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Here’s a question for you:

Is God a wife beater?

The God that is often portrayed by many pastors and many Christian books is a God who wants to inflict pain on you for your sin.

His wrath is terrible. His vengeance fierce. His anger is poured out upon sinners.

And so when you sin, you better watch out, because God is going to get you!

When we remember that the church is referred to as the “Bride of Christ” and we recognize that Jesus represents God, this whole angry-God imagery makes people think of God as a wife beater.

And do you want to know where this imagery of God begins? It begins in the very beginning, when God sets out to inflict pain on Eve because she ate the wrong piece of fruit (Genesis 3:16).

Imagine you are walking through the park one day and you hear a man saying this to his wife:

I can’t believe you ate my pear! When we get home, are you ever going to get it! That was MY pear! I told you not to eat it! When we get home I am going to beat you so hard! I am going to pound you into a pulp. You have never have known such pain! I will inflict pain on you such as you have never imagined! And you know what? I’m going to beat our daughters too. They need to learn to mind me and obey me. They need to learn to do what I say. So I’m going to whip you good and then whip our daughters.

I believe if you heard this, you would call the police immediately. At least, I hope you would.

And yet, in Genesis 3:16, here is what God says to Eve:

I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.

Why does God say He is going to “bring the pain”? Because Eve ate a piece of fruit she wasn’t supposed to. Yes, yes, I know there was more to it than this, but even still ….

It just doesn’t seem right for God to inflict pain on Eve for what happened, and not only on Eve, but on all women who follow after her as well.

The traditional way of reading Genesis 3:16 has God inflicting pain on Eve and all her daughters because Eve ate fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Does this sound much like a God you want to love, honor, and serve?

Well…

I’m going to try to resolve most of these issues in an upcoming podcast episode. This episode was supposed to be done this Thursday, but I’ll be honest … Genesis 3:16 “brought the pain” to me as well. So far, in the last two weeks, I have logged over 20 hours just studying this one single verse. Actually, I spent this time on just the first half of the verse, the part I quoted above.

I think I have a pretty good solution to the problem of God inflicting pain on women, which I will present in my podcast when it comes out, but I am not yet ready to record it. Hopefully by next week.

But guess what? There is still plenty you can listen to between now and then! I was recently interviewed by two different podcasts, and here the links so you can go listen to them. The “Life Uncut” podcast will have a “Part 2” later, so I will include it then. Make sure you subscribe to both of the podcasts as well, since both are fantastic.

Holy Soup Podcast

Thom Shultz, CEO of Group Publishing, Interviews me about Biblical Illiteracy (and why I don’t think it is a crisis in the church).

Listen and subscribe Here

Life Uncut Podcast

A Discussion with Tom Walter and Jeremy Myers. This is only Part 1, and I imagine that Part 2 will be out next week.

Listen and Subscribe Here

How does God talk to you?

By Jeremy Myers

21 Comments

This is a guest post by Mike Edwards.

Mike asks questions in hopes one may reconsider any beliefs about God that may discourage one from pursuing God and spirituality. Mike blogs at: What God May Really Be Like – Misbeliefs About God. Visit his website to learn more about him and his books.

Note from Jeremy Myers: I am publishing several guest posts this summer as I take some time off to rest. I am also preparing for something HUGE this fall. Stay tuned! If you would like to write a Guest Post for RedeemingGod, begin by reading the Guest Blogger Guidelines.

It can be very confusing how one is supposed to relate to an invisible God.

Frustrations can lead to simply giving up having a meaningful relationship with one’s Creator. I understand that some people claim that God speaks to them directly, but this is not the experience of the majority of those who seek a relationship with God. Many may prefer that God would speak more directly but this doesn’t always leads to the results we may think.

The Bible suggests that God spoke directly with the first couple in the garden, but this experience seemed to wane as history progressed. And while Moses says he spoke to God face to face (Exod 33:11, when God sets out to communicate to the Israelites, He did so through the mediation of Moses, and by inscribing the commandments on stone with the finger of God (Exod 31:18). We don’t know exactly what types of communication these were but most would agree that God was no longer communicating in the same way He communicated with Adam and Eve.

Since God doesn’t speak audibly or write in stones to us, how can we know that we hear the voice of God?

Many of us talk out loud to God or we pray silently and then thoughts come into mind. Are such thoughts from the mind of God?

Well, there is some bad news and some good news.

