After Class Podcast

In part two of our bad press miniseries: How should Christians respond to bad press about the brothers and sisters in the faith who are doing wrong? How do we persevere through bad press without growing weary? Can you love God and not love Christians? Tune in this week to hear a perspective on how Christians can deal with bad press and witness to the world. Join Sam, John, and Ron as they unpack four principles identified in scripture. The world will hate you (Christians), expect bad press. When Christians do stupid things, we deserve bad press. We must Persevere through bad press – endure, build character, and hold onto your hope. Do not judge. Mind your own business, and do what God has called you to do.

New office, new studio, new episode, same podcast! This week the guys engage the important topic of bad press. How do we respond when Christians are on the receiving end of bad press for something they have done? What guiding principles do we have to deal with 'The Media' which often lies or at best paints an imperfect picture? Do we follow Matthew 18 in a digital age regarding Christians we have never met? Sadly, we are too familiar with many negative examples of Christians receiving bad press for bad actions, yet there is a biblical precedent for us to expect bad press for being Christians. How then does the Bible tell us we should act if bad press is inevitable? Tune in this week to find out!

This week the guys take a break in the action to present their review of the movie Jesus Revolution; a story of Christian Hippies and the church in the 70's at Calvary Chapel in California. What stands out? What resonates? And what flops? Tune in to find out if you should add this movie to your watch list for the summer.

In previous episodes, Sam, John, and Ron delved into Augustine's doctrine of original sin and explored the Bible passages that either support or push against it. In today's episode, the guys summarize their findings and share their observations and convictions about original sin, and how the doctrine may have more to do with historical theological strongholds than biblical support. The guys push back against the individualistic story of original sin with a broader interpretation of God's mission and the Kingdom of God. Join the guys as they unpack this narrative in today's episode of the After Class Podcast.

In today's episode, the guys return to Agustin's treatment of Romans 5:12, then investigate passages promoting alternatives to the doctrine of original sin. Will we find strong anti-original sin verses or just a series of general statements and observations? The Bible says all are put to death for their own sin, so does God break his own principle by putting everyone to death for Adam's sin? Who made us; our parents, ourselves, or God? Are we beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image or are we sinfully made? Did God create us as vessels for sin? You don't want to skip this episode.

This week Sam, John, and Ron continue to look at what the Bible says about sin. The guys focus this episode on the passages that are routinely used to support the doctrine of original sin and see how they hold up to scrutiny. Of the many passages from the Old Testament that paint the picture of sinful humanity, most come from poetry. Should we be more careful about building doctrine off poetic sources? What about the New Testament, will we find strong support for Original Sin? Only one way to find out…

This week Sam, and John, try to keep Ron in the Old Testament as they begin laying the biblical foundation for our understanding of original sin. The guys delve into key questions such as the usage of the term "sin" in the Bible, and how the Bible's depiction of figures such as Cain, Enoch, and Noah relates to the notion that every inclination of the heart is evil all the time. The guys posit why the popular narrative, "Image bourn, image lost, image regained" improperly frames the story, and touch on what the Bible implies about God and his proximity to us in light of our sins. Key interpretive differences: Image-bearers vs sin-bearers.

This week the guys dig deeper into Augustine's history and the prevailing thoughts that influenced his theology. Was Pelagius really a heretic? How to make sense of the immaculate conception? And what do sex and a handshake have in common? All this and more in today's episode of the After Class Podcast!

Do you know the origin of original sin? Join Sam, John, and Ron as they engage the topic by laying some groundwork and distinguishing between two approaches to the discussion of original sin. What did the great theological minds of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, and Augustin have to say about original sin, and how did they shape our current understanding? Is original sin a core Christian doctrine or an optional way of interpreting certain passages? Tune into this week's episode to find out!

Join Sam, John, and Ron as they welcome their guest, Brian Baldwin, to discuss the goddess Artemis of the Ephesians and how her influence may help us understand Paul's writing and extreme language about women in 1 Timothy. In this episode, the guys unpack Paul's writing about women's dress, their authority over men, the importance of Adam and Eve's birth order, and women being saved through childbirth, in the context of how the Ephesians viewed Artemis. Buckle up!