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John and Ron are back! This time they address a passage that includes one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. This isn’t the first time they’ve looked at the Gospel of John, though, and the themes they identified before are clearly evident when Nicodemus visits Jesus. The post The Conversation Behind John 3:16 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

In Part 2 of The Psalms We Skip, Ron and John turn to the New Testament and ask how Christians should read the imprecatory psalms in light of Jesus, the cross, and the gospel. Along the way, they explore enemy-love, divine justice, and how the church can still pray these difficult texts as Scripture. It will come as no surprise that they conclude Christians have to take the Bible as a whole, and there is no skipping the hard parts! The post The Psalms We Skip, Part 2 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

Some psalms go beyond simply asking God for help. They demand judgment—and they do it in violent terms. In this episode, John and Ron approach these imprecatory psalms head-on. What are these prayers doing in the Psalms? Why do Christians struggle with them? And, how do we read them without either excusing vengeance or pretending Jesus canceled these Psalms when he taught, “love your enemies.” The post The Psalms We Skip, Part 1 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

Ron and John kick off Season 7 by revisiting some Orthodocs.faith basics. They reintroduce themselves as your hosts, clarify what the podcast aims to do, and explain why so much energy goes into the “heavy lifting” of careful reading, solid context, and clear theology. Along the way, you’ll get a peek at how an episode comes together—and a quick preview of what’s next this season. The post Two Docs, One Text: Shop Talk appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

Ron and John conclude Season 6 of Orthodocs.faith with one of the most dramatic missionary stories of the early Middle Ages. They follow Boniface in northern Europe to the Oak of Thor—his axe raised, a crowd watching, and a test of the gods brewing. Was it courageous proclamation to cut down the sacred oak—or cultural vandalism? Join in as they ask what faithful witness looks like when the gospel confronts rival worship head-on. The post Missionary Work, Medieval Style: Part 3 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

In Part 2 of Missionary Work, Medieval Style, John and Ron trace Gregory the Great’s mission to Britain in the early 600s. At the center is King Ethelbert of Kent and the monks who arrive in his territory asking to preach. How does a pagan king respond—and what unfolds next? Featured image: James William Edmund Doyle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The post Missionary Work, Medieval Style: Part 2 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

Ron and John are back with a new series: Missionary Work, Medieval Style. In this premiere, they tell some stories that you likely haven’t heard. The accounts range from chilling to inspiring, but the guiding question is, “Where is the Holy Spirit at work here?” Travel with them into the mysterious world of the early Middle Ages, and see how Christians tried to live out their witness. The post Missionary Work, Medieval Style: Part 1 appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

How has the Church understood and practiced wisdom across the centuries? In this series finale, Ron and John move from Acts 6 and the Wisdom of Solomon, through Augustine and Aquinas, to Luther and Calvin. From there, they turn to today’s church to show how wisdom shapes our common life: What does a wise congregation look like? The post Wisdom Walks, pt 3: Wisdom in the Church’s Life appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

What does the New Testament have to say about wisdom—and how does it build on the rich tradition of the Old Testament? In this episode, Ron and John explore Jesus and wisdom, from the Sermon on the Mount to Paul’s claim that Christ crucified is “the wisdom of God.” Along the way, they trace how New Testament wisdom moves from parable to cross to creation itself. The post Wisdom Walks, pt 2: Jesus, the Wisdom of God appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

John and Ron begin their summer series on wisdom in the scripture. They start with a look at wisdom in the Old Testament, including the books traditionally called “wisdom literature” along with some narrative pictures of wisdom. They also dig into the meaning of the phrase, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and then examine how Israel’s idea of wisdom stacks up against other ancient Near Eastern traditions. The post Wisdom Walks, pt 1: Old Testament Foundations appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

With this episode, John and Ron conclude their series on the creeds. They look briefly at the Athanasian Creed and then discuss the influence of the creeds on several Protestant doctrinal statements. The post The Creeds, pt 5: Impact appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

John and Ron take the next step in their series on the creeds by looking at the Chalcedonian definition. Nicaea definitively answered some questions, but it left others wide open. How do the human and divine natures combine in Jesus Christ? How do Christians talk about that? That’s where Chalcedon picks [...] The post The Creeds, pt 4: Chalcedon appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

John and Ron move to the fourth century in this episode, a time of extraordinary historical intrigue and passionate disagreements. They survey just a few of the events that make the century so pivotal. They also introduce the Nicene Creed and the fundamental theological questions it addressed. Featured image “Constantine – by [...] The post The Creeds, pt 3: Nicene Creed appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

John and Ron continue their series on the creeds, and in this episode they look at the Apostles’ Creed. What is it? Where did it come from? What does it have to say? They also cue up their next episode by briefly covering the historical drama that led up to the fourth century. You [...] The post The Creeds, pt 2: Apostles’ Creed appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

In this episode, Ron and John kick off their new series on the creeds by exploring their roots in the Bible and early Christian tradition. What is the relationship between early Christian creeds and scripture? How did they develop? They look at work by the second-century Christian figure Irenaeus and [...] The post The Creeds, pt 1: An Early Blueprint appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.