Restitutio

Scholars and pastors regularly point to specialized "technical" language in Paul's epistles to make the case that Paul was intentionally subverting Roman power by applying to Jesus terms that the ancients commonly applied to the Caesars. My guest today has done the hard work of analyzing the inscriptions, coins, and material remains of several key ancient cities to see how they talked about the Roman emperors in the New Testament period. In our conversation he shares his own journey to become an independent scholar as well as how his research offers a corrective to what many are saying about imperial divine honors. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErL9D90JL7k —— Links —— More about Clint Burnett here Check out his book Paul & Imperial Divine Honors Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean's bio here

Something is going on in New Zealand...and I'm excited to tell you about it. In today's interview I speak with Zach Mayo who along with his wife, Kayla, were serving as youth pastors at an evangelical church when they came to change their minds on the doctrine of the Trinity. Now they're organizing a conference to unite one-God believers in New Zealand and invite folks from Australia and beyond to come. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/U27POf3dKnI —— Links —— To register for the upcoming conference, use this link Get in touch with Zach Mayo at zkmayo@outlook.com See other testimonies of people who left the Trinity and came to believe in the biblical unitarian Jesus Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean's bio here

Kermit Zarley was a professional golfer who had an interest in studying the Bible about the end times when he came across a disturbing verse. Reading Jesus's words in the Olivet Discourse, he noticed that only the Father knew the day and hour of the end. Neither the angels nor the son of God were privy to it. As a good trinitarian evangelical, Zarley was familiar with the dual natures idea, but just couldn't square that with the scripture. If Jesus was God in his being, he knew everything. Why did he say he didn't know the time of the end? Surely, Jesus couldn't be lying! This conundrum set Zarley down a path of research and investigation for many years until he slowly uncovered a different way of understanding Christ. Although he knew going public with his new belief would result in ostracism and rejection, he went ahead with it anyhow. This is his story. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/3bZ7t2Z-ql8 —— Links —— Take a listen to my previous interview with "Servetus the Evangelical" from 2009 Get in touch with Kermit at kermitzarley.com Read his blog at Patheos Check out his books on Amazon See other testimonies of people who left the Trinity and came to believe in the biblical unitarian Jesus Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean's bio here

From her childhood in a Jewish family to a 7-year stint with the Jehovah's Witnesses to attending evangelical churches, Susanne Lakin never felt comfortable with the doctrine of the Trinity. She signed up to attend Phoenix Seminary, a conservative evangelical school, thinking they would help her finally get to the bottom of it. She was willing to agree to the idea, thinking, surely, studying with scholars like Wayne Grudem, the prince of evangelical systematic theology, would answer her questions and settle the issue for her once and for all. Amazingly, the opposite happened. This is her story. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/W35IRYHjfP8 —— Links —— Get in touch with Susanne at livewritethrive.com Check out her theological book about annihilationism: Hell No Get Leeland Ryken's book, God's Word in English See other testimonies of people who left the Trinity and came to believe in the biblical unitarian Jesus Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read Sean's bio here

This is part 18 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. What tools can help you understand the bible better? Today we'll cover some recommended resources for you to deepen your study of the scriptures, including bible dictionaries, commentaries, bible software, AI, and more. Of course, it's impossible to cover everything in a reasonable time frame, so I'll just recommend two or three of each resource type, focusing primarily on tools that I personally have and use regularly. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJOFFIkNdUg&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=18 —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 18 Helpful Tools to Understand the Bible Why do we need extra-biblical tools to help us understand the Bible? Different geography Different history Different cultures (ancient Near Eastern, first-century Jewish, Greco-Roman) Different economics Different literacy rates Different scientific and philosophical knowledge Bible Dictionaries International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000) Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2015) The IVP Bible Dictionary Series Dictionary of OT: Pentateuch (2002) Dictionary of OT: Historical Books (2005) Dictionary of OT: Wisdom, Poetry, & Writings (2008) Dictionary of OT: Prophets (2012) Dictionary of NT Background (2000) Dictionary of Jesus & Gospels (2013) Dictionary of Paul & Letters (2023) Dictionary of the Later NT (1997) Commentaries Fee & Stuart: “Jesus says, ‘…It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ You will sometimes hear it said that there was a gate in Jerusalem known as the “Needle’s Eye,” which camels could go through only by kneeling, and with great difficulty. The point of this “interpretation” is that a camel could in fact go through the “Needle’s Eye.” The trouble with this “exegesis,” however, is that it is simply not true. There never was such a gate in Jerusalem at any time in its history. The earliest known “evidence” for this idea is found in the eleventh century(!) in a commentary by a Greek churchman named Theophylact, who had the same difficulty with the text that many later readers do. After all, it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, and that was precisely Jesus’ point. It is impossible for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom. It takes a miracle for a rich person to get saved…”[1] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary (ZIBBC - 10 vols.) New International Commentary (NICOT - 30 vols.; NICNT - 20 vols.) New International Greek Testament Commentary (NIGTC - 12 vols.) The New Testament for Everyone by N. T. Wright (18 vols.) Bible Project Videos Book Overviews (OT - 39 videos; NT - 26 videos) How to Read the Bible (19 videos) Themes (41 videos) Word Studies (21 videos) Many more at com/explore/ Software Lots of translations Original language resources Cross-references Outlines Search tools Accordance & Logos Search Tools Artificial intelligence chat bots (openai.com) Crowd sourced websites (info/topics) Review Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias provide short articles on places, individuals, and topics in the Bible. Older and free research tools sometimes contain inaccuracies that more recent scholarship has overturned or updated. A good commentary tells you the options for interpreting a verse, reasons for each of those options, and a suggestion for which one makes the most sense. The Bible Project's book overview videos are really helpful to get a general understanding of a book of the Bible. Bible software on PCs, tablets, and phones provide worldclass research tools to help you study scripture. When searching for a phrase, a topic, or something specific, you can use a Bible app, openbible.info, or AI. [1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014). p. 29.

