Theology Central

A listener asks for book recommendations on hermeneutics—and in the same email raises questions about continuationism, prophecy, and "hearing the voice of God." That combination exposes a serious problem: if God is still giving direct revelation, do we actually need interpretation at all?

A Christian website is now publishing articles generated by a "theology AI" that claims to give answers grounded entirely in God's Word and even "the meaning God Himself intended." In this episode, we examine what a theology AI really is, why it cannot be neutral, and how it ends up reinforcing a theological system rather than teaching people to read the Bible.

More possible proof of eternal torment

A look at what can be easily proven about eternal torment.

Ruth goes to glean simply to survive. This episode walks through Ruth 2:2–3 and shows how God's purposes move forward through ordinary work, ordinary risk, and quiet providence rather than dramatic miracles. Part of The Ruth Proble

We continue our review of a sermon about Annihilationism

We begin a review of a sermon about Annihilationism

This episode steps back and tells the story of a project that should never have worked: no studio, no editing, no co-host, no schedule, no production, no optimization — just a microphone, a laptop, and unfiltered theology in real time. And yet, nearly a million listens later, the numbers tell a very different story. This is not a victory lap. It's a reality check about consistency, niche work, and what most podcasts never become.

We listen to Kirk Cameron respond to the controversy

We continue to listen to the podcast episode that sparked a debate about the doctrine of hell and about Kirk Cameron

We listen to the podcast episode that sparked a debate about the doctrine of hell and about Kirk Cameron

What Is a Kinsman-Redeemer For?
Before Ruth introduces a solution, it introduces a category. This episode explains what a kinsman-redeemer is in the Bible, what problem this institution exists to solve, and why Ruth 2:1 is opening a legal possibility—not announcing redemption yet. Part of The Ruth Problem? series.

When Ruth chapter 2 opens, the story does not move forward into redemption—it moves back to Naomi. In this episode, we examine why Ruth 2:1 deliberately re-centers the story on bitterness, loss, and unresolved covenant tension.

A look at devotional logical applied to Isaiah 45:3

Ruth 2 introduces Boaz — and with him, a major interpretive problem. Is Boaz really a picture of Christ, or has sermon tradition gone beyond what the text supports? This episode examines Ruth's narrative structure, the kinsman-redeemer role, and why Boaz functions as a means in the story rather than the solution.

In this episode, we walk through Ruth 1 carefully, showing how biblical narrative communicates theology without allegory or forced symbolism.

What does Ruth 2 actually say — and what does it not say?
In this episode, we walk carefully through a sermon built on Ruth 2 and examine, step by step, how a single narrative phrase is expanded into an entire theological framework

As 2025 comes to an end and 2026 begins, the Heroes & Icons network opens its New Year's Twilight Zone marathon with one of the most unsettling episodes ever aired—Eye of the Beholder.

Some last words to say goodbye to 2025

A line-by-line analysis of "Opalite" from Life of a Showgirl. This episode examines themes of repetition, emotional hunger, endurance, and transformation, using the song's imagery to explore what it means to survive the storm and see the sky differently afterward — without biography or speculation.

Headlines claim AI has challenged Mosaic authorship of the Bible. In this episode, I explain what the AI research actually says (and doesn't say), why the story matters, and then do something rarely done: I walk through every New Testament reference to Moses and ask what is explicitly claimed about authorship—and what is not. Before reacting, let's read the text carefully.

A discussion about Trump and the Church

A line-by-line analysis of "Elizabeth Taylor" from Life of a Showgirl. This episode explores how the song contrasts fame, glamour, and public permanence with private loneliness and the longing for lasting love — without biography, speculation, or overreach.

A line-by-line analysis of "The Fate of Ophelia," the opening track of Life of a Showgirl. This episode defines Ophelia's literary fate, then carefully examines the song's lyrics to explore themes of rescue, devotion, possession, and emotional survival — without speculation or overreach.

This introductory episode establishes why The Life of a Showgirl deserves careful attention. Focusing on measurable data — sales, streams, chart performance, and reach — the episode explains how the album became the most dominant release of 2025 and why scale matters before interpretation begins.

In this episode, we turn to the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) and its four defining boundaries that shaped how the church speaks about Christ. Rather than explaining the mystery away, Chalcedon draws firm lines—protecting the truth that Jesus is fully God and fully man, one person, without confusion or division.

Song of Solomon 2:15 is often used to warn believers about hidden sins—the "little foxes" that supposedly threaten our relationship with Christ. But is that what the verse actually means? In this episode, we examine one sermon, four alleged "foxes," and the much bigger interpretive mistake underneath them. When poetic imagery is moralized and context is ignored, Scripture stops speaking and tradition takes over.

