Bible Bard - English

The Return of the King Motif

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast BB-145_The Return of the King Motif. Those of us read the Bible as literature notice the reappearance of various literary motifs in the text. Today we look at one of those using as our primary source 2 Samuel 19. A favored person is rejected. Later he returns as a divinely appointed figure. Those who greet his return have different responses to his return depending on both their past relationship/actions and their current attitude toward the returning king or authority. In today's episode we discuss the Bible's use of this motif across 2,000 years of content production.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information. Remember, the Bible Bard English podcast is translated into other languages including Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Swahili, Chichewa, and Bengali (in transcript only) and we are looking for more local translators.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Faith and Reason in the Bible, Part 2

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Here is the place we are at today. In YouTube, BB-140 Faith and Reason in Abraham (in Apple) we looked at how faith transcends belief and becomes knowledge in Abraham’s relationship with God. Regarding faith the text says God speaks to Abraham and says in Genesis 15:5,

“‘Look up at the sky and count the stars … so shall your offspring be.’ Abraham believed the Lord, and he (God) credited it to him (Abraham) as righteousness.”

When God promises Abraham to give him the land he was living in and …

“… to take possession of it...” Abram says, ‘Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” Genesis 15: 8

To certify to Abraham his future possession of the land God performs a bronze age contract act that engages a legal agreement going beyond his verbal promise. The legal agreement provides the basis so Abraham can know he will get ownership of the land.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

About God's Creativity

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-143 About God's Creativity. In today’s episode, before the biblical narrative begins, God already exists as a creative being. Today we focus on His ongoing activity within creation. The key question is this: What does the text say about God’s continual creative involvement with His creation, the earth, and all life on it – His ongoing activity? Get a transcript on www.BibleBard.org and click the PDF link.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab. On the website, click the Donate tab and make a contribution.

A Moral Pagan vs. a Fearful Prophet

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-142_A Moral Pagan vs. a Fearful Prophet. As we saw in BB_Lesson_140_Faith and Reason in Abraham, God has made an unconditional covenant with Abraham to give him heirs (although he is childless at this point) and to give him a homeland (although he is a wandering Bedouin at this point). Now, in Genesis Chapter 20, Abraham, the covenant bearer, meets a pagan king. But in the narrative, while Abraham acts deceptively, Abimelek, the pagan king, acts with moral clarity and restraint.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab.

Putting God to the Test

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-141_Putting God to the Test

The literature of the Bible makes an interesting distinction around the idea of a human being testing God. The Bible appears to say that demanding God prove Himself because one distrusts Him will not get an answer. A believing request for guidance or clarification of God’s will seems sometimes permitted.

Get a transcript of BB-141 at www.BibleBard.org. Click the PDF link and download the transcript for free. While on the site review the other information like watching other videos or audios from the episode archive, view episodes translated into /Other languages, get additional helpful information on the /Store or make a contribution on /Donate. Be sure to subscript to the channel on the podcast platform where you watch or listen.

Faith and Reason in Abraham

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-140_Faith and Reason in Abraham. In Genesis Chapter 15 Abraham is a wealthy Bedouin roaming Canaan about 4,100 years ago in the Near Eastern Middle Bronze Age. God makes a two-part promise to him. Abram asks, "How can I know..." such a thing will happen? Today we look at Faith and Knowledge according to the Bible - with a brief stop off at critics who say there is no knowledge and faith is meaningless.

Get a transcript of BB-140 at www.BibleBard.org. Click the PDF link and download the transcript for free. While on the site review the other information like watching other videos or audios from the episode archive, view episodes translated into /Other languages, get additional helpful information on the /Store or make a contribution on /Donate. Be sure to subscript to the channel on the podcast platform where you watch or listen.

