The Humble Skeptic

Have you ever been puzzled by things you read in the Bible? For example, why does the book of Exodus spend so much time walking through all the meticulous details related to the Tabernacle? On this episode, Shane Rosenthal talks with J. Daniel Hays about the Bible’s grand narrative, which helps us to understand all the individual puzzle pieces. Dr. Hays is the senior professor of Old Testament at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, and he’s the author of The Temple and the Tabernacle: A Study of God’s Dwelling Places from Genesis to Revelation.SHOW NOTESRecommended BooksThe Temple & The Tabernacle, J. Daniel HaysA Christian’s Guide to Evidence for the Bible, J. Daniel HaysGod Dwells Among Us, G.K. Beale & Mitchell KimThe Temple & The Church’s Mission, G.K. BealeJesus in the Old Testament, Iain DuguidJourneys with Jesus, Dennis JohnsonThe Angel of the Lord, Doug Van Dorn & Matt ForemanRecommended ArticlesFinding Christ in All of Scripture, Shane RosenthalWhat’s the Most Important Thing in the Bible? Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe the Bible?, Shane RosenthalThe Story of Us, Shane Rosenthal A New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane RosenthalThe Tower of Babel, Shane RosenthalBlessed Are the Pure in Heart? Shane RosenthalRecommended AudioJacob’s Ladder, Humble Skeptic #63 with Richard Bauckham and othersBabylon, Humble Skeptic Episode #66 Did The Exodus Ever Happen? Humble Skeptic #69 with David RohlJewish Views of the Messiah, Humble Skeptic #38 with Daniel Boyarin The Gospel Creed, Humble Skeptic #09How to Read & Apply the Old Testament, WHI-1568 with Iain DuguidWhat Did The Earliest Christians Believe? HS #25 with Dennis JohnsonStories of Jesus: Can They Be Trusted? HS #61 with Peter J. WilliamsWe Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options.. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

What were some of the notable features of the earliest Christian sermons? What sort of things did they have in common, and how do they compare with the messages we’re likely to hear in Christian circles today? Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions and more with Dr. Dennis Johnson, author of The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, and Let’s Study Acts.SHOW NOTES• Recommended books by Dennis Johnson: Journeys with Jesus, The Message of Acts in the History of Redemption, Let’s Study Acts, Walking With Jesus Through His Word, and Him We Proclaim.• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Can We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?”, “The Story of Us”, “On Faith & History”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “What is Faith?”, and “How to Detect Deception?”• Related episodes: “Authenticating the Book of Acts”, “Faith & Certainty”, “Faith & Proof”, “Proof of the Gospel”, “The Gospel Creed”, and “The Jesus of History.”• The image above featuring the Jerusalem Temple from the vantage point of Solomon’s Portico is a production of Archaeology Illustrated (used by permission). According to John 10:23, Acts 3:11, and 5:12, Jesus and his followers frequently met in this area.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Is the book of Acts a collection of stories and legends about the lives of the apostles, or is it a trustworthy and reliable history of the earliest days of the church? Is there any external evidence that helps to corroborate its claims? Shane Rosenthal discusses these questions and more with Dr. Lydia McGrew, author of Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts.SHOW NOTESRecommended BooksHidden in Plain View, Lydia McGrewTestimonies to the Truth, Lydia McGrewThe Mirror or The Mask, Lydia McGrewThe Eye of the Beholder, Lydia McGrewThe Book of Acts, F.F. BruceThe Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, Colin HemerSt. Paul The Traveller and Roman Citizen, William RamsayPictures of The Apostolic Church, William RamsayThe Trustworthiness of the New Testament, William RamsayRelated ArticlesIs Luke a Trustworthy Historian?, William RamsayCan We Trust Luke’s History of the Early Jesus Movement?, Shane RosenthalWho is Sergius Paulus?, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating The Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalWhy Should We Believe The Bible?, Shane RosenthalHow to Detect Deception?, Shane RosenthalRelated EpisodesFake or Authentic? (1)Fake or Authentic? (2)Faith Founded on Facts (1)Faith Founded on Facts (2)Faith & CertaintyThe Jesus of HistoryWe Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

