Disciple Dojo

Reading the Bible can be a really daunting challenge…kind of like becoming a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! Fortunately, these are two of the subjects that we are most acquainted with here at Disciple Dojo! Here are 7 tips from JM on how to begin your Bible reading journey—which, like Jiu-Jitsu, is a lifelong journey that you can never truly master! For more on our #RefugeeJitsu outreach head over to www.discipledojo.org/refugee and see what we’re doing here in Charlotte and how you can help! Check out our Disciple Dojo shirts and gifts (including the OT Timeline mug!) over in our online store! - https://tinyurl.com/24ncuas2 Recommended resources mentioned in this video: * Disciple Dojo video courses (including Bible for the Rest of Us): https://www.discipledojo.org/video * DiscipleDojo Study Bible Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4bbdsVUgfc7nIxU9OhCD1-krAb9aDoza * The Old Testament in Under and Hour: https://youtu.be/Q1_YDszB9Yo * Write in Your Bible: https://youtu.be/3y3jmlqeskM * My Top 7 Study Bibles: https://youtu.be/KHCzZ0hjYAU * Bible Speaks Today commentary series: https://tinyurl.com/35fhh2y6 * How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: https://tinyurl.com/2pn8znkz * How to Read the Bible Book by Book: https://tinyurl.com/mrx92w66 * Bible Dictionaries: * Nelson’s: https://tinyurl.com/9w2u55uz * Holman’s: https://tinyurl.com/ybfrepd8 * Zondervan’s: https://tinyurl.com/y7frbe26 * Tyndale’s: https://tinyurl.com/8th8pjpn * Eerdman’s: https://tinyurl.com/5666x6z7 * Baker’s: https://tinyurl.com/2s35pzjt * IVP’s: https://tinyurl.com/4my4thsm ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org   Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions:  SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7   iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=181458&refid=stpr   Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet   Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from our free resources at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

Years ago I read the book "The Gospel of Ruth" and was blown away by how good of a study it was on an often-misread or overlooked book tucked away in the Hebrew Bible. So when Carolyn agreed to step into the Dojo for a discussion, I was thrilled to have her! For those who are meeting her for the first time, Carolyn Custis James is an author, speaker, and adjunct faculty member at Missio Seminary in Philadelphia. She is a consulting editor for Zondervan’s Exegetical Commentary Series on the New Testament and in 2013, Christianity Today named her one of the 50 evangelical women to watch. She can be reached via her website at https://carolyncustisjames.com or on Twitter at @carolynezer Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:56 - Carolyn & Wonder Woman 00:03:29 - The best book on Ruth I've ever read 00:05:38 - Put some respect on Boaz's name 00:09:06 - Ruth and female initiative in leadership 00:12:37 - Patriarchy in the Biblical world 00:18:29 - How Christians misread the book of Ruth 00:33:04 - The Law as an opportunity for "hesed" 00:39:48 - Finding God in the Margins 00:43:20 - Mistranslating the Hebrew term 'Ezer 00:52:21 - One of the funniest texts in the Bible 00:54:12 - "Malestrom" as a Biblical response to patriarchy 01:01:51 - "Patriarchy" as a controversial culture war term 01:05:22 - "Mandalorian vs. She-Hulk" - Pop-feminism and denigrating men 01:17:53 - Reading the Bible with our cultural blindspots 01:25:59 - How does Carolyn respond to Complementarian views on "benevolent patriarchy"? 01:29:09 - Trump's Access Hollywood interview and various Christian leaders' responses 01:33:28 - Living as Christians with political disagreements 01:36:25 - "I do not permit a woman to teach..." - Thoughts on 1Timothy 2 01:45:06 - What does "dressing modestly" ACTUALLY refer to? 01:50:09 - Gender, patriarchy, and Bible translations 01:53:22 - Carolyn's thoughts on the ESV 01:59:46 - How to contact Carolyn 02:00:48 - The purpose of these "Dojo Discussion" episodes

The latest guest to step into the Dojo is Philologist, author, and fellow Bible nerd, Dr. Mark Ward! Mark is someone whose YouTube content I have admired since I came across it a couple of years ago and while we have connected on social media over the past year or so, this was our first time getting to sit down and talk shop!

Mark is the editor of Bible Study Magazine by Faithlife and the author of “Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible” and is an expert on the “King James Only” error that many Christians ascribe to. He is also one of the most gracious people you will ever meet and it is impossible not to like him! He has recently created a podcast series on New Testament text criticism and translation called “The Textual Confidence Collective” with a number of text-criticism experts that is available over on his channel (and which I HIGHLY recommend if you are interested in questions of the textual reliability of the New Testament). Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:55 - Who is Mark Ward? 00:07:50 - Mark’s KJV-Only Fundamentalist Baptist background and studying at Bob Jones University 00:11:20 - ‘heretics’ and ‘sheeple’: Christians disagreeing 00:18:18 - Clickbait titles and Mark’s approach as a YouTube creator 00:28:15 - “Unicorns” in the Bible?? 00:31:40 - What are “False Friends” in the KJV? 00:41:58 - Trusting “the experts” and spiritual pride 00:43:15 - Hate mail Mark receives from KJV-Onlyists 00:52:27 - Handling hate comments in ministry 00:56:50 - When everyone should read C.S. Lewis’s “Perelandra”! 01:02:13 - Were there numerous versions of the KJV? 01:10:13 - What 3 modern translations would Mark recommend? 01:12:28 - Thoughts on the Passion Translation 01:16:07 - How to find Mark’s work and contact him 01:17:26 - Is it “LAH-gahs” or “LOW-GOSE”?? 01:20:36 - Outro Mark’s Recommended Resources: * “Authorized: The Use and Misuses of the King James Bible” - https://tinyurl.com/3j4xyxnu * Mark’s review of the Passion Translation - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq1Aq0ucgkPAuSaFLCixGvRp89qZ0Vanf * The Textual Confidence Collective podcast - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq1Aq0ucgkPC8DHPKsXWl8zl3iAG64qyV * “False Friends” in the KJV - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq1Aq0ucgkPCtHJ5pwhrU1pjMsUr9F2rc * Mark’s blog - www.byfaithweunderstand.com * Bible Study Magazine - https://www.biblestudymagazine.com * Logos Bible Software - https://www.logos.com/ * KJV Parallel Bible online - www.kjvparallelbible.org Other Links: * SWAG ALERT!!! - Disciple Dojo shirts (such as the one I’m wearing in this video!) and gifts are available in our online store at - https://tinyurl.com/24ncuas2 * Disciple Dojo’s “Bible for the Rest of Us” course is available for FREE (including downloadable workbook!) at - https://www.discipledojo.org/bible ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org   Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from our free resources at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

Let’s be honest…the Old Testament (aka. The Hebrew Bible) is really intimidating! Most Christians don’t read or study it nearly as much as they do their New Testament. But for Jesus and His Apostles, the Hebrew Scriptures were their storyline and the foundation of their identity. So why would we want to neglect our identity-forming story if we are Jesus’ followers? In this message given at Open Arms church (www.openarmsclt.org) in Charlotte, NC on July 10th, 2022 we take a look at the entire Old Testament storyline…in less than an hour…and discover what it has to tell us about God, our identity as His people, and His mission for all the world! DiscipleDojo YouTube videos mentioned:
 The most important concept in all of Biblical theology - https://youtu.be/OQ2X8wOUZZ4 Interrogating and Urban Apologist - https://youtu.be/MWyHC4OXVCk *** NEW: DISCIPLE DOJO SHIRTS & GIFTS NOW AVAILABLE*** https://tinyurl.com/24ncuas2 ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org   Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions:  SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7   iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=181458&refid=stpr   Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet   Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from our free resources at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