The Metaphor of Light in the Bible

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-139_Metaphor of Light in the Bible. As listeners to this podcast know, we are interested in reading the Bible as literature because that method delivers us from ideology. When reading we find that the text is full of figurative language, so the Bible Bard often investigates things like metaphor. This episode discusses the progression morally of using light as a metaphor in the text.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

Jephthah and the Unbreakable Vow

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-138_Jephthah and the Unbreakable Vow. There are several horrifying stories in the Bible where people chosen by God commit immoral acts, make terrible decisions, and fail in their basic commission from the God of the Bible. From the point of view of Bible teaching, this is a conflict between a principle and its application. The first principle is clear, if you make a vow to God, be sure to do it. The second principle is a statement by God regarding his revulsion of human sacrifice.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

God’s Three Orders to Christians

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-137 God’s Three Orders to Christians. According to the text in the book of 2 Timothy, there are three negative orders God has given to Christians – things not to do! In this episode we discuss what the literature of the Bible says in this passage. For a transcript for to www.BibleBard.org and click the PDF link.

Biblical Eras Past, Present, and Future

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-136 Biblical Eras Past, Present, and Future. This episode discusses how the Bible measures time. The text makes distinctions that create God-defined eras during which occur changes in human history and in the relationships defined between God and humanity. For a transcript go to https://www.BibleBard.org and click the PDF link.

Witness Stones in the Bible

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-135 Witness Stones in the Bible. One of the strangest idioms in the text of the Bible is references to witness stones. These are inanimate objects named in Bible stories that are called upon to witness events or statements that occur during the narrative. This episode discusses how the text of the Bible uses this idiom. For a transcript go to https://www.BibleBard.org and click the PDF link.

What the Lords Prayer Is and Is Not

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-134_What the Lord's Prayer Is and Is Not. There are two different prayers in the New Testament that have been referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. Some Christian denominations call the first on the Our Father. It’s found in Matthew 6:9-13. The second is found in John Chapter 17. In today's episode we look at the second prayer, which is the true "Lord's Prayer". The full text of the chapter is here: https://shorturl.at/YssB6.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

Biblical Eras Past Present and Future

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-133_Biblical Eras Past Present and Future. In today's episode we look at the measure of time in Bible literature. The text makes distinctions that create God-defined eras during which occur changes in human history and in the relationships defined between God and humanity. How this works and what it means is today's topic.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

God likes Writing Thoughts Down

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-132 God Likes Writing Thoughts Down continues the discussion of the Bible as literature, past episodes for example: BB-126_About the Bible as Text and BB-69 Approaches to Sacred Texts. Today, I want to look at Bible writings from God’s point-of-view.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

Two Kinds of Christians_Believing-Unbelieving

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-131_Two Kinds of Christians_Believing-Unbelieving. Many people think that Christianity as a religion includes only believers in Christ. But the Christian religion (like most religions) includes true believers and unbelievers – who embrace the name but reject the essence of the faith. In today’s episode we look at this topic: believing and unbelieving Christians.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript of this episode, listen to another episode from the Archive, or visit the Bible Bard Store.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (Find BibleBardUSA). As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

How to Seek God According to the Bible

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-130 How to Seek God According to the Bible. Few people in our culture are interested in seeking and finding God, especially the God of the Bible. Studies suggest that over half of Millennials view themselves as Bible-neutral or Bible-skeptical. Yet, paradoxically, Bible reading among young men is up. This spiritual curiosity is often suggested as the foundation for the interest of college people in Charlie Kirk and TPUSA.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, select another episode the listen to from the Archive, or browse the /Store.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Metaphor of Thirst in the Bible

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-129 Metaphor of Thirst in the Bible. As listeners to this podcast know, we are interested in reading the Bible as literature because that method delivers us from ideology. We want to know directly what the literature of the Bible says for ourselves. In today’s episode we look at another metaphor, the metaphor of thirst. Here are some texts that employ this mundane object in a figurative and in a spiritual way.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, select another episode from the Archive to listen to, or just browse the /Store.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (find BibleBardusa). As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donate tab.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Deathbed Statements in the Bible

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Recently, the famous Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams (1957–2026) died at 68 years of age from prostate cancer but left a letter his wife read for the public. Although he said he was “not a believer” [in God, Jesus Christ, or the Bible] he was going to make a public prayer to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior as a matter of “risk-reward calculation”. His statement is a type of deathbed last words we are talking about in this podcast episode.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, select another episode from the Archive to listen to, or browse the /Store.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donations tab.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Jesus Rebukes His Disciples

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-127_Jesus Rebukes His Disciples. There is a lot written about Jesus in his expressions of love, kindness, and grace. But in today’s episode we look at what the text says about his rebukes, impatience, and criticisms of his followers.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, select another episode from the Archive to listen to, or browse the /Store.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

The Bible as Text (What does it say about Itself?)

