The Blessed Hope Podcast -- with Dr. Kim Riddlebarger
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger
Interested in taking a deep dive into the biblical text? Join host Dr. Kim Riddlebarger for each episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast as we explore the Letters of the Apostle Paul. In each episode, we work our way through Paul’s letters, focusing upon Paul’s life and times, the gospel he preaches, the law/gospel distinction, the doctrine of justification sola fide, Paul’s two-age eschatology, and a whole lot more. So get out your Bible and join us! Oh, and expect a few bad jokes and surprise episodes along the way.
"Speaking in Tongues" Season Three/Episode Twenty Four (1 Corinthians 14:1-19)
Episode Synopsis:Speaking in tongues was causing chaos in the Corinthian church. Tongue-speakers were speaking at the same time, and their tongues were not always interpreted as required by Paul. Some acted as though tongues was the greatest of the gifts of the Spirit and were lording it over others who did not possess the gift. Paul is also writing to correct the misguided (and pagan notion) that tongue-speaking was the manifestation of ecstatic religious experiences from which tongues spont
"The Greatest of These Is Love" Season Three/Episode Twenty-Three (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
Episode Synopsis:What the Bible says about love, and the way most Americans think about love, are usually two vastly different things. Our contemporaries tend to think of love as a powerful emotion, most often associated with romance and intimacy. Images of hearts and cupids on Valentine’s Day are ingrained in us from an early age. Love is also tied to a utopian dream when people experience a powerful sense of brotherhood and unity when they join together for a worthwhile cause. Sadly, these
"Baptism In the Spirit" Season Three/Episode Twenty-Two (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
Episode Synopsis:Almost all peoples and cultures seem to have some sort of utopian dream–a world of universal peace, prosperity, and harmony. John Lennon’s Imagine anyone? The problem with all utopian visions is that ours is a fallen race. Because we are a fallen race we all too often find ourselves divided along racial, socioeconomic, political, and theological lines. Much like the citizens of first century Corinth, we too struggle to find true unity in a world rife with division of all sor
"The Gifts of the Spirit" SeasonThree/Episode Twenty-One (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
Episode Synopsis:One of the most divisive theological controversies of my lifetime was the charismatic movement with its stress upon baptism in the Holy Spirit as evident in speaking in tongues. Whenever the charismatic renewal spread to a new church, it immediately divided the church into two camps–those who experienced what they claimed was a new work of the Holy Spirit which manifested itself in the speaking with tongues, and those who thought such a thing was demonic and who did everything
"The Lord's Supper" Season Three/Episode Twenty (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
Episode Synopsis:One of the saddest indicators of human sinfulness is found in the last half of 1 Corinthians 11. The sacrament of Christian unity (the Lord’s Supper) had instead become the occasion for further division in the Corinthian church. Paul laments that in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper the rich were exploiting the poor, the body of Christ was not properly being discerned, and the Supper was being celebrated in such an improper way that what was being done was not the Lord’s Su
"Fashion, Style, and Properiety in Worship" Season Three/Episode Nineteen (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)
Episode Synopsis:As a cosmopolitan city and home to many varieties of Greco-Roman paganism, Corinth was a cutting edge place for first century fashion and culture. From what we know regarding the city’s ethos at the time, there was growing tension between traditional gender roles and a desire for women to express themselves in non-traditional ways long associated with polite Greco-Roman society. One obvious way to show this quest for personal freedom was for a woman to wear her hair down (long
"The Bread, The Wine, and the Glory of God" Season Three/Episode Eighteen (1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1)
Episode Synopsis:We’ve come to 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1, as Paul wraps up his discussion of idolatry. In the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Christian believers drink the cup of blessing and eat the broken bread–described by Paul as a participation in Christ’s body and blood. Since so many in Corinth were still hanging on to remnants of their pagan past, from what Paul says here it seems many were still attending both the Christian sacrament as well as pagan sacrifices. To those claiming to w
