Deep in Scripture Radio: Recent Episodes
Marcus Grodi
We have come to believe in the necessity of reading and interpreting Scripture as members of the Body of Christ. Come along as we seek to go Deep in Scripture and thereby deeper in Jesus Christ.
For last week's special Thanksgiving episode, Marcus Grodi shared a portion of a sermon he gave as part of a Thanksgiving service back when he was a Presbyterian pastor in 1985. That message focused on Philippians 4:4-7, in which St. Paul calls us to present our requests to God with gratitude already in our hearts.
Marcus follows up this week by focusing on the verses that immediately follow that passage. In Philippians 4:8-9, St. Paul gives us a template of how to guard our hearts and mind from the world, the flesh and the devil, which bombard us with temptations of every kind. Rather than fall to those temptations, Paul offers us this challenge:
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you."
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In a special Thanksgiving edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi shares audio from a sermon he preached on the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 1985, when he was still a Presbyterian pastor in central Ohio.
The text for that sermon came from Philippians 4:6, where St. Paul exhorts his readers to "have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
In 1985, as a Presbyterian pastor, Marcus preached on the need to present our prayers with thanksgiving, because we know that God is trustworthy.
On this episode, Marcus reflects on that same passage with the benefit of 35 years of hindsight, to share how his understanding of this passage from St. Paul has deepened over time.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi wrap up their study of St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer, specifically looking at the implications of what it means to ask for God's will to be done in our lives.
The last points that St. Cyprian makes in this passage have to do with following God's will, even under the threat of persecution. God calls us to faithfulness despite our circumstances, which St. Cyprian had the courage to follow all the way to his martyrdom by beheading in 258AD.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their series looking at St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer, specifically focusing on St. Cyprian's thoughts regarding the will of God.
St. Cyprian tells us to "prefer nothing whatever to Christ, because He did not prefer anything to us." Jesus held nothing back in His incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection; our call as Christians is to give everything of ourselves back to Him in return.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their study of St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer by diving even deeper into what it means to ask for God's will to be done in our lives.
What exactly does the fear of the Lord mean, properly understood? What are its implications in regard to our humility, our wonder, our worship, and our obedience? If, as Proverbs 9:10 tells us, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," then how do we enter into that mystery?
As Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their study of St. Cyprian of Carthage's remarks on the Lord's Prayer, they look at what he has to say about love of God and neighbor.
St. Cyprian speaks of the need "to love God with all one's heart; to love Him in that He is a Father; (and) to fear Him in that He is God," but what is that supposed to look like in our everyday lives? Marcus and JonMarc explore what St. Cyprian says about this challenging aspect of what it means to live in God's will.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their series on St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer by looking at one of the most difficult aspects of what it means to pray the seemingly simple phrase, "thy will be done."
It can be manageable to live that principle when it comes to obeying directives from God, or changing negative behaviors; but what are we supposed to do when it comes to applying that principle to accepting the harm that others intend for us? Are we supposed to be doormats, or should we demand justice? Where is the balance?
In this episode, Marcus and JonMarc explore the mystery of suffering, humility and the Will of God, and look at how submission to God's will means not that we're called to solve a problem, but rather enter into a mystery.
As Marcus and JonMarc make their way through St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer, they look at what he has to say about the importance of maintaining control over our bodily passions.
As human beings, what we do with our bodies has implications for our souls. St. Cyprian reminds us that our bodies express the disposition of our souls when it comes to lust, gluttony and sloth, but also in regard to faith, hope and charity.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their study of St. Cyprian of Carthage’s treatise on the Lord’s Prayer, this time around focusing on what St. Cyprian has to say about the relationship between justice and mercy.
To focus on justice to the exclusion of mercy leads to legalism; to focus on mercy to the exclusion of justice leads to license. St. Cyprian reminds us that in order to balance these goods, we must seek to do the will of God, who is both infinitely just, and infinitely merciful.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their study of St. Cyprian of Carthage’s treatise on the Lord’s Prayer, they look at the way St. Cyprian talks about moderation and self control in the spiritual life.
What is the relationship between our will and our passions? How do we avoid the complacency that leads us to let our guard down in regard to sin? How do we tame the tongue? Marcus and JonMarc dig into what St. Cyprian has to say about employing the virtue of prudence in our walk as Christians.
In this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue to look at St. Cyprian of Carthage's treatise on the Lord's Prayer. This time around, they look at the way that the "Our Father" calls us to have the humility to conform our will to the will of God, and Marcus specifically discusses how he understands this concept differently now as a Catholic than he did in his years as a Presbyterian pastor.
Taking a slightly different approach to Scripture study, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at the Lord's Prayer through the eyes of St. Cyprian of Carthage, a 3rd century bishop and martyr. Focusing specifically on the phrase "Thy will be done," Marcus and JonMarc unpack St. Cyprian's wisdom when it comes to understanding how to live in the will of God.
From a treatise on the Lord’s Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr (Office of Readings, Twelfth week of Ordinary Time, Wednesday)
After this we add: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; we pray not that God should do his will, but that we may carry out his will. How could anyone prevent the Lord from doing what he wills? But in our prayer we ask that God’s will be done in us, because the devil throws up obstacles to prevent our mind and our conduct from obeying God in all things. So if his will is to be done in us we have need of his will, that is, his help and protection.
No one can be strong by his own strength or secure save by God’s mercy and forgiveness. Even the Lord, to show the weakness of the human nature which he bore, said: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” and then, by way of giving example to his disciples that they should do God’s will and not their own, he added: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
All Christ did, all he taught, was the will of God.
• Humility in our daily lives,
• an unwavering faith,
• a moral sense of modesty in conversion,
• justice in acts,
• mercy in deed,
• discipline,
• refusal to harm others,
• a readiness to suffer harm,
• peaceableness with our brothers,
• a wholehearted love of the Lord,
• loving in him what is of the Father,
• fearing him because he is God,
• preferring nothing to him who preferred nothing to us,
• clinging tenaciously to his love,
• standing by his cross with loyalty and courage whenever there is any conflict involving his honor and his name,
• manifesting in our speech the constancy of our profession
• and under torture confidence for the fight,
• and in dying the endurance for which we will be crowned
This is what it means to wish to be a coheir with Christ, to keep God’s command; this is what it means to do the will of the Father.
As our nation and world continue to be faced with disease, injustice, and unrest, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at some passages from Scripture that model for us what it means to trust Christ in the midst of difficulty. St. Paul in particular speaks strongly to what it means to prefer union with Christ even more than our mortal lives. And it is Our Lord himself who tells us that the treasure of heaven is greater than any good we could ever receive in this life. Marcus and JonMarc discuss how a relationship with Christ helps put fear, pain, and even death into perspective.
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Philippians 1:21-23
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-21
In many parts of the country, people are beginning to return to Mass, but some regions remain under restrictions put in place due to COVID-19. Looking at the Last Supper discourses from Jesus in John 14 and 15, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi discuss how Catholics can remain in Christ while they wait to return to regular participation in the sacraments. We must avoid the extreme that says we cannot know Christ unless we receive the sacraments, but also the error that says we don't need the sacraments to know Christ. While we wait to receive Jesus in the most perfect sacrifice of the Eucharist, we still have an opportunity to meet Him in prayer, in creation, and in our brothers and sisters.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:5-11
In this "Memorable Verses" take on Deep in Scripture, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi take a Biblical approach to some of the difficulties that many of us are facing as we all continue to navigate the problems raised by COVID-19. Marcus and JonMarc look at passages from St. Paul, St. James, St. Jude and the Psalms for advice about how to live as faithful witnesses in times of crisis.
In a special episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi shares some verses from the Bible to help us put the COVID-19 crisis in perspective. Marcus looks at what St. Paul, St. James and others had to say about steadfastness in times of persecution, and also reflects on how this time of quarantine has affected the way we approach our work with people who are interested in the Catholic Church.
As we continue to deal with the challenges that have come about due to COVID-19 and its effects, Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson look at some passages that show forth God's providence and peace in the midst of uncertainty. Looking at Paul's hopeful remarks in chapter 8 of his Epistle to the Romans, as well as Matthew's account of Jesus calming a storm at sea, Marcus and Jim share how Scripture has been a source of strength for them in these uncertain times.
"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, 'Save, Lord; we are perishing.' And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?' Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'" Matthew 8:23-27
Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley conclude their study of the Epistle of St. James by giving a larger look at the perspective on trials and priorities that we hear about in this rich letter from the New Testament.
After recalling the opening verses of James, which focus on perseverance in the face of testing, Marcus and Ken look at the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic provides a fresh opportunity to revisit how James reminds us of what's truly important in the sight of God, and why the call to holiness remains, no matter what circumstances the Church may face at any point in history.
Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley continue their series on the Epistle of St. James from their perspective as former Protestant pastors. They look specifically at James 1:5-8, and what it means to ask for wisdom from God. Why is it that so many pastors, of varying denominations, ask for such wisdom, but come up with so many varying conclusions as to how to interpret the Scriptures? Marcus and Ken share their experience, and why they eventually came to the conclusion that there was an authoritative and apostolic interpretation of the Scriptures.
The Epistle of St. James begins with a puzzling statement: "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." What are we to make of the idea that we should be happy in the midst of trials? Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley look at the historical context and the audience to which St. James was writing, and try to get to the heart of what is being said in this complex and mysterious New Testament epistle.
