The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

In the final "Son of Man" story within the Gospel of Mark, Jesus stands before the High Priest in a trial regarding Jesus' temple actions and claims to be the Messiah. The messianic secret is finally revealed to Israel's leadership, but Jesus' claim to being the human Son of Man possessing authority from God results in being sentenced to death. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperba...

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says that the demise of the Son of Man is predicted in Scripture. However, there are no passages within the Hebrew Bible that talk about the suffering and death of a "son of man" figure. This episode explores the possibility that Daniel chapter 7 was the passage Jesus had in mind, a conclusion with important implications for the Christology of the title "Son of Man" in...

In Mark chapter 13, Jesus gives the Olivet Discourse, which tells of a coming tribulation that will face the people of God. What most readers miss is that Mark portrays the events surrounding the betrayal, suffering, and death of the Son of Man with much of the same language used in Mark 13. This episode explores the relevance of the Son of Man representing the suffering people of God and how this...

The Gospel of Mark portrays the Son of Man returning with God's glory to act as judge. What are we to make of the Son of Man who performs God's role of judge and bears God's glory? Do these descriptions make Jesus divine, or are they indicators that God has empowered Jesus as an exceptional human agent of the true God? This episode explores these points within the depiction of the Son of Man in Ma...

The vocation of "Christ" in Mark's Gospel is unpacked as the Son of Man who will be rejected and killed. This episode explores how this expansion of the role belonging to Israel's Messiah, precisely as an authorized human being, contributes to Mark's Christology and discipleship. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: Three Views of...

In the conflict story of Jesus' authority on the Sabbath, the title "Son of Man" is again referenced in Mark's Gospel. This episode explores what Jesus means by this title and how it makes the most sense as a reference to a special human agent of the true God who bears considerable authority. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: Th...

Mark's Gospel depicts the very first occurrence of Jesus claiming to be the Son of Man in a conflict story regarding whether Jesus can forgive sins, a feat typically reserved for God alone. This episode explores how Jesus is portrayed as the authorized Son of Man as a window into the high human christology of Mark. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC   ...

It seems clear that Jesus Christ drew heavily on the depiction of the "one like a son of man" in Daniel 7:13. What are we to make of this enigmatic figure? This episode seeks to understand what can be reasonably known about Daniel's "son of man" and speculate on what significance Jesus might have drawn from its imagery. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9...

Jesus used the phrase "Son of Man" of himself more frequently than any other title. What was it about this phrase that was so important to Jesus? This episode seeks to explore the origins of the phrase by looking at its appearances within the Hebrew Bible. We conclude that a "son of man" casually indicates a mortal human being. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co...

Is the reference to baptism "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" in Matt 28:19 authentic Scripture? Many argue today that this verse has been tampered with and is now corrupt. This episode seeks to ascertain the details surrounding Matt 28:19 and its original meaning (how the author intended it to be understood). Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d...

Although the Book of Revelation is ignored and regarded as confusing by many Christians, some have insisted that it portrays the risen Jesus as one of the heavenly angels. In fact, a few published books by PhD-holding scholars have contributed to this argument. This episode examines their arguments to see if the Book of Revelation, like the rest of the New Testament, depicts Jesus as the human Mes...

What sort of picture of Jesus do we get from examining the arguments of Hebrews and 1 Peter? Is the risen Jesus, in any sense, a heavenly angel? Or is Jesus the highly exalted human Messiah, seated at Yahweh's right hand? The writers of Hebrews and 1 Peter both point to the latter conclusion. Buy Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John (paperback): https://a.co/d/iMFP9VC    Buy The Son of God: Th...

This episode will look at some objections to suggesting that Paul regarded the risen Jesus as a human being. Two passages within the letters of Paul are often pointed to in order to argue that Paul actually did think of the risen Jesus as a nonhuman heavenly angel, even an archangel. This episode examines Gal. 4:14 and 1 Thes. 4:16 to determine what they teach regarding the risen Jesus' identity....

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...