Orthodocs.faith

In this episode John and Ron conclude Season 6 of Orthodocs.faith with a story about St. Benedict.  In the wilds of northern Europe, Benedict cut down a sacred oak dedicated to Thor to make a point and get his message out!

In Part 2 of Missionary Work, Medieval Style, John and Ron trace Gregory the Great’s mission to Britain in the early 600s. At the center is King Ethelbert of Kent and the monks who arrive in his territory asking to preach. How does a pagan king respond—and what unfolds next?

Ron and John are back with a new series: Missionary Work, Medieval Style. In this premiere, they tell some stories that you likely haven't heard. The accounts range from chilling to inspiring, but the guiding question is, "Where is the Holy Spirit at work?" Travel with them into the mysterious world of the early Middle Ages, and see how Christians tried to live out their witness.

How has the Church understood and practiced wisdom across the centuries? In this series finale, Ron and John move from Acts 6 and the Wisdom of Solomon, through Augustine and Aquinas, to Luther and Calvin. From there, they turn to today’s church to show how wisdom shapes our common life: what does a wise church look like?

What does the New Testament have to say about wisdom—and how does it build on the rich tradition of the Old Testament? In this episode, Ron and John explore Jesus and wisdom, from the Sermon on the Mount to Paul’s claim that Christ crucified is “the wisdom of God.” Along the way, they trace how New Testament wisdom moves from parable to cross to creation itself.

John and Ron begin their summer series on wisdom in the scripture. They start with a look at wisdom in the Old Testament, including the books traditionally called "wisdom literature" as well as some narrative pictures of wisdom. They also dig into the meaning of the phrase, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and examine how Israel's idea of wisdom stacks up against other ancient Near Eastern traditions.

John and Ron conclude their series on the creeds with this episode.  They look briefly at the Athanasian Creed and then discuss the influence of the creeds on several Protestant doctrinal statements.

John and Ron take the next step in their series on the creeds by looking at the Chalcedonian definition. Nicaea definitively answered some questions, but it left others wide open. How do the human and divine natures combine in Jesus Christ? How do Christians talk about that?  That's where Chalcedon picks up.

John and Ron move to the fourth century in this episode, a time of extraordinary historical intrigue and passionate disagreements.  They survey just a few of the events that make the century so pivotal.  They also introduce the Nicene Creed and the fundamental theological questions it addressed.

John and Ron continue their series on the creeds, and in this episode they look at the Apostles' Creed.  What is it?  Where did it come from?  What does it have to say?

John and Ron also cue up their next episode.  They briefly cover the historical drama that led up to the fourth century.  You won't want to miss it.

In this episode, John and Ron introduce their new series on the creeds.  6What is the relationship between early Christian creeds and scripture?  How did they develop?

In this first episode, John and Ron look at work by Irenaeus, a second century Christian figure, and the evidence he provides for early creedal material.

John and Ron are re-releasing the first episode in their 9-episode Introduction to Christian Theology.  The title is "Prolegomena." It refers to the things that need to be said before you can plunge into theological details!

The series on the creeds is coming but delayed.  Expect to see the first episode in the next release two weeks from now.

John and Ron conclude their tour of the story of the Exodus in this episode.  They cover the climactic event of God parting the sea and Moses' song of triumph after the Egyptian army is destroyed.  Then they look at how much this story shapes descriptions of God's redemptive power throughout scripture.

In this episode, John and Ron review Passover, a key part of the central event in the story of the Exodus. The king of Egypt reaches his lowest point as the God of Israel makes his final, decisive move in their confrontation.

John and Ron continue to work through the Exodus story.  This time they work through the second and third sets of three plagues.  It becomes increasingly clear that the God of Israel is systematically dismantling the Egyptians' understanding of a well-ordered world -- and who maintained it!

John and Ron continue their series on the story of the Exodus.  In this episode, they begin to work through the plagues.  Time after time, the God of Israel forces a showdown with the gods of Egypt.  When the dust settles after each encounter, only the God of Israel is standing!

John and Ron begin season 6 with a new series where they review the story of Israel's Exodus from Egypt. It is the definitive story of God's redemption in the Old Testament, and it is alluded to and retold in numerous places throughout scripture.

John and Ron review a passage that is read so frequently around the time of Christmas that many Christians no longer realize how significant it is. As usual, they start with the passage in its original context. Then they move to the messianic significance it had to New Testament authors.