"Christ Was the Rock" Season Three/Episode Seventeen (1 Corinthians 10:1-13)
Episode Synopsis:If you have ever wondered what it would be like for Paul to teach you how to read and understand the Old Testament in light of the coming of Jesus Christ, in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, the apostle does exactly that. The birth of Israel stems from deliverance from their bondage in Egypt, followed by the Passover, and then the Exodus through the Red Sea before heading into the Sinai wilderness on their way to the promised land of Canaan. For Paul, this is an important period in Isra
"All Things to All People" Season Three/Episode Sixteen (1 Corinthians 9:1-27)
Episode Synopsis:If we were to find Paul’s notes for an upcoming lecture on “my philosophy of ministry,” we would probably find the words of 1 Corinthians 9:19–23,"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outs
"The Strong and the Weak" Season Three/Episode Fifteen (1 Corinthians 8:1-13)
Episode Synopsis:The church in Corinth was plagued by factions. One source of division was ethnicity–the church was made up of Jews, Greeks, Romans, and likely a number of other nationalities. Then there were the factions formed by church members who identified with Paul, Peter, or Apollos, as their favorite teachers. There were also deep cultural divisions between the wealthy and the poor who found it difficult to socialize with one another even within the body of Christ. But in this sectio
"You Can't Unscramble Eggs" Season Three/Episode Fourteen (1 Corinthians 7:17-40)
Episode Synopsis:In 1 Corinthians 7:17-40, Paul teaches what I call the “you can’t unscramble eggs” doctrine. What should a new Christian do when they come to faith in Jesus Christ? Do they quit their current “secular” job to devote themselves full-time to Jesus Christ and to the work of ministry? Should they rush into marriage to avoid the lusts of the flesh? Or conversely, should they seek to end an engagement because the time of the end might be drawing near? What about those widowed, si
“Mixed Marriages, `Holy’ Spouses and Children” Season Three/Episode Thirteen (1 Corinthians 7:12-16)
Episode Synopsis:Paul’s Gentile mission was a huge success. A number of new churches were established throughout the eastern Mediterranean world–including fast growing churches in important cities such as Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. But with the spread of the gospel into a previously unevangelized world dominated by Greco-Roman culture and religion, came a whole set of pastoral problems–problems which were not specifically addressed in the Old Testament or in the teaching of Jesus. A
"Sex and Marriage" Season Three/Episode Twelve (1 Corinthians 7:1-11)
Episode Synopsis:Sex and marriage were pressing issues in Corinth. Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus Christ during Paul’s Gentile mission were learning the biblical sexual ethic for the first time. Grounded in the creation order, the Ten Commandments, and the teaching of Jesus, it did not take long for the Corinthians to understand that sex was not merely a pleasurable bodily function, but biblical sexuality has a strong moral foundation. That meant that much of the common sexual attitudes
"Flee From Sexual Immorality" Season Three/Episode Eleven (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
Episode Synopsis:It has been said that prostitution is the world’s old profession. In reality, tending a garden and naming animals is. But if you lived in first century Corinth you lived in a city well-known for its prostitutes and rampant sexual immorality. This creates a difficult situation for Christians who live there and who have been taught by Paul that sexual relations are limited to marriage.Paul has learned that some in the Corinthian church justified using the services of prostitute
"Washed, Sanctified, Justified" Season Three/Episode Ten (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)
Episode Synopsis:Corinth was a booming city with lots of new money and great stress upon the power and prestige that goes with it. One way to enhance your public image was to take advantage of those who had something you wanted or needed, or to shame a rival or get a leg up on someone you didn’t like, was to sue them in civil court. Corinth was a very litigious place with one citizen complaining that there were far too many lawyers in the city. The legal system in Corinth was rigged to favor
"A Man Has His Father's Wife" Season Three/Episode Nine (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)
