A Gentle Ramble Through the Bible - Chronologically

A Gentle Ramble Through the Bible - Chronologically

by Pastor Gayle Evers

171 Paul-Maybe-Not-Paul - Colossians

The author of Colossians purports to be Paul, but scholars are divided (roughly 50/50) as to whether this is the case or not. In this class we take a look at the material in question and compare it to Paul’s other letters. We track everything on a Colossians Scorecard and then talk about what we think and how, therefore, we should approach Colossians. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

172 Paul-Maybe-Not-Paul - Ephesians (Part 1)

Ephesians is a lot like Colossians, but more extreme. Even fewer scholars think Ephesians was written by Paul. You’ll see why. The author tends to start from something Paul might have said but then blasts it upwards into a great, big, cosmic vision of kingship and domination. This, perhaps more than any other book, may have planted the seeds of Imperialism in Christianity. We track everything on an Ephesians Scorecard and then talk about what we think and how, therefore, we should approach this book. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

173 Paul-Maybe-Not-Paul - Ephesians (Part 2) & 2 Thessalonians

We finish up Ephesians and move on to 2 Thessalonians. We’re spiraling downward in terms of Pauline authenticity. 2 Thessalonians takes a very different view of the End Times than that taught by Paul. Paul saw the coming of Christ as imminent--any minute now, don’t make plans, don’t get married, etc. But the writer of 2 Thessalonians says a “man of lawlessness” will be unleashed upon the earth and will set himself up as “God” before Jesus even shows up. Yikes! We track everything on our Ephesians Scorecard and our 2 Thessalonians Scorecard then talk about what we think and how, therefore, we should approach these books. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

174 Paul-Maybe-Not-Paul - The Pastoral Epistles (Part 1)

1&2 Timothy and Titus are called “The Pastoral Epistles,” and it’s easy to see from the writing style that they are all written by the same person. We’ll look at how the content of the epistles dovetail (or don’t) with Paul’s travels as related in his authentic letters and in Acts. We examine some of the things the author says about himself and ask ourselves if this is something Paul would say about himself. Then we take a birds-eye view of the author’s diatribes against false teachers. The author paints an alarming picture of their effect on the Christian communities. If the author wasn’t Paul, was he himself a “false teacher”? We track everything on an Pastoral Epistles Scorecard and then talk about what we think and how, therefore, we should approach these books. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

175 Paul-Maybe-Not-Paul - The Pastoral Epistles (Part 2)

We wrap up the series by looking at what the author of the Pastoral Epistles has to say about Church governance and household governance. We give some thought to both the roots and the fruits of these teachings. We track everything on an Pastoral Epistles Scorecard and then talk about what we think and how, therefore, we should approach these books. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

176 Hebrews - Who Is Jesus?

Written by a devout Jew to Jewish believers, the unknown author of this book dives into the burning questions of the day: Who is Jesus in relation to God, to the angels, to us, and to Judaism itself? Remember that it will be several hundred more years before the early Christian church settles the question as to whether Jesus was divine, human, a mixture of the two, or something else entirely. We’ve had the official answer for thousands of years now, but it is fascinating to follow this author as he wrestles with this dilemma in real time. We cover Hebrews 1 and 2. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

177 Hebrews - Jesus as High Priest

The author of Hebrews sees Jesus as the ideal High Priest. He is first and foremost wholly human so he can understand our trials. But he is not just any old high priest, he is the mediator of the new covenant, the one foretold in the Hebrew Bible where God promises that we will all know him because he will write his law in our hearts and our minds. No more need for books or teachers! It’s important to recognize the switch in metaphors from that of the Paschal (Passover) Lamb used by Jesus and John to that of the Lamb of Atonement used by the writer of Hebrews. They are two completely different metaphors and yield completely different results. We cover: Hebrews 5:1 thru 6:20 Hebrews 7:1 thru 9:15 A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

178 Hebrews - Atonement & Faith (Part 1)

We get to the “meat” of the author’s theology around Jesus and the Law. It’s interesting that the author sees Jesus in his humanity as needing to be “perfected” and to learn obedience through suffering. If even Jesus fell short as a human, you can imagine the author’s view of us! It is from him that we get theology of unforgiveness--if you once know the Holy Spirit and then sin willfully, there is no forgiveness for you. For this author, God is supremely angry and only bloodshed, specifically that of Jesus, can appease him. And yet, even still, there are moments of beauty in Hebrews. We touch on some of those in this lesson. We cover: Hebrews 3 thru 4 Hebrews 9:16 thru 11:27 A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

179 Hebrews - Faith (Part 2)

We finish up Hebrews 11, the Faith Chapter, with a look at some rather shocking examples the author selects. Chapter 12 has more of the author’s particular theology. As we’ve come to realize, this author views God as a harsh, authoritarian parent. Nevertheless, we end our study of the book with a final chapter that is surprisingly full of exhortation and blessing. We cover Hebrews 11:28 thru 13:25. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

180 The Other Apostles - James

The book of James is only 5 chapters long but it is one of the most beautiful books in Scripture. Unfortunately, his writing style is so choppy and disorganized that it’s easy to lose his train of thought and it can come across as a bunch of random pontificating. In this class we take a completely new approach. We gather everything James has to say about Faith, Perseverance, and Humility by theme and by topic. Through this lens his message is breathtaking. James echoes the words of Jesus as he paints a picture of our merciful, compassionate God who calls us out of our consumerism and jealousy into a life of peace and righteousness. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. Click here for an index of all classes. More info at PastorintheWild.org.

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