This is part 17 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. After reviewing the resources you can use to learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, we delve into the sources that translators use for their work. Next, we'll look at translation philosophies, including formal and dynamic equivalence. Lastly we'll cover the controversial issues of gender accuracy and translation bias. Over all, this episode should give you a nice introduction to a deep answer for what translations you should use and why. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsxuNfkTt-U&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=18 —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— 17 How to Choose a Bible Translation Translation basics Fee & Stuart: “Your Bible, whatever translation you use, which is your beginning point, is in fact the end result of much scholarly work. Translators are regularly called upon to make choices regarding meanings, and their choices are going to affect how you”[1] “Every translation is a commentary” -Lee Brice The Bible is in three languages. Hebrew: Old Testament except the Aramaic part Nearly 99% of the OT (22,945 of 23,213 verses) Aramaic: half of Daniel and two passages in Ezra Daniel 2.4b-7.28; Ezra 4.8-6.18; 7.12-26 About 1% of the OT (268 of 23,213 verses) Greek: New Testament (all 7,968 verses) How to begin learning Hebrew or Greek Immersion program in Israel or Greece Whole Word Institute offers a 9-month program. In-person college class (usually 2 semesters) Local colleges, RTS offers an 8-week summer program. In-person classes at a Jewish synagogue or Greek church or community center Online program with live instructor Biblical Language Center, Liberty University, etc. Digital program with pre-recordings Aleph with Beth (YouTube), Bill Mounce’s DVD course, etc. How to improve your existing knowledge of Hebrew or Greek Reading group in-person or online Read a portion each week together. Daily dose of Hebrew/Greek/Aramaic Daily YouTube videos of one verse each (email list) Read every day. Read the Bible; read devotionals; read comic books (Glossa House produces great resources) Watch modern Hebrew and Greek shows. Izzy is like Netflix for Israel/Hebrew Greece has lots of channels streaming online. Translation process (1 Timothy 2:5 example) Greek New Testament (NA28)Εἷς γὰρ θεός, εἷς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς Literal translationOne for god, one and mediator of god and men,man Christ Jesus Finished translationFor (there is) one God, and (there is) one mediator between God and mankind, (the) man Christ Jesus. New Testament critical editions Nestle Aland 28th Edition (NA28) based on the Editio Critica Maior (ECM), which employs the coherence based genealogical method (CBGM) Tyndale House Greek New Testament (THGNT) prioritizes trusted physical manuscripts over the CBGM. Old Testament critical editions Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and the partially completed Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ) print the Leningrad Codex in the main text, but include alternative readings in the footnotes. Hebrew Bible Critical Edition (HBCE) by Ronald Mendel is a project of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) to develop a critical edition. Resources to see decisions about alternative readings NET Bible (accessible here) New Testament Text and Commentary by Philip Comfort A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament by Bruce Metzger Formal equivalence translation philosophy Fee & Strauss: “If the Greek or Hebrew text uses an infinitive, the English translation will use an infinitive. When the Greek or Hebrew has a prepositional phrase, so will the English…The goal of this translational theory is formal correspondence as much as possible.”[2] Ron Rhodes: “Formal equivalence translations can also be trusted not to mix too much commentary in with the text derived from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. To clarify, while all translation entails some interpretation, formal equivalence translations keep to a minimum in intermingling interpretive additives into the text.  As one scholar put it, ‘An essentially literal translation operates on the premise that a translator is a steward of what someone else has written, not an editor and exegete who needs to explain or correct what someone else has written.’”[3] Dynamic equivalence translation philosophy Ron Rhodes: “Dynamic equivalence translations generally use shorter words, shorter sentences, and shorter paragraphs. They use easy vocabulary and use simple substitutes for theological and cultural terminology.  They often convert culturally dependent figures of speech into easy, direct statements.  They seek to avoid ambiguity as well as biblical jargon in favor of a natural English style. Translators concentrate on transferring meaning rather than mere words from one language to another.”[4] Formal vs. dynamic comparison Formal Equivalence Dynamic Equivalence Formal Correspondence Functional Equivalence Word for Word Thought for Thought Literal Readable Transparent to Originals Replicates Experience Transfer Interpretation Interpretation Built In Accurate Easy to Understand Formal equivalence Bibles ESV: English Standard Version NASB: New American Standard Bible LSB: Legacy Standard Bible NRSV: New Revised Standard Version HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible Gender Accuracy[5] “Man” used to mean “men and women” “Men” used to mean “men and women” “he” used to mean “he or she” Translations are changing with the changes in the English language so that female readers recognize the relevance of scripture to them See Eph 4:28; Mat 11:15; etc. Combatting bias To combat bias, look at translations from different thought camps. Evangelical: NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, NET, CSB, HCSB, LEB MSG, Passion, Amplified, LSB, CEV, TEV/GNT, NCV, NIrV Jewish: JPS, KJB, Stone, Robert Altar, Shocken Catholic: NABRE, NAB, RNJB, NJB, JB, Douay-Rheims Mainline: NRSV, NEB, RSV, ASV, KJV Unitarian: REV, NWT, Diaglott, KGV, Buzzard, NEV Review If you can, learn the biblical languages so you can read the actual words of scripture rather than depending on a translation. Translations of the New Testament depend on the Greek critical text known as the Nestle Aland 28th edition (NA28). Translations of the Old Testament depend on the Leningrad Codex, which is printed in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and the partially complete Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ). In addition, translators of the Old Testament are expected to look through the footnotes and commentary in these resources to judge readings from other sources. Over generations, textual critics have developed strategies and computer tools to more closely approximate the original text. As a result, newer critical texts contain reconstructions of an older stage of the text. Translation is the art of rendering a source text into a receptor language accurately. Formal equivalence translations focus on transparency to the source text and a minimum of added interpretation. Dynamic equivalence translations focus on readability in the receptor language. They seek clarity over ambiguity. Formal equivalence translations are safer, because they leave it up to the reader to figure out what a text means. However, they can contain awkward English and be difficult to read. Gender accuracy refers to the translation practice of including the feminine when a hypothetical singular masculine pronoun can refer to either sex or when masculine plurals include both genders. Bias is intrinsic to translation, especially with reference to doctrines that are widely held by committee members. The best way to expose and combat bias is to check translations from different thought camps. Although evangelical translations are better known, checking Jewish, mainline, Catholic, and unitarian translations provides a helpful corrective. [1] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 23. [2] Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), p. 26. [3] Ron Rhodes, The Complete Guide to Bible Translations (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2009), p. 30.  Quotation from Leland Ryken, Choosing a Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2005), p. 27. [4] Ron Rhodes, The Complete Guide to Bible Translations (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2009), pp. 32-33. [5] For a much deeper dive into this interesting topic, see session 15 from How We Got the Bible: Gender in Bible Translation, available on lhim.org or on YouTube.

