Unbinding the Bible

In this episode, we'll look at Revelation 2:1-7 - Jesus' words to the church in Ephesus. Drawing on Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we'll see the importance that love plays in the life of the church, if we wish to be effective lampstands. 

In this episode, we'll focus in on the OT origins of Jesus' repeated refrain, "He who has an ear, let him hear." This episode will center exclusively on idolatry, and the subtle ways that our views of God affect the way that we live and the way that we hear. For Jesus to show us the way, he must expose the false ways we've been living. And this applies to his followers even more than to the world....

In this episode, we'll look at a few of the patterns in Jesus' addresses to each of the seven churches. We'll see just how vital it is that believers have a clear picture of Jesus because their witness of him depends entirely on it. We'll also look at how our witness to Jesus - the faithful witness (Rev. 1:5) - may very well embody the "pattern of the Christ" - faithful witness leading to sufferin...

In this episode, we'll finish Revelation 1, looking closely at the first words Jesus speaks and their significance. His message for John and for his church: "Fear not." The hope we have in him not to fear: "I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." Jesus has freed us from every conceivable fear we can come up with, but we'll have to face our fears directl...

In this episode, we'll finish our look at Revelation 1:12-16 - the description of the "one like a son of man." In the second half of the episode, we'll dive in specifically to what the sharp two-edged sword protruding from Jesus' mouth represents and how it challenges the way many people think about God's judgment. 

This episode is a sermon I preached July 14, 2019 from Luke 10:25-37. I'm inserting this message here for two reasons: 1) we need to understand that who we are as people and how we approach the Bible very powerfully shapes what we think the Bible says; and 2) we need to embrace this fact as good interpreters of the Bible, especially when we try to interpret John's imagery in the book of Revelation...

In this episode, we'll look at Revelation 1:12-16, paying particular attention both to the way John sees the churches and how he sees Jesus. We'll look at some of the genius of apocalyptic language and a bit about how it works. And we'll learn a lot about the purpose of the church when we see what the lampstand was originally for in Israel's tabernacle. 

In this episode, we'll look at Revelation 1:9-11 and what it means that John is "your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that is in Jesus." These three verses really propel us forward into the book of Revelation, particularly as its message relates to the circumstances surrounding John's exile on the island of Patmos.  Follow me on Instagram: @theunbin...

In this episode, we'll take a close look at Revelation 1:8 and what the significance is of the divine self-declaration by God that we find there. We'll need the Old Testament to make sense of it, but we'll bring it all back to Jesus before we're finished.  The book I reference, The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham, can be found here.  Here are the Scripture references this ep...

In this episode, we'll take a close look at Revelation 1:7, paying particular attention to the OT passage where the phrase, "coming with the clouds" is from - Daniel 7. We'll see how Jesus' kingdom deals with both individuals as well as entire nations. And we'll take a look at what it means to say that "all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him." A lot is packed into this week's episode,...

In this episode, we'll continue through the opening verses of Revelation 1, paying particular attention to verse 5: "[Jesus] freed us from our sins by his blood." What does it mean to be "freed from our sins"? And how does that work itself out practically in our lives?  John's intention in telling us this is so that we can act most effectively as the kingdom of priests Jesus has made us to be.  Fo...

In this episode, we'll look at the first five verses of Revelation 1. John greets the Christians to whom he writes in the name of their God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We'll see how this view of God is meant to shape the lives of Jesus' followers. Be prepared, though: Revelation also presents us with an alternative three-person "god" vying for our allegiance as well. And an honest reading of Re...

This episode is a sermon I preached December 2, 2018 from Luke 21:25-33. I'm inserting it here because I want you to see how Jesus reshapes our understanding of the "end times." There are few areas in need of clarification more than this one, especially as we approach the book of Revelation. We will get in to the actual text of Revelation 1 soon, but we first need to grasp how Jesus thought about...

In this episode, we'll finish our read-through of the book (chapters 12-22). Take the time to just listen to the flow of the book. You may not understand everything you hear, and that's okay. Just listen and allow what you hear to begin working on you.  And, as always, feel free to email me any questions or comments at UnbindingTheBible@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you! 

In this episode, we'll take John's words in Revelation 1:3 seriously that those who read aloud the words of this prophecy AND those who hear will both receive blessing. This episode, then, is a reading aloud of Revelation 1-11. Take the time to just listen to the flow of the book. You may not understand everything you hear, and that's okay. Just listen and allow what you hear to begin working on y...

In this episode, we'll introduce the book of Revelation. Written as a pastoral letter, a prophecy, and an apocalypse simultaneously, Revelation is a book unlike anything most modern readers of Scripture are familiar with. This, of course, comes as no surprise, considering the many widely varying interpretations of the book. But, using "Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead,...

In this episode, we'll look at Colossians 1:24-29 - Paul's understanding of his ministry to the church, an understanding that carries with it potentially offensive, maybe even heretical-sounding connotations. We'll see that this is not the case at all, but we'll examine just what Paul means by the words "in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his b...

In this episode, we'll take a look at the book of Acts, paying particular attention to Paul after he meets Jesus on his way to Damascus. We'll talk about the ways Paul refers to himself, especially in relation to the Servant of the LORD descriptions from the book of Isaiah.  In the second half of the episode, we'll talk about how closely connected many of the themes and images are between the way...

This episode is a sermon I preached April 28, 2019 on John 20:19-31. I'm inserting it here because of its powerful connection to both setting the captives free and the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins that we looked at in episode 035. Jesus very much wants to meet people in their own places of captivity so that, after setting them free, they can be used by him to set other captives free. 

In this episode, we're going to address one of the gospel's fundamental questions: why does the one coming to restore justice to the world end up suffering? We'll take a close look at the mission of Jesus as well as his offer of (and our need for) the forgiveness of sins. 

In this episode, we'll explore Isaiah's four "Servant Songs" and how they help us grasp a bit about the way biblical prophecy works. We'll then explore how misunderstanding the role of the Servant of the LORD played a major part in so many Jews missing Jesus when he came. Grasping these ideas will also help shape what the Christian life ought to look like for those who wish to follow Jesus. 

This episode is a sermon I preached in May 2018 from John 3:1-17 - Jesus' interaction with a religious man named Nicodemus. I'm inserting it here to round out Jesus' teaching on the gospel from episode 032, lest anyone conclude that the way someone becomes a member of God's kingdom is simply by doing the will of God. No, Jesus is not advocating a "do your best" understanding of salvation. He knows...

In this episode, we'll take a look at Mark 3:20-35 - a clash of kingdoms between Jesus and the religious leaders as well as between Jesus and his biological family. In doing so, we'll discover a unique perspective regarding who rightfully can claim to be part of God's "family."  Give it a listen on Podcoin, a free app that pays you when you listen to podcasts! 

This episode is a sermon I've given on two separate occasions, inviting listeners to experience the reality of the resurrection from a slightly different perspective. I'm inserting it on Easter Sunday as a BONUS episode in the hopes that it will encourage and strengthen you as you celebrate Jesus' resurrection. 

This episode is a sermon I preached on Good Friday of last year. In it I trace the theme of thorns used throughout Scripture to help us make the most sense of Jesus being forced to wear a "crown" of thorns. I hope this episode encourages you as you celebrate Jesus' death this Good Friday.