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Did Jesus’ Death Have to Be a Gruesome Crucifixion? Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Redemption Q+R (E12) — Is deliverance from evil spirits a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? Was God demanding a redemption payment through Jesus’ death? And are salvation and redemption basically the same thing? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our Redemption series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!

View all of our resources for Redemption →

CHAPTERS

Revisiting the Conversation of Redemption and Tackling Your Questions! (0:00-2:50)
How does payment relate to redemption, and why does God demand a payment? (2:50-24:15)
Why did Jesus’ death have to be such an awful, gruesome crucifixion? (24:15-36:12)
When Jesus delivers a person possessed by an evil spirit, is this a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? (36:12-42:50)
What does it mean to be saved, and is it the same as redemption? (42:50-55:09)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

When discussing Jesus’ redemption of people possessed by evil spirits, Tim references episode 7 of this series: How Does Jesus Redeem People?
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

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BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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Earlier Explorations of Redemption Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Redemption Hyperlink Episode (E11) — There are so many themes in the Bible, from redemption to exile, to mountains and cities. In every series, we attempt to isolate and study one biblical theme. But it’s important to remember that biblical themes are woven together throughout the Bible like instruments in a symphony. Today in this hyperlink episode, we’ll listen to clips from previous podcast series where the theme of redemption also came up in Jon and Tim’s conversations.

View all of our resources for Redemption →

CHAPTERS

Redemption and the Day of Atonement (0:00-30:24)
Redeeming the Time (30:24-38:20)
Redemption From the Grave (38:20-50:24)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Clip 1 is from “What Is the Day of Atonement?,” episode 6 in our 2022 series, Leviticus Scroll.
The Mythic Mind by Nicolas Wyatt
Sin, Impurity, Sacrifice, Atonement: The Priestly Conceptions by Jay Sklar
Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy by Roy Gane
Clip 2 is from “Poetry Q+R,” episode 22 in our 2018 series How To Read the Bible.
Clip 3 is from “What Happens After We Die?,” episode 3 in our 2017 series, Nephesh / Soul.
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

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“Eucalyptus ft. Eluzai” by Lofi Sunday
“Solace ft. ahmo” by Lofi Sunday
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

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An Eternal Redemption Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E10 — We’ve made it to the end of our series on redemption, where we’ll look at two last examples of redemption in the New Testament. When Jesus redeemed us from sin and death, did he pay a redemption price, and how does his redemption relate to the Torah’s sacrificial system? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore 1 Peter 1 and Hebrews 9, which connect Jesus’ redemption to sacrifices at the center of Passover and the Day of Atonement.

CHAPTERS

Series Recap of Redemption (0:00-18:04)
Redeemed by the Blood in 1 Peter 1 (18:04-32:46)
An Eternal Redemption in Hebrews 9 (32:46-55:27)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Check out our Leviticus Scroll series.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

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“Enveloped In Love” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
“Faith (Mustard Seed)” by Lofi Sunday, Zairis TéJion
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

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The Power of Jesus Over Death Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E9 — So far in the series, we’ve been talking about how redemption means being reclaimed—freed from slavery and returned to where we belong. But what are we enslaved to, and how does Jesus set us free? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Romans 8 and Hebrews 2 to trace how Jesus enters our suffering and overcomes death to bring us back to life.

CHAPTERS

Recap and Setup for Romans 8 (0:00-21:57)
The Redemption of Creation in Romans 8 (21:57-33:41)
Jesus’ Identification With Us in Hebrews 2 (33:41-49:41)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Deification through the Cross: An Eastern Christian Theology of Salvation by Khaled Anatolios
“For that which He has not assumed He has not healed.” Quote from Gregory of Nazianzus in his “Epistle 101 to Cledonius the Priest Against Apollinarius.”
“He became what we are so that we might become what he is.” Quote often attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria. It captures his thoughts in his larger work On the Incarnation.
The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

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“Cherish ft. PAINT WITH SOUND.” by Lofi Sunday
“I See You” by Lofi Sunday, Marc Vanparla
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

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Jesus’ Death as Redemption in Romans Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E8 — Both in his public ministry and sacrificial death, Jesus redeems people from humanity’s cosmic “pharaohs,” the Satan, sin, and death. Jesus’ miracles show more clearly how this redemption works, but he says very little about how his death serves as a redemption. In fact, the most substantial thing we get is his symbolic body and blood language during the Last Supper Passover meal. And even this still feels cryptic! Later in the New Testament, one writer offers much more explanation on how Jesus’ death works to redeem people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the letter to the Romans, where the Apostle Paul crafts a detailed explanation of how Jesus joins with us in death to transfer us from the domain of death into his Kingdom of life.

