Black Chicks Bible Study: Recent Episodes
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BCBS is two friends reclaiming the Bible one book at a time. Both raised Christian, we're now mining the holy text of our childhood for useful life tips in adulthood.
In the FINAL episode of BCBS, we struggle to unpack the fever dream of John's Revelation - beasts, angels, prophets, kings and elders surrounding God's throne in heaven, a big, hungry dragon and too many plagues to count. We share our final thoughts on our Bible project and give our last testimonies while questioning the nature of our reality. Bonus: lots of heavy breathing from Xena the dog. Thank you for listening and keep the faith!
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In our penultimate BCBS episode, we appreciate Jude's frankness and dire warnings leading into the book of Revelation. His strongly-worded letter leads us to brace for snakes while renewing our commitment to peace and love despite the futility of our doomed world.
This third letter from apostle/evangelist/elder John praises good hospitality and prompts more questions than answers about utilitarianism, early church infighting and the philosophy of good and evil, all on a single page of papyrus.
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The same or another John writes a short letter to a small church, the collective church or an actual woman representing a church. He warns against blocking your own blessing and letting false prophets infiltrate your sacred space. We learn to be discerning with our love, and to find biblical truth in the Real Housewives.
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This letter from an anonymous John is as insistent as it is inscrutable. As some have strayed from the church, John reminds the flock to ignore the traitors and keep it pushing alongside those who've been walking in love all along. We continue to weigh the purported pure nature of God against his portrayal in the text, and ask ourselves just how much we're supposed to hate the world he created.
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We discuss Peter's confounding second letter and wonder about the nature of utopia, accountability and the snowball effect. As Peter feels himself nearing the end, we also enter the homestretch, the final countdown to Revelations.
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Turns out a life of faith is no cake walk. Peter doesn't mince words, and we take his warnings about suffering and sacrifice to heart. We discuss sobriety and discipline, and wonder how to fly above the haters while staying grounded in love.
James is way more practical than his predecessors in the early-Christian-letter-writing game, so we have lots of life lessons to chew on. We discuss faith without works, judgment of self vs others and the benefit of keeping certain folks at arms' length.
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An anonymous author pep-talks the backsliding Jewish believers, renewing their faith and reminding them to stay the course to honor their ancestors. We discuss perseverance through struggle, the confounding duality of Yahweh and what it takes to find peace in this life or the next.
Paul's shortest letter is strongly worded and written to a guy whose runaway slave he's claimed for himself. Now it's time to set him free in Christ and decide his fate. While debating the merits of power and manipulation, we wonder where's the beef between Paul and Philemon.
Paul advises former colleague Titus on how to transform the growing Cretan Christian community into perfect righteousness. We appreciate the permission to leave haters in the dust while still keeping it classy.
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Paul writes to his mentee Timothy again, urging him to stay strong through the last leg of the race, avoid petty worldly concerns and keep embracing the faith passed down to him. One of us finally reveals our favorite verse of all time.
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Paul or someone like him writes a letter to Timothy, a protegee who needs less water and more wine. We discuss women in the church, the love of money and slavery yet again, unfortunately. Bonus: Extra audio issues in this episode. Our apologies and thank you for listening!
Paul (or a forger) thanks the Thessalonians again for being such a model church, but warns against false teachers who claim the end times have already come. He admonishes them to keep their heads down and work, pull their own weight and pray the sinners away. We discuss busybodies, the antichrist and Farrah Abraham.
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Paul and two pals write a love letter to an early church that seems to have it all together. He reminds its members to keep loving each other, warn the idlers of the doom ahead, but also mind their own business and resist temptation. We ponder death and staying woke while maintaining peace amid uncertainty.
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"Paul" writes to a congregation he's never met, urging them to stick together and avoid the dangerous philosophers in their midst. Should the Christians be free to observe their faith how they want, or avoid certain tempting rituals and festivals? Something in the middle, we think. We debate the merits of passion at work, and vow to Take a Beat and Circle Back.
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Nice Guy Paul is grateful for the fragrant offering and good tidings from the Philippian church, so he sends more encouragement and less self-promo than usual. We talk faith and endurance over power and greed, and resolve to keep our eyes on the road rather than the rearview. Thank you all for helping us get to our 50th episode of BCBS!
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Paul - or a good imposter - writes politely to a group of Ephesian churches to remind them of who they are and what they stand for. We talk intent versus impact and why pastors get away with so much naughty behavior. Happy New Year, and continue to be safe out there as you keep the faith!
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Paul writes to a traitorous group of churches who are still requiring circumcision as a rite of passage into the faith. What was all that crucifixion for, if not to free the people from Moses' archaic law? What will it take to unite the body of Christ? Is Paul a crybaby or justified in his outrage? We wonder why the church can't get on the same page, despite having a hard time just between the two of us.
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Paul changes up and reveals a chip on his shoulder. The church isn't appreciating him like they should, and he suffers greatly without the satisfaction of being the Messiah Christ was. We debate the merits of his approach and whether the church was helped or harmed. Also, can people please stop with the confidence and wealth to level the playing field?