In 1Pet. 3:15, Peter famously says, “Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies in you.” In many ways, this has become the standard prooftext for the apologetic enterprise, but have we really understood all that this verse has to teach us? Shane discusses this question and many other related issues with Jeremy Smith, the founder and president of ReThink315.SHOW NOTES• For more information about Jeremy Smith and the mission of ReThink315, click here. • Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Recovering the Art of Persuasion”, “What is Faith?”, “On Faith & Doubt”, and “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”• Related episodes: “Power or Persuasion?”, “Questioning Your Faith”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?” and “Is Faith Blind?”We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this episode of The Humble Skeptic, Shane talks with Dr. Adam Duker about his interest in the study of comparative religion, as well as some of his unique experiences teaching this subject at The American University in Cairo. In particular, he relates a story that he was directly involved with a few years ago which became international news.SHOW NOTES• To read news articles related to the international incident involving Dr. Duker, use the following links: Fire, ARA, RNS, Fox News, Alex Morey, and Julia Duin. Also, Dr. Duker is currently looking for an attorney to assist with his case, so if you or someone you know might be able to help, send an email to infoAThumbleskepticDOTcom. • Relevant episodes: “Questioning Your Faith”, “Religion on Trial”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?” and “Is Faith Blind?”• Relevant articles by Shane Rosenthal: “Recovering the Art of Persuasion”, “What is Faith?”, “How to Detect Deception”, “On Faith & Doubt”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this program, Shane talks with Fikret Bocek who currently serves as the pastor of a Christian church in Izmir, Turkey. Fikret was raised as a Sunni Muslim, and during this episode he tells the story of the time in which he began to question his faith. In this process, he began to explore both the Koran and the Bible, and ultimately this led to his conversion to Christianity.SHOW NOTES• For more information about Fikret Bocek, click here. For information about Global Church Ministries, which he referenced at the end of this episode, click here.• To listen to Shane’s interview with Sarabeth Kapusta referenced at the beginning of this episode, click here. You can also read her new essay, “Reconstructing My Faith.”• Related episodes: “Religion on Trial”, “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, and “Is Faith a Feeling?”• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception”, “On Faith & Doubt” and “On Faith & History.” We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this episode, Shane talks with Sarabeth Kapusta about her experience growing up in a cult that in her words “masqueraded as a Baptist church.” Sarabeth is the host of Reconstructing Your Faith, which is a podcast designed to help those who’ve been affected by various forms of spiritual abuse. SHOW NOTES• For more information about Sarabeth Kapusta’s podcast, click here. To listen to the two episodes of Reconstructing Your Faith featuring Shane Rosenthal, use these links: Part 1, and Part 2. When Sarabeth’s autobiographical essay becomes available, it will be linked here.• Related episodes: “Dealing with Doubt”, “Greg Koukl on Blind Faith”, “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”• Related articles by Shane Rosenthal: “I believe—help my unbelief”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”, “On Faith & Doubt”, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception” and “On Faith & History.”We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

Is it okay to question your faith or to express doubts about your religious convictions? On this episode, Shane explores a fascinating scene from Luke 7 in which John the Baptist questions whether Jesus is the promised Messiah. Shane discusses the implications of this passage with Greg Koukl and Alisa Childers, and he also hears from Sarabeth Kapusta of the Reconstructing Your Faith podcast who shares her experience of being raised in a cult where questions were off-limits and doubt was a sin.SHOW NOTES• If you’d like to explore this topic further, be sure to check out Shane’s two-part article “On Faith & Doubt” referred to in this episode and Greg Koukl’s excellent article: “Faith is Not Wishing” Other related articles include: “The Virtue of Doubt”, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “How to Detect Deception”, and “On Faith & History.” Also, check out Sarabeth Kapusta’s article, “Reconstructing My Faith.”• For more information about the guests who appear on this episode, use the following links: Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason), Alisa Childers (alisachilders.com — Shane appears on episode #190), Sarabeth Kapusta (Reconstructing Your Faith — Shane appears on episode #19).We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this episode of The Humble Skeptic, Shane talks with Greg Koukl about the way faith is misunderstood in our day. In fact, he argues that the English word “faith” has evolved to such an extent that Christians should probably stop using it altogether. Greg is the founder and president of Stand to Reason and the author of The Story of Reality, Tactics, and Faith is Not Wishing.SHOW NOTES• Related Humble Skeptic episodes: “Is Faith Irrational?”, “Is Faith Blind?”, “Is Faith a Feeling?”. To listen to an interview Shane recorded with Greg about his book Tactics, click here. To listen to an interview related to the problem of evil, click here.• Resources by Greg Koukl: Faith Is Not Wishing, Tactics, The Story of Reality, and “Truth Is Not Ice Cream, Faith Is Not Wishing” (Audio Lecture).• Recommended articles by Shane Rosenthal, “What is Faith?”, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?”, “On Faith & History”, “How to Detect Deception”, and “Authenticating The Fourth Gospel.” • To order a copy of The Proof of The Gospel by Eusebius of Caesarea, click here. To download a free PDF document containing quotes from Eusebius, Justin Martyr and Augustine related to this episode, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a one-time gift or upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

On this bonus edition of The Humble Skeptic podcast, Shane reads lessons 9 & 10 of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences.SHOW NOTES • Click here to access an online version of Richard Whately’s Introduction to Christian Evidences. If you would like to obtain a paperback reprint, click here.• Recommended articles by Shane Rosenthal, “Why Should We Believe The Bible?,” “How to Detect Deception,” “Authenticating The Fourth Gospel,” and “On Faith & History.” • To watch a video lecture by Peter J. Williams on “New Evidence the Gospels Were Based on Eyewitness Accounts,” click here.• For more info about The Humble Skeptic vision and how you can help, click here.We Need Your Help!Consider supporting The Humble Skeptic podcast by making a YEAR-END gift! Another way to help is by upgrading to a paid subscription via Substack ($5.95 per month, $59 per year). Use the button below for more information about giving options. Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe