The last episode of 2020!  Happy New Year!  What role does fasting play in Christian life?  This week's episode concludes the six-part series on fasting where the guys wrap up the New Testament passages and then offer some conclusions from all of the material.  

Merry Christmas from the After Class Podcast!  This week the guys reach the New Testament and the gospel of Matthew as they get closer to wrapping up the study on biblical fasting.  Do Jesus's practices or his teachings add anything new to the discussion?  

This week the guys wrap up the Old Testament passages on fasting.  What's the deal with fasting anyway?  Is it just a method of manipulating God - to convince him to change his mind?  Or is fasting all about humility and spiritual discipline?  Maybe fasting is meant to be a road to greater personal health?  Be sure to catch this episode (and the three previous) to get the summary of the relevant Old Testament passages and their implications.

The discussion on fasting continues this week as the guys get close to wrapping up the Old Testament's contribution to the topic.  The prophets add a new dimension - is fasting for the people or for God and is fasting something God wants or expects from his people?

This week the guys continue their focus on fasting.  Fasting in the Bible had multiple motivations and functions.  We find it was a way to "turn up the volume" on prayers and petitions directed to God.  And we see it was a way of humiliating the flesh to grieve or show solidarity in suffering.

As we enter this season of feasting - with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon - the guys turn their attention to the subject of fasting.  What does Scripture say about fasting - what was its purpose, what situations called for fasting?  

In this week's episode the guys look to the Bible to see if it has anything to say about the use of marijuana or other recreational drugs.  It's a hot topic for many in the church as several states in America have voted to legalize marijuana and other drugs for medical or recreational use.  Do Christians have a dog in this fight - does the Bible give us a moral stance in the discussion on the use of marijuana?

In this week's episode the guys stick to their five-minute-format (mostly) to answer listener-posed questions and engage with the issues around this election season, nationalism, and the christian role in politics.

This week the guys respond to listener-posed questions centered on Christian involvement in politics.  With the election looming on the horizon it's a relevant and fruitful discussion.

It's the conclusion we've all been waiting for! This week the guys revisit and review the major atonement theories in light of the exhaustive (and exhausting) New Testament study they've done.  Which atonement themes/theories will end up on top?

Through a mix-up with the study notes, Paul's letters to the Corinthians slipped through the cracks.  But never fear - this week the guys address the missing passages and finally and truly reach the end of all the New Testament passages that speak about Jesus's death - it's purpose and what it accomplished.  Some of the language Paul uses will sound very familiar to those who have been in this study from the beginning.  But Paul does add some new and interesting tidbits to the discussion.

They've made it through all of the verses in all of the books! This week the guys finish their look through the New Testament books with Paul's pastoral letters (1 & 2 Timothy & Titus). If you've been on this journey from the beginning - what big picture themes have you noticed? How do the New Testament authors speak about Jesus's death?

What does Paul say about Jesus's death in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians?  He does discuss wrath in connection with Jesus's death but does he see Jesus as being punished on our behalf or is there something else going on?

The guys dig into Romans and Galatians this week looking for what Paul says about Jesus's death - what it accomplished and why it was necessary.  Paul speaks of Jesus as victor over sin and an obedient pattern for us to follow.  He also holds Jesus's death up as something we participate in and the key to our entrance into the new covenant.  Does Paul give any indication that he saw Jesus as taking God's wrath that was intended for us?

The guys turn to Revelation this week to see how John spoke about Jesus's death.  They find some references to Jesus as victor, a ransom, and the lamb who was slain.  But is there any mention of Jesus as our substitute or a payment to cover God's wrath?  The guys also give a start into Paul's letters (Romans and Galatians) which will be concluded in next week's episode.  

This week the guys zero-in on the letters of Peter and John as they work towards answering the question - What did Jesus die for?  Peter does use "ransom" language.  Is he using it to talk about Jesus ransoming us from the power and grip of satan or is he referring to something else?  When John speaks of Jesus's blood cleansing us and making atonement - is that pointing to Jesus taking our place or paying off God's wrath with his life?

