Believing the Unbelievable with Dr. Nijay K. Gupta - Episode 867

Mar 4, 2024

Dr. Nijay Gupta discusses the uniqueness of early Christians, the mystery of God and time, and the reputation problem of Christianity. The episode dives into the challenging nature of early Christianity, the dedication of Paul to his spiritual mission, and the motivations behind acts of grace and healing by the apostles. Contrasts between Roman traditions and Christian practices are explored, emphasizing the transformative impact of empathy and service in sharing the gospel.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 3min

Exploring Women Prophets in Biblical Narratives

03:26 • 22min

Exploring the Dangerous and Compelling Nature of Early Christianity

25:01 • 3min

Diverse Sponsorship and Biblical Question

27:39 • 5min

Unwavering Dedication to Spiritual Mission

32:15 • 12min

Exploring the Motivations Behind Acts of Grace and Healing

43:48 • 2min

Contrasting Roman Traditions with Early Christian Practices

45:34 • 24min

Our friend and one of our favorite theologians around here, Dr. Nijay Gupta, is back! If you're like me and geek out when talking all things Scripture, I think you're really going to love this episode. Not only is Dr. Nijay a professor of New Testament, but he’s also a senior translator for the NLT Bible, the New Living Translation, which we’re using for the month of April on Let’s Read the Gospels. So clearly this is our guy for all our questions! Today we talked about the first Christians being so different from Roman culture, the mystery of God and time, and the reputation problem of Christianity. Dr. Nijay is just so brilliant! Be sure to grab a copy of his newest book, Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling.

. . . . .

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!

. . . .

The ⁠⁠Let's Read the Gospels Journal⁠⁠ is available everywhere starting tomorrow! Grab a copy for yourself and a friend.

. . . .

Find more fun things on this episode by going to anniefdowns.com/thatsoundsfun.

. . . .

Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE.

Go to https://anniefdowns.com/gospels to download your 2024 January - March Reading Plan or purchase the 2023 Let’s Read the Gospels Guidebook.

. . . . .

Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single?

. . . . .

#thatsoundsfunpodcast

. . . . .

Thank you to our sponsors!

Athletic Greens: Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase exclusively at drinkAG1.com/soundsfun.

Shopify: Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at Shopify.com/soundsfun.

. . . . .

If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form!

. . . . .

NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of the That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices