Redeeming Scripture Archives - Page 35 of 59

Have you ever taught anyone some bad theology? I have. Sometimes I go back to look through the sermons I preached when I was a pastor fifteen years ago, and I cringe at some of the things I said back then. Sometimes I wonder if fifteen years from now I will cringe at some of the stuff I teach today…

But I never purposefully taught anything wrong. I think most Bible teachers try their hardest to accurately present the truth of Scripture to others.

But in Jonah 1:10-12, we see that in response to some questions from the sailors, Jonah teaches them some very bad theology about God. Furthermore, I am convinced that Jonah knew for a fact that what he was teaching them was wrong.

So that raises the question … “Why would Jonah teach such terrible theology?” This is what we will see in Jonah 1:10-12. We will see what Jonah taught that was so wrong, and we also begin to develop a theory about why Jonah taught such terrible theology, even though he knew it was wrong.

We will also see that we might be teaching the same sort of terrible theology today. Listen to the episode to find out!

The Text of Jonah 1:10-12

Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

In this discussion of Jonah 1:10-12 we look at:

The additional questions from the sailors
The additional answers from Jonah
Why Jonah’s answer in 1:12 is terrible theology
Why we Christians often give the exact same answer to the world today

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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Do you like learning about Scripture and theology through my podcast? If so, then you will also love my online courses. They all have MP3 audio downloads, PDF transcripts, quizzes, and a comment section for questions and interaction with other students.

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Jonah 1:9 – Jonah and the Fear of the Lord

By Jeremy Myers

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Do you fear God? Are you afraid of Him? Should you be afraid of God? Does God want you to be afraid of Him?

If you answered “No” to any of those questions, how do you understand verses like Proverbs 1:7 which tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge? Or Deuteronomy 10:12 which says “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in His ways …”

This issue is what we are looking at today as we study Jonah 1:9. We see that Jonah fears God and he instructs the sailors to do the same thing. But is Jonah right in what he says? Should he fear God? Should the sailors? Should you and I fear God? Stick around for today’s study and we’ll see!

The Text of Jonah 1:9

So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

In this discussion of Jonah 1:9 we look at:

The initial response of Jonah to the questions of the sailors
Jonah’s description of God
Jonah’s statement that he fears god
Whether or not we should fear God

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.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
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If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
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Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Jonah 1:4 – Does God Send Storms?

By Jeremy Myers

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In Jonah 1:4, God sends a storm upon Jonah and the ship that carries him to Tarshish. Is this how God normally behaves? It’s a practical question that all of us face in life from time to time.

My wife and I are experiencing some difficulties in life right now. Quite often, it feels like we are in a storm, being buffeted by wind and waves. We sometimes have trouble keeping our heads above water.

My wife mentioned our struggles to someone this week, and they sent an email to her saying that the reason we are facing this storm is because we are sinning. The person who wrote the email said that God sent these troubles upon us because our views about church and about the LGBT community were sinful. We have been deceived by Satan, the email said, and so this is why God is punishing us with the storms of life.

People read in the Bible that Jonah disobeys God and so God sends a storm. Then when people see others facing storms in life, they says, “Oh, well, it must be because you are disobeying God.”

Is that really how God works? Does God send storms into our lives to punish us? If you sin, will God send disasters into your life to punish you? Does God send sickness, disease, famines, floods, earthquakes, or the loss of jobs, income, health, or even the death of a family member? Is this what God does?

Well, lots of people think so, and it is because of verses in the Bible like Jonah 1:4 that they think so. This is the verse we are looking at today, and by doing so we will hope to answer some of these questions.

The Text of Jonah 1:4

But the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

In this discussion of Jonah 1:4 we look at:

The description of the great storm in Jonah 1:4
Why some people think God sends storms upon sinners
Why Jesus reveals that God does not send storms to punish sinners
If God does not punish sin with storms of destruction, then what is going on in Jonah 1;4?
A brief preview and overview of the message in the book of Jonah

Resources:

While you wait for my book on the violence of God to come out, below are some additional resources that I have found helpful, and you might too…

Redeeming God Discipleship Area
Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes
Is God to Blame? by Greg Boyd
The Crucifixion of the Warrior God by Greg Boyd
Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan
God’s Word in Human Words by Kenton Sparks
The Bible Made Impossible by Christian Smith
Disturbing Divine Behavior by Eric Seibert
The Human Faces of God by Thom Stark
Reading the Bible Again For the First Time by Markus Borg

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.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

How to read and teach the Apocalyptic Literature of the Bible

By Jeremy Myers

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Have you ever tried to study or teach the books of Daniel and Revelation?

If so, you know how challenging they can be. This is partly because these books are two of the “Apocalyptic” books in the Bible. The apocalyptic books of the Bible are some of the hardest to read, study, understand, and teach.

I recently read an excellent book on how to study and teach these apocalyptic sections of the Bible. It is the book Interpreting Apocalyptic Literature by Richard Taylor.

In this book, Taylor provides an excellent summary of what Apocalyptic Literature is and why it is so difficult for modern readers to understand. He then moves on to provide numerous suggestions and guidelines for studying Apocalyptic Literature and teaching it to others (e.g., p 118f). Taylor also includes several warnings about the pitfalls that many ancient and modern Christians have fallen into when they study and teach these difficult portions of the Bible (p. 130f).

I found this book to be one of the best introductory books I have read on Apocalyptic Literature in the Bible, and highly recommend it for anybody who wants to study, teach, or preach through any of the Apocalyptic books or sections of the Bible. This is especially true if you plan on teaching the book of Daniel. I say this because the Taylor uses the book of Daniel to provide practical examples of how to read and teach Apocalyptic Literature. As such, this book almost serves as a good mini commentary on Daniel.

Of course, if you are studying Revelation, this book by Taylor will be helpful too, but there are not nearly as many tips or suggestions on Revelation as there are on Daniel. This is probably the only downfall to Taylor’s book, since Revelation tends to be more difficult to read and understand than Daniel. But I have previously provided some tips on reading Revelation, and there is another book in the series which focuses specifically on Revelation.

So, do you want to study and teach Daniel and other apocalyptic books of the Bible? Interpreting Apocalyptic Literature by Richard Taylor will lead you in the right direction.

Jonah 1:2 – God Calls Jonah

By Jeremy Myers

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Do you have an enemy? Maybe it was President Obama. Maybe now it is President Trump. Or maybe it’s the Islamic terrorists in Iran. Or the religious nut jobs here in the United States.

Maybe it is someone you don’t necessarily think of as an enemy, but you just can’t stand to be around them. Maybe a family member, a coworker, or a neighbor?

Anyway, imagine what you would do if God showed up in your living room later today, and said, “Hey! You know that person you just can’t stand? Well, I can’t stand them either, and I have a message of judgment I want you to tell them.”

If that happened to you, what would you do?

Well, that is exactly what happened to Jonah.

In Jonah 1:2, God calls Jonah to go preach against Nineveh. This podcast episode looks at why God said this, and concludes with a brief look at Jonah’s Jonah’s surprising response.

The Text of Jonah 1:1-3

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish …

In this discussion of Jonah 1:2 we look at:

A reminder that Jonah was a popular prophet
A bit about how evil Nineveh was
Why God wanted Jonah to preach against Nineveh
Jonah’s surprising response to God’s instructions

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.

You must join a discipleship group or login to download the MP3 and view the transcript.

Thanks for visiting this page ... but this page is for Discipleship Group members.

If you are already part of a Faith, Hope, or Love Discipleship Group,
Login here.

If you are part of the free "Grace" Discipleship group, you will need to
Upgrade your Membership to one of the paid groups.

If you are not part of any group, you may learn about the various groups and their benefits here:
Join Us Today.

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

If you want to deepen your relationship with God and better understand Scripture, take one (or all) of these courses. They are great for personal study or for a small group Bible study.

You can see the list of available courses here, and if you join the Discipleship group, you can take all the courses at no additional cost. Go here to learn more and join now.

Jonah 1:10-12 – Jonah Teaches Terrible Theology

The Text of Jonah 1:10-12

In this discussion of Jonah 1:10-12 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Jonah 1:9 – Jonah and the Fear of the Lord

The Text of Jonah 1:9

In this discussion of Jonah 1:9 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

Jonah 1:4 – Does God Send Storms?

The Text of Jonah 1:4

In this discussion of Jonah 1:4 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

How to read and teach the Apocalyptic Literature of the Bible

Jonah 1:2 – God Calls Jonah

The Text of Jonah 1:1-3

In this discussion of Jonah 1:2 we look at:

Resources:

Downloadable Podcast Resources

Do you like learning about the Bible online?

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