The Biblical Unitarian Podcast

1 Timothy 3:16 is a well-known example of a scribal change that transformed a reference to Jesus into a reference to God. We explore this text and discuss how later scribes changed the passage, resulting in a much higher Christology than the author originally intended.

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/OaZmZR9Pm_8       

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Acts 2:22-23 offers an undiluted christology that best represents the beliefs of the New Testament authors. Peter proclaims that Christ was a real human being, whom God empowered to perform miraculous works. The passage also illustrates Jesus as preexisting in God's foreknowledge and predetermined plan, rather than consciously existing in heaven before his birth. 

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https://youtu.be/mPSqF6OYsWo      

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John 20:17 is a straightforward passage in which the resurrected Jesus explicitly identifies that he has a God. Jesus was a unitarian, so he believed and taught his followers that his God was only one person, the Father alone. This episode examines John 20:17, demonstrating that it is incompatible with the doctrine of the Trinity.

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A 3rd-century Christian hymn was discovered among the Oxyrhynchus papyri, and the hymn contains worship offered to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This episode explores the Greek hymn, examines how it illustrates the one God, and demonstrates why it is not evidence for belief in the Trinity during the late 200s. Instead, the hymn appears to best fit a modalistic understanding of God.

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https://youtu.be/F7E5rf6Cpq4    

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Gabriel's announcement to Mary contains several simple christological truths. This week's episode unpacks the exchange between the angel and Jesus' mother, examining the promised titles of Jesus, his role as the climax of the Davidic Covenant, Jesus' relationship with the Most High, and how the Holy Spirit brings Jesus into existence in Mary's womb. The Gospel of Luke produces a christology of a fully human Jewish Messiah, the son of God.

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Athenagoras of Athens was a second-century Christian convert who wrote a famous apology in which he defends his understanding of God against claims of atheism. This week's episode explores what he believed about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The resulting conclusion is that Athenagoras was a Logos theologian with a unitarian understanding of God.

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https://youtu.be/jeSnw-aeAEo  

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This episode unpacks Jesus' place in Matthew's genealogy and birth narrative and, in the process, draws attention to how Jesus was brought into existence in Mary's womb. The begetting of Jesus, in other words, rules out any manner of conscious preexistence.

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/7LsU_rZJZz8 

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Visit Amazon to buy your copy of Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John...

3rd Corinthians is a second-century Christian document that was written in Paul's name. The work offers a glimpse into the unknown author's thoughts on the creator God, Jesus' birth, and the Holy Spirit, while also detailing the doctrines the author deemed heretical. The resulting portrayal is an overlooked example of biblical unitarianism in the second century.

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https://youtu.be/eMzDcjD5rR4 

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This episode examines and discusses all of the christologically relevant textual changes in the new edition of the Greek New Testament (UBS6).  

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https://youtu.be/GjfFB7IIp9A 

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This episode previews all of the chapters concerning Theology, Christology, and Pneumatology in my latest book, A Systematic Theology of the Early Church. The book is now available on Amazon.

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https://youtu.be/ZCXgPDmAeO0 

Purchase A Systematic Theology of the Early Church:

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This episode will serve as an audiobook of sorts as I read Chapter 2 from my new book, A Systematic Theology of the Early Church. This chapter is titled, "The Only True God." The book is available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats. 

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In Mark 12:28-34, Jesus describes what he regards as the greatest commandment, and in doing so, he reinforces the famous Jewish monotheistic creed. This episode explores the interaction between Jesus and a friendly scribe that results in a reaffirmation of the crucial truth that the true God, Yahweh, is only one person.

In this video, I incorrectly state that Targum Ps. Jonathan regards the LORD our God in the Shema as the Father. I have misread the data. The Targum does, however, add in regard to Deut 6:4 the following: "Jacob answered and said, 'Blessed by h...

This episode examines the writings, theology, christology, and pneumatology of the late second-century bishop, Melito of Sardis. Melito is often cited as proof of a very high christology, but did he believe in the doctrine of the Trinity? No, Melito is not a Trinitarian; instead, he appears to subscribe to the Two-Stage Logos Theology.

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https://youtu.be/Nkkd18Gwp6w  

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This week's episode closely examines Isaiah 44:24, a passage renowned for defining the Creator as a single person who made all things without the aid of any conscious agent. After giving attention to the nine singular references in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 44:24, we discuss the qere/ketiv reading, the interpretation of the verse in Targum Isaiah, and the implications for whether Christ served as co-creator. 

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/zB1rrHBqT4U  

Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The AI Critical New Testament:

The results are in from the 2025 State of Theology survey, and things are not looking good for Trinitarians. This week's episode unpacks what the survey found about what Americans believe about the Trinity, the deity of the Son, and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. We also look at the fallout among evangelicals who are embarrassed by how few understand the specifics of the doctrine of the Trinity.

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https://youtu.be/l98YQ_6lt0s  

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On our 400th episode, we continue our ongoing exploration of the earliest Trinitarian. This week, we study the massive work written by a Roman Christian named Hermas, titled "The Shepherd." After demonstrating that Hermas believed God to be one person (the Father alone), we attempt to make sense of the work's obscure Christology and Pneumatology. Spoiler alert: the Shepherd of Hermas does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity.

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/r9CEwCoy2-4 

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Psalm 110:1 was the go-to passage in early Christianity to describe God, Christ, the exaltation, and the promised return to defeat evil. This episode explores Psalm 110:1 in order to see what it has to say about the early Church's understanding of the one true God and his human son, Jesus the Messiah.

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Within the collection of Apostolic Fathers is the lesser-known work entitled The Epistle to Diognetus. This episode explores what this second-century AD letter has to say about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, particularly to see if the author was a trinitarian. We also explore the composite nature of this letter, noting that whoever wrote chapters 11-12 was probably a biblical unitarian.

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/GLqQWgHuS1A  

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1 Timothy 2:5 is one of those simple and straightforward passages addressing the one God and the identity of Jesus Christ. This episode unpacks this verse, sets it in its context, and argues that the passage is best compatible with a biblical unitarian christology. 

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https://youtu.be/LoCiNHw2Ykg 

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Polycarp was the bishop in the Church at Smyrna, a friend of Ignatius, and an early Christian martyr. But did Polycarp believe and teach the doctrine of the Trinity? This episode examines Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians to discern his theology of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Spoiler alert: Polycarp was a unitarian.  

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/Qq0npxteUHs  

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To sup...

It is often incorrectly assumed that the phrase "I am [he]" in Scripture is a claim to be Yahweh, the God of Israel. This presentation demonstrates that this phrase is a casual, self-declaration, and that it was uttered by God and by several human figures who were not claiming to be Yahweh himself. This topic was presented at the 2025 Unitarian Christian Alliance UK conference (July 2025). 

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/JP7rOlurxxM 

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The writers of the New Testament gospels all cite Isaiah 40:3 ("Prepare the way of the LORD") to introduce the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. Some have argued that this quotation proves that the Gospels believe that Jesus is Yahweh. This week's episode will examine the merits and weaknesses of this interpretation, arguing that a more charitable reading is that the son of God functions as the agent of Yahweh.

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https://youtu.be/XvbUZ3Vfp14 

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The authors of the New Testament not only distinguish Jesus and God, but they also portray the relationship between the two in terms of Jesus obeying God. This episode explores Christ's obedient relationship with Yahweh, the only true God, by looking at the teachings of Jesus, the theology of Paul, and the portrayal of the son of God in Hebrews.

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https://youtu.be/sm0WsC0pRW0 

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This episode explores the christology of Hebrews, 1 Peter, and Revelation, particularly as these books illustrate Christ having faith in God. The portrayal results in an early Christian understanding that Jesus relied on God, he trusted in God, and he was faithful to God.

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https://youtu.be/x9ZYpxUocFc 

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The Apostle Paul taught his churches that Jesus, the human Messiah, demonstrated faithful obedience to God. This week's episode will explore the christological implications of the human Jesus' obedience and faithfulness in the books of Galatians, Romans, and Ephesians.

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https://youtu.be/uymWXt3k6uY 

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To...

All four Gospel writers portray Jesus demonstrating faith in God. This week's episode will explore the christological implications of the human Jesus' obedience, his prayer life, and his confidence that God would vindicate him from death.

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https://youtu.be/TEHXvk7Fjy0 

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To view the note...

Is Colossians 1:15-20 about the original creation, the new creation, or both? In what way is Jesus involved in the creation of all things? This episode sets the christological hymn of Col 1:15-20 firmly in the context of Pauline theology, the argument of the Letter to the Colossians, and Jewish wisdom speculation before offering answers to these crucial questions.

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https://youtu.be/GtL_lSVuNM0 

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Later scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Romans to elevate its christology. This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the person of Jesus Christ.

