Better Bible Reading Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kevin Morris
Kevin Morris from BetterBibleReading.com teaches reading and study methods to help you have an enjoyable and productive bible reading experience. Learn how you can make the most of your time, eliminate distractions, and grow in your knowledge and grasp of the Bible!
Here's the latest and greatest of what's going on with me, and what to expect on the Better Bible Reading podcast on YouTube channel for the rest of 2023!
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This sermon is entitled "The Man and the Message" from 1 John 1:1-4. It was preached by Kevin Morris at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. You can listen to the audio version of this entire series from Ruth on the Better Bible Reading Podcast:
https://www.betterbiblereading.com/podcast
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This sermon is entitled "Waiting for Her Blessed Hope" from Ruth 4:1-22. It was preached at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. You can listen to the audio version of this entire series from Ruth on the Better Bible Reading Podcast.
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This sermon is entitled "A Living Hope" from Ruth 3:1-18. It was preached at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. You can listen to the audio version of this entire series from Ruth on the Better Bible Reading Podcast.
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Good Friday is a mixed bag for Christians. Some treat the day very seriously, some churches have special services, and other Christians simply skip Good Friday and go straight to celebrating Easter. But what should we think about Good Friday? Rather than telling you how to celebrate Good Friday, I want to tell you how we should think through the events. Specifically, I want to spend this episode discussing how Good Friday was a day when much more was going on than what met the eyes of Jesus' disciples, the crowds, and the religious leaders. In fact, we're going to see how the events taking place during Good Friday were meant to call us back to the curse and the promise found in Genesis 3.
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This sermon is entitled "Her Hope is Not Put to Shame" from Ruth 2:1-23. It was preached at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. The audio version of the first sermon from this series in Ruth can be found on the Better Bible Reading Podcast:
https://www.betterbiblereading.com/podcast
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This sermon is entitled "In Hope, She Believed Against Hope" from Ruth 1:6-22. It was preached on Sunday, February 26, 2023, at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida.
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Is this a helpful statement? Is it a Roman Catholic idea? Is it even biblical? Today I want to share with you a provocative statement made by none other than the Protestant Reformer, John Calvin. Today we're doing a little church history, some interaction with Ephesians 4, and an overall increase (hopefully) in our appreciation for belonging to both Jesus Himself, and His church.
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Genealogies are probably the least-appreciated part of the Bible. They're full of names hard to pronounce, and if our motivation is low, we'll find a reason to simply skip over them altogether. But that's no good. Genealogies are worth out time- not only because they are part of God's inspired Word- but also because they make some important points when it comes to understanding the Bible's claim to historical reliability and theological interpretation. To help you appreciate genealogies, let's take a look at the two genealogies of Jesus (Matthew and Luke) and see what they teach us about the birth narratives of Jesus.
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Hey friends! I'll be preaching a series of sermons through the book of Ruth at my church, and I wanted to share them with you. You can expect these sermons about once a month, and if you've never studied the book of Ruth before, this sermon will be a great place to start, since we'll kick things off in chapter 1, verse 1.
Thanks for listening!
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While the gospel of John is a popular place to start for many Bible readers (either new Christians or new reading plans), you might wonder where to go from there. I think the best book to follow John's gospel is actually 1st John. This book acts as an inspired commentary on many of the themes found in the gospel of John. Today we'll look at some of these, and hopefully, you'll come away with a new appreciation of this book!
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How does the Incarnation relate to the human condition, known as "the rat race"? It turns out, the vicious cycle of human existence eluded to us by Solomon is exactly what we need to come to terms with, in order to appreciate the good news of Jesus Christ. In a manner of speaking, Ecclesiastes reminds us of the bad news which makes the gospel so glorious. During a season of hustle and bustle, New Years' resolutions, and attempts to remedy our lives with silver bullets, we need to be reminded of the rescue and freedom that Jesus accomplishes for His people by entering into the human experience on our behalf.
This sermon is entitled "The Heart of the Matter" from Ecclesiastes 9:11-18. It was preached on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida.
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There are thousands of Bible reading plans, but I want to share with you the 5 Bible reading plans I think you should use in 2023. While these 5 Bible reading plans may sound like too much, I will share with you what makes each one of them unique, and worth your time!
1. The Robert Murray M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
This plan is divided into personal and family reading, averaging 4-5 Bible chapters each day in various genres. In a year, you'll read the Old Testament once, and the New Testament and Psalms twice.
Download Robert Murray M'Cheyne's Bible Reading Plan Here:
https://www.mcheyne.info/calendar.pdf
2. The 2/1 Reading Plan
The name of the game here is simple: Read two chapters in the Old Testament and one chapter in the New Testament each day. You'll finish in roughly one year.
Check out Matthew Everhard's Bible Reading Plan Printout Here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B__wL9T6X1mXM1FtWERBYnBSOWtKei03bDRNbXlIYTZYMmpJ/view?resourcekey=0-vtYIb_f_oq3a-YKYdwkMdw
3. Read the Entire New Testament in One Month
The New Testament is made up of 26 books. This is the toughest of all the plans because it requires a lot of reading every day. However, it's a quick win for anyone who is willing to dive deep for one month, getting a rich overview of the entire New Testament.
4. Read the Psalms in One Month
A little easier than the entire New Testament, this plan simply requires reading 5 Psalms each day, finishing all 150 in 30 days
5. Read Proverbs in One Month
Here's the easiest plan. Read one chapter from the book of Proverbs each day, finishing all 31 in one month. You'll see structure and patterns in Proverbs that you would never have noticed before!
Remember, Bible reading plans are only a means to an end: meeting with God in His Word. Make these a joy and a means to your ultimate goal of growing as a child of God!
Enroll in my FREE course, teaching you how to read the Bible:
https://betterbiblereading.com/freeclass
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Dr. Everhard's Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZeN-hOXtiz9Q0YvVUee8A
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This sermon is entitled "The Heart of the Matter" from Judges 6:1-32. It was preached on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. I am posting this video to satisfy my preaching class requirement with Moody Bible Institute, and my professor and classmates will be watching it for grading. With that said, I wanted to share it publicly on my channel for any who are interested in watching. I hope it is a blessing to you!
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Today we welcome Dr. Matthew Everhard back onto the Better Bible Reading Podcast to talk about his newest book entitled "Souls: How Jesus Saves Sinners". "Souls" is a book about the gospel, and it brings to light the importance of our souls in the context of sharing and understanding the gospel. We'll cover some questions about the book, some dangers of false gospels today, and what we should take away from this topic. Below is a link for the book- and please note that the book is also available in Kindle and Audible format as well!
https://www.amazon.com/Souls-How-Jesus-Saves-Sinners/dp/B0BHKV234P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UCVNKHXLJV3I&keywords=souls+how+jesus+saves+sinners&qid=1670620485&sprefix=souls+how+jesus+saves+si%2Caps%2C348&sr=8-1
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The more we read our Bibles, the more layers we start to uncover. If this hasn't happened for you, or you find yourself thinking that you've already learned everything there is to know about a passage, let me encourage you to start thinking about biblical themes. The themes in the Bible connect the dots in amazing ways. Not only do they cross over from the Old to New Testament- but they also cross over between different biblical genres. Today we'll look at a theme in the Bible that crosses between Genesis, Proverbs, and Revelation. Two different testaments and three different genres. Let's connect the dots and enhance our Bible reading!
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This question is very divisive. Some people argue that Bible interpretation is all about the work of understanding the grammar and literary features of the Bible, along with some historical background knowledge. Others argue that only the Holy Spirit can interpret the Bible to us and it requires none of those things. What doesn't help is that we typically argue this question with two different definitions of what exactly Bible interpretation means. Today I want to offer a balanced approach that (hopefully) avoids both extremes. I hope it's helpful to your own endeavor to correctly interpret the Bible while being led by the Spirit!
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This question is very divisive. Some people argue that Bible interpretation is all about the work of understanding the grammar and literary features of the Bible, along with some historical background knowledge. Others argue that only the Holy Spirit can interpret the Bible to us and it requires none of those things. What doesn't help is that we typically argue this question with two different definitions of what exactly Bible interpretation means. Today I want to offer a balanced approach that (hopefully) avoids both extremes. I hope it's helpful to your own endeavor to correctly interpret the Bible while being led by the Spirit!
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Today I want to focus on one specific way to upgrade your Bible reading process. It's a visual aid tool that anyone can use because just about everyone has this already. You don't need any tech gear or even an internet connection. All you need is a Bible and one highlighter. Here's how it works and why this technique is such a powerful visual aid for Bible reading.
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 104-112
Today we're wrapping up chapter 1 with Peter van Mastricht's interesting explanation of what the big idea behind theology is. For some people, theology is all about doctrine. For others, it's all about practice. And for most of us, it's somewhere between the middle. Peter van Mastricht gives us his answer about the chief end of theology by calling it "preeminently practical". Here's what that means and how it makes his approach to theology unique.
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What does the parable of the persistent widow teach us? This parable is unique to the gospel of Luke, but thankfully we don't have to guess about the right interpretation of this parable. That's because Luke tells us exactly what it's about in verse 1: "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Today we'll consider how this parable encourages us to pray and how prayer keeps us from losing heart. This video is from a recent sermon I preached at Grace Community Church in Yulee Florida. If you want to know more about this church, feel free to visit their website: gracenassau.com
Also, be sure to check out my free course to help you read the Bible. You can visit Betterbiblereading.com/freeclass and get started immediately!
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Is the Old Testament expendable? With "New Testament Only" Bibles, troubling statements from notable pastors, and arguments from the culture, the Old Testament repeatedly finds itself in the crosshairs. In response to this, the Old Testament gets pushed to the side. Is this a sign of innovation and progress, or does it represent a troubling trend that would destroy Christianity? Today we'll discuss what happens when the Old Testament is expendable, and why you should care about the 2/3's of your Bible that normally gets ignored.
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 98-104
When people talk about living for God, it's not always clear what that means. Maybe it has to do with showing love to others. Maybe it means fulfilling some kind of vow. Or maybe it means something entirely different. If someone asked you, how would you explain living for God? Peter Van Mastricht does a great job of using his own definition of theology as a way to explain what it means to live for God, and that's our topic of discussion for today!
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How often do you compare other Bible translations with your favorite one? Today I want to give two personal examples of how failing to do this can be a HUGE mistake, and why comparing multiple Bible translations can greatly improve our ability to understand any passage in the Bible.
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 86-98
Is theology simply a matter of knowledge? How do you know if your theology is correct? How does practice relate to theology? Today, Peter van Mastricht gives us an interesting litmus test for theology. He says that the only true theology is practical theology. To show this, he gives us four points of application for Christian theology. This episode is full of helpful considerations for our personal lives- so I hope you find it to be an important aid to your Christian life!
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The summertime is tough for disciplined Bible readers. With vacations and breaks from our normal routine, our Bibles and reading consistency can quickly go down the drain. So what should we do? How can we make the most of this natural break during the summer months? My advice is to pick one book of the Bible to focus on. Focus on quality over quantity. When the Fall comes around, you'll be glad that you took a tough situation and turned it into something memorable for your Bible reading! Here's why I'm choosing the gospel of John and why you should too!
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There are dozens of Bible translations available today, but which one should you use? I say, why limit ourselves to just one? Today we'll talk about why Bible translations differ from others and how to decide which ones are the best options for you. I'll also share my personal top three translations I recommend!
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 80-86
Natural theology needs some ground rules. We can either embrace it too much and start having a low opinion of the Bible's value. Or we can reject natural theology of any value, but this makes us deny what the Bible says about God revealing Himself in nature, such as Psalm 19 and Romans 1. What are some careful ground rules for us to follow? Peter van Mastricht shares 4 questions for us to answer, which serve as a litmus test for our view of natural theology.
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There's a ton of Christian literature available today, but how much of it is actually helpful? We can't possible read all the good material, and there's probably more bad than good on the market, which makes things even more complicated. But what does the Bible actually say about reading Christian books? While there's no way to deal with every example of doctrinal disagreement or scandals that discredit authors, there are some helpful ways to decide who to read and who to avoid. And to do that, we'll look at a very important passage from the book of Hebrews.
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 73-80
Is theology a biblical term? What can we learn about God outside the Bible? How does Scripture relate to reason? These are all questions we answer today by looking at Peter van Mastricht's explanation of how theology is revealed in nature and Scripture.
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How difficult is it to read the entire New Testament in a month? Actually, it's much easier than trying to read the entire Bible in a year. We're a quarter of the way through the year, and that means that many of us are currently struggling with how badly we have failed in our Bible reading plans for 2022. In fact, you might be so far behind in your reading that you see no possibility of catching up. But there's still plenty of time left in the year, so what should you do? Annual Bible reading plans are marathons. They require you to follow a routine for 365 days. That's easier said than done. Monthly reading plans are sprints. You only have to discipline yourself for 30 days. So let's take advantage of sprints this upcoming month and find a way to achieve a great goal: Reading the New Testament in 1 month! Easy? No. Possible? Absolutely. Here's how to do it and why you need this as your recovery from failed reading plans.
