All Episodes
Every Last Cent
Christians come up with strange explanations as to the relationship between the Law of Moses and Pauline grace. Maybe, they argue, only part of the Law is valid—like t...
No Better Establishment
Fr. Paul explains how the biblical story does not propose a better establishment. (Episode 36)
Not One Iota
“Being instructed out of the Law,” are you “confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, [an...
The Purpose of the Greek Epics
Fr. Paul explains the purpose of the Greek epics and the way in which the biblical story pushes back. (Episode 35)
Salt of the Earth
If an author writes the words, “red lead,” is she directing a person named Red to lead a group of people or is she referring to a lead based substance that is colored ...
Scripture as a Totality
Fr. Paul reviews interconnected terminology, geographic references, and narrative themes in the Bible that point to Scripture as a totality. (Episode 34) This week'...
Blessings and Insults
The suffering of others should make us feel ashamed. When we see a neighbor in need, in poor health, overcome by calamity or besieged by violence, their burden is both...
Clarity of Purpose
Hunger and thirst are clarifying. When you are desperate for a drink of water, or you have not eaten in days, your biological needs control your actions. In turn, your...
The Chicken or the Egg?
Fr. Paul explains the terms flock and sheep and the problem individualism poses for our hearing of Scripture. (Episode 32)
The Fruit of the Spirit
When we hear the Beatitudes for the first time, it's tempting to philosophize—about poverty, humility, sadness, etc.—as though the Beatitudes themselves are a bunch of...
Direct My Footsteps
When we talk about behavior, we imagine that a degree of separation exists between our thoughts and our actions—as the saying goes, between mind and body—but this is i...
Nets of Our Own Making
Man toils in his service, acts on his behalf, and slaves for personal gain. Even when he strives to gather food for his family, the human being does so selfishly—for h...
On the Margin
The first three chapters of Matthew portray a confrontation between the God of Abraham and the many false gods and kings that rule the earth. Even as these kings—repre...
To Be, or Not to Be?
Fr. Paul discusses the biblical term exist and the problem of its conflation with the verb ”to be.” (Episode 28)