What did Jesus's death accomplish and why was it necessary?  Did Jesus die to satisfy the wrathful and violent nature of God?  This week the guys dive into Hebrews - the book that is most often quoted to explain Jesus' death.  If Jesus is our high priest and the atoning sacrifice - how does all of that tie together? Is there anything in Hebrews about God's wrath or Jesus taking our place?

Why did Jesus have to die?  This week the guys offer a quick summary of where they've been in this discussion before moving on to see what the gospel of John has to say about Jesus's death.  John's gospel does use language of Jesus removing the "sins of the world" but maybe that doesn't mean all that we have traditionally thought.

This week the guys wrap up Jesus's death as portrayed in the Synoptics and move to the book of Acts.  Does Luke pair forgiveness of sins or atonement with the death of Jesus?  Is Jesus's death portrayed as a necessary response to God's wrath?

The conversation continues this week as the guys explore more of the reasons the Synoptics give for why Jesus had to die.  Why was his death necessary?  How did his death fulfill prophecy?  Does anything in the Synoptics indicate that Jesus's death was an answer or corrective to God's anger?  

This week the guys move to the New Testament as they continue to consider why Jesus had to die and what his death accomplished.  But Jesus' death was only about removing our sins right? You might be surprised when you are reminded of all that the synoptics claim about Jesus's death.  

The guys finish their discussion on the pros and cons of the five classic atonement theories and introduce some more contemporary views presented by theologians in the last twenty years. 

This week the guys take a break from surveying Scripture to look carefully at some of the classic theories of atonement, popular throughout the history of the church.   It should not surprise the listener that there are pros and cons to each.  

This week the guys wrap up the discussion on God's Wrath by focusing on the New Testament. Throughout the witness of Scripture we find that God is slow to anger and his wrath breaks out against his people when their actions jeopardize the path of salvation history. But is wrath language used in connection with Jesus and the cross? Was Jesus' death necessary to calm God's wrath?

The series on the sacrificial system continues this week with a discussion of God's Wrath.  As the guys look closely at God's character, his interactions with his people, and his presumed need for violence/bloodshed - you might be surprised by what they find - and what they don't find.  

As the guys continue to look at sacrifice and the larger issue of God's nature requiring violence and the shedding of blood they focus on the Day of Atonement this week.  They explore the various uses of "kaphar" in the Old Testament, of which "atoning for sin" is only one of seven. They also look carefully at the Day of Atonement in Leviticus and discuss what was and was not accomplished in that ceremony.

The guys continue the discussion on the sacrificial system as they drive towards answering the question - why did God have Jesus die on the cross - is Jesus’s death just an extension of God’s violent nature that needed to be poured out?  In this episode they explore the seven purposes for animal sacrifice as commanded in Torah; you might be surprised by what is NOT mentioned.

This week the guys start a series on the topic of sacrifice. Is the entire sacrificial system evidence that God's wrath requires blood, death, and violence? They begin to form an answer to this issue by exploring the sacrificial customs of the Ancient Near East.

You've probably heard or seen something about the recent "defund the police" movement. This week the guys offer a biblical perspective on the Church's response to the cultural/political upheaval we are all experiencing. How should Christians respond to the powers and principalities at play in the world around us?  What does a kingdom-centered posture look like?

In this episode they guys reflect on the charged racial climate stemming from the deaths of multiple people of color, most notably George Floyd. Not wanting to be a bunch of white guys lecturing anyone about what should be done, they reflect on the ideals of the Kingdom that should be lived out in the church. 

The guys give an update on what they've been up to over the past several weeks of quarantine.  They land on a discussion of how the Church is handling the Covid-19 situation and how important it is to choose the path of unity no matter what.  The Church has the opportunity to show the world something really rare: true unity.  Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8-10

This week the guys move on to engage another listener-posed issue: the hurdle of the conquest is still too high, surely God could have done more to mitigate the loss of life and the displacement of the Canaanites.  These are important questions for all Christians to ask - it is right to wrestle with the constancy of God’s character as revealed in Scripture.  But it’s crucial to understand - the radical social ethic of Torah was not possible without the Israelites having untainted, soul possession of the land.