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

This Bible Bard podcast episode is BB-126 The Bible as Text. The Bible explicitly comments on itself as historically written eyewitness-based accounts of events that were archived, transmitted, and preserved for future generations. Of course, critics claim that is not the case. In this podcast episode I want to look at what the Bible says about itself and briefly note the contradictions of critics.

After watching or listening to a podcast episode, go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript so you can read and refer to the content of the podcast.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (Search for BibleBardUSA). As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donations tab. The Bible Bard himself takes no salary and does not financially benefit from the gifts of supporters to the ministry.

Watch the full Bible Bard promo video here: BB-01 What is the Bible Bard? (https://rumble.com/v719wbu-bible-bard-bb-01-what-is-the-bible-bard-vodcast.html)

Two Boy Kings

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

The Bible Bard podcast episode is BB-125_Two Boy Kings. In the text of the Hebrew Bible, we have only two boys who became kings when they were children (under 9 years of age). The Bible explored this trope way before either classical Greece or Imperial China. The Bible often links characters in pairs—Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, David and Jonathan, Elijah and Elisha, Mary and Martha, and many others. These pairings are not usually explained with direct moral lessons. Instead, meaning emerges through comparison and you can use literary methodologies to determine what is going on.

After watching or listening to a podcast episode, go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript so you can read and refer to the content of the podcast.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the website Donations tab. The Bible Bard himself takes no salary and does not financially benefit from the gifts of supporters to the ministry.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Watch the full Bible Bard promo video here: BB-01 What is the Bible Bard?

(https://rumble.com/v719wbu-bible-bard-bb-01-what-is-the-bible-bard-vodcast.html)

A Proverb and Riddle about Wealth

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-124_A Proverb and Riddle about Wealth. In Psalm 49, this writer presents three radical ideas that challenge both ancient and modern religious assumptions. These ideas directly oppose what human beings have believed in nearly every culture.

For a free transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org and click PDF. Click this link to open a PDF of Psalm 49 to follow along: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZGjWQKRw3FPg4LI5gbOan7oGz0K7d2LO/view?usp=drive_link

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (BibleBardUSA) or on GoFundMe or by selecting the Donations tab on the Bible Bard website.

The Metaphor of the Cup

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-123_The Metaphor of the Cup. As listeners to this podcast know, we are interested in reading the Bible as literature because that method delivers us from ideology. We want to know directly what the literature of the Bible says for ourselves. We find when reading that the text is full of figurative language. In today’s episode we look at another metaphor, the metaphor of the cup.

For a free transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org and click PDF.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (BibleBardUSA) or on GoFundMe or by selecting the Donations tab on the Bible Bard website.

God’s Foolishness and Weakness

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-122_God’s Foolishness and Weakness discusses the use of irony and paradox in the biblical text, looking at the idea presented that God is foolish and God is weak.

For a transcript of this episode, go to www.BibleBard.org, and click the PDF link.

More on Mercy and Judgment

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-121 More on Mercy and Judgment adds to and clarifies the content of BB-118 Mercy Triumphs over Judgment.

For a transcript of this episode, go to www.BibleBard.org, and click the PDF link.

Four Insults Directed at Jesus Christ

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-120 Four Insults Directed at Jesus Christ looks at what his enemies said to him while he was pinned to the cross and apparently defeated. I analyze this text using literary methods to discover who is speaking and how what they say relates to various episodes during the life of Jesus.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org and click PDF.

Prediction and Prophecy

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-119 Prediction and Prophecy, concerns biblical prophecy and prediction in the Bible and in the secular world. In this episode we compare Modern symbolism to Biblical symbolism and try to understand the difference in how Biblical prephecy relates to history.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org and select PDF.

