FACTS - podcast cover

FACTS

FACTS is a podcast that was started by Dr. Stephen Boyce from Greenville, South Carolina. The primary focus of this program is to cover historical content about the early church Fathers, the Apocryphal accounts, the canon, textual criticism, and the scripture itself. Most episodes are co-hosted by Tyler West, among other special guests who are invited on the program. For those who would like to donate to our podcast, here is the link. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your all of your support. Grace and Peace https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Would Christ Ever Shut Down One of His Churches?

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Is it God or Satan that shuts churches down?" On today's episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will examine the statements of Jesus to the 7 Churches in Asia Minor in Revelation 2-3.

May 29, 202349 min

The Life and Letter of Polycarp of Smyrna

On this episode of FACTS, the listener will be introduced to the life and letter of Polycarp, the disciple of John the Apostle. The listener will be able to see the significance of the life of Polycarp and how instrumental he was in preserving the New Testament texts and teachings.

May 24, 202346 min

Andy Stanley is Wrong About the Origins of the Bible

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will be examining Andy Stanley’s claim in his book “Irresistible” about the origins of the Canon. Dr. Boyce will demonstrate the historical errors made by Stanley when attributing the completion of the Canon to Athanasius of Alexandria.

May 21, 202350 min

Did Standards of Dress, Food Choices, and Entertainment Set Early Christianity Apart From Pagan Culture?

Did the early church distinguish themselves from the Roman culture on the basis of food choice, dress attire, or entertainment? Or did they seek to distinguish themselves in a more meaningful way as it relates to the Gospel? In this episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce will explore the second-century Epistle to Diognetus to demonstrate the conduct of the Christians in the early church and how it impacted their culture.

May 19, 202348 min

Did the Council of Nicaea Create the Doctrine of the Trinity?

Both Christian and non-Christian circles have often stated that the Council of Nicaea chose the doctrine of the Trinity for the Churches. In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will walk the listener through the history of the Church and what they believed about the Trinity long before the Council of Nicaea.

May 14, 202346 min

3 Reasons Apologetics is Failing

In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce discusses the problems facing Apologetics in our world today. How should the Church and the Apologist view the problems that face Christianity today? Tune-in and hear what Dr. Boyce believes to be the problems and the solutions. Also, here is a link to help those find a good catechism to start following or using in their Church or Home... http://newcitycatechism.com/

May 07, 202350 min

The Didache: A First Century Look at the Apostolic Churches

In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will walk the listener through an overview of a first century document known as the Didache. The listener will see how the earliest churches conducted themselves in their lives, homes, and churches.

May 03, 202344 min

Did Jesus Write an Epistle to King Abgar of Edessa?

On this episdoe of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will discuss the claim that Eusebius made about a written letter of Jesus being sent to King Abgar V of Edessa concerning healing. Did Jesus actually write this letter? Are there historical records to affirm this claim? Tune-in and let us know what you think. If you’d like to know more about us or dontate to our ministry click the link here: https://www.explorechristianity.net

Apr 23, 202350 min

Is Ephesians a Pauline Forgery?

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce investigates the criticism given by critical scholars on the Pauline authorship of the Book of Ephesians. Dr. Boyce will examine the historical and internal evidence to answer the dilemmas, while also illustrating a comparison of this letter to the undisputed letters of Paul. If you’d like more information about us or would like to donate to our ministry, here’s a link to our website https://www.explorechristianity.net/

Apr 22, 202349 min

2 Corinthians: Seeing the Heart of Paul through Paper and Ink

The controversy behind 2 Corinthians is no small matter. In this episode, Dr. Boyce will seek to walk through the re-constructionist view of 2 Corinthians. Some believe this letter to be 5 letters total combined together. Dr. Boyce will share his view and show how these transitions and abrupt changes can be explained with organic life events and ministerial issues.

Apr 15, 202350 min

Clement of Rome: A Friend of Peter and Paul

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce goes through the life and writings of one of the earliest Bishops in Rome, Clement of Rome. He will discuss the nature of his letter to the Corinthians, and his relationship with the Apostles. Here is a link to a translation of the 1 Clement https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html

Apr 10, 202344 min

Is First Corinthians Actually Second Corinthians?

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will discuss the issue of inspiration, as it relates to possible letters that the Apostles wrote, that are now missing. You will also learn about whether or not Paul believed he was writing under inspiration in a letter like 1 Corinthians.

Apr 03, 202347 min

Irenaeus and the Guardians of the Apostolic Texts and Traditions

This is a very important discussion as it relates to the understanding of how canon was recognized from the Apostles to the second century. Dr. Boyce will be exploring a writing of Irenaeus called, “The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching” that is scarcely known to people.

Mar 25, 202358 min

Ignatius of Antioch: A Friend of the Apostles

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will take his audience through a journey of the life of Ignatius. He will cover Ignatius' ministry, ecclesiology, eschatology, soteriology, and bibliology. The audience will also learn about the letters that Ignatius wrote before his martyrdom, and the controversy behind many of them.

Mar 18, 202348 min

How Should Christians React to Divine Hiddenness/Silence?

What should the attitude of a Christian be toward living in a Gap of Divine Silence for over 1900 years? How should we view God and his lack of divine oracles? How can we continue to live in an age of skepticism when God does not visibly reveal himself? These are questions that Dr. Stephen Boyce will answer in this program, as he continues to investigate this subject. His most recent article on the subject can be found here... https://www.explorechristianity.net/blog/divine-silence-a-challenge-t...

Mar 16, 202350 min

Gaps of Divine Silence: A Response to Divine Hiddenness

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Boyce is joined by Explore Christianity's co-founder, Jonathan Beazley to challenge to Christians to think differently about God speaking in the ancient past. The content of this discussion is taken from Dr. Boyce's recent article that can be found here https://www.explorechristianity.net/blog/divine-silence-a-challenge-to-christians-to-think-differently-about-god-speaking-in-the-ancient-past?fbclid=IwAR1ZYQCleRE4ZcNqcZnViMZbhZvPCbrZCrtTbs_YpGChNEfaqL1MQDITsKs...

Mar 11, 20231 hr 16 min

Did the Gospel Writers Steal the Jesus Story from the Romulus Myth?

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce is going to give a sample size comparison of the new arguments pertaining to Jesus, and His death and resurrection. It is alleged that the Gospel writers stole the data from the story of Romulus to create the narrative for Jesus, and His death and resurrection. Dr. Boyce will demonstrate that when someone does comparative work with historical documents, that person should be careful not to make something that appears similar the automatically be the sa...

Feb 26, 202347 min

3 John: The Elder to the Beloved Gaius

3 John is one of the disputed letters in the New Testament. Dr. Boyce will explain the reasoning for the dispute, while also examining the source of this letter and how it can be traced to John the Apostle's apostolic group.

Feb 12, 202344 min

2 John: The Elder to the Elect Kyria

Can this disputed letter be traced to the Apostle John? Why is the writer calling himself the Elder? Who is this elect lady? Dr. Stephen Boyce will walking the listener through the data to answer all of these questions.

Feb 06, 202343 min

The Nameless Epistle of First John

How can we identify a writing with a nameless writer, a nameless audience, and a nameless location as a canonical book? Can we trace it to an apostle? Can we call it scripture? On the episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce is going to answer all of these questions and identify a specific person of interest, and demonstrate how it is possible to call this epistle, scripture.

Jan 31, 202341 min

The Epistle to Diognetus: An Early Defense of Christianity

This episode contains a description and study of the Epistle to Diognetus. Dr. Boyce will walk the listener through the different perspectives about the writer, date, and content that are given in scholarship about this letter. Dr. Boyce will demonstrate the value of this letter to the Christian faith and how we can learn proper Apologetics from the writer of this letter.

Jan 21, 202340 min

1 Peter, A Fisherman's Epistle?

On this Episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will demonstrate how it is possible for a Fisherman to be behind an epistle like 1 Peter, literary forms and all. He will make a historical argument, along with an internal argument, to defend the ancient claim that the Apostle Peter is behind the Epistle of 1 Peter.

Dec 17, 202244 min

The Debatable Status of 2 Peter

Dr. Stephen Boyce will be discussing the highly debated canonical status of 2 Peter. There are historical and internal reasons to have concerns about the canonical status of this Epistle. However, Dr. Boyce will walk the listener through multiple perspectives to give a viable argument in favor of 2 Peter being canonical.

Dec 03, 202258 min

Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?

On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will be discussing the authorship and composition of the Book of Hebrews. Did Paul write this letter? Did one of his followers write this letter? Does it even matter if we know who wrote this letter? All of these questions will be answered in this episode.

Oct 24, 202250 min

How Many Isaiahs Wrote the Book of Isaiah?

Many modern scholars today hold to a 2-3 person authorship due to the literary forms. They would say that Isaiah (“proto-Isaiah”) wrote chapters 1–39, an anonymous author living during the exile (“deutero-Isaiah”) wrote 40–55, and another anonymous author living after the exile (“trito-Isaiah”) wrote 56–66. On this episode of FACTS, Dr. Boyce will explain these different views and why he believes these "discrepancies" can be reconciled with a proper understanding of the themes, history, layout, ...

Oct 18, 20221 hr

The Book of Revelation: Spurious or Scripture?

On this episode of Facts, Dr. Stephen Boyce will walk the listener through the origins behind the Book of Revelation. Can it be traced to John the Apostle? Can the literary forms and method be written by a man who was once a fisherman? Are there historical arguments for the date and authorship for this book? Dr. Boyce will carefully answer these questions in his current series on the canonical texts.

Sep 10, 20221 hr

The Disputed Book of James

The authorship of the Book of James has long been disputed. Not only the author, but the composition as well. In this episode, Dr. Boyce will be making a historical and internal claim as to who he believes the author to be. He will also demonstrate various literary forms, and demonstrate multiple comparisons to other wisdom writings.

Aug 31, 202244 min

Jude's Debatable Status in the Early Church

In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce will be examining the author, date, and composition of the Epistle of Jude. He will be looking at the historical citations and framework given to us; while also examining the internal evidence that the Epistle provides for itself.

Jul 10, 20221 hr 11 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android