The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

The Apostle Paul taught his churches that Jesus, the human Messiah, demonstrated faithful obedience to God. This week's episode will explore the christological implications of the human Jesus' obedience and faithfulness in the books of Galatians, Romans, and Ephesians. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/uymWXt3k6uY   Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book, Wisdo...

All four Gospel writers portray Jesus demonstrating faith in God. This week's episode will explore the christological implications of the human Jesus' obedience, his prayer life, and his confidence that God would vindicate him from death. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/TEHXvk7Fjy0   Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of...

Is Colossians 1:15-20 about the original creation, the new creation, or both? In what way is Jesus involved in the creation of all things? This episode sets the christological hymn of Col 1:15-20 firmly in the context of Pauline theology, the argument of the Letter to the Colossians, and Jewish wisdom speculation before offering answers to these crucial questions. To view the video version of this...

Later scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Romans to elevate its christology. This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the person of Jesus Christ. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/GDN19SYTewU   Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my...

Did you know that scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians to over twice its original size? This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the local bishop and Christology.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a...

In what ways did later scribes modify and alter the authentic letter from Bishop Ignatius to Polycarp? This week's episode explores some of the additions, focusing on the development of the hierarchy of bishops, the elevated role of the bishop, and the description of Jesus as "our God Jesus Christ." We also examine what it might mean to refer to Christ as "God" in light of the principle of agency...

Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in the first decade of the second century, making him one of the earliest Church Fathers. What did he believe about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit? These crucial questions are tackled after addressing the controversy surrounding which of his letters were authentically written by him. By drawing on the latest scholarship of Ignatian textual criticism, we can rec...

Recently, it has been argued that the double use of the title Lord in reference to Jesus ("Lord, Lord") is a claim to be the person of Adonai Yahweh. This week's episode examines such a claim, first by examining the Hebrew texts in question, then by exploring how the Gospel writers use the title "Lord" in different ways, and finally by interpreting the passages in question. In sum, Jesus is not cl...

Is Christ a genuine member of the human race? Some Catholic and Protestant apologists say, no, Jesus is not a real human person. The biblical authors, however, are adamant that Jesus is, in fact, a real human person. This week's episode explores the reasons behind the significant divide between New Testament theology and the Christology of apologists. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdo...

It is often erroneously claimed that the early Church preached the doctrine of the Trinity from its inception. The Book of Acts is evidence to the contrary. This week's episode examines the sermons in the Book of Acts to see how Luke portrayed christology and Jesus' relationship to God. Spoiler alert: There is no Trinity in the Book of Acts.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christo...

How was Jesus able to perform so many miracles, teach boldly, and even forgive sins (an act typically reserved for God alone)? Answer: he possessed authority from God, which enabled and empowered him to do all these wondrous feats. This week's episode examines how the Gospel of Matthew illustrates Christ as a human being with whom God has shared his authority.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my...

The early Christians did not relate to the Holy Spirit in trinitarian terms, and this observation can be confirmed along several lines of evidence. This week's episode examines how acts are offered to God (e.g., worship, prayer, sacrifice, praise, singing, talking) and draws attention to how no one in Scripture performs these same acts to the Holy Spirit. The resulting conclusion is that the bibli...

This episode examines how the biblical authors in the Old and New Testaments personify the Holy Spirit. The personification of God's Spirit is often overlooked in favor of suggestions that the Spirit is a conscious, distinct person alongside the Father, but this is not the view of the biblical authors. We explore how God personifies His attributes, how He sends them as agents, and how the Holy Spi...

In Scripture, the biblical authors often portray the Holy Spirit as the personal presence of Yahweh himself. This week's episode explores the crucial role of the Spirit of the Lord, highlighting how the Spirit serves as the extended presence of God as he abides among his people. We also discuss how this portrayal of the Spirit is at odds with Trinitarian theology. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of...

If the Holy Spirit is not the third person of the Trinity, what is it? This week's episode examines how the biblical authors repeatedly describe the Spirit of Yahweh as his power. God's powerful Holy Spirit is shown to be active in creation, empowering key human beings, and even equipping the human Jesus for his ministry as the Jewish Messiah. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christ...

The latest data gathered by George Barna in 2025 indicates that belief in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is at an all-time low. This episode examines the data and the decline in Trinitarianism over the last decade. We discuss why fewer people believe in the Trinity and how unitarians can use this opportunity to share their truths. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology i...

Agreeing with the slogan "Jesus is God" has recently become the litmus test for authentic Christians. The problem is that this phrase is nowhere to be found in Scripture, and Jesus never claimed to be God. This episode exposes the problems with the phrase "Jesus is God" by examining thirteen common proof texts to assess the strength of their contribution to Christology. Instead of the phrase "Jesu...

John 17:3 is a staple in arguments for biblical unitarianism (and a thorn in the side for any belief in God being more than one person). This week's episode is wholly committed to exegeting John 17:3, examining what it says about the only true God, what it says about Jesus, how it portrays Jesus as God's agent, and the eternal life these truths offer. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdo...

How did Christ remain sinless during his earthly ministry? Is that an accomplishment that only God could achieve? This week's episode examines what the New Testament authors have to say about Jesus' sinlessness, particularly focusing on his unwavering obedience and faithfulness to his God and Father.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d...

What did the author of the Epistle of Barnabas believe about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? This week's episode explores this important early second-century Christian document's theology, christology, and pneumatology. This epistle is notable for its attribution of personal preexistence to Jesus and its explicit denial that he is a descendant of King David.  Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my...

Within the Book of Revelation, the Lord God and the Lamb are described as "Alpha and Omega." What does this title mean, and what significance does it have for Revelation's christology? This episode explores these important questions and demonstrates that the Lamb bears the title "Alpha and Omega" in his role as the Lord God's agent. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in th...

Does Jude 5 say that "Jesus" rescued the Israelites, or does it say that "the Lord" rescued them? Jude 5 possesses an interesting textual variant that some argue points to Jesus' preexistence. This week's episode will examine all the relevant data to determine what Jude 5 originally said about the one who rescued Israel during the Exodus period. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Chri...

How do the Dead Sea Scrolls help inform New Testament Christology? In the Genesis Apocryphon, also known as 1Q20, we see a human being in whom God's wisdom has become embodied. This is the very same theology taught by Jesus and the early Christians, namely that Christ himself was the enfleshment of God's personified wisdom. This week's episode introduces this important Qumran document and demonstr...

This week's episode examines how the narrative of the Gospel of Matthew slowly reveals the role of the messianic son of God as a figure who must suffer and be rejected in accordance with the will of God. We look at how Jesus responds to the accusation of being a rebellious son, how the Transfiguration reinforces Jesus as the promised messiah to whom the disciples owe their allegiance, and the way...

How does the Gospel of Matthew portray Jesus as the "son of God" as he relates to Yahweh, the nation of Israel, and his disciples? Moreover, what does it mean that Jesus calls his disciples "sons of God"? This episode begins the task of exploring the theme of sonship in Matthew, noting how an ideal son of God is obedient to the true God--whom Jesus defined as "our Father."   Visit Amazon to buy yo...