To view the video version of this episode, go here:

https://youtu.be/GDN19SYTewU 

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Did you know that scribes altered and expanded Bishop Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians to over twice its original size? This week's episode will examine four of the most controversial additions to Ignatius' authentic letter to see how later editors corrupted his views of the local bishop and Christology. 

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To view the notes fr...

In what ways did later scribes modify and alter the authentic letter from Bishop Ignatius to Polycarp? This week's episode explores some of the additions, focusing on the development of the hierarchy of bishops, the elevated role of the bishop, and the description of Jesus as "our God Jesus Christ." We also examine what it might mean to refer to Christ as "God" in light of the principle of agency that is present in Scripture.

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Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in the first decade of the second century, making him one of the earliest Church Fathers. What did he believe about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit? These crucial questions are tackled after addressing the controversy surrounding which of his letters were authentically written by him. By drawing on the latest scholarship of Ignatian textual criticism, we can recover the beliefs of this ancient bishop, who appears to be a unitarian. 

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Recently, it has been argued that the double use of the title Lord in reference to Jesus ("Lord, Lord") is a claim to be the person of Adonai Yahweh. This week's episode examines such a claim, first by examining the Hebrew texts in question, then by exploring how the Gospel writers use the title "Lord" in different ways, and finally by interpreting the passages in question. In sum, Jesus is not claiming to be Adonai Yahweh. Instead, he is summoning his followers to obey his teachings and submit to his lordship. 

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Is Christ a genuine member of the human race? Some Catholic and Protestant apologists say, no, Jesus is not a real human person. The biblical authors, however, are adamant that Jesus is, in fact, a real human person. This week's episode explores the reasons behind the significant divide between New Testament theology and the Christology of apologists.

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It is often erroneously claimed that the early Church preached the doctrine of the Trinity from its inception. The Book of Acts is evidence to the contrary. This week's episode examines the sermons in the Book of Acts to see how Luke portrayed christology and Jesus' relationship to God. Spoiler alert: There is no Trinity in the Book of Acts. 

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How was Jesus able to perform so many miracles, teach boldly, and even forgive sins (an act typically reserved for God alone)? Answer: he possessed authority from God, which enabled and empowered him to do all these wondrous feats. This week's episode examines how the Gospel of Matthew illustrates Christ as a human being with whom God has shared his authority. 

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The early Christians did not relate to the Holy Spirit in trinitarian terms, and this observation can be confirmed along several lines of evidence. This week's episode examines how acts are offered to God (e.g., worship, prayer, sacrifice, praise, singing, talking) and draws attention to how no one in Scripture performs these same acts to the Holy Spirit. The resulting conclusion is that the biblical authors did not think of the Spirit as a distinct, conscious divine person alongside the Father. 

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This episode examines how the biblical authors in the Old and New Testaments personify the Holy Spirit. The personification of God's Spirit is often overlooked in favor of suggestions that the Spirit is a conscious, distinct person alongside the Father, but this is not the view of the biblical authors. We explore how God personifies His attributes, how He sends them as agents, and how the Holy Spirit fits within this context.

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Please consi...

In Scripture, the biblical authors often portray the Holy Spirit as the personal presence of Yahweh himself. This week's episode explores the crucial role of the Spirit of the Lord, highlighting how the Spirit serves as the extended presence of God as he abides among his people. We also discuss how this portrayal of the Spirit is at odds with Trinitarian theology.

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If the Holy Spirit is not the third person of the Trinity, what is it? This week's episode examines how the biblical authors repeatedly describe the Spirit of Yahweh as his power. God's powerful Holy Spirit is shown to be active in creation, empowering key human beings, and even equipping the human Jesus for his ministry as the Jewish Messiah.

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The latest data gathered by George Barna in 2025 indicates that belief in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is at an all-time low. This episode examines the data and the decline in Trinitarianism over the last decade. We discuss why fewer people believe in the Trinity and how unitarians can use this opportunity to share their truths.

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Agreeing with the slogan "Jesus is God" has recently become the litmus test for authentic Christians. The problem is that this phrase is nowhere to be found in Scripture, and Jesus never claimed to be God. This episode exposes the problems with the phrase "Jesus is God" by examining thirteen common proof texts to assess the strength of their contribution to Christology. Instead of the phrase "Jesus is God," we propose a more biblical statement: "Jesus is the son of God."

Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John:<...

