BibleThinker

Latest Episodes:

Jesus, Jairus and the Woman: The Mark Series Pt 17 (5:21-43) Oct 20, 2019

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In the best example of a "Markan sandwich" we see two remarkable healings which are meant to teach us some remarkable and needful lessons. Jesus meets our deepest fear with a call to faith that calms our hearts and changes the way we see death forever. I hope and pray that the beautiful truths of this passage of Scripture will get stuck in your head and heart. Here's a link to the whole series through the Gospel of Mark https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF I'm dedicated to making FREE content helping people learn to think biblically about everything. If you love this ministry and want to support it please click here but please feel NO obligation or compulsion to give. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate

The Real History of Penal Substitutionary Atonement Oct 15, 2019

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A lot of leaders who reject Penal Substitution will say that it was invented by Calvin or Anselm and that the early church held to Christus Victor or Ransom theories of the atonement. This turns out to be a painful distortion of history. I mean, this is pure historical revisionism in the name of teaching bad theology! I was shocked to find out how badly church history has been twisted by progressive leaders who, whether they realize it or not, are teaching unbiblical views of how we are saved. In this video you'll hear quotes from many church fathers on the topic of whether the cross included a penal and substitutionary aspect. You'll get needed clarity to help you see through the historical revisionism of guys like Greg Boyd, Steve Chalke and others. And you'll be equipped to head into the next video in this series on Penal Substitutionary Atonement. Which will probably be on the topic of "Does the Bible Teach Penal Substitution?" As I add more videos to this PSA playlist I will put them HERE https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHttVR0rkvhBfA-IKrg5SGcp Here's an article on this topic from The Masters Seminary Journal https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj20i.pdf Here is Gary Williams' defense of his own work on PSA in the early church fathers https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/eq/2011-3_195.pdf Here's Joseph Mitros' content on how people misrepresent the church fathers on this https://www.pdcnet.org/thought/content/thought_1967_0042_0003_0415_0447 If you love this ministry and want to support my ongoing work producing free content to help people learn to think biblically about everything then please click here. https://biblethinker.org/~biblethinker/index.php/donate

Answering New Believers' Questions Live Oct 08, 2019

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Expand this for time stamps (also in the first comment for mobile users) Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 1. 1:04 Can a wife or mom have a job outside of the house? 2. 4:43 Is profanity ever acceptable? E.g. "I _-ing love you, man!" (not in anger) 3. 8:21 Can you talk about the relationship between obedience and faith? 4. 9:28 What purpose does prayer serve for an all-powerful God? How do we affect anyone/anything with prayer? 5. 13:36 Why do you think God created us if He knew it would result in the fall of man and He would have to save us through such an extreme act of love? 6. 16:45 How do you know that you're REALLY saved? 7. 20:28 What do you think about the idea that it's the worship leader's job to "create an atmosphere for people to encounter God"? 8. 23:15 What are your thoughts on the belief that the Church is "spiritual" Israel which seems to lead to observing Torah? Is the Body of Christ separate from Israel? 9. 24:41 If Jesus, being God, knew He would defeat death, what is the significance of His sacrifice? I understand His resurrection is a pillar of the faith, but how can Jesus being dead for only a few days 'count'? 10. 27:16 What is meant by the phrase "sharing the Gospel"? How do we share the Gospel, and what part of the Gospel do we include? 11. 29:35 I'm writing a paper on limited atonement for class. Any ideas on books to get/passages to cover? 12. 30:17 Any advice on how to "put sin to death"? 13: 35:45 Should all Christians follow the Old Testament Law, considering that Jesus didn't come to change the Law? 14. 38:01 Do you have to speak in tongues to be saved? 15. 39:30 Where is the best place for teens who are new believers to start in the Bible? 16. 41:17 Is the doctrine of "soul sleep" biblical? 17. 42:47 Do you believe seminary is needed to be a minister of God's Word? 18. 43:50 Is the Body of Christ separate from Israel? 19. 45:12 If the New Testament was implemented when Jesus died & rose again, is it fair to say that Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John should be considered part of the Old Testament, since Jesus hadn't died yet? 20. 46:27 Does Lucifer's fall (and ours) mean that God made a mistake? Or does it mean that He planned on sin and the fall happening? 21. 47:49 Do you have any tips for a new believer who wants to begin looking into theology and researching topics in the Bible? 22. 48:30 Is it ok to listen to music that is not classified as "Christian" but has no bad words/profanity? 23. 50:55 Should we go to church at all if we've been watching Bart Ehrman videos and we're not sure? 24. 54:30 Do 12-step programs reconcile with being a Christian? 25. 55:40 Why are there so many denominations and only one true God? 26. 56:54 When we die, will we go to Heaven, or are we all dead until Jesus comes back? 27. 57:19 Some Christians who claim to not believe in sinless perfectionism say if we can go without sinning for minutes or hours, we can go without sinning for days, weeks, or months. Is this biblical? 28. 58:43 Do I have to be baptized when I decide to become a Christian? 29. 59:38 How much do you think aesthetics affects ethics? Do you think wearing worn-out/torn/ragged clothing is a means for the culture of death and destruction? 30. 1:00:19 If I read the Bible and pray, and still doubt & struggle with my faith, what can I do? It's difficult to fight it. 31. 1:01:09 Is lust as simple as looking at a woman and thinking "Wow, nice!" or is it's original meaning something much more, like, "I need to sleep with her. I want to make her mine."? 32. 1:02:44 What do you think about 1 Tim. 2: 11-12 on women's roles in the Church? 33. 1:03:39 Is Halloween Satan's holiday? 34. 1:03:58 When should you stop asking for something in prayer, and start trying to transition your thinking into accepting "no" as God's answer? I highly recommend "The Bible for Beginners" if you haven't heard it yet. https://youtu.be/SJG-AjxNiF8 The Romans series will ground you in solid theology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRwWLeKhViQ&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHvQ9G4NCvuiN4Evbp13uQa1 The Jesus in the Old Testament Series will show you how to see Jesus throughout the Bible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWlpQauXiTU&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHsHyvMtfgOgSPU6zEnCvxUO The Evidence for the Bible series will show you that the Bible is truly inspired by God and answer complex objections to scripture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjnwldgqN8c&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuhA0RPKZFHVcjIMN_-F596 How to understand the Old Testament Law (this will really help) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoGKJEENngc&list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuBirH5Rw3IhJinWrcTufY6 All this teaching is presented for free due to the occasional person who wants to donate and support this ministry. If you want to support this ongoing work please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate A potter who partnered with this ministry has made some "BibleThinker" coffee mugs that you can get here. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug

Insights from Jesus and the Demoniac: The Mark Series Part 16 (Mk 5:1-20) Oct 06, 2019

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Get insights about demonology, the identity of Christ, the hope Jesus gives to even the most broken life, and some apologetics about a geography issue in Mark 5 related to the location of the region of the Gerasenes. I got a questions after this study about why Matthew says "Gadarenes" instead of Gerasenes. I forgot to mention it during the study but Gadara was a well known city about 6 miles from Galilee with some territory reaching all the way to Galilee. Matthew seems to be using a different way of referring a region toward the south/east of the Sea of Galilee. When it comes to the issue of demons I hope to provide a needed balance where we embrace the biblical worldview and reality of demons while being able to acknowledge other possible causes of illness. It can be harmful to land on either extreme of denying the spiritual realm or acting as if every ailment is caused by demons. Here's the playlist for the whole gospel of Mark series. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF My goal is to provide all my teaching for free and that nobody will ever be forced to pay for it in order to be blessed by it. If you want to support this ministry so others can be blessed then please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate

Stop Saying All Roads Lead to God! Oct 01, 2019

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It's worse than nonsense. It's destructive. I think this is one of the most common bad ideas people have about God and religion. Let's thoughtfully analyze the idea that all roads lead to God and see why this incredibly common viewpoint couldn't possibly be true. Here's a list of other slogans we'll deal with today. "All roads lead to God" "How can you say that Jesus is the only way? How rude! How arrogant! How judgy!" "All religions teach basically the same thing." "All religions have a different piece of the truth." "I think that sincere people will be OK." "I just think that God knows our hearts and that good people will be OK." Because I suspect someone will ask about it. Here's what the Bible says about those who die without hearing the gospel -https://youtu.be/IiyxpE5UBz4 I've devoted this ministry to producing free content meant to bring people to Christ and help them learn to think biblically about everything. I never want anyone to feel obligated but if you would like to support this work then please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate BibleThinker coffee mugs are being made by a potter who is a fan of this ministry and they can be purchased here. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug

Why God Repents and Changes His Mind in the Bible Sep 29, 2019

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Let's get a handle on the various passages where the Bible says that God repents, relents or changes His mind. Personally, I found this study very rewarding and I hope it blesses you as well. Someone came up after I taught this study and shared something with me that I think might add to the content in this message. They said something like, "God is jealous, but not like man's jealousy. God has wrath, but not like man's wrath. And in a similar way God repents but not in the same way or with the same meaning as when man does it." I thought this was worth adding here for you. If you love this ministry and want to help support the creation of more free content then please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate BibleThinker mugs are available here (created by a potter who is a friend of the ministry) https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug Here's an affiliate link to the Bible software I've been using for the past 13 years; Logos. This link get's you 10% off if you use the code "BIBLETHINKER8" at checkout. https://www.logos.com/partner/biblethinker?utm_source=biblethinker&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=promo-partner

Tips for Bible Teachers Sep 24, 2019

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Tips on how to prepare a message, how to maximize your gifting, good software to use to make your study time more efficient, how to think about failures, how to stay true to the Bible, how to process insecurities and nervousness, how to avoid pitfalls of pride, and much more. Free, and very useful, Bible study resources - NetBible has good insights into textual issues and some stuff commentaries often skip. https://netbible.org - BlueLetterBible has tons of free commentaries and helps. I wish it had been around when I first started teaching. https://www.blueletterbible.org Paid Bible software. - Here's the link for a discount on Logos software. Make sure to use the coupon code BIBLETHINKER8 at checkout. https://www.logos.com/partner/biblethinker?utm_source=biblethinker&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=promo-partner This ministry is supported by donations. I don't ever want you to feel pressured to give or to give more than is wise for them. The point here is that those who can joyfully support this ministry are making it possible for everyone else to be blessed with free content. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate BibleThinker coffee mugs are available here. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug

Why Jesus Calmed the Storm: The Mark Series pt 15 (4:35-41) Sep 22, 2019

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I've heard whole Bible studies through the passage where Jesus calms the storm where the teacher fails to identify a key point in it. When Jesus commanded the storm to cease it revealed something of the divinity of Jesus that had the apostles in awe and reverence for Jesus in a whole new way. Even though they had previously seen Jesus cast out demons and heal the sick, this act of commanding a storm to stop meant something to these first century Jews which is often overlooked by people today. This is part 15 in the Mark series covering theology and apologetics through a verse by verse study of the Gospel of Mark. Here is the whole playlist (new vids added weekly) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF If you want to help support this ministry and the free content I make every week then please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate BibleThinker coffee mugs are available here. Made by a potter who is a fan of this ministry. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug I have use Logos Bible software for many years and have recently partnered with them to get you a 10% discount and some free books if you use this affiliate link and the code BIBLETHINKER8. https://www.logos.com/partner/biblethinker?utm_source=biblethinker&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=promo-partner

A Christian Evaluation of Suicide Sep 18, 2019

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Suicide is a big issue that most of us haven't thought about very carefully. I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers, or easy answers. But what I can do is analyze some of the issues related to suicide from a biblical worldview and try to point you toward biblical help. I need to offer a disclaimer though. Some of what I share here is going to be based not just on the plain teaching of scripture but on my own experience as a counselor, friend and human being. I want you to consider and weigh what I share rather than thinking everything out of my mouth is clearly taught in scripture. My goal isn't to say that I have figured it all out but to offer some clarity and some help to those who deal with their own suicidal thoughts or the life-devastating impact of the suicide of a loved one. I hope and PRAY this is useful for you and brings blessings into your life. Find a suicide hotline for your own country and language. http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html Be sure to subscribe if you want to learn to think biblically about everything. And check out the hundreds of videos on my channel! My video on the unforgivable sin https://youtu.be/KmCHX8-2Smo Everything I do is made available for free. If you love this ministry and want to help support it click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate If you want a BibleThinker coffee mug they are here. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug If you're interested in what Bible software I have been using for the past 13 years here it is. I've recently partnered with Logos to give you 10% off and some free books if you use the code BIBLETHINKER8 and this affiliate link. At no cost to you a commission will also come to me to help me continue doing this work. https://www.logos.com/partner/biblethinker?utm_source=biblethinker&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=promo-partner

Making Sense of Jesus' Parables: The Mark Series pt 14 Sep 16, 2019

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I hope this helps you understand the parables better than ever before. These four parables are found in Mark 4:21-34 and they include the parable of the lamp on a stand, the parable of the measuring scales, the parable of growing seed, and the parable of the mustard seed. Unlocking the parables of Jesus depends simply on learning the pattern of interpretation Jesus established when he explained the parable of the soils and that of the tares. In this study we will give special attention to the meaning of the birds in the parable of the mustard seed because this is not only debated, it's also really interesting. If you love this ministry and want to support its mission please click here. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/donate If you want a BibleThinker coffee mug you can order one here. They are made by a potter who loves the BibleThinker ministry. https://www.zockollpottery.com/product-page/bible-thinker-mug I have used Logos Bible Software for the past 13 years and you can check it out and get 10% off of it if you use this affiliate link. Be sure to use the code BIBLETHINKER8 to get your discount. https://www.logos.com/partner/biblethinker?utm_source=biblethinker&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=promo-partner

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