What if our fixation on metaphysical precision is missing the point? The Bible affirms real spiritual realities and uses typology, allegory, and accommodation not to obscure truth, but to reveal it. Adam and the gods of the nations may n…
So thought I’d write up a few thoughts about this, because Zach Miller over at What Your Pastor Didn’t Tell You put out what I thought was a nice overview of whether or not Jesus believed in a “historical Adam”--and whether o…
You know the old saying: "You can't have your cake and eat it, too." It’s often said when someone wants to hold two mutually exclusive ideas at once. A similar kind of tension shows up in a particular type of critique of the Divine…
This is a topic I have had to think about more often than I'd care to consider. On the surface, it seems silly and ridiculous. But, also, I fully understand that there are reasons that this does come up on a regular basis. So, no, …
In the Bible, wine is not merely a metaphor for joy—it’s a vessel of it. It flows through the vineyards of Genesis, the feasting tables of Deuteronomy, and the covenant meal of the Last Supper. But in the Western Christian imagination, w…
What if Noah’s infamous vineyard episode wasn’t a relapse into sin—but a reframed echo of Eden? In our latest episode of Genesis Marks the Spot, we explored Genesis 9 through the lens of frame semantics, a method that helps us tra…
Most of us are taught that for the Bible to be reliable, it has to be true. But what does it mean that the Bible is true? Generally, in our world today, "true" means "factually accurate"--meaning, what it says concords with "objective re…
This might seem a bit off-topic for a blog about biblical theology, but the whole “dire wolf” buzz deserves some attention—and not just because the pups are adorable (because they are). These colossal cuddly canids that Col…
During my episodes outlining the historical interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4, I said I would make a blog post with the quotes I was using, so that they would be easy to reference. So here are the quotes from part 2 of the discussion: …
Quick blog post for a common question. If you want deeper explanations, I will link resources below. In my opinion, the most comprehensive exploration of the giant narrative in Scripture is T.J. Steadman's book/podcast, Answers to Giant …
During my episodes outlining the historical interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4, I said I would make a blog post with the quotes I was using, so that they would be easy to reference. So here are the quotes from part 1 of the discussion: Damascus …
Back in my LDS days, there was a lot of talk about being a "child of God." I really thought that that was a biblical idea--that humans were the actual children of God. Of course I knew that traditional/historical Christians do no…
The structure of Genesis 1 was a topic early on in Genesis Marks the Spot (episode 2, to be exact). I've also addressed how it relates to the Cosmic Temple. This means that in the first account of creation in our Bibles, we have a …
When people learn about the "divine council worldview" (aka "the Deuteronomy 32 worldview"), I see many people wonder: okay, so what about America? Is there a spiritual being that was assigned over this country, and if so...who?? &nbs…
I usually try to avoid hyperbole, but in this case, I really think it's true--this is the best note-taking system ever. In episode 78 of Genesis Marks the Spot, I explain the way that I use the Zettlekasten note-taking system and why I use it …
It's a common idea. Creation is cursed via man's "fall." But, is it? Or is this one of those oft-repeated ideas, like how Satan fell from heaven--an idea we actually don't see supported in Scripture? (For more on the supposed fall…
In episode 068 of Genesis Marks the Spot, I reviewed some literature on the topic of exile. Rather than put a mess of links into the show notes, here is that list of books, with some others added to it for good measure. I don't promise t…
It being an important day in the western liturgical calendar, I thought I'd drop a few links here about the "medieval" concept of the Harrowing of Hell--or, better stated, the Harrowing of Hades (because Hades is the underworld/the land of the dead,…
It's the new year, so let's talk about the structure of Genesis. There are a few ways Genesis is divided. None of these ways negate the others--they are just different ways of looking at the book and each helps us with a different facet …
When discussing Gary Wayne in episode 53, I mentioned a number of questions you could ask to help discern content and whether or not something is worthy of your time or consideration in general. This included some advice from the book How to R…
In Episode 50 of Genesis Marks the Spot, I spoke with Spencer Owen about sharing a book list for those interested in reading more about sacrifice. Here it is; happy reading! The Sacrifice of Jesus (Christian Eberhart) The Day …
I've got a fun announcement! I have partnered with the Youtube channel, Faith Unaltered, to begin producing a regular segment called "Pilgrims in a Holy Land." The show will be an extension of my podcast insofar as it will take the same type …
I've had people mention to me an interesting pattern of behavior I have. I don't keep beating my head against a conversation when it's clear that the other person just wants to argue or isn't curious about my position. If I present infor…
So when someone talks about the satan (literally, in Hebrew, it says, "ha satan," which means "the satan" or "the accuser") in Job and how that is not necessarily Satan himself, I hear this common response: "But in Revelation, we see the dragon w…