This is part 16 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Revelation is a complicated book of the Bible. It contains some of the most incredible and awe-inspiring descriptions of God's throne room and the final paradise on earth. It also describes sinister mayhem, wanton destruction, and toe-curling persecution. How can we make sense of it? In today's episode we'll go over the basics of authorship, audience, occasion, and purpose. Then we'll explore how Revelation uses visionary symbols to convey truth. Lastly, we'll go over five interpretive lenses through which you can understand the timing of the events in Revelation. We may not settle every issue, but my hope is that this overview will at least prepare you to read Revelation for yourself. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/98OFG5OSjNE?si=jcN6wZnbeqavNFRi —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— How to Read Revelation Authorship John is the author. (Rev 1:1-2) It is hard to say if this was the same John who wrote the Gospel of John and the Epistles. Later Christians generally believed Revelation was by the same John. The style, vocabulary, and themes are completely different. John was exiled to the island of Patmos because of his faith. (Rev 1:9) “The Roman government, beginning with the emperor Nero, no longer considered Christianity as a sect of Judaism, which was a legal religion in the empire. Instead, Rome began to view it as an undesirable foreign cult that was a menace to society. John’s testimony about Jesus Christ was viewed as a political crime and hence punishable under Roman law. His suffering was the price paid for obeying a different King and testifying to a different Lord.”[1] Audience Rev 1:10 says John wrote to seven churches in the province of Asia Minor (western Turkey). These churches were in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Occasion Ephesus: enduring well, not growing weary, having discerned false apostles well, not loving Smyrna: afflicted, in poverty, slandered by Jews, facing imprisonment, and martyrdom Pergamum: holding fast, though Antipas martyred, tempted with sexual immorality and idolatry Thyatira: loving, faithful, serving, enduring, tempted with sexual immorality and idolatry Sardis: spiritually lethargic, lack vigilance Philadelphia: keeping faithful despite opposition Laodicea: arrogant, wealthy, complacent Did John learn what was going on in these churches? Was that why he wrote? Revelation is so visionary, it’s more likely that God prompted John by giving him these visions than that he wrote to detail with specific situations like many of Paul’s epistles. Purpose Encourage churches to endure through persecution as well as to correct them Revelation both threatens and encourages. Mode Symbols dominate the visions in Revelation (Rev 1:12-20) The seven golden lampstands = the seven churches (Rev 1:12, 20) The great red dragon = the devil = Satan = the ancient serpent (Rev 12:3, 9) Lake of fire that torments day and night = the second death (Rev 20:10; 21:8) The symbols in John’s visions are like political cartoons. “Someone has drawn an analogy between the symbolism of Revelation and political cartoons in our culture, in which pictures represent a reality. They are not to be taken literally, but they are to be taken as pointing to a reality. …So, for instance, I ask my student to imagine a political cartoon in which there is a wagon full of money with ropes tied to both ends of the wagon. An elephant is pulling in one direction, and a donkey is pulling in another. I ask them, ‘Who in the room thinks that somewhere in America there is a literal elephant and a literal donkey fighting over a wagon full of money?’ No one does, and I ask them, ‘What does this represent?’ and they all know exactly what it represents because they are familiar with Republicans and Democrats in our political system. The picture is symbolic, but it points to a real situation in the world.”[2] The seven heads = seven mountains (Rev 17:9) “At the outset, the angel identifies the seven heads with “seven mountains,” a phrase often used for Rome in the ancient world because it was built on seven hills (see Cicero, 6.5; Pliny, Nat. Hist. 3.66–67; et al.; see Swete 1911: 220 for others). The city began with an amalgamation of groups living on the seven hills (Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Equiline, Palatine, Quirinal, Viminal), and during Domitian’s reign a festival (the Septimontium) celebrated it. ”[3] Genre Revelation is an apocalypse, an unveiling. It peels back the curtain of reality to reveal God’s perspective. Apocalyptic literature employs fantasy imagery to reveal truths about current and future realities. Structure Ch 1  Intro Ch 2-3 Seven letters to seven churches Ch 4-5 Throne room Ch 6-7 Seven seals Ch 8-11 Seven trumpets Ch 12-13 Dragon and the beast Ch 14 The 144,000 Ch 15-16 Seven bowls of wrath Ch 17-18  Judgement on Babylon Ch 19 Coming of Christ; Armageddon Ch 20 Millennium Ch 21-22:5 Paradise on earth Ch 22:6-21 Final exhortations Interpretive lenses Roman Empire (preterist): the visions have already all or partially been fulfilled in the past. “Our difficulties lie with that other phenomenon of prophecy, namely that the “temporal” word is often so closely tied to the final eschatological realities. This is especially true in the book of Revelation. The fall of Rome in chapter 18 seems to appear as the first chapter in the final wrap-up, and many of the pictures of “temporal” judgment are interlaced with words or ideas that also imply the final end as part of the picture. There seems to be no way one can deny the reality of this.”[4] Church History (historicist): Looks for fulfillment in the history of the church during the Roman Empire and afterwards Future Empire (futurist): Sees visions as pertaining to the future Struggles with timing statements “The time is near” (Rev 1:3) “I am coming soon” (Rev 3:11) “He knows that his time is short” (Rev 12:12) “See, I am coming soon” (Rev 22:7) “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Rev 22:10) “See, I am coming soon” (Rev 22:12) “Surely I am coming soon” (Rev 22:20) Allegory: Interprets allegorically as the ongoing struggle between good and evil Two Horizons: Combine both Roman Empire and future empire views Encouragement Revelation contains a blessing for readers. (Rev 1:3) In the end, God wins. (Rev 21:3-4; 22:3-5) Review It's important to remember that John wrote Revelation within the realm of the Roman Empire when persecution from the government was a real threat. He was likely in exile on Patmos. John addressed the churches in Asia Minor, a province of the Roman Empire in western Turkey. Much like political cartoons, it is essential to recognize the distinction between the symbols in Revelation and the reality to which they point. Revelation is an apocalypse or an unveiling of God's perspective on current and future events. Preterists teach that the visions of Revelation, such as the seals, trumpets, and bowls refer to events that took place in the Roman Empire. Historicists see these same visions unfolding throughout the history of the church. Futurists believe these visions pertain to a future time when they will play out as described in Revelation. The two horizons view sees fulfillment in the Roman Empire, which foreshadows the future fulfillment at the end, just prior to Christ’s return. Revelation contains many terrifying visions of human suffering and death, but also it has hope for the future when God makes everything wrong with the world right. [1] Mark L. Wilson, Revelation, vol. 4, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, vol. Hebrews to Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002). [2] George H. Guthrie, Read the Bible for Life (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), 207. [3]Osborne, Grant R. Revelation Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament Accordance electronic edition, version 1.0. Baker Academic: 2002, Grand Rapids. [4] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 271-2.

This is part 15 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. In previous episodes, we've looked at Paul's church epistles and pastoral epistles. Today we move into the third section of epistles in the New Testament--the general epistles. Instead of surveying each of the eight general epistles, we'll just focus on two: Hebrews and 1 John. We'll ask about author, audience, occasion, purpose, and mode for each. Going through these two will hopefully provide you with helpful examples to enable you to read these epistles more fruitfully on your own. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/alXkHkkhn_w —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— The General Epistles Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude Some consider Hebrews to be Pauline, but even if Paul wrote it, it’s not to a church or a pastor, so it still fits as a general epistle 2 John and 3 John are technical to specific individuals and thus not general epistles Hebrews Authorship Evidence for Paul Associated with Timothy and Rome (Heb 13:23-24) Pauline themes Evidence against Paul Non-Pauline themes Ancient uncertainty (Origen, Eusebius, etc.) Non-standard opening Not an eyewitness (Heb 2:3) Daniel Wallace suggested Barnabas with help from Apollos. Audience As title indicates, the audience was Jewish. Persecuted (Heb 10:32-36) Occasion Became aware of some falling away from faith (Heb 3:6; 4:14; 6:4-6; 10:23, 26-27) Concern that they will return to Judaism Purpose Convince Jewish Christians to endure in the faith instead of falling away (presumably back into Judaism) Mode Show that Jesus is better Ch 1: Jesus as God’s promised Messiah is better than the angels who gave the Law. Ch 2:  Jesus’ salvation is better b/c he is human. Ch 3:  Jesus is better than Moses. Ch 7: Jesus’ priesthood is better than Aaron’s. Ch 8:  Jesus’ covenant is better than the old covenant b/c it has better promises. Ch 9:  Jesus’ heavenly priestly service is better than the priests serving at the temple on earth. Ch 10:  Jesus’ sacrifice is better than animal sacrifices. Ch 11: The unshakable Mt. Zion covenant is better than the covenant at Mt. Sinai. Overall rhetorical effect to ask, “Why in the world would Christ-followers want to downgrade to Judaism after they’ve tasted something so much better?” 1 John Authorship No author in the document itself (1 John 1:1) Early Christians refer to this letter as written by John Irenaeus (a.d. 180) attributed the Gospel of John and 1 John to “John, the disciple of the Lord”[1] Later Christians agreed, including Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and the Muratorian Canon Eusebius says, “But of John’s writings, in addition to the Gospel, the first of the letters is unambiguously accepted [as genuine] both by people today and by the ancients” (H.E. 3.24.17)[2] Definitely the same John who wrote the Gospel of John (John the Apostle) Same vocabulary and writing style Audience Christians that John is worried about Occasion: concern over rogue Christians “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us” (1 John 2:19). They are trying to deceive the regular Christians (2:26; 3:7). Many false prophets have gone out (4:1). They are denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:22). They may have been teaching that sin is ok (3:7-10). Purpose Equip Christians to discern and resist false teachings Encourage them to Live righteously Believe correctly about Jesus Love one another Mode Christology “Confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (4:2) “Testify that the Father has sent his son as the savior of the world” (4:14). “Confess that Jesus is the son of God” (4:15) “Believes that Jesus is the Christ” (5:1) “Believes that Jesus is the son of God” (5:5) “Believes in the son of God” (5:10) “Life is in his son” (5:11) “Believe in the name of the son of God” (5:13) Behavior (1 John 3:7-10) “It is unlikely that John has in mind absolute sinless perfection, since earlier he has denounced those who say they are without sin (1:8, 10). Rather, John has in mind the blatant sinning to which those who have left the community have fallen prey (2:19). In view of the letter as a whole, such sinning probably involves denial of Christ’s human nature (4:2-3; theological lapse), flaunting of God’s (or Christ’s) commands (2:4; ethical lapse), failure to love (4:20; relational lapse), or some combination of these grave errors.”[3] Many appeals to live righteously (1 John 1:.5-6; 2:1-6; 3:4-10, 23-24; 5:18) Live differently than the world (1 John 2:15-17; 3:1, 13; 4:4-6; 5:4-5, 19) Love your brother/sister in Christ (1 John 2:10-11; 3:11, 14-18; 4:7-12, 16-21; 5:1-3) Review General epistles are for Christians in general rather than a specific church or person. In order to understand the general epistles, it's helpful to figure out authorship, audience, occasion, purpose, and mode. Authorship is explicit for James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude, but takes some work to figure out for Hebrews and 1-3 John. Hebrews was probably not written by Paul but by someone who spent time with him like Priscilla, Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos. Audience and occasion are often intertwined and determinable by gleaning bits of historical information from the epistles themselves. As you read, ask yourself, "Who was the original audience?" and "What was going on with them?" To discern the purpose, ask, "What is the author's main goal in this epistle?" Mode is answering the question, "How does the author go about achieving his purpose?" Once you've figured out the author, audience, occasion, purpose, and mode, understanding the rest of the epistle's particulars is much easier. [1] Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.16.5, 8. ANF translation. [2] Eusebius, 148. [3] Yarbrough, Robert. “1 John” in Hebrews to Revelation, vol 4 of ZIBBCNT, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 176-212.

