Later scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Romans to elevate its christology. This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the person of Jesus Christ. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/GDN19SYTewU Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg To support this podcast, donate ...
Jul 03, 2025•21 min•Ep. 390
Did you know that scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians to over twice its original size? This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the local bishop and Christology. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www...
Jun 26, 2025•23 min•Ep. 389
In what ways did later scribes modify and alter the authentic letter from Bishop Ignatius to Polycarp? This week's episode explores some of the additions, focusing on the development of the hierarchy of bishops, the elevated role of the bishop, and the description of Jesus as "our God Jesus Christ." We also examine what it might mean to refer to Christ as "God" in light of the principle of agency that is present in Scripture. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gos...
Jun 19, 2025•25 min•Ep. 388
Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in the first decade of the second century, making him one of the earliest Church Fathers. What did he believe about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit? These crucial questions are tackled after addressing the controversy surrounding which of his letters were authentically written by him. By drawing on the latest scholarship of Ignatian textual criticism, we can recover the beliefs of this ancient bishop, who appears to be a unitarian. Visit Amazon to buy your cop...
Jun 12, 2025•29 min•Ep. 387
Recently, it has been argued that the double use of the title Lord in reference to Jesus ("Lord, Lord") is a claim to be the person of Adonai Yahweh. This week's episode examines such a claim, first by examining the Hebrew texts in question, then by exploring how the Gospel writers use the title "Lord" in different ways, and finally by interpreting the passages in question. In sum, Jesus is not claiming to be Adonai Yahweh. Instead, he is summoning his followers to obey his teachings and submit ...
Jun 05, 2025•25 min•Ep. 386
Is Christ a genuine member of the human race? Some Catholic and Protestant apologists say, no, Jesus is not a real human person. The biblical authors, however, are adamant that Jesus is, in fact, a real human person. This week's episode explores the reasons behind the significant divide between New Testament theology and the Christology of apologists. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast ...
May 29, 2025•26 min•Ep. 385
It is often erroneously claimed that the early Church preached the doctrine of the Trinity from its inception. The Book of Acts is evidence to the contrary. This week's episode examines the sermons in the Book of Acts to see how Luke portrayed christology and Jesus' relationship to God. Spoiler alert: There is no Trinity in the Book of Acts. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future...
May 22, 2025•27 min•Ep. 384
How was Jesus able to perform so many miracles, teach boldly, and even forgive sins (an act typically reserved for God alone)? Answer: he possessed authority from God, which enabled and empowered him to do all these wondrous feats. This week's episode examines how the Gospel of Matthew illustrates Christ as a human being with whom God has shared his authority. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this...
May 15, 2025•22 min•Ep. 383
The early Christians did not relate to the Holy Spirit in trinitarian terms, and this observation can be confirmed along several lines of evidence. This week's episode examines how acts are offered to God (e.g., worship, prayer, sacrifice, praise, singing, talking) and draws attention to how no one in Scripture performs these same acts to the Holy Spirit. The resulting conclusion is that the biblical authors did not think of the Spirit as a distinct, conscious divine person alongside the Father....
May 08, 2025•28 min•Ep. 382
This episode examines how the biblical authors in the Old and New Testaments personify the Holy Spirit. The personification of God's Spirit is often overlooked in favor of suggestions that the Spirit is a conscious, distinct person alongside the Father, but this is not the view of the biblical authors. We explore how God personifies His attributes, how He sends them as agents, and how the Holy Spirit fits within this context. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gos...
May 01, 2025•23 min•Ep. 381
In Scripture, the biblical authors often portray the Holy Spirit as the personal presence of Yahweh himself. This week's episode explores the crucial role of the Spirit of the Lord, highlighting how the Spirit serves as the extended presence of God as he abides among his people. We also discuss how this portrayal of the Spirit is at odds with Trinitarian theology. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting ...
Apr 24, 2025•26 min•Ep. 380
If the Holy Spirit is not the third person of the Trinity, what is it? This week's episode examines how the biblical authors repeatedly describe the Spirit of Yahweh as his power. God's powerful Holy Spirit is shown to be active in creation, empowering key human beings, and even equipping the human Jesus for his ministry as the Jewish Messiah. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and futu...
Apr 17, 2025•24 min•Ep. 379
The latest data gathered by George Barna in 2025 indicates that belief in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is at an all-time low. This episode examines the data and the decline in Trinitarianism over the last decade. We discuss why fewer people believe in the Trinity and how unitarians can use this opportunity to share their truths. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future proj...
Apr 10, 2025•31 min•Ep. 378
Agreeing with the slogan "Jesus is God" has recently become the litmus test for authentic Christians. The problem is that this phrase is nowhere to be found in Scripture, and Jesus never claimed to be God. This episode exposes the problems with the phrase "Jesus is God" by examining thirteen common proof texts to assess the strength of their contribution to Christology. Instead of the phrase "Jesus is God," we propose a more biblical statement: "Jesus is the son of God." Visit Amazon to buy your...
Apr 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 377
John 17:3 is a staple in arguments for biblical unitarianism (and a thorn in the side for any belief in God being more than one person). This week's episode is wholly committed to exegeting John 17:3, examining what it says about the only true God, what it says about Jesus, how it portrays Jesus as God's agent, and the eternal life these truths offer. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast ...
Mar 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 376
How did Christ remain sinless during his earthly ministry? Is that an accomplishment that only God could achieve? This week's episode examines what the New Testament authors have to say about Jesus' sinlessness, particularly focusing on his unwavering obedience and faithfulness to his God and Father. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.payp...