On the latest episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley tackle the Epistle of St. James, beginning by sharing what each of them thought of James as former Protestant ministers, and taking a look at what they think are some of the most controversial passages in the letter that cause some Protestants to balk at the idea of studying St. James.
Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley were both Reformed pastors who used to rely heavily upon Martin Luther, and like Luther, they weren't always sure exactly what to do with the Epistle of St. James, which to Luther's dismay, somehow made its way into the New Testament. On this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and Ken share how grappling with the Epistle of St. James was part of what led them from Reformed Theology to the Catholic Church.
Marcus Grodi welcomes Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, a former Episcopal bishop and the first head of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, to discuss the importance of Christian unity. They reflect on their own experiences as Protestant ministers, and what they used to think about the idea of Christian unity, and look at passages from Acts of the Apostles and St. Paul's letter to the Romans to unpack the Scriptural mandate for Christian unity.
As the season of Advent draws to a close and Christmas approaches, there are all kinds of distractions that would take our eyes off of the true meaning of the incarnation of Christ. In this Deep in Scripture episode, which originally aired in 2006, Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson reflect on St. Paul's words in Philippians 3:2-17, and what it means to look past all the distractions of the present moment, and toward Christ above all things.
Scripture is full of references to the second coming of Jesus, the last judgment, and the final destruction of Satan. Over the years, many Christians have tried to interpret these passages to do all sorts of things: predict the date of Christ's return, determine the identity of the antichrist, and more. But those efforts are relatively recent in Christian history, appearing over the past few hundred years. So how did the earliest Christians interpret them? Marcus Grodi and Steve Wood dig into the apocalyptic readings from the Advent season, and try to discern the wisdom of historical Church teaching in regard to them.
Many lament that the materialism that pervades Advent distracts from the true meaning of Christmas. But what about Thanksgiving, which has been overtaken by gluttony, sloth, and trampling our neighbors for the best sale price on the latest gadget? In this special Day-Before-Thanksgiving edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson look at Philippians 4:4-7, and what it truly means to rejoice in the Lord, and show gratitude for every good gift that comes from Him.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7
In part 2 of our special 2-part series on Keeping Our Kids Catholic, Marcus and his son JonMarc Grodi continue to unpack 7 practical things that parents can do to help give their children a solid foundation in the Church that will last them a lifetime. How do we not only help our children who have strayed from their Catholic faith return to the Church, but also create a family environment where faith is instilled in such a way that our children never leave it behind in the first place?
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6
One of the most common concerns our members raise with us at The Coming Home Network is the question of not only how to help our children who have strayed from their Catholic faith return to the Church, but how to create a family environment where faith is instilled in such a way that our children never leave it behind in the first place. In this episode, Marcus and his son JonMarc Grodi begin to unpack 7 practical things that parents can do to help give their children a solid foundation in the Church that will last them a lifetime.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6
Fresh off their recent pilgrimage to Italy, and with the recent canonization of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman, Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley reflect on the mystery of grace, and why some people respond, and some don't. Looking at the particular case of the Rich Young Ruler, which appears in three Gospels, they unpack the question of how Jesus challenges us all in ways unique to our specific state of life, and the urgent need to respond to God's grace.
God is in control, even if we can't see it. God will redeem all of our troubles and trials, even if it's hard for us to conceive at the moment. On the latest Deep in Scripture episode, Marcus Grodi and Seth Paine look at a couple of passages from the writings of St. Paul that remind us that Jesus Christ is the Lord of our history, our present, and our future, and that if we truly rely on him, we will find the peace that we long for.
"And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:7
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." -I Thessalonians 4:16-17
On this “Memorable Verses” edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi welcomes former nondenominational pastor Don Smith to talk about the meaning of redemptive suffering, and how God calls us to hope, regardless to our circumstances. As St. Paul tells both the Colossians and the Romans, suffering is unavoidable; but in the midst of it, if we trust the cross, hope will ultimately prevail.
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.” -Colossians 1:24
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
On the latest "Memorable Verses" edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Ken Hensley look at St. Paul's letter to the Philippians and his thoughts on imitating Christ, and the famous "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11. We are called to imitate Christ, but in addition to Jesus, we have other models of faith and obedience in the patriarchs and prophets of God that followed His will before even realizing the promise of the incarnation.
Marcus Grodi continues his "Memorable Verses" series of Deep in Scripture by welcoming Matt D'Antuono, whose work appears regularly at the National Catholic Register. On this episode, they look at I Timothy 3:15 and Ephesians 2:8-9. It's a great answer to some of the false dichotomies that exist in certain theological circles; faith cannot be separated from works, nor can Scripture be separated from the Church.
"(I)f I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth." I Timothy 3:15
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
On the latest "Memorable Verses" edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Matt Swaim look at the importance of humility in the spiritual life, not only for keeping harmony with our neighbors, but also for staying in relationship with Christ. Jesus gives us the example of humility, as St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians; and as Isaiah tells us, sometimes that humility means waiting upon the Lord rather than advancing our own agendas.
Marcus Grodi continues his "Memorable Verses" series with Dr. John Bergsma, looking at the teachings of Jesus about the end of the world, and the importance of staying connected to God's word, no matter what the future holds. When we see trouble in the world, or even trouble in the Church, we should not despair that God is no longer in control; we should rather trust more radically in the promises of His word, that he will be a source of strength for us.
"Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:44
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11
TL Putnam, host of Outside the Walls, joins Marcus Grodi to look at a couple more "Memorable Verses" from the Scriptures, specifically addressing the questions of providence and priority. They look at Jesus' call to seek first the Kingdom of God in Matthew 6:33, and Paul's testimony to God's providence in Philippians 4:19 as ways to understand that when we put God first and foremost in our lives, he provides for us in ways we could never imagine.
In the latest Memorable Verses edition of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Seth Paine look at what the Scriptures have to say about what it means to abide in Christ, and specifically how loving one another helps us to abide in Christ. Reflecting on one passage from John's Gospel, and one from his first Epistle, they dig into how God's love empowers us not only to remain in him, but also to share that love with others. Seth even sings his verse, so be listening for that!
"Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5
"Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God, for God is love." I John 4:7-8
Find more Deep in Scripture episodes at deepinscripture.com
Marcus Grodi continues his "Memorable Verses" series with Jeff Cavins, founder of the Great Adventure Bible Timeline. They look at the Great Commission, as well as St. Paul's exploration of how God reveals himself through creation, and talk about what those two passages tell us about how we're supposed to share our Catholic faith. They dig into natural law, faith, and reason, and touch a lot of interesting bases along the way!
“Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Hear more episodes at CHNetwork.org and deepinscripture.com.
Marcus Grodi continues the theme of "Memorable Verses" with Ken Hensley, who works in pastoral care for The Coming Home Network. This time around, they select from John the Baptist and King David, and look at how both of these men attracted acclaim in the eyes of men, but both ultimately realized that to find true fulfillment, they needed to remind themselves that it is God who gives all good things, and He Himself is the one who can fulfill us.
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
Find more episodes at deepinscripture.com and chnetwork.org.
On the latest "Memorable Verses" edition of the Deep in Scripture podcast, Marcus Grodi and Catholic Bible study author Sonja Corbitt talk about two verses from the Psalms that are crucial to understanding how to live in relationship with God. Marcus shares how delighting in the Lord is the way to find true fulfillment, and Sonja talks about how being obsessed with anger distracts us from our true purpose as children of God.
Sonja Corbitt is online at biblestudyevangelista.com.
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
"Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent." Psalm 4:4
On this "Memorable Verses" episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson look at St. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about being a new creation in Christ, and also his teaching in I Timothy 2:5-6, which talks about Jesus being the mediator between God and man who gives himself as a ransom for all. Marcus and Jim discuss how Christ's saving work on the cross, which was offered for all, is the means by which we have the opportunity to become a new creation in Him.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men -- the testimony given in its proper time." I Timothy 2:5-6
In a new series of Deep in Scripture episodes, Marcus Grodi begins a focus on "memorable verses," ones that many Christians have memorized and Catholics would do well to commit to memory. In this first episode, Marcus and Matt Swaim discuss Proverbs 3:5-6, on trusting the Lord, and Galatians 5:22-23 on the fruits of the Spirit, and share why those two passages are significant to reflect upon when it comes to growing in a relationship with God.
"Trust in the Lordwith all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
As pastors, Marcus Grodi (Presbyterian) and Ken Hensley (Baptist) saw the Bible as their ultimate authority when it came to teaching the truths of the faith. However, the more each of them preached from the Scriptures, the more it became apparent to them that they were bringing their own prejudices, experiences, and denominational influences to the texts. And if the Bible wasn't a self-interpreting document, then what was the correct interpretation? Those questions and doubts led Ken and Marcus, independently of one another, to search out how the earliest Christians had interpreted the Scriptures. And they both found that early Christianity was much more resonant with Catholic thought than their Reformed and Baptist theologies.
After the initial joy of the Easter season begins to die down, how do we sustain the joy and strength necessary to continue in our walk with Christ? On this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at Hebrews 10:19-25, which contains not only a call to persevere in the faith, but also a road map of how to do so. In that, the writer of Hebrews emphasizes the importance of community; that no Christian is ever meant to go it alone. We are not merely called to follow Jesus as individuals; we are called to follow him as His Church.
