Reasonable Christianity? podcast

40:06

Send us a text In today's episode we look at the meaning of marriage from a first century Jesus perspective. There are many references that Paul, Jesus and Peter make, pertaining to marriage, that we as gentile peoples don't understand so we need to ask ourselves: What did Jesus mean when he was speaking about marriage? (Mark 10:7) What does Paul mean when he says he has betrothed the community of believers to Christ? (2 Corinthians 11:2) What does Peter mean when He says that we were not redeemed with perishable things such as gold or silver? (1 Peter 1:18-19) What is the meaning of Jesus sharing the cup with his disciples before his crucifixion? (Luke 22:20) What does it mean that Jesus goes to prepare a place for his bride? (John 14:3) These references and more have unique meaning when we look at marriage from a Jewish perspective. Support the show…

1
Is the love of God REALLY unconditional? 29:59

il y a environ 18 jours29:59

29:59

Send us a text As human beings, probably, one of our greatest needs is to be loved. We are relational beings and whether we realise it or not we are driven by our desire to belong, to be accepted, to be approved of…to be loved. So, imagine someone telling you that the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and personal creator of the universe loves you unconditionally. He loves you just the way you are. That would be the greatest news in the world and that is exactly the message that many Christian teachers are proclaiming. This is particularly true of mega church preachers and is certainly part of the reason why large numbers of people attend these churches on a weekly basis. I mean if love is one of our greatest needs and there was someone teaching that God loved me unconditionally then I would also be drawn to them. But as good as this mantra sounds, the question is: Is it true? Does God, in fact, love people unconditionally? And what does it even mean to love someone unconditionally? These are the questions I hope to answer in today’s episode. I will do this in a few steps. Firstly, I will start by defining love according to the bible. Secondly, I will consider the five different ways the bible speaks about God’s love. Thirdly, I will be looking at five ways in which God’s love is unconditional and finally I will present five ways in which God’s love is not unconditional. Support the show…

1
What is speaking in tongues? 34:49

il y a environ 26 jours34:49

34:49

Send us a text In today's podcast episode we ask the question: What is speaking in tongues? With traditional churches falling out of favour in South Africa and more Charismatic or Pentecostal churches becoming more prominent, it is not uncommon to see people erupting in "tongues" during corporate worship gatherings. This can, however, lead to disorder and division in the household of God so, in today's episode I hope to provide clarity on the definition, usage and implications of speaking in tongues from a biblical perspective. Support the show…

1
The Sovereignty of God: Is God sovereign over Satan? 31:23

il y a 5 weeks31:23

31:23

Send us a text If God is Sovereign over everything in creation, does that include the Devil? The bible makes it clear that the Devil has some sort of power over creation. Satan has the ability to tempt people into sin, to cause sickness, disease and even death. The question is: Does Satan's power over this fallen world exceed the power and governance of God? Support the show…

1
The glory of God in the fall of man 21:33

il y a 6 weeks21:33

21:33

Send us a text If everything exists for the God's glory, does that include sin? To put it another way: Is sin something that crept into God's existence by mistake or is sin something that God incorporated into his original plan for creation? In today's episode I try and show that sin did not catch God off guard. Instead, God ordained sin as part of his plan to glorify himself. Support the show…

1
Why did God create everything? A biblical perspective 28:55

il y a 7 weeks28:55

28:55

Send us a text As We head into the first few days of 2025, I thought it would be good to consider why God created the universe, the earth and mankind. Many people, including Christians, struggle to find fulfilment in life because they have bought into the idea that God created them so that they could be happy. They think God's ultimate motivation behind everything He does is to ensure their happiness. This is a lie. Or rather it is a half-truth at best. God is certainly concerned with our wellbeing. But He is more concerned with our lasting joy than with temporary happiness. This is what I hope to demonstrate in today's episode. Hopefully I can show that God's primary motivation behind everything He does is to make himself known. And that it is by us knowing, loving and honouring God that we experience true and lasting joy. As john Piper says: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him" Support the show…

1
Christmas isn't pagan, here's why! (Reaction to Wes Huff) 18:41

il y a 8 weeks18:41

18:41

Send us a text In today's episode I react video by Wesley Huff entitled: Christmas isn't pagan, here's why. I initially recorded this as a YouTube video on the 25th of December so excuse the date references. Check out Wes on YouTube for more insights regarding the biblical manuscripts and the ancient biblical languages. Support the show…

1
Prophecy, the birth of Jesus and the Sovereignty of God 36:26

il y a 9 weeks36:26

36:26

Send us a text In today's episode we look at 7 Old Testament prophecies about the birth of Jesus and we consider how these prophecies relate to the sovereignty of God. we also look at the three components of God's sovereignty: 1) God's control of all creation 2) God's authority over all creation 3) God's presence throughout all creation. Support the show…

