Christians are called to be peacemakers. But what, exactly, does this entail? Specifically, how do we live as peacemakers in a world such as ours? How are we, for instance, called to handle toxic relationships? And how can the story of creation in Genesis 1 help us answer these questions? + + + Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted Read Matt's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.com Matt's newest book: ...
Nov 19, 2024•13 min
Revelation 10 introduces a "mighty angel" from heaven. The angel's speech, message, and activities resemble that of an angel depicted in the Old Testament (i.e. in Daniel). But there are also dissimilarities between the two. How might observing these features help us understand Revelation 10, especially with respect to the angel's enigmatic speech about time (10:6)? There's also the mysterious message of "the seven thunders," which John is told not to write down. What does this mean, and how cou...
Nov 12, 2024•51 min
The sixth trumpet brings about the release of four angels, who had been bound (imprisoned) at the Euphrates River. Who are these angels, and what's the point of their being bound at a geographical location such as the Euphrates? Readers also encounter a cavalry that numbers 200 million. What's the significance off this number, and what , exactly, is this cavalry? Is it a demonic ? Is it a human ? And will this cavalry appear in the future , or should we think differently about it? + + + Support ...
Nov 05, 2024•46 min
Matt discusses the events that occur at the fifth trumpet. Who is the "star" that Revelation says "had fallen from heaven to earth"? Is this the "destroyer" of Exodus 12? And what relationship do these texts have with Isaiah 14:12-20? Furthermore, what are the locust-beings that come up from the "bottomless pit," and what are they doing to the earth and its inhabitants? Does this text describe acts of judgments, and if so, what is their purpose? + + + Support the podcast via Patreon: ...
Oct 29, 2024•52 min
Matt chats with pastor and author Mark Beuving about the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, whose thought-provoking writings have captivated readers ever since they were first published. Mark unpacks this intriguing thinker, sharing specifically how Kierkegaard's essays on love and faith could influence our own thinking about what it means to live out the Christian life. Get a copy of Mark Beuving's book: Resonate: Enjoying God's Gift of Music + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of th...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min
This episode comes with an interesting lineup of topics: Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die? What does the Bible say about death and the intermediate state? Do Christians who have died know what's happening on earth? Do they experience emotion, such as regret? Why would God allow Job to suffer? Did God offer Job up as a pawn or is something else going on? + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here ) Don't forget to...
Oct 15, 2024•46 min
Here are some brief reflections on the question of whether God still speak in dreams and visions and how this question relates to biblical texts such as Hebrews 1:1-2. + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here ) Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted...
Oct 09, 2024•3 min
Matt takes questions about faith as "believing loyalty" and how that relates to the forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (as it relates to obedience), and a question about John 6:65 -- can it be interpreted non-deterministically? + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here ) Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Support the podcast via Patreon: https:...
Oct 08, 2024•34 min
Matt takes listener questions about angels (are they still active in the world today?), God's wrath (who is the destroying angel in the Old Testament? How does divine wrath relate to free will?), the "Romans road salvation plan" (does it capture the full story of the Gospel? How can we better incorporate the story of Israel in our evangelistic efforts?), and the inerrancy of Scripture (is "inerrancy" a good word to use for describing the Bible? What are some pitfalls in the way it's often employ...
Oct 01, 2024•37 min
Revelation 8 raises a lot of questions, such as: Who are the seven angels with seven trumpets? What is the significance of their using trumpets? What is the "great mountain" that is "thrown in the sea"? Is this literally a mountain? How does one interpret the "great star" (called "Wormwood") that falls from heaven (this, after all, can hardly be taken as a literal "star")? And, lastly, why is the fraction "one-third" used so often in Revelation 8? How does this number fit into the larger narrati...
Sep 24, 2024•49 min
In Revelation 7, there are 144,000 people sealed on their foreheads -- 12,000 drawn from 12 Jewish tribes. What is John describing in this vision? Should we interpret this literally, as a group of 144,000 individual Jewish people? Or is this symbolic for something else? In this episode, Matt dives into the text and offers reasons why the 144,000 should be understood as referring to the fulness of God's multi-ethnic church -- a company of saints who exist within (and because of) the story of Isra...
Sep 17, 2024•51 min
There's a lot to consider in Revelation 6:9-17; 8:1-5. First, after the 5th seal is opened, we read of martyrs under an altar praying to God for justice to be restored to the earth; they are given white robes and told to "rest a little longer." What's significant about their prayer? What do the white robes signify? Second, with the opening of the 6th seal, the cosmos undergoes a dissolution of sorts -- the sun is darkened, the moon turns blood red, the stars fall from the sky. This symbolism can...
Sep 10, 2024•56 min
What do you think of God? What thoughts come to mind when you hear the words "sovereign" applied to him? Do you think of God as a Father -- one who has intimate knowledge of, and deep care for, his creation? In this sermon, Matt unpacks Psalm 147:4-5, which speaks of both God's infinite wisdom/understanding and the comos' contingency/finitude. The implications of these two verses are far-reaching, inviting us to think deeply and carefully about the one, true eternal God and our relationship with...
Sep 03, 2024•35 min
In Revelation 6:1-8, we encounter "the four horseman of the apocalypse." And, to be sure, there are many questions to consider: Who are these characters? Are they angelic beings (the "good guys?") simply carrying out God's judgment? Or are they sinister forces who are allowed to bring chaos and destruction? Does this text describe exclusively future events (i.e., a future tribulation), or is there a better way to understand it? Finally, how does John's vision of the four horsemen relate to the v...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr
If there's one cardinal rule about interpreting Revelation, it's this: If you want to understand the content of Revelation, it's a good idea to have a grasp on the structure of Revelation. In this episode, Matt addresses this very issue. How, for example, should readers understand the three cycles of judgment -- that is, the seals, trumpets, and bowls ? Are they depicting events that occur chronologically? Are they describing future events? Or is something else going on? + + + Check out Matt's n...
Aug 20, 2024•53 min
There's a big reveal in Revelation 5 -- a vision that allows John to get a glimpse into the heart, the way, and the character of God. What does John see that is so extraordinary? How does his vision counter the politics of his day? How might it challenge ours? And how does this vision in particular recall (and shed light upon) key Old Testament texts? Listen to find out! + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here ) Don't forget to s...
Aug 13, 2024•55 min
Some popular prophecy teachers think Revelation 4 references a future "rapture" of the church. In this episode, Matt offers a different take, arguing that such notions read more into the text than is justified. Matt also discusses the many Old Testament texts that comprise the background for the throne room scene in this chapter. In fact, the OT context can shed some meaningful light on not just the scene itself, but the important elements and characters within the scene -- e.g., the twenty-four...
Aug 06, 2024•45 min
The Mrs. Halsted takes over the microphone to explain why there's no episode this week. + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The End of the World As You Know It: (link here ) Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! Support the podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted...
Jul 30, 2024•2 min
In this episode, Matt discusses the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. This event is by no means an isolated, random miracle. To the contrary, it's allusions back to the Old Testament reveal it's true, Jewish context. What allusions can be detected? Why are they important for this text in particular, and how do they contribute to larger story of redemption? Importantly, how can this story offer hope to the church of the 21st century? Listen to find out. + + + Check out Matt's newest book: The ...
Jul 23, 2024•45 min
In this episode, Matt chats with Joey Dodson, a New Testament professor at Denver Seminary. Their conversation centers around Paul and his theology (and in particular what Paul means by "wretched man" in Romans 7). Joey also talks a bit about Seneca and how knowing about his life and writings can be helpful for modern readers of Paul. A range of other things are covered as well: Paul and Empire, "the righteousness of God," the value of reading fiction, and the list goes on. Dr. Dodson's bio : Dr...
Jul 16, 2024•57 min
Have you ever felt (or currently feel) discouraged by the church? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, Matt chats with Aimee Byrd about this very issue. In her latest book, The Hope in Our Scars , Aimee offers insights on how to find hope, truth, and beauty for those who have grown disillusioned with the church. In an era when the modern church has become infatuated with power and intoxicated by celebrity culture -- leading many to abandon their faith altogether -- Aimee's voice of reason o...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 3 min
How does one go about crafting a theology of human identity? That's the question today's guest, Ryan Dillon, seeks to answer. Ryan recently published a book called Sacramental Identity: Finding Who We Are through Participation in God's Story (link below). In this conversation, listeners get a taste of what the book is all about, as well as some additional insights from Ryan about "theology" in general and why it's important to read the church Fathers. Purchase Ryan's book here: https://a.co/d/hB...
Jul 02, 2024•54 min
In this conversation, Matt chats with Emmanuel Engulu (PhD candidate at Kings College, London). The conversation travels down many paths: apophatic theology, christology, incarnation, trinitarianism, the problems of subordinationism, and the list goes on. Weaved throughout the conversation is the thread of hermeneutics. Emmanuel discusses the role tradition plays in hermeneutics and how engaging with the Fathers can help us read Scripture well. +++ Check out Matt's newest book, The End of the Wo...
Jun 25, 2024•59 min
The church of Laodicea considered itself rich and self-sustaining. And yet, it wasn't. Jesus calls it "wretched" and "poor." He also says the church is "lukewarm" and that he'd rather it be either "cold" or "hot." These metaphors have led to a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. What does Jesus mean by "hot"? Why does he say he'd rather them be "cold" than "lukewarm"? As with anything, if we want to understand the content of Revelation, we need to know a thing or two about the context of Reve...
Jun 18, 2024•39 min
In the message to the church at Philadelphia, Jesus is described as one who possesses "the key of David." What is significant about a "key" in this context, and how does Isaiah shed light upon it? Many prophecy teachers, furthermore, think this message to the Philadelphian believers is actually a message about the final tribulation and specifically alludes to the "rapture" when it says that Jesus will keep this church "from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world" (v. 10). How well d...
Jun 11, 2024•51 min
The church at Sardis has a reputation for "being alive," but in reality they are a "dead" church. Jesus's response is simple: he tells them to have a change of heart and "wake up." But there are other aspects of this passage that are difficult to understand. For example, Jesus tells Sardis that, if they don't repent, he "will come like a thief." Does this mean his second coming is contingent on their decision? Moreover, Jesus seems to imply that, depending on how they respond, Christians in Sard...
Jun 03, 2024•49 min
In this episode, Matt leads listeners through the message given to the church at Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29). This church was a growing church, though not without problems. A local false prophet, a person called "Jezebel," was apparently wreaking havoc upon the congregation by her teaching. Matt explores what, exactly, this might have been all about, as well as discusses how to make sense of the judgments depicted in vv. 22-23. He also explains the role Psalm 2:8-9 plays in this passage and outlines...
May 28, 2024•42 min
Part 2 of 2 of Matt's interview with Brian Zahnd, the author of The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross (link below). Description: Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. In fact, within the narrative of Scripture, the crucifixion of Jesus is literally the crux of the story―the axis upon which the biblical story turns. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. ...
May 21, 2024•40 min
Part 1 of 2 of Matt's interview with Brian Zahnd, the author of The Wood Between the Worlds: A Poetic Theology of the Cross (link below). Description: Everything about the gospel message leads to the cross, and proceeds from the cross. In fact, within the narrative of Scripture, the crucifixion of Jesus is literally the crux of the story―the axis upon which the biblical story turns. But it would be a mistake to think we could sum up the significance of the crucifixion in a tidy sentence or two. ...
May 14, 2024•40 min
The city of Pergamum had a long history with the Imperial Cult. How might knowing about that relationship help modern readers understand Rev. 2:12-17 -- particularly with respect to how John writes that "Satan's throne" resides in Pergamum? Are there other things in Pergamum to which this could refer? There's also the mention of the Old Testament character Balaam, which may shed light upon the enigmatic Nicolaitans. How do we make sense of this group? And finally, there is the mysterious "hidden...
May 07, 2024•44 min
