All Episodes
Romulus Was a Thug and a Criminal
In tribal experience, as in American mythology, life originates with the forefather. How often on this program have we mentioned the blasphemous depiction of George Wa...
You Should Not Enjoy Scripture
This week, Fr. Paul explains that you should not enjoy scripture but rather hear it and obey. (Episode 241)
Quiet, Zacharias is Speaking
Self-styled students of the Bible often impose personal arguments on their study of the text. In some cases, this problem is obvious, for example, when religious think...
Dabar, Voice, Staff
This week, Fr. Paul relies on grammatical functionality to explain how the shepherd leads his flock in Scripture with the biblical dabar. (Episode 240)
It Was Zacharias
Zacharias was silenced for speaking his own words. Words that build defend and secure the things that serve Herod’s agenda: a thriving community centered by a bountifu...
The Wilderness
This week, Fr. Paul reminds us that the wilderness in Scripture is like a visit from God, it can be good news, or it can be bad news. (Episode 239)
Fierce Loyalty
Institutional thinking has no comprehension of personal loyalty. Fierce loyalty. The kind you don’t get to choose. The kind you are born under. Like someone in Luke bo...
The Domain of God
This week, Fr. Paul explains the technical link between the blood of birth-giving and the blood of circumcision in the story of the Bible. (Episode (238)
Just Burp, Again
Regurgitate. To throw up or vomit; to eject what has previously been swallowed. To repeat verbatim. ([https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/Regurgitate]) Unless you happen ...
Immerse Yourself
This week, Fr. Paul explains that zera’ is the same, whether it’s a plant, or a tree, or a fish, or an animal, or a human being. (Episode 237)
Neighbors and Relatives
When Americans think of a “neighborhood,” the first thing that comes to mind is “value.” What type of homes are in the area? What size? How old? What amenities? What f...
Midian
This week Fr. Paul explains that Midian is practically the Arabian desert, highlighting the importance of shepherdism as the setting for the biblical storyline. (Episo...
Don’t Be Lame
When Mary proclaims the Lord’s help toward his servant Israel, it’s easy to reduce her prayer to yet another platitude about mercy from our perspective, elevating Isra...
Just Burp
This week, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Exodus, stressing the importance of submitting to and not circumscribing the biblical text. (Episode 235)
It’s Just News
The difficult teaching of Ecclesiastes warns us that all people share the same fate. This wisdom is pervasive in Scripture, from the violent imagery found in Deuterono...
Either/Or
This week, Fr. Paul stresses that in Hebrew and Greek the word house reflects the meaning of both house and household. (Episode 234)
Mercy and Fear
Having established that God—not herself—is her only reference, Mary moves to the next logical step from Scripture’s perspective: the proclamation of the fear of God. ...
Like a Woman in Travail
This week, Fr. Paul explains that God is in travail in Scripture and gives birth to children through his teaching. (Episode 233)
Magnify the Lord
When someone of authority speaks, it is only natural for people of lessor status to use his words to establish their position. Politicians do it, corporate underlings ...
Four Verbs
In today’s program Fr. Paul discusses four verbs in Hebrew: be fruitful, multiply as fish, became many, and became great in status. (Episode 232)
The Sound of a Greeting
As the Spirit moves through chapter one of the Gospel of Luke, it exhibits its power as a mechanism of destruction but also as an implement of God’s control—prompting ...
Hear Me Out
This week, Fr. Paul proceeds with his discussion of Exodus emphasizing the importance of hearing Scripture with the entire story in view. (Episode 231)
The Itinerary of the Spirit
The Scriptural God is not the God of a statue, a temple, a city, or a mountain, but the God of a story. For those who submit to this God as their heavenly Father, it i...
These Are the Names
This week Fr. Paul transitions from Genesis to Exodus, showing the interconnection between the books of the Pentateuch. (Episode 230)
I Know Jesus and I Know Paul
Normally, people don’t say much about the role of the Holy Spirit in the birth of John the Baptist—mainly because contemporary Mariology blinds them to the actual cont...
Against Humanity
In today’s program, Fr. Paul reminds us of the Bible’s painful and relentless campaign against the human ego. (Episode 229)
Three Things
When we read a text in translation, we imagine we hear what the author wrote because we believe that meaning can be taken separately from the words on the page. But if...
No One Is Special
This week, Fr. Paul explains that the mission of Joseph was to combine Israel and the nations to the extent that his progeny was called—not the fullness of Israel—but ...