We take a trip back to the council of Chalcedon

We take some time to study, Monophysitism

America is experiencing The Great Unchurching, the fastest religious shift in modern history. In this episode, we look 2026

America is experiencing The Great Unchurching, the fastest religious shift in modern history. In this episode, we examine the data behind church closures, rising religious disaffiliation, political Christianity, and the collapse of institutional trust.

We say Christmas is about Jesus—but rarely do we stop and ask who He truly is. In this episode, we move past sentiment and tradition and take a serious look at the theological weight of Christ Himself.

After all the theological discussions, Christmas has arrived

As candlelight Christmas Eve services stream across the country, this episode pauses to ask a simple but rarely examined question: how did Christmas Eve become the emotional center of Christmas, and what has that shift formed us to expect?

A reflection on Hallmark Christmas movies, comfort stories, and how our longing for tidy endings shapes what we expect Christmas—and even the church—to deliver.

A reflection that begins with Superman and leads to a deeper question many face at Christmas: how do we live with a God who is said to be with us, yet often feels unreachable? This episode explores the tension between power, goodness, suffering, and distance—without rushing to resolve it.

Christmas often intensifies emotion—joy, longing, grief, loneliness, and everything in between. In this episode, we reflect on why the season carries such emotional weight, how expectations and memory shape our experience, and why Christmas can be especially difficult for some.

Christmas is often presented as warmth, wonder, and encouragement. Scripture, however, presents it as something far more serious—and far more necessary. This episode is not about how to feel at Christmas, but why Christmas had to happen at all.

Five days before Christmas, churches are filled with music, lights, pageants, and carefully crafted moments meant to make us feel comforted. But what if what shapes us this week is atmosphere rather than Scripture?

An important update about donations

A quick behind the scenes update

I conclude my review a sermon that is using, Song of Solomon 7:5-6
to somehow talk about the anatomy of a believer.

I begin to review a sermon that is using, Song of Solomon 7:5-6
to somehow talk about the anatomy of a believer.

In Part 4 of Catholic Theology in Protestant Clothing, we confront the tension that has driven the entire series. Scripture commands, "Repent and believe"—but if repentance and faith are treated as human actions that secure justification, the Gospel collapses back into Law.

This episode reviews the Christmas message "No Room for Jesus" by examining how Luke 2:7 is often expanded beyond what the text actually says. We address the hermeneutical and theological problems that arise when speculation and cultural outrage replace careful exegesis and Gospel-centered proclamation.

In this episode of Theology Central, we examine a theological article that challenges "faith alone" and argues that certain works of obedience are necessary for salvation. While the argument initially sounds balanced and biblical, a closer look reveals something deeper

We listen to a devotional message and discuss it

We look at an email sent in by a listener.

Isaiah 45:7 says God "creates evil." What does that mean? In this episode, we examine the Hebrew text, historical interpretations, translation debates, and the theological implications of divine sovereignty and the existence of evil.

In this episode of Theology Central, we examine a theological article that challenges "faith alone" and argues that certain works of obedience are necessary for salvation. While the argument initially sounds balanced and biblical, a closer look reveals something deeper

Christians are often told that anxiety is a failure of faith—that if we were truly humble or trusting God, our anxious thoughts would disappear. Verses like "be anxious for nothing" are frequently used as cures rather than comforts, quietly turning Scripture into a burden.

In this episode of Theology Central, we examine a theological article that challenges "faith alone" and argues that certain works of obedience are necessary for salvation. While the argument initially sounds balanced and biblical, a closer look reveals something deeper

A deep investigation into the meaning of Genesis 4:26—its Hebrew, its history, its interpretations, and why so much theology has been built on a disputed reading.

I consider some feedback I have received about the series

I finally bring the review to a painful conclusion

We continue our review of a sermon from 2819 Church

What did Jesus actually mean when He called His people "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world"? In this standalone episode of The 2819 Project, we step outside the sermon review to explore these phrases in their original context

We continue our review of a sermon from 2819 Church

We continue review of a sermon from 2819 church

We begin a review of a sermon from 2819 church

Crowds are lining up for hours outside 2819 Church in Atlanta. Social media calls it revival. Others call it hype. In this episode, we begin an investigation into what's really happening inside this rapidly growing movement.

A careful review of a sermon on 2 Peter 1:3-8

A look at a sermon that attempts to tell us, what to do when life stinks.

A look at a sermon that attempts to tell us, what to do when life stinks.

A point-by-point review of a sermon's claims about Bible translations, exposing false accusations and clarifying what the evidence really shows.

A look at something said about 2 Peter 1:4

Jesus replaces the priesthood. The outsider becomes the true worshiper. Luke 17:19 is the climax where Christ declares wholeness the temple could never give.

We take a look at the 2025 Spotify Wrapped for the Theology Podcast

In this episode we explore the explosive center of Luke 17:11–19. Only one leper turns back—and he's a Samaritan.

