All Episodes
Not Your Connections
In today’s program Fr. Paul stresses that it is the text itself, not the person hearing it, that makes connections within the story. (Episode 205)
Thou Shalt Not Speak for Jesus
There is no such thing as an oral tradition. By its very definition, “the rule” of the Gospel is written down. It’s called a rule because God issued and inscribed a ru...
Against the Temple
This week, Fr. Paul concludes his discussion of Genesis 28 with an excerpt from Acts 7. (Episode 204)
A King Like Stalin?
We like to pretend that giving people a choice is essential. Mostly, we use the American ideology of choice to extract profit, to distract from what’s really going on,...
Matstsebah
This week, Fr. Paul reminds us that we cannot understand the meaning of a word until we hear how that word is used throughout the entire story. (Episode 203)
The Lost Sheep
When we hear the teaching of Matthew, “judge not that you may not be judged,” it’s easy to overlook the obvious: when you teach the words of Elohim, you personally are...
You’re Making Up Your Own Story
This week, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Genesis 28. (Episode 202)
The Rejection of Yahweh
“A mob,” James Baldwin wrote, “is not autonomous: it executes the real will of the people who rule the state. The slaughter in Birmingham, Alabama, for example, was no...
Anti-Civilization
This week, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Genesis 28, drawing attention to our commonly held anti-scriptural premise that perceives civilization and anything “ci...
Which Son, Pilate?
The rise of Scripture against the classical and Hellenistic world pit the voice of the Shepherd—spoken in his idiosyncratic language—against the language of human inst...
The Children of Abraham
In today’s program, Fr. Paul explains that it is God who makes his own house and his own children, noting the absurdity of religious debates about legitimacy and pedig...
Announcing "Tell Me the Story"
Welcome to our podcast, Tell me the Story, where we take a deep dive into the scripture, parsing out the original languages, in hopes to come to a greater understandin...
You Said It
For the one who answers only to the will of God, written in Scripture, the words people speak and the judgments they make are immaterial. More than that, in Matthew, t...
The Platonic “We”
This week, Fr. Paul presents a brief introduction to his discussion of Genesis 28, noting the false assumption of a perceived hero in scripture. (Episode 199)
The Worthless Shepherd
“Thus says the Lord my God, “Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be t...
God and Lord God
This week, Fr. Paul takes follow-up questions on Genesis 27, noting his remarkable discovery about the dialogue between Eve and the serpent in Genesis 3. (Episode 198)
Give Them Something to Eat
In Matthew 14, Jesus commands his disciples to feed the people with the bread of his Father’s instruction, the five loaves of life-giving bread, representing the fives...
If You Don’t Like It, Shove Off
This week, Fr. Paul exposes the origin and absurdity of the “fallacious dilemma of endless philosophical discussions concerning whether the foreknowledge of God is to ...
Empty Tears
Much is made of the importance of Peter's tears because for those who can’t face their own sins, much is riding on them. But that’s not how the story works. Ri...
In the Arms of a Hittite
In today’s episode, Fr. Paul begins his discussion of Genesis 27 and also tries his hand at poetry. (Episode 196)
Ideological Impurity
The easiest way to relieve your conscience is to console yourself that you are on the right side of history, the right side of the law, the right side of justice, and ...
It’s That Serious
In this week’s program, Fr. Paul wraps up his question and answer session on Genesis 26. (Episode 195)
On the Record
In human affairs, it is always important to document our statements. Was something promised? Make sure to find the original email. Did something problematic come up in...
Leave Eden to God
In today’s program, Fr. Paul notes the connection between Ezekiel, Genesis, and the Gospel of Matthew. (Episode 194)
It Might Be a Duck
Just as an argument’s value can be assessed by examining its premise, in Scripture (and in life) an individual character’s action or statement can be understood by ide...
It’s Not That Simple
This week, Fr. Paul reminds us that the way we speak and the way that Scripture works are not the same thing, and the Bible is trickier than we think. (Episode 193)
Put Away the Sword
A committed person is hard to find in 2021. Well, let me rephrase. All of us—every last one of us—are committed to ourselves, and we organize the time allotted to us a...
Isaac Obeyed
In today’s program, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Genesis 26, reiterating the unique role of Isaac in the story while highlighting critical Hebrew wordplay that...