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Some people are bothered by the idea of systematic theology because they're afraid that this puts God in a box. But is this true? Today we'll talk about why the Bible commands us to have a certain method of theology, and how this protects, rather than limits, our understanding of who God is. To do this, we'll look at the biblical method of theology, which Peter van Mastricht describes as the connection between theory and practice, or to say it another way, the theoretical-practical.
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After a couple of weeks off, we're back!
Meditation is a tricky word because it means different things for different people. It could have one meaning for an atheist, another for an exercise enthusiast, and another for a Christian. But for Christians and Bible readers, what exactly is meditation? Today we'll talk about meditation according to the Bible, and how it is fundamentally different from the popularized use of the word today.
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 63-66
What exactly is systematic theology? Is it wrong to create a system of theology? We'll answer those questions today by looking again to Peter van Mastricht. He makes the biblical case for why we should view theology as a "system" and what benefit it should have in our lives. This is our introduction to chapter 1, entitled "The Nature of Theology".
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New Christians and Bible readers trying a new reading plan often wrestle with the question: what book of the Bible should I start with? The go-to answer for most people is the gospel of John, while the Bible's answer seems to be Genesis. We'll tackle this question by talking about the benefit of all 66 books of the Bible, the importance of each genre from Genesis to Revelation, and my top 6 Bible books that will help you get a great jumpstart!
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 29-31.
Today we finish up our study of Peter van Mastricht's introduction "The Best Method of Preaching". Mastricht uses the last few pages to talk about some helpful ways to study long passages of scripture. After that, he gives some closing thoughts about how preachers should deliver their message- everything from voice tone to the role of making jokes! I hope you follow along as we talk about Mastricht's primary audience (preachers) and how these principles apply to any student of God's Word!
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It's February, the time of year when Bible reading plans tend to go out the window, stress amplifies, and our weeks start to get very busy. Worst of all, our guilt or our shortcomings so far this year make the prospect of Bible reading seem altogether overwhelming. It shouldn't be this way, but ignoring the problem or downplaying it won't help us get anywhere. Instead, we need to face these problems head-on. But first, we have to identify where the overwhelm is coming from. Here are four sources, and how to deal with them in constructive ways!
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 12-28
Today in our study, Peter van Mastricht takes us through some helpful ways to use any text of scripture as a teaching method. He offers six uses of the Bible for the head and the heart. We'll look at the Bible doctrine as the "truth" of scripture and bible practice as the "goodness" of that truth put into action. This episode is a great example of how the Bible is important for preaching in a corporate setting, and study in an individual setting.
You can grab your copy of Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1 here: (affiliate link)
https://www.christianbook.com/theoretical-practical-theology-volume-1-prolegomena/petrus-van-mastricht/9781601785596/pd/785596?event=AFF&p=1220145
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The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill is a podcast production of Christianity Today, documenting the church of famed and controversial pastor Mark Driscoll. This podcast was a highly anticipated production during the Summer and Fall of 2021 and has received both high praise and critique from listeners. So what do I think of this podcast? What did it get right and what did it get wrong? Should you spend your time listening to it? And most importantly, what can this podcast teach us about Bible reading?
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 7-11.
Did the Sermon Preach the Text? Peter van Mastricht wants to encourage pastors to make sure that their sermons stay focused on the sermon text. The way to do this is by maintaining a careful balance in the way the sermon is presented. But this also means that those listening to sermons should appreciate the difficult balance of rightly dividing the Word while preaching the whole counsel of God. This episode will encourage listeners to encourage their pastors, as they deal carefully with the sermon text.
How many sermons are guilty of drifting further and further away from the text as they go on? A sermon can be biblical without relating to the sermon text whatsoever. We can call these 'biblical tangents', something many pastors are guilty of. We'll cover all this and more, from Mastricht's The Best Method of Preaching.
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Friends- Welcome to 2022! Let's dedicate this year to quality Bible reading! Today on the show, we'll reflect on some exciting stats from the show in 2021. Then I'll share what you can expect from Better Bible Reading in 2022!
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Today I'm sharing my Bible reading plan strategy for 2022: Active Reading! To do this, we're going to look at a strategy that involves writing in our Bibles- and several types of wide-margin Bibles that are great for this strategy. Be sure to check the episode link for reading plan downloads and video content from this episode!
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Today we welcome to the show Dr. Matthew Everhard- pastor of Gospel Fellowship PCA, Jonathan Edwards scholar, and Youtuber with some great Bible and theology content. Since we are working through Peter van Mastricht's Theoretical Practical Theology, this was a great chance for us to sit down and have the dots connected between Peter van Mastricht and his profound impact on the great Jonathan Edwards! Be sure to check the description below for links to some great and FREE content!
Episode Questions for Dr. Everhard:
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What led you to become interested in Edwards?
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How were you first exposed to Peter van Mastricht?
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What is the story behind the famous quote about Mastricht from Jonathan Edwards on the back of Theoretical-Practical Theology?
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What do you like best about Theoretical-Practical Theology?
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Why should listeners spend their time devoted to men like Mastricht and Edwards- and how do they give us a deeper appreciation for the Bible?
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out more content over at the BBR website!
https://betterbiblereading.com
Dr. Everhard's Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzZeN-hOXtiz9Q0YvVUee8A
Free Chapter Download from Volume 2: Miscellanies
https://amzn.to/3prZI6K
New Book! "Holy Living- Jonathan Edwards's 70 Resolutions..."
https://amzn.to/38fl4vX
All Books by Dr. Everhard
https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Everhard/e/B001JP0KEQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1
Gospel Fellowship PCA
https://www.gospelfellowshippca.org/
Dr. Everhard's Article's on Modern Reformation
https://modernreformation.org/multi_a...
Dr. Everhard's Reading Plan for Jonathan Edwards
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jNyB2lJY2MQbo2gQ9qP1s2MT5F6XV9cD/view
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 6-7.
Preaching or Entertainment? This question is relevant today, but it's also one that Peter van Mastricht directly deals with! How a sermon is arranged says a lot about the pastor, but it also says a lot about church members and our view of preaching. Today we take a serious look at how to tell the difference between preaching and entertainment in Mastricht's The Best Method of Preaching.
If you enjoyed this episode, consider visiting https://www.betterbiblereading.com/ for even more content!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
It's the season of giving! We've entered the home stretch of 2021, and in this episode, I want to help you make the most of December by sharing some powerful options that will immediately improve your Bible reading. And best of all, these options are completely free!
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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 1-6.
Peter van Mastricht introduces his best method for preaching by talking about the benefit of his method. He says that it has a goal both for preachers as well as hearers. We'll unpack what Mastricht has to say in his best method for preaching, including how listeners can memorize sermons, and how long a preacher should spend in their introductions!
If you enjoyed this episode, consider visiting https://www.betterbiblereading.com/ for even more content!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
Today on the show, I answer some listener questions! If you have any questions you would like to send me for a future episode, reach out to me at betterbiblereading@gmail.com
Here are the questions for this episode:
All angels & humans had freedom of choice. Once we are in Eternity if we still have that same freedom, what will prevent another rebellion scenario from happening again?
Will the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil be there, or will we just remember our knowledge of sin from b4, keeping us from sinning again?
Is it that, because sin & the devil were destroyed, evil no longer exists, so people in Eternity won’t have negative or rebellious thoughts anymore?
But then, Lucifer wasn’t created as an evil being in Heaven, he just chose to act on his evil thoughts over time. So, will we still have freedom of choice, or how will that look?
Be sure to check out more resources over at https://www.betterbiblereading.com/
And of course, if you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to the show! Thanks for your support!
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In recent episodes, we considered the importance of systematic theology for the average person. This discipline helps us become better Bible readers and it brings clarity to what we believe. Starting today, we will begin a bi-weekly study through systematic theology, using Peter van Mastricht's book Theoretical-Practical Theology. If you haven't gotten volume one of the book yet- there's still time! In this episode, I'll be answering the million-dollar question: Why Theoretical-Practical Theology? And to answer, we'll consider what the translator and editor of this book have to say about Peter van Mastricht's method of theology and why it has been brought to us in the English language.
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My church recently spent 16 months going through the gospel of John on Sunday mornings. I sit down with pastor Josh Hinson from Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida to reflect on what we have learned and gained from this important book in the Bible. In this episode, we talk about the following:
- Why you should commit to studying John, themes in John
- What makes this book unique
- Some surprising themes and patterns in the book
- How Josh approached the gospel of John in weekly study
- The best books and commentaries on John
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out more content over at the BBR website! https://betterbiblereading.com
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
October 31st should be a day for Protestants to celebrate the hallmark doctrine of justification by faith alone. But for many of us, we're preoccupied with eating candy and covering our bushes with fake spider webs. Today we talk about why this doctrine is what sets us apart from Roman Catholicism, and why a growing disinterest in justification by faith alone is much scarier than ghosts and goblins!
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Today I share our new project on Teaching Thursdays- and one that will take a LONG time to complete: Our first Systematic Theology book study together! This episode is all about convincing you of the importance of systematic theology, and why our best choice is a new edition of an old book: Theoretical-Practical Theology by Petrus Van Mastricht.
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Why do we have four gospels? Why not one, or ten? We'll discuss what makes our four gospels unique, and how to grow our interest in them.
The Bible contains four gospels because God wants us to understand the unique element of divine inspiration and a dual divine/human authorship.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
Today on Teaching Thursdays, I would like to share a recent sermon I preached. But this sermon was not preached at my church, or at any church for that matter. Actually, this was a school preaching project that I had to record and send in for a grade. I had several criteria (length, illustrations, transition phrases, eye contact, etc...) to follow for this, but the end result is a sermon on 1 John 4:17-21, "Love Experienced, Love Expressed"
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It's easy to mistake personal for private and public for superficial. But what happens when we do this with our view of the Bible and the Church? You might be shocked how common this is. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris.
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Today on Teaching Thursdays we reach the end of our study through 1 Peter. We'll analyze the last few verses of the letter and take some time to talk about the big ideas that Peter has developed throughout these 5 chapters.
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Enroll in my FREE course that teaches you the most important principles of the Bible reading process! https://betterbiblereading.com/freeclass
Plagiarism, consumerism, marketing, churches, and... Bibles? These terms shouldn't belong in the same conversation, but as many pastors today are using what's called canned sermons, it becomes a conversation worth having. Today we'll see how this odd assortment of topics should make us think carefully about our commitment to the Bible and the church we belong to.
This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Today on Teaching Thursdays we are inching towards the finish of our study in 1 Peter together! 1 Peter 5 features Peter's conclusion of the letter, which is packed with encouragement and motivation to live joyfully in a fallen world. The closing remarks of Peter focus on bringing our Christian life into perspective- that it is one of temporary suffering, and eternal glory. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
If you were asked to describe the Law of God, would you use the word gracious or legalism? Here are 3 misconceptions about the Law of God.
Misconception 1: The Law of God is the Opposite of Grace Misconception 2: People Were Saved in the Old Testament by the Law Misconception 3: The Law is Irrelevant for Christians Today
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Suffering is the reality for both Christians, atheist, and every religious variety in between. Yet, for the Christian suffering is uniquely a gesture of God's love. We learn this from 1 Peter 4:12-19 where Peter reminds us that we are "Beloved" in God's sight and because of that love, we should not consider suffering as something foreign to God's love.
Learn all about this and more on today's episode of Teaching Thursdays, the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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As the summer draws to a close and the year will quickly be another one in the books, I wanted to share with you a quick update of what to expect for this show for the rest of the year, as well as the website betterbiblereading.com
I want to invite you to start finding me on my digital home instead of social media, external site, and even apps. As Better Bible Reading strives to be a resource to come alongside you and improve your Bible reading and spiritual life with God, the best way for that to happen is for you to get connected directly with me at BetterBibleReading.com
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The Philosophical Task of the Interpreter- Culturology
Sometimes it is difficult for people to equate the ministry with the head, since the essence of spiritual life seems to have a heavy bent to wards matters of the heart. Thus, when people think of biblical interpretation, whether for practical application or ministerial/teaching tools, the emphasis is normally outside the realm of philosophical thought. However, although Christianity is much more than an intellectual pursuit, it is certainly not less than such a pursuit! The interpretive task is performed and taught by humans conscious of the world they live in, which brings Christianity into the realm of philosophy and worldview.
Orientation
That introductory paragraph is something that I am quite confident of, but not something I have always been aware of. In recent months, I have personally been forced to walk within this philosophical awareness in my own transition from a life-long upbringing in a Free-will Baptist denomination to the Presbyterian and Reformed denomination. My transition to a new denomination was possible by two factors: biblical conviction, and a growing awareness of presuppositions and culture. In God’s providence, my own transition took place in tandem with enrolling with Moody Bible Institute. How this background experience relates and informs the philosophical task of the interpreter will be made evident in the following sections.
Connections
Interpreting Scripture has taught me a necessary question to ask in the interpretive process: Is there a true correlation between philosophy, culture and spiritual formation? The textbook “Everyday Theology” has been an excellent study in seeking an informed answer to the question. Kevin J. Vanhoozer implies that this is so: “describing culture as a process of spiritual formation is not to say that we are helpless and hapless victims but rather to call our attention to the fact that spiritual formation is happening to us and to our children all the time” (31). As this process of life happens, we all develop a worldview with a growing array of presuppositions. It is simply impossible to separate this reality of human existence from our processing of information, especially when it comes to biblical interpretation. This is the subjective element of philosophy that must be realized- that everyone who comes to the text of Scripture comes with presuppositions, or to put it strongly, biases.