We can’t know for certain that our thoughts are inspired by God, but the good news is God’s love is supportive not controlling. God gives us freedom to make decisions in an open future. Any number of decisions can be made in our situation. God does not predetermine our future. This indicates that while we want to hear more directly from God, God indicates His responsiveness to us by not predetermining everything we think, say, and do. He responds to us as we respond to Him. This means that while we may not be able to hear the voice of God, we can see His response to us through how life unfolds as we pray and communicate with Him.

God always listens

One benefit to God’s approach to us is that He always listens. Most of us want a good listener in a relationship. Very few of us want to be told what to do, or we would always take the advice of others rather than frequently having a comeback as to why one’s suggestion won’t work. Opinions are not always helpful or welcomed. Besides, one’s interference can prevent growth and self-satisfaction resulting from making independent choices. We want to be heard by another soul to talk out situations and share burdens that are heavy to carry alone.

If can be comforting to know God is always available to listen. We may be embarrassed to share our latest relapse with a friend. God doesn’t heap more guilt on us. God has endless mercy and forgiveness so we don’t give up no matter how demoralized we may feel. God is always available in times of loneliness. Friends can’t always be available in the middle of the night. We may feel that we are overburdening our friends by constantly going to them. God’s shoulders surely are much bigger.

But, I want to hear what God thinks!

We all want to know what God thinks. But the truth is that we already mostly know what God thinks. If you think about it, we already know most of what God thinks about most issues. Therefore, talking with God is mostly for emotional support.

And as for the issues where we want God’s input on our life decisions, God withholds His input because He wants us to make our own decisions.

It is helpful to think about moral versus immoral actions. When it comes to most moral issues, God has already pretty clearly told us in Scripture what the best course of action is.

But many decisions aren’t moral – what job to take, whether to move to a different city, etc. God doesn’t predetermine our future so we have to wonder the “right” decision. God doesn’t know if your partner is suddenly not going to honor their commitment when challenges arise. Wise decisions are simply taking into account past experiences, current circumstances, future aspirations, and going for it. God’s love is both freeing and uncontrolling. He doesn’t tell us what to do in such cases, because in some sense, He is just as excited as we are to find out what we will do and what will come of it.

Some relational decisions seem to have a touch of morality that we aren’t sure what God would do. God’s love is still freeing. God isn’t hiding. Should we forgive a mom and sibling for participating in favoritism? Neither admits to any favoritism but such actions are clear to most outsiders. The Bible can be used to suggest always forgive or forgiveness is only possible when one acknowledges wrongdoing. Jesus once said to rebuke others but if they repent forgive them (Luke 17:4). One may forgive to best deal with personal bitterness. Others may not forgive to avoid further bitterness since the guilty denies wrongdoing.

In relationships there isn’t always a “right” thing to do. It is more complicated for leaders of nations for they are making decisions for millions, thus governments best have checks and balances.

Still, a relationship with God isn’t about being told what to do. It is considering how a loving God may think on a matter and feeling free to make a decision based on your present circumstances. If you are insisting God guarantee a certain outcome, then you are asking God to be a controller. A loving God would speak audibly if necessary; otherwise, assume you have God’s blessings if it isn’t immoral or violating the rights of others. Don’t live in fear; live in the knowledge of God’s love. And don’t demand certainty, for this is something even God cannot guarantee in a free world.

I know some of what I have written is controversial. So what do you think? How can we hear the voice of God? How can we know what to do with certain decisions in life? How does a loving God help guide and direct us through life? Share your input and ideas in the comment section below.

Reading the Bible Literally

By Jeremy Myers

49 Comments

I take the Bible seriously, but a literal reading of the Bible undermines pretty much everything we do in church…

God’s Mirror, Our Looking Glass, and the People We Bump into

By Jeremy Myers

12 Comments

This is a guest post by Grahame Smith.

Grahame was most influenced in life by Christians who lived out their faith by rolling up their sleeves and taking risks by helping others. He is a Chaplain and Crisis Counselor and with his wife Rhonda has raised 3 children and is helping to raise 4 grandchildren.

Grahame has two sites where he interacts with people from many countries. They can be found at Soul Care Counselling and SoulCare

He has a passion in asking people to consider what the 21st Century Church should like through social media.

Months ago, a man in his early 30s passed me in the hallway. I had got to know him at one of the workplaces I visit. As one often does in such circumstances I asked him how he was going. This is a question which can easy roll off our tongues perhaps with little thought of what may come next.

He actually stopped me and said “life is hard and I have made a mess of things.”

Now I have come to realize many years ago, God does provide divine opportunities for us to extend His grace to others. What do I do now I asked myself?

I could see in his eyes a lot of pain, and I had a meeting to go to. If I put him off, the chance to listen and perhaps to help is lost. The clock was ticking in my head; I really need to be at this meeting I told myself.

I said “Bill (not his real name), I have to be at a meeting in 5 minutes, I really want to chat with you, say in 2 hours?” I was thinking he would say no, instead he said “See you at 1300hrs!” (He’s in the armed services). From experience I’ve learned these opportunities involve a lot of emotion.

The meeting was difficult and draining so I didn’t feel up to my 1pm appointment.

When I arrived, Bill was waiting for me. (Not a good sign, I said to myself.)

I had accidently pressed an emotional button in Bill earlier that day, and so for next 2 hours he poured out his tragic story.

In short he had been deployed overseas for 10 months as a UN peace keeper and when he had come home he found that his marriage was over and his kids very distressed. He blamed himself for the mess. He saw himself as a failure as a husband, father and as a provider. His self-esteem was a rock bottom. So I was concerned for his safety. He said he had nowhere to turn to, except to me as it turned out.

Much more has been said in the 10 sessions I have worked with Bill, even very recently. The impact of how Bill saw himself across his total life became the most profound part of the story. But over our time together, Bill came to know Christ as his Lord and Savior, and significant change happened.

We had considered in one session; 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 to 4:1-2, where it tells us, that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty in our lives. We are also told, as we gaze in the mirror of God’s word by the Holy Spirit, that we are transformed each day, more and more to the image of Christ.

Now Bill tried to describe to me what this verse did to him. He said the hardest thing he found was to try and see himself as God sees him. He had a strong belief he was a failure and was unforgivable but this was being challenged by a voice within him. Despite him finding Christ he would still go fishing in his mind “re-living past sins and kicking himself all over again”.

On one occasion I introduced a small mirror and asked him see his reflection and answer two questions.

1. Look at the mirror you are holding, what do you see, what do you think of yourself really, not your appearance but the inner you.

2. If God was looking back at you, what would He see in your opinion?

Both answers were similar. I then asked him to consider a list of bible verses that demonstrates God’s love for us and how He really sees us.

He told me the light bulb went on in his head. And amongst his tears he had got it. He said he could now forgive himself and his wife. Gods Mirror had become his Looking Glass helping to correct his false images, false assumptions, beliefs and helping him to avoid making poor choices when sorting his life out.

All this came out of a chance meeting in a corridor and me trying to find reasons why I didn’t have the time to chat. Divine opportunities just pop up, even if we don’t want them to!

Are you looking for the people God brings into your life? Keep your eyes and ears open! You never know who you might meet in the hallway.

[#45] Genesis 3:14-15 – The Serpent and the Seed

By Jeremy Myers

11 Comments

Does God curse animals and people? Genesis 3:14 indicates that God cursed the serpent. But what did the serpent do to deserve being cursed? And what is the whole thing about the serpent crawling on the ground and eating dirt?

And then there is Genesis 3:15 which talks about the serpent striking the heel of the woman’s seed, but the seed crushing the serpent’s head. What is all that about? Is it truly a prophecy about Jesus?

These, another other related questions, will all get considered in this episode of the One Verse Podcast.

The Text of Genesis 3:14-15

So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

In this discussion of Genesis 3:14-15 we look at:

Did God curse the serpent?
What happened to the serpent?
What does it mean for him to crawl on his belly and eat dust?
Is Genesis 3:15 a prophesy about Jesus?

Resources:

The Re-Justification of God is on Sale at Amazon
Walton, Lost World of Adam and Eve
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary
Zevit, What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden
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Hell on Earth

By Sam Riviera

10 Comments

Sam Riviera is a frequent and popular contributor to this blog. Many of his posts on loving your neighbors and ministering to the homeless are consistently among the most popular articles on this blog.

Based on his many years of friendship with lots of homeless people in San Diego, Sam Riviera has learned the stories of several of them, and, with their permission, is writing their stories in the form of letters to their dads. These are the letters that they might have written to their dads. Since it has been a while since Sam wrote one of these letters, you will want to go read the explanation about these letters here, and especially read the First Letter to Dad: Killing Me Softely, as the letter below follows on the events from that previous letter.

