Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin

Glen Scrivener, an ordained minister and evangelist, discusses the gospel of Jesus and the overall story of the Bible. Topics covered include the concept of the Trinity, the trustworthiness of scripture, the profound significance of the cross in the first century, and the connection between Christmas and the message of the Bible.

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Andrew Wilson to have a conversation about his book “Remaking the World.”Questions Covered in This Episode:Can you tell us what your new book is actually about?How might the line, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” otherwise be known?What would you say to someone who understands this originates from Christianity but believes it has evolved past that?What would you say to someone who thinks Christianity is taking a step backward in enlightenment?What does it mean that the West is post-Christian? What is currently happening in London?What would you say gives you the most hope and encouragement in terms of the gospel spreading?How would you encourage someone who is exploring Christianity?What was it for you that made Jesus beautiful?Guest Bio:Andrew is Teaching Pastor at King’s Church London, and has degrees in history and theology from Cambridge (MA) and King’s College London (PhD). He’s the author of several books, including Remaking the World, Incomparable, God of All Things, and Echoes of Exodus. You can follow him on Twitter. Andrew is married to Rachel and they have three children: Zeke, Anna and Samuel.Resources Mentioned:“Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West” by Andrew WilsonSponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Hannah Anderson to have a conversation about the book of Ecclesiastes.Questions Covered in This Episode:What is the context of the book of Ecclesiastes?In the first verse, the word “preacher” is a complex word in Hebrew, can you help us understand that?What can we gather from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8?What would you say to the person whose life feels kind of meaningless?How does the book of Ecclesiastes show us how to demonstrate the full range of human feelings and how God engages with us?Why is the phrase, “all is vanity” repeated so many times?How can someone who is struggling with depression find comfort in the book of Ecclesiastes?Guest Bio:Hannah Anderson lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where her husband, Nathan, pastors Brookhill Baptist Church. Hannah is the author of several books, including Humble Roots, All That’s Good, Life Under the Sun. You can find more of her writing at sometimesalight.com or follow her on Twitter.Resources Mentioned:Ecclesiastes“Life Under the Sun” by Hannah Anderson“Turn, Turn, Turn” by Pete SeegerFollow Us:Instagram | TwitterProduced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Molly Worthen to discuss how Jesus can transform the life of an academic.Questions Covered in This Episode:What is your story of how you became a Christian?What were the main barriers from keeping you from becoming a Christian?Can you share about your conversation with J. D. Greear?What pieces of evidence were you surprised by when you researched if Jesus was raised from the dead?What about the eye witness accounts of the gospels and their accuracy?What would you say to someone who has an academic background and doesn’t believe in anything supernatural?If someone said to you, I’m so glad that you believe in Jesus but it's just not for me, how would you respond?Guest Bio:Molly Worthen is an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. She received her BA and PhD from Yale University. Her research focuses on North American religious and intellectual history. Her most recent book, Apostles of Reason, examines American evangelical intellectual life since 1945, especially the internal conflicts among different evangelical subcultures. Resources Mentioned:“The Resurrection of the Son of God” by N.T. WrightSponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Jen Wilkin to have a conversation about the ten commandments and why they are important to us today.Questions Covered in This Episode:What did you want to be when you grow up?What is an image bearer?Where do the ten commandments fit into the story of the Bible?Tell us about the first command and why it is at the top of the list.How do the ten plagues connect to the ten commandments?Why would we read and show interest in the ten commandments?What is the purpose of rules?Help us think through the commandments that dont intuitively make sense to us today.Why is the gospel beautiful and compelling?Guest Bio:Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God.Resources Mentioned:Genesis 1:26-27, Exodus 20, Genesis 3-4, Exodus 7-11, Matthew 12:48-50, 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Matthew 5-7“Ten Words to Live By” by Jen WilkinFollow Us:Instagram | TwitterProduced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Peter Williams to have a conversation about the trustworthiness of the gospels.Questions Covered in This Episode:How far off from Jesus's death and resurrection were the Gospels written?How can people remember the things Jesus said with such great detail decades after Jesus's resurrection?Why are there differences between the gospels in Jesus’s teachings?Why do the gospels have a different ordering of events?Why do we hear about Bartimaeus in one gospel and he doesn't have a name in another?Do the gospels use names as eye witness evidence?Can you tell us a bit more about the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15?Help us think through the historical context clues that the gospels were written in the place they claim to be written.When Jesus dies on the cross, the curtain in the temple is torn in two. Is there any historical record of this happening?Guest Bio:Dr Peter J. Williams is the Principal and CEO of Tyndale House, Cambridge. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he received his MA, MPhil, and PhD in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible. Dr Williams is also an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge, Chair of the International Greek New Testament Project, and a member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the English Standard Version of the Bible. He assisted Dr Dirk Jongkind in Tyndale House’s production of a major edition of the Greek New Testament and his book Can We Trust the Gospels? has been translated into 10 languages.Resources Mentioned:Matthew 5-7, Luke 15, Genesis 33:4“New evidence for Hipparchus’ Star Catalogue revealed by multispectral imaging”“The Surprising Genius of Jesus” by Peter J. Williams“Can We Trust the Gospels?” by Peter J. WilliamsSponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Keith Plummer to discuss how we can model the love of Jesus to others online and how to engage in embodied community.Questions Covered in This Episode:Can you share your story of how you became a Christian?Where would you trace this transformation to?How has the online experience changed how students are thinking?How do Christians relate with others online?What does it look like to have embodied community in your life? How would you recommend someone to develop that community?Why is it that we want to be loved and heard?Guest Bio:Keith Plummer serves as Dean and Professor of Theology at the School of Divinity at Cairn University. He holds a BA in Health and Society from Brown University, a MDiv with emphasis in Apologetics from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife have two adult children.Resources Mentioned:“Five Evangelical Leaders” by Christopher Catherwood“2 Contents, 2 Realities” by Francis A. Schaeffer “True Spirituality” by Francis A. Schaeffer “Disruptive Witness” by Alan Noble Sponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Andrew Hile to discuss why the book of Leviticus is important and what we can learn from reading and studying it.Questions Covered in This Episode:Where does Leviticus fit into the first five books of the Bible?When you see the stories in Exodus are you supposed to see them stacking onto the stories in Genesis?What purpose is Leviticus fulfilling for us?How do the categories “clean and unclean” operate in Leviticus?What was the sacrificial system about in its original context?Was Leviticus written to an audience outside of the priests who were enacting the laws?How do we understand Leviticus from a New Testament perspective and how do we view the sacrificial system?How did you become a follower of Jesus?Guest Bio:Andrew Hile grew up in Durban, South Africa and moved to Dayton, Ohio during highschool. In May 2022, he graduated from Harvard Divinity School with my master’s and, now, he is a doctoral student in Harvard’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, studying Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages. Andrew’s research centers on the composition, writing conventions, and scribal epistemologies behind ritual text production in ancient Israel.Resources Mentioned:Genesis 2-3, Genesis 15, Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 10Sponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Mary Willson Hannah to discuss the book of Deuteronomy.Questions Covered in This Episode:What do we miss if we give up reading the Old Testament before we get to Deuteronomy?What is Deuteronomy about?How do make sense of a passage like Deuteronomy 2:31-36 in light of the command that Jesus gives to love our enemies?Can you help us understand Deuteronomy 22:28-29 in the right context?Do we see a change in God’s character between the Old and New Testament? How are singleness and marriage both good ways for followers of Jesus to live?Guest Bio:Mary Willson Hannah (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the director of women in ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. She also teaches Old Testament at Memphis City Seminary. Mary enjoys teaching and training others to teach the Scriptures, especially in the context of the local church. She and her husband, Jeff, love all things Memphis.Resources Mentioned:Deuteronomy 2:31-36, Matthew 5:28-29, Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Exodus 22:16-17Sponsors:To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Follow Us:Instagram | TwitterOur Sister Shows:Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny TheologiansConfronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Christy Thornton, an expert on the Trinity, to answer questions about the Trinity. They discuss God's triune nature, the perception of God's character in the Old and New Testaments, God's plurality and tri unity, the meaning of Jesus as the Son of God, and misconceptions of the Holy Trinity.