The Bible Project

How does God work in the world and communicate with humanity? In this episode, Tim and Jon explore God’s relationship with his creation and the relationship between the Bible’s divine and human origins. They also discuss how God uses human words to communicate his divine word.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-16:30)Part two (16:30-31:30)Part three (31:30-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Show Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Birth” by Mr. Käfer“Tending The Garden (feat. Kennebec)” by Stan Forebee Show produced by Cooper Peltz. Edited by Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Have you ever read the Bible and felt like you’re not “getting it” or that you’re not connecting with God? In this episode, Tim and Jon take a look at the (often unhelpful) paradigms through which we interact with Scripture. They explore how seeing the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus not only gives the Bible space to do what it was created to do, but frees us up to be transformed by the story it’s telling.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-15:00)Part two (15:00-27:00)Part three (27:00-39:00)Part four (39:00-52:00)Part five (52:00-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.A Greek-English Lexicon, Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, edited by Henry Stuart JonesShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Evil Needle” by Sound EscapesShow produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

What makes a person worthy to be chosen by God to do his work? In the story of the Bible, some of God’s choices seem obvious, people with lots of merit. Other times, his rationale is less clear to us––as with Jonah, a chosen one who might be worse than the people he was supposed to help. In this episode, listen in as Tim describes the biblical design pattern of the chosen righteous intercessor. This is a sneak peek into our free graduate-level course on Jonah, which will be featured in the new Classroom resource available in 2022. View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-16:35)Part two (16:35-22:30)Part three (22:30-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Jonah class session notes, including the handout “How to Read a Text Like the Hebrew Bible” (page 5)Jonah: A Literal-Literary Translation, Tim MackieClassroom ApplicationShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Keep an Open Mind” by Olive MusiqueShow produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach

The Hebrew Bible contains one story of human failure after another, leaving us with no doubt in our minds: humanity desperately needs a leader. In this episode, Tim walks us through the structure of the Hebrew Bible and how it shows us Jonah is an anti-leader, the opposite of what humanity needs, whose failure prepares us for the ultimate leader and Savior, Jesus. This is a sneak peek into our free graduate-level course on Jonah, which will be featured in the new Classroom resource available in 2022.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-19:40)Part two (19:40-27:30)Part three (27:30-42:30)Part four (42:30-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Jonah class session notes, including the handout “How to Read a Text Like the Hebrew Bible” (page 5)Jonah: A Literal-Literary Translation, Tim MackieThe Wisdom of Ben Sira (which Tim mentions in part one) is a deuterocanonical work of biblical theology written shortly before the Maccabean Revolt.Classroom Appl

A stubborn prophet, a wicked nation, a giant fish––the story of Jonah is frequently translated into the popular imagination through TV and movies. But what is it really about? In this episode, learn from Tim about where Jonah fits into the story of the Bible that ultimately points to Jesus. This is a sneak peek into our free graduate-level course on Jonah which will be featured in the new Classroom resource available in 2022.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-18:05)Part two (18:05-28:30)Part three (28:30-37:00)Part four (37:00-44:30)Part five (44:30-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Jonah class session notes, including the handout “How to Read a Text Like the Hebrew Bible” (page 5)Jonah: A Literal-Literary Translation, Tim MackieClassroom ApplicationShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Keep an Open Mind” by Olive MusiqueShow produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distribut

Does God hold children responsible for their parents’ sins? In the fifth installment of our most-listened-to podcast episodes, join Tim, Jon, and Carissa for a look at the most quoted verse in the Bible, Exodus 34:6-7, and find out why God’s justice and his loyal love go hand in hand as a central part of who he is.QUOTEIf later generations repeat or persist in the covenant rebellion of their ancestors, they’re going to get the same consequences. But when we talk about these “thousands” that get loyal love, we’re talking about thousands of generations who stay faithful to the covenant. No generation gets a free pass, but no generation will be treated unjustly. Their own behavior matters for how God responds to them.Show produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Remastering by Jake Trethaway. Show notes by Camden McAfee and Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.Original episode and show notes are available here.