This is part 14 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Pastoral Epistles are letters to church leaders, instructing them how churches should function. Though they are not well read by most Christians today, they remain authoritative for pastors, elders, and deacons. Today we'll cover 1-2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. We'll explore the major theme of how the church should be a well-run household where godliness prevails. Additionally, we'll consider qualifications for leadership, warnings against false teachers, and the incredible importance of sound teaching. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-zdww6-Udk&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=14&t=1004s&pp=iAQB —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— The Pastoral Epistles 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon Philemon is not always included as a pastoral Epistle since it only deals with a specific issue regarding a single person. Household Paul employs the metaphor of a household in the pastorals to illustrate the order he’d like to see in the churches (1 Tim 3:14-15). ZIBBC: “In Xenophon’s essay, the husband instructs his fourteen-year-old bride (the average age for marriage among Greek and Roman girls was fourteen to sixteen) on her vital role in managing the household resources, including the care and supervision of household slaves, while he supervised the gathering of produce from the farms. Because of the presence of slaves and freedmen in an average ancient household, management of sometimes large households could be demanding.”[1] Lynn Cohick: “The family in the Greco-Roman world valued the community over the individual and promoted corporate honor and fortune. Those living in the domus (“home”) included parents and children, and perhaps extended family, such as adult siblings, cousins, and grandparents, as well as slaves, freedmen, and freedwomen. Each individual had a specific status within the home, and each family member deemed the social status of the family, including its wealth and social prestige, as of equal or greater value than their personal happiness.”[2] Paul is concerned for how outsiders will perceive the churches (1 Tim 3:7). Everyone has a place and a role. Men's role (1 Tim 2:8), older men (Tit 2:2), younger men (Tit 2:6-8). Women's role (1 Tim 2:9-15), older women (Tit 2:3), younger (Tit 2:4-5) Respect elders (1 Tim 5:1-2, 17-19). Young widows should marry (1 Tim 5:11-15). Take care of your own family (1 Tim 5:7-8, 16). Support real widows (1 Tim 5:3-6, 9-10). Slaves obey & submit (1 Tim 6:2; T 2:9-10) Rich be humble/generous (1 Tim 6:18-19) Godliness (Eusebia) 1 Tim 4:7-8; Tit 2:11-12 (See also 1 Tim 2:1-2; 5:4.) Translated “godliness” but has nothing to do with being like God or imitating God. Showing expected reverence Piety (Latin = pietas) Pious, reverent, dutiful Shown not just to God (or gods) but also to the city and to one’s household Church Leadership Overseer’s qualifications (1 Tim 3:2-7; T 1:7-9) Elders’ qualifications (Tit 1:6) Deacon's qualifications (1 Tim 3:8-13) Standards are high for service in the church. Overseers must manage their own households well (1 Tim 3:4-5). Warnings Against False Teachers Some strange Jewish teachings (1 Tim 1:4, 6-7; Tit 1:10-11, 14) Asceticism (1 Tim 4:1, 3) Proto-gnostics (1 Tim 6:20) Unlabeled false teachings (2 Tim 2:14, 16, 23, 25; Tit 3:9) Warn those who cause divisions (twice), then have nothing more to do with them (Tit 3:10-11) Names individuals: Hymenaeus & Alexander (1 Tim 1:20), Phygelus & Hermogenes (2 Tim 1:15), Hymenaeus & Philetus (2 Tim 2:17-18), Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim 4:14) Sound Teaching (Healthy Doctrine) Sin is when you live contrary to healthy doctrine (ὑγιαινούση διδασκαλία) (1 Tim 1:10). Sound teaching nourishes you (1 Tim 4:6). Encouraged to hold the standard of sound teaching (2 Tim 1:13) “People will not put up with sound teaching” (2 Tim 4:3). “Rebuke them sharply, so that they become sound in the faith” (Tit 1:14). “Teach what is consistent with sound instruction” (Tit 2:1). Reading the Pastoral Epistles Mostly focused on church leadership Church leaders NEED to read them. The pastorals tell us who is qualified and who is disqualified for church leadership. It’s good for everyone to know what they say so you can hold your leaders accountable. Philemon Philemon was a wealthy Christian leader who had a house church. His slave, Onesimus, ran away and later became a Christian. Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, asking Philemon to treat him as a brother. This Epistle is a masterful piece of rhetoric, Paul at his finest. Ben Witherington III calls Philemon the emancipation proclamation of the NT. Review Paul wrote the pastoral Epistles toward the end of his life. The metaphor of a household illustrates how the churches should function. Everyone should play their role according to their duty, whether men or women or elderly or young. Godliness is a major concept in the pastoral Epistles. It refers to performing your duty with proper honor. It's important that Christians live respectfully and with proper dignity before a watching and suspicious world. The pastoral Epistles include clear qualifications for church leaders, including that they manage their own households well. The churches in Ephesus and Crete were beset with false teachers from both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. Paul encourages Timothy and Titus to adhere to sound teaching (healthy doctrine), so that people will escape the dangers of false teachers. Philemon was a wealthy church leader who managed a household that included slaves. Paul sent Philemon his runaway slave, instructing him to accept Onesimus as a brother. Paul told Philemon to charge any debt Onesimus owed him to his account. Such a request radically reconfigured social norms in a way that undermined the system of slavery. [1]Baugh, S. M. “1 Timothy” in Romans to Philemon, vol. 3 of ZIBBCNT-5, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 444-478. [2] Lynn H. Cohick, "Women, Children, and Families in the Greco-Roman World," in The World of the New Testament, ed. Lee McDonald Joel Green (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 179.

This is part 13 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Before getting to the Church Epistles, we'll begin with an overview of how letters were written, read, and performed. Then we'll see how they are arranged in our Bibles. We'll spend a good deal of time talking about occasion. Why did Paul write each letter? What was going on that prompted him to initiate the expensive and elaborate process of writing to them? Lastly, we'll briefly consider how to apply what we read to our lives. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg3tInZU9JY&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=13&pp=iAQB —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Letters in the First Century Letters written on papyrus with ink by a professional scribe (amanuensis) Though most letters that have survived from the ancient world were short and to the point, Paul’s Epistles are extremely long. Because there was no postal system, someone had to carry the letter to its destination. Upon arrival, most people couldn’t read, so a professional would need to read it aloud. This was difficult because there were no chapters, verses, paragraphs, punctuation, or spaces between words (scriptio continua). Name Greek Words English Words Verses Chapters Romans 7113 9506 432 16 1 Corinthians 6832 9532 437 16 2 Corinthians 4480 6160 257 13 Galatians 2232 3227 149 6 Ephesians 2424 3047 155 6 Philippians 1631 2261 104 4 Colossians 1583 1993 95 4 1 Thessalonians 1484 1908 89 5 2 Thessalonians 826 1065 47 3 Church Epistles in Chronological Order Galatians 48 1 Thessalonians 49-51 2 Thessalonians 49-51 1 Corinthians 53-55 2 Corinthians 53-55 Romans 57 Philippians 62 Colossians 62 Ephesians 62 Developing Your Knowledge of the Greco-Roman World Get background books like The World of the New Testament by Green and McDonald and Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Background Commentary by Clinton Arnold. Read the literature that has survived. Hundreds of volumes are available in the Loeb Classical Library. Learn about archeology in the Mediterranean world around the time of Christ (Biblical Archeological Review). Take a tour to visit the sites in Greece and Turkey (Spirit and Truth International). Study the geography of the region on maps that show the correct place names for the first century. Deciphering the Occasion Each letter arose out of a specific circumstance. What was going on among the Christians in that city that caused Paul to write? Galatians: Judaizers had visited churches Paul founded, telling people they needed to follow the law of Moses. 1 Corinthians: Chloe sent word of divisions in Corinth; Paul also received a letter asking specific questions. 2 Corinthians: false teachers had ensconced themselves in Corinth who criticized and undermined Paul. Philippians: Epaphroditus brought Paul financial assistance from Philippi. Reading the Church Epistles The first time through, just get your bearings. Read for scope. What’s going on in that church? What’s going on in that city? What are their concerns? What are the doctrinal errors that Paul is correcting? The second time through, read more slowly, paying attention to major units of thought (usually paragraphs). Ask yourself how each section contributes to the whole. Sometimes it is difficult to understand a particular sentence or phrase. 1 Cor 15:29  “baptism on behalf of the dead” 1 Cor 11:10 “because of the angels” No one understands everything. It’s more important to get the main point than understand every little nuance. Form of ancient letters[1] Author(s) Recipient(s) Greeting Prayer/thanksgiving Content Final greeting(s) and farewell Content Section These Epistles are loaded with theology and practical application. Not systematic theologies, neatly organized Rather, they move from topic to topic based on the need of the congregation, oftentimes based on a previous (now lost) letter or communication they made to Paul. Romans and Ephesians come closest to laying out a theological system. Application What is Paul asking them to do? Are my particulars similar enough to say this instruction applies to me as well? How much of what he said is culturally conditioned? Can I derive a principle that applies in general today? Review Sending long letters in the Roman world was expensive and difficult due to the cost of materials, the skill required to write, and the need to have someone carry and read your letter aloud to the recipients. Paul sent the Church Epistles to Christian churches living in major Greco-Roman cities. We know much about the culture, politics, and geography of these cities due to surviving literature, archeological discoveries, and the ability to travel to them. Deciphering the occasion for which Paul wrote is the single most beneficial piece of information to help you understand an Epistle’s overarching purpose. As you read through an Epistle for the first time, try to get the big picture. Then as you read through it again, try to figure out how each section relates to the whole. It's ok not to understand a particular verse. It's more important to understand the point Paul is making rather than the particulars. When applying the Epistles to your life, look for comparable circumstances and general principles. [1] See Fee & Stuart, p. 59

This is part 12 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Acts is an action-packed book full of excitement and wonder. We learn about the early expansion of the Church from a small group of ragged Christ-followers to dozens of house churches throughout major cities in the Mediterranean world. How did Christianity "go public"? The book of Acts tells that story. In this episode you'll learn four major emphases in Acts as well as how to think through application for us today. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TIzpc3mfOg&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=12&pp=iAQB —— Links —— For more about Family Camp visit LHIM Check out the UCA conferences for USA, UK, and NZ here See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Luke wrote Acts. Acts 1:1-2 Acts is the second volume. Luke is about the life of Christ. Acts is about the early expansion of the church. Major events of Acts 1:1-11  Jesus commissions and ascends. 1:12-27 Peter initiates replacing Judas. 2:1-47 Spirit is poured out, and Peter preaches. 3:1-26 Peter heals lame man and preaches. 4:1-6:7  Communal living in Jerusalem 6:8-7:60  Stephen’s martyrdom 8:1-40  Philip’s expansion to Samaria, Ethiopia 9:1-31  Paul’s conversion, expansion to Damascus 9:32-9:43  Peter’s mission to Lydda and Joppa 10:1-11:18 Peter converts Cornelius in Caesarea. 11:19-30 Barnabas brings Paul to Antioch. 12:1-24 Peter’s arrest and miraculous escape 12:25-16:5 Paul’s 1st missionary journey 16:6-19:20 Paul’s 2nd missionary journey 19:21-21:17 Paul’s 3rd missionary journey 21:18-28:31 Paul’s arrest and trip to Rome Organization of the book The first half is about Peter (1-12). The second half is about Paul (13-28). Acts 1:8 outlines the book: they expanded from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth. Leading and experience of God’s spirit