Agreeing with the slogan "Jesus is God" has recently become the litmus test for authentic Christians. The problem is that this phrase is nowhere to be found in Scripture, and Jesus never claimed to be God. This episode exposes the problems with the phrase "Jesus is God" by examining thirteen common proof texts to assess the strength of their contribution to Christology. Instead of the phrase "Jesus is God," we propose a more biblical statement: "Jesus is the son of God."

Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John:<...

John 17:3 is a staple in arguments for biblical unitarianism (and a thorn in the side for any belief in God being more than one person). This week's episode is wholly committed to exegeting John 17:3, examining what it says about the only true God, what it says about Jesus, how it portrays Jesus as God's agent, and the eternal life these truths offer.

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How did Christ remain sinless during his earthly ministry? Is that an accomplishment that only God could achieve? This week's episode examines what the New Testament authors have to say about Jesus' sinlessness, particularly focusing on his unwavering obedience and faithfulness to his God and Father. 

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To view the notes from this episode please click t...

What did the author of the Epistle of Barnabas believe about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? This week's episode explores this important early second-century Christian document's theology, christology, and pneumatology. This epistle is notable for its attribution of personal preexistence to Jesus and its explicit denial that he is a descendant of King David. 

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Within the Book of Revelation, the Lord God and the Lamb are described as "Alpha and Omega." What does this title mean, and what significance does it have for Revelation's christology? This episode explores these important questions and demonstrates that the Lamb bears the title "Alpha and Omega" in his role as the Lord God's agent.

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Does Jude 5 say that "Jesus" rescued the Israelites, or does it say that "the Lord" rescued them? Jude 5 possesses an interesting textual variant that some argue points to Jesus' preexistence. This week's episode will examine all the relevant data to determine what Jude 5 originally said about the one who rescued Israel during the Exodus period.

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How do the Dead Sea Scrolls help inform New Testament Christology? In the Genesis Apocryphon, also known as 1Q20, we see a human being in whom God's wisdom has become embodied. This is the very same theology taught by Jesus and the early Christians, namely that Christ himself was the enfleshment of God's personified wisdom. This week's episode introduces this important Qumran document and demonstrates how it helps create the context from which the New Testament authors inherited their wisdom Christology.  

Visit Amazon to buy your copy of my book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: Duration: 00:35:52

This week's episode examines how the narrative of the Gospel of Matthew slowly reveals the role of the messianic son of God as a figure who must suffer and be rejected in accordance with the will of God. We look at how Jesus responds to the accusation of being a rebellious son, how the Transfiguration reinforces Jesus as the promised messiah to whom the disciples owe their allegiance, and the way that narrative both closes and opens with a triple temptation concerning Jesus' sonship. Jesus is condemned for being perceived as a disobedient son, a messianic pretender, but he...

How does the Gospel of Matthew portray Jesus as the "son of God" as he relates to Yahweh, the nation of Israel, and his disciples? Moreover, what does it mean that Jesus calls his disciples "sons of God"? This episode begins the task of exploring the theme of sonship in Matthew, noting how an ideal son of God is obedient to the true God--whom Jesus defined as "our Father."  

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What did Justin Martyr, the second-century Platonic philosopher who converted to a Christian apologist, believe about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit? Did Justin think that Jesus was the true God or that he was a second, lesser god whom the true God created? Were the Father, Son, and Spirit regarded within Justin's theology as coequal, or were they set in a hierarchy? Did Justin condemn Biblical Unitarian Christians, or did he tolerate their beliefs? This episode explores these crucial questions, looking directly at the Greek text in order to draw our conclusions. 

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Is Jesus "the beginning of God's creation" or "the ruler of God's creation" in Rev 3:14? This episode sets this passage in its context, follows the author's patterns, and offers reasons why the correct translation of this ambiguous passage is "ruler" (not "beginning"). 

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To view the notes from this episode please click the link below: Duration: 00:25:51

Proverbs 30:4 is sometimes pointed to as proof that Jesus, the son of God, was conscious and alive during the Old Testament. This episode explores Prov. 30:4, sets it in its context, and discerns the identity of the son. We also closely interact with the argument that this refers to a preexistent son of God, showing by many proofs and reasons that this interpretation is highly unlikely.

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Since 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which took place in 325 AD, many have begun to reflect on its significance and lasting legacy. Unfortunately, several assertions commonly tossed around about what really took place at Nicaea are simply untrue. This episode examines facts and fiction surrounding the noteworthy church council of the year 325 to help listeners become more well-informed about this key historical event. 

