The Bible Project

Redemption Q+R (E12) — Is deliverance from evil spirits a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? Was God demanding a redemption payment through Jesus’ death? And are salvation and redemption basically the same thing? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our Redemption series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!View all of our resources for Redemption →CHAPTERSRevisiting the Conversation of Redemption and Tackling Your Questions! (0:00-2:50)How does payment relate to redemption, and why does God demand a payment? (2:50-24:15)Why did Jesus’ death have to be such an awful, gruesome crucifixion? (24:15-36:12)When Jesus delivers a person possessed by an evil spirit, is this a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? (36:12-42:50)What does it mean to be saved, and is it the same as redemption? (42:50-55:09)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESWhen discussing Jesus’ redempti

Redemption Hyperlink Episode (E11) — There are so many themes in the Bible, from redemption to exile, to mountains and cities. In every series, we attempt to isolate and study one biblical theme. But it’s important to remember that biblical themes are woven together throughout the Bible like instruments in a symphony. Today in this hyperlink episode, we’ll listen to clips from previous podcast series where the theme of redemption also came up in Jon and Tim’s conversations.View all of our resources for Redemption →CHAPTERS Redemption and the Day of Atonement (0:00-30:24)Redeeming the Time (30:24-38:20)Redemption From the Grave (38:20-50:24)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESClip 1 is from “What Is the Day of Atonement?,” episode 6 in our 2022 series, Leviticus Scroll.The Mythic Mind by Nicolas WyattSin, Impurity, Sacrifice, Atonement: The Priestly Conceptions by Jay SklarCult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy by Roy GaneCl

Redemption E10 — We’ve made it to the end of our series on redemption, where we’ll look at two last examples of redemption in the New Testament. When Jesus redeemed us from sin and death, did he pay a redemption price, and how does his redemption relate to the Torah’s sacrificial system? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore 1 Peter 1 and Hebrews 9, which connect Jesus’ redemption to sacrifices at the center of Passover and the Day of Atonement. CHAPTERSSeries Recap of Redemption (0:00-18:04)Redeemed by the Blood in 1 Peter 1 (18:04-32:46)An Eternal Redemption in Hebrews 9 (32:46-55:27)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESCheck out our Leviticus Scroll series.The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. LewisYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Enveloped In Love”

Redemption E9 — So far in the series, we’ve been talking about how redemption means being reclaimed—freed from slavery and returned to where we belong. But what are we enslaved to, and how does Jesus set us free? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Romans 8 and Hebrews 2 to trace how Jesus enters our suffering and overcomes death to bring us back to life.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for Romans 8 (0:00-21:57)The Redemption of Creation in Romans 8 (21:57-33:41)Jesus’ Identification With Us in Hebrews 2 (33:41-49:41)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESDeification through the Cross: An Eastern Christian Theology of Salvation by Khaled Anatolios“For that which He has not assumed He has not healed.” Quote from Gregory of Nazianzus in his “Epistle 101 to Cledonius the Priest Against Apollinarius.”“He became what we are so that we might become what he is.” Quote often attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria. It captures his thoughts in his larger work On the Incarnation. 

Redemption E8 — Both in his public ministry and sacrificial death, Jesus redeems people from humanity’s cosmic “pharaohs,” the Satan, sin, and death. Jesus’ miracles show more clearly how this redemption works, but he says very little about how his death serves as a redemption. In fact, the most substantial thing we get is his symbolic body and blood language during the Last Supper Passover meal. And even this still feels cryptic! Later in the New Testament, one writer offers much more explanation on how Jesus’ death works to redeem people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the letter to the Romans, where the Apostle Paul crafts a detailed explanation of how Jesus joins with us in death to transfer us from the domain of death into his Kingdom of life.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for the Apostle Paul (0:00-15:09)Paul’s Condensed Redemption Story (15:09-22:03)A Gift of Redemption in Romans 3 (22:03-44:21)The Transfer from Death to Life in Romans 6 (44:21-58:34)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s offici