1
Good News of Great Joy! Cultural Context, Meaning and Implications of the birth of Jesus. 36:23

il y a 10 weeks36:23

36:23

Send us a text In Today's podcast episode we take a look at the birth of Jesus by doing a survey of Luke 2:1-20. The purpose of doing it this way is to help us appreciate the significance of the birth of Jesus by starting with the context which He was born into. We have to remember that Jesus was a Jew. He was the Jewish Messiah, first! Therefore, there are references in the life of Jesus, including his birth that we would never understand unless we see them in the proper context. For example: What is the significance of Jesus being born in Bethlehem? What exactly was the cloth that they wrapped him in? How does the name of Jesus' mother affirm Jesus' role as the "greater" Moses? As we understand the context of Jesus' birth, we are better able to appreciate and embrace the meaning and purpose of his birth. For example: Why is Jesus' birth proclaimed as good news of great joy? How does His birth accomplish peace for those with whom God is well pleased? We go into these questions in today's episode. And finally, we conclude by considering how we ought to respond to the birth of Jesus both biblically and practically. Support the show…

1
When were the New Testament documents written? 22:08

il y a 11 weeks22:08

22:08

Send us a text ARE THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS WRITTEN EARLY? The short answer is yes. But how early? All the New Testament books were written before A.D. 100 (About 70 years after the death of Jesus) How do we know this? Well, firstly, we know tis because letters written by early church fathers—between A.D. 95 and 110—quoted passages out of 25 of the 27 New Testament books. Between Clement, writing from Rome (A.D. 95), Ignatius, writing from Smyrna in Asia Minor (A.D. 107) and Polycarp, writing form Smyrna in Asia Minor (A.D. 110) they quoted from every New Testament book except Jude and 2 John. Most, if not all, of these books were written before A.D. 70 (About 40 years after the Death of Jesus). The destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70 I’m referring to the destruction of the Jewish temple in A.D. 70. Why is this significant? Well, Jesus predicted that the temple would be destroyed before his contemporary generation would pass away. Many of the New Testament Books were composed before A.D. 62 (About 30 years after the death of Jesus) It hasn’t happened yet Why would you record the martyrdoms of Stephen and James the brother of John but not the martyrdoms of prominent figures like Paul and James (the brother of Jesus)? We can assume the reason Luke does not record their deaths is because it hasn’t happened yet. Luke was written earlier If Acts was written by 62, then the gospel of Luke was certainly written before that. How do we know that? Well, we know that because Luke reminds the original recipient of Acts (Theophilus) that he had written to him earlier. Paul quotes Luke Paul, writing sometime between A.D. 62-65 quotes from Luke and calls it scripture. Mark was written earlier than Luke Not a Myth So then in Luke and Mark we have meticulously recorded eyewitness testimony written within 25 – 30 years of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Some New Testament books were written in the 40s and 50s A.D. with sources from the 30s A.D. (Only a few years after the death of Jesus. Almost all scholars agree that Paul wrote his letter to the Christian community at Corinth sometime between 55 and 56 A.D. Creeds According to Gary Habermas (leading scholar on the historical Jesus), the testimony found in 1 Corinthians 15 was part of an early creed that dates back right to the resurrection itself. What is a creed? Creeds were literary devices that people used to help them remember important information. This was important for people in the ancient world because most people were illiterate. So, the Christians developed these statements of faith to summarize the key doctrines of Christianity. 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 is an example of this. Paul would’ve received that Creed soon after his conversion to Christianity. Therefore, the information in the abovementioned verses can be traced back to within 18 to 24 months of the resurrection. That’s astounding early! Nothing in the ancient world even comes close. Why is early dating important? Early dating is important because it neutralises the claim that the resurrection was a myth that developed over time. All the earliest sources about Jesus’ life maintain that he lived, he died, was buried and rose from the dead. Paul goes as far as to name several people who witnessed the resurrected Christ in order to challenge his contemporaries to go and interview the eyewitnesses for themselves because many of them were still alive. Support the show…

1
CHRISTIANITY vs. CHRISTENDOM: Why a Christian society is bad for the effectiveness of the gospel. 35:54

il y a 13 weeks35:54

35:54

Send us a text What is Christianity? What is Christendom? Is there a difference? In today's episode I make the argument for why a Christian society--that is a society that is based on the values of Christianity--has a negative effect on the effectiveness of the gospel. "If everyone grows up as Christian, then they don't see the need to be born again". Support the show…

1
Can we trust the bible? Manuscript Evidence 31:23

il y a 15 weeks31:23

31:23

Send us a text Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? INTRODUCTIONS/RECAP The cause of the universe, often called the prime reality or the uncaused first cause or simply, God, must have the following attributes: 1. The cause must be uncaused. 2. The cause must be timeless, spaceless and immaterial. 3. The cause must be powerful. 4. The cause most be intelligent. 5. The cause must be personal. 6. The cause must be the moral—standard for absolute goodness. Monotheistic religions: Now, as you know, there are three major Monotheistic religions: 1. Judaism 2. Christianity and 3. Islam Orthodox Judiasm Traditional or orthodox Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah or that he was divine or that he was prophet. Some orthodox Jews believe that he was a teacher or charismatic leader, while others believe he was a heretic that was crucified for his heresy. Islam As for Islam, Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and that he was born of a virgin and that Jesus was nailed to a cross. Muslims, however, do not believe that Jesus died on the cross but rather that he only appeared to die but was saved by Allah. Christianity Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s great prophet and God himself. They believe that he was crucified, that he died on the cross and that he rose from the dead to prove that he was God. Now, as you can see, there are undeniable difference between the Jewish, Muslim and Christian understanding of Jesus. Is Christianity True? I will try and show that Christianity is true by: 1. Establishing that the New Testament Documents are Historically reliable 2. Examining the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS: Reliability : To say that something is reliable is to say that it is consistent and accurate. Inerrancy : To say that something is inerrant is to say that it is perfect and without error. In this episode I will not be arguing for the inerrancy of the bible but rather for the historical reliability of the bible. MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE: Manuscripts vs Autographs: The only real objection that anyone can raise against the New Testament is the fact that, so far, none of the original written documents—called autographs—of the New Testament have been discovered. We only have copies—called manuscripts—of the original writings. But does that mean we cannot know what the originals said? Not at all. More Manuscripts: There are 5,800 handwritten Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. In addition to that, there are approximately 20,000 manuscripts in other languages (e.g., Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Arabic). Earlier manuscripts: The earlies undisputed manuscript is a segment of John 18:31-33,37-38 known as the John Rylands fragment (because it is housed in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England). Scholars date this particular fragment between A.D.117-138 but some say it might be even earlier. More Abundantly Supported Manuscripts The early church fathers—men of the second and third century like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and others—quoted the New Testament approximately 36,289 times in their writings. So, we not only have thousands of manuscripts, but we also have thousands of citing by the early church fathers. As such one could read nearly the entire New Testament simply by reading through the writings of the early church fathers. Support the show…

1
MONOTEÏSME: Hoekom daar net een God kan wees! Gesprek met Patric Daniels (AFRIKAANS) 1:15:32

il y a 16 weeks1:15:32

1:15:32

Send us a text In vandag se episode gesels ek saam met Patric Daniels oor die belangrkheid van objektiewe waarheid, die bewystukke vir God se bestaan, sowal as die redes hoekom daar net een opperwese/God kan wees. Patric is 'n Christen vir 25 jaar en dien as a wyksraadslid in ons plaaslike munisipaliteit. Ek het vir Pat (soos almal hom ken) ontmoet toe ek 19 was en sedert dan het hy 'n geweldige belangrike rol in my en my vrou se lewe gespeel as 'n mentor, 'n broer en 'n vriend. Ek het nogaltyd baat gevind by sy wyshied en leiding so ek hoop dat sy deelname aan hierdie episode vir jou 'n seën sal wees. Support the show…

1
MONOTHEISM: Why there can only be ONE GOD! 16:41

il y a 17 weeks16:41

16:41

Send us a text MONOTHEISM Why there can only be one God INTRODUCTION: In the previous episodes we looked at three arguments for the existence of God. They are: The Cosmological Argument which goes like this: 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. The Teleological Argument which goes like this: 1. Every design had a designer 2. The universe has highly complex design 3. Therefore, the universe had a designer The moral Argument which goes like this: 1. Every law has a lawgiver 2. There is a moral law 3. Therefore, there is a moral lawgiver THE PRIME REALITY The attributes of God: 1. God must be uncaused 2. God must be timeless, spaceless and Immaterial 3. God must be powerful 4. God must be intelligent: 5. God must be personal. 6. God must be moral. WORLDVIEWS: 1. Atheism 2. Agnosticism 3. Pantheism 4. Panentheism 5. Deism 6. Polytheism 7. Monotheism CONCLUSION: Alright, that’s all from me today. Let’s recap. In today’s episode we learned that for any being to be God they must be timeless, spaceless, immaterial, personal, powerful, moral and infinite. We also consider the different world views and confirmed that monotheism is most compatible with these characteristics of God. Now, we know that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the major monotheistic religions, but they contradict each other in terms of their understanding if the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is God while Muslims and Jews deny this claim. Therefore, if Christianity is true then Judaism and Islam is false. FORECAST: In the next episode I will present the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament. Why? If the New Testament is reliable then we can consider Jesus’s claims to be God objectively. And if Jesus’ claims to be God is true then Christianity is true. And if Christianity is true then every other religion that contradicts Christianity is false. Support the show…

1
Does God Exist? The Moral Argument 22:55

il y a 18 weeks22:55