Episode Synopsis:When passing through Ephesus, where Paul was living at the time, members of Chloe’s family informed Paul of a situation in the Corinthian church of such a serious nature that Paul is taken aback. A man in the Corinthian church (presumably known to the church but unnamed by Paul) is cohabiting with his father’s wife. Such conduct was scandalous to the point that even the sexually libertine Greco-Roman pagans were offended by it. While the man’s conduct was shameful, what troub
"Shall I Come With a Rod?" Season Three/Episode Eight (1 Corinthians 4:1-21)
Episode Synopsis:Paul expressed a fair bit of righteous anger in his letter to the Galatians–calling those taken in by false teachers foolish people who have been all-too easily bewitched by false teachers. In 1 Corinthians 4, the apostle again expresses his frustration, speaking sarcastically of those who think of themselves as rich (when they are poor), and as kings who act as though they rule the church (when they are not). But Paul will have none of it. It matters not to him what the imma
"You Are God's Temple" Season Three/Episode Seven (1 Corinthians 3:1-23)
Episode Synopsis:So what will it be? Milk or meat? Are the Corinthians spiritual toddlers? Or are they mature Christians? Since they are being drawn to the factions forming within the church (“I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos”) it is clear that no matter how mature they think they are, in reality they are immature. Their lack of progress in Christian maturity provokes a response from Paul who challenges the Corinthians to consider who they are in Christ and how that should impact the way t
"Preaching as a Demonstration of the Spirit's Power" Season Three/Episode Six (1 Corinthians 2:1-16)
Episode Synopsis:Paul did not come to Corinth as a typical sage, sophist, or philosopher. He was an unimpressive rabbi and made no attempt to embrace Greco-Roman rhetorical techniques to keep an audience entertained and wanting more. Paul’s mission to the Gentiles was not about him, it was about the message he preached, Christ and him crucified. When Paul arrived in Corinth he was weak and fearful. He impressed no one with his charisma or eloquent speech. But he did know that the power and w
"Christ and Him Crucified" Season Three/Episode Five (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
Episode Synopsis:The cross of Jesus Christ is utter foolishness to those who are perishing in their sins. Yet, Paul tells the Corinthians that through message of the cross God reveals his wisdom and power. In the closing section of the first chapter of his first Corinthian letter, Paul explains how and why the preaching of Christ crucified confounds all those who seek mere human wisdom from sages, holy men, philosophers, prophets, and gurus across the ages, all of whom claim to be seeking afte
"Be United" -- Season Three/Episode Four -- 1 Corinthinians 1:10-17
Episode Synopsis:Paul has gotten some rather bad news. Members of Chloe’s family (presumably people Paul had known from his time in Corinth) had come to Ephesus (where Paul was currently laboring). They informed him of serious troubles back in Corinth. People were quarreling to the point that factions had developed in the church, with various groups identifying as followers of Paul, while others claimed to be loyal to Apollos, or to Peter. Some even claimed to be merely followers of Jesus.No
"Called to Be Saints" Season Three/Episode Three -- 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Episode Synopsis:In the opening 9 verses of Paul’s first Corinthian letter, Paul sets the stage for what is to come. Although he was in Corinth for some eighteen months and knew many of those to whom he is writing quite well, his apostolic authority was being challenged by some in the congregation. Paul must address this matter by reminding the Corinthians of his apostolic office and calling.Although we might expect a stern rebuke given what Paul has heard about what was going on in Corinth, i
"A Rich Feast of Pauline Theology" Season Three/Episode Two -- 1 Corinthians (Doctrinal Survey)
Episode Synopsis:Paul’s first Corinthian letter was written to deal with divisions in the Corinthian church. He’s received a letter from the Corinthians asking him about how to deal with the Greco-Roman pagans around them, as well as how to handle professing Christians who either did not understand, or implement the apostle’s instructions. In Ephesus, where Paul was residing, someone who had just come from Corinth passed on to Paul the news that the Corinthians had misunderstood his written re
"What Happens in Corinth Does Not Stay in Corinth" Season Three/Episode One -- 1 Corinthians (Introduction)
Episode Synopsis:I’m very excited to kick off season three of the Blessed Hope Podcast because we are taking up one of the most interesting and challenging letters in all the New Testament–Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. This is a letter which is practical in the best sense of the term and we will spend a great deal of time going through it in some detail.One of the first things we will notice in Paul’s First Corinthian letter is that he is not writing a systematic treatise (as he does
Eschatology by Ethos (8-40): Why Optimism and Pessimism Do Not Work as Eschatological Categories
Episode Synopsis:The first time I heard the term “optimistic amillennarian” was in seminary, when a student asked one of the professors whether they were postmillennial or amillennial. The professor said he admired much about postmillennialism, but thought amillennialism was the biblical view. But after saying that, he blurted out, “well, maybe, I’m optimistic Amillennial.” That started quite a discussion among the students, with the postmillennial students pressing the amillennial students t
The Antichrist (7-39)
Episode Synopsis:The mere mention of the Antichrist conjures up all kinds of spooky movie images, demonic plot lines, and eerie special effects–all designed to play upon our fears of a satanically inspired, menacing figure doing their master’s bidding. The list is long, but a few examples should help–The Omen (with the brat antichrist child, Damien), and the sequels, then came Rosemary’s Baby, 11-11-11, the Devil’s Advocate, and a host of others fit in this genre. Throughout the history of the
The Future of Israel (6-38) -- A Look at Romans 9-11
Episode Synopsis:Whenever you discuss biblical eschatology and the end times, you must address the future of Israel and the Jewish people. The subject is greatly complicated by the fact that along with the longstanding biblical debates over Israel’s future, there is also the complicated history of Zionism. The unprecedented events surrounding the establishment of a Jewish state first conceived in the Balfour Declaration in 1917 (as a consequence of the Great War), came to fruition with UN Reso
The Future (5-37) -- The Signs of the End
Episode Synopsis:From the moment of our Lord’s ascension into heaven (as recounted in Acts 1:8) Christians have expected the Lord’s bodily and imminent return. Both Jesus and the apostles had a fair bit to say about his return as well as those signs which would precede the end. So, from the dawn of the church, until now, some two thousand years removed from our Lord’s life and ministry, Christians have eagerly expected the Lord’s return. What are these signs of the end, and how are we to unde
The Future (4-36) -- Jesus Christ, the Sum and Substance of Biblical Prophecy
Episode Synopsis:I am not a fan of jigsaw puzzles–I don’t have the patience to put them together, and I am too easily distracted by the shapes of the various pieces. So, I lose sight of the big picture, and then I get frustrated and attempt to jam pieces into the puzzle where they don’t fit.Many people have the same trouble with the Bible. Why do we need to see the big picture? Why can’t we just get to the signs of the end (the individual pieces)? What should we expect to happen before the L
The Future (3-35) -- The Returning King and His Kingdom
Episode Synopsis:The kingdom of God is a major topic throughout the Scriptures. The kingdom of God refers to the rule or reign of God over all of creation and all of its creatures. The Old Testament speaks of YHWH as Israel’s king, whose kingdom is everlasting. The prophets speak of this kingdom using royal images associated with heavenly glory and absolute sovereignty–the creator of all things does indeed rule over all that he has made. Everything is subject to him.Although YHWH rules the n
The Future (2-34) -- This Age and the Age to Come: The Implausibity of Premillennialism
Episode Synopsis:I begin this episode with a personal testimony.I was born and raised a dispensationalist. Our family owned a Christian bookstore. The first Christian book I picked out and read on my own was Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth. Years later, I was challenged by one of our delivery men about the books we were selling–all the dispensationalist best sellers. He said he was “Reformed.” I thought he meant that he had gone to “reform school” or was on work release from priso
The Future (1-33) -- How the Past Shapes the Future
Episode Synopsis:We are beginning a new series on the Blessed Hope Podcast, “The Future.”In this series we will wrestle with the question “what does the future hold for God’s people?” What historical events and biblical prophecies remain to be fulfilled before Jesus returns on the last day? How are we to interpret the various signs of the end we find throughout the New Testament?In this series we will talk about the necessity of understanding the biblical past (specifically the person and work
Season Two Postscript -- "Where Do We Go from Here?"
Season Two Postscript – Where Do We Go from Here?We’ve completed season two of the Blessed Hope Podcast, fifteen episodes in all, in which we covered Paul’s two Thessalonian letters. The season two series was entitled “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven, taken from 2 Thessalonians 1:7, a text which captures Paul emphasis in these two letters upon the key event in biblical eschatology–the second coming (advent) of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, as they say that’s a wrap.The obvious quest
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Fifteen “The Lord Is Faithful” -- (2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:18)
Episode Synopsis:As Paul comes to the end of his second Thessalonian letter, he still has much to say to the Christians in Thessalonica. But the most important thing the apostle does when concluding his second letter, is to remind the Thessalonians of his prayer of thanksgiving on their behalf. Paul hopes this will be of great encouragement. The apostle reminds them that God has graciously rescued these Gentile pagans from the guilt and power of sin, and points out to his readers that they wi
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Fourteen: “The Man of Sin” -- Part Two (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
Episode Synopsis:Soon after Paul sent his first letter to the Thessalonian Christians, the apostle received word that someone in the congregation was teaching that the day of the Lord had already come. Composing his second Thessalonian letter to correct this error, Paul makes it abundantly clear that anyone spreading such a rumor is flat-out wrong. Paul declares that two things must occur before the day of the Lord can come. First there will be a great apostasy, and only then comes the revela
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Thirteen: “The Man of Sin” -- Part One (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
Episode Synopsis:There is little doubt that one of the most interesting, controversial, and a constant source of on-going speculation is the doctrine of the Antichrist. Indeed, there has been so much written about the Antichrist by Christians–both ancient and modern–and so many references made to the Antichrist in film and popular culture, it is vital that we go back to the biblical accounts of this mysterious and evil figure to separate biblical fact from speculative fiction. What does the Bi
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Twelve: “When the Lord Jesus Is Revealed from Heaven” (2 Thessalonians:1-12)
Episode Synopsis:Paul has already written one letter to the Thessalonians to clear up the confusion in their midst about the Lord’s return on the last day. Paul has instructed the congregation that should anyone die before the Lord’s return, they will not miss out on any of the benefits secured for them by Jesus Christ (including eternal life) as some feared. Paul also told them that since the Lord will return as a thief in the night (suddenly and unexpectedly), there should be no speculation
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Eleven: "Brothers, I Urge You" (1 Thess. 5:12-28)
Episode Synopsis:Since the Lord will return suddenly and unexpectedly, what are the Thessalonians to do until Jesus’s return? Paul has already encouraged them earlier in his letter, telling them that they are doing well despite the persecution and on-going threats they were receiving from Jews and Greco-Roman pagans in Thessalonica. But Paul knows there is always the possibility that things might go south. Therefore, he uses his closing remarks to urge the Thessalonians to be at peace among t
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Ten: "Like a Thief in the Night" (1 Thess. 5:1-11)
Date-setting has been a problem for God’s people since the days of the apostles. Church history is full of the accounts of those who, for whatever reason, attempted to figure out when Jesus will return, set dates, and then miserably failed to predict the unpredictable. Two recent examples should suffice. Edgar C. Whisenant predicted the Lord’s return in 1988 in his booklet, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.” When that failed, he went for 1989. When that failed he picked 1993. An
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Nine: "The Rapture" (1 Thess 4:13-18)
Episode Synopsis:As a baby boomer, I grew up during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear war was real and constant. In 1948, Israel became a nation and many Jews began returning to their ancient homeland. The “Six Day War” of 1967, fought between Israel and a confederation of Arab states, sure made it seem as though the dispensational expectation of the rapture of the Gentile church, followed by a seven-year tribulation period in which antichrist would make a peace treaty with Israel, only
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Eight: "The Coming of the Lord" (1 Thess 4:13-18)