The guys engage tough listener questions about Old Testament violence, like "Aren't you just sugarcoating genocide?" They also explore how modern political and geo-political biases tend to influence our interpretation of tough biblical passages. Is there a right or left leaning way of reading Joshua? Do we sometimes project our understanding of the modern day Israeli-Palestinian conflict back onto the book of Joshua? Are we so far away from the Holocaust that we are beginning to forget some important lessons about how to speak about the Jewish people's role in Scripture?

If you’ve ever wondered why the “conquest” had to happen this is the episode for you.  Many, like Rhett and Link, have struggled to reconcile their understanding of the God of the (seemingly violent) conquest of Canaan with the God who embodied love in the person of Jesus.  The guys explain - the love embodied in Jesus only makes sense with the land of Canaan in the background.  

In a follow-up episode to last week’s conquest discussion, the guys focus in on the issue of war and violence.  What should we do with passages that seem to portray God as violent, vengeful, or wrathful?  Are there aspects of God’s character (Justice/Holiness vs. Love/Mercy) that are unable to be reconciled?

In their continued response to Rhett and Link's faith challenges the guys begin a discussion on the biblical conquest of Canaan by Joshua.  Archaeological records don't seem to line up with the traditional understanding of a conquest.  But is "conquest" an appropriate term for what happened when Israel entered Canaan?  Maybe not, according to the biblical witness.

The series continues!  The guys offer some more answers to the issues raised in Rhett and Link's "anti"-testimonies.  This week's episode deals with the numbers in the Exodus census account.  Did Moses bring 2 or 3 million people out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan?  Does it matter if the numbers aren't 100% accurate by today's standards?  

This week the After Class guys continue their interaction with material from Rhett and Link’s “anti”-testimonies. Here they address the question of whether modern archaeology supports and upholds material in the Old Testament. Are our assumptions about the Bible and archaeology potentially leading us to a shaky place? And how do they affect our interpretation and understanding of the Exodus event. 

The guys wrap up the walk-through of the history of biblical interpretation in this episode.  It is beneficial to understand where the church has been throughout the centuries in relation to doctrine and what was considered "orthodox".  This is an important step in understanding why some Christians face a crisis of faith when their "foundations" are shaken.  

This week the guys continue to engage the "anti"-testimonies of Rhett and Link and the issues that led them away from faith.  This episode is unique as they spend little time walking through Scripture and instead embark on a walk through the history of biblical interpretation.  How did we get to the traditional, literal interpretations of Scripture that are considered orthodox today?

This week's episode continues the interaction with Rhett and Link's publicly shared "anti"-testimonies.  Here the guys discuss the importance of Adam and how his story functions in God's big picture redemption story.  Is he central to the redemption story or not?  

At the moment, it seems that the only thing people can talk about is the Coronavirus. While many educational institutions and businesses have shut down for the moment, what should churches do? More importantly, what does it look like for Christians to be witnesses in the midst of a pandemic?

This week finds the guys interacting with the shared testimonies of YouTube comedians and fellow podcast hosts Rhett & Link.  In their podcast, Ear Biscuits, Rhett & Link discuss the challenging questions that ultimately pushed them away from the Bible and away from their faith.  Listen in as the After Class guys respectfully offer some answers to the challenge of how to understand creation accounts and biblical genealogies.

What is mortal sin, or sin unto death? Is there a sin you can't come back from? Listen in as the guys finish this 2-part discussion. 1 John 5:14-17 Hebrews 6:4-8

Is there a sin that God will not forgive? If not, what is the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit"? The guys discuss these questions in part 1 of 2. Matthew 12:31 Mark 3:28-30 Luke 12:10

Like discipleship, fellowship, and family, the inauguration of God's Kingdom changes how we view friendship. The guys explore the Greco-Roman view of friendship to better understand the biblical understanding of how these relationships are transformed in the Kingdom. 

This second episode on the family continues to explore priorities in light of the Kingdom of God. 

Most American Christians will order their priorities as God, Family, Church. But does the Kingdom of God affect our family relationships by causing a change of priorities? We discuss all that and more in our latest episode.