CHAPTERS

Recap and Setup for the Apostle Paul (0:00-15:09)
Paul’s Condensed Redemption Story (15:09-22:03)
A Gift of Redemption in Romans 3 (22:03-44:21)
The Transfer from Death to Life in Romans 6 (44:21-58:34)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

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“Mist Of Blessing ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi Sunday
“Picnic ft. dannyfreeman” by Lofi Sunday
“Snowflake” by Lofi Sunday, Asaph's Arrows
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

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How Does Jesus Redeem People? Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E7 — When murmurs about the birth of the Messiah began spreading, 1st-century Jewish people already had very specific expectations of what his redemption would look like. He was to be a new Moses who would overthrow Rome, enabling them to live freely in the land. But even after Jesus’ resurrection, none of that had happened. So what kind of redemption did Jesus actually accomplish? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the theme of redemption in the Gospel of Luke, uncovering ways that Jesus’ mission aligned with, subverted, and transcended Israel’s expectations.

CHAPTERS

Setup for Redemption in Luke (00:00-5:39)
Redemption at the Beginning and End of Luke (5:39-24:15)
The Cosmic Jubilee Has Arrived (24:15-30:53)
Cosmic Redemption from Sin, Death, and the Satan (30:53-50:41)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Mist of Blessing ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi Sunday
“Picnic ft. dannyfreeman” by Lofi Sunday
“Snowflake” by Lofi Sunday, Asaph's Arrows
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

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Redemption From Enemies and Death Itself Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E6 — In the book of Psalms, the Hebrew words for “redemption” are often used to simply mean save, rescue, or release. This is especially true in the psalms of King David, who was never a slave but regularly used redemption language to speak of trials with his enemies. As the collection of psalms grew and shifted over many centuries, David’s personal longings for redemption came to represent something much bigger. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the themes of personal, communal, and cosmic redemption in Psalms.

CHAPTERS

Recap and Intro to Redemption in the Psalms (0:00-12:54)
David’s Use of “Redeem” (12:54-34:28)
Redemption From the Grave (34:28-48:30)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Just Truth” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
“The Kingdom” by Lofi Sunday, Marc Vanparla
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

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Yahweh the Redeemer in Isaiah Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E5 — For many centuries, ancient Israel lived in the land of promise but consistently broke their covenant with Yahweh. The prophet Isaiah warned the people that their corruption and idolatry would lead them back into slavery—not to Egypt but to the empires of Assyria and Babylon. After these two exiles happen, the prophecies in the book of Isaiah shift surprisingly from correction and warning to comfort and hope. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Isaiah 40-66. These chapters contain a higher density of the word “redemption” than any other part of the Hebrew Bible.

CHAPTERS

Recap and Setup for Isaiah 40-66 (0:00-7:38)
Comfort From Yahweh the Redeemer (7:38-25:33)
The Redeemer of Vulnerable Israel (25:33-41:02)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Forgotten Dreams” by Aves
“Hilltops ft. JK Beatbrook” Lofi Sunday
BibleProject theme song by TENTS

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If the Bible Was Written by Humans, Does that Change Its Reliability? Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

How the Bible Was Formed Q+R (E5) — What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at the beginning of creation? How do we reconcile the Bible’s editing process with Scriptures that forbid adding or taking away from God’s word? And what should we do with other writings that closely followed the New Testament? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our How the Bible Was Formed series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!

CHAPTERS

Intro (0:00-1:16)
Do you have any new learnings or discoveries since the Making of the Bible series? (1:16-7:45)
Does the Bible being written by humans, but inspired by God, change its reliability? (7:45-17:07)
What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at creation? (17:07-31:00)
How do you reconcile humans editing the Bible during its development with Scriptures that command not to add to or take away from God's Word? (31:00-42:18)
What should we do with other writings that closely followed the New Testament? (42:18-1:00:46)
Outro (1:00:46-1:02:52)

REFERENCED RESOURCES

The first question references the Making of the Bible series from Tim’s podcast Exploring My Strange Bible.
The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible by Paul D. Wegner
The Apostolic Fathers in English by Michael W. Holmes
New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 1: More Noncanonical Scriptures, edited by Tony Burke
The Apocryphal New Testament, edited by J. K. Elliott
Check out our newly released video series, The Deuterocanon / Apocrypha.
You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today’s episode and also provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, and a Cosmic Redemption Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

Redemption E4 — During a dark time in ancient Israel, idolatry, injustice, and death ruled the land and its people. In the midst of a famine, a destitute widow tragically loses her husband and adult sons and is left alone with her immigrant daughter-in-law. It’s a horrible situation, but God uses the faithful, loving, and generous acts of ordinary community members to redeem the widow’s story. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the cosmic redemption playing out in the short but profound story of Ruth.

CHAPTERS

Recap and Setup for Ruth (0:00-13:37)
A Story Opening in Tragedy (13:37-27:26)
In Comes the Redeemer (27:26-38:18)
The Redeemer Redeems (38:18-53:43)
Ordinary Acts of Love as Cosmic Redemption (53:43-1:04:40)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC