After Class

In a follow-up episode to last week’s conquest discussion, the guys focus in on the issue of war and violence.  What should we do with passages that seem to portray God as violent, vengeful, or wrathful?  Are there aspects of God’s character (Justice/Holiness vs. Love/Mercy) that are unable to be reconciled?

In their continued response to Rhett and Link's faith challenges the guys begin a discussion on the biblical conquest of Canaan by Joshua.  Archaeological records don't seem to line up with the traditional understanding of a conquest.  But is "conquest" an appropriate term for what happened when Israel entered Canaan?  Maybe not, according to the biblical witness.

The series continues!  The guys offer some more answers to the issues raised in Rhett and Link's "anti"-testimonies.  This week's episode deals with the numbers in the Exodus census account.  Did Moses bring 2 or 3 million people out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan?  Does it matter if the numbers aren't 100% accurate by today's standards?  

This week the After Class guys continue their interaction with material from Rhett and Link’s “anti”-testimonies. Here they address the question of whether modern archaeology supports and upholds material in the Old Testament. Are our assumptions about the Bible and archaeology potentially leading us to a shaky place? And how do they affect our interpretation and understanding of the Exodus event. 

The guys wrap up the walk-through of the history of biblical interpretation in this episode.  It is beneficial to understand where the church has been throughout the centuries in relation to doctrine and what was considered "orthodox".  This is an important step in understanding why some Christians face a crisis of faith when their "foundations" are shaken.  

This week the guys continue to engage the "anti"-testimonies of Rhett and Link and the issues that led them away from faith.  This episode is unique as they spend little time walking through Scripture and instead embark on a walk through the history of biblical interpretation.  How did we get to the traditional, literal interpretations of Scripture that are considered orthodox today?

This week's episode continues the interaction with Rhett and Link's publicly shared "anti"-testimonies.  Here the guys discuss the importance of Adam and how his story functions in God's big picture redemption story.  Is he central to the redemption story or not?  

At the moment, it seems that the only thing people can talk about is the Coronavirus. While many educational institutions and businesses have shut down for the moment, what should churches do? More importantly, what does it look like for Christians to be witnesses in the midst of a pandemic?

This week finds the guys interacting with the shared testimonies of YouTube comedians and fellow podcast hosts Rhett & Link.  In their podcast, Ear Biscuits, Rhett & Link discuss the challenging questions that ultimately pushed them away from the Bible and away from their faith.  Listen in as the After Class guys respectfully offer some answers to the challenge of how to understand creation accounts and biblical genealogies.

What is mortal sin, or sin unto death? Is there a sin you can't come back from? Listen in as the guys finish this 2-part discussion. 1 John 5:14-17 Hebrews 6:4-8

Is there a sin that God will not forgive? If not, what is the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit"? The guys discuss these questions in part 1 of 2. Matthew 12:31 Mark 3:28-30 Luke 12:10

Like discipleship, fellowship, and family, the inauguration of God's Kingdom changes how we view friendship. The guys explore the Greco-Roman view of friendship to better understand the biblical understanding of how these relationships are transformed in the Kingdom. 

This second episode on the family continues to explore priorities in light of the Kingdom of God. 

Most American Christians will order their priorities as God, Family, Church. But does the Kingdom of God affect our family relationships by causing a change of priorities? We discuss all that and more in our latest episode. 

Not satisfied with how they left it, the guys return to the topic of biblical fellowship (koinonia) and set forth some practical ways that churches can engage in such a lifestyle of "doing life together."

This episode discusses fellowship and not just the church meals. Listen now to dig into the history of the early church and hear about what fellowship really means. Through anecdotes and Lord of the Rings references, this episode will teach you how to incorporate fellowship into your life on a deeper level. Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35

The guys discuss discipleship in God's Kingdom by pointing out misconceptions and laying out a way forward. 

The guys begin a new season talking about the nature and value of resolutions. Then they transition to discuss the idea and reality of the new creation. 

Every now and again we will be asked if we think that Christians should celebrate holidays that have pagan roots. So, we use Christmas as a test case and discuss whether celebrating is an acceptable practice for a Christian. 

In this follow up episode, the guys continue to discuss the practical implications of power dynamics in the church. What are elders? What did they do? What should they do in our modern churches?