BeachCast.TV: Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History with Dr. Chase A. Thompson:

Happy Tuesday, friends! Tomorrow will mark our 4th week in quarantine here in California, a sentence I never thought I would write for a variety of reasons. Hope you guys are holding tight out there - holding tight to Jesus and His promises, holding tight to each other in love and humble service, and holding tight to the inner-workings and leadings of the Holy Spirit of God! Today, we are continuing in our pursuit of a biblical gender studies degree in discussing a topic that is somewhat controversial, but probably not as much as yesterday's topic. Here is our big Bible questions: What is a deacon, and does the Bible allow women to serve as deacons? Today's Bible passages are: Leviticus 18, Psalms 22, Ecclesiastes 1 and 1 Timothy 3. So, when I was a kid, I went to church, and I remember two important things about deacons. #1 Deacons were the guys who were most likely to wear a suit to church. #2 I remember going to more than one church service where deacons were ordained, and that was a fascinating thing. The deacon being ordained would sit in a chair - or kneel on the ground - and the other deacons would come and lay hands on him, and whisper in his ear. I think that they were probably praying for him, but young Chase thought they were sharing secrets that were for deacons only, and that was pretty interesting. I'd have given up a pretty hefty amount of my childhood treasures to hear some of those secrets. So - what are deacons, anyway? Are they besuited men that are solemn and tell each other secrets a few times a year? Not really. Let's go to the Bible: Acts 6:1 6 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith. Acts 6:1-7 A couple of translations of verse 2: HCSB: "It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. NLT: teaching the word of God, not running a food program. Wycliffe: we leave the word of God, and minister to boards. MAYBE THE BEST and MOST ACCURATE: International Children's Bible   stop our work of teaching God's word in order to serve tables.  All of these are attempting to translate this phrase: Διακονέn  Diakoneōn τράπεζαis  trapezais, which means to serve/minister to 4 foots. Deacons were called to bring unity to the early church - to take care of the people's needs and SERVE. A deacon, therefore, is a leader servant who ministers, or a minister who serves in a leading way, or a minister-servant, who leads the rest of the church in ministry/service. Deacons have a lead role in churches as ministers and as servants. Servant is a bad word to many people, but we must remember that Jesus came as a servant, exalted servanthood in His teaching, and proclaimed that - if anybody on earth wanted to be great, they MUST be a servant. Deacons get a head start on that. Let's go to 1 Timothy 3 and read about the qualifications for deacons, and then return and discuss them. There are a few named deacons in the Bible, and they didn't just help out the church with table-waiting type things. Stephen was a deacon who preached the Word of God powerfully - with SIGNS and WONDERS accompanying his message (see Acts 6:8.) Some teach that only the apostles taught with signs and wonders, but this is not the case. Philip was also a deacon, and he also proclaimed the message of God accompanied by signs/miracles and wonders. So - deacons were and are important in the church and carry out practical and spiritual acts of ministry/service. What about women? Are women allowed, according to the Bible, to serve as deacons? As I explained in yesterday's show, I am theologically what is known as a Complementarian, which means that I believe men and women have equal value and worth, but different roles in the Kingdom of God and the family. Paul wrote yesterday in 1 Timothy 2, that he did not allow a woman to have authority over a man, and in 1 Timothy 3, and Titus, he is going lay out two major offices in the church: Elders/overseers and deacons. We'll talk about elders/overseers in a few days - probably when we get to Titus, but most (but not all!) Protestants equate elders/overseers with pastors/shepherds, and I believe that, from everything I can see in Scripture, that the office of pastor/shepherd should be a male. Practically every Complementarian agrees with that position. Practically every Egalitarian - which is a school of thought that says the Bible does not differentiate at all between the sexes in terms of role and function, does not. More on that in a few days. The one area where many Bible-believing Complementarians don't necessarily agree on is in our question of the day: Does the Bible allow for women to be deaconesses. Let's consider a couple of Bible passages: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. everything. Romans 16:1 CSB I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. Romans 16:1 NIV So - two translations, with two different words! The issue, as you might have guessed, is that the Greek word 'Διακονέn  Diakoneōn' can be translated as 'deaconess' OR 'servant.' So - was Paul commending Phoebe as a deaconess, or as a servant? That's the rub, and our big question of the day! Here is my take on the issue: in 1st Timothy and Titus, Paul gives qualifications for elders/overseers and deacons. That seems to me, and to many churches, to be two different offices in the church. The elders seem to be tasked with leading and teaching, and the deacons with serving and ministering. Some churches, however - particularly baptist churches - seem to blend those two offices into one office, and usually call that one office a 'deacon.' In those cases when that happens, the deacons usually serve as a hybrid of deacons and elders. Other churches have two separate offices - the deacons serve and minister, and the elders lead and preach. When a church is set up in that manner, I see no scriptural issue whatsoever with having female deacons, because the Bible makes it very clear that there were women who did have powerful ministry and serving roles in the early church, including Phoebe, Chloe, Philip's daughters (who prophesied), Priscilla, and many others. When the primary role of deacons in a church is to minister and serve, then I believe that it is a good thing to have female deacons, because I believe the Bible is very clear that ALL are called to minister/serve - men and women. Three very prominent Baptists, who are also Complementarians, agree wholeheartedly with this, John Piper, David Platt, John Calvin and Thomas Schreiner: Were Women Deacons? By John Piper Probably yes. There are four observations that incline me to think that this office was held by both men and women. 1. The Greek word for deacon can be masculine or feminine in the same form. So the word itself does not settle the issue. 2. In the middle of the qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 Paul says, "The women likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things." This could be the wives of the deacons, but could also be the women deacons. The latter is suggested by the fact that no reference to women is made in 3:1-7. Since women were not candidates for the eldership in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:12-13) because of its authoritative function in teaching and oversight, the absence of the reference to women in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 would be expected. But this confirms the probability that the reference to women in 3:11 is to women deacons, not merely to wives of deacons. 3. The deacons were distinguished from the elders in that they were not the governing body in the church nor were they charged with the duty of authoritative teaching. So the role of deacon seems not to involve anything that Paul taught in1 Timothy 2:12 (or anywhere else) which is inappropriate for women to perform in the church. 4. In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is very probably called a deacon. "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon(ess) of the church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well." It appears then that the role of deacon is of such a nature that nothing stands in the way of women's full participation in it. Within the deaconate itself, the way the men and women relate to each other would be guided by the sense of appropriateness, growing out of the Biblical teaching of male and female complementarity. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/biblical-eldership-session-1 Some worry that appointing women as deacons violates 1 Timothy 2:12, where women are prohibited from teaching or exercising authority over men. We must recognize, however, that deacons occupy a different position from elders/pastors/overseers. The latter is one office, as Ben Merkle has convincingly argued, in which two qualities are required that are not required of deacons. First, elders must have an ability to teach biblical truth and correct deviant teaching (1 Tim. 3:2

In this episode of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast by the Great Commission Association of California, hosts Pastor Christopher Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson interview the senior directors of the GCA, including Dr. Michael Stewart, Ms. Lannette Lozano and Dr. Se J. Won about topics ranging from prayer to mission fields, to prayer and great pastoral resources. Chase and Chris also taste test Lester's Fixins Ranch Dressing Soda and barely survive the experience.  In terms of what makes a church healthy and flourishing, there's no good answer to that question that doesn't begin with what Jesus said in John 15 about abiding in Him. - Chris Cole.  "I've been to churches where there is an inauthentic, almost Stepford Wives too bright, too shiny kind of vibe where people greet you like you're their long-lost brother that they haven't seen in years…I would much prefer, rather than bright hot, gleaming and polished smiles, I would much prefer something more genuine, warm real and authentic. The way to make that happen is not a program, but to preach the Gospels, preach the epistles, and cultivate a people who value biblical humility, biblical serving, biblical gentleness and biblical warmth.  There's no program or strategy that replaces the kind of outflow of the Fruit of the Spirit that should come from an authentic church with real greeters - that is massively important to reach your community. It may not grow you into a megachurch, but it will grow you into a place where people will come and feel welcomed and feel real warmth. "  "People don't want to be sold on Jesus. That's not the same as saying we don't want to invite them to a real-world encounter with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope that we have…When we center the gospel into the middle of authentic relationships, it should overflow into how we greet guests, do outreaches, and how we teach people to grow up into disciples of Jesus." Chris Cole Resources mentioned: Thom Rainer's Becoming a Welcoming Church.  Daniel Henderson's Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word. "There is a great need for spiritual renewal and awakening…for us to see something that can't be explained by numbers or logic, for us to see God move in such a way that we can only say that was God. If I'm not right with God, then what we do, doesn't really matter." Dr. Se J. Won.    Waking the Dead - John Eldredge (Dr. Stewart)  "Who we are matters more than what we do. We must have a good sense of our relationship with Christ, and who we are in ourselves and how we interact with other people." Chris Cole. Steve Cuss - Managing Leadership Anxiety, Yours and Theirs Peter Scazzero: The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World. Dr. Se J. Won, "Many people go through unknown pains…unknown trials and challenges that they can't talk about or say outloud. Pain is not a curse."    Paul Brand: The Gift of Pain.  YouVersion Bible App on Android or iTunes.  Chris Cole, "As an ex-missionary, I have put a lot of weird things into my mouth, and this Lester's Ranch Dressing Soda might be moving close to my top ten of weird things to put in my mouth."  "As a Baptist pastor, you would not know what a Pina Colada tastes like!"   The UNsecret to baptizing more people. Hint: There's not a strategy, trick, or hack.   

Hi everybody! Please check out my NEW podcast, Every Church Flourishing at www.EveryChurchFlourishing.com or podfollow.com/ecf. Don't miss the earlier BeachCast.tv episode in THIS feed about Kid Rock Vs. Bad Bunny and Progressive vs. Conservative Christians.  On this inaugural episode, hosts Dr. Chase Thompson and GCA Assistant Director Pastor Chris Cole discuss the importance of ministry TOGETHER, and interview the directors of the Great Commission Association of churches located in North/Central California.   Rational Ministry Topics covered:  Interview with the senior directors of the Great Commission Association, including Dr. Mike Stewart, Dr. Se J. Won, Pastor Christopher Cole and School Superintendent Ms. Lanette Lazano.  A move of God at a local church in Salinas, California that took the pastor by surprise.  Free ProPresenter program called FreeShow: https://freeshow.app/features  Review of FreeShow, a free alternative app to ProPresenter  Living in Indonesia and visiting Singapore for medical care as a missionary.  Great prayer resources Crazy, Beyond The Pale. Topics covered:  Chupa Chups Bubble Gum Soda Tasted and Reviewed on a scale of 1 Spurgeon (gross!) to 5 Spurgeons (The Prince of Sodas!)  Medical Halitosis.  Keywords church, ministry, community, Great Commission Association, COVID-19, church support, church leadership, podcast, church flourishing, relationships, Building Community in Ministry, Navigating Church Leadership Changes Summary In this episode of the Every Church Flourishing podcast, hosts Pastor Chris Cole and Dr. Chase Thompson discuss the importance of community in ministry, share personal experiences from recent church services, and explore the impact of COVID-19 on churches. They interview the senior directors of the Great Commission Association (GCA), highlighting the organization's role in supporting churches and fostering relationships among church leaders. The conversation emphasizes the value of collaboration and the need for churches to work together to flourish in their mission. takeaways Community is essential in ministry, as Jesus sent disciples two by two. The Great Commission Association is a diverse network of churches. Healthy churches adapted more quickly to COVID-19 challenges. Relationships in ministry foster support and collaboration. GCA provides resources and care for churches in need. Personal experiences in ministry can be deeply impactful. Humor can play a role in connecting with church members. Church attendance has significantly changed post-COVID. The importance of being on mission together cannot be overstated. Every church has the potential to flourish with the right support. titles Building Community in Ministry The Role of the Great Commission Association Sound Bites "We are a phone call away." "We are a family of churches." "We are a mission agency."  

This episode is a weak attempt to steady the room when everything feels like it's tilting into tribalism. With all the controversy on the two half-time shows, I decided to do some research on Kid Rock and Bad Bunny.  What started as a simple effort to understand a controversy grew into a deep, data-driven investigation, over twenty pages of notes, because I don't just want to give another lame opinion, but to offer something more backed by evidence than that.   How can believers of various stripes be so polarized that one group praises one half-time show while condemning the other, and another group does the exact reverse, each claiming moral or Christian justification?  Today we consider how political identity can hijack Christian discernment, like sports rivalries where "right" and "wrong" depend on which jersey you wear. Anchoring the entire conversation is Romans 14: "Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves." What are we praising—publicly, loudly—and what might that praise be doing to our souls?  If you're tired of outrage, tired of "team politics," and ready for a thoughtful, Scripture-shaped lens on a cultural flashpoint, download Episode 1 and listen for the deeper question underneath the noise: 

Features a preview of the Debut Single "Young Romilly Sinks" by Bolton 'band' The Bolton Bardeaters.  Hi guys! It's been about two years since I've launched a podcast, but I wanted to give you what I hope is exciting news. First, if you keep listening, you're going to hear the trailer for a new podcast that launches this week called the InterestingPOD hosted by me. It's the first podcast I've produced in almost two years, and I'm really excited about it. I'd tell you more, but if you'll keep listening just a few minutes, the trailer will tell you everything you need to know. Another bit of news too - this podcast, which began in 2019 as the Bible Mystery podcast, is about to have it's fifth rebirth as the BEACHcast. The Beach kind of has a double meaning. I live in the Monterey/Salinas area of California now, just a few miles from the beach, and I've always been a beach guy. More than that, Beachcast is an acronym that stands for Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History, and that podcast is planned to launch ALSO in July of 2025. I look forward to talking to you about some fascinating Bible topics like Whether Christians should Pray to Mary/Pray to the Saints, the Reliability of the Bible, Can historians prove Jesus existed? Does communion/the Eucharist, literally turn into the Body and Blood of Jesus? What is the Number of the Beast - is it 666, or maybe even an older number written down in the oldest manuscript of Revelation that we have!  There will be lots more of those kind of topics too, as we relaunch shortly to explore the Bible, apologetics and the fascinating world of Church history. I'm Doctor Chase, your host, but if you meet me in real life, it's just plain Chase.  I have a doctoral degree in counseling, and am finishing up work on a PhD in history, and I love doing a deep dive on these kinds of topics, and I hope you'll join in! Ok, that's all for the beachcast…just stay tuned - I hope to have the first episode out later in July, Lord willing and the Creek don't rise.  Oh yeah, by the way - the first episode of InterestingPOD, which will drop later this week, is about the Bolton Strid. If you don't know what that is, you will soon, but I'll just tell you it's one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the entire world, and is supposed to have a 100 percent fatality rate for anybody who falls in, even though it mostly looks like a regular river. But buddy, it's anything but regular. Before I play the trailer for the upcoming podcast, let me play a clip from a song about the Bolton Strid from a band we "commissioned" for the first episode of InterestingPOD. (each episode will have its own song!) The band is local to Bolton, in Northern England where you'll find the Strid, and they're called the Bolton Bardeaters. Here's their song about the Strid, which features lyrics by Friend of the Show William Wordsworth. Buckle up…it hits hard.   

Search for "Interestingpod" on Apple Podcasts, or just go to www.InterestingPod.com to subscribe!  BEACHcast podcast coming SOON - Stay tuned! 

The following podcast is from a school project that I am working on in pursuit of a doctoral degree in counseling. This will likely be a pilot episode of a future podcast that is planned to release sometime in the Fall of 2023, but potentially under a new name. Stay tuned, or write Chaseathompson@gmail.com with questions or updates.  Today we discuss whether or not Christians can be depressed and discover a whole slew of famous people - Christian and otherwise - who have struggled deeply with depression. We also discuss ways to wrestle with and overcome depressive episodes. 

Abortion: the most controversial issue in America. Though the Bible doesn't use the word "abortion," the Bible most certainly speaks to the topic. Does the Bible teach that the unborn are persons? Is there scientific or philosophical evidence that could indicate the unborn are persons? Today we look at abortion through the lens of the Bible.

In part two of our interview with Mike Licona, we discuss his seven hour debate with religion scholar and skeptic Dr. Bart Ehrman. What caused Ehrman to abandon his faith and become an aggressive critic of Christianity? Dr. Licona also shares how he discusses faith and the resurrection of Jesus with skeptics and strangers.

Today we interview best-selling author Dr. Mike Licona - a Youtuber and college professor who specializes in the resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Licona went through a long period of doubt - while in seminary! - and came through the other side convinced that Jesus historically rose from the dead. How did that transformation happen? Dr. Licona also discusses his relationship with his mentor Dr. Gary Habermas, probably the foremost expert on the resurrection in the world.

What is the most important way to live your life, according to Jesus? In this episode, we look at the life and habits of Mary of Bethany - a woman commended by Jesus. We contrast her with the irritability and anxiousness of her sister, Martha. How is it that Mary was praised by Jesus, while Martha was so disturbed and short-tempered? 

Over the last ten years, the United States has averaged MORE than one mass-shooting event PER DAY. How should Christians react to such violence? Should Christians loudly show their support for guns and gun ownership, or does God's Word call us in a different direction?

Does unanswered prayer prove that God doesn't care? How is it that a good God, who listens to and loves His people, sometimes doesn't answer their prayers? Unanswered prayer is an issue addressed throughout the Bible, and we will discuss several reasons prayers go unanswered. Today we also discuss how noted Bible scholar Bart Ehrman lost his faith, the origin of Thor's enemy Gorr, and what both have to do with unanswered prayer.

One question that Christians don't talk about enough is HOW should we actually study our Bibles? Should we read them cover to cover, starting at the beginning? Should we follow a Bible reading plan? Should we spend more time in the Old Testament or New Testament? Today we discuss Dr. Sean McDowell's Bible reading plan and its merits. We also discuss what percentage of the Bible is Old Testament vs New, and how that should inform our Bible reading decisions.

Today we discuss a question that probably isn't asked enough: Do all parts of the Bible have equal importance? Are there some chapters, or verses, or even books that are more important than others? Interestingly, as Jesus Himself will tell us - some parts of the Bible are indeed more important than others, and knowing this will better prepare us to study the Bible in a more advantageous way.

Apologist and author Lonny Robison joins us to discuss interacting with skeptics, atheists and anti-theists (?) on the internet. Is that a fruitful and wise activity? We also discuss Dr. Craig Keener's massive work on miracles, recounting testimonies of people healed of migraines, holes in their hearts, and even an older lady who was enabled to walk again after years in a wheelchair! What do all of these miracles mean, and can they be used as evidence to prove biblical accounts to skeptics?

In part 2 of our interview with New Testament scholar and best-selling author Craig Keener, we discuss how modern-day miracles demonstrate how reliable the Bible is. Dr. Keener shares with us the mind-blowing story of how Barbara Cummiskey was healed of multiple issues after doctors sent her home to die. Multiple doctors and nurses are eyewitnesses of this incredible healing, and Dr. Keener will tell us all about it. We also discuss how Christians today might themselves experience more miracles. 

On this first episode of the Deep Questions Pod, our guest is Dr. Craig Keener, author of Miracles Today, and a two-volume (1200 page!) scholarly work on Miracles. Dr. Keener is a New Testament scholar, prolific author, and without a doubt, the foremost authority in the world on miracles in history, and modern miracles. Dr. Keener shares some amazing miracles stories today, including some that he personally witnessed and experienced! He also shares about his writing career, how he wrote his four-volume (4,400 page!) commentary on the book of Acts, and how he met his wife Medine, who was a refugee in Congo for 18 months. An absolutely fascinating interview - be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you can hear part two, coming in the next episode. 

This is a short trailer for the Deep Questions podcast - visit the show's website at www.Deepquestionspod.com! This is the Deep Questions Podcast, and I'm your host, Chase Thompson, a pastor and writer in Salinas, California.  On the Deep Questions pod, we want to dive into the deepest Spiritual questions that humans have: Is the Bible reliable? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Why are some churches and Christians toxic?  Was there a conspiracy in the early church to change the Bible and transform a humble carpenter into the Son of God? Is the Shroud of Turin a Hoax, or the genuine burial Shroud of Jesus?  That's just a sample of the questions we will tackle. Like I said, I'm Chase, and I've been podcasting since 2005. I'm also a writer, and the pastor of Valley Baptist church, in Salinas, California. I've got five kids and a lovely wife named Janet, and all of us originally hail from Birmingham, Alabama. If you want to get in touch with me with a question for the show, or a comment, then please go to our website, www.Deepquestionspod.com and hit the contact form there. I especially love to hear from critics, atheists and skeptics - even snarky ones, because I love critics, skeptics and atheists!  You can also find me on social media - chaseathompson on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

Jesus sends His disciples out on the Great Commission to tell the Word about His death, resurrection and teachings, but FIRST, He tells them to WAIT in Jerusalem until they are clothed in power from the Holy Spirit - what does this mean?