The word “gospel” has acquired many meanings since the biblical authors first used it. What does it really mean? In the fourth of our five most-listened-to podcasts, Tim and N.T. Wright discuss the meaning of this important word in its original context, and explore what it means for Jesus to take charge as King and for his disciples to build his Kingdom.QUOTEWhen God takes charge, he doesn’t send in the tanks, he sends in the meek and the poor and the hungry-for-justice, the merciful, the peacemaking, etc. And by the time the people with the tanks and the guns have realized what’s going on, the meek and the merciful and the poor in spirit have established schools and orphanages and hospitals, in order to show what it looks like when God becomes King. At Jesus’ final return, all those things will be part of God’s new world because they were already beginning at Jesus’ first coming.Show produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.O

Earn it, lose it, take it, spend it, save it––we talk about time like currency. The Sabbath can be confusing to talk about, but it is God’s reminder to humanity that time is not a possession. In the third of our five most-listened-to podcasts, join Tim and Jon as they explore why the Sabbath is far less about a weekend or special religious service and far more about rescue and God’s miraculous provision.QUOTETo say that the Sabbath belongs to God is to jar you into remembering time doesn’t belong to us. We talk about time like it’s currency––earn it, lose it, take it, spend it, save it. It’s like one of our possessions. Shabbat is a ritual practice that determines reality and helps us renounce our autonomy. The seventh day reminds us of rescue, miraculous provision, and of God coming through for us in a way that we couldn’t do ourselves.Show produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.Original episode and show notes are available

Humans are like trees. While this thought might not have been at the top of your mind this week, it was a key idea for the biblical authors. In the second of our five most popular podcasts, explore the connection between humans and trees with Tim and Jon as we learn why trees are mentioned more times than almost anything else in the Bible. QUOTEIf you look at days three and six, you’ll see they both have two creative acts. The second creative act on day three is a fruit tree, and on day six it’s a fruitful human. This is designed in such a way that you now start thinking in the metaphor, “Humans are trees.” … People are like trees, which means the future of humans—their origins and their destinies—are going to be linked in some way. We’re meant to wonder if the future of humans will be bound up with the future of trees.Show produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Remastering by Jake Trethaway. Show notes by Camden McAfee and Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.Original episo

God’s law––it can be an intimidating topic. Why are there over 600 laws? What do we do with them? We’re re-releasing our five most popular podcasts, and the episode with the most listens is also the first one we ever recorded. Listen in as Tim and Jon unpack what the laws meant for ancient Israel and what they mean for us today.Show produced by Cooper Peltz, Dan Gummel, and Zach McKinley. Remastering by Jake Trethaway. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.Original episode and show notes are available here.

Are Genesis 1 and 2 literal? What’s up with the differing timelines in those chapters? Where are the dinosaurs in the Bible? How do you know what ancient Hebrew words really meant? In this episode, Tim and Jon tackle your questions from the Ancient Cosmology series. Thanks to our audience for all your incredible questions!View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps How Can You Know the Correct Meaning of Ancient Words? (5:52 - 12:06)Can You Understand the Bible Without Other Resources? (12:06 - 21:04)What Is the Purpose of Creation in Genesis 1-2? (21:04 - 28:45)Are Genesis 1 and 2 Literal? (28:45 - 42:14)Where Are Dinosaurs in the Bible? (42:14 - 49:24)How Did Other Biblical Authors Interpret Genesis 1 and 2? (49:24 - 55:30)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.John H. Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins DebateJohn H. Walton, The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins DebateRobin A. Parry, The Biblical Cosmos: A

Did humans originate by intelligent design or the process of evolution? This question has been debated by the scientific community and readers of Genesis for almost 200 years. In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and special guest Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass as they discuss human origins and a way to bridge the gap across such a significant debate.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0-20:40)Part two (20:40-35:00)Part three (35:00-47:30)Part four (47:30-59:00)Part five (59:00-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Saint Augustine of Hippo, The Literal Meaning of GenesisDr. S. Joshua Swamidass, The Genealogical Adam and Eve: The Surprising Science of Universal AncestryWilliam Lane Craig, In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific ExplorationDavid Reich, Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human PastDennis R. Venema and Scot McKnight, Adam and the Genome: Reading Scripture After Genetic ScienceShow Music “Defende

It’s easy to recognize the psalms as beautiful poems. But how do we understand their deeper meaning? How psalms are organized (both internally and within the book of Psalms) is just as significant to their meaning as the words themselves. In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and Carissa for a deep dive into Psalm 148, where we see Yahweh as the ideal king who restores order to all creation. View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (00-8:30)Part two (8:30-16:45)Part three (16:45-26:00)Part four (26:00-37:30)Part five (37:30-46:00)Part six (46:00-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Show Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Psalm 148” by Poor Bishop Hooper: Show produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. 

How compatible is the Bible with science? And why does the creation story look different between Genesis 1 and 2? In this episode, join Tim, Jon, and special guest Dr. John Walton as they discuss these questions and the necessity of studying ancient culture and cosmology to truly understand our Bibles today.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0-14:30)Part two (14:30-25:00)Part three (25:00-35:20)Part four (35:20-48:20)Part five (48:20-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.The BioLogos FoundationThe Faraday Institute for Science and ReligionShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTSChillhop Essentials Summer 2021 EPShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

What does it mean that the biblical authors expected the return of Eden? The prophets anticipated waters of life from God would do miraculous things like restore the barren Dead Sea region to its former lush state and unite all humanity. In this episode, join Tim and Jon as they follow the waters of life from Genesis 1-2 throughout time, in anticipation of the coming Day of the Lord.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0-11:15)Part two (11:15-28:30)Part three (28:30-35:45)Part four (35:45-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Eric Mack, “New Science Suggests Biblical City of Sodom Was Smote by an Exploding Meteor,” Forbes Magazine, December 2018Show Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Solar Cove” by Mama AiutoChillhop Essential Summer 2021 EP“Imagination” by Montell FishShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Are there two creation stories in Genesis? How do Genesis 1 and 2 fit together and into the rest of the biblical story? In this episode, Tim and Jon explore these questions and the theme of water in the opening chapters of the Bible. Yahweh’s transformation of the chaos waters into waters of life set the stage for his calling upon his people and an important theme that will carry us from Genesis to Revelation.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-9:20)Part two (9:20-13:45)Part three (13:45-26:50)Part four (26:50-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of LeviticusL. Michael Morales, Tabernacle Pre-Figured: Cosmic Mountain Ideology in Genesis and ExodusShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Canary Forest” by Middle School, Aso, AviinoShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zach McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed b

The biblical authors often use creation imagery that clearly didn’t come from Genesis 1. Did they borrow from the creation accounts of other cultures? In this episode, join Tim and Jon for a deep dive into Genesis 1:1-2 and discover its similarity to other ancient cosmologies, plus one key difference: Yahweh is infinitely greater than all other gods.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-9:00)Part two (9:00-26:00)Part three (26:00-40:00)Part four (40:00-50:00)Part five (50:00-56:30)Part six (56:30-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.L. Michael Morales, Tabernacle Prefigured: Cosmic Mountain Ideology in Genesis and ExodusGeorge Landes, Creation Traditions in Proverbs 8 and Genesis 1John Sailhamer, Genesis Unbound: A Provocative New Look at the Creation AccountShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Synth Groove” by An Awesome Supporter“Feather” by Waywell“Luvtea” by Autumn Keys“Bloc” by kv“Mind Your Time” by me.soShow produced by Dan Gummel,

What is existence? What existed before humans did? Ancient people groups asked the same questions we do today, with totally different answers. In this episode, Tim and Jon survey the cosmologies of Israel’s neighbors, ancient Egypt, Canaan, and Babylon––people groups the biblical authors shared more in common with than modern readers––to shed light on the Bible’s creation account.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0-6:30)Part two (6:30-19:00)Part three (19:00-39:30)Part four (39:30-50:45)Part five (50:45-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Hermann Gunkel, Creation and Chaos in the Primeval Era and the EschatonBernard Batto, In the Beginning: Essays on Creation Motifs in the Ancient Near East and the BibleShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTSEvil Needle by Sound EscapesLightness by AnonymousShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

What does the Bible really say about the origins of the universe? The biblical authors had a completely different framework for this question than we do. When we expect the Bible to settle our debates, we close ourselves off from understanding the text as they intended it. In this episode, join Tim and Jon as they kick off a new series on Genesis 1-3, beginning with a look at ancient cosmologies.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-8:15)Part two (8:15-12:30)Part three (12:30-20:00)Part four (20:00-27:00)Part five (27:00-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.John H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old TestamentWilliam Brown, The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of WonderShow Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTSLofi Birds“Imagination” by Montell Fish“All Night” by Unwritten StoriesShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder. Powered and distributed by Simp

Who was at the beginning of the cosmos with God? God’s Spirit? God’s word? Or Lady Wisdom? Rich with creation narrative ties, the book of Proverbs contains important insights for how we understand God’s relationship to his creation and who Jesus is. Join Tim, Jon, and Carissa as they explore Proverbs 8.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-8:30)Part two (8:30-21:00)Part three (21:00-36:00)Part four (36:00-52:00)Part five (52:00-end)Referenced ResourcesInterested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9Show Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Euk's First Race” by David Gummel“Scream Pilots” by Moby“Drug Police” by Moby“Shot in the Back of the Head” by MobyShow produced by Dan Gummel, Zack McKinley, and Cooper Peltz. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder.