Laurence and Dan continue their exploration of the Gospel of Matthew. This time they take a journey into the wilderness and, through the text of Matthew 4, they witness a strange encounter between the newly baptised Jesus and "the devil", the tempter, or satan. Who or what is this character? Is it a person or a being of some sort? As they explore the text they discover a number of 'flags' which indicate that all is not as it may seem at first sight. Intrigued?! Listen in to hear how their enquiries lead to a compelling explanation!
The legacy of Jesus of Nazareth is felt today in all kinds of ways, in religion, in culture, music and art. But what about the question that Christians and others have been asking and debating for centuries – Did Jesus pre-exist? Was he alive in some sense before being born into a quiet small town in Israel about 2000 years ago? And if that question is answered with a yes or with a no, does it change anything for Christians?
What motivates us to read the Bible now? Is it relevant for today's modern world? And where might be a good place to start? We had a fascinating Bible Feed Live conversation that covered topics ranging from how the Covid-19 crisis has prompted displays of both human selflessness and human selfishness to the depiction of human brutality in the event of the crucifixion of Jesus. We talked about how the Bible presents solutions to the problem of mortality, wrestled with the fact that God is however largely hidden, and gave a good number of tips on where to start along with some resources to help you.
What's the best way of reading this huge, ancient collection of books?! We tackled this question head on in a Bible Feed Live webinar that explored topics from Genesis and genre, to the relevance of Revelation. We give some tips and make some suggestions to help you in your Bible reading.
Why is it worth reading the Bible? What should you expect to learn? What is its purpose? Catch up on the conversation as we explore all these questions and more. We talk about a broad range of things, from the relevance of a random list of sacrifices in the book of Numbers to the non-superhero features of Biblical characters and why the Old Testament helps us understand Jesus better.
Laurence Davenport and Dan Weatherall continue delving into the gospel of Matthew. The focus this time is how well structured the book is around major themes that are developed throughout the book. Jesus is presented as someone with authority and he is given that curious name, Immanuel. What does that mean? And how would the first readers of Matthew have understood God to be with them?
We begin a new series in which we explore the deep questions around the relationship between God and Jesus, the Son of God. In this episode Josh Dean and Paul Davenport look at how Unitarians and Trinitarians both look at the same scriptural ‘raw materials’ but come to different conclusions. Why is that? How should we evaluate whether one view is more appropriate than the other? Are they both truly Christian perspectives?
Famous names and outsider characters – they’re all in the family tree of Jesus right at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel! Laurence Davenport and Dan Weatherall start a series of episodes that explores this book in greater detail to discover the real Jesus. Listen in to find out why some apparently dubious (but actually faithful) women feature in the opening verses of this Gospel and what that helps us to discover about Jesus!
You may wonder what happens to you when you die, but have you asked yourself what you were before you were born? If you have some belief in life that continues uninterrupted beyond death, such as an immaterial soul, then you may read something similar into passages such as Jeremiah 1:5. Does that mean that Jeremiah existed somewhere in some immaterial state? Does that mean that everyone is alive in some pre-existent way before they are born? Is this what the Bible is teaching?
Becky Lewis discusses with Paul Davenport whether it’s right to think of God as distant and unfeeling, as is often the portrayal in popular culture. By drawing from the Bible from the creation narrative through to how Jesus treated people and on through to the final chapters of Revelation, we find God revealed as deeply invested in seeking close relationships with people and indeed connecting people together in a family.