Text Traditions of the Old Testament

Here’s a fun video from Mike Heiser, who answers the question, “Was there only one version of the Old Testament in ancient times?” Many Christians are unaware of the various text traditions of the Old Testament, but it’s certainly an important topic that I recommend getting familiar with. Here’s the video description, followed by the…

Continue reading

The Resurrection Story

*This is a slightly-altered version of an article I posted on social media this past Easter Sunday (2022). When Jesus rose from the dead, God-in-flesh looked death and evil in the face on our behalf and said, “No!” As a result, the empty tomb marks a decisive turn for humanity. The resurrection can’t be detached…

Continue reading

Revelation: An “endlessly fascinating text”

Revelation should be read often. It’s an important text, one that invites readers to peek behind the veil that separates the visible realm from the invisible. It offers a life-altering glimpse of ultimate reality, a summons to behold the truth about who’s really in charge of the world. The message of Revelation is, in every…

Continue reading

Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 4

Here is the final installment of my series with Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. It’s been a lot of fun chatting with Mike these past few months about the Old Testament’s messianic profile. As we’ve discussed throughout the series, knowing that profile is essential if we want to understand how New Testament authors…

Continue reading

Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 3

Here is Part 3 of my series with Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. Episode Description: In the preceding episodes, we’ve seen how Paul reconfigures Old Testament faith, faithfulness, and Torah keeping in light of the work of Jesus and his own encounter with the risen Christ. In this episode we look at how Paul…

Continue reading

Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 2

The latest installment of The Naked Bible Podcast takes us back to Romans for a second time. In the following episode, Mike and I chat about how Paul employs the Abraham story in Romans 4. I discuss how Paul’s exegesis of Genesis and his christological assumptions work together to further his larger argument about justification.…

Continue reading

Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 1

Mike Heiser and I have been talking a lot about the Old Testament’s “messianic profile” in several episodes at The Naked Bible Podcast. We wanted to do this because it’s so foundational for understanding Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament. It’s also important for understanding the way in which New Testament writers (such as Paul)…

Continue reading

Election and Messianism in Malachi

In previous episodes of the Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I spent a lot of time observing how the Old Testament builds a “messianic profile.” It’s important for readers of the New Testament to have a working knowledge of that profile because it aids in understanding how, exactly, Jesus of Nazareth brings the biblical story…

Continue reading

“The Messiahs in Daniel 9”

In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I return to the book of Daniel. This time we explore Daniel 9, which contains a passage where the word “messiah” (“anointed one”) is used a couple times, along with the verb “to anoint.” Are these prophecies about Jesus? How does this passage contribute to…

Continue reading

The Son of Man in Daniel 7

In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I talk about “the Son of Man” in Daniel 7. Here’s the description of the episode, followed by a link where you can listen: In the previous episodes with Dr. Matt Halsted, we discussed how trying to articulate the Old Testament’s messiah merely by appeal…

Continue reading