Episode Synopsis:The greatest event in all of human history was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The most hoped for event in humanity’s future is Jesus Christ’s return when he will raise the dead, judge the world, and bring about the new creation. Since the moment Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and the attending angels told his disciples that he would return in the same manner in which he departed, his people have longed for Jesus to return. Our greatest hope is to be that gener
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Seven: "This Is the Will of God: Paul on Sexual Purity" (1 Thess 4:1-2)
Episode Synopsis:In chapter four of his first Thessalonian letter, Paul addresses the issues surrounding what it means to turn from idols to serve the true and living God. Paul is concerned with how these new Christians in Thessalonica “walk in the Lord” – that is, how they ought to live the Christian life in contrast to the way they lived before when they served idols. In verses 3-8 of chapter four, Paul takes up the matter of Christian sexual ethics. Those to whom Paul is writing knew nothi
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Six: "Satan's Opposition, The Lord's Parousia, and the Persecution of the Faithful" (1 Thess 2:17-3:13)
Episode Synopsis:Paul was forced out of Thessalonica after three short weeks among them. Paul truly desires to return (he’s writing to the Thessalonians from Corinth) but so far has been prevented from doing so. Paul attributes this unfortunate circumstance to the activity of Satan and so explains why he sent Timothy instead of coming in person. Paul boasts in the fact that despite all that has happened, the Thessalonians are standing firm. Paul reminds them that Christian hope is grounded i
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Five: “Labor and Toil, Calling and Kingdom, Hindering the Gospel” (1 Thess 2:1-16)
Episode Synopsis:In chapter two of Paul’s first Thessalonian letter, Paul defends himself against accusations raised by those who had driven him from the city. Paul is not just another itinerant philosopher who wanders throughout the land seeking to tickle ears and gain a following. Paul’s conduct in Thessalonica was blameless and it should be clear to all that Paul not only labored among them but took nothing from them. The gospel Paul preached was revealed to him by Jesus Christ and through
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Four: "Deliverance from the Wrath to Come" (1 Thess 1:9-10)
Episode Synopsis:There is one thing a congregation dislikes even more than stewardship Sunday–a sermon on the wrath of God. To proclaim that the wrath of God is coming upon the whole world (and it is) is be thought of as some sort of fundamentalist with the misguided faith of a snake-handler, or the mind-set of a Jihadi terrorist. Any one who believes such a thing is considered a kooky zealot who probably carries around a sandwich-board sign which reads, “Repent, for the end is near!”Since Pau
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Three: "The Church as the Renewed Israel" (1 Thess 1:1-8)
Synopsis of Episode Three:In the opening verses of his first Thessalonian letter, Paul sends warm greetings to those from whom he has recently departed. This departure was not of his own doing. After spending three Sabbaths in Thessalonica with this newly organized church, Paul was driven from the city by a “rentamob” organized by Jews in the city who saw the Christian missionaries, Paul, Silas, and Timothy, as a threat to the religion of Israel. But Paul does something unexpected in the open
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode Two: "Paul's Theological Categories"
Synopsis of Episode Two: “Paul’s Theological Categories”Paul was converted about 33 AD when Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus Road, revealing to Paul the content of the gospel he was to preach. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was written around 50 AD, just short of twenty years after his conversion. By this time, Paul has a settled theology–his basic theological categories are in place. He applied these categories in Galatia in opposition to the Judaizers, and he now applies the
Paul's Thessalonian Letters -- Season Two/Episode One: "Introduction to the Thessalonian Letters"
Synopsis of Episode One: “An Introduction to Paul’s Thessalonian Letters”We are about to embark on a study of Paul’s Thessalonian letters. Our season two series is entitled “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven" (from 2 Thessalonians 1:7), a text which captures Paul emphasis in these two letters upon the key event in biblical eschatology — the second coming (advent) of the Lord Jesus Christ.Many of you know that in these two letters Paul discusses our Lord’s return in great detail–
For Those of You Who Listened to Season One: A Free Gift, "For Freedom!"
In this special episode of Season One on the Book of Galatians, I am offering listeners a free gift! If you have made it through all fourteen episodes of the Blessed Hope series on the Book of Galatians, I am making available to you a free expositional commentary on the Book of Galatians, entitled, “For Freedom!” Instructions and conditions for downloading are given in the podcast. Then, I offer a brief preview of Season Two of the Blessed Hope, in which, Lord willing, we will work our way th
Episode Fifteen (Postscript to Season One on the Book of Galatians)
We’ve completed our fourteen-part series on the Book of Galatians. But one question remains unanswered. What happened after Paul sent his letter to the churches in Galatia? In Acts 15, we get our answer. The Judaizing heresy became an issue of concern far beyond Galatia. In response, the Apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church convene a church assembly–known to us as the “Jerusalem Council.” The assembled churches and their leaders wanted to hear from Paul about the great success of th
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Fourteen: "Boasting in the Cross of Christ" (Galatians 6:11-18)
In the first century Greco-Roman world crucifixion was something that polite and well mannered people didn’t talk about. Considered a cruel instrument of torture and shame, nevertheless, the cross is the one thing about which the apostle Paul chooses to boast–not just any cross, but the cross of Jesus Christ, where the guilt and power of sin which enslaved us are removed and broken. And yet, because it was an instrument of shame, Paul’s opponents in Galatia (the Judaizers) refuse to preach the
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Thirteen: "Sowing and Reaping" (Galatians 6:1-10)
In the sixth and concluding chapter of Galatians, Paul addresses the fallout caused by the Judaizers spying on those throughout the region exercising their liberty in Christ. It should not come as a surprise that the Judaizers would find people engaging in sinful conduct, shame them, and use them as examples of why Paul’s gospel supposedly leads to license and sinful behavior. Paul instructs the leaders of the churches of Galatia to bear with those struggling with sin and work to restore them–
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Twelve: "The Works of the Flesh v. the Fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:19-26)
In the last half of Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. In comparing the two lists, it sounds very much like the Apostle is describing two warring factions–which he is, the flesh against the Spirit. The works of the flesh are the visible outcome of what it means to have a sinful nature. Because we are “flesh” apart from God’s grace, this is what our lives will often look like. They are characterized by all kinds of bad behavior. Yet when we are d
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Eleven: "Walk By the Spirit" (Galatians 5:13-18)
In Galatians chapter 5, the apostle Paul is discussing how the Galatian Christians ought understand the implications of their freedom in Christ–especially in the face of pressure to return to works of law as insisted by the Judaizers. To help ensure that the Galatians stand firm against the legalistic error spreading quickly throughout the churches of the region, Paul makes appeal to the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone, as the basis for
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Ten: "It Is for Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free" (Galatians 5:1-12)
Paul exhorts the Galatians, “for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” But this is an unlikely assertion for a well-known religious figure like the apostle Paul to make. Most people would expect Paul to shout something like, “try harder, do better, live a godly and good life. This is what God wants from you.” But people who think such things have never read Paul’s letter to the Galatians. They think the essence of religion in ge
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Nine: "Two Women, Two Mountains, Two Covenants, Two Cities" (Galatians 4:21-31)
Paul understood Israel’s history and the biblical accounts of Moses and Abraham one way before his conversion, and in an entirely different way after. Once Jesus had come, fulfilled his messianic mission, and called Paul to faith, Paul’s understanding of the Old Testament completely changed. In Ephesians 4:21-31, Paul speaks of two women (Sarah and Hagar), two mountains (Zion and Sinai), two covenants (Abraham and Moses), and two cities (the Jerusalem above and the earthly city of Jerusalem).