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In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, he admonishes them for their petty squabbles, advises against marriage and gives inspo as they continue to fight the good fight of faith. Meanwhile, we find harmony in our theological dissent and set intentions for the upcoming holiday. Happy Thanksgiving, and please forgive us for recording over Zoom this time!
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Paul the cofounder of Christianity writes a letter to a Roman church, telling them how to stop fighting and live a Christ-like life. Turns out it has more to do with love, accountability and nonjudgement than being vegan or circumcised. We lament our own fleshly desires and imagine a just world with perfect karma. (If you were once a fan of Superkid Academy, or have ever been to a Kenneth Copeland conference, write to us at bcbiblestudy.com or bcbspodcast@gmail.com)
In the Book of Acts, we meet Christianity's cofounder Paul, discover what Jesus was up to after his resurrection and begin to understand why there are so many different denominations. Plus we question our purpose and imagine utopia.
We're back with the final Gospel! John of unknown origin is here to retell the story of Jesus with some creative liberties. We discuss Christ as God and Man at once, his propensity for disappearing from tight spots and our ongoing search for more deets about the OG prostitute. Plus, we've got some sweet, sweet testimonies following our brief hiatus.
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In the third Gospel, Luke begs us to illuminate what hides beneath the surface and take accountability before it's too late to turn back. We debate predestination and the apostles fail to believe women when it comes to the risen Messiah.
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The Gospel of Mark trims the fat and brings us a much more human and beleaguered Jesus. Meanwhile, the disciples struggle to believe despite seeing with their own eyes, and we question the necessity of chants and gestures while performing miracles.
Finally in the New Testament, we hear of Jesus' origins and ministry. Is he the new Messiah or just another prophet? Matthew the tax collector is one tiny piece of the puzzle; we separate the wheat from the chaff and learn more about the difference between Law and Spirit.
In the FINAL book of the Old Testament, we learn the importance of having an unblemished sacrifice and complete tithe for God, and the disgusting penalty for falling short. We discuss our journey thus far and look forward to the Gospels.
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God speaks through priest/prophet Zechariah about the Israelites' reunion, evangelism and utopian future. Also, a scroll of truth separates the righteous from the deceivers and we wonder if we'll be ready for Yahweh's New Testament makeover.
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Haggai is prophet 10 of 12 in the OT! We know little about him other than his love of calendars and the fact that God once asked him to get the priests to debate how consecrated meat works. Meanwhile, we try to stay off demon time and remind you that Black Lives Matter.
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BCBS is back in the fray! In episode 36, we hear more doom and gloom from Yahweh, this time via Minor Prophet 9 Zephaniah. We discuss God's coming vengeance for the oppressed, speaking in tongues, our current culture wars and our need for fast change and fewer Karens.
Happy Sabbath and thank you for listening!
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The most anonymous of the minor prophets tells God about himself, then sings to him anyway. We reflect on having feelings and learn that back in the Old Testament days, being rich and being drunk were one and the same.
God's latest prophet is one of the bloodthirstiest so far, and we ponder the merits of warmongering for righteousness. Nahum warns of Nineveh's destruction, babies are being dashed, etc. Women, again, are reliable symbols and objects of shame in the Israelites' tribal propaganda.
On the brink of the apocalypse, we skip our testimonies and dive right into the Bible's 33rd book- our halfway point. Modest, lowly prophet Micah reminds God's people what their morality should be. We question our own motives and whether any reason to be good is as good as any other.
Our most relatable prophet so far gets a message from God and instantly runs in the opposite direction. A short stint in the belly of a large sea mammal gives Jonah a second chance, but he promptly takes issue with Yahweh's choices again.
episode recorded pre-lockdown; please stay healthy & safe, and keep the faith
This Sabbath, we're joined by guests Meghan and Rachel, who help us unpack one-chapter Obadiah and offer fresh eyes on Yahweh's signature moves. We also talk Catholic school, social media and the ever-looming threat of human extinction.
episode recorded pre-pandemic/lockdown; please stay safe and healthy!
In our 30th episode, humble [nonfamous] shepherd Amos hears from God that Israel will be punished in the same fashion as its evil neighboring towns. There's a mention or two of adulterous women, and we see Yahweh make his pettiness and intent to harm very clear.
Yet another of Yahweh's wacky messengers warns the people of doomsday and better times to come. This time, the karma is real and the mountains will leak sweet wine. What we lack in knowledge of Joel's history or personality, we make up for in dark/terrible/great/lovely prophetic visions.
In this book, the prophet Hosea gets some convenient orders from God- take up with loose women to teach the people a lesson! As Israel is condemned for its idolatry and adultery, we check our own gratitude and faith.
Daniel gives the God of Israel a good name during the Babylonian exile by interpreting dreams, sending a king to live in squalor, getting his friends new jobs and showing off a few mind-blowing miracles. We admire him sticking to his guns in enemy territory, and wonder about the line between taking due credit and being sufficiently humble.
This episode, we meet a kookier prophet than Jeremiah. Ezekiel draws the line with his bread recipe, suffers for his art and makes more dirty whore analogies than anyone before him.
It's arguably the saddest book of the Bible, and the one with the most cannibalism (so far). Like God himself, Lamentations is a mixed bag- depression, resignation, absurdity and worship. We nervously laugh through the atrocities and debate the merits of shame in our 25th episode.
Jeremiah may not be the most perfectly sane or popular of the prophets, but he gets the job done. Unfortunately, his job is to scream at the Israelites about their inevitable, violent karma for decades, then barely survive an attempt on his life. Meanwhile, God's people openly cheat on him with the mysterious but powerful Queen of Heaven.
BCBS returns after Thanksgiving break! And we enter a new era of prophets, rejoining the journey of the Israelites in the midst of war and harsh judgement. We hear more promises of the utopia to come, while God updates his preferences and apologizes for being such a moody spouse.
Our friend and first guest Golden joins us to talk modern dating, ghosting, purity culture and some questionable risqué love poetry as BCBS gets almost as NSFW as the Bible itself.
We're legal! In our 21st episode, we debate the meaning(lessness) of life and the motives of a mysterious king. India sees a chip the size of his ego on his shoulder, while Lauren thinks he's got the right idea. Does anything last? Are humans just animals? Was Proverbs a sham? Ecclesiastes has all, and none, of the answers.
We're glad to be back from sabbatical with tons of handy life tips. Consider the age-old wisdom of Solomon and other God-fearing leaders of the Old Testament, and learn why it's better than gold. In episode 20 of BCBS, we're counting down our favorite passages in Proverbs and taking some long, hard looks in the mirror.
In this episode, we cherry-pick our Top Ten fave passages from the book of Psalms. We discuss the yin and yang of life, the importance of humility, grief and hope, and why psychopaths don't enjoy Alaskan king crab.
In book 18 of the Bible, the most righteous and God-fearing Job suffers horribly from a bet between God and newcomer Satan. He questions his place in God's plan, his friends' usefulness and morality itself. Find out why suffering is inscrutable and no one is safe in this episode of BCBS.
In Esther's book of the Bible, her male caretaker Mordecai gets all the shine. But we stand and celebrate our crafty inside woman, who wields her power to save the chosen people from an evil plot under a very impressionable king.
We meet Nehemiah, who seeks approval from God for being Israel's new governor, savior and wall-builder. Meanwhile, people keep marrying across borders, which is still a no-no.
Years after their exile, the Israelites/Judeans return to their promised land to rebuild and restore for a new generation. In our ongoing cycle of creation and destruction, God's temple must go back up, and the Law of Moses must be proclaimed. Enter Ezra, who first throws a fit about his wayward people and their troubling lack of purity.
In Second Chronicles, we finish rehashing the cyclical rise and fall of divided Israel under a line of judges and kings. We touch base on our progress, call out little winks from the universe and imagine why God might be splitting into different personalities.
In First Chronicles, we recap our journey thus far and flesh out the David/Solomon story from a new angle. Plus, Satan makes a surprise appearance while the ladies stay on the back burner.
In Second Kings, we struggle to keep up with the succession of leaders marching Israel and Judah to greater evil, defiance and their inevitable doom. Jezebel is scapegoated in the worst possible way, some men have a fetish for torturing pregnant women and God's people are on his last nerve.
In First Kings, the extra wise and promiscuous Solomon takes the throne from his father David, starts off on the right foot, then bites the hand that feeds him. Later, a certain Jezebel does her hubby a huge favor and trashes her rep forever. Join us for holy monarchy talk and light cooking ASMR.
Israel is a house divided under David and his web of warriors, wives and lustful sons. A lover and a fighter, the conflicted king seeks to cement his lineage under God's protection and abundance. Plus, we question karma and Israel's sexist policies on public dancing.
In First Samuel, the era of the Judges gives way to the new monarchy- no less divine and flawed in equal measure. The Prophet Samuel's mother foretells the karmic victory of the righteous, while God second-guesses his own kingmaker skills. Plus, Goliath loses his head.
In the Book of Ruth, the grieving Naomi brings fellow widow Ruth from Moab to Israel following a famine. Together, they capitalize on their good fortune and family connections to make a better life for themselves. Strong, hunky Boaz saves the day while God orchestrates from the wings.
God appoints a succession of Judges to repeatedly lead the Israelites out of trouble as they settle in the Promised Land. Each has his or her unique interpretation of the daunting role.
In Joshua, Moses' former assistant Joshua rises as the Israelites' new leader as they enter the Promised Land, while God makes some concessions at the finish line.
We return with the final book in the Torah- a recap of the Israelites' journey thus far and many reminders about the sacred (and profane) laws they'll need to establish on the Promised Land. We also learn why God is so moody.
The Book of Numbers brings us to the brink of the Promised Land. On the way to milk and honey, doubters force God to escalate his methods. The Israelites learn they'll need teamwork to make the dream work, but not before testing the boundaries of God's favor.
In Leviticus, God explains how the tabernacle works, where animal blood should go and all the many, many, many laws for living. Plus, learn a woman's worth and the origin of the scapegoat.
In Episode 2, we explore the epic Exodus, breaking down God's commandments and shifting moods.
In our first episode of BCBS, we discuss growing up Christian, grappling with God and our new resolution to read the Bible cover-to-cover.