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Partitive Exegesis is the interpretive strategy of reading into the texts of Scripture the doctrine of Christ's Two Natures, attributing to some things Jesus did as pertaining to his human nature and other things to Jesus' divine nature. This week's episode shows how key figures in the fourth and fifth centuries employed partitive exegesis in their understanding of Christology. We also examine the New Testament to demonstrate why partitive exegesis distorts the Bible's portrayal of Jesus rather than responsibly explaining its original meaning. 

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1 John 5:20 is one of the handful of grammatically ambiguous passages in the New Testament that either calls Jesus "God" (theos) or distinguishes Jesus from God. This week's episode examines the passage as neutrally and fairly as possible to determine whether Jesus is called "the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20 will be set in the broader context of the entire book and the context of Johannine literature as a whole before deciding on the key theological matter.

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While Jews and Unitarian Christians have traditionally argued from Deut 6:4 that God is only one person, several Trinitarian apologists and internet theologians have insisted that "echad" (the Hebrew word for "one") refers to a compound unity of multiple persons. This episode examines the cardinal Hebrew number one ("echad") to determine if it is a word possessing the meaning of compound unity. After digging deep into the lexicons and dictionaries, we listen to the best arguments put forth by Trinitarians in favor of "echad" referring to a plurality of subjects. The results are, let's say, less than compelling for the...

Far too often, the biblical unitarian view of Jesus Christ is mocked as a "mere man." This episode seeks to correct this straw-man portrayal by looking at how the Old Testament authors described the coming messianic king. We examine six Old Testament passages that describe many ways in which Yahweh promises to empower, authorize, and establish the anticipated son of David as his human agent.

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This week's episode explores the various throne room visions in order to locate Jesus Christ. While the early Christians were united in their belief that the risen and exalted Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, the Old Testament throne room visions offer a different picture. We examine the continuity and discontinuity between the Old Testament portrayals and the New Testament portrayals as we seek to discern whether Jesus was in heaven before his birth.

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This week's episode examines the Megiddo Mosaic that reportedly bears an inscription calling Jesus "God Jesus Christ." This mosaic, crafted around the year 230 AD, has been recently hyped for promotional purposes, but a lot of fiction is being reported about its meaning and significance. This episode separates the wheat from the chaff, sets the mosaic in its context, and discerns the meaning of all three inscriptions. We also ask the relevant question of what Christians in the year 230 meant when they called Jesus "God."

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Does the Gospel of Matthew use typology to portray Jesus Christ as the new Jeremiah? When Jesus asked about what people were saying concerning the Son of Man, some responded that Jesus was like Jeremiah. This episode explores the extent to which Matthew deliberately illustrates Jesus in terms of the preaching, symbolic actions, and attitude towards the temple that the prophet Jeremiah exhibited. 

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This episode demonstrates that the Gospel of John presents Jesus Christ as thoroughly human--as a genuine member of the human race. Despite claims that the Fourth Gospel presents a high divine christology, the data indicates that Jesus is called a human being, he calls himself a human being, he has normal human limitations, and he dies the death of a human person. At no point in the Gospel of John does the narrator attempt to qualify this humanity as only partial or perceived. The Johannine Jesus is fully human.

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Is Jesus Christ fully God and fully man? Is the christology present in the creed of Chalcedon thoroughly biblical? This episode examines what it means to be "God" and what it means to be "human" in order to discern whether the doctrine of the two natures of Christ is logically coherent. Spoiler alert: it isn't.

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This episode examines a clear, straightforward argument that demonstrates that the Apostle Paul was a unitarian Christian, believing and teaching his churches that God is only one person, the Father alone. We examine this argument within Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Galatians, noting that Paul is following Jesus himself, who identified God as "Abba, Father." Lastly, we note how Paul's unitary monotheism was conveyed to the pagans who converted in Thessalonica. Paul, clearly, did not possess any understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. 

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This week's episode explores the Texas Sharpshooter fallacy, which takes place when someone selectively gathers a pattern of data while at the same time ignoring all data that points to a different conclusion. This selective use of verses occurs often in arguments in favor of the Trinity and the full divinity of Christ, and we discuss some of the most common appearances of the fallacy. Finally, we offer four tips to avoid committing this logical fallacy in our own studies. 

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The Middle Ground Fallacy occurs when someone insists that, despite the evidence provided, the best solution is to meet in the middle of what both sides have presented. This compromise often occurs in discussions of christology, the Trinity, and the development of Christ in church history, but it is entirely fallacious. After examining several examples and familiarizing ourselves with the fallacy's error, we offer five tips to help avoid committing the Middle Ground Fallacy.

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This week, we discuss the Ambiguity Fallacy, which is also known as "equivocation." The ambiguity fallacy is committed when someone, knowingly or unknowingly, uses an ambiguous term or phrase in more than one sense within an argument, leading to confusion and incoherence by conflating distinct meanings. We discuss several ways that this fallacy gets committed in christological debates and discussions. We conclude by offering several tips to avoid mistakenly committing the ambiguity fallacy in our discussions with others. 

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This week's episode discusses the genetic fallacy, which occurs when someone accepts or rejects an argument solely on the basis of the source or origin. We discuss how this fallacy occurs far too often in biblical studies, with interpreters blindly accepting the claims of their favorite theologian or dismissing all claims from those whom we deem untrustworthy. In both of these instances, the actual arguments, evidence provided, and logic are completely ignored. Finally, we offer several tips to help us avoid committing this genetic fallacy, allowing us to become better listeners who treat others with fair-mindedness. 

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This week's episode explores the False Cause fallacy, which occurs when it is assumed without evidence that one event caused the following event. After looking at several ways people get away with this fallacy in arguments about the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, we offer six helpful tips to help listeners avoid using it in daily practice. 

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This week's episode explores the inner workings of the Appeal to Emotion Fallacy, which occurs when someone manipulates emotions in place of presenting valid reasoning to support their argument. We talk about common ways that this rears its ugly head, both in popular discourse and in debates about the Trinity. Lastly, we offer several tips to help avoid making this fallacious mistake. 

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The ad hominem fallacy happens when we attack someone's character or label them as a "heretic" rather than engaging their arguments. This week's episode will explore the ad hominem fallacy, discuss how it gets abused in christological debates (past and present), and offer several tips to help us avoid committing this fallacy ourselves.

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This is my presentation from the 2024 Unitarian Christian Alliance conference in the UK. I discuss the Jewish principle of agency and its relevance and demonstrate how the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as the authorized agent of the only true God. The video version of this presentation, which includes the Q&A that followed my talk, will be released on the UCA YouTube channel in a few weeks. A link to the paper I presented is in the show notes.

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This week, we are studying the fallacy of personal incredulity, which takes place when someone dismisses a claim simply because they are unable to understand it or find it difficult to believe. We examine several instances of personal incredulity fallacies in our modern culture, many of which are indeed complex, but are often dismissed because people do not take the time to examine the evidence themselves. We also survey many examples of this fallacy occurring in discussions about God, the Trinity, and Christ. Finally, we discuss six tips to avoid committing this fallacy. 

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This episode explores the Burden-of-Proof fallacy, which occurs when someone attempts to make an argument by shifting the responsibility of disproving a claim to the dialogue partner, rather than offering evidence and data to support the initial claim. We discuss how this fallacy keeps popping up in discussions about the Trinity and the deity of Christ. Finally, we offer five helpful tips to argue more effectively without falling prey to the Burden-of-Proof fallacy. 

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The fallacy of the False Dichotomy frequently occurs in debates about Christology and the Trinity. This fallacy is defined as an argument that offers only two extreme choices, while simultaneously ignoring any other reasonable alternatives. This week's episode explores how the false dichotomy fallacy appears in modern culture before examining its common appearances in christological debates. Finally, we discuss various tips to help avoid falling prey to committing false dichotomies. 

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This week's episode explores the logical fallacy of begging the question. This fallacy occurs when the premise is assumed in the conclusion, without offering any evidence or data to prove the conclusion. We examine common instances of begging the question in the culture and debates about Christology. Finally, we provide several tips to avoid falling prey to this fallacious form of argumentation.

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Please consider supporting this Podcast and future projects by donating at: Duration: 00:29:35

This week's episode examines the Anecdotal fallacy, which occurs when someone draws on personal experience or an isolated piece of evidence while neglecting the larger body of data on a subject. We discuss examples of this fallacy being committed, both in common practice and in discussions about God, Christ, and the history of the Trinity. Lastly, we offer several concrete ways to avoid using anecdotal evidence in your own research.

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This week's episode examines the "No True Scotsman" fallacy, which commonly occurs in debates about christology, the deity of Christ, and the Trinity. We define the fallacy, show examples of it regularly appearing in biblical debates, and demonstrate why it is fallacious. Finally, we offer five tips to help our listeners avoid committing this logical fallacy, thereby improving the consistency of arguments and exchanges with others who think differently.