Dad,

It’s been over a year now. I’m still alive. Sort of.

You have no idea what it’s been like for me the past year. You can’t even imagine it. This isn’t rural Georgia, the town where you and I were born. This is the United States of America, land of the sick and twisted. I know ‘em. You’ve never made their acquaintance. Pray you never do.

Hell. They talked about it in church. Where I am isn’t a lake of fire, but it might as well be. Hell can’t be much worse than this. Maybe this is really hell and the lake of fire thing with devils and pitchforks was invented by Dante and Hollywood.

I’m not sure why I’m writing you. I guess I want mom to know I’m alive, but will you tell her? I’d tell her myself after you’re dead and buried, but I doubt I’ll be alive by then. Get on your computer and look up the average life expectancy for a homeless teenager who is a drug addict who is regularly raped by dirty old men.

I’ve got a death sentence. You were the judge that handed it down. You convicted me without a trial, with no evidence. Even if what you were told was true, so what? I’m your son. I know you’re more concerned about what people think than you are about your own flesh and blood. I might as well have terminal cancer. At least then I might be able to get treatment. As it is, I have no hope.

Hard to imagine, but Jesus is here with me right in the middle of all this crap. I was hoping he’d rescue me somehow, but it’s not happened. Maybe it’s drug-induced hallucinations, but I don’t hallucinate about anything else. I see him walking the streets, and he sits and talks with me. The other guys say it’s just some guy, but I see something different. I know what I’m seeing. He told me only small children and a few older people see him for who he really is, and most people don’t notice him at all.

I asked him if he hangs out in churches. He laughed. He said he does, but not many notice or recognize him. He said he spends most of his time where he’s wanted and needed. Not like me. I’m not wanted, needed, or loved anywhere. I’m just a user and mostly just used.

Remember those baby birds in the nest by our front door when I was little? We watched the mother bird build the nest, then looked in after she laid the eggs. The babies were about a week old. One day the mother bird disappeared and never came back. The babies were dead by the next morning. Abandoned and soon dead. That’s going to be me. Except I’m more like the baby the mom kicked out of the nest. Something must have been wrong with it. That’s what you thought about me. But nothing was wrong with me. You were wrong. But you still kicked me out and it’s too late for me to survive. I’m cold and sick, starving and afraid, and so lonely lying here in the filth waiting to die.

I’m still a teenager. I didn’t miss my childhood, but I will miss being an adult, all because of you. Can you live with that?

Jason

The Re-Justification of God is only $0.99 right now on Amazon

By Jeremy Myers

Here is what others are saying about the book:

Fantastic read! Jeremy Myers has a gift for seeing things from outside of the box and making it easy to understand for the rest of us. The Re -Justification of God provides a fresh and insightful look into Romans 9:10-24 by interpreting it within the context of chapters 9-11 and then fitting it into the framework of Paul’s entire epistle as well. Jeremy manages to provide a solid theological exegesis on a widely misunderstood portion of scripture without it sounding to academic. Most importantly, it provides us with a better view and understanding of who God is. If I had a list of ten books that I thought every Christian should read, this one would be on the list.
-Wesley Rostoll

The more I revisit the scriptures, the more I see that the same patterns come up time and time again. God relentlessly pursues us and places blessings and trials in our way to win us over. Israel was chosen for that purpose, as was Egypt. Similarly, individuals are chosen for this service, whether they be like Jacob or Esau, or Pharaoh. God is prepared to make use of men and nations that He might reconcile to Him as many as who would believe in Jesus.

This is what J.D. Myers presents in “The Re-Justification of God.” He explains that in Romans 9, Paul is making a case that the Church needn’t despair about the trials that the Jewish nation was about to suffer. They needn’t worry that God reneged on his promises and commitments and covenants with Israel. In his book, Myers highlights that in the Epistle to the Romans (Chapters 9 thru 11), the Apostle Paul emphasizes that God is faithful in keeping His promises and that He uses some pretty creative means to do so – like blessing the Church (Jews and Gentiles) with primacy in delivering God’s gospel of grace to the world. He shows how Paul argues that the goodness God demonstrates in the Church serves the purpose of calling the Jewish nation to repentance and faith in their Messiah. Since God hasn’t given up on redeeming Israel, God will not give up on seeing the Church’s redemption through to completion: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
-the fab five

Take advantage of this temporary sale and get your copy of The Re-Justification of God for only $0.99!

PS, If you are like me and don’t own a Kindle, you can (#AmazonAdLink) get their free Kindle Reader app for almost any computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Unchurching from Churchianity

By Jeremy Myers

52 Comments

I first got to know Richard Jacobson through his interaction with me on Twitter, Facebook, and his comments on this blog. I liked what I saw and started reading his blog, where he creates insightful and humorous cartoons and videos about the church and following Jesus.

So when he asked me to read and review his book, I said “Yes!” as quickly as possible.

(By the way, if you are an aspiring author, THAT is how you do it. I get a couple emails a day from people who want me to read and review their book, but who have never read my blog or one of my own books, have never left a comment on my blog, and who have never interacted me on Twitter or Facebook. Publishing, like everything else in life, begins with relationships. Richard’s book is proof. It debuted at #1 on Amazon in his category.)

The book that Richard wrote is called Unchurching. I have written several books about church myself, but this one is better than any of the ones I have written. At least … I like the way he organized his material and presented his ideas.

The book chapters are all quite short. This means that even if you only have five minutes here or there to read the book, you can likely finish a chapter in that amount of time. This is a smart way to write a book for today’s busy readers.

Best of all, even though Unchurching is a critical look at the church and contains a call for people to follow Jesus away from the four walls of Christendom, the book is incredibly gracious and kind. I could find no judgmental language, no finger pointing, and no condemnation.

I loved how he said that asking someone “What church do you go to?” is like asking someone “What family do you go to?” The second question makes no sense. We do not go to a family; we are in a family and we operate as a family. This is helpful as well, because the church is like a family, and when we think about it as a family, a lot of the questions that trip us up about how to “do church” fade away. Very rarely, for example, will a family ever have questions about “What day of the week should we meet?” or “Who gets to talk when we are together?”

Based on this idea of the church as a family, Richard Jacobson goes on to talk about church elders as facilitators, on how to carry out conflict resolution within the family of God, and a whole host of other related topics.

All in all, this is a great book about the church. If you have questions about what the church is, how it is to function, and why so many Christians today can confidently claim that they are better able to follow Jesus and be the church in the community now that they have stopped attending a Sunday morning meeting, this book is for you.

In a month or so, I plan on interviewing Richard Jacobson on my Theology.fm podcast, so make sure you tune in for that. Until then, buy a few copies of his book … one for yourself and a couple more to give away. Go here to get your copies of Unchurching today.

5 Reasons God Is Happy And How You Can Be Too

By Jeremy Myers

10 Comments

This is a guest post by Brandon Davis. Here is what Brandon writes about himself:

I live in Ft. Worth, TX. I am married to my beautiful wife, Lacy. We have one little girl with us (Selah Rose) and one with Jesus (Haven Grace). We planted a church in 2008. Planting a church can be hard anyway but with a little girl with heart problems it can be much more difficult. We stayed with it though and she received a transplant after 2 years and left us in 2012 at the age of 3 1/2. We stuck with the church as long as we could but we just didn’t have the emotional stamina to continue. Plus we are very outward thinkers and our church was wanting to go another way (long story short).

In my time there I did all the things that church planters do … everything! I wrote study materials, preached, and composed newsletters on a weekly basis. My time there was good and as it turns out sermons are pretty much “verbalized copy” so I learned and grew a lot. We decided to start a business in copywriting so I can still use my gifts for the glory of God and help promote and edify others as much as possible.

Learn more about Brandon on his website: Brandon Davis

Have you been to the psychology section of your local bookstore lately?

If you have, you have likely seen tons of books available on the subject of happiness. Each one promises a “secret” to it and places it within reach … well sorta.

It should come as no surprise that a market is out there to help us tap into what we want the most. With all the resources and experts out there telling us what we need to do to feel better and smile more, you would think that would be, right? Evidence shows that the reality is quite to the contrary. We are miserable.

God isn’t.

Straight out of the pages of Scripture we see that God is a happy God. Not that you won’t see some other aspects of God as he has to deal with us on numerous occasions, but the default character of God isn’t anger or wrath. Theologians tell us that for an attribute to be an attribute, it has to be what God was like before he created anything. And before God created anything he was happy. God is happy by default:

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Ps. 16:11 (ESV)

But why?

Is there something he isn’t sharing with us? Some secret?

No, not at all. As a matter of fact he shares more than just information with us, he shares himself. In doing so, he is revealing more than just tips, but a life lived where all can see. By observing him, we learn five things that make this God so happy. Not only that we can follow his joyous lead.

1. God is Community

Christians believe in one God who is three distinct persons. It’s tough to wrap our heads around to be sure, but the point is, there was never a time when God was without community because that is his very being. It isn’t something he chooses to do now and then, it who he is.

We can’t be happy alone. People need people. We don’t just need any ole’ people, but those that are truly life-giving and seek our good. To have even one devoted friend is of enormous value. To be happy we need them.

2. God Creates

God created the world and rejoiced in what he had made. It’s in the opening account of the Bible.

Business manuals suggest that the happiest places on earth to work are those where the people feel the freest to create and not feel judged. Some of the happiest professions are those that allow and make room for people to be more creative. What does that tell you? It means we were made to create also.

3. God Gives

If I hear the statement, “Money is the root of all evil” one more time I’m gonna puke! The Bible doesn’t say this. It says “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Having lots of money can make you happy. If you give it away.

Harvard Professor Michael Norton wrote a book about this called Happy Money, the Science of Smarter Spending. In it he presents data to support his daily challenge to audiences:

“If you think money doesn’t buy happiness, try giving some away.”

He is right.

Those that give are happier than those who don’t. Imagine that! (Acts 20:35).

4. God is Thankful

Go back to the first chapter of the Bible again. What do you see? Not only is God creating, but he is thankful in the process. He turns to himself repeatedly to say, “Good job!”.

Being thankful takes work. We aren’t by nature. I know for myself I have had to sit down, shut up and make a list of things that I should be thankful for. It’s a pain, but by the end of that exercise, I am happier than before. Try it.

5. God beautifies

This one is hard to explain, but it is my personal favorite. God doesn’t just create; he fixes. He restores. He connects. In other words, God is not in the business of breaking things down, but ultimately building them up and making them better.

My wife loves to decorate and occasionally do makeovers for her friends. I love to write and do public speaking. Each of us in our own way are adding something to improve or at least point people to what is so beautiful to begin with.

If you want to be happy, find something broken and repair it. Find broken people and help them heal. See where people are struggling and come alongside them and lift them back on their feet.

The happiest being did all these to us. In what seemed like the ugliest event in history he…

GAVE Himself
CREATED sons and daughters
Established a COMMUNITY of THANKFULNESS
& is making all things BEAUTIFUL.

This truly is the Gospel of the blessed (happy) God – 1 Timothy 1:11.

[#44] Genesis 3:11-13 – The Blame Game

By Jeremy Myers

14 Comments

There are six revolutionary and foundational truths in Genesis 2–3. Today we see the fifth.

These truths help you understand God, Scripture, society, culture, and yourself like never before. The one we see today is absolutely critical for understanding why God appears so violent at various places in the Bible.

If you have ever wondered how to understand the violence of God in the Bible, make sure you listen to this episode.

The Text of Genesis 3:11-13

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

In this discussion of Genesis 3:11-13 we look at:

The fifth foundational and revolutionary truth from Genesis 2–3
Why God asks Adam about his nakedness
God does not blame Adam and Eve for what happened
Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent. Ultimately, Adam blames God
Why humans blame and scapegoat others
How God is the ultimate Scapegoat in Scripture and history
Two ways of reading Scripture and how Jesus shows which way is correct

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Those who are part of my online discipleship group may download the MP3 audio file for this podcast and view the podcast transcript below.

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Is God a wife beater?

Is God a wife beater?

Holy Soup Podcast

Life Uncut Podcast

How does God talk to you?

Since God doesn’t speak audibly or write in stones to us, how can we know that we hear the voice of God?

God always listens

But, I want to hear what God thinks!

Reading the Bible Literally

God’s Mirror, Our Looking Glass, and the People We Bump into

[#45] Genesis 3:14-15 – The Serpent and the Seed

The Text of Genesis 3:14-15

In this discussion of Genesis 3:14-15 we look at:

Resources:

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Hell on Earth

The Re-Justification of God is only $0.99 right now on Amazon

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Unchurching from Churchianity

5 Reasons God Is Happy And How You Can Be Too

1. God is Community

2. God Creates

3. God Gives

4. God is Thankful

5. God beautifies

[#44] Genesis 3:11-13 – The Blame Game

The Text of Genesis 3:11-13

In this discussion of Genesis 3:11-13 we look at:

Resources:

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Theological Study Archives

Bible Study Archives

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