Mar 20, 2025•31 min•Ep. 375
What did the author of the Epistle of Barnabas believe about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? This week's episode explores this important early second-century Christian document's theology, christology, and pneumatology. This epistle is notable for its attribution of personal preexistence to Jesus and its explicit denial that he is a descendant of King David. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this...
Mar 13, 2025•36 min•Ep. 374
Within the Book of Revelation, the Lord God and the Lamb are described as "Alpha and Omega." What does this title mean, and what significance does it have for Revelation's christology? This episode explores these important questions and demonstrates that the Lamb bears the title "Alpha and Omega" in his role as the Lord God's agent. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects...
Mar 06, 2025•37 min•Ep. 373
Does Jude 5 say that "Jesus" rescued the Israelites, or does it say that "the Lord" rescued them? Jude 5 possesses an interesting textual variant that some argue points to Jesus' preexistence. This week's episode will examine all the relevant data to determine what Jude 5 originally said about the one who rescued Israel during the Exodus period. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and fu...
Feb 27, 2025•31 min•Ep. 372
How do the Dead Sea Scrolls help inform New Testament Christology? In the Genesis Apocryphon, also known as 1Q20, we see a human being in whom God's wisdom has become embodied. This is the very same theology taught by Jesus and the early Christians, namely that Christ himself was the enfleshment of God's personified wisdom. This week's episode introduces this important Qumran document and demonstrates how it helps create the context from which the New Testament authors inherited their wisdom Chr...
Feb 20, 2025•36 min•Ep. 371
This week's episode examines how the narrative of the Gospel of Matthew slowly reveals the role of the messianic son of God as a figure who must suffer and be rejected in accordance with the will of God. We look at how Jesus responds to the accusation of being a rebellious son, how the Transfiguration reinforces Jesus as the promised messiah to whom the disciples owe their allegiance, and the way that narrative both closes and opens with a triple temptation concerning Jesus' sonship. Jesus is co...
Feb 13, 2025•32 min•Ep. 370
How does the Gospel of Matthew portray Jesus as the "son of God" as he relates to Yahweh, the nation of Israel, and his disciples? Moreover, what does it mean that Jesus calls his disciples "sons of God"? This episode begins the task of exploring the theme of sonship in Matthew, noting how an ideal son of God is obedient to the true God--whom Jesus defined as "our Father." Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider su...
Feb 06, 2025•35 min•Ep. 369
What did Justin Martyr, the second-century Platonic philosopher who converted to a Christian apologist, believe about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit? Did Justin think that Jesus was the true God or that he was a second, lesser god whom the true God created? Were the Father, Son, and Spirit regarded within Justin's theology as coequal, or were they set in a hierarchy? Did Justin condemn Biblical Unitarian Christians, or did he tolerate their beliefs? This episode explores these crucial ques...
Jan 30, 2025•38 min•Ep. 368
Is Jesus "the beginning of God's creation" or "the ruler of God's creation" in Rev 3:14? This episode sets this passage in its context, follows the author's patterns, and offers reasons why the correct translation of this ambiguous passage is "ruler" (not "beginning"). Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks To view th...
Jan 23, 2025•26 min•Ep. 367
Proverbs 30:4 is sometimes pointed to as proof that Jesus, the son of God, was conscious and alive during the Old Testament. This episode explores Prov. 30:4, sets it in its context, and discerns the identity of the son. We also closely interact with the argument that this refers to a preexistent son of God, showing by many proofs and reasons that this interpretation is highly unlikely. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg Plea...
Jan 16, 2025•23 min•Ep. 366
Since 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which took place in 325 AD, many have begun to reflect on its significance and lasting legacy. Unfortunately, several assertions commonly tossed around about what really took place at Nicaea are simply untrue. This episode examines facts and fiction surrounding the noteworthy church council of the year 325 to help listeners become more well-informed about this key historical event. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom C...
Jan 09, 2025•32 min•Ep. 365
Partitive Exegesis is the interpretive strategy of reading into the texts of Scripture the doctrine of Christ's Two Natures, attributing to some things Jesus did as pertaining to his human nature and other things to Jesus' divine nature. This week's episode shows how key figures in the fourth and fifth centuries employed partitive exegesis in their understanding of Christology. We also examine the New Testament to demonstrate why partitive exegesis distorts the Bible's portrayal of Jesus rather ...
Jan 02, 2025•34 min•Ep. 364
1 John 5:20 is one of the handful of grammatically ambiguous passages in the New Testament that either calls Jesus "God" (theos) or distinguishes Jesus from God. This week's episode examines the passage as neutrally and fairly as possible to determine whether Jesus is called "the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20 will be set in the broader context of the entire book and the context of Johannine literature as a whole before deciding on the key theological matter. Visit Amazon to buy your co...
Dec 26, 2024•28 min•Ep. 363
While Jews and Unitarian Christians have traditionally argued from Deut 6:4 that God is only one person, several Trinitarian apologists and internet theologians have insisted that "echad" (the Hebrew word for "one") refers to a compound unity of multiple persons. This episode examines the cardinal Hebrew number one ("echad") to determine if it is a word possessing the meaning of compound unity. After digging deep into the lexicons and dictionaries, we listen to the best arguments put forth by Tr...
Dec 19, 2024•25 min•Ep. 362
Far too often, the biblical unitarian view of Jesus Christ is mocked as a "mere man." This episode seeks to correct this straw-man portrayal by looking at how the Old Testament authors described the coming messianic king. We examine six Old Testament passages that describe many ways in which Yahweh promises to empower, authorize, and establish the anticipated son of David as his human agent. Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://a.co/d/6nFEbZg...
Dec 12, 2024•36 min•Ep. 361