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The logical fallacy "Appeal to Authority" occurs when someone points to the opinion of an expert, scholar, or institution without considering the merits of their argument. This week's episode helps readers identify when this fallacy takes place, especially in arguments about God, Christology, and the origins of the Trinity. We also discuss the difference between this fallacy and the consensus arrived at by modern scholars. Lastly, we offer several tips to avoid falling prey to this fallacy. 

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This episode explores the Bandwagon Fallacy, which occurs when someone points to the popularity of a belief, issue, or person to the exclusion of evidence, reason, or logical arguments. We point to some of the most common expressions of the Bandwagon Fallacy, especially those used to argue for the Trinity. We also differentiate between the fallacy and a scholarly consensus, discussing why the two should not be confused. Lastly, we offer several tips to avoid committing the Bandwagon Fallacy.

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In debates and discussions about the Trinity and the identity of God, the fallacy of special pleading (or "moving the goalposts") often occurs. This fallacy takes place when one person changes the conditions or definition of their original argument when a counter-argument has met the original conditions, resulting in the original claim being moved farther away in order to avoid admitting the strength of the counter-argument. This week's episode offers several examples of the case of special pleading in debates about God and Christ, shows why they are unhelpful in having charitable conversations, and offers tips on avoiding this...

This week's episode begins a new series that examines common logical fallacies used in debates about God and Christ. The Straw Man fallacy occurs when one misrepresents, either intentionally or unintentionally, the argument of their opponent in a manner that makes it easier to knock down. This results in the actual argument getting ignored and the discussion stalling. We discuss common straw man fallacies that occur in christological debates and offer several tips to avoid committing this fallacy with others. 

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Having given sufficient attention to the Jewish Principle of Agency in the previous seven episodes, we can now turn and examine the role of agent that John the Baptist played in the four New Testament gospel accounts. This episode explores the many ways in which John the Baptist functioned as an authoritative agent of the God of Israel, including the fulfillment of scripture, offering forgiveness apart from the temple, and anticipating the soon-to-come Messiah.  

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As we bring our study of the Jewish Principle of Agency to a close, we take the opportunity to examine the sixth and final tenet, a commissioned agent can authorize his or her own agents. After looking at the Jewish context and some examples of this tenet, we turn to the Gospel of John to better understand why Jesus, the agent of God, commissioned forth further agents. These agents include the original disciples, the Spirit, and the ideal readers of the Gospel of John. 

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According to the Jewish Principle of Agency, upon completion of his or her mission, the agent needed to return to the sender. This episode explores how Jesus functions as the agent of God in light of the context of this particular tenet, especially as it relates to the bodily ascension of Jesus. We consider why the Gospel of John has the most references to the ascension of Jesus, while also examining Jesus as the embodiment of God's personified word and wisdom. 

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As we examine the fourth tenet of the Jewish Principle of Agency, we discover that the relationship between the principal and the agent requires an obedient posture. The one who is sent must obey the will of the sender, honoring the mission at the expense of his own interests. After situating this tenet in its Jewish context, we turn to the Gospel of John to witness several ways in which Jesus willingly obeys the mission for which God has sent him. The Johannine Jesus is not coequal with God. 

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This week's episode explores the tenet in the Jewish Principle of Agency that recognizes the subordinate status of the agent (shaliach) of the sender (principal). We discuss the different agents that the true God uses in Scripture and their qualifications, and we even talk about who the most qualified agents were known to be. Lastly, we examine the Gospel of John's portrayal of Jesus as the human agent of the only true God to see how this subordination functioned. 

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As we continue our series on the Jewish Principle of Agency, we explore in this episode the ways in which the commissioned agent carried out the judicial roles and responsibilities of his sender. We look closely at how human judges function as agents of God, to the point where they are even called "God." Then, we dive into the Old Testament and New Testament to survey how human agents share in God's judicial role as the cosmic judge of all the earth.

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The first tenet of the Jewish Principle of Agency is that the agent fully represents the sender. This episode examines the evidence for this concept within the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud, and the New Testament. We also explore some of the most noteworthy agents of Yahweh in the Bible, including heavenly angels, prophets, kings, judges, and Jesus himself.