Genesis 48 contains not just one reversal, but two. Jacob blesses the younger over the older — and, surprisingly, Jacob sees God's purposes more clearly than Joseph does. This episode explores the double reversal behind Hebrews 11:21.

A three-minute devotional on Hebrews 11:21 raises an important question: can we interpret this verse without going back to Genesis 48? In this episode, we explore why the New Testament reference hinges entirely on its Old Testament context and how Hebrews extracts the faith-moment from the larger narrative.

A late night discussion

What happens when an AI won't agree with your interpretation of Scripture? In this dramatic retelling, I walk through a late-night study session where the AI pushed back, argued, and refused to move on 1 Corinthians 11. This is the story of that debate—and what it reveals about hermeneutics, truth, and the future of Bible study.

ChatGPT now reaches 800 million weekly users—and the church is completely unprepared for what that means. In this episode, we examine how AI is reshaping authority, interpretation, discipleship, and the future of Christianity itself. Seven unavoidable consequences the church must face—now.

What happens when an AI refuses to agree with you about the Bible?
In this unexpected episode, I share how a discussion on 1 Corinthians 11 turned into a real hermeneutical debate—because the AI pushed back instead of echoing my interpretation.

We begin our exegetical study of Luke 17:11-19. In this episode we look at Luke 17:11-14

Psalm 80:5 speaks of a nation fed with the "bread of tears." In this episode, we explore why these tears were covenant judgment for Israel — and why this does not apply to modern nations or to Christians. If God punished believers this way, it would deny the cross itself. Instead, Psalm 80 points us to Christ, who drank the cup of judgment so we would never have to.

Every passage of Scripture has a hermeneutical center—an interpretive key that unlocks its true meaning. In this episode, we explore what a hermeneutical key is, how to identify it, and why finding it prevents misreading the text. We then apply this method to Luke 17:11–19

A midnight story about a hidden room, a forgotten tape, and the quiet truth found at the end of a ministry.

Before we can interpret the healing of the ten lepers, we must understand the world of the text. This episode examines the geographical, historical, covenantal, priestly, and literary context of Luke 17:11–19

Luke 17:11–19 is one of the most familiar miracle stories in Scripture—yet also one of the most misinterpreted. In this episode, we walk through the most common ways people understand the Ten Lepers

A hard-hitting look at the entire Thanksgiving-sermon industry. We expose the clichés, the moralism, the hermeneutical failures, and the theological problems behind the seasonal flood of "be thankful" messages—and then end with a powerful, Gospel-centered, reality-facing vision of true biblical thanksgiving.

AI is producing biblical content at massive scale — but it often repeats the same hermeneutical mistakes common in modern preaching. This episode explores how to train AI to handle Scripture faithfully from the start, and why getting hermeneutics right now is essential for the church's future

A completely unplanned live experiment. I open the SermonAudio app, pick something at random, and work with AI in real time to build a sermon, Bible study, or theological lesson from scratch — then teach it live. No prep, no notes, just a raw demonstration of what AI can do instantly.

An AI-generated "Christian singer" has just hit #1 on the Christian and Gospel charts. In this episode, we examine the rise of Solomon Ray, how an artificial voice reached the top, and what this means for Christian worship, discernment, and the future of faith-based music.

AI is producing 3,000 podcast episodes every week—and the same technology can generate tens of thousands of sermons, Bible studies, devotionals, and theology lessons.

We conclude our review of a sermon on Luke 20:27-40

Heading into Thanksgiving week, many feel unseen, overwhelmed, or alone. Psalm 56:8 gives this comfort: God counts your wanderings and keeps your tears.
In this episode, we explore the tear that God bottles—the tear He refuses to forget.

I start a review of a sermon on Luke 20:27–40

We build an observational outline of Luke 1:67-79

My confusion leads me to look into a famous devotional by J.C. Philpot

I am confused by a devotional on Luke 1:74-75

We continue our study of Luke 20:27-40

We begin our study of Luke 20:27-33

Why don't we learn? Why do we fail again and again? Today we begin examining a sermon that builds everything on that question—and asks us to look squarely at our own repeated patterns of collapse.

Why don't we learn? Why do we fail again and again? Today we begin examining a sermon that builds everything on that question—and asks us to look squarely at our own repeated patterns of collapse.

Why don't we learn? Why do we fail again and again? Today we begin examining a sermon that builds everything on that question—and asks us to look squarely at our own repeated patterns of collapse.

Just a few minutes to take a breath and reset

The Self We Think We Are" looks at Peter's bold claim and Jesus' sobering correction in John 13:37–38. This episode confronts our spiritual self-deception, the church culture that encourages it, and the Gospel reality that Christ knows us better than we know ourselves—and loves us anyway.

Is this the dramatic conclusion?