With so many Christian denominations out there, how can a follower of Jesus know that they're a part of a congregation that has a historic claim to uphold the teachings of Jesus? Does it matter for a Christian to be connected to his or her own religious forbears, or are we meant to figure it out for ourselves in every generation? In this Deep in History podcast, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10, and the thought of John Henry Newman, in regard to how the true Church of Jesus must maintain its core of fidelity, but also develop in continuity with that core.
For many who come from other Christian backgrounds, the Catholic practices that surround Holy Week can seem foreign, or even excessive. Some things, such as foot washing on Holy Thursday, are widely practiced by Christians. But the idea of venerating the cross, the fasting and silence, and the notion of a vigil on Holy Saturday to welcome Easter, can seem odd those who come from non-liturgical Christianity. Marcus and JonMarc Grodi reflect on coming to love these traditions as former Presbyterians who are now Catholic, and how these observances don't run counter to Scripture, but rather follow the devotional trajectory of Scripture.
What does it mean to sin against the love of God? We may not worship the false pagan gods that were popular in the early days of Israel, but our affections are pulled in a number of different directions if we don't take care to keep our focus on God. In paragraph 2094, the Catechism of the Catholic Church lists five sins against the love of God: indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness, acedia and hatred of God. Marcus and JonMarc Grodi unpack these five sins and look at practical ways to combat them.
Marcus and JonMarc Grodi continue their discussion of St. Paul's wise counsel on how to seek godliness with contentment. In Part I of this discussion, they looked at Paul's joyful exhortation to the Philippians, and began to unpack a list of ten "ingredients" for spiritual fulfillment. This time around, they look at more practical ways to remember God's blessings in everyday life, and share the joy of our Catholic faith with all whom we encounter.
Philippians 4 contains one of the most robust calls to joy in all of Scripture. And yet when Paul writes in Philippians 4:11 that he has learned the secret of being content in every situation, he's saying so from inside a prison cell. How was St. Paul able to find joy and rest and contentment in the Lord, regardless of what life threw at him? And how can we, in our day and age, rest in Christ in a world that seems to be falling apart around us? Marcus and JonMarc look at some simple ways to practice contentment in everyday life.
Continuing on the theme of spiritual humility, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look more at St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy, and the advice Paul gives regarding pride and the sins connected with it. A desire for controversy leads to an air of superiority, and blinds us not only to the truth, but also to our own faults. Paul knew that this kind of pride was a major temptation in his time, and is certainly pervasive in our own time. Marcus and JonMarc dig into St. Paul's advice to Timothy on spiritual pride, and the universal call to holiness in spite of, and even in the midst of, scandal and dissent.
In St. Paul's first letter to Timothy, he gives a number of wise instructions about how Timothy should conduct himself as a spiritual leader, and how to avoid temptations that will derail not only his ministry, but his relationship with God. Love of money, an unhealthy interest in controversies, and a conceited heart -- all these things bring focus on the self instead of God, and replace humility with the sin of pride. But, as Paul reminds Timothy in the face of all these temptations, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."
There is a major difference between the contemporary secular concept of love, and the way that love is presented in the Scriptures. Especially in chapter 13 of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, there is a sacrificial quality of love, which requires the exercise of will rather than a reliance upon emotional whims. Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at the Christian call to true charity, and how Jesus is our ultimate example of a love that is willing to risk everything for the good of the other.
In an ongoing series focusing on how to abide and abound in Christ, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at how the relationship between husband and wife reflects the relationship between the God and the believer. They unpack St. Paul's teaching to the Galatians on the Fruits of the Spirit, and discuss the importance of relying upon grace in order to grow in love. They also look at what John the Baptist and St. Peter can tell us about humility and conversion in relation to both marriage and a relationship with Christ.
St. Paul's letter to the Philippians is one of the most joyful texts in the New Testament, and yet he wrote it from prison! In it, St. Paul calls us to rejoice in whatever adversity we might be facing, giving us a clear Scriptural groundwork for the Catholic theology of suffering. In this Deep in Scripture episode, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi look at how St. Paul's message from Philippians 4:4-7 calls us all to abide and abound in Christ, and to do so joyfully.
In this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and JonMarc Grodi unpack more passages related to the concept of abiding and abounding in Christ. Looking at Hebrews 12:11-16 and 28-29, as well as the beginning of Hebrews 3, they reflect on what it means to respond to grace, and how that affects not only our personal walk with the Lord, but also how we walk together as a community of believers. Marcus and JonMarc also look at the danger that bitterness can pose to the spiritual life, and how it can distract us from the discipline and perseverance necessary to deepen our relationship with God.
How does one live abundantly in Christ, and abide in him, as he commands us to do? For every Christian, there is a call to grow in grace, walking each day more closely with him. Marcus reflects on what it means to abide and abound in Christ, and why conversion isn't a one-time event, but a lifelong call to deepening relationship with Jesus. He examines a number of Scriptures that describe what this process should look like in the lives of believers.
In the story of Jesus' first miracle at the Wedding of Cana, many Catholics focus on Mary's words to the servants there, "do whatever he tells you," as a model for Christian piety and action. On today's episode, however, Fr. Skip Thompson, a convert to the Catholic faith, focuses on the words of Our Lord to His Mother in that exchange: "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." Is this merely a rebuke of Mary? Or is there a lot more to this passage, beginning with the fact that Jesus refers to his mother as "woman" rather than "mother?"
In the midst of scandals and chaos in the Catholic Church, how should those in Christian leadership conduct themselves? As a former Presbyterian minister tasked with the pastoral care of souls, Marcus Grodi looks at some of the current measures that are being considered by bishops and priests to help establish a "code of conduct" to encourage fidelity, and prevent further scandal. Marcus suggests that maybe the solution to these problems lies not with something new, but rather with a return to something timeless: namely, the clear call in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, to "strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
Many Christians today see physical expressions of faith as superficial, or unnecessary to the Gospel. For them, salvation can be distilled down to an assent of the mind and affinity of the heart toward God. In the latest episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi reflects on how Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, a physical act with eternal spiritual consequences, is an indication of the way that in the age of the Church, God chooses to mediate his grace to us through physical means in the sacraments. Marcus looks at the wealth of evidence from Scripture that points toward this sacramental understanding of the economy of grace.
Marcus Grodi welcomes former nondenominational pastor Steve Gleason to the program to discuss the words of Jesus in John 3, when he tells Nicodemus that he must be born again, of water and the spirit. Steve and Marcus reflect on what they thought it meant to be "born again" when they were Protestant Christians, and how they understand this teaching of Our Lord now as Catholics.
In this episode, Marcus Grodi and former Evangelical campus minister Mike Peters look at 2 Thessalonians 2:15, where St. Paul admonishes his readers to stay true to the things he has told them about the Gospel. Mike shares how the Bible translations he used in his campus ministry rendered that verse, and how understanding the original intent of Paul's writing helped him better understand the difference between the kind of tradition condemned by St. Paul, and the kind of tradition to which St. Paul urged Christians to hold fast.
Marcus Grodi welcomes Dr. Leroy Huizenga from the University of Mary to the program, as they take a look at Matthew 7:21-23 and Jesus' teaching about true and false disciples. They dig into the way the Sermon on the Mount is organized, and unpack the more apocalyptic sayings of Our Lord that characterize the final section of this lengthy teaching. What does it mean when Jesus tells his audience, in haunting fashion, that at the end of time, some will hear him say, "I never knew you?"
Recently, the Gospel reading for Mass included an important, unanticipated “interruption” in the life of Christ — actually a Russian nesting doll-like series of interruptions. Twice the Apostle John exclaimed that there were many more signs and wonders that Jesus did than could be contained in his or any of the Gospels. So why was it that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all felt that this interruption within an interruption within an interruption was so important they each included it in their short accounts of Jesus’ life?
In this episode, Marcus Grodi and Dr. Paul Thigpen discuss the concept of the Fear of God, a gift of the Holy Spirit, in the context of the clerical abuse scandals in the Church. How do we maintain a reverence and awe of the Lord that compels us to act in love and fidelity when so many influences in our lives lead us to laziness and apathy? They also look at the letter of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, which was written only a short time later, to better understand how Church leaders addressed a particular crisis in a particular community.
Jim Anderson, CHNetwork's manager of clergy converts to Catholicism, joins Marcus Grodi to discuss a perplexing set of teachings from Jesus. In Luke 9:50, Jesus says "he that is not against you is for you," but then in Luke 11:23, Jesus says "he who is not with me is against me." So which is it? Are those outside the Church to be considered adversaries, or allies, or does it all depend on the context? Jim and Marcus look at the situations Jesus is referring to in these two passages, and try to get at what Our Lord is trying to teach us.
Marcus Grodi looks at the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17, when Jesus prays for his apostles to be consecrated in the truth. Marcus compares this prayer to the actions of St. Paul in Acts 20, as he's preparing to depart the Church at Ephesus. St. Paul's prayer and exhortation to those presbyters have many parallels to prayer Jesus offers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Marcus unpacks some of those connections.
Former American Baptist pastor and Catholic convert Ken Hensley joins Marcus Grodi to look at the issue of Christian unity, and what the New Testament has to say about it in the letters of St. Paul and the words of Jesus himself.
Ken Hensley is online at www.kennethhensley.com
Matt Swaim, Communications Coordinator of The Coming Home Network and host of the Son Rise Morning Show on EWTN Radio, joins Marcus Grodi to discuss Psalm 51, repentance, and salvation. Matt grew up in the Wesleyan tradition, which understood salvation as a matter of free will, and sanctification as the perfection of the will. Marcus, on the other hand, has a background in the "once saved, always saved" Calvinist tradition. Marcus and Matt look at the character of repentance and restoration as discussed in Psalm 51, and look at how the Catholic understanding of sin, free will, repentance and grace are necessary to properly interpret this classic penitential passage of Scripture.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."
Psalm 51:10-12
Carl Olson, Editor of Catholic World Report for Ignatius Press, joins Marcus Grodi to discuss 2 Peter 1:2-4, where St. Peter talks about the idea of becoming partakers in Jesus' divine nature. How, exactly, is this supposed to work? Are we invited to become 'gods' ourselves? Certainly Mormon theologians would argue for this perspective. Does it mean we will eventually be absorbed into the Godhead, as is taught in Buddhism? Or is something else meant by what the Church Fathers refer to as "divinization?"
Marcus Grodi welcomes Fr. Douglas Grandon, a convert to Catholicism and long time friend of The Coming Home Network, to discuss Luke 16, and Jesus' parable of the unjust steward. Tackling one of the more confusing teachings of the Bible, Marcus and Fr. Grandon try to unpack what is meant by our Lord by this cryptic story.
In this episode of Deep in Scripture, Catholic Answers Senior Apologist Jimmy Akin joins Marcus Grodi to discuss Jesus’ commissioning Peter as the Rock on which He would build His Church. Catholics have an easy explanation for this, but many other Christians have a very different spin on this passage from Scripture. Join Jimmy and Marcus as they break down one of the key Bible verses that divides Catholics and other Christians.
Dan Burke, Executive Director of the National Catholic Register and President of the Avila Institute joins Marcus Grodi to discuss Jesus' words in John 14:21, when he tells us that if we love him, we will follow his teachings and obey his commandments. Marcus and Dan reflect on how following that advice has been a blessing in both of their ministries, and how it sums up what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
One of the verses most commonly used to argue against the Catholic Church is St. Paul's admonition in his letter to the Colossians to not be led astray by "empty philosophies" and the "traditions of men." To what traditions is St. Paul referring? And if Sacred Scripture springs forth from the tradition of its being reverenced in the liturgy, is Paul arguing against the use of the Bible itself? Dr. Jim Papandrea, a professor of Church History at Garret-Evangelical Seminary on the Campus of Northwestern University, looks at the implications of this controversial teaching from St. Paul.
On the latest Deep in Scripture podcast, Matthew Leonard from the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology joins Marcus Grodi to discuss a verse that can be frightening to many of us. Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:36 that on the day of judgment, we will be held to account for every careless word that we utter. What implications does this verse have for the debate between predestination and free will? Can we ever be forgiven for the things that we've said, and regret? In a day and age where social media makes it so easy for the demons of our past to be brought back to haunt us, it's important to know what the mercy of God means in light of this verse- and what it means for us to tame our tongues. Listen and share!
God made the natural world, and then, as a baby in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, was introduced to that same world as a physical part of it in the person of Jesus. If the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, what does it then mean that he promised that the bread and cup that we take at Communion would also become his flesh? Rob Evans, who has entertained thousands of children for the past several decades as "The Donut Man," talks with Marcus about the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus, and its implications for our lives as people of the sacraments.
Former Church of Christ minister Bruce Sullivan joins Marcus Grodi on this episode of Deep in Scripture to discuss Romans 8:16-17, where St. Paul talks about the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are heirs with Christ- which is great- but then it goes on to say that we become those heirs through being joined with Christ in his suffering so as to receive his glory. What does it mean to suffer for Christ? Should we seek out suffering? What about the notion that suffering can be a result, not of our desire to identify with Christ, but rather due to our own disobedience to God?
Bruce Sullivan is the author of "Christ in His Fullness."
On this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi and Matt Swaim take an in-depth look at Jesus' healing of a paralytic in Matthew 9. It was because of faith that Jesus forgave and healed the man- but whose faith? They also discuss the idea of Jesus' forgiveness of the man's sins as a precursor to the power to forgive sins that Jesus would one day transmit to his apostles.
Matt Swaim is the Communications Coordinator for The Coming Home Network.
Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics at Catholic Answers and former Assemblies of God youth minister, joins Marcus Grodi to tackle the question of faith and works that is a point of contention between so many Christians. In some places, it seems the scriptures tell us that we must DO things to be saved- in other places, it seems there's nothing we can DO to be saved. With humor and insight, Marcus and Tim work to get to the bottom of this age-old debate regarding the matter of justification.
Tim can be found online at www.catholic.com and www.timstaples.com.
Fuller Theological Seminary product and former Baptist pastor Kenneth Hensley joins Marcus Grodi to look at one of the main verses some Bible-only Christians use to try and prove that Catholicism is unbiblical. Are Catholics violating a core teaching of Jesus if they call priests ‘father?’ If so, does that also mean we sin by calling anyone ‘rabbi,’ ‘teacher,’ ‘master,’ or even ‘mister?’ In our ongoing exploration of hard verses in the Bible, Marcus and Ken dig into this passage, which has long been the focus of debate in Protestant-Catholic conversations.
Ken is online at kennethhensley.com.
When Ephesians 5 pops up in the lectionary, every pastor knows what kind of fallout they need to be prepared for. Does submission in a family relationship diminish the value of certain members? What are the implications for the Church in regard to obedience to hierarchy? Can someone who is given a Biblical mandate to lead and govern forfeit the legitimacy of their claim to authority through immoral or imprudent behavior? Marcus Grodi and Steve Wood look at the meaning of authority and obedience in an age where rebellion and disobedience seem to be heralded as virtues.
In a world where your feelings toward your spouse, your car, your job, and your favorite food can all be described with the word "love," what are we supposed to make of God's call to love our neighbor as ourself? Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson take an in-depth look at the implications of God's greatest commandment- to love Him, and secondly, to love one another as He loves us.
One of the more controversial chapters in the Bible for pastors to preach on is Ephesians 5, because of Paul's statement about wives submitting to their husbands. Deacon Alex Jones addresses another challenging portion of the same chapter- when Paul says a husband should lay down his life for his wife, "cleansing her by the bath of water with the word." In his Pentecostal days, Deacon Alex saw salvation through receiving the word of God as primary, and the washing of water through Baptism as merely a later affirmation of what had happened when the word was received. He and Marcus discuss the historical teaching of the Church in regard to this passage from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
***The Devil tried to stop us, but this episode was just TOO GOOD not to share! (The first several minutes of this program contain some technical difficulties, but it is worth pushing through. Please “offer up” the slight inconvenience with the intention that Mrs. Hahn’s testimony may bear fruit in the lives of listeners struggling with this topic.)
Marcus welcomes former Presbyterian and dear friend Kimberly Hahn to the program to discuss a Bible verse to which it was particularly hard for her to submit her will when considering the teachings of the Catholic Church.
In this episode, Marcus and Kimberly discuss Romans 12: 1-2, in which all Christians are called to submit both body and mind to the Lord, and issues including life, contraception, and discernment within marriage and family.
Scripture verses: Romans 12:1-2 — “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Resources mentioned:
- ScottHahn.com
- Psalm 31 Bible Study, Beloved and Blessed
- Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s Journey Home episode; Kimberly’s Journey Home episode 2 and Kimberly’s Open Line Q&A episode
- Scott and Kimberly’s written conversion testimony, Rome Sweet Home
- Kimberly’s Deep in History conference talks “The Authority of Scripture in Marriage & Family Life” and “The Reformation’s Effect on the Family”
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he tells them a number of astonishing things. Not only does he rejoice in his sufferings, but he sees them as a way to identify with, and even supplement, the sufferings of Jesus. Former non-denominational pastor Jeff Cavins joins Marcus Grodi to talk about the mystery of suffering, and how we can make sense of it, through a personal relationship with Christ.
Order Jeff's book, "When You Suffer," here.
Jeff's talk on redemptive suffering is part of the Deep in Christ conference set, "The Catholic Paul?" Order it in the CHN store.
Patristics expert Mike Aquilina talks with Marcus Grodi about the reverence that the Fathers of the Church had for the prophecy books of the Old Testament, how the Mass took the offering of a pure sacrifice outside the temple walls into every community that celebrated the Eucharist.
Find links to dozens of books by Mike through his website: fathersofthechurch.com.
Marcus Grodi & Jim Anderson start with Psalm 62 and discuss the difficulties among Christians in understanding Biblical references to Faith and Works.
Steve discusses how in a variety of Christian circles, both Protestant and Catholic, it is difficult to really grapple with what it means for God to have “first loved us.” For this reason so much of the Catholic Catechism focuses on teaching about who God is. In this episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus & Steve reflect on how they approached this verse from their respective Christian backgrounds and how other scriptures and the guidance of the Church have clarified their thought.
Scripture verse: 1 John 4:19
Marcus Grodi invites good friend Davie Currie, former Fundamentalist Baptist seminarian and son of a pastor, to discuss a “Hard Verse” from the Book of Zechariah and how this verse opened his eyes to the continuity between the Old Testament and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Marcus and David also discuss briefly David's new book Loving Baby Louie about helping children understand miscarriage and the loss of a baby.
Scripture verse: Zechariah 14: 20-21
Resources mentioned:
- David Currie's books: Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic | Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind | What Jesus Really Said about the End of the World | Loving Baby Louie: Hope in the Midst of Grief
- Thomas Howard's Evangelical is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament
- David Currie's written conversion story
- David Currie's Journey Home episodes primary episode | open line Q&A | open line Q&A, too | 4 | 5
- David Currie's Deep in Scripture episodes "Making Decisions as a Christian, 2 Thessalonians 3: 13 & Daniel 1:8" | "The End Times, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12" | "Matthew 24:36-42 & 25"
Jim Anderson, Coming Home Network's Manager of Clergy Members and former Lutheran seminarian, joins Marcus Grodi to discuss some “Hard Verses” from Scripture. Jim chose the Old Testament story of Jephthah, which left him scratching his head! Marcus chose a New Testament verse regarding “decency,” asking the question who defines “decency” and such standards?
What does "indwelling" mean? What is friendship with God? How does "friendship" help us to know God?
Marcus Grodi welcomes former Calvinist Dr. David Anders to this episode of Deep in Scripture. Dr. Anders chooses a verse that was "hard" for him as a Calvinist. The pair focus discussion on their Calvinist backgrounds, particularly David's Puritan history.
Scripture verse: John 14:23
Resources mentioned:
- Dr. David Anders' website and blog
- Called to Communion radio program
- Orthodoxies in Massachusetts: Rereading American Puritanism, Janice Knight
- Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
- Henri Nouwen
- St. Thomas Aquinas on Friendship
- Dr. David Anders' The Journey Home episode 1 | 2 | 3
- Dr. Anders' Deep in Scripture episode "Venerating the Relics of the Saints"
On this episode of Deep in Scripture radio, Marcus Grodi invites friend Steve Ray to discuss John 2: 1-12. As a former Baptist, the Wedding at Cana caused Steve many problems from the drinking of alcohol to the language regarding Mary to Jesus’ obedience to His mother. Steve is known as “Jerusalem Jones,” because he leads Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land. In this discussion, he uses his intimate knowledge of Israeli and Palestinian culture to flesh out the story.
Scripture verses: John 2: 1-12
Resources mentioned:
- Steve Ray’s website www.CatholicConvert.com
- Footprints of God series by Steve Ray (Holy Land documentaries published by Ignatius Press)
- Upon this Rock by Steve Ray
- Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray
- Steve Ray’s Holy Land Pilgrimages www.footprintsofgodpilgrimages.com
- Steve Ray’s conversion story
- Deep in History conference talk “Peter, the Rock, the Keys, and the Chair” Watch for Free | DVD | CD | MP3
- Steve Ray’s Deep in Scripture episodes: The Papacy episode | John 3:16 episode | The Heart of St. Paul episode | “Born Again” episode (Part 1) | “Born Again” episode (Part 2) | Typology and a Visible Church episode
Marcus Grodi and Gary Michuta talk about the importance of the Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible and how they impacted New Testament passages like Hebrews 11:35. Gary can be found at handsonapologetics.com
Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson look at passages of Christ that many Christians have ignored because they are too hard. How do we live according to the words of Christ that are hard for us to understand?
Paul Thigpen, a member of The Coming Home Network, joins Marcus Grodi this week to discuss 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Paul was a pastor in a tradition that believed in the rapture. Many read this passage to say that Christ will come back before the end of time and take all believers to Himself. Paul discovered that this reading of the passage is very modern and diverges widely from how Christians historically understood it.
Marcus Grodi and Jim Anderson talk more about what it means for scripture passages to be “hard verses and how we are supposed to interpret them. They also address some of the questions and comments that you have sent.
Member of the CHNetwork and prominant Catholic apologist, Patrick Madrid joins us to share a few of his own hard verses (Call no man father, and the sinlessness of Mary) as well as to discuss a couple particular verses in Timothy and Romans that can be "hard" for a variety of Christians regarding the nuances of their particular view on salvation.
Marcus Grodi looks at a violent event in the Old Testament and an example of a now seemingly outmoded and largely abandoned custom regarding head coverings found in the New. What are we as Christians to make of such apparent anachronisms? Is the decision about whether and how to apply such scriptures a matter for individual interpretation or not? We’ll explore this today on Deep in Scripture!
Deep in Scripture Podcast is returning with a new series entitled “Hard Verses”!
We believe that to be deep in history and deep in Scripture is to become deep in Christ. This idea is based on the teachings of John Henry Newman and St. Jerome, both committed to Jesus and His Word. In fact St. Jerome once wrote, “To be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ.” In this we see all three aspects of this idea, for Jerome was an early Doctor of the Church, who dedicated his life to the study of Scripture and devotion to Christ. Every episode we will explore what it means to be “Deep in Scripture”, interviewing a special guest about a scripture verse that they would have considered “hard” to interpret, apply, or even preach! We’ll see how they came to better understand and interpret the scriptures in a wider context of Christian history and tradition.
To kick off this new season of Deep in Scripture, Marcus Grodi is joined by his colleague, Jim Anderson to discuss the idea of "hard verses" and share some of their own.
How does Saint Paul, as apostle and missionary bishop, warn the Christians in Rome (where he has never visited) to only follow teachers who proclaim “the doctrine which you have been taught” and to avoid those “in opposition to” this apostolic tradition? This needs tender care because, though he knows personally faithful leaders in Rome, he has only heard rumors about the bad teachers. To name these people “who create dissensions and difficulties”, he would have to depend upon second-hand rumors. So, as a wise bishop, he first gives a long list of faithful Christian leaders they can trust, then warns them generally to avoid those who teach otherwise. All of this—all of the book of Romans—has been to “bring about the obedience of faith.”
As St Paul closes his letter to the Christians at Rome, he first tells them of his desire to finally come an see them. However, he first has another task: to take the alms collected from several churches to help the struggling Christians in Jerusalem. In this we hear our call own call to comfort and support - our responsibility to - our Christian brothers and sisters to whom we are united in baptism. We also hear St Paul affirm how important it is for us to pray for one another - his ministry and each of ours depends upon our shared prayers for one another. We then hear about all the faithful friends Paul had in Rome, through whom he had become aware of the needs of the Christians in Rome. He talks about multiple churches and even a women whom he called a deaconess. What do these references mean for us today? This is what discussed today on Deep In Scripture.
In this section, St Paul moves on from deeper theological and ethical teachings to discuss why he has written so boldly to the Roman Christians, why he has not visited them, but why now he plans to do so. In these verses, we hear allusions to the power of the mysteries, or the sacraments as they will be called: to the changes that he as a bishop can assume are true in the lives of all baptized Christians; to his responsibilities as an “ordained” missionary bishop; and to the liturgical sacrifices of the Eucharist. Paul confesses that all that he has written them and all that he has accomplished throughout his missionary journeys is not the result of his own efforts, but what Christ has wrought through him. He is merely seeking to be obedient to Christ and his calling, and this will now mean, God willing, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Email: Dear Marcus and Ken, an Evangelical friend of mine studies his Bible every day, using a chain reference technique. He goes from one verse to the next following references in his chain Bible. Is this a valid trustworthy way of studying God’s Word? Thanks, Sam
Given the challenging call of Christ “to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” and St. Paul’s call for us to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed, there can be a temptation to become self focused on our individual salvation. However, being a faithful follower of Christ has always meant being a faithful member of the Family of God, or as Paul says elsewhere, the Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God. This means we are to be concerned about each other’s growth in Christ. This will involve protecting and keeping the faith we have received and bearing with the failings of weaker brothers; we are to be steadfast in the faith we have received, and the Scriptures have been given as an encouragement; but we are not called to do this on our own, but through the power of God, the source of unity, joy, peace, and hope. Email: “On Easter, the Epistle reading included: ‘If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). I know we admit to believing this in the Creed, but what does it mean, ‘seated at the right hand of God?”
Again, following St Paul's instructions to transform our thinking (Rom 12:1,2), this requires examining our lifestyles down to most simple habits of eating and drinking. The truth is, in many ways our Christian Faith frees us up from the scrupulous and over-zealous legalism of many well-meaning religious people. Many build their faith upon life-constricting regulations that have no basis in Scripture or the teachings of the church. Yet, what is our responsibility before these well-meaning "weaker" brothers and sisters? Should we ignore their scrupulous irises and flaunt our freedoms? What if it is their misinterpretations of our freedoms that holds them back from coming home to the Church? This is what we discuss today on DIS.
In Romans 12:1,2, St Paul calls Christians to continue their conversion by transforming their minds—and not conforming to the world, or the culture around them. In chapter 14 we see that this involves trusting that God is in control of our Country, our government, and its leaders, to whom we are to submit. But what if the laws they have passed are contradictory to the moral laws of our faith? Must we submit? This is part of what we discuss today on DIS. EMAIL:
Dear Ken and Marcus, how do you juxtapose these exhortations by Saint Paul with the fact that many of the earliest Christian martyrs, whom we are called to emulate and honor, died specifically because they were refusing to be subject to Rome? Thanks, Steve.
Today's Show Notes
Today’s email points to the need the Church to instruct us on the seriousness of scriptural exhortation like those of St. Paul, including those we will discuss today from Roman's 13. All of this relates to salvation, and to verse 13:14: "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Email: Mr. Grodi, I have heard you quip many times & in your books that when Scripture says (1 Tim 3:15) that the pillar and bulwark of the truth is the Church, Jesus could not have meant the thousands of denominations divided by contrary interpretations of Scripture we now have in our world, for how could an invisible church of faithful believers be the pillar and bulwark of anything? This may sound reasonable, but if this seeming disunited diversity is contrary to God’s will, then why does God continue to bless hundreds of thousands of non-Catholic Christians? Why does He continue to use these non-Catholic Christian traditions to inspire and evangelize thousands of people every year around the globe out of darkness, into faith in Jesus Christ, away from sin, into prayerful, devotional lives, and even out of secular lives into lives dedicated to ministry? With so few people worldwide converting to the Catholic Church, it appears God is quite willing to work with a universal invisible church just as it is? Thank you, Aran.