This is part 11 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Gospels are evangelistic biographies of Jesus. In today's episode you'll learn the basic storyline of the four biblical Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then we'll go through them from shortest to longest to see how each brings a unique and helpful perspective in telling the life of Christ. We'll also hit some important concepts like the kingdom of God, parables, and the word of God. Lastly, we'll ask about application. How can you figure out which sayings of Christ apply to you today and which ones do not? Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/0iHhidbL4e8?si=3rs4fGGtQjsJAObB —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— The Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Gospel = good news The Gospels are biographies about Jesus which seek to convince readers about the good news that he is the Messiah. Basic Storyline of the Gospels Birth narratives John’s ministry John baptizes Jesus. Jesus calls the twelve. Teachings of Jesus Miracles of Jesus Conflict with critics Triumphal entry Intensified conflict Last supper Arrest, trial, execution Resurrection appearances Great commission Mark (11,305 words) Papias: “And the elder used to say this: ‘Mark, having become Peter’s interpreter, wrote down accurately everything he remembered, though not in order, of the things either said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, followed Peter, who adapted his teachings as needed but had no intention of giving an ordered account of the Lord’s sayings. Consequently Mark did nothing wrong in writing down some things as he remembered them, for he made it his one concern not to omit anything that he heard or to make any false statement in them.’”[1] John (15,633 words) Purpose statement: John 20:30-3130 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are

This is part 10 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. We've taken our time working through the Old Testament, section by section. Before we tackle the New Testament and look at the Gospels, we need to talk about the time between the Old and New Testaments. In the gap of roughly four hundred years, massive political and cultural changes occurred. Nowhere in the Old Testament do we see anything about the Romans, Pharisees, Sadducees, or the Sanhedrin. In today's episode I'll catch you up on what happened after the OT and before the NT so you can better understand the world in which Jesus functioned. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3humYIVYho&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=10 —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Recent History Persians: Cyrus the Great Greeks: Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes Hellenization (2 Maccabees 4.7, 10-15; 1 Maccabees 1.41-53) Maccabean Revolution: Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, Jonathan Apphus, Simon Thassi, John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, Alexander Jannaeus, Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II Romans: Pompey the Great annexed Judea in 63bc Herodian Dynasty: Herod the Great and his descendants Geographical and Political Setting Roman Empire: Augustus (27bc-ad14), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68) Provinces: every region outside of Italy Galilee: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Antipas (4bc-ad39), Herod Agrippa I (37-44) Judea: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Archelaus (4bc-ad6), Coponius (6-9), Marcus Ambivulus (9-12), Annius Rufus (12-15), Valerius Gratus (15-26), Pontius Pilate (26-36), Marcellus (36-37), Marullus (37-41), Herod Agrippa I (41-44) Samaria: under Judean jurisdiction; Samaritans and Jews conflicted with each other Jewish Groups Sadducees controlled the temple partners with Roman governors wealthy aristocrats chief priests were the leaders only accepted the Torah as scripture didn’t believ

This is part 9 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The 17 books of the prophets comprise 27% of the Old Testament. Although some parts can be difficult to comprehend, they reveal the heart of God with raw pathos and brutal honesty. To read the prophets, then, is to draw near to God. No other section of scripture so beautifully and tragically reveals God's feelings. In this episode you'll learn about the major time periods, how to read the prophets within their context, and some of the major themes. As always, this brief survey should help you read and understand the bible for yourself. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nOkfIUxJJw&list=PLN9jFDsS3QV2TrdUEDtAipF3jy4qYspM_&index=9 —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Canonical Arrangement 5 Major Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel 12 Minor Prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Chronological Arrangement early pre-exilic: Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah, Isaiah late pre-exilic: Nahum, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Joel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah exilic: Ezekiel, Daniel post-exilic: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Setting The historical context is helpful In Jer 1.1-3, Jeremiah prophecies during the last days of the kingdom. He’s the last chance for the people to repent. Since they go into exile anyhow, it’s easy to anticipate that the people will not respond to Jeremiah. The Prophet God calls prophets into his service (Jer 1.4-6) oftentimes, the prophet has access to the king and speaks to him competition with false prophets (Jer 28.1-3, 15-17) Acting out prophecies Ezekiel built a model of Jerusalem and acted out a siege against it (Ezek 4.1-3) lay on his side for 390 days (Ezek 4.4-5)</

This is part 8 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Book of Psalms is an eclectic collection of poetry that you can use to connect to God. In today's episode you'll learn about the different kinds of psalms, who wrote them, and how Hebrew poetry works. The goal, as always, is to equip you to read and understand on your own. Whether you've been reading the Psalms for years or are brand new to them, this episode should empower you to get more out of them than ever before. Also, I conclude by recommending a method of reading, called Lectio Divina, which you can use to meditate on the Psalms. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lJMxFR7n4 —— Links —— Check out All 150 Psalms Categorized See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Basic Facts Phenomenal for devotional reading, emotional connection 150 total psalms Called psalms, not chapters (Psalm 50:4 not Psalms 50:4) Authors: David (73), Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Heman the Ezrahite (1), Ethan the Ezrahite (1), Moses (1), Solomon (2), Anonymous (49) Book 1: 1-41 Book 2: 42-72 Book 3: 73-89 Book 4: 90-106 Book 5: 107-150 David reassigned the Levites to develop a music ministry to worship God (1 Chron 16:4-6, 41-42). Chesed כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (1 Chron 16:41) for his chesed (is) forever. הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טוּב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (Ps 118:1) O give thanks to Yahweh for (he is) good for his chesed (is) forever. chesed is an extremely important word in the Psalms. “EVV [English versions] translate chesed by expressions such as ‘steadfast love’ and ‘constant love.’  It is sometimes described as covenant love, though in the OT it rarely appears in the company of the word ‘covenant.’  It is used in two connections: when someone makes an act of commitment for which there is no reason in terms of prior relationship, and when someone keeps their commitment when they might be ex

As the dust continues to settle from last week's debate between Dale Tuggy and James White, reviewers are coalescing on a rather exciting conclusion. Tuggy handedly won the debate! Rumor has it that James White has even requested a rematch! We'll have to wait and see if anything happens on that front, but requesting a rematch is not something the winner typically does. In today's episode, I bring on Dr. Dustin Smith of the biblical unitarian podcast to respond to James White's arguments, not only in his opening statement, but also in his rebuttal, cross-examination time, and conclusion. Yes, he introduced new arguments in every single phase of the debate. One wonders why he didn't respond to any of Tuggy's arguments. Let's see what Dustin Smith has to say. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Watch the original debate between Dale Tuggy and James White Check out Dale Tuggy's review of the debate See Sean Finnegan's paper and video presentation "The Deity of Christ from a Greco-Roman Perspective" See the video responses of Dustin Smith on Hebrews 1.10-12, Sean Finnegan on 1 Peter 3.15, Jerry Wierwille on Philippians 2.6-11, and William Barlow on John 12.41 Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

