Making Jesus the Lens: Reframing the Old Testament, Divine Violence, and Scripture - w/ Tim Mackie

How does viewing the Bible through the lens of Jesus transform our understanding of scripture, inspiration, and divine violence? In the third installment of the Voxology Scripture Series, Mike and Tim welcome Bible Project co-founder and Hebrew Bible scholar Tim Mackie for a deep dive into the literary brilliance of the Bible, the cultural context of the Old Testament, and why grounding our reading in the person of Jesus changes everything.

Mackie reflects on his personal journey—from a disillusioned teen and skateboarder to becoming a Bible nerd and seminary professor—and explains why approaching the Bible through Jesus opened his eyes to its beauty, complexity, and unified message. This episode builds on previous conversations with guests Rob Bell and Greg Boyd, bringing yet another thoughtful perspective on how Christians can faithfully wrestle with tough questions, like divine violence, inspiration, and the evolving formation of scripture.

Key Takeaways: • Jesus as the Interpretive Center – Why starting with Jesus reshapes how we understand the entire Bible and challenges the notion that God changes from the Old to New Testament. • Divine Violence in Context – How the cultural setting of ancient Israel and the concept of God “stooping” to work with human limitations help frame disturbing Old Testament narratives. • Inspiration Without Inerrancy – Differentiating between dictation-style inspiration and a collaborative, Spirit-filled literary process that includes flawed humans yet remains divinely guided. • The Bible as Quilt, Not Tablet – Why scripture is more like a multi-generational quilt than abstract doctrine, revealing God’s story through fragmented and beautiful human voices. • Faith as Wrestling – Embracing doubt and questions as part of a vibrant, lifelong engagement with God’s story and a deeper encounter with the person of Jesus.

Guest Highlight: Tim Mackie – Co-founder of the Bible Project, seminary professor, and Bible translator. Tim unpacks how the Bible is a unified, literary work pointing to Jesus, and how understanding its original Jewish context transforms our view of scripture. His insights bridge historical scholarship and profound pastoral wisdom.

Resources Mentioned: • The Bible Project – bibleproject.com • Greg Boyd's ‘Crucifixion of the Warrior God’ – [Link] • Rob Bell’s ‘What is the Bible?’ – [Link] • The Septuagint & Dead Sea Scrolls – Resources on scripture formation and translation [Link] • Tim Mackie on YouTube – BibleProject YouTube Channel

Join us as we reconsider scripture’s shape, meaning, and authority in light of Jesus. Wrestling with the Bible doesn’t diminish our faith—it deepens it. Have questions or reflections? Don’t hesitate to reach out and share your journey as we navigate these sacred texts together.

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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