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Eight: "Do You Really Want to Go Back to Slavery?" (Galatians 4:1-20)
Paul’s question to those listening to the agitators in Galatia is simple but profound. “What has happened to all of your joy?” Paul is referring to that joy the Galatians had experienced together with Paul when he first preached the gospel to them. These people were Paul’s spiritual children. He loved them, and he thought they loved him. They took him in when he had been felled by illness. The Galatians received the gospel with great joy. There was Christian liberty. But then the Judaize
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Seven: "Why the Law?" (Galatians 3:19-29)
Paul has made his case that all believing Jews and Gentiles are children of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul has also made the point that the giving of the law at Mount Sinai does not annual the prior covenant God made with Abraham. But, at some point in his Galatian letter, Paul must address the question, “why then did God give the law?” The law, he says, was given for a particular period in redemptive history (from the time of Moses to until the coming of Jesus Christ) and plays
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Six: "Christ Became a Curse for Us" (Galatians 3:10-18)
To correct the error of the Judaizers–which is to insist that Gentiles undergo circumcision and live like Jews in order to be justified–Paul makes a series of important distinctions in his letter to the Galatians. He contrasts faith and works, the Spirit and the flesh, the law and the gospel, as well as carefully distinguishing between the covenants God made with Abraham (in which Abraham was reckoned as righteous), and the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, (in which the law of God
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Five: "Abraham Believed God" (Galatians 3:1-9)
Paul identifies all those who believe his gospel as “sons of Abraham”–which includes both Jews and Gentiles. But he does not include those who seek to be right before God on the basis of works of the law, which Paul has declared, do not justify.The Judaizers have been spying on the Galatians Christian liberty. Gentile Christians in these churches do not follow a kosher diet, they do not observe the feasts of Israel, and there is no requirement that Gentiles be circumcised in order to be justif
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Four: "Paul Confronts Peter in Antioch" (Galatians 2:11-2:21)
Peter enjoyed table fellowship with Gentiles until men from James pressured him to withdraw from table fellowship with them. Even Barnabas felt the pressure to distance himself from the unclean–those not circumcised. He too grew hesitant to eat with Gentiles. Paul knew that if the Judaizers got wind of this, they would claim that Peter’s actions proved that Paul’s gospel was a novelty. Paul, they could argue, was preaching something new and different from that which the Apostles (and the Jeru
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Three: "Paul's Conversion, Visit to Jerusalem, and the Gentile Mission" (Galatians 1:11-2:10)
Paul was well-known to the Galatians. He came into Galatia preaching the gospel revealed to him by Jesus Christ. The Galatians knew Paul. He stayed with them for a time. He lived with them, he ate with them, prayed with them, and preached to them. When he fell ill, they nursed him back to health and once he had recovered, they sent him on his way. No doubt, they prayed for Paul and encouraged him when he left Galatia to continue his work elsewhere as Apostle to the Gentiles.But after Paul
The Book of Galatians -- Episode Two: "No Other Gospel" (Galatians 1:1-10)
What would you do if an angel suddenly appeared to you and proclaimed a gospel much different from that gospel which Paul preached to the Galatians?What would you do if one of your closest friends or a family member encourages you to listen to a celebrity, a life coach, an influencer, or a religious teacher who proclaims a message different from that taught by Paul?What would you do if a well-known Bible teacher or preacher, perhaps someone in your church, or even your own pastor, teaches a gosp
The Book of Galatians -- Episode One: “An Introduction to Galatians -- Who, When, What, and Why?"
The Apostle Paul preached the gospel revealed to him by Jesus Christ throughout the region we know as Galatia. But soon after Paul left Galatia, he began hearing disturbing reports about false teachers who came into the region, undermining his apostolic office, and challenging the gospel he had previously preached to the Galatians.In the first episode of our series – “Introduction to the Book of Galatians,” often known as “The Magna Carta of Christian liberty” – I ask and answer four basic ques
The Premier Episode of The Blessed Hope Podcast
This is the premier episode of The Blessed Hope Podcast! In this episode, I ask and answer the question, "why another podcast?" "Why The Blessed Hope?" First, I explain why I think it important to study the biblical text in detail, yet in a non-technical way Second, I set out the ground I hope to cover in the episodes of season one (and perhaps, beyond)Third, I'll give you some great resources and background material in the show notes to help you learn more about the