We observe the Advent season this year with a re-release from our Season 1 series, "Ultimate Hope Has a Name." In these times, it is important that we understand where to place our hopes and where not to—and why. Is there really such a thing as ultimate hope, something or someone beyond which there is no need to hope for anything else?

Ron and John continue their "audio tours" of archaeological sites with significant biblical connections. In this episode, they visit one of Ron's all-time favorite sites: Ephesus. 

John and Ron return to the Holy Land for a visit to Caesarea by the Sea. From the theater that faces out to sea to the impressive ancient engineering in the artificial harbor, Caesarea is a fascinating place to see.

John and Ron continue their audio tours of ancient sites, this time in Corinth, Greece. They discuss the crucial geography of Corinth and review the site with an eye towards Paul's visit as it is described in Acts 18.

In this new four-part series called "Audio Tours," Ron and John visit some important archaeological sites related directly to the Bible. This first episode begins with a brief discussion of archaeology itself, then they take the audience to Galilee for a look around a key location in the life and ministry of Jesus: the city of Capernaum.

John and Ron conclude their series on Old Testament quotes and allusions in the New.  This time they look at John and Revelation.

In this encore wrap-up session, Ron and John conclude their survey of the Bible with a review of the final books of the New Testament and a brief look at the process by which the Christian Bible was recognized as scripture by Christians.

The prophet Jeremiah used the phrase "new covenant" to describe God's restored relationship with Israel. That phrase was crucial to the way Jesus described what God was doing through him, and the apostles picked it up. It has come to represent the documents of the New Testament itself.

In this third installment of their series "Old in the New," John and Ron turn their attention to this crucial phrase.

This is the fourth episode in the Introduction to the Bible series John and Ron first released several years ago.  In this episode, they turn their attention to the New Testament for the first time.

When they first released this episode several years ago, John and Ron solicited ideas for series.  The series they suggested, the Sermon on the Mount, actually happened!  You can find it on their website.

However, suggestions are still welcome.  Send us a message at contact@orthodocs.faith.  We'd love to hear from you.

"No New Testament without the Old" ... John and Ron have repeated it over and over. In this episode they look at how the apostle Paul quoted the Old Testament in his first letter to the Corinthians.  

According to them, Paul's point was intellectual humility, although he had a point to make about hope, too. He reached for the Old Testament multiple times to support his argument.

John and Ron tackle the majority of the Old Testament in this third of the series where they introduce the Bible in just five episodes!

From the Historical Books to the Writings to the Prophets ... they cover it all in a whirlwind tour.  The goal, though, is the big picture, and they argue the Old Testament sets up a problem the New has to solve.

John and Ron open their new series, Old in the New, with a study of Peter's sermon at Pentecost, Acts 2. How did Peter rely on his Bible, the Old Testament, to interpret what they had seen up to that day?

This is the second installment in John and Ron's whirlwind five episode introduction to the Bible as a whole.  Here they conclude their discussion of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

In the next episode, John and Ron will begin their series on the Old Testament in the New.

John and Ron conclude their series on Faith and Reason with this episode. In a wide ranging discussion, they cover everything from Galileo's discoveries to modern biblical criticism.

As we enter the summer of 2024, John and Ron are wrapping up a series on Faith and Reason. They will finish that series in the episode after this one.

Through the summer they plan to release a series of episodes called The Old Testament in the New. They will examine places where the New Testament quotes or alludes to the Old. 

When they do that, it will help to have the big picture of how the Bible is put together. The Bible is a complex set of documents assembled over a vast period of time. W...

What does it mean to "bet on God"?! That's the question as John and Ron read through portions of the classic argument called "Pascal's Wager." They introduce Pascal himself, and they tease out what he was trying to say.

In this episode, John and Ron turn their attention to Anselm, a medieval archbishop of Canterbury.  They walk through Anselm's "ontological proof" for the existence of God -- and then argue the proof isn't really what mattered to Anselm!

This is the second episode in the Faith and Reason series, and John and Ron consider an ancient figure named Irenaeus.  Irenaeus argued that Christian faith is far more reasonable than alternatives being offered by the Gnostics.

Did you ever wonder when Christians started calling the New Testament "scripture"?  What was the Gnostics' big secret?  These and other questions crop up in the discussion.

In this new series, John and Ron argue that Christian faith is reasonable. Christians have reasons for what they believe, and those reasons are defensible. Perhaps most surprising, they insist there is no virtue in a "blind leap of faith"!

In this episode, John and Ron conclude their series on Ruth. The story is ultimately a story of redemption, a story where God provides hope where there was none before.

In episode 3 of their series on Ruth, John and Ron discuss the famous -- some would say infamous! -- threshing floor scene. As always, though, the focus is on the original context. Naomi and Ruth still have pressing needs. How will God provide?

Ron and John continue into chapter 2 of the Book of Ruth as the picture begins to change dramatically for the two main characters, Naomi and Ruth.  God's providential guidance emerges along with hope in God's redemptive work.

Season five opens with a new series on the book of Ruth. Ruth is a masterful example of Hebrew narrative and a favorite story of many. In this episode, John and Ron discuss the background of the book and work their way through chapter 1 and the setup to the story.

John and Ron conclude their survey of the Gospel of John in this episode.  They look closely at the remarkable opening chapter of the book.

In this episode, John and Ron work their way through John 9, where Jesus heals a man born blind. This fascinating mini-drama yields crucial clues to the context in which the Gospel was likely written.

John and Ron revisit an episode from a few years ago where they address John 2, the story of Jesus turning water into wine.  Why is that story so important?  Why does the Gospel of John place it first among the miracles Jesus performs?

In this second episode on the Gospel of John, Ron and John survey the "march to the cross," and they examine John's unique emphases in the story of the crucifixion.

John and Ron introduce a new series on the Gospel of John.  In this first episode they examine how John tells the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.  They compare it to the way Mark tells the same story, and they uncover several of the features that make the Gospel of John so distinct.

John and Ron conclude their series on throne room scenes throughout scripture. In this episode, they address the baffling book of Revelation, chapters 4-5. The author of Revelation sees himself in direct line with the prophets of the Old Testament, and the throne room scene of Revelation bears remarkable similarities to experiences that the prophets reported.

In this second episode of the series, John and Ron explore how the ancient Hebrews understood the heavenly court.  They also examine encounters with the presence of God by Moses, Ezekiel,  and Daniel. 

John and Ron introduce their new series, Before the Throne. It starts with the awe-inspiring and terror-inducing pyrotechnics of Isaiah 6! Join them as they survey the prophets' encounters with the presence of God.

John and Ron conclude their series on the pivotal character of Samuel. In this episode, Saul falls and David rises, but Samuel's story ends with a strange scene: a medium conjures his spirit for Saul at Endor.

The nation of Israel demanded a king, and it fell to Israel's prophet-judge and acting priest Samuel to fulfill their demand. In this episode John and Ron address the quandary Samuel faced and the way this pivotal character led the nation through a fundamental leadership change.

John and Ron move deeper into the story of Samuel. Now it becomes the story of two families, Samuel and his parents on one side, Eli and his sons on the other. In one of the most moving scenes of the entire cycle, the boy prophet Samuel hears directly from God and reluctantly confronts the high priest Eli with the stern rebuke God had delivered.

Samuel's story in the Old Testament begins with a birth narrative that highlights his importance in God's redemptive work. In fact, he is a key figure in Israel's transition to the monarchy that begins with Saul and David. His early story bears similarities to other stories from Israel's history. It is a model that even gets repeated in the gospels. In this episode, Ron and John open a four-part series on Samuel that looks at his critical role in how God moves Israel toward kingship and ultimately in the direction of Messiah.

In this episode John and Ron conclude their series on grace and free will.  

Can modern Christians maintain original sin but stop short of predestination?  Who has done this in the past, and how did they do it?  How do modern Christian philosophers approach this problem?

Join them as they conclude this search for a "middle way" between Pelagius and Augustine.

We as humans are completely dependent on God's grace to restore the relationship God always intended for us. At the same time, though, it's clear humanity is called to make a decision to side with God and participate in the restored relationship.

The tension between God's grace and our own free will flamed into an explosive debate between Augustine and Pelagius in the fifth century, shortly after the sack of Rome. In this episode, John and Ron take a look at the outline of that debate.

This is the second episode where John and Ron explore the interplay between grace -- what God does for us -- and free will -- what we decide for ourselves.

In this episode, they delve into numerous excerpts from scripture that inform this topic, but it includes passages that also raise as many questions as they answer.  As always, though, they look to all of scripture, the Old and New Testaments alike, and they discover a key in the Old Testament perspective that clearly illuminates New Testament language about predestination.

Join John and Ron as t...

Ron and John begin discussing a longstanding tension in Christian theology in this first episode of the series, "Grace and Free Will." They set the stage to examine the theological question of human choice. How do free will and what many call "predestination" interact? What are the extremes in this discussion, and are these ideas meant to be pitted against each other?

After feeding more than 5,000 people, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat while he stayed behind. But when they ran into trouble, Jesus walked out to them on the water. Mark tells us that Jesus went to "pass by" them, but that probably means much more than you realize. John and Ron look at this and other surprises in the dramatic and well-known story from Mark 6.

Ron and John conclude their short series on the temptation of Jesus. They examine closely the exchange between the devil and Jesus because it is packed with allusions, parallels, and direct references to the history of the ancient nation of Israel.

There are fascinating connections between the Old Testament and the New in the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In this episode, Ron and John look closely at this scene in the gospels. They look for what’s going on with each of the offers that the devil makes, the background to Jesus’ responses from scripture, and how that informs our reading.

This is the final episode in the series that covers the first three chapters of Genesis.  Guided by a close reading in the original context, John and Ron look back and ask: What is essential from this story?  What is not?

The story of the fall in Genesis 3 may be one of the most widely recognized sections of scripture.  John and Ron push past millennia of interpretation, reinterpretation -- and outright misinterpretation! -- to consider just what original readers of Genesis might have perceived in the story.

In this third episode on Genesis, John and Ron move into the creation story told in chapter 2.  If chapter 1, is the "God's-eye view," chapter 2 might be called the "view from the ground."

In this second episode of their series on Genesis 1-3, John and Ron begin looking directly at the text . . . in the beginning. They start with Genesis 1 and the first of the creation stories in these three chapters.

John and Ron open their fourth season of Orthodocs.faith with a new series on the first three chapters of Genesis.  The stories told there are crucial to the way Christians describe God's work in the world -- just not always the way we expect!  John and Ron open with an orientation to these foundational three chapters, and they discuss how important it is to read them in context.

John and Ron conclude their third season of Orthodocs.faith with a Christmas episode on joy.  What is joy in scripture?  How does it work?  Why do we associate it so closely to Christmas?

In this episode John and Ron have a returning guest, Dr. Craig Gilbert of Purposed Heart Ministries. They discuss his new book, Launching a New Worship Community: A Practical Guide for the 2020s, and get his perspective on some important topics in Christian worship today.

John and Ron conclude their series on the introduction to Christian theology.  Wild theories abound.  John and Ron ask: What can we reasonably say about God's final purposes for creation given what we read in scripture?

John and Ron now consider the doctrine of the church as they near the end of their series on a basic introduction to Christian theology.  What is the church?  What role does it play?  The conversation takes a noticeably practical turn as John and Ron ask how someone can know the Holy Spirit is at work in a specific congregation.

It is no surprise to anyone that "salvation" is a central topic for Christians, but what is it, what does it mean, and why do we need it?  John and Ron address those questions in this episode.

At long last!  What are we as human beings?  What is our purpose?  John and Ron address these questions, and the question of what God intended comes front and center.

John and Ron now turn their attention to creation and providence.  How does God interact with the world God created?  But ... lurking in the background is the ever-present "problem of evil."  Now they have to tackle that problem head on.

In this fourth episode of their introduction to basic Christian Theology, John and Ron tackle the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  Who is the Spirit?  What role does the Spirit play?  They also take the opportunity to step back and treat the doctrine of the Trinity.

John and Ron continue their introduction to basic Christian theology, and in this episode they reach the doctrine of Jesus Christ at the heart of the Christian message.

In this second episode of their introduction to basic Christian theology, Ron and John tackle the doctrine of God: Who is God? What is God like? They navigate the difficult terrain of talking about God in a way that represents responsibly what we can know but avoids bold claims about the things we cannot.

John and Ron begin their introduction to basic Christian theology with a session on "prolegomena," the things that need to be said at the beginning.

In this episode, John and Ron conclude their series on the letter of 1 John, and this time it's no holds barred as they go after misreadings of the letter!

In this episode, John and Ron reach the heart of the letter: God is love. But does it mean what we think? Or is the author of 1 John saying something about love we don't expect?

In this second episode of the series on First John, John and Ron delve into the division that lay behind the letter's sharp admonitions to its readers.

John and Ron introduce a new series on the letter of First John. The letter opens with an emphatic statement about the concrete reality of the gospel, and it moves quickly to the difficult topic of love in the context of bitter division.

The final episode in the Book of Joshua series reviews the results of Israel's campaigns to take the land of Canaan and God's instructions for its distribution to the tribes. The text appears to report that Israel both did and did not subdue the whole of Canaan. Ron and John discuss how we should read this in order to understand the final section of the book.

In this fourth episode of their series in Joshua, Ron and John tackle the exciting but difficult episodes that describe the conquests of Jericho and Ai. Before those battles, however, important rituals set up what follows in order to keep the focus on the real message of the Book of Joshua: God's covenant faithfulness.

In the discussion this time, Ron and John follow the people of Israel as they cross the Jordan River into the promised land. In Joshua 3-4, God arranges their passage in a spectacular way. This episode takes a close look at how that happens and how the story is told—and retold.

In the second installment of their series on Joshua, John and Ron take a close look at chapter 2. Joshua—once a spy for Moses—now dispatches his own spies to scope out Jericho. Their encounter with a woman named Rahab proves intriguing.

Ron and John begin a new series in the Book of Joshua by looking at how Joshua's story fits into the biblical narrative and how Israel begins its final preparations to enter the promised land. "Be strong and courageous" is the word in chapter 1 as Israel moves toward the fulfillment of an ancient divine promise.

John and Ron conclude their treatment of the Sermon on the Mount, but there are still some surprises to come in the statements Jesus makes during his epilogue.

In this episode, John and Ron reach the end of the primary instruction in the Sermon on the Mount with the Golden Rule as the grand finale. Along the way, though, they have to confront the challenging address about worrying.

John returns from a recent trip to the Holy Land, and in this episode he and Ron explore the background and significance of Jesus' teaching on prayer. The Lord's Prayer is a central part of this teaching, and a special treat related to it waits for you at the end of the episode.

With one example after another, the surprises continue as Jesus challenges his audience in the Sermon on the Mount. Ron and John continue their treatment of Matthew 5-7 and the question of what righteousness looks like in the kingdom of God. Jesus gives his answer to this question in increasing detail as the Sermon on the Mount unfolds.

Ron and John continue to work through the Sermon on the Mount. In this episode, they deal with the claim Jesus makes early in the Sermon that he fulfills the Law. The question of "What is righteousness?" also comes up as Jesus continues to surprise those listening to him teach.

What does life in the kingdom of God look like? Jesus takes on that question in the Sermon on the Mount, and in this first episode of a new series Ron and John begin a close look at his answer. He starts with some surprises and raises some unexpected expectations.

In this final episode of the Day of the Lord series, John and Ron examine the letters of Paul and the New Testament books associated with the apostle John. They conclude (as they must, of course!) with the baffling book of Revelation. This episode released on Christmas Eve, 2021. What does Christmas have to do with the end of the world? Come find out.

New Testament Christians insisted that all our hopes are fulfilled in the work God accomplished in Jesus Christ. A cursory examination of the world around us suggests that all our hopes are not yet fulfilled. What gives? Concentrating on the story that Luke tells in the books of Luke and Acts, Ron and John continue their discussion of the "Day of the Lord" to which the Bible looked—and yet still looks—forward.

Ron and John kick off a new season and a new series with the topic "The Day of the Lord". The Bible looks forward to a future time when God would make all things right. In this first of three episodes, they look at the Old Testament foundations for a Christian perspective on the future. How did Israel's prophets describe how God finally resolves all things?

Season 2 is over!  Season 3 is here.  As they prepare for a new Advent series in the Year of our Lord 2021, Ron and John pause to reflect on where they've been and where they're headed.

Also: come see what Christmas has to do with the end of the world!

In this episode John and Ron conclude their episode on the problem of evil. They ask what we can say when we're confronted with evil—as well as what we should not say! They also dive back into scripture. How does this account of the problem of evil square with what scripture says, and how does God confront evil in Jesus Christ?

In this episode John and Ron dive into the core of the problem of evil.  They consider the "argument from evil"—an argument that because of evil God cannot exist as Christians describe God—and they offer the free will defense as an answer.

In this episode Ron and John sort out what good and evil are.  They conclude by examining an episode where Jesus' disciples demand to know: why did this particular bad thing happen?

Ron and John begin a four-episode series on what is traditionally called "the problem of evil." In this episode, we lay the groundwork for a conversation that deals with the problem of accounting for evil things that happen in the world around us given what we say we believe about God.

In this second of two interim summer episodes, Ron and John take a look at Mark 2, where Jesus heals a man who was paralyzed. What Jesus says and does next when the man is lowered through the roof in order to reach him is unexpected, intriguing, and even scandalous.