Some key points in today’s passage:
- (vs. 1) The idea of “sacrifice” is still very much an important aspect of our Christian faith;
- (vs. 1) Our entire person—body and soul—is our personal share in the daily sacrifice of the Body of Christ; “what we do in the body” daily, as St. Paul say elsewhere, is how we “suffer with Christ”; (Col 1:24; Rom 8:17; Phil 1:29);
- (vs. 2) This requires a transformed state of mind, living out the Our Father;
- (vs. 2) By doing this, our conscience is formed by the indwelling Holy Spirit;
- (vs. 3-5) Behind these verses, is St. Paul assumption of the Mystical Body of Christ: through baptism believers become united with Christ and one another in the Church;
- (vs. 3-5) Living together in the Body requires living out the Beatitudes: detachment from world, sin, self;
- (vs. 6-8) This also requires that we recognize the importance of being a faithful individual in the Body of Christ, yet using our individual gifts to work together for the building up of the Body (Eph 4)
Email: Dear Ken & Marcus, last week you discussed Rom 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In your discussion you didn’t address what Paul meant by being able to “prove” “what is the will of God, and “what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This term, “prove”, would seem to imply that this process would help one “know” clearly what God’s will is. Yet, in my experience, I’ve known many many faithful Christians—Catholic or non—who have dedicated their lives to doing this very thing, yet they can’t seem to agree on what God’s will is for lots of things. What does Paul mean here?
Some key points in today’s passage:
- The idea of “sacrifice” is still very much an important aspect of our Christian faith;
- Our entire person—body and soul—is our personal share in the daily sacrifice of the Body of Christ; “what we do in the body” daily, as St. Paul say elsewhere, is how we “suffer with Christ”; (Col 1:24; Rom 8:17; Phil 1:29);
- This requires a transformed state of mind, living out the Our Father;
- This requires living out the Beatitudes: detachment from world, sin, self (verse 12:3);
Emails:
- Will there be entry into heaven for a person who has committed a mortal sin without going to confession? This person believes he only has to confess this grievous sin to God. Jay ____
- Dear Marcus Grodi, can you respond to my intellectual dilemma. It deals with the justice of God. What do you consider a more radical punishment: hanging or spending eternal in hellfire? If you say spending eternity in Hellfire, than consider any of your friends or family who are not practicing Christians: giving their lives do any of them deserve hanging? If not, than how can we justify God condemning them to eternal Hellfire? Thanks, Fred
A few thoughts to consider concerning today’s text, Romans 11:25-36:
1) Verses 23-24 set the context with Paul's insistence that faith on the part of the Jews is a condition for their being re-grafted back in.
2) What is the mystery that Paul is speaking of?
a) (25) partial hardening (What does "all Israel" mean?)
b) (26) a promise of the fullness of Israel remains (cf. 11:2)
3) In verse 28 Paul is asking us to view the present situation through TWO lenses:
a) Gospel: Jews are enemies
b) Election: Jews are beloved.
4) In verses 33-34, the consideration of God's providence leads to adoration of His wisdom.
5) The Doxology in v 36 provides the background for the Great Doxology of the Mass 'Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit etc.
From Twitter: Dear Marcus and Dr. Howell, on a recent Journey Home episode, the guest mentioned 1 Tim 3:14-15 as a rebuttal to non-Catholic Christians, but reading on to 4:1-3, you see why they are Protestant. Where they see the error of imposing forbidden doctrine law, even to marry, making them subjects; for in Christ we freely serve. We know all those who believe of Jesus, going His way in Spirit, are His. Though they fall short in the flesh are justified. It is of the spirit that we sin, taking on spirits of error, that which defiles; our denying the Truth of Spirits of error.”
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim 3:14,15).
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim 4:13-3).
Gal 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.”
[Jesus and Paul both said that some disciples might be called to abstain from marriage and food: Mt 19:11f; 6:16f; 1 Cor 7:32f; 8:13).
Today Marcus and Ken discuss Romans 11:11-24 in which St. Paul explains God's mysterious plan of incorporating the Gentiles into his plan of salvation. Using the imagery of the vine from the Old Testament, Paul calls Gentile Christians to humility and hope for the return of the Jews to their Messiah. Listener Email: Dear CHN, God bless you for the work you do. Can you discuss the development of modern Protestantism and of Protestant thought from the reformation forward. For instance, the novelties of altar calls, sinner's prayers, symbolic baptism, symbolic Eucharist, personal relationship, personal interpretations of scriptures, rejection of infant baptism, etc. I would find this useful in my discussions with Protestant family members to help illustrate the theological novelty of Protestant theology in the framework of Catholic salvation history. In Christ, Phillip (Future Tiber Swim Team Captain 2015)
Today Marcus and Ken discuss Romans 11:1-12 where Paul asks, "Has God rejected his own people? They look at Paul's emphatic denial that God has abandoned the Jews. Also, they comment on a Facebook debate about the Catholic Church and the Early Church Fathers.
St. Paul quotes Joel that all who call upon the Lord will be saved. Did the Old Testament prophet Joel mean everyone or just the Jews? Building upon other OT prophesies, St. Paul emphasizes that for a person to call upon the Lord, that person must first believe the gospel, and for them to believe they must hear, and for them to hear someone must preach. But can just anyone decide that they are called to preach? And how can one know whether what one is preaching or hearing is true? This all has to do with being sent. EMAIL: Dear Marcus, I heard you speak this weekend on Christ’s statement, “Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you have no life in you: Symbolic or literal?” Can you and Dr. Howell discus this in relation to the passage you will be discussing this week from Romans? In other words, what is they have not heard or understood?
Continuing our study of Romans, we’re right in the middle of the section in which Saint Paul addresses the question: "Why haven’t all the Jews responded to the Gospel of Christ?" They were the chosen people, but yet the majority of the Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah. Why? In this first half of chapter 10, Paul addresses the question of faith versus works of the Law, and the necessity of confessing with our lips and believing in our hearts.
A few key points for today's discussion:1) This is Paul's Theodicy—i.e. his justification of the ways of God. 2) His purpose is to explain the ways of God in allowing the Gentiles to share in the Jews' privileges of the Covenant.3) The text never says that God predestines people to damnation. Send us your questions and/or comments!
Twitter: @MarcusGrodi
Email: deepinScripture@chnetwork.org
In this passage, Saint Paul addresses a question that nearly every Christian wonders: Why haven’t my friends and family members, or even the majority of Mankind, responded to the call of Jesus Christ? Why are they set against coming to Church? Why don’t they believe in God? Is it their ignorance? Their stubbornness? Is it my fault? Or is it God’s fault? Did God predestine from the beginning of time that they would not believe and not be saved? Or did He just foreknow how they would respond?
Listener Email:
Email: In Ps 116:17, we read, “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving…” Did the early Church begin calling the Lord’s Supper the “Eucharist” (thanksgiving) because they saw it as the fulfillment of this? Thanks, Steve.
In this section St Paul builds upon what he assumes his Christian audience already accepts: that there is a close intimacy between God and His Creation. The Hebrews spoke often of this in their Psalms. St. Paul draws on this intimacy, as well as the separation and “groaning” that Creation experiences as a result of Man’s sin, as a metaphor of a Christian’s present experience in this world and the eventually resurrection of the body. Creation and Mankind stand side-by-side awaiting this redemption.
Today on Deep in Scripture Marcus and Ken discuss a fine email concerning the relationship between the Mystical Body of Christ and the Catholic Church. They go on to examine Romans 8:1-11. In 6, Paul emphasized that anyone in Christ through baptism has been freed from death and slavery to sin. Then in chapter 7, Paul gives a candid personal testimony of his own struggle against temptation and sin—even though he has been united with Christ through baptism. He ends chapter 7 with a testimony that the only answer to the continuing struggle is Jesus. Then in chapter 8, he picks up again what he had summarized in chapter 6: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (through baptism), and who remain in Christ by walking / living by the Spirit who dwells within them—by setting our minds on the Spirit.
In answer to a listener email, we discuss how there are indeed ways in which we have, either blindly or willingly, become enslaved by our modern industrialist culture, particularly through our over dependence upon technology.
In today’s text, Romans 7:1-6, we see proof that the re-emphasis by Jesus of the original indissolubility of marriage has become the accepted norm of the Christian community. Paul assumes his Christian audience agrees that the marriage bond cannot be broken except by death. He then uses this assumption as an analogy of how our death in Christ has broken our bonds to sin. The question is, now that we are freed from the bond of sin, who will we serve?
As a result of death and resurrection of Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin. But there is still the danger of going back, choosing the slavery we had before. We need to understand the trajectory of our choices and continually inform our consciences by the standard of proper teaching.
On today’s episode of Deep in Scripture, Marcus and Ken start by taking a listener question on the scriptural bases for prayer to the saints and for our departed loved ones. They examine some relevant scriptures and then turn to the tradition present in the Early Church Fathers to see how the early Christians regarded such practices. They then move on to their continuing study of Romans 6:1-14, discussing Baptism and how Christians should respond to sin.
EMAIL:
Dear Mr. Grodi and Dr. Howell:
A short time ago, you had some discussion in Deep in Scripture about salvation. I was wondering if you could tell me how you would respond to the following view about salvation and hell that there’s been a very long discussion about: “God is all powerful, God is all loving, has created us and wants us all to be saved; therefore He will find a way to make us all want to be saved and choose Him. No one will go to hell, because God hasn’t stepped off of the throne. Catholics are saying that God is not all powerful and sovereign and can’t make what He wants to happen happen. God would not create us to let us lose such an important thing as salvation.” Thank you very much for your help and for all of the information that you provide to people.
Email:
Dear Marcus and Dr. Howell, in last week’s slight detour from Romans into James, there is a verse that you avoided. Could you briefly discuss James 2:12, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” Doesn’t this refer to the freedom that Luther proclaimed when he said that a person in faith was now free from any laws constricting their lives? Thanks, Marian
Listener Email:
Dear Marcus and Ken:
I really appreciate the way you have been discussing St. Paul’s doctrine of justification in Romans on Deep in Scripture. The question that keeps coming up in my mind is how this all relates to what St. James says in James 2:14-26 about faith and works. At one point James says “You see that a man is justified from works and not from faith alone.”(v 24). Does this contradict Paul’s teaching? How would you explain this problem?
Sincerely,Jack
EMAIL:
Dear Ken and Marcus, Last week, you discussed Romans 4:4: “Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.” Recently someone pointed out Phil 2:12, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Could you compare and contrast these, and discuss how they relater to servile and filial fear? Thanks, Bob
Romans 4:13-25
13: The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world,
did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14: If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs,
faith is null and the promise is void.
15: For the law brings wrath,
but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16: That is why it depends on faith,
in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants -- not only to the adherents of the law
but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all,
17: as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"
-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed,
who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
18: In hope he believed against hope,
that he should become the father of many nations;
as he had been told, "So shall your descendants be."
19: He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body,
which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old,
or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb.
20: No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God,
but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
21: fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
22: That is why his faith was "reckoned to him as righteousness."
23: But the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone,
24: but for ours also.
It will be reckoned to us
who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25: who was put to death for our trespasses
and raised for our justification.
EMAIL:
Dear Marcus and Ken, I regularly post comments on a discussion site which has a lot of Bible only Christians. ... One of the things I notice with this group is they go to the OT a LOT and the epistles but seem to ignore the Gospels and any parts of the Epistles that don't jive with their thinking (like most of James). Fear is very prevalent among them and the God they present looks more like the Terminator. Any help you can give me will be appreciated as when I post I try to write for those who may happen upon the conversation who may or may not be Bible Believers. Thank you, Carolyn
Marcus and Ken continue their discussion of Romans 3:9-31, taking a question regarding Circumcision and Baptism.EMAIL: Last week, in your interpretation of Romans 2:29, you replaced Christian for Jew as an application. Instead of what Paul wrote—“For he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart; spiritual and not literal”—you read: “For he is a Christian who is one inwardly, and real baptism is a matter of the heart; spiritual and not literal.” If this is an accurate application—replacing circumcision with baptism—than doesn’t this imply that the sacrament of baptism, like circumcision, is merely a matter of the heart and faith, with no kind of literal sacramental effect? That it is merely symbolic?
Thanks, Gene
In His love, God has revealed Himself to humanity in three ways: (1) through HIs creation; (2) to His chosen people Israel; and (3) through the Gospel. In Romans 1:16-21, which we discussed last week, we see that because of these revelations, mankind is without excuse. As St. Paul wrote in verse 21: So they are without excuse, for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
In His love, God has revealed Himself to humanity in three ways: (1) through HIs creation; (2) to His chosen people Israel; and (3) through the Gospel. In Romans 1:16-21, which we discussed last week, we see that because of these revelations, mankind is without excuse. As St. Paul wrote in verse 21: So they are without excuse, for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
Marcus Grodi and Kenneth Howell discuss what happens when people reject God in rejecting his revelation through natural revelation, the prophets, and through the Gospel itself.
At first glance, this passage may seem insignificant, sounds like merely an introduction, breaking ice with these Christians he has never met, before he gets into the meat of the letter, but behind it is the assumption of Apostolic authority and the practice of a Bishop, which was witnessed to in the NT, Paul’s Letter, and the ECF.
What is “the Gospel of God”? When St. Paul said he was not ashamed of the Gospel, or that he was “set apart for the gospel”, what did he meant by “the gospel”? Do all Christians agree on what this means? And what does “the gospel” require of us? What must we believe? What must we do? Or does it even require that we do anything, except believe in Jesus Christ? Today Marcus Grodi and Dr. Howell begin a series of study on the book of Romans.
How do we tell a world, how do we tell our neighbors, the truth about Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation, when the world, even our neighbors, no longer share the common Christian assumptions? How do you tell them about Jesus when they no longer accept the possibility of a Creator God? Or how do you correct Christians who have inaccurate views of the faith, of Jesus, of the Church, which they only hear you through the lenses of their prejudice, or ignorance? And when does our own pride get in the way when we are trying to help others break form the sin of pride? This is what we will start discussing today on Deep in Scripture.
“What must we do to be saved?” This question draws us into the theological questions of salvation, justification, sanctification, faith and works, and the diversity of opinions on these issues have sadly divided Christians for centuries. Both sides of the arguments claim Saint Paul as their champions, but especially, through Saint Paul, point to Abraham as the model for all men of faith. Many non-Catholic Christians still presume that Catholics believe that they are saved by works, but is this true? And was Abraham a model of faith without works? This is what we discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
Many people asked Jesus, “What must I do to be saved?”, and two thousand years later, many more are still asking this question. Over these two thousand years, many Christians have answered this question by positing a clear division between faith and works, or faith and the law, based supposedly on statements by St. Paul in his NT letters—with Abraham as the model for all men of faith. Many non-Catholic Christians still presume that Catholics believe that they are saved by works, but is this true? And was Abraham a model of faith without works? This is what we discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
This weekend in the liturgical calendar is the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi. All around the world Catholics will be processing in the streets carrying the cross of Christ, honoring His sacrifice for our sins and salvation. But in our country were few people anymore learn or speak Latin, far too many people haven’t a clue what Corpus Christi means. Even people living in the city of this name are as oblivious to its meaning as many people living in San Francisco or Los Angeles. I’ve even heard people pronounce it Corpus Crispi. So what truth from Scripture does this feast commemorate? This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
Marcus Grodi and Dr. Kenneth Howell discuss "Being and Abiding" in Christ and then answer listener questions.
We’ve reached the end of our liturgical celebration and reflection on the resurrection and ascension of Christ our Lord, and now we celebration the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This gift of the Spirit was a fulfillment of the promise of Christ, to guide and power His Church, but like the ascension, the coming of the Holy Spirit loses it’s meaning apart from the resurrection of Christ, and our own boldly resurrection. In First Corinthians 15, Saint Paul addressed this question, but particularly how the resurrected Christ changed his own life and therefore why he believed it should change ours. This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
Today is the feast of St. Matthias. The remaining eleven apostles were gathered in the Upper Room, after the resurrection and ascension of our Lord, and Simon Peter, their leader appointed by Christ, called them to an important task: the replacement in the vacant office of Apostle of Judas. Of the two qualified men nominated, the Holy Spirit led them to chose St. Matthias, but the main reason for this act of choosing him to replace Judas was, as stated in the book of Acts, that “one of these men must become with us a witness to His resurrection.” Thus the primary importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
This is the weekend in which we celebrate the Ascension of our resurrected Lord to the right of the Father. There are many themes we could discuss concerning the meaning of the Ascension, but the Ascension means nothing apart from the resurrection. During these weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost, we are called to reflect on the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In First Corinthians 15, Saint Paul addressed this question, but particularly how the resurrected Christ changed his own life and therefore why he believed it should change ours. This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
During these weeks between Easter Sunday and Pentecost, we are called to reflect on the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, for our individual lives, for the lives of those around us, and for the entire world. “What difference does it make?”, as a former Secretary of State once quipped. In First Corinthians 15, Saint Paul addressed this question, but particularly how the resurrected Christ changed his own life and therefore why he believed it should change ours.
We are now in the Easter season. This is not a time merely to box up and store the easter decorations, the bunnies, baskets, plastic eggs, and colored fake hay. Nor is it merely a time to continue feasting on the candy, while contemplating which exercise plan will be the most optimal in removing the evidence. Nor is this the time to merely put the Crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus behind us, return to Ordinary worship, until 50 days later we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. But why not? What is this Easter season all about?
On this day between Good Friday and Easter, how and where are we to follow Him? Scripture says, “being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit … he went and preached to the spirits in prison”? What does this mean for our Lord and for us?
As Lent recedes and we approach Holy Week and Easter, the question arises to what extent have we benefited—have we changed or been changed—by the messages we have read or heard from Scripture or in Liturgy, by the graces of the sacraments, by the disciplines, or through our walking together with our Christians on this Lenten journey?
We’re in the middle of Lent, preparing our hearts and our lives to appreciate and receive what our Lord Jesus did for us, gave for the whole world, on the Cross of Good Friday and the Resurrection of Easter. And a key factor in this preparation has always been, since the beginning of the celebration of Lent in the history of the church, the practice of fasting. In fact, prayer and fasting has always been a central part of the Judeo-Christian religion. But today, many if not most Christians do not practice any form of fasting, partly because their particular tradition does not encourage it, but also because many of us have forgotten why we should fast. This is what we will discuss to day on Deep IN Scripture.
Today is a special re-air of a program broadcast on 05/25/2011 in which we interviewed Fr. Ray Ryland. We are sharing this program in honor of Fr. Ryland who passed from this life on Thursday, March 20th, 2014.
Fr. Ryland served as a naval officer in World War II before he attended Union Theological Seminary and was subsequently ordained to the ministry. He served for a number of years for the Episcopal Church until in 1963 he was received with his wife Ruth and their 5 children into the Catholic Church. Twenty years later, he was the second Anglican to be ordained a priest in the Catholic Church with a dispensation from the rule of celibacy. Fr. Ryland taught theology at the University of San Diego and the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He served as an assistant at St. Peter’s church in Steubenville, Ohio. Most dearly for us, however, he was the Vice President and Chaplain of the Coming Home Network International since it was formed back in 1993. Fr. Ryland’s conversion story is available in our book Journeys Home available through CHResources, but it is also told in his recently published memoir: Drawn From Shadow’s Into Truth.
Enjoy this classic episode in which we discuss Colossians 1:24 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Today is another special re-air of an episode of Deep in Scripture broadcast on 1/11/2006. We are sharing this program in honor of Fr. Ryland who passed from this life on Thursday, March 20th, 2014. We explore the question: “Why should we trust this collections of old books?” and look at 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 1 Corinthians 11:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:25, and 1 Timothy 3:14,15.
Communion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist are titles given to a sacrament, ordinance, or rite celebrated by Christians around the world. The origin of this act of worship comes from the institution of Jesus Christ, but the meaning and practice have a long and broad history, leading to, as we all know, a wide breadth of opinions and consequent division. The best place to begin to understand this great sacrament is with the witness of the earliest Christians, which is what we will do today on Deep In Scripture.
Communion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist are titles given to a sacrament, ordinance, or rite celebrated by Christians around the world. The origin of this act of worship comes from the institution of Jesus Christ, but the meaning and practice have a long and broad history, leading to, as we all know, a wide breadth of opinions and consequent division. The best place to begin to understand this great sacrament is with the witness of the earliest Christians, which is what we will do today on Deep In Scripture.
From the very beginning of time, throughout the biblical record, and on into the writing of the Early Church Fathers we encounter the idea of two ways that we can chose to live our lives. Throughout Church history this has always been the foundation of our faith. From the beginning of time, however, there has always been a counter voice, either denying or downplaying the distinction of these two ways, and in today’s world this distinction has become so blurred that to even mention it is to reap ridicule. As Isaiah prophesied, the day has come where what is good is called evil, and what is evil is called good. So what are these two ways? This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
There are at least four different kinds of verses in the Bible. Certainly there are many different kinds and genre of books in the Bible, written by many authors, over hundreds of years, and all inspired by the Holy Spirit, but throughout this Canon of Scripture there are at least four different kinds of verses: those that are clear, those that are cloudy, and those that are stormy. But maybe the most important are those verses that we have never seen. This is what we will discuss today on Deep In Scripture.
In 1 Timothy 2:3-6, St. Paul wrote that there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. But how do we understand the relationship between this “one God” and this “one man Christ Jesus”? Must of us automatically hear this relationship through the doctrine of the Trinity, one God in three persons, but this doctrine itself is not found in Scripture, and not all Christians today, basing their faith on Scripture alone, believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. So how should we understand the relationship of God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?
Saint Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy that God our savior “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. That the man Christ Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all men”. What does this mean for all those people who have never heard the Gospel message? Or what about those who have heard – our friends and family – but who have rejected the gospel, rejected God? But there is another topic in this passage as well: How did Saint Paul understand the relationship between God our Savior and the man Christ Jesus and what does it mean that Christ is the only mediator between God and us? Join us for this episode of Deep in Scripture!
The Apostle Paul once wrote to his fellow bishop and son in the faith Timothy, that “all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” This verse from 2 Timothy is the primary verse used to defend the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. This is precisely what my guest and I did for many years. But does this verse teach Sola Scriptura? What does it say about the Bible we hold in our hands and which we consider so foundational to our faith now nearly 2000 years later? This is what we’ll be discussing today on Deep in Scripture.
Recorded on August 29, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Matt 16:18-19, John 20:19-23, Acts 1:20-26, Acts 15:28-29
Recorded on July 04, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Acts 23:11, Acts 19:21, Matthew 16:18, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Daniel 2, Daniel 7, 1 Maccabees 12:3
Recorded on May 30, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Today’s Scriptures: James 1:12, 1 Samuel 3:1-10, Philippians 2:6-11, Philippians 4:4-9
Recorded on May 23, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 11:2, 1 Timothy 3:15, John 6:51-55
Recorded on May 16, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Matthew 2:10-11, 2 Peter 1:9, Matthew 25:14-30
Recorded on May 2, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Ephesians 1:22 and 4:7,11-16, Hebrews 13:9-12, 1 Timothy 2:1-5
Recorded on April 25, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Acts 8:26-40, Philippians 2:5-11, Gospel of Matthew
Recorded on March 14, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: John 6:48-58, Luke 1:42-43, Romans 10:14-15, Luke 10:16, Matthew 16:18-19
Recorded on February 29, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: Matthew 28:19-20 (Evangelism vs. Evangelization)
Recorded on February 15, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: James 2:19, Luke 9:18-20, John 6:56, 1 Corinthians 11:29, Matthew 7:21
Recorded on January 11, 2012 - Scriptures/Topic: John 2:5, John 6:66-69, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Acts 2:42,43, Acts 21:35, 2 Tim 2:2
Recorded on December 28, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: John 6:53-58, 66-67, Galatians 2:20, Luke 15: 11-32 (The Prodigal Son)
Recorded on November 2, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: Luke 1:37-38, Luke 14:7-11, Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23
Recorded on September 28, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: Evangelization and New Media Acts 17:16-34, Mark 4:3-8, Luke 24:13-32, Luke 5:3-4, 2 John 12, Matthew 28:10
Recorded on September 14, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Philippians 4:4-9
Recorded on September 7, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: Matthew 11:7-12 (Douay-Rheims), Matthew 5:1-11 - Flannery O'Connor
Recorded on August 24, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: Luke 1:46-55, John 20:21-23, Revelation 11:19
Recorded on August 10, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: 2 Thess 2:15, 1 Tim 3:15, Matt 16:18-19, Isaiah 22:22, Col 1:24
Recorded on July 13, 2011 - Scriptures/Topic: 2 Macabees 6:12-17, Gen 14:18, Exodus 4:18-26/31, John 6, Matt 26:39, Matt 16:18, 2 Thessalonian 2:15. Hosted by Marcus Grodi
Guest Fr. Patrick Rohen, Captain, U.S. Army (Retired)- Scriptures/Topic: Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Guest Fr. Patrick Rohen, Captain, U.S. Army (Retired)- Scriptures/Topic: Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Guest Nancy Groom- Is. 22:22, Mt. 16:19, Jn. 6:56, Jn. 19:26-27, Lk. 24:35, Jn. 3:5, Jn. 15:4-11
Guest Teresa Tomeo - John 15:5, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 6, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 28: 19-20
Guest Dr. Kevin Vost - Romans 1:20, Genesis 3:14, Wisdom 8:7, Proverbs 24:3-4, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 2 Peter 1:5
Guest Drake McCalister - 2John 9:8-10, John 8:31-31, Ephesians 3:9-11, Matthew 18:15-17
Guest David Anders Verse(s) I never saw: 2 Kings 13: 20-21 -Genesis 18:26, Colossians 1:24, James 5:16, Ephesians 4, and 2 Macabees 15, Rev. 5:8, Rev. 8:3 and Tobit 12:12.
Guest Robert Stackpole Verse(s) I never saw: Gen. 3:15-16, Rev 11:19-12:1-6, Rev 11:19, Lk 1:39-56, and 2 Sam 6.
Guest Patty Bonds Verse(s) I never saw: Mt 16:18-19, Mt 25:31-46, Acts 19:11-12, 1 Cor 9:24-27, 1 Cor 15:2
Guest Kevin O'Brian Verse(s) I never saw: 1 Samual 26:18, 1 Corinthians 3:7, 9:16, Romans 6:22
Guest Thomas Howard Verse(s) I never saw: Wisdom of Solomon 2:12-22Fourth Anniversary Show
Guest Fr. Jay Scott Newman, Fr. Newman's Verse(s) I never saw: Hebrews 1:1-10, John 6:28-36
Guest Marc Ayers, Marc's Verse(s) I never saw: 1 Tim 3:15, Matt 16:19, Isaiah 22:15-25, Luke 22:32, Luke 1:39-56, Sam 6:1-14
Guest Rod Bennet, Rod's Verse(s) I never saw: Matthew 28:18, 11:27, 10:38-41, Thessalonians: 2:3-4, 2 Peter 1:16-21
Guest Reverend Brother James Dominic Brent, Verses that have inspired Brother James: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Guest Father Joseph Anthony Giambrone, Verses that have inspired Father Anthony: James 1:16-18
Guest Dale Ahlquist, Verses that have inspired Dale: Jeremiah 6:16, Proverbs 15:1, Psalm 16