Pontius Pilate has become a controversial figure recently. Many critics of the New Testament claim that the portrayal of Pilate in the gospels is not accurate. What do we really know about Pilate? What became of him? Could it be true that he was reluctant to crucify Jesus? If so, why?
The Jewish trial of Christ in the gospels reveals the determination of the Jewish leaders to convict Jesus. Requirements of Jewish trial procedures were violated, and the outcome was predetermined. But claiming to be the Messiah was not a crime, nor was predicting the destruction of the Temple. A conviction warranting the death penalty would not have been possible without Jesus' last statement. After being silent during most of the trial, why did Jesus finally speak and what was so shocking abou...
Judas remains one of the most enigmatic figures of the New Testament. How much do we actually know about Judas? Why is he called Iscariot? After everything he had witnessed, what motivated him to betray the Lord? Why did he throw the coins into the Temple, and how do the Fathers explain his remorse? As Jesus awaited his arrest, he was in agony and actually sweated blood. Why wasn’t it a sin that Jesus was afraid and wanted to avoid the cross?
Why did the Lord cleanse the Temple? Why did he decide to take that action at that time after having visited the Temple countless times before? Did Jesus lose his temper? The words and actions of the Lord that day have been misunderstood by many. but the event is recorded in all four gospels because it had deep significance and resulted directly in his crucifixion
One of the most perplexing stories in the Bible is God's request to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. This event, known as the Akeda, has been endlessly discussed by the Jews who cannot agree as to its meaning and purpose. But the Church knows its deep, powerful, and surprising connections to the crucifixion of Christ,
Now that we have taken our tour of the Temple and the Temple Mount, we will take a closer look at the Jewish priesthood. Who could become a priest or Levite? What jobs did they perform? Why did Jesus "cleanse" the temple? Did the Lord lose his temper, or was something happening in Judaism that led him to take such dramatic action?
The Temple at Jerusalem was one of the marvels of the ancient world. It is central to the arrest and crucifixion of Christ. When the Temple is mentioned, we may imagine something like a large church, but the Temple was enormous and unparalleled in size, in opulence and in importance in the ancient world. Join us Monday on Search the Scriptures LIVE as Dr. Jeannie describes the amazing Jewish Temple at Jerusalem.
Dr. Jeannie introduces her upcoming book The Crucifixion of the King of Glory and begins to set the stage for a deep dive into the unknown details behind the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of Christ which will be the focus of our study throughout the spring. She begins tonight by discussing the messianic expectations of the Jewish people and the prophecies God gave to prepare them for the coming of Christ
Tonight on Search the Scriptures LIVE, we will discuss the nativity of Christ in the Gospels, learn about false messiahs of the past, and hear inspirational words from the Fathers of the Church on the birth of the Lord according to the Flesh.
Why is Christmas on December 25th? Should Christians celebrate or recognize Hanukkah? Is the Orthodox Church inaccessible to people because of ethnicity? Is ethnicity and a lack of emphasis on missions an argument against the Orthodox Church being the true Church of Jesus Christ?
Our “Random Questions” series continues on Search the Scriptures LIVE! with discussions covering a wide variety of subjects, including whether our pets will go to heaven, the difference between the heart and the nous, Protestant arguments against the ordained priesthood, how Catholics interpret the Scriptures to support their claims of papal supremacy, and whether the Fathers are infallible.
Are we in the end times? Are we seeing signs of the end of the world? Is the COVID vaccine the Mark of the Beast or a precursor to it? How are we to interpret the book of Revelation? Dr. Jeannie will discuss these issues through a careful discussion of the Book of Revelation and the Fathers of the Church on Search the Scriptures LIVE TONIGHT.
Fr. Costas joins us once more with another list. This time it is 50 Ways to Fight Temptation. We will also continue to discuss more "random questions from listeners" on subjects such as our relationship with the non-Chalcedonian (i.e., "Oriental Orthodox") Churches.
When we speak about salvation, exactly what are we being saved from? Why did Jesus have to die? Why couldn't God just forgive us? Will we sin in the next life? If repentance means to change your mind, what does it mean that we continue to sin?
Does God expect perfection from us? Our Random Questions series continues with a variety of theological topics, including how we explain certain puzzling statements by Christ, such as "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect," or "only the Father knows," not the Son. How does Christ still intercede for us, and how do we understand the relationship between the persons of the Trinity? Tune in TONIGHT for a discussion of these questions and more.
We will continue our discussion on spiritual warfare and the passions. What are the passions? Why do we have them? When are they harmful? How do we combat them? How does the spirituality of the Orthodox Church, its understanding of the human person, respond to the values of this world, for example the statement that "love is love"?
Our discussion of "random questions" submitted by listeners continues. First, we will consider one of the most common arguments frequently heard to defend same-sex relationships: "Love is love." Is this true? Christ told us to love one another, so does that support the idea that "love is love"? We will then turn our attention to the subject of spiritual warfare. What is spiritual warfare, and is this something the Orthodox church emphasizes? Both Jesus and St. Paul speak about "spiritual fruit."...
How are we to interpret the book of Revelation? Our discussion continues with a deep dive into the Apocalypse of John, illumined by the Fathers of the Church, especially Andrew of Caesarea. What are the REAL signs of the end, according to Revelation and NOT according to private speculations? What is the Mark of the Beast? How will we recognize the Antichrist? Can the vaccine be the Mark of the Beast or a precursor to it? Should Orthodox Christians be afraid? Join us live TONIGHT!
As we continue our discussion about the end times, we will consider why such controversy has developed in the Church regarding the COVID vaccine. Is it possible that the vaccine is the Mark of the Beast or a precursor to it? We will answer that question by a careful analysis of the relevant passages in the Book of Revelation as well as consulting the Fathers of the Church. Finally, Dr. Jeannie will explain why we should not fear the Antichrist and how we ought to prepare ourselves for the end ti...
"What must I do to be saved?" Tonight on Search the Scriptures LIVE!, Dr. Jeannie will be joined by her husband Fr. Costas to address the most important question of all, our salvation, and other "random" but interesting topics
What is the Book of Enoch about? Scholars are interested in this book, but is it spiritually useful for Orthodox Christians? Why is modern Judaism different from biblical Judaism? To what extent does Judaism in the time of Christ correspond to the Judaism of today? What will ultimately happen to the Jewish people at the last judgment? We will consider these issues from a patristic, historical, and scriptural perspective
As we wrap up our study of Romans, we will discuss the activities of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome as well as their martyrdoms and burial. Are the churches constructed today actually where those two saints were buried nearly 2,000 years ago? What do we know about their travels and martyrdom from history, scripture, and Church tradition? We will read the Roman accounts of Nero's martyrdom of Christians and a wonderful passage by St. John Chrysostom about the relics of St. Paul.
"Greet Mary who worked hard among you." St. Paul continues to greet many people who belong to the Church of Rome, and St. John Chrysostom continues to laud in particular those Christian women, including a female apostle. Chrysostom explains how their roles and leadership in the Church do not conflict with Paul's statements about women. We will also continue our discussion about women in the early Church and the female diaconate as we respond to emails on that subject.
In Romans chapter 16, Paul greets many Roman Christians, including many women active in the church there. How do we reconcile Paul having female co-workers with the passages in his epistles in which Paul says that women should "be silent"? St. John Chrysostom, who is often accused of misogyny himself, has some very interesting comments to make about this last chapter of Romans and women in the early Church.
"I commend to you our sister, Phoebe, deacon of the church at Cenchrea." In the final chapter of Romans Paul greets an extraordinary number of people, including many women. Some people say that Phoebe was not a deacon but a "servant" and that women had no ordained positions. What do we know about the role of women in the early Church?
What was written in former days was written for our instruction," St. Paul told the Romans. This passage and others similar to it in the New Testament have been discussed many times by the Fathers of the Church. When the New Testament was written the only "scriptures" were the Jewish scriptures. Since the followers of Christ did not follow the Law of Moses, how did they adapt and interpret the Jewish Scriptures? Was there any controversy over the use of the Jewish Scriptures and their applicatio...
"For Christ did not please himself," Paul writes. As he concludes his discussion of relationships in the Church, St. Paul brings us back to the premier example of Christ and the love of God. Chrysostom adds that it is not merely love that He requires but that we be of one mind, one phronema. Why is this important in the Church? St. John Chrysostom will explain it.
"But he who has doubts is condemned, if he eats, because he does not act from faith; Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." St. Paul concludes Romans 14 with a stark statement concerning faith, doubt, and judgment. After saying that he is convinced that nothing is unclean, how can Paul now say that someone who eats is condemned? This verse makes an important point concerning one's conscience. Join us tonight as we discuss this and continue with some further comments on the current Orthodo...
“Do not let your good be spoken of as evil.” How can good be spoken of as evil? As we continue St. Paul’s lessons on love and the correct Christian attitude toward each other, how are we to apply that lesson against judging another servant of the Lord? It's easy to talk about loving others, but as a practical matter, how do we resolve conflicts in our own parish community over various issues? Does Paul’s instruction against judging another’s servant mean that we are to say nothing? Does this mea...
“As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything while the weak man eats only vegetables” (Rom. 14:1-2). As we begin chapter 14 of Romans, Paul warns us not to have disputes over food. He describes some Christians as “the weak” while presumably others would be “the strong.” Orthodox Christians might be surprised about who is considered “weak” and who is considered “strong.” Who are these groups in the Roman Church, and what l...