This philosophical awareness has flourished tremendously in this class, but it has done so from the foundation of a previous class Story and Structure of the Bible in which the textbook “Introduction to Biblical Interpretation” introduced me to the concept of presuppositions, defined as preunderstanding: “preunderstanding may be defined as a body of assumptions and attitudes which a person brings to the perception and interpretation of reality or any aspect of it” (Klein et al. 154). While this concept was a minor point in that class, I can see that it laid a healthy foundation for the cultural aspect of this class.
Insights
The way that Vanhoozer builds upon that foundation of preunderstanding and connects it to the whole pursuit of the philosophical task is by calling readers to implement Romans 12.2 in a comprehensive way:
Christians must learn to read the Bible and culture alike […] ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Rom.12.2). The apostolic exhortation confronts us with a question: In which cultural world of meaning do we dwell? (Vanhoozer et al. 35)
This concise analysis of Romans 12.2 connects the practical and ministerial task of interpretation with the philosophical task, since the call of Christian growth is a renewing of the mind, and proper obedience
Today on Teaching Thursdays Peter says that we’ve spent enough time living our previous way of life- the way of this world. To do battle with the world is to be transformed by the Spirit of God and to seek God’s glory in everything. This is the essence of Romans 12:1-2 and it is the essence of Jesus’ earthly ministry: Live for the glory of God, through suffering, and contend with the world, so that the world might be saved and transformed. Additionally, along the way of suffering, we find that God loves and cares for His people- through the gifts and graces given to His people! This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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What is the Role of the Holy Spirit in Bible Interpretation? Giving an Answer
It is true that many who are devoid of the Holy Spirit are nevertheless interpreters of the Bible. That reality of interpretation shows that hermeneutics is not a process restricted to whether or not one has the Holy Spirit. We must remember that false teachers have always built a system of doctrine from the scriptures (hermeneutical conclusions), but do so without the aid of the Holy Spirit, people who are as Jude plainly says "devoid of the Spirit" (Jude 1:19). James also warns that hermeneutics is more than an intellectual assent to facts when he reminds us that "even the demons believe- and shudder" (James 2:19). Therefore, Scripture presents to us that hermeneutics is a reality for both Christians and non-Christians alike. So what does the Holy Spirit do in the process of interpretation?
To put it simply, I borrow the words from Klein et al. "The Spirit convinces God's people of the truth of the biblical message, and then convicts and enables them to live consistently with that truth" (4). In other words, the Holy Spirit does the work of bringing the Word of God from our heads to our heart. There is no supernatural correlation between learning biblical Greek and the Holy Spirit any more than there is between learning English and the Holy Spirit. Though learning the biblical languages is a great help in understanding the message, it is the Holy Spirit who 'brings home' the message by teaching God's people the significance of the message. Many non-Christians have the ability to learn biblical Greek and gain an advantage in grammatical understanding of the Bible, and many non Christians have the ability to learn the historical climate of the Roman Empire, giving them an advantage in the historical understanding of the events of the New Testament. These are both elements of what we would call sound hermeneutics in the "historical and grammatical methods" (Klein et al. 13). Further, we can say along with the same authors that "The Spirit does not inform us of the Scripture's meaning." (4).
Yet, only those who have the Holy Spirit can truly have their eyes open to the beauty of God's word (Ps. 119:18) or find life and strength in the word of God (Ps. 119:25, 28). These are those supernatural interpretations within the Bible that are only through those who have the Holy Spirit. Most striking and wonderful are the words of Jesus regarding this subject: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come" (John 16:13). And to be sure that this 'truth' spoken of by Jesus relates to the Bible, He later says plainly "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
So then a quick summary. Although it is not wrong to pray to God and ask Him for help in understanding the intellectual side of hermeneutics (grammar, context, history, etc... ), and although He may be pleased to help us, we do not say that this is the direct role of the Holy Spirit in hermeneutics since people may do well in these interpretive categories who do not have the Holy Spirit and would not hesitate to identify as non-Christian. This is the so called 'limitation' of the Holy Spirit. Yet these same people cannot meditate on the Bible, nor pray through the process of reading the text for illumination, nor see the practical implications for the text upon their own lives (their vocation, family, work, town, etc...). They are also not involved in the hermeneutics that brings conviction of sin and the glories of God in Christ. Instead, these are all the work and role of the Holy Spirit to those who possess the Spirit, bringing upon the hearts of God's people the significance of His word in thei
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Interpreting the Bible and Culture- Culturology
The interpretation of culture and the Bible are two disciplines which work to arrive at meaning. This represents a presupposition of an objective quality, both in cultural texts and biblical texts. That is to say, there is a tangible, definitive message in cultural texts and biblical texts that can be interpreted, else the disciplines of interpretation would be exercises in vanity and uncertainty. To understand both disciplines properly, they must be explored in their relative qualities, not only in the way that they are similarly performed, but also in the way in which they overlap in the interpretive process.
First, the terms should be defined. Cultural interpretation is that which seeks to uncover the worldview behind a cultural text, in the cultural text, and brought out from the cultural text (Vanhoozer et al. 45). Biblical interpretation consists of uncovering the meaning of the biblical text, both in content and context. This is normally performed by a step by step process, such as investigating the categories of culture, time, and situation (Duvall and Hays 41).
Since a cultural text is sometimes abstract, consisting of an icon or word, it is important to understand where it comes from, what it is, and where it is going. This lends to a multiperspectival interpretation, meaning that right interpretation occurs by utilizing multiple disciplines to uncover the thickness of what is occurring in any given cultural text (Vanhoozer et al. 45). In concise terms, a cultural text comes from a worldview of the author(s), contains a worldview in the text itself, and seeks to cultivate a worldview in the reader(s).
In like manner, biblical interpretation considers the content alongside the context of the author and the audience. Furthermore, the implications of the text are also explored, investigating the impact and significance upon contemporary readers, commonly defined as application. What can be noticed in both cultural and biblical interpretation is the presence of culture within the interpretive process. In cultural interpretation, culture is the object; in biblical interpretation, culture is the subject. Nevertheless, culture is that which must be dealt with if meaningful interpretation is to be performed. In the process of biblical interpretation, culture is an element of separation between then and today. Consequently, biblical interpretation does not understand meaning without understanding right application of the text, which can only be done when one properly understands their own contemporary culture. Thus, there is a front-end element of culture and a back-end element of culture, whereby the interpreter must do due diligence in understanding the original cultural audience and the contemporary cultural audience.
In like manner, cultural texts can only be significant if the meaning of the text is understood alongside the cultural context. The cultural icon of Walmart’s yellow smiley face is largely insignificant if the reader does not understand the cultural context that it represents and the world it promises to create in its customers (i.e. low-price purchase options). Conversely, the biblical text, “When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’” (English Standard Version, John 11.43) is largely insignificant if the context of the statement is not understood, such as Jesus being the speaker, Lazarus being called to come to life, and the presence of a watching crowd. Contextual understanding is required both in the interpretation of culture and the Bible.
Whether pastors or teachers, one can hardly overemphasize the importance of cultivating a hermeneutic of culture and the Bible
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Today on Teaching Thursdays, we find Psalm 34:12-16 at the heart of Peter’s point in the text. To understand his command and encouragement to us, we should take some time to look at this section of Psalm 34. The main point to notice is the active obedience that it calls us to.
We will not be joyful sufferers by being passive- we must be active! Not merely to refrain from returning evil, but to bless! Not merely to turn from evil, but to do good! Not merely to refrain from violence, but to seek peace! If we do this, we will not grow weary when unjust suffering comes our way. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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Should People Read the Bible Differently? Giving an Answer
The "ideal" approach to reading the Bible varies from person to person. To be sure, there are different measures to be taken by a pastor who is studying the Bible for an upcoming sermon and a teenager who reads most days during the week, yet there should be a particular set of qualities that are present and a balance to found that is structured but not mechanical. Here are some in no particular order:
- The Bible reader understands that Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3.16). Paul articulates that this should cause the reader to seek teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.
- An ideal reader approaches the text both as a student (2 Tim. 2.15), and in order to be exposed for the purpose of being discipline (Heb. 4.12). To put it another way, the ideal reader wants the text to read them!
- The reader knows that he or she is just that, a Bible reader, not a Bible writer. Our reading summarized this well: "meaning resides in the text, and our objective is to discover it, at least to the extent that we are able to recover it in the text [...] We do not create the message; rather, we seek to discover what is already there" (Klein et al. 170). As an "ideal" but not an absolute necessity, I would suggest that the reader develop interpretive qualities within the historical-grammatical hermeneutic.
The ideal Bible reader has a passion and devotion to the Bible as being truth (John 17.17). This truth is theological and historical and sets apart Bible interpreters from interpreters of other literary genres. Shakespeare for example wrote many notable works of literature, but they never maintain to be truth. Tragedies such as "Hamlet" are not intended by Shakespeare to transform his audience and one could well enjoy the written works of Shakespeare with no regard to Shakespeare as the man historically. Literary fiction is written with the expressed purpose of entertainment. The Bible on the other hand never intends to be fictional or entertainment-based. It is presented to its readers as revelatory and transformative. This means that its readers and interpreters are involved in something that transcends other literary categories of reading and interpretation.
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Dynamic Diversity According to the Bible- Culturology
Dynamic Diversity, written by Bruce Milne, is based on the thesis that the church is meant to be a center of reconciliation. This idea of a reconciliation center is predicated upon the vast division in society, division which is normally comprised of the four major categories of class, age, race, and gender. According to Milne, a center of reconciliation is a place which seeks to reconcile the divides found in those four categories (Milne 14). In other words, a center of reconciliation is meant to either mend, bridge, or even transcend these categories of division and/or distinction, to borrow the verbs used by Milne. What follows is a brief summary of the book, interjecting some thematic and practical points related to Milne’s thesis.
Milne begins by noting that the way to bridge these points of division expressed in class, age, race and gender is first and foremost a conceptual approach to the global nature of the church:
This book is written in the conviction that the divine mystery, the diversity in unity of the people of God in Christ, need not be confined to the global stage, nor need it be deferred to the future age of glory. Rather it can be experienced today, in embryo, in every local Christian congregation on the face of the earth. (9)
Milne stresses that the church must recognize the diverse nature of Jesus’ new humanity on the global scale in order to bring about real change and conformity to this reality within their own congregations. He makes a strong case of why this is necessary by noting that this was indeed a reality among the early church across the Roman Empire and beyond (10). To be clear, notions of diversity expressed in church history are often followed with calls to abandon orthodoxy for the sake of ecumenical renderings. A refreshing point in Milne’s argument is that he opts not to abandon orthodoxy, but rather to follow it to the logical conclusion of unified diversity in the new humanity. He does this by savoring the truth of this among the people of God among the first two chapters, followed by suggesting the embrace of orthodox theology as necessary for unity: “this new-humanity, unity-in-diversity, together-under-Christ model receives significant support from primary Christian beliefs […] theology buttresses the exegetical conclusions reached in the first two chapters” (53).
Milne then goes on to speak of the contours found in the Apostle’s Creed, including the wonder of the Trinity, the atonement, and the church to name a few. The next two chapters move to speak of the global approach of forming and structuring congregations, as well as a reaffirmation of the historical witnesses of global structures in the church. The argument is essentially, if the world around us is more globalized as ever (Ch. 4) and the early church was able to comprise itself in such a way before the globalization of the 21st century (Ch. 5), then the church today has no excuse not to be diversified in its structure. While this is his argument, Milne admits that this is an argument from cultural trajectories and history, not from a mandate in scripture (73-74). Chapter six offers some transitional material, along with some practical considerations for how the church can more readily be unified along denominational lines. Perhaps the strongest point in that short chapter is his point on the usefulness of denominations: “Denominations are commonly seen today as having only a limited shelf-life; however, at the very least, they provide a sense of identity and belonging, a family of kindred congregations” (99). In many ways, the content in this chapter serves primarily as a transition to the strongest point of the book, which I believe to be chapter seven.
Having laid t
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Do Genres Matter in the Bible? Giving an Answer
Although the Bible doesn't self-identify as a library of sorts, it does come with the basic communication to the reader that a particular book should be understood on its own terms of genre. For example, there are cues throughout the text of scripture to demonstrate genre to the reader:
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1.1 ESV) This communicates that this book is "gospel" and is told to us by way of recounting and tracing the origins of this gospel. In literary terms, we can call this gospel narrative.
"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1.1 ESV) This comes in the form of a letter or epistle and is thus categorized as epistle.
Genre as a way to categorize and identify literature is an extension of the study of context. Genre seems to identify the occasion for writing by the author of the text and signals to the reader their intent of communication. This of course has great impact on those who study the Bible. I can understand 2 Thessalonians much better if I can identify "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thess. 3.10) as a straightforward truth in an epistle. If I am unaware of where this verse comes from when isolated from its genre, I may be tempted to spiritualize the phrase or suppose that it is a proverbial saying.
