Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro

This week the Bistro is welcoming Dr. Jon Weatherly to the podcast. Jon is a New Testament professor at Johnson University in Knoxville, TN. One of his areas of study is the books of Luke and Acts. In this episode, he focuses on the Gospel of Luke, discussing the revolutionary nature of what and how Luke wrote. Such a good conversation -- be sure to listen in!Related EpisodeEpisode 018 - The Gospels are Different — is That a Problem?Book MentionsProphetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary ChristiansLuke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture

In this weeks episode, Ryan and Brian are talking all about the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If you’ve read them all you probably noticed that Matthew, Mark and Luke share a lot of similarities in their stories and structures, which is why they are referred to as the Synoptic gospels because of how in sync they are, while John, is an outlier as it’s structure is distinct. So in this episode, Ryan and Brian talk about those similarities and differences and what that means about the books. If you’ve ever been confused why one book says something one way and another a different way. This episode is for you.

In this episode, Ryan and Brian explore symbolism in the gospel of John. This conversation is centered around a book "Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel: Meaning, Mystery, Community" by Craig Koester. They discuss how some individuals are representative of larger groups, the pairing of stories contrasting light and dark, and a myriad of other things.LinksBook: Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel: Meaning Mystery, Community by Craig KoesterBook: The Word of Life: A Theology of John's Gospel by Craig KoesterBook: History and Theology in the Fourth GospelRelevant Previous EpisodesThe One where We Rethink John 14The Bonus One about John 14Exploring the Temple Theme in the Gospel of JohnThe Connection between Living Water & the Feast of Tabernacle

This week Ryan and Brian are introducing something they call Pastor Chat, which is just that, a chat with a pastor serving in the church and In this episode, they talk with Greg Taylor the lead minister of Second Church of Christ in Danville, Illinois. They talk with him about what’s going in his church and how they, as a church, are responding to this cultural moment. As Ryan and Brian have mentioned several times in the podcast, they want to support the local church and pastors and think conversations like this can help everyone get a peek behind the curtain of church life and make advances for the kingdom. This conversation isn’t just for pastors, it’s for all of us who are a part of the church community.LinksFor some pastors, the past year was a sign from God it was time to quitLifechurch.tv - When You Feel Like Giving UpGregs' Direct Line Radio ShowSecond Church of ChristBook Link: What Made Jesus Mad?The World and Everything In It podcast  

In this episode, we answer a question from Mike, one of our listeners. Mike emailed and asked, “With Brian specializing in John, what are the most impactful parts to him in the book of Revelation?” So as requested, we are answering that question as Brian leads us through several verses in chapters 5 & 6 of the book of Revelation.

This time, Ryan and Brian are taking a look at the book of Revelation. Brian tells us a bit about the book, why it’s called Revelation, and what the book can mean for us in the church today.

In this episode, Brian has us examine one of the Jewish festivals that serves as the backdrop for the Gospel of John. We look to some ancient historians and Jewish writers for what this festival might have looked like. We talk a little bit about Greek language -- what it included and, just as important, what it doesn’t include. Taking all of that into account, it makes us look at what Jesus says in a whole new light.

In this episode, Ryan and Brian look at the entirety of the Gospel of John and see how the temple theme is developed. We look at how even the order of the stories in the Gospel of John point towards this idea that Jesus is replacing the physical temple in Jerusalem - an idea carried through the book of Revelation. 

This time, Ryan and Brian are talking with Ryan Burge, author of The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going. In his book, Ryan looks at survey data to give us more insight into "the nones” — those who don’t declare any specific religious affiliation. While Ryan is accomplished in statistical research, he is also a pastor, which gives him a unique perspective. The discussion focuses on the data, the implications, and how the church could respond. 

In this episode, Ryan and Brian are talking about worldview. Learning about the worldview of groups of people at the time of the biblical writings is key to interpreting and gaining a greater understanding of scripture. They are discussing specific elements that shape cultures and how viewpoints and behaviors are affected, both historically and today.