The latest Biblical scholar to step into the Dojo is author of "Abraham's Silence" and "A New Heaven and a New Earth", J. Richard Middleton! We were finally able to connect and it was a wonderful discussion! Here are the timestamps for those who want to jump to a specific point...but you really should watch the whole episode! :) 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - Our mutual friend Carmen Imes 00:03:17 - A white dude from Jamaica?? 00:09:24 - From Kingston to Canada to Upstate New York 00:11:56 - The Old Testament and Philosophy 00:13:47 - Teaching in academia before getting a Ph.D?? 00:20:37 - Lament Psalms, Reggae, Bob Marley, and common grace 00:30:44 - Glimpses of God in non-Christian art 00:31:51 - Why churches are terrible at corporate lament in worship! 00:41:02 - Biblical scholarship as spiritual formation 00:43:58 - Grappling with God 00:46:51 - Is the Sinai Covenant unconditional or conditional? 00:55:01 - Does God really "change His mind"?? 01:00:47 - Was Job a historical person? 01:05:48 - Jonah, Job, and literary genre 01:09:44 - Elihu, Behemoth, Leviathan, and "the satan" 01:21:58 - Baal or Anath: who killed the Sea Monster in Canaanite mythology? 01:24:34 - Ancient deities, Abraham's silence, and the "testing" by God 01:35:53 - Thoughts on English Bible translations and study Bibles 01:42:21 - Viewer question: What is the "Image of God"? 01:47:05 - Viewer question: Why does eschatology matter? (and bonus Hal Lindsay anecdote!) 01:53:52 - Viewer question: How do you see technology affecting Biblical studies in the future? 02:00:06 - Where to find Richard's work online and contact him Dr. Middleton's Books and Resources can be found at: Abraham's Silence - https://tinyurl.com/3x94apv6 A New Heaven and New Earth - https://tinyurl.com/zjn74thh The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 - https://tinyurl.com/249zfsm6 Articles and blog - https://www.jrichardmiddleton.com Seminary Now - https://seminarynow.com/ Related Dojo resources: Superhero Seminary: Daredevil Explains 'Lucifer' - https://youtu.be/NFVtIk9A_kw JM's Digital Bible Study Hack - https://youtu.be/f1cQ56GqdD8 Bible for the Rest of Us (video course) - https://www.discipledojo.org/bible Apocalypse Now?? (audio course) - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo/sets/apocalypse-now ***BONUS*** Richard's Reggae Recommendations! "Some of my favorite Bob Marley albums are Exodus; Survival; and Confrontation. The Legend album (best of) is a great place to start for those who don't know his music. The song that the alternative to the Gloria Patri comes from is "One Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdB-8eLEW8g I am also partial to the reggae-world music fusion of Third World, possibly the longest still running Jamaican reggae band - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World_(band) Some of their best songs are "96 Degrees in the Shade"; "Try Jah Love"; "Jah Glory"; "Satta Massagana (Give Thanks)"; "Now That We've Found Love." I also love the music of Burning Spear (Winston Rodney), although his lyrics tend to be very simple and the rhythm is hypnotic. There is phenomenal concert footage of the Spear performing in Europe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7Ealg2s1jI ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from the videos or podcast at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

In this second long-form discussion here in the Dojo, I’m so happy to have as my guest Elder Mike Holloway from YouTube.com/ElderMikeYourUrbanChurch We had a great time talking about everything from often-uncomfortable racial issues, to cults and false teachers who prey on the vulnerable, which Calvinists you should read, to interpreting the OT prophecies, to the nature of Baptism and Communion. It was a joy to sit down with him (thanks to the miracle of modern technology!) and shoot the breeze with a brother in Christ. If you’re not already subscribed to his channel here on YouTube, do yourself a favor and go there right now! He’s got great content and does FREQUENT livestream teaching sessions! And DEFINITELY follow him on Facebook if you want to see some of the craziness we discussed for yourself! :) Here are the timestamps for those who don’t have time to watch the full discussion: 00:00:00 - Opening 00:01:14 - What is an “Urban Apologist”? 00:04:35 - “Urban” as coded language for “black”? 00:15:48 - Learning from other Christian subcultures 00:19:12 - Pray for Detroit Lions fans! 00:20:30 - Elder Mike’s favorites (and why he cried watching Armageddon!) 00:25:35 - Is Batman the greatest superhero of all time? 00:26:46 - Who should Christians be reading right now? 00:28:06 - Arminians read Calvinists! 00:29:25 - What Elder Mike things white evangelicals need to take to heart… 00:35:24 - How can we critique church culture without condemning or being condescending? 00:39:31 - Are Christmas and Easter “pagan”? 00:46:24 - Linus’s mic-drop moment (and why JM cries watching The Charlie Brown Christmas Special!) 00:47:32 - Hebrew cults and the sacrificial laws of Torah 00:50:11 - Christians trying to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple and bring back the Levitical sacrifices?? 00:53:08 - How do we avoid “spiritualizing” prophetic texts in Scripture? 01:01:30 - Jesus and the “fulfillment” of prophecy 01:05:10 - Doing ministry on social media 01:09:14 - What is the most ridiculous nonsense Mike has seen masquerading as preaching? 01:12:45 - why the prosperity gospel is so infuriatingly evil! 01:17:38 - the importance of TEACHING rather than just ENTERTAINMENT and FEELINGS in the local church! 01:19:40 - “Teaching” vs. “Preaching” 01:24:03 - Elder Mike’s theological education 01:30:19 - The importance of Biblical languages! 01:34:04 - Fake “Hebrew Israelite” names on social media 01:35:18 - Viewer Question: If Acts 2:38 is not the plan of salvation, how were 3000 added to the church on Pentecost? 01:39:38 - Bible interpretation: PREscriptive vs. DEscriptive 01:42:14 - What is your view on sacraments (Baptism and Communion)? 01:51:47 - What is the best and most effective way to share the gospel with a nonbeliever? ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org   Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions:  SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo   Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7   iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=181458&refid=stpr   Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet   Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from the videos or podcast at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

For our very first Disciple Dojo long-form interview, I am THRILLED to have my good friend Carmen Joy Imes, author of “Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters” and one of the most winsome Hebrew Bible scholars writing today! We had a blast and discussed so many important topics! This is a full-length podcast interview, so for those who can't watch the entire thing, the timestamps below will be helpful: 00:00:00 - Intro banter 00:00:17 - Why Dr. Carmen Imes had to be my first ever guest! 00:01:38 - How the Ph.D sausage gets made! 00:04:12 - Why Carmen owes everything to JM! (Not really!) 00:04:26 - Daniel Block is RIDICULOUSLY nice! 00:04:45 - Ph.D process in U.K. vs. Ph.D process in America  00:05:58 - How Ph.D work differs from college/seminary 00:10:22 - Who are the “Blockheads”? 00:11:26 - What are the language requirements for Ph.D in Hebrew Bible? 00:14:10 - The decline of German as the primary Bible scholar language 00:15:29 - How do you learn *HOW* to actually teach a college class? 00:19:40 - How Carmen chooses classroom reading assignment books 00:21:13 - Why Carmen chose OT over NT as a focus 0025:21 - How Carmen sees her work as "a bridge" 00:27:48 - JM and Carmen’s mutual love of Christopher Wright! 00:32:05 - Carmen’s favorite movie & TV show 00:33:32 - Carmen’s & JM’s thoughts on  @The Chosen  TV show 00:35:10 - Carmen’s favorite band/musician 00:35:54 - Carmen’s favorite novels 00:38:07 - Carmen’s love of Caramel  00:38:48 - JM’s deep dark Preacher’s Kid confession! 00:39:58 - Thoughts on Beth Moore, Esau McCaulley, and Sandra Richter 00:45:26 - Carmen’s most-recommended study Bible 00:47:29 - Carmen’s inside scoop on John Walton! 00:48:32 - JM & Carmen discuss women in ministry 01:09:52 - The growing number of women Biblical scholars 01:10:50 - Women’s Study Bibles 01:15:07 - The gift of women scholars who actually believe Scripture! 01:18:11 - Why the OT law is actually ALL ABOUT grace! 01:22: 28 - How do we honor the OT without keeping all the OT laws? 01:29:42 - Sinai as the center of the entire Torah 01:31:52 - The Priestly garments being an “inside out tabernacle” 01:34:57 - Carmen’s views on the date and location of the Exodus? 01:40:21 - Carmen’s thoughts on  @Dr. Michael S. Heiser  ? 01:45:13 - What is going on with the “bridegroom of blood” in Exodus 4??  01:57:09 - where people can find Carmen online 02:00:27 - Question from Carmen to JM: "Why didn't you do your Ph.D?" ------- Follow Carmen on Twitter: @carmenjoyimes Carmen's blog: http://www.carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com https://www.ivpress.com/carmen-joy-imes Carmen's Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Carmen-Joy-Imes/e/B07BNPY56Q Carmen's books can be found at: * Bearing God’s Name - https://tinyurl.com/v39syn5v * Carmen's published dissertation - https://tinyurl.com/48ab2uad * Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends - https://tinyurl.com/2xwtb4f4 Disciple Dojo related resources: * Superhero Seminary: Wonder Woman on being a 'helper' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQUHlNJAAaQ * Bible for the Rest of Us (video curriculum) - http://www.discipledojo.org/bible * Disciple Dojo review of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dNTdceIYvc&t=20s ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org

What does an ancient Hittite military ritual have to do with a really weird passage at the end of the book of Isaiah where God tells Israel that their sacrifices are in his eyes like “breaking a dog’s neck” or “offering pig’s blood”? I’m glad you asked! *Some great resources on situating the Hebrew Bible within the world of the Ancient Near East: “Readings from the Ancient Near East for Old Testament Study” by Bill Arnold & Brian Beyer - https://tinyurl.com/2p9yptf4 “Ancient Near East Themes in Biblical Theology” by Jeffery Niehaus - https://tinyurl.com/yncwnhty “God at Sinai” by Jeffery Niehaus - https://tinyurl.com/4zfhb9b4 “The Archaeological Study Bible” (sadly out of print…but available used or digitally) “The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible” - https://tinyurl.com/yrkssjf5 “The Lost World of Genesis One” by John Walton - https://tinyurl.com/mscn5t9k “Against the Gods” by John Currid - https://tinyurl.com/39xc8j33 “The Image of God in the Garden of Eden” by Catherine McDowell - https://tinyurl.com/muhxsv7m “Old Testament Ethics for the People of God” by Christopher Wright - https://tinyurl.com/fr7849xd **The DiscipleDojo sessions mentioned in this video can be found at: Animals & End Times - https://youtu.be/rf5QhyxWzTM Superhero Seminary: Do Animals Have Souls? - https://youtu.be/Jfjq9EnagPI ***Become a monthly Dojo Donor at - https://www.discipledojo.org/donate ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7 iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=181458&refid=stpr Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from the videos or podcast at http://www.discipledojo.org

The book of Revelation pulls back the curtain on reality and gives us a glimpse of how things REALLY are from Heaven's perspective. But that sometimes gets lost in the sensationalism of popular "End Times" teaching and preaching. In this message given at Open Arms CLT church, we 'pull back the curtain' and see the world from a totally different point of view... [Note: The audio was recorded live via Zoom. Please excuse the quality drop at times due to the filter settings that were used!]

This playlist consists of a series of 4 sessions at Gordon's Chapel United Methodist Church outside of Athens, GA on August 8th-11th.