This becomes essential when preaching the Bible. Consider for example the great argument over Acts 2 during Pentecost. Suppose a pastor decides to preach on this text; how he applies and communicates the truth of speaking in tongues after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles will likely correlate to how he views Acts in terms of its genre. Is Acts meant to be descriptive to the congregation for information, prescriptive for emulation, or somewhere inbetween? Of course the whole idea of preunderstandings and denomination affiliations plays a role in this as well, but to see Acts' own genre may in fact help to settle the issue. Viewing the introduction to Luke/Acts demonstrates that the genre of the book is that of a historical account to inform and encourage the reader. In other words, the genre is identified largely in descriptive terms. A pastor's knowledge of this will influence how he preaches the text.
I remember as an associate pastor preaching on Isaiah 1 about two years ago to a congregation in my hometown. I wanted to communicate the practical implications for our people to hear some of the sobering warnings that God had to say to His people. But being able to teach that chapter faithfully required me to understand that Isaiah is a prophetic genre, but one that also reflects heavily upon the historical genre of 1 Kings/ 1 Chronicles.
Genre is certainly a means to better understanding of the Bible in the personal, congregational and practical dimensions of life!
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Unity and Diversity in Truth- Culturology
The book of Romans speaks of the universe as the created order which God displays and reveals Himself to His creation. It has often been the prerogative of theologians to stress that the teaching of Romans is that which is called natural revelation, in contrast to special revelation. Natural revelation, it is said, is the revelation of God which is manifest and accessible to all, regardless of whether someone has saving knowledge of God. One could say, natural revelation is the truth of God’s existence, but special revelation is needed to dive deeper into the truths such as atonement, and even the Trinitarian personhood of the Godhead.
However, it is not a necessary consequence that natural revelation leads mankind short of a deeper knowledge of who God is. Take for example the passage in Romans 1 which is the predominant conversation piece in natural revelation: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1.20). This passage emphasizes that God’s creation reveal not only the fact of His existence but even his divine nature.
Working forward from this truth, consider the notion of the universe itself. The universe is so named because it represents a convergence of unity and diversity. If the creation is a display of unity and diversity together, does not the principle in Romans 1 imply that this display of unity and diversity in creation is also a display of the unity and diversity in the Creator? If so, the conclusion that God is both unity and diversity is something revealed to man in natural revelation. Of course, this notion of unity and diversity in God is perfectly displayed in Trinitarian theology- that God is one in essence (unity) and three in persons (diversity).
However, God is not only the highest example of unity and diversity; He is also the greatest representation of unity and diversity. This is because the created order which is meant to display the wonder and glory of God is tainted by sin. And while the wonder and glory of God is not lost in the unity and diversity of His created order, it is often distorted. As such, creation often displays diversity with a notable absence of unity. In the Godhead, there is never the absence of unity but rather, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit are always operating in absolute unity, though they are diverse persons.
What then does this mean for Christians in attempting to display a proper balance of unity and diversity in churches and as a witness to the world? A helpful passage to consider is Galatians 3:27-29, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”. Of course the context of this passage is important, for Paul is dealing with various Gentile Christians scattered throughout Galatia and writing to them about their equal standing with God as Abraham’s offspring, just like the ethnic Jews. His point is to denounce the notion that God shows partiality in ethnicity, social class, and gender. Rather, Christian identity is founded upon belonging to Jesus Christ.
Personally, this is something I must take to heart as a professing Christian. Getting back to the point of the world’s distortion of unity, our wo
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How can I balance planning and walking by faith?
This is quite a sobering discussion question, yet I surmise that Christians must reckon with such a question if we hope to be faithful and effective in life that is by and large unpredictable. I would like to suggest four particular texts that have meant much to me over the last six years of ministry:
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." -Proverbs 19.21
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Corinthians 10.31
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" 1 Corinthians 15.10
"Come now you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that" James 4.13-15
I think the Bible teaches us that it is wise to plan and anticipate the natural progression of life, especially since there is such discouragement towards laziness. However, God's movement in our own lives is just that- God's- and thus we as finite creatures can never anticpate each and every redirection and road block that may come into play. Yet, this is not owing to a God who is bored with mundane and seeks to get excitement by ruining our plans. Instead it is owing to God's grace that He in His providence is willing to direct us by leading us into that which we could never expect and keeping us from that which would be more damaging to us than we could ever imagine. The warning from the above texts form a singular summary: 1. Trust in God's providence, 2. Ensure that all of your plans are centered on honoring God, 3. Rely in God's grace to establish you in a direction you never expected and 4. Never give in to plans that usurp God's authority.
The beauty of God's providence and sovereignty is that He will bring His plans to pass. In my own life, I served as a pastor for six years before being convinced that God was ultimately calling me to a future in academic ministry as a professor. Had I known that six years ago, I wouldn've gotten a much earlier start on my education beyond high school. As a 26-year-old I have roughly ten years until I reach my goal of obtaining a PhD to validate me as a scholar and open up possibilities as a seminary professor. I could become greatly discouraged that this is so long from being realized, but "by the grace of God, I am what I am" and I must trust that because of God's providence, he redirected me from the path I was taking and placed me upon a path I am now on, for His glory. If this was all due to my own wisdom and ability, I would have reason to be discouraged and fearful of the future. But it is due to the crucial role of God's grace placed upon His children that He knows not only what is best, but when that should take place.
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Centers of Reconciliation
In Bruce Milne’s book, he argues that the church is meant to be a center of reconciliation. This idea of a reconciliation center is predicated upon the vast division in society, division which is normally comprised of the four major categories of class, age, race, and gender. According to Milne, a center of reconciliation is a place which seeks reconcile the divides found in those four categories (Milne 14). In other words, a center of reconciliation is meant to either mend, bridge, or even transcend these categories of division and/or distinction, to borrow the verbs used by Milne.
Where then are these centers located? What is the most appropriate place to see this reconciliation take place? The answer varies from person to person. Generally speaking, these centers are understood to be (or at least meant to be) the societal structures of nations, states, and cities. And the engine for the reconciliation of class, age, race and gender is legislation. While this is a popular opinion and legislation may indeed have some validity in contributing to fair and just societies, this is not the answer for true reconciliation. It is also not the answer Milne gives.
Instead, Milne suggests that the most appropriate place to see this reconciliation take place is not in legislation, but in the church. Yet, his reason is not due to a moral argument that the church is the arbiter of truth, or that a theocratic society is the most preferred variety for considering the legislative process of reconciliation. Instead, his reason is due to the fact that the church is described as nothing short of a new humanity. That is an argument of transcendence, which is quite appropriate for transcending divides.
A reasonable follow up question to ask of Milne’s argument is, what does it mean that the church is a new humanity? The apostle Paul describes this to the Corinthians: “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5.18-19). And this whole discussion from Paul is predicated on the previous verse, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come” (2 Cor. 5.17).
Based on the testimony of scripture, the church is the heartbeat and center of reconciliation. It is to the bride of Christ that God has gifted and entrusted the ministry of reconciliation, and this means that anything short of the ministerial context of the church is short of the full realization of reconciliation. This is a profound answer offered by Milne, especially as issues of class, age, race and gender are primary issues that legislation and political science seeks to solve.
It could well be argued that the church is overstepping her bounds when she seeks to enter into the realm of state by assuming that she hold the key to solving these issues. But according to the apostle Paul, the whole idea of reconciliation is a heart issue, one which requires a new humanity altogether. And if the stakes of reconciliation are high enough to require a new heart, no one would argue that such a problem could be fixed by legislation. New hearts do not come into being by legislation, new hearts come into being in a new humanity.
With that grand thesis in mind, here are some personal considerations of my efforts towards reconciliation in my
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Today on Teaching Thursdays we continue our study of 1st Peter. We look at the beginning of chapter 3, considering the first seven verses. This section of 1st Peter teaches how Jesus' example of suffering and serving is the template and example for a godly husband and a godly wife. We talk about the parameters of suffering in marriage, the depths and extent of a wife submitting to her husband, and the weight of responsibility placed on the husband to understand his wife in a loving way. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Why Did God Test Abraham?
Scripture testifies that God by direct result of His being is all-knowing of events that have not yet come to pass: "Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose'" (English Standard Version, Isaiah 46.8-10). This passage not only teaches the omniscience of God, but the sovereignty and aseity of God; that He does not only know about all things as a spectator, but knows them because they are part of His counsel and purpose. This can only be true of a God who exists in and of Himself and thus, One who is outside of time, not bound by it in power or in knowledge. In the full scope of Scripture, this proposition can be traced as a whole and identified in individual passages.
If this is true of God, it should be able to be upheld regardless of the passage being examined. In the case of Genesis 22, there is certainly a point of tension, since God seems to plainly indicate that an event has occurred to enlighten Him in some way: "for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me" (Gen. 22.12). A closer look at the text however will reveal that the point of the test is not to enlighten God, but to enlighten Abraham. When analyzing Genesis 22, it can be demonstrated that God holds the pieces in every aspect: He provides the timing of the test (v.1), as well as the place (v.2). That is to say, the test in not something experienced by God as it is something designed by God. God is not a spectator here, He is the architect.
Second, the chapter makes it a point to emphasize on God's provision by capturing Abraham's words of assurance to Isaac (22.8). This theme is also presented as the conclusion of the test by Abraham's response to God's provision: "So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide (or will see"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided (or he will be seen)" (Gen. 22.14).
In this way, Scripture clearly shows the reader what the 'take away' point of the text is: a demonstration of God's providing and seeing. This seems to indicate an oversight on God's part: His purposes playing out in time and reality. This particular test was conceived by God, while He also provided time (v.1), place (v.2), and sacrifice (v.8,13-14). All of these point to a position of authority and knowledge, not guesswork. In addition to the summary of the event itself, it is clear that in God's appointing of Abraham to go through this trial, He taught Abraham to see whether his own assurance is grounded in the benefits of God's promise (Abraham's long-awaited son Isaac) or in the God who made the promise. That is to say, is Abraham's faith in his own faculties, or in God? The 17th century theologian John Owen speaks in this way:
"He sends instruments of trial into the bowels and inmost parts of the soul, and lets man see what is in him, of what metal he is constituted. Thus he tempted Abraham to show him his faith. Abraham knew now what faith he had (I mean, what power and vigor was in his faith) until God drew it out by that great trial and temptation. When God says he knew it (Gen. 22.12), he made Abraham to know it." (John Owen: Overcoming Sin and Temptation, 153).
It seems then that the context of the passage points to a lesson to be learned by Abraham. This is the point of a trial and a test. The test-giver is God and the student is Abraham. The point is for a student to learn something, not from the test-giver to learn anything. The meaning of God's phrase in verse 12 does not
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John 17, formally referred to as the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ, is a wonderful place to see the work of reconciliation and unity in the body of Christ. In this prayer, Jesus rehearses the work of redemption between the Father and the Son and gives a clear blueprint of God’s design in how He has saved His elect people. This chapter serves the church by reminding the people of God that they are caught up in a work of reconciliation and currently reside in state of unity with God. To that end, the church’s work is to be situated in reconciliation and unity.
In John 17, Jesus speaks of the unified plan of redemption between the Father and the Son: “Father, the hour has come; glorify the Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (ESV, Jn. 17.1-2). Here, the work of redemption is described as a collective work of the Father and the Son (and the Spirit’s in prior chapters). That is to say, there is a spirit of the purest sense of unity in the Godhead in the effort to accomplish the work of redemption.
In addition, God’s work of redemption is also a work of reconciliation: “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world […] They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (Jn. 17.14, 16-17). This work of redemption is a work of reconciliation, as these people are distinguished from a world full of hate and animosity towards God. It follows that the people who are afforded God’s work of redemption will also be people set apart from the hatred of the world to a life of reconciliation and unity among each other. This is fully expressed towards the end of Jesus’ prayer: “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one” (Jn. 17.23). This language of oneness is unmistakably one of unity among God’s reconciled people.
How then are these implications brought to bear in the work and life of the church? In an article concerning the state of the church, Mark Dever describes four particular problems facing the church today, one of which is the problem of sectarianism. Dever makes the point by way of contrast: “what unites us as Christians must always be valued more highly than the things that distinguish us” (45). The opposite of this is the reality of sectarianism in the church. But how is a church to practice unity in a context where contrasting denominational expressions are normative? This problem of inescapable sectarianism is perhaps the most prominent of the four within my own area. Locally, there is a diversity of denominations, music type, church size, and political leanings, all of which are often situated in churches right next to each other. This makes for a very consumeristic ‘free market’ of church shopping, and so long as churches are presented in this consumeristic way, there will inevitably be a type of tribalism or sectarianism present.
While nations should leave people free to find a church that matches their own theological convictions, there are instances when sectarianism goes well beyond issues of worship choice. Take for example an episode within my own church context. My presbyterian church recently received a family into our congregation who was an elder at a reformed Baptist congregation. This man recently became convinced that baptism is appropriate to be administered both to believers and their children, a view in conflict with his church teaching. However, his fellow elders responded not only by stepping him down from leadership, but also
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The debate between Protestants and Roman Catholics about justification is normally between Paul and James' teaching on justification. It is argued by Protestants that Paul teaches justification by faith alone, while Roman Catholics argue that James teaches a mixture of faith and works as the recipe for justification. Do these men agree? This is Giving an Answer, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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Are worldviews universal in scope, or are they reserved for academic and philosophical discussions? Although questions like these are not regularly asked by the average person, the implications embedded in each question are well-worth considering. Christian Theism provides the only compelling answer to this question, a worldview described by James Sires as "a universe charged with the grandeur of God". This is Culturology, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
Today on Teaching Thursdays we finish chapter 2 of 1 Peter, looking at verses 18-25. Along with last week's eithical imperative to submit to authority as a Christian and live out the gospel in the public square, we now learn of our perfect model of suffering and servanthood in the life of Jesus Christ. Peter uses Jesus' perfect example from Isaiah 53 on the suffering servant to show us how we are endure all things as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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Social media regularly becomes a temptation for Christians to use it as a means to gossip, venting, and idolatry. What is harmlessly a tool for communication is distorted into a trophy room whereby people compare and contrast their lives, their quotes, and their opportunities over against one another. So should Christians use social media? Today we talk about why this question is not answered by a strict yes or no, but rather by exploring how we use social media. This is Giving an Answer, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris.
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Having previously considered naturalism as a worldview, we now look to another worldview that it regularly leads people to embrace: postmodernism. This worldview is especially difficult to define, because it rejects the notion of absolute truth and objectivity. Because of this, we have to break the rules of postmodernism in order to define it. We will now briefly consider postmodernism both as a worldview and an interpretive method. This is Culturology, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris.
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We are back into our weekly study in 1 Peter on Teaching Thursdays, part of the Better Bible Reading Podcast lineup! Today, we look at verses 13-17 in chapter 2 of 1 Peter where Peter teaches us about the ethical imperative of the Christian life, under the banner of submitting to authority. This submission to authority is explained with a very interesting dynamic of Christians existing in this world as freed slaves. As we are freed from sin, we are obligated to serve God as our covenant-giver.
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Today on Giving an Answer: What does it mean to be all things to all people?
The apostle Paul speaks of what it means to become “all things to all people” in this passage. This is a well-known mantra within Christianity, but a brief survey of the text is in order. The context of this passage comes in the preceding chapter of 1st Corinthians in which Paul establishes what it means to live within the ebb and flow of Christian freedom and Christian responsibility. Paul sets up his rationale of verses 19-23 of chapter 9 in the twelfth verse: “Nevertheless we have not made is of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ” (English Standard Version, 1 Cor. 9:12b). This verse parallels that of verse 19 where the apostle says, “I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some”.
The historical context of writing such a rationale of ministry comes in the wake of the Corinthian's struggle with partiality. This is evidenced throughout the epistle, where Paul repeatedly touches on aspects of the Corinthian’s problem with partiality, related to leadership (1:10-12), wisdom (3:1-4), and celibacy (7:1-2) to name a few. This resurfaces in our text in chapter 9 specifically in readdressing their partiality of leadership. Paul provides to the Corinthian’s his own ministry model, unimpressive as it may have been to them, in order to demonstrate that all freedoms taken as entitlements become obstacles in the way of the Gospel of Christ.
From a contemporary standpoint, this sets Christianity as an antithesis to the secular structure, where the highest positions experience the highest privileges. There are no white collars in Christianity, but only servant’s bonds, and Paul means to stress to our culture that Christians must never be willing to compromise the glory of Christ for comforts. Being “a servant to all” (i.e. enduring whatever trials necessary cf. 9:12) is not found in the contemporary prosperity gospel, where the message is to follow Jesus- so that the health wealth and prosperous privilege becomes the goal of the hearers and the model of the heralds. This is out of touch with the Paul who became all things to all people- even the weak, the Jew, and the Greek. Rather, authentic servanthood is the authentic standard of Christian leadership, with the end goal of winning all peoples and all varieties of persons to Christ.
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Naturalism denies the supernatural and elevates the autonomy of humanity. The problem with this is that it takes away all possibility of personal responsibility in laws and ethics. Today on culturology we see how the 'natural' progression from the false freedom of naturalism ultimately leads to a reinvention of the wheel in postmodernism, or the despair of nihilism.
MANUSCRIPT:
Man Is A Responsible Being. When a person is tried in court for murder, the guilt or innocence of that person is described in terms of their responsibility. As a negative example, when the body of the murdered individual is found, the person who discovered the body thinks to themselves, “who is responsible for this death?” But in a more positive example, decreasing death rates in a crime-saturated town leads to the question, “who is responsible for this change?” Societies are preoccupied with addressing questions of responsibility, as they are the questions which must be answered if any society is to last. As such, different worldview adaptations have been proposed over the centuries as a way to view the world through the proper lense to foster the type of society to be desired.
One such worldview which rises to the occasion is that of naturalism. Naturalism, according to Carl Sagan is the view that “the cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be” (Sire 68). That is to say, there is no other reality which can or should be considered besides that of the natural realm. Life in naturalism is as Sires puts it “the silence of finite space”. There is no voice from beyond to which man can look to for meaning.
The naturalistic worldview is very popular in academic circles. Naturalism is the lense by which the popularization of evolution took place, especially thanks to Charles Darwin. Because of the deep-rooted influence of this worldview in academia and the secular world, the question must be asked, on what basis does a naturalist believe man is a responsible being? To answer this question, a brief survey of naturalism and the logical conclusions as such will be analyzed briefly.
Naturalism teaches the eternality of the universe. While the mantra “nothing comes from nothing. Something is” seems to indicate that the eternality of the universe as expressed in naturalism speaks to time, it is better to understand this tenant of naturalism as speaking to authority. If the universe is eternal, then there is no authority or power that lies beyond or above the universe with the ability to speak into life objectively. Further, life cannot be considered ultimately as creation. Instead only matter exists, evolving and surviving in different expressions over time, forever and ever.
What then is the initial impact of this tenant when considering human responsibility? If the myth of objective authority found in other worldviews is finally put to rest, then all that remains in a purely materialistic world is that which exists as the supreme authority by means of evolution. In this case, that supreme authority is humanity. Yet at the same time, human beings are “simply a part of the cosmos”. This recognition indicates that the concept of responsibility is a moot point in naturalism, at least in the final analysis. Instead, naturalists are “a law to themselves” (Romans 2:14). For this reason, Sire asserts that the difference between naturalism and theism is this: “For a theist, God is the foundation of values. For a naturalist, values are constructed by human beings”.
What impact does this consideration have on society? Further, what impact does this consideration have on the responsibility of man? In one sense, naturalism allows man to create, establish, limit, and even eliminate the notion of responsibility altogether. Since t
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After a month away, here is the June 2021 update on what's been going on in Kevin's life, as well as what to expect for the rest of 2021 on the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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Writing your way through the Bible is the final step for better Bible reading. This step is all about learning to read with a pen in your hand!
I recognize that this step is perhaps confusing at first glance, because what we're talking about is conversing with the Bible. In my opinion, this is where it all comes together. Everything that we've been talking about so far comes together at this point, simply put conversing with our Bible, means reading with a pin or a pencil in hand. Some like to call this active reading. And I'm not the one who invented that idea, but we are going to approach it in a little bit of a different way than traditional active reading, because normally this step is responsive. It's something you do after you read. However, I find it most helpful to write while reading. And I want to encourage you to do this with a pen and not a keyboard, not because I'm against typing, but because the way you're going to converse will be best done with a pin in hand with a physical copy of God's word in hand, in order to do this, I want to recommend to you that you get a wide margin Bible.
Here's why have you ever come across a verse that you highlighted years ago in your study Bible or your regular Bible, and wonder why you highlighted it. Maybe you thought about trying to write something off in the side margin at the time, but there wasn't any room and your study Bible was already full of notes all over the place. So you just decided to highlight it and leave it alone. Well, having a wide margin Bible can help you with this because they are unique ways for us to track our reading progress. In our knowledge of the Bible. In essence, what a wide margin Bible is, is our own personal study Bible with a blank slate, waiting for us to write notes and arrows and highlights and whatever else it is that you want to do to converse with the text. As you read it, it also turns out that this is a great way to map your progress through certain books of the Bible.
For example, I purchased my first wide margin Bible several years back, and I used it as my Bible for slow and steady reading over time. Several books of the Bible have notes and highlights on every page. While on the flip side, I also have several books that are left blank. What this does. It actually allows me to see my progress in real time. If I come up a book that has a bunch of notes and highlights, I know that I've spent time in that book. Whereas if I find a book that has nothing written there, that tells me what book I have left to deal with, at least at first glance. And this is an excellent way to trace my reading progress. Let's say that a verse in Romans comes to mind. I decide that I want to study it at this point. I could grab my study Bible and look at the notes from other people, but I could also pick up my own wide margin Bible and see my previous interaction with that verse. We wouldn't run into the issue. Like I mentioned earlier of coming across a highlighted passage that you had from several years ago and trying to figure out why you highlighted it because in a wide margin Bible, you would have made use of that wide margin to write down notes, to associate an idea with your highlight.
You might actually find that what you wrote months or years ago can help you today, which is very fascinating. There's so much more that could be said about the idea of conversing with the Bible. But I find that it is one of the most neglected aspects of reading because not many people have that wide margin Bible, but because they're so accessible, everyone should have one because one of the greatest ways that you can put steps, one through five into practice is by this final step of conversing with the Bible and tying it all together with a pin in hand.
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More Bibles, more options. Step 5 in how to be a better Bible reader is all about supplementing! And while we talked last time about expanding the books we read in the Bible, we will now talk about supplementing the kind of Bible(s) we use!
After expanding the question might come up, but what else is there to do? And that's what step number five is all about. Supplementing. I hope that so far, you're really seeing the value of opening up possibilities for how you read the Bible. This next step is similar to our previous one, except we're talking about expanding in a different way. We're moving from expansion of content to expansion of platform, which I like to call supplementation. So here's another fact for you. The average American who owns at least one Bible actually owns three or four Bibles. So if you have one Bible, you have more than one, most likely this could include the ones that are scattered throughout your house vehicle, or even electronic Bibles, which we all have access to. If you're listening to this and chances are that these Bibles are different from one another.
I highly doubt you have the same exact Bible in multiple copies. You might have a King James version and an NIV Bible. You might have a single column Bible and a study Bible, but here's what I want you to know. More Bibles equals more options. There are hundreds of different types of Bibles. And while it's true that some aren't so good either by type or translation, most Bibles are very good. And if you have multiple types of Bibles, my encouragement to you is to supplement that is making use of all of them. If you don't have a Bible, or if you only have one Bible and find a good Bible and follow that process by finding more good Bibles. So for example, let's pick up on all of our conversations. We've had previous to this and build on them. Study Bible is good for books of the Bible that are unfamiliar to you, such as Leviticus.
A study Bible is going to have notes from somebody who has spent dozens, maybe even hundreds of hours studying that particular book, someone who can help you understand what you're reading. I like to think of study Bibles like a mini class or a sermon that's attached to the page. They aid your reading of the Bible. The notes and insights are helpful to all of them, but they shouldn't be the only way that we read the Bible just as a Sunday morning class or a sermon, shouldn't be our own experience with the Bible study. Bibles should not be our only experience, but they're a great experience for a different type of reading experience. You could do the opposite of what a study Bible has. You can actually find a Bible that not only doesn't have notes, but even hides chapter numbers, verse numbers, and paragraph headings for a reading experience that's left with just the text of scripture itself.
A great example of this is the ESV reader's Bible, which I absolutely love. This helps you for larger portions of scripture. If you're wanting to read an entire book of the Bible in one sitting, for example, you're not going to get distracted with study notes and verse numbers and highlights. And what once might've seen too complicated. If you're trying to do this all with one Bible becomes much more easier and logical. When you expand into using multiple kinds of Bibles. Another thing that sets Bibles apart is the kind of translation. If you've supplemented your Bible type supplement your Bible translation, you'll be surprised how much of your knowledge of the Bible will be increased if you start being acquainted with John three 16, not only in the King James version, but also the ESV or the NIV. What we're doing here is we're practicing step number five by supplementing different reading platforms to assist us wi
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Peter describes our salvation as being brought out of darkness into His marvelous light. What does that transition describe, and how should we live as people brought out of darkness? Today we continue chapter 2 in our study of 1st Peter. This is Teaching Thursdays with Kevin Morris on the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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Should Christians observe the sabbath? Today we talk about how and why we should understand the Sabbath as an ongoing practice of the Church's obedience to the 4th commandment today.
This particular question about the observance of the Sabbath has become especially close to home for me lately, since I have transitioned into the PCA denomination over the last year. This Presbyterian denomination by and large is Sabbatarian, that is, upholds an observance of the Sabbath day. In my own experience, I have seen that most Christians do uphold the Sabbath; the question is normally not whether one observes the Sabbath, but how and to what extent should the Sabbath be observed. In this light, answers are all over the map! I have found the book "Call the Sabbath A Delight" by Walter Chantry to be highly influential and helpful to this topic as I have considered this whole question over the past several years with great sobriety.