Redemption E7 — When murmurs about the birth of the Messiah began spreading, 1st-century Jewish people already had very specific expectations of what his redemption would look like. He was to be a new Moses who would overthrow Rome, enabling them to live freely in the land. But even after Jesus’ resurrection, none of that had happened. So what kind of redemption did Jesus actually accomplish? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the theme of redemption in the Gospel of Luke, uncovering ways that Jesus’ mission aligned with, subverted, and transcended Israel’s expectations.CHAPTERSSetup for Redemption in Luke (00:00-5:39)Redemption at the Beginning and End of Luke (5:39-24:15)The Cosmic Jubilee Has Arrived (24:15-30:53)Cosmic Redemption from Sin, Death, and the Satan (30:53-50:41)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for

Redemption E6 — In the book of Psalms, the Hebrew words for “redemption” are often used to simply mean save, rescue, or release. This is especially true in the psalms of King David, who was never a slave but regularly used redemption language to speak of trials with his enemies. As the collection of psalms grew and shifted over many centuries, David’s personal longings for redemption came to represent something much bigger. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the themes of personal, communal, and cosmic redemption in Psalms.CHAPTERSRecap and Intro to Redemption in the Psalms (0:00-12:54)David’s Use of “Redeem” (12:54-34:28)Redemption From the Grave (34:28-48:30)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Just Truth” by Lofi Sunday,

Redemption E5 — For many centuries, ancient Israel lived in the land of promise but consistently broke their covenant with Yahweh. The prophet Isaiah warned the people that their corruption and idolatry would lead them back into slavery—not to Egypt but to the empires of Assyria and Babylon. After these two exiles happen, the prophecies in the book of Isaiah shift surprisingly from correction and warning to comfort and hope. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Isaiah 40-66. These chapters contain a higher density of the word “redemption” than any other part of the Hebrew Bible.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for Isaiah 40-66 (0:00-7:38)Comfort From Yahweh the Redeemer (7:38-25:33)The Redeemer of Vulnerable Israel (25:33-41:02)REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Forgotten Dreams” by Aves“Hilltops ft

How the Bible Was Formed Q+R (E5) — What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at the beginning of creation? How do we reconcile the Bible’s editing process with Scriptures that forbid adding or taking away from God’s word? And what should we do with other writings that closely followed the New Testament? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our How the Bible Was Formed series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!CHAPTERSIntro (0:00-1:16)Do you have any new learnings or discoveries since the Making of the Bible series? (1:16-7:45)Does the Bible being written by humans, but inspired by God, change its reliability? (7:45-17:07)What is the relationship between the written word of the Bible and Jesus as the Word at creation? (17:07-31:00)How do you reconcile humans editing the Bible during its development with Scriptures that command not to add to or take away from God's Word? (31:00-42:18)What should we do wi

Redemption E4 — During a dark time in ancient Israel, idolatry, injustice, and death ruled the land and its people. In the midst of a famine, a destitute widow tragically loses her husband and adult sons and is left alone with her immigrant daughter-in-law. It’s a horrible situation, but God uses the faithful, loving, and generous acts of ordinary community members to redeem the widow’s story. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the cosmic redemption playing out in the short but profound story of Ruth.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for Ruth (0:00-13:37)A Story Opening in Tragedy (13:37-27:26)In Comes the Redeemer (27:26-38:18)The Redeemer Redeems (38:18-53:43)Ordinary Acts of Love as Cosmic Redemption (53:43-1:04:40)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended b

Redemption E3 — So far in this series, we’ve explored the theme of redemption in the Eden story and in several stories in Exodus. In this episode, Jon and Tim look at how redemption language shows up in Torah laws about cities of refuge and unsolved murders, highlighting God’s provision for justice, the role of the blood redeemer, and communal responsibility in ancient Israel.CHAPTERSRecap of Where We’ve Been (0:00-10:50)Cities of Refuge and the “Blood Redeemer” (10:50-21:10)Preventing Bloodshed in the Land (21:10-29:29)A Sacrifice to Redeem a Guilty Community (29:29-47:20) OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Hard Times” by Courtland Urbano“Blue Sky” by C y g n“Untitled” by unknown artistBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW C