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Scholars have long noted the similarities between the regular depiction of God sending prophets, messengers, and even the Messiah, with the Jewish principle of agency. This episode introduces the Jewish principle of agency and offers an overview of its six major tenets. Over the next six episodes, we will examine evidence for each of the tenets of Jewish understandings of agency within the biblical texts of Scripture. 

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My book, Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John, is now available. In this week's episode, I talk about why I wrote it, how I organized the material, and what you can expect in each chapter. If you are on the fence about buying it, or if you want to know more about how I organized the material, then this episode is for you.

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As we continue working through Alan Segal's arguments in favor of early Christian views of the Two Powers in Heaven heresy, we come to the Gospel of John. We explore the texts that Segal points to as evidence for the belief in Two Powers. In doing so, we interact with his arguments, weigh them for persuasiveness, and consider some of the much-needed evidence concerning monotheism that Segal conveniently neglects from his assessment of the Gospel of John. The resulting assessment is that the Gospel of John attests to a Christian view of monotheism that is in essential agreement with...

Did the Apostle Paul teach something resembling the heresy of Two Powers in Heaven that the later Jewish rabbis rejected? This episode interacts with Alan Segal's interpretation of three key Pauline texts where Paul may (or may not) be guilty of promoting Jesus as the second power in heaven. After dialoguing with Segal's reading of Paul, we offer a summary of what Paul did in fact teach about God's oneness, Jesus' humanity, and Jesus' subordination to the one God. 

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Did Philo, the first-century Jew, believe and teach that there were actually two Gods in heaven? What does Philo mean when he talks about the "two powers" of God? This week's episode explores the complex theology of this prolific first-century theologian in order to better understand how Jewish monotheism was conveyed through the lens of a Middle Platonist. We interact with Alan Segal's book Two Powers in Heaven and assess his conclusions about the early dating of this heretical view.

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The seminal work by Alan Segal, Two Powers in Heaven, has made a demonstrable impact on how interpreters understand Jewish monotheism and early Christian views of the exalted Jesus. This episode introduces the topic of the Two Powers heresy. We examine three passages from rabbinical literature in order to better understand this peculiar heresy, who might have been promoting it, and what sort of passages were being cited in support of it. We also look closely at the Jewish scriptural response to the Two Powers heresy. 

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This episode interacts with a recently published article in the journal Novum Testamentum 66 (2024) entitled "Jesus’s Solidarity with Human Mortality and Perfection of Sonship in the Epistle to the Hebrews." The author draws attention to an overlooked argument in Hebrews, specifically in the manner in which the mortality of Jesus--the son of God--is set in parallel to the mortality of the original recipients of Hebrews. Both the son of God and the readers have joy set before them, submit to righteous behavior, and are promised an exalted inheritance for doing so. I discuss the findings of this article and sh...

Deuteronomy 18:22 indicates that a presumptuous prophet is not to be feared. How does the theme of fear relate to those who hear Jesus’ prophetic preaching in the Gospel of John? Is Jesus feared, and if not, who is feared, and for what reason? Instead of ignoring Jesus as a presumably false prophet, why do some criticize him and his hometown anyway? And how are those who call for Jesus to be put to death for speaking presumptuously portrayed when it comes to their pious practices towards the God of Israel? This episode explores these overlooked topics in the Gospel of...

If Deut. 18:21-22 gives a litmus test to determine the legitimacy of a prophet's status, how does the Gospel of John frame the portrayal of Jesus in a manner that both anticipates this test and answers it? This week's episode demonstrates how Jesus' status as the prophet like Moses in whom Yahweh has placed his words is true. By examining the testimony of John the Baptist, the emphasis on the fulfillment of the Hebrew Bible, the things said by Jesus that come true, and the ironic statements by Caiaphas and Pilate, we discern that Jesus is the promised Jewish...

Although the Gospel of John paints a thorough picture of Jesus as the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15-19), many of those who rejected Jesus regarded him as a false prophet who spoke presumptuously in the name of Yahweh (Deut. 18:20). This episode traces the many ways in which the narrative of the Gospel of John is framed around the warning in Deut 18:20, focusing specifically on what Jesus said that led so many to consider him a messianic pretender, resulting in being put to death.

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In our ongoing series that seeks to understand how Deut. 18:15-22 has shaped the depiction of Jesus in the Gospel of John, we focus this week on 18:19. This passage threatens the judgment of God upon those who do not heed the prophet in whom Yahweh has placed his authoritative words and commands. We demonstrate three ways in which those who refuse to listen to the prophet Jesus are called to account in the Fourth Gospel. 

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