One of the main occurrences in the New Testament has to do with Jesus' own words concerning the Sabbath: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." (English Standard Version, Mark 2:27-28). In this brief but powerful statement, Jesus identifies the Sabbath's effect in terms of its mandate in the creative order, as Chantry points out: "Our Saviour and Teacher clearly understood that 'the Sabbath was made' at creation, not at the institution of the Mosaic covenant or the Abrahamic arrangement [...] At creation week he revealed that it would bring blessing to man." (55).
Christians have also employed a hermeneutic that sees Jesus' own words of the two great commandments as a summary of the Ten Commandments- have to do with 1. loving God and 2. loving our neighbors. If we are to maintain this hermeneutic, it seems inconsistent to say that of the Ten Commandments, nine of them are binding and one has been disregarded! In another great OT/NT correlation, the author of Hebrews 4:7-10 does say rather clearly "there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God", and this conclusion stands in stark contrast of what the author of Hebrews takes liberty to identify as points of discontinuity in the OT/NT, such as cleansing rites of purification (Heb. 9.10). Hebrews becomes especially helpful as a test case, due to all of the Old Testament quotations that are present in the writer's development of doctrine. If ever there was a book that should make mention of the Sabbath's discontinuity for the NT, it would be Hebrews! However, this is not the case, which does seem to suggest that there are exegetical reasons to see the Sabbath as that which is upheld, not that which is overthrown as a relic of the past.
Although Chantry does list many negatives of observing the Sabbath (what one should not be occupied with), he focuses primarily on the positive implications of the Sabbath, focusing on the delight and joy of the day which is to be spent worshiping and enjoying the Lord. Meditating on the Sabbath being to the LORD (Ex. 20.8-11), Chantry has this to say: "This is not a narrow or restrictive requirement. A heart that loves the Lord will leap for joy at the prospect of a day with him" (20).
As a brief but helpful articulation of what Chantry has in mind, the Westminster Confession of Faith (the statement of Faith used within the PCA) gives word to how one should keep the Sabbath:
"This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy" (WCF 21.
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All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16). If that's true, our Bible reading should be an anything and everything approach. Today I share Step 4 for Better Bible Reading- Expansion!
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Do we need a historical Adam? The pressure for the promotion of evolutionary views of the Bible is ever increasing, and along with it is a denial of a historical person named Adam who existed in Genesis 1. Today we uncover why this is denial is not only an attack on faithful biblical interpretation, but even on the gospel itself.
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Step 3 of my 6 steps for better Bible reading is all about organization. If we want to know how to read the Bible, we must organize our lives to make sure we leave room for what matters most. This means making a schedule for Bible reading just like we do for the essentials: eating, sleeping and hygiene. And just like the essentials, when life happens we must be willing find a way to adjust our schedule to make room for what matters.
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What does it mean that Jesus is the living stone and cornerstone of our salvation? And, what does it mean that we as Christians become living stones? As we begin chapter 2 in our continuing study of 1st Peter, we'll consider the logic behind Christian maturity and the tragedy of rejecting Christ. This is Teaching Thursdays with Kevin Morris on the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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Christians are divided as to whether the Book of Acts is a how-to guide for church models, or if it tells the story of something that was unique to the times of the apostles and the formation of the early church. Today in Giving an Answer, we discuss why the book of Acts is best understood as descriptive, not prescriptive for the church today.
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Today I share the second of six steps on reading the Bible: Elimination. If we want to know how to read the Bible, we must eliminate distractions that keep us from properly reading and comprehending the pages of the Scripture. If you want to read the Bible, eliminate distractions!
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How long should Christians trust in what God says? Today in our continuing study of 1st Peter, we talk about the various elements of the first chapter of 1st Peter. We cover the beautiful structure of the letter, the arguments made by Peter, and the use of Isaiah 40. All of this boils down to a strong, enduring assurance in the good news of Jesus Christ, for as long as God is God. This is Teaching Thursdays with Kevin Morris on the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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Is there a gospel without a resurrection? It might sound absurd to raise this question, but you should know that there are churches who actively preach a gospel while also maintaining that the resurrection is an ignorant thing to believe in. But not only is this a departure from the most basic creed in church history (the Apostle's creed), it is a denial of Scripture. One test case includes the book of Acts. When you read the book of Acts, you soon realize that the emphasis is placed upon Jesus' resurrection from the dead.
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Today I share the first of six steps on reading the Bible: Confrontation. If we want to know how to read the Bible, we must first come to the Bible to be informed by God about God.
In other words, to read the Bible is to be confronted by God.
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Can God command us to hope? Today in our continuing study of 1 Peter, we talk about the connection between each section of the letter as the key to understanding Peter's big ideas. The test case is seen in the way verses 13 and following are presented as a conclusion statement for the foundation of verses 1-12, including our command to hope. This is Teaching Thursdays with Kevin Morris on the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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The New Testament is very easy to read, but its communication can easily go unnoticed. I want to talk to you today about appreciating that communication, one that is an aerial shot and a ground level view of the person and work of Jesus. When we view the New Testament in that two-way communication, we begin to appreciate the uniqueness of the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles.
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Today we continue our new study through the book of 1 Peter with a quick overview of the book. We also talk about the emotion that Peter encourages all Christians to have, whether in seasons of suffering or comfort: inexpressible joy! Welcome to Teaching Thursdays on the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris.
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Is Bible interpretation an art or a science? Most people seem to be split between these two answers. But far from an either/or answer, it turns out that bible interpretation involves both! Furthermore, we can only appreciate the artistic or scientific element of Bible interpretation by upholding the other. This is Better Bible Reading with Kevin Morris!
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It goes without saying that the Old Testament feels overwhelming to the average reader. So what happens when we decide to play it safe by sticking to the New Testament only? Ironically, we're told by the New Testament itself: Don't Avoid the Old Testament!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays, a collection of sermons and lectures by Kevin Morris on the Better Bible Reading Podcast. Today we begin a new series on 1st Peter. To get things started, here is an introductory sermon on one of the main themes in the book: Our trials as Christians are according to plan.
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What does the Bible teach us about Jesus' childhood? This episode is not about the fables that secondary literature provides with strange miracle stories and superhero-like scenarios. Instead, we are going to investigate the way that the two gospels that include the birth of Jesus (Matthew and Luke) situate the context of Jesus' birth and childhood. This is Better Bible Reading with Kevin Morris!
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Many Christians drift to the extreme of either a knowledge centered pursuit or a love centered pursuit. But growing in the Christian life is all about balance, including our motivations of knowledge and love. This means that the goal of reading our Bibles is not a matter or knowledge or love, but both.
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The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) each present a particular view of Jesus, but do they all agree? Today we talk about how each unique gospel account works together in order to present to us one unified testimony of the Savior. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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It is often assumed that the Bible can either be studied as literature, or as the divine word of God. This is an unfortunate separation that should not exist, and often people think that if the Bible is to be appreciated for its literary beauty, it must be a fabrication of man, not the word of God. Today we deal with this question and seek to uphold the beauty and truth of the Bible!
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Christians in the 21st century are at a disadvantage in understanding important Biblical backgrounds. Knowing this is a step in the right direction, but how can we fix this? A simple yet powerful answer is this: understand the advantages of a study Bible!
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If you navigate through your Bible to the book of Nehemiah, you find yourself amidst a massive inauguration ceremony upon Israel's return from exile. But unlike an occasion of honoring an upcoming president sworn into office, this was the inauguration of the supreme word of God. This is Teaching Thursdays with Kevin Morris.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill the law". This statement has raised questions as to what He meant about the law and the New Testament, as well as if this statement has significance to the church today. Today on Giving an Answer, Kevin talks about the popular interpretations of this passage, and his own understanding of Jesus' words to us.
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What do you do when you struggle to understand a Bible verse? Have you tried reading your Bible out loud? It turns out that this neglected approach could be the answer for difficult passages, and most importantly, an overall better bible reading approach.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
Postmodernism in Christianity is a subtle change that replaces propositional truth with relativism or feelings. For example ‘what do you believe concerning Jesus’ resurrection?’ is changed to ‘what does Jesus’ resurrection mean to you?’. Historic Christianity seeks to answer latter by drawing from the depths of the former, while postmodernism seeks to answer the latter after the destruction of the former. While this destruction is unintelligible to historic Christianity, it is the essence of postmodernism.
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What is the opposite of contentment? According to Jeremiah Burroughs, it's the sin of murmuring. Today on Teaching Thursdays, we continue our study of Burrough's book The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by talking about his sermon on the difference between contentment and murmuring. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris
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Does Prophecy Exist Today? To answer that question, we must first ask what the function of prophecy was in both the Old and New Testaments. Many people argue for modern-day prophecy, but they end up defining it almost identical to another word in theology: illumination. Today I talk about the difference, why it matters, and I offer a helpful way to understand the Holy Spirit's ongoing work in us through the reading and study of the word of God.
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Sometimes it's hard to read the Bible because we don't understand the structure of the Bible. Most people know that the books of the Bible are not listed in chronological order, but how many people know that there is a rhyme and reason to the way the books are comprised? To put it simply, our Bibles are comprised by genre, just like a library. And if you can understand the genres of the Bible, you will begin to read with a greater sense of clarity because you understand the reading rules for any given book!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays. On today's edition, we're continuing our study of Contentment by expanding our understanding into one of several categories mentioned by Jeremiah Burroughs in his book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment". Today we will interact with his section called Lessons from Christ on Contentment. For more content, please visit https://betterbiblereading.com
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What Is a Good Book of the Bible for Skeptics? My answer is the book of Job. This book provides an opportunity to understand something of the behind the scenes of human suffering and the problem of evil. We learn that God is not powerless in it, but sets the boundaries and outcomes of suffering. Job is also helpful, because it teaches us the about asking the wrong questions. This is Giving an Answer with Kevin Morris
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Any Bible reader must approach the text with a willingness to explain the difference between the Old and New Testament. These approaches could differ dramatically depending on someone’s interpretation method or church denomination. But this isn't a good thing, because it unnecessarily chops up the Bible into pieces. Instead we should work towards a unified understanding of the Bible. This is Five Minutes to Better Bible Reading.
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Christianity as a worldview answers the basic questions of reality, humanity, death, knowledge, morality, history, and the core commitments necessary to live in response to that worldview. As a worldview, Christian theism is logical, comprehensive in scope, and consistent in its conclusions. The answers to life are best answered in Christian theism, the only worldview in touch with the grandeur of God.
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays. On today's edition, we're continuing our study of Contentment by expanding our understanding into one of several categories mentioned by Jeremiah Burroughs in his book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment". Today's consideration of contentment is specifically about the mystery of it. For more content, please visit https://betterbiblereading.com
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Do Bible passages have more than one meaning? Surprisingly, both theological conservatives and liberals have argued for and against multiple meanings in scripture. Today on Giving an Answer, we'll consider the difference between meaning and significance, and why the Bible passages should be understood to contain only one meaning.
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Defining the Bible is serious business. Is the Bible presumption, man’s best attempt to describe and depict God, God’s word to us, ultimate truth, or something totally different? How we answer that question has massive implications for how we read and study the Bible. While everyone has their answer to this question, not every answer can be right. This is Five Minutes to Better Bible Reading
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Contentment is a rare thing, but unfortunately this is no less true for Christians. What we need is some proper perspective, and that perspective comes from the help of Jeremiah Burroughs in his book "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment". On today's episode of Teaching Thursdays we talk about some of the big ideas from Burroughs that help us approach all of life cherishing this rare jewel we have as a gift from God.
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Giving an Answer is an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, made to help you know what you believe, and why you believe it.
Today's question is: Does the New Testament Teach us how to Interpret the Old Testament?
Augustine famously summarized the Bible in the following way: "The new is in the old concealed, and the old is in the new revealed." This notion is a great starting point for understanding the unity of the Old and New Testament, and it's a great clue in helping us understand Old Testament passages!
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Discipline and Study are not attractive words to an instantaneous society, but the Bible is meant to be regularly studied as a life discipline. Why? Because God wants us to hide His word in our hearts and come to love Him in all His revealed majesty. Approach the whole idea of Bible study with this mindset of discipline and you'll discover that comes with the great reward!
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Eastern Pantheistic Monism is not a well known worldview in title, but its influence has permeated the western world in everything from the universities to the Beatles Rock band. But how does this worldview relate to Christian theism, and how should this worldview of the eastern culture be engaged in America? This is Culturology with Kevin Morris.
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Welcome to a new season of the Better Bible Reading Podcast! Before we get into all the new editions of the show, I want to open things up this year about a very predictable but no less important topic: How to read the Bible in 2021. While the Bible hasn't changed since last year, I want to encourage YOU to change things up, in order to improve your reading experience this year. To help, I'm sharing what I'll be doing different this year as well as my own Bible reading plan!
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Welcome to the final episode of the 2020 season of Better Bible Reading! Today I want to open the floodgates of information to share with you the huge expansion of the program, coming in 2021, including new shows, more content, and better resources! Best of all, The BBR Community membership launches in February!
To claim your 30% inaugural discount of The BBR Community membership, go to https://betterbiblereading.com/join
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The verdict is out. No one is going to conduct a 2020 review and conclude that it was the greatest year in a long time. Most of us were ready to throw in the towel on 2020 months ago. But I want to offer a piece of counter-intuitive advice to you: Christians should make a practice of dwelling on the past to the glory of God- and this includes dwelling on the year 2020. I'll explain what that means for the show, as well as what it should mean for you. And don't worry, this episode is all about encouragement!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays! Today is episode 85 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast entitled "Back to the Garden". We conclude our series today by looking at how the Bible describes the new heavens and new earth. Contrary to the pop culture renditions of heaven, the Bible takes us back to the scene in Genesis 1-2 and shows us how we look forward to a better version of the Garden of Eden. We'll discuss that and more!
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If you enjoyed this episode, check out my FREE class: "How to read the Bible"!
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Christians often have a love/hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions. We love to make them, but we hate to keep them! But should Christians make New Year's resolutions? I want to share a great alternative that goes beyond productivity and personal development. To help us, we'll spend some time with Jonathan Edwards and his own Resolutions! This is episode 84 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays! Today is episode 83 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast entitled "A Greater Priest". The Old Testament teaches us that the gospel is the good news of a once for all sacrifice. The sacrifices of the priests in the Old Testament communicate that we need of a greater priest. Jesus stands as a unique high priest who offers Himself as a final sacrifice. Our everlasting salvation is based on His everlasting sacrifice!
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Today we preview a new edition coming to the Better Bible Reading Podcast in 2021 called Culturology- The Word and the World. This segment will focus on the Christian worldview along with culture, politics and philosophy. This show is more 'newsroom' in nature, and it's presented to you in a way that makes you stop, listen and think. Our discussion today is entitled, "Christianity and Identity Crisis". This is episode 82 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays! Today is episode 81 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast entitled "A Greater King". As we continue our study of the gospel according to the Old Testament, we talk about the third office of the Old Testament that Jesus fulfills: King. We'll look at the relationship between Jesus and the most notable king in the Old Testament, king David. This episode emphasizes the way that David placed his eyes on Jesus as the true heir to the throne.
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Many people have struggled to give a proper definition to critical thinking. This is especially true when it comes to the Christian life. Is it right to say that Christians- people who live by faith- should think critically about God and this world? And if so, what difference does this make? This is episode 80 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Welcome to Teaching Thursdays! Today is episode 79 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast entitled "A Greater Prophet". As we continue our study of the gospel according to the Old Testament, we turn to the office of prophet to see how Jesus fulfills both the message of the Old Testament prophets, and the office of prophet itself in His earthly ministry. While there are many prophets in the Old Testament, the central prophet who anticipates a fulfillment of his own ministry is Moses. Today we will learn why this is important and how it enhances our view of Jesus' earthly ministry.
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Bearing one another's burdens is tricky business. We might embrace the extreme of micromanaging people's lives in the name of 'helping'. Or, we might compromise truth and holiness by affirming everything someone does in the name of 'love'. Today, let's talk about a balanced approach that avoids both extremes. We'll find this balance in the book of Galatians chapter 6. This is episode 78 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
Welcome to Teaching Thursdays, an edition of the Better Bible Reading Podcast! Today we continue our study of the gospel according to the Old Testament, focusing on the important biblical theme of Jesus as the greater Adam. We will connect Matthew 4 and Romans 5 to our conversation last week about the gospel pronouncement in Genesis 3:15. Things will start connecting beautifully in this thematic study of the Bible!
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What does it mean to have a balanced Christian life? How do we live a Christian life that is marked by continued growth, constant reliance on God, and responsibility for all that we do? This requires a very special balance! Today we will discuss 2nd Peter's teaching about supplementation for a distinctly Christian approach to work life balance. This is episode 76 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Does the Old Testament contain the good news about Jesus- the news that we read about in the New Testament? Welcome to a new series on Teaching Thursdays called The Gospel According to the Old Testament: Types, Shadows, and the Substance of Christ.We are going to begin a series covering the major themes of the Old Testament and how those themes find a grand fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today we begin the series by discussing The Good News in the Garden, from Genesis 3:15!
To watch this teaching series, check out the Better Bible Reading Youtube channel!
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Do church denominations matter? Our answer will directly affect the way we think about the Bible, God, and corporate worship on Sunday mornings. Obviously, it's a question worth asking, and especially one worth answering with strong conviction. To help us think through this, I sit down with my friend Stephen Spinnenweber, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida. This is episode 74 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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The psalms of ascent describe the care of God to His pilgrim people as they dwell on the earth. Today's episode focuses on Psalm 128, which describes God's people as people full of joy and trembling. We are told that God blesses those who fear the Lord and displays Himself in their corporate lives, including their families and their churches. This Psalm is a great encouragement for Christians to live as a city on a hill in the midst of a world that has a low view of marriage, children, and Christian community. This is episode 73 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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How often do you associate beauty with prayer? Most of us don't think about prayer in this way, but we have a great example of someone in church history who used beautiful, poetic phrases to speak to the Lord.
We find this in the writings of Augustine, specifically in his monumental book The Confessions. But why should we desire to pray by using the most beautiful and poetic words imaginable in speaking to God?
Because when Augustine does it, he uses scripture!
This is episode 72 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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What happens when we do what God says and our external obedience isn't good enough? This is described to us in the book of Isaiah where God pronounces judgment against His people, even though they were doing the external things He commanded them to do. Today we learn how much we need Jesus for our good to ever be good enough. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris episode 71!
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Today we're looking back again at an important figure in church history. This time we'll be looking at the english Puritan named John Owen. Among the many contributions John Owen has made to Christians, perhaps the most important one is how he helps us learn about overcoming temptation. We'll see how he does this from three key verses in scripture. This is episode 70 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Today on Teaching Thursdays we'll be spending some time in Psalm 124. Psalm 124 calls us to think about our Christian life as an 'us and them' dynamic. But 'us and them' in Psalm 124 is not about Christians considering themselves better than others. Instead, it reminds us of God's grace and calls us to understand who we would be if it weren't for God. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris Episode 69!
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One of the ways Bible readers can grow in their appreciation of the Bible is by looking back to figures in church history. One such figure is John Calvin, a man who is either loved or hated. But rather than associating Calvin with abstract doctrines and theological debates, we should take some time to learn about the man behind the name. As we do that today, we'll see a man who spent his life upholding the Bible as the most important treasure given to God's people! This is episode 68 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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How should Christians think about other Christians? According to John, we should love one another. While this sounds like a general command, it's actually tied to our salvation and a wonderful doctrine we call adoption. Today on teaching Thursdays, we'll look at 1st John to see how our horizontal Christian love evidences the family which we belong to as children of God. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris, episode 67!
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Is the Lord's Supper for Us or God? One listener recently asked me if there are parts of the Lord's supper that are meant to not only remind us, but also God. Is it right to say that God should be reminded of things? - this is episode 66 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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We live in an uncertain time. I doubt the year 2020 has gone the way you originally planned. But whenever we get discouraged about things not going our way, we should remind ourselves of the fact that we do not know what a day will bring. This is James' point in his letter when he addresses to us the dangers of boasting about tomorrow, and it's our topic of discussion today. This is Teaching Thursdays episode 65!
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Not everyone believes the same doctrines, or the same things about the Bible. Yet, people with very different beliefs still claim to be Christians. How much room is there for disagreement? Do all Christians have to believe the same things? If you've ever wondered about this, be sure to listen- this is episode 64 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Can Christians lose their salvation? This question has been debated by many, and denomination have both formed and split over the issue. But it turns out that salvation is one of the most important doctrines in the Bible for us to read about and understand- and this means understanding how salvation is gained and/or lost. Today Kevin answers this question by describing the doctrine known as the perseverance of the saints.
This is episode 63 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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A good trip is determined by the way we navigate the road, as well as the way we avoid roadblocks. It turns out things are similar when it comes to reading the Bible. Bible reading done right is the ability to navigate our way through the text while avoiding potential roadblocks. Today I share four roadblocks you need to avoid, along with some helpful resources to use along the way.
This is episode 62 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
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Is there a science to prayer? Most people go about praying with no process whatsoever. But it turns out that there is a wise way to go about praying. So where do we learn how to pray? We look to Jesus in His instruction called the Lord's Prayer. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast episode 61!
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Ravi Zacharias passed away Tuesday, May 19 at the age of 74. If you've never heard of this man, you're in for a treat because today I want to honor the life of Ravi Zacharias and share four ways that he has made a significant impact in my life. This is episode 60 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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The book of James say a lot about wisdom. As we survey the book, we quickly notice that James is certainly written as the New Testament book of Proverbs. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast, episode 59!
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Have you ever read the Bible, only to finish with the though, "That passage was pretty boring"? Perhaps you wonder if this is okay, so you don't tell people about such thoughts. But how should we respond to this idea? Today we talk about what to do when the Bible seems boring.
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The book of Proverbs is part of wisdom literature in the Bible. described to us in the Old Testament. While it is a practical book about life, we also learn that wisdom is centered on Jesus Himself. Today we will learn how Jesus is the second Adam, who fulfills all the promises of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast, Teaching Thursdays!
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Sometimes we can't easily understand a passage of scripture. If this has happened to you, have you tried reading the Bible out loud? Today I want to talk to you about the benefits of reading the Bible out loud and how much of an impact it can have on your biblical understanding.
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Some of you might know that when it comes to the book of Ecclesiastes, scholars have been divided as to whether it should be included in the Bible. This is because there is so much confusion as to the meaning of the book. Today we will examine the difference between meaningless worldly wisdom and the meaning of true wisdom. This is Episode 55 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast.
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The coronavirus has gripped the world and uncertainty has gripped our minds. But we must remember that we have a message of true joy and gladness, even in the face of death.
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Today I give an update to my Bible reading plan this year. I share with you some adjustment I made to my reading method, some lessons I've learned so far, and some helpful tips I want to share with you as we try to make the most of our time during the coronavirus pandemic. This is episode 54 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
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What does it mean to follow Jesus? It starts with mindset, considering the cost and the gain. Today we will look at the gospel of Luke where Jesus teaches his audience about the importance of considering the cost of following Him- and why we should view incurring the cost as true gain. This is Episode 53 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
Today we're joined by special guest Josh Hinson, pastor of Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville Florida to talk about a very important topic. We're talking about the term classical theism. Today Josh is going to tell us what this term means and why it matters for Christians and Bible readers everywhere!
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What should be produced in our suffering? Paul teaches us three distinct answers in our passage today. If you struggle to have a biblical view of suffering in light of a complicated world, this episode will be especially helpful to you. This is Episode 51 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast! For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode51
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It's a provocative question, but it must be asked. Is your church a biblical church? How do we know whether or not we please God by what we do on Sunday Mornings? And how does this relate to our individual practice of Bible reading and worship? This is Episode 50 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode50
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On today's episode of Teaching Thursdays, we share a sermon from Kevin on Hebrews 3 entitled 'Consider Jesus'. This chapter in the Bible is a really important one for Christians to hear the importance of considering Jesus as the beginning and end of our salvation. The author of Hebrews goes to great lengths to plead with his listeners not to downplay the importance of who Jesus is for us.
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One of the reasons people aren't consistent in reading the Bible is because they haven't learned the power of active reading. This episode covers what it is, how to do it, and three examples of transforming your Bible reading by doing it. If you've never practiced active Bible reading (or don't know what it is) then you'll want to listen to today's episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode48
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Today we conclude our time studying Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. This episode highlights all the topics we've covered together. I also discuss how we should live in response to our Bible interpretation method. This is episode 47 of Teaching Thursdays! For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode47
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One of the keys to better Bible reading is to learn from people who lived long before us. When we do, we are often amazed at what we learn. One such example for me is what I have learned about the Trinity from the Puritan John Owen. Today I want to share some of that with you. This is Episode 46 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/betterbiblereading)
In light of last week’s discussion of the millennium, we have moved from the general overview of the millennium between different eschatological views and will now look in particular at the shortcomings of dispensationalism and the strengths of covenant theology. This is episode 45 of Teaching Thursdays! For show notes, check out https://betterbiblreading.com/episode45
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Sometimes the reason we fail to read our Bible is because we've failed to create an incentive for different types of Bible reading. This is why choosing the right kind of Bible is a necessary incentive for daily Bible reading. This is Episode 44 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode44
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Today we move into the final phase of redemptive history, which we call the millennium. The big question we want to consider within this theological category of eschatology is this: How does it relate to the second coming of Christ? If we are able to adequately answer that question, many of the somewhat vague or confusing elements of the millennium (the who, what, when, where, why) become much clearer.. This is episode 43 of Teaching Thursdays! For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode43
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You sit down for a good Bible study and suddenly, you're distracted.... a lot. Today I want to cover the top Bible study distractions that you must eliminate in 2020 for a fruitful year of Bible study! I'll also share with you some valuable approaches to a good Bible study you can use for any book of the Bible you're studying! This is Episode 42 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast.
For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode42
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What is the Great Tribulation? In our Part 2 discussion today, we conclude how this central doctrine to end times theology is determined by how we understand Jesus' teaching in Matthew 24. This is episode 41 of Teaching Thursdays!
For show notes and more, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode41
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If you care about reading the Bible, you'll want to start 2020 with a reading plan in place. There's thousands of different bible reading plans available from various sources, but I thought it would be helpful to begin the year with an episode dedicated to my unique Bible reading plan strategy for 2020. In addition, I want to share how you can join me in my plans for your own strategy. This is episode 40 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
For shownotes and to learn how you can join me, go to https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode40
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What is the Great Tribulation? In our discussion today, we will cover this central doctrine to end times theology. The major question between dispensationalism and covenant theology has to do with how much of the Great Tribulation has been fulfilled, and how much of it awaits a future fulfillment. This is episode 39 of Teaching Thursdays!
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Christmas is a wonderful season where we are able to focus on the coming of Christ. But sometimes we forget that advent paves the way for the life of Jesus. And in his life, Jesus teaches us how to read our Bibles and interact with the word of God on a daily basis. Here are Seven Ways Advent Teaches us the Value of Knowing the Bible!
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Discussing a specific doctrine such as the great tribulation can get needlessly complicated if we don't have a general understanding of the top views of the end times. That's what we'll do today in our episode entitled, "Eschatology- Understanding the Top Views of the End Times"
For show notes, visit https://betterbiblereading.com/episode37
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After Thanksgiving is over with, we enter the December rat race. As you know, our spiritual well-being and Bible reading suffer as a result. But instead of being okay with that and having the New Year's resolution mentality, I want to encourage you today to finish the year strong with a Bible in hand!
P.S I also mention to you some more exciting news coming soon to Better Bible Reading!
https://betterbiblereading.com/episode36
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How should we understand the relationship between the present and the future? What difference does it make for Christians? The Bible uses a two-age description "this age and the age to come". In our ongoing conversation about Bible interpretation, we will see how the two schools of thought differ their understanding of this age and the age to come. For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode35
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Are you at the right church? It is easy to say that we go to a certain church because of the ministries, the music style, the building, or the community. But what if you were asked to explain why you are at the right church based on what you have read in the Bible?
For show notes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode34
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Is the rapture biblical? This doctrine is difficult for people to disagree about, because it is assumed more than it is taught. Today we will continue the comparison of dispensationalism and covenant theology to see how these two methods of Bible interpretation differ on the rapture! For shownotes, check out https://betterbiblereading.com/episode33
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Back in January, I (Kevin Morris) started The Better Bible Reading Podcast with one episode per month. Today, BBR has expanded to weekly podcast episodes with listeners in multiple countries on FIVE CONTINENTS! I thank the Lord for His kindness and all your support. On today's episode, I'm sharing four exciting announcements for the future of Better Bible Reading. I mention several links in this episode, so please check out the show notes by visiting the page!
https://betterbiblereading.com/episode32
Today is Teaching Thursday! How someone understands the last days says a great deal about their Bible interpretation method. As you know, there's a ton of debate about the last days. It is also a concept that ends in disagreement between dispensationalism and covenant theology. Today we will discuss how Scripture uses that controversial term and how we should understand the last days as a result. https://betterbiblereading.com/episode31
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What is the danger of Bible knowledge without love? How does knowledge and love relate? Is it possible to have one without the other? Today on the Better Bible Reading Podcast, we look to Paul's encouragement to the Philippians and learn how to apply it to our own pursuit of Bible knowledge! https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode30
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Does the Bible have more than one interpretation? If so, how are we to understand truth? If not, why is it so hard to understand certain passages? In this episode, we continue discussing the Bible interpretation of Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology, in order to understand the way both systems understand meaning and language to conclude their interpretation of the Bible. For shownotes, go to https://betterbiblereading.com/episode29
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Ah, the book of Revelation. It might well be the most confusing book in the whole Bible. Because of this, people want to know how to understand the book of Revelation. I want to help you, not by offering a cheap solution, but by teaching you the best ways to eliminate the confusion when you sit down to read it. This happens if and only when we understand the Revelation the way it is introduced to us in the Bible! This is the Better Bible Reading Podcast Episode 28.
For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode28
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When did God create the church? The common answer to this question is Pentecost. But this is a relevantly new answer, part of the interpretation known as dispensationalism. As we continue our discussion about Covenant Theology, we'll uncover that the answer to this question defines what is known as the universal church.
For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode27
Was life meant to be so hectic? Sometimes we hardly have time to take a breath in our fast-paced lives, much less time to minister to our neighbors. This is where the Christian doctrine of vocation can help us. God has given us an outlook to protect us from busyness and encourage us to follow His calling on our lives. For show notes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode26
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What Is Covenant Theology? The best Bible interpretation I know. Next to dispensationalism, covenant theology is the most popular Bible interpretation. But why do I prefer it and what makes it better than any other method of reading and understanding the Bible? Find out today on Teaching Thursdays, a series from the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris!
For shownotes, check out https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode25
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Are you a biased Christian? Do you live in a bubble? Insert Church History: Centuries of decisions and practices God wants us to learn from. Today I talk about the top reasons why Bible readers can't afford to neglect church history!
https://betterbiblereading.com/episode24
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What Is Dispensationalism? Whether you know it or not, it's probably the way you have been taught to understand the Bible. It is the most popular interpretation of the Bible in American today. But is it biblical? Today on Teaching Thursdays, I give an overview of Dispensationalism and begin a loving but biblical critique of it by introducing a better method.
For show notes, head over to https://betterbiblereading.com/episode23
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What is Bible Interpretation? More importantly, what does Bible interpretation have to do with the American Government of all things? It all comes down to meaning and truth. In episode 22 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, I talk about the vast parallel between interpreters of the Bible and the Constitution. This episode will help you think about the Bible, politics, God, and the quest for truth in our ever changing culture.
https://betterbiblereading.com/episode22
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Why does God allow suffering? And if God has promised us eternal life, why are we left in a broken world after becoming Christians? In today's episode, we answer these two important questions by looking to 2 Corinthians 6. In that passage, Paul tells us not to receive the grace of God in vain. Instead, we must handle our gift of grace responsibly. And what place has God designated for us to do this? Trials.
For show notes, head over to https://betterbiblereading.com/episode21
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Does the Bible answer life's biggest questions? In two recent headline articles, a prominent Christian writer and singer both say that the answer is no. What answer would you give? In episode 20 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, I talk about our responsibility to give an answer for our hope. And ultimately our hope comes down to what we think about the Bible.
https://betterbiblereading.com/episode20
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Today's edition of Teaching Thursdays entitled "Keep Watch and Pray". Just before His betrayal, Jesus teaches His disciples the importance of prayer as a way to keep watch over our lives. We learn that we stay awake spiritually by resting in Christ. Just as we seek God in Bible reading, we want to be careful to apply what we read through prayer. This is what Jesus calls "keeping watch"!
For show notes, head over to www.betterbiblereading.com/episode19
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Do you take the time to think about what to read in the Bible? Many people don't know where to read in the Bible, or they wait until sitting down to read before deciding on a book or Bible passage. This leads to lots of wasted reading time and never-ending rabbit trails. I want to help you know where to read in the Bible by thinking about what you read. This is episode 18 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast!
For show notes, check out www.betterbiblereading.com/episode18
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Today's edition of Teaching Thursdays entitled "Reading Praying and Meditating". In Psalm 119, we are taught that these three elements of the Christian life work together. We can do well at reading the Bible, but our reading is only good reading if it is followed with praying and meditating. By the end of this episode, you will learn from the Bible that we are only reading, praying or meditating well if we are doing all three of them together!
For show notes, head over to betterbiblereading.com/episode17
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"I don't know the Bible like I should." I can't tell you how many times I've heard that confession of shame from people in conversation. When people say this, there are only two options to move forward: Fight or Flight. This episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast is all about helping you fight. I want to help you know your Bible like you should. This requires having the right mindset. Let's get started!
For show notes, head over to betterbiblereading.com/episode16
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Today's episode is the second in our special edition called Teaching Thursdays entitled "Christian Meditation". Our culture has a lot to say about meditation, but how should Christians think about meditation. More importantly, is there a biblical way to meditate? Kevin answers these questions from a sermon preached on Colossians chapter 3. By the end of this episode, you'll have a biblical understanding of meditation and how it is the lost art that should accompany our approach to Bible reading.
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Episode 14: In this episode, Kevin talks about Logic in the Bible. While this might sound too technical to matter in our ordinary reading, Kevin gives two key examples of Logic in the Bible to prove how important it is for us to recognize logic in our Bible reading. Podcast show notes available here: https://www.betterbiblereading.com/episode14
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Today's episode is the first of a special edition called Teaching Thursdays. These episodes include audio from sermons, lectures, and classes that I have taught. On this first episode, our topic is "The Mind of God", which is taken from a sermon I preached on 1st Corinthians chapter 2. This chapter is all about the freedom Christians have to explore the depths of God- which is the things God has revealed to us in His word, the Bible.
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Today’s episode we will focus on the concept of work-life balance. This is a very popular phrase in culture and many entrepreneurs and business owners are living by a work-life balance mentality. How should we as Christians and especially as Bible readers develop a work-life balance? We’ll tackle this question in episode 12 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast.
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In today's episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, we continue our series on the writing methods and styles used in the Bible. Episode 11 is about the writing style of the New Testament authors, known simply as Old Testament verse quotations. You'll learn three different types of quotations and how to find these to improve your Bible reading. For more Bible reading tips and techniques, you can find me at betterbiblereading.com
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In this episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, we continue our series of episodes that talk about the importance of understanding the writing methods and styles used in the Bible. Today we'll cover what parallelism is and how important it is to help us understand the meaning of the Bible. For more Bible reading tips and techniques, you can find me at betterbiblereading.com
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In this episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, we are starting a new series of episodes that talk about the importance of understanding the writing methods and styles used in the Bible. Our first writing style to mention is biblical narrative. For more Bible reading tips and techniques, you can find me at betterbiblereading.com
If someone asked you 'what is the New Testament', what would you tell them? How you would define the New Testament? You might find it much more difficult to answer that confidently than you think! In today's episode, I want to give you two categories to use when thinking about the New Testament: The sky (aerial) view and the ground zero view. Thinking about the message of the New Testament and the content of the New Testament books in these categories will be very helpful to use when answering the question 'what is the New Testament' for others and for ourselves! For more content, head over to betterbiblereading.com
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We all know it's good to read our Bibles, but many of us just can't seem to find the time for steady, daily reading. But for all the reasons we might give for those missed reading days, it comes down to an issue of necessity. The question we should ask ourselves is this: Is the Bible absolutely necessary for me? If it is, then it is no longer a question of if, but how. That's what this episode is all about. Once we decide that reading the Bible is not an 'if' issue but a 'how' issue, we can begin to learn what Paul calls "redeeming the time." Today is all about redeeming our Bible reading time by sharing the most important time management tips for Bible reading. If you have been helped by this episode, would you consider subscribing to the podcast channel and sharing this with someone you know? For more content, check out the site at betterbiblereading.com
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Do you think about the Bible as a library? If you want to find something in the library, you start by knowing what section to look for and then going to that right section. It might surprise you to know that this is exactly how the Bible is categorized for us. While there is much more to the Bible than genres, understanding how to read the genres of the Bible is an important step towards better Bible reading.
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What is the relevancy of the Old Testament for modern day people? We skim through it from time or time or painstakingly work through it for our Bible reading plans, but should we willingly spend our time in those books? Today our guest Stephen Spinnenweber tells us that not only is the Old Testament beneficial for us to read today, but it is actually a primary place to hear the gospel when it is preached to us! This is a great conversation that is helpful to anyone who is trying to understand how we should view the Old Testament as 21st century Christians.
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What is the difference between two churches on opposite sides of the road? In America, denominations have changed dramatically over the last few centuries, so that terms such as Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian might not be a clear enough. What does this have to do with Bible reading? Everyone has an approach to grasping the Old and New Testament. And these approaches to reading could differ dramatically, depending on how one identifies denominationally. Today I welcome Josh Hinson, pastor of Ortega Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Fl to talk to us about how to identify the type of approach we should have when thinking about the connection between the Old and New Testaments.
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On today's episode of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, Kevin discusses the conversation behind the question posed, "What is the Bible"?. How we answer that question has massive implications for how we read and study the Bible. While everyone has their own idea and answer of this question, we will see that not every answer can be right at the same time.
For more episodes and articles, head over to betterbiblereading.com
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On Episode 2 of the Better Bible Reading Podcast, Kevin welcomes J. Harrison Pickett to the show, pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Hilliard Florida. In the interview, Kevin discusses with Jesse the concept of studying the Bible as a discipline and how that differs from reading the Bible. Some people may not be familiar with the distinction between Bible reading and Bible study. This episode helps listeners learn how they can do both of these well! For more content, as well as show notes for today's episode, head on over to betterbiblereading.com
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On the Better Bible Reading Podcast with Kevin Morris, the goal is to help you implement better Bible reading methods and practices. Do you have trouble knowing where to begin when it comes to studying the Bible? In this introductory episode, Kevin welcomes you to the show and explains His passion for helping people understand the Bible. If you are interested in knowing what to expect in the upcoming episodes of this podcast, this episode is for you! For more content, you can find Kevin over at his blog which has theology resources of all kinds, betterbiblereading.com
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