Redemption E2 — Redemption involves a transfer of possession, and in the grand story of the Bible, humanity is under the possession of sin and death. But God’s plan is to snatch us back from death and bring us to life—to redeem us. But how does this redemption actually work? In this episode, Jon and Tim look at the Torah rituals of Jubilee and Passover, discovering the life-saving redemption that God is up to in both of these rituals.CHAPTERSRecap and Setup for Redemption in the Torah (0:00-11:24)Jubilee as a Redemption of Land and People (11:24-31:05)Redemption in the Passover Rescue (31:05-01:01:20)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Where Is the Love” by Johnny Gorillas“Lonely Like This Moon” by KicktracksBibleProject them

Redemption E1 — Following our series on the Exodus Way, we’re going to explore a word that first shows up in the Exodus scroll, redemption. This word can mean lots of things: redeeming a coupon, redeeming an otherwise bad day, or—from a Christian perspective—being redeemed by Jesus. But what does redemption actually refer to in the story of the Bible? Jon and Tim kick off this new theme series by exploring how this word is used throughout Scripture and then defining the two Hebrew words that are translated as “redemption” or “redeem.”CHAPTERSBiblical Redemption (0:00-11:08): Jesus’ Sacrifice as Redemption (11:08-29:23)The Meaning of Ga’al and Padah (29:23-48:36)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Cookie” by Benno“Venice Beach

The story of Pentecost in Acts 2 is brimming with rich imagery and hyperlinks from the Hebrew Bible. God’s Spirit dramatically fills a house of Jesus’ followers like a wind, and fire burns over the disciples' heads as they begin speaking languages from across the known world! What is happening here, and how is it a fulfillment of God’s promises? In this re-released episode from our 2018 Luke-Acts series, Jon and Tim trace the significance of Pentecost, revealing how God’s presence now dwells within his people and empowers them to advance his Kingdom mission.CHAPTERSFire at Pentecost and the Place Where Heaven and Earth Meet (0:00–2:15)The Fiery Arrival of the Promised Helper (2:15–11:27)Overlaying Ancient Stories of God's Presence (11:27–24:12)Peter's Speech to the Crowd (24:12–31:13)Recovering the Exiles (31:13–35:37)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCES“Pentecost: Acts 1-7” from our Luke-Acts video seriesActs (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testa

How the Bible Was Formed E4 — In the last three episodes of this short series, we focused on the formation of the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament. We also talked about other works of literature from the Second Temple period, known collectively as the Deuterocanon or Apocrypha. Today, we’ll finally explore yet another collection of Second Temple literature that was formed around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—the New Testament. In this episode, Jon and Tim look at the people in the early Jesus movement who wrote, collected, and distributed these biographies about Jesus and letters to churches across the Roman Empire.CHAPTERSThe Fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures (0:00-13:51)What the Gospels Are and How They Came to Be (13:51-25:42)The Crew Who Shaped the New Testament (25:42-47:19)The Letters That Lasted (47:19-52:35)Sacred Scribal Abbreviations (52:35-1:05:01)Conclusion to Series (1:05:01-1:08:15)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Didach

How the Bible Was Formed E3 — Today, most Bibles are a single book that’s easy to carry and flip through. But the Bible started as an assortment of scrolls, bound together into a collection. The Hebrew Bible—or the Old Testament—went through a centuries-long, iterative development process with a variety of scribes and prophets. It didn’t come into its final form until roughly the time of Jesus. So how does this history interact with a view of Scripture as God’s word? In this episode, Jon and Tim continue exploring the formation of the Bible, discussing how to hold a high view of these sacred texts while also acknowledging the humans who shaped them. CHAPTERSAn Inspired, Collaborative Work Over Centuries (0:00-12:00)A Final Shaping of the Hebrew Bible After Exile (12:00-26:59)The Second Temple Period’s Flourishing Literary Culture (26:59-43:42)The Tanak’s Standardization as the Masoretic Text (43:42-53:32)Wisdom Literature Designed for Meditation and Formation (53:32-1:00:03)Coming to Peace With the Bible’s Fo

 How the Bible Was Formed E2 — The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, is a collection of 24 scrolls, passed down for generations, that tells the long, complicated story of ancient Israel. But who wrote these scrolls, and how did they come together in their final form? And how do we understand the claim that these books are the very voice of God? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and the crew who shaped its stories, poems, and laws into intricately designed literary works.CHAPTERSThe First Writing Mentioned in the Torah (2:56-13:01)Prophets as a Spirit-Led, Multigenerational Literary Community (13:01-36:30)Divine Inspiration in a Diverse, Literary Mosaic (36:30-1:03:20)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode’s official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Lost World Series by John H. Walton and othersThe Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority by John H. Walton and Brent SandyThe Shape of the Writings (Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the

How the Bible Was Formed E1 — If you’ve ever compared a Protestant Bible to a Catholic Bible, you may notice some additional books in the Catholic Bible, such as Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, etc. These books, called the Deuterocanon by Catholics and the Apocrypha by Protestants, are Jewish Literature from the period after the Babylonian exile but before the time of Jesus. The Jewish people were back in the land, being ruled by Syria and other empires descended from Alexander the Great. As they read the Hebrew Bible, they created many new literary works, reflecting on stories in Scripture and what was happening in their own day. So how do we understand the status and value of these books when compared to the Hebrew Bible and New Testament? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the background, history, and content of this Second-Temple Jewish literature.CHAPTERSMultiple Bibles on the Shelf (00:00-21:10)History of the Protestant Apocrypha (21:10-34:35)How Jesus and the Apostles Engaged With These Books (34:3

The Exodus Way Q+R (E14) — What birth imagery do we find in Exodus? Are there hyperlinks elsewhere in the Bible that connect to Pharaoh’s hardened heart? And is the circumcision story with Zipporah and Moses’ son connected to Passover? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our Exodus Way series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSIntro (0:00-2:27)Do the seven women in Exodus mirror the seven women in Genesis? (2:27-11:31)What birth imagery can we pull out of the exodus story? (11:31-24:27)Are there hyperlinks elsewhere in the Bible that connect to Pharaoh’s hardened heart? (24:27-34:37)Is the circumcision story with Zipporah and Moses’ son connected to Passover? (34:37-38:54)How are the Passover and Yom Kippur lambs connected? (38:54-58:57)Is there any connection between God’s Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove at his baptism and the dove Noah sent out of the ark? (58:50-1:07:28)OFFICIAL EP

The Exodus Way E13 (Bonus Interview) — The exodus from Egypt was a foundational story for ancient Israel, but without a special group of seven often overlooked women, the exodus would have never happened! In this episode, Jon and Tim have a conversation with BibleProject Scholarship Fellow Tamara Knudson about the seven women in Exodus 1-4 who save Moses—and by extension—all of Israel.View all of our resources for The Exodus Way →CHAPTERSIntroducing Tamara and the Seven Women of Exodus 1-4 (0:00-6:29)The Two Midwives and Moses’ Mother (6:29-21:20)Pharaoh’s Daughter and Moses’ Sister, Miriam (21:20-31:08)Zipporah, Moses’ Wife (31:08-46:39)Other Books of the Bible That Start With Women (46:39-54:54)REFERENCED RESOURCESRead the BibleProject article that Tamara contributed to: “7 Powerful Women in the Bible Who Help Rescue God's People.”Tim references a previous Q+R episode, “Did God Try To Kill Moses?” where they responded to an audience member’s question about Exodus 4:24-26.Tamara references Carmen Imes’ Exodu