We're taking a break this week from our class on Reading the Bible for Yourself. By the way, did you know that there's a separate podcast just for classes without any interruptions like this? You can find it if you search your podcast app for Restitutio Classes. Anyhow, I had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Dale Tuggy about his recent debate with Dr. James White and wanted to share that conversation with you now rather than waiting until the end of this class. On March 9, 2024 in Houston Texas at the First Lutheran Church, Dale Tuggy debated James White on the question, "Is Jesus Yahweh?" White affirmed and Tuggy denied. Just to give you a little background on these two scholars, James White is a professor of Apologetics at Grace Bible Theological Seminary and has a bachelors from Grand Canyon University, a masters from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a doctorate of ministry from Columbia Evangelical Seminary. He has participated in over 180 public moderated debates and has written the book The Forgotten Trinity in which he presented his case that the Trinity is biblical. Dale Tuggy is an Analytic Theologian who has a bachelors from BIOLA, a masters from Claremont School of Theology, and a Ph.D. from Brown University. He's the chair of the Unitarian Christian Alliance and the author of What Is the Trinity?, which explains the major Trinity theories and the problems each faces. In what follows, I ask Tuggy how he thought the debate went. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts The debate lasted over two hours and is accessible on YouTube. The format of the debate was as follows: Opening Statement (25 min each) Rebuttal (10 min each) Cross Examination (10 min each) Concluding Statement (5 min each) Audience Questions (20 min total) Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky2SaHscSIo —— Links —— More interviews with Dale Tuggy here Visit Tuggy's website at trinities.org Check out his books on Amazon, especially

This is part 7 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. The Bible contains a treasure trove of wisdom literature that can help you navigate the ups and downs of life. Today you'll learn how to read and understand the books of Proverbs, Song of Songs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Proverbs and Song of Songs teach us how to handle ourselves when the world is working the way it should while Job and Ecclesiastes address how to think and live when chaos strikes. Taken together these four books offer a full-orbed perspective on practical wisdom that you can incorporate into your life. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MZCAxSSNzU —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Proverbs “[Proverbs] should not be read as promises but as guidelines, as principles for living. They show the way life works best 80 to 95 percent of the time. The Bible is clear throughout Scripture: if you live a life oriented to God, you will tend to have a good life.”[1] Proverbs 14:7: Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge. The Fool Mouth of a fool brings ruin near (10:14) Utters slander (10:18) Doing wrong for fun (10:23) Broadcasts folly (12:23) No restraint, careless (14:16) Despises parent's instruction (15:5) Does not receive a rebuke (17:10) Has plenty of personal opinions (18:2) Perverse speech (19:1) Quick to quarrel (20:3) Devours wealth (21:20) Despises wise words (23:9) Vents anger (29:11) Hasty in speech (29:20) The Wise Honoring your parents (1:8-9; 10:1) Handling money well, avoiding debt (3:9-10; 22:7 Discernment between right and wrong (3:21; 10:9; 28:5) Understanding (3:13; 4:7; 18:2) Fidelity in marriage (5:15-19; 6:32-35) Hard work instead of laziness (6:6-11; 15:19) Fearing the LORD (9:10; 24:21; 31:30) Teachability, humility (9:9; 11:2) Controlling what you say (10:19; 21:23) Righ

This is part 6 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Tragically, many Christians skip over reading the Torah. They focus on the Gospels or Epistles of the New Testament. However, the first five books of the Bible contain many rich insights into God's heart and how he asked Israel to live. In fact, it's impossible to understand the rest of the Bible, or even Jesus, without first becoming familiar with the Law. This episode will provide you an overview of the Torah's instruction about holiness, sacrifice, justice, and sacred time. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://youtu.be/a9wxI1TWBlE —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Check out the class New Covenant Theology to learn more about biblical covenants as well as this podcast episode on the New Covenant and this one responding to typical arguments for Torah observance today Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Reading the Law takes work Sometimes it’s just weird (Lev 11:20-23) Sometimes it’s tedious (Ex 26:7-9) Important to focus while reading Eliminate distractions Read aloud if you can Keep track of things (underline, highlight, write notes in the margin) The books of the Law (Torah) Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Four categories of Law Holiness Sacrifice Justice Sacred time Sinai and the giving of the Law God came down on the mountain and spoke audibly (Ex 19:16-21) The people agreed to obey and then “stood at a distance” while Moses went up and received the rest of the Law (Ex 20:18-21) Tabernacle The 2nd half of Exodus contains meticulous instructions on how to build the tabernacle and everything that went outside and inside of it. The tabernacle is where

This is part 5 of the Read the Bible For Yourself. Now we begin the second main part of this class on reading the Bible for yourself. We'll be breaking the Bible into major sections so I can explain how each works. To start we'll consider the first 17 books of the Bible--the books of Old Testament historical narrative. You'll learn what to look for while reading, the major events covered, the various cultural backgrounds of those periods, God's personal name, and why reading OT history is extremely valuable. Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtvJv-NfvBU —— Links —— See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible Get the transcript of this episode Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library. Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here —— Notes —— Old Testament history includes the following books: Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Chronology of major OT events: Creation and Eden Rebellions and Consequences Abraham & Sarah & Descendants Sojourning in Egypt 10 Plagues and Exodus Receiving Torah at Mount Sinai 40 Years of Wandering Entering the Promised Land Judges Samuel (Hinge of History) Kings of the United Kingdom Succession of the Northern Tribes Assyrian Deportation of Israel Babylonian Deportation of Judah  70 Year Exile  Return from Exile Cultural backgrounds: Pre-flood Patriarchs Egypt Tribes (Judges 17:6) Monarchy Empires Their History vs. Our History: Real Events Ancient Historiography Biased but Honest Genealogies Etiologies The Name of God: God’s Name is יְהוָה Hebrew Letters: yod hey vav hey (YHVH) Pronounced “Yahweh” Typically translated “the LORD” God’s proper name (Ex 20:2-3)