All Episodes
What Kind of Messiah?
In the very first verse of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew raises a question that looms over the entire story: Whose son is Jesus and what kind of messiah wil...
The Hellenistic Period
Fr. Paul discusses the historical background of the content of the Old Testament, the way that its stories were written, and the critical role of Semitic languages. (E...
A Time for Shade?
“The lust for comfort,” wrote Khalil Gibran, is “that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master.” Jonah, called by the w...
Two Exiles
Fr. Paul discusses the Egyptian and Mesopotamian exiles, noting the recurrence of the former and its literary significance. (Episode 7)
Who is Wasting Whose Time?
Everyone thinks about inconvenience in terms of how it impacts their time and their personal comfort. Rare is the individual who thinks not of personal preference, but...
Ur of the Chaldeans
Fr. Paul discusses the importance of Ur of the Chaldeans and its role in the inclusion of all nations together with Abraham. (Episode 6)
How Many Times Do I Have to Ask?
Communities and individuals always overestimate their own importance and abilities. This illusion is reinforced by the self-serving narratives we create to bolster con...
The Syrian Desert
Fr. Paul discusses the importance of the geography of the Syrian Desert as the setting for the Scriptural story. (Episode 5) From this week's show: https://www.bass...
The Word is in Control
Students of the Bible typically overstate the importance of Jonah's prayer from the belly of the whale, assuming that he was vomited onto the dry land because of repen...
Genesis 1-11
Fr. Paul reviews critical aspects of Genesis 1-11 and how this section of the Bible “controls” the broader scriptural story. (Episode 4)
Remedial Prophecy
“Obey everything [your teachers] teach you, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.” (Matthew 23:3) Like the warning, “do not judge,” (Matt...
Saved Under the Regime
Beginning with Exodus and Esther, Fr. Paul analyzes terminology and narrative structure to explain the biblical contrast drawn between slavery to human masters and sla...
The Sword of the Spirit
When faced with a conflict between two parties, our natural tendency is to assume that there is a right side and a wrong side. Why? Because we fancy ourselves to be ri...
Biblos Geneseos
In this week’s episode, Fr. Paul discusses Biblos Geneseos in the Gospel of Matthew and in the greater context of Scripture. (Episode 2)
Arise, O God, Judge the Earth
Psalm 82 1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: 2 "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to t...
The Rise of Scripture
In the first episode of our new show, "Tarazi Tuesdays," we are re-broadcasting a lecture presented by Fr. Paul on January 12, 2018. The talk was given during a book s...
Your Acceptance is Not Required
A directive does not require understanding, agreement, or acceptance in order to be carried out. In a high performing team, once a clear decision has been handed down,...
Do Not Be Amazed
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, the primacy of sowing the seed of the Bible, the folly of misplaced amazement and the sin of the fear of men are all demonstrated by mea...
You Foolish Galatians
One of the many ways that Scripture teaches us is by testing us. In the first verse of chapter 15, Mark tells us that “the whole Council” deliberated, bound up Jesus, ...
Into the Darkness
Students of the New Testament can’t help but impose their understanding of triumph on the story of the Crucifixion. Desperate to find hope in human strength, they rush...
Trust in the Lord
In popular American stories, defeat is used either to amplify our sense of good vs. evil or to indulge the illusion that we, the supposed underdogs, will be victorious...
Gilgal Golgatha
In Semitic languages, the link between various words is established, not by a term’s imagined or abstract meaning, but by its mechanical structure. Certain words conta...
The Bringer of the Law
In the discipline of Jiu Jitsu, when an opponent strikes you, his aggression is understood as an opportunity to use his power against him. A similar principle is found...
Neither Nor
Too often, the Bible is coopted by people who seek to advance a personal agenda. Whether laying claim to a piece of land, as in the case of Manifest Destiny, or justif...
Stockholm Syndrome
To the extent that the Old Testament repeatedly hammers the worship of idols, it's understandable why so many are quick to dismiss its relevance. These days, most peop...
Peter and Judas
When confronted with the failure of the Lord's disciples in Mark, it's tempting for hearers of the gospel to weigh and measure betrayal as a matter of degree. Why? Bec...
How Do You Catch a Cloud?
When we take any action—especially in rebellion—the emotional satisfaction of doing what we want whenever we want creates the illusion of freedom. But what does it mea...
All Have Turned Aside
“What then,” Paul exclaimed to the church in Rome, “Are we better than they?” Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; ...