speaks as the Son of God who was before Abraham. How can this be so if he is the human Messiah? This episode seeks to better understand how Jesus reveals himself as "Son of God" in a complex dialogue with his polemical Jewish opponents. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Link to the ebook: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=...

Jesus states that he is "the true bread that has come down out of heaven." Is this a clear indication that the Son of God is a divine figure who consciously existed in heaven before coming to earth? This episode digs deeper into John chapter six and finds that the Son of God is a genuine human figure who is authorized, empowered, and obedient to his Father. Buy my new Christology book on Amazon: h...