Mercy Triumphs over Judgment

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In Bible Bard episode BB-118 Mercy Triumphs over Judgment we look at a single verse from the book of James that places these two concepts together in the writer's admonition.

Go to www.BibleBard.org and click PDF to get a transcript. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (BibleBardUSA), on GOFUNDME, or click the Donations tab on the Bible Bard website to make a contribution.

What Motivates God?

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In Bible Bard episode BB-117 What Motivates God we are looking at Psalm 31 that provides three (3) reasons that God acts in the world. These reasons are distinguished from other religions whose gods act out of different motivations. Using inductive methodology, we explore other texts in the literature that support and clarify the three motivations of Ps 31.

For more information, go to www.BibleBard.org and select PDF to download a transcript.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon (BibleBardUSA) or GOFUNDME or at the Bible Bard website, click the Donations tab to contribute.

Follow along reading Psalms 31.

God's Personal Presence

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In the Bible Bard episode BB_Lesson_54 Are You a Deist we discussed the idea most religions teach that God is not personally involved with humans, He is far away doing God things. In today's episode BB-116 God's Personal Presence we look at what the Bible says about whether we, the average people, not the saints of the church or heroes of the Bible can experience the personal presence of God.

For a transcript go to www.Bible Bard.org and click the PDF link.

Support the Bible Bard podcast by going to the website and selecting the Donations tab.

Psalms 19 The Two Witnesses

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-115_Psalms 19_The Two Witnesses provides a literary analysis of Psalms 19 concerning the two witnesses the writer discusses that answer the questions who is God and who are human beings.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org, click the PDF link. Select the Donations tab to support the Bible Bard podcast.

Balaam, Archaeology, and the Bible

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

There is a famous prophet named Balaam in the Bible (PDF: NumbersChapters 22-24) who is also known from an archaeological discovery (1967) at Tell Deir ʿAlla in the Jordan Valley (east of the Jordan River). Today, we look at his story in the Bible.

About the Original Abraham Accords

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-112 About the Original Abraham Accords looks at the character Abraham (Abram) as described in the Bible. The September 2020 Abraham Accords (AA) established diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and Israel. In the future, Trump II wants to extend the AA to include Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Many who haven't attended a Christian Sunday School may ask, why name the Accords after this ancient Bible character Abraham? This episode looks at what makes the character Abraham the perfect name to create a sense of unity between fractious ethnicities, it is a good idea to recall their common heritage, father Abraham.

Get a transcript at www.BibleBard.org by clicking the PDF link. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or the Bible Bard website. The Bible Bard himself takes no salary and does not financially benefit from the gifts of supporters to the ministry.

Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you!

Rationality and the Bible

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

This episode of the Bible Bard podcast, BB-113 Rationality and the Bible, looks at how the story of John the Baptist is told from Matthew Ch 13. What kind of argument convinces you? The literature of the Bible uses visual imagery, metaphorical, and symbolic content, with the factual essence of the story to present an argument about who Jesus is. Click the link to follow along.

Follow along reading Matthew 13 John the Baptist PDF.

Go to www.BibleBard.org for a transcript.

About Discouragement

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bible Bard podcast episode BB-111 About Discouragement contrasts and compares what the literature of the Bible says about dealing with human discouragement compared to other personal and self-transformative religions teach.

Get a transcript at www.BibleBard.org by clicking the PDF link.

Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe or at the Bible Bard website. The Bible Bard himself takes no salary and does not financially benefit from the gifts of supporters to the ministry.

God's Unshared Plan

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Bible Bard podcast, we look at a mystery: an eternal plan of God that He has not revealed to us. We are told in the Bible that such an eternal plan exists, but we are not given many details. In this podcast I want to discuss something about this mystery plan.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org.

Three Doomed Men

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this episode we look at several people who appear in the stories of the Bible that seem to be doomed. Three of them are: Pharoah, king of Egypt, Judas, and the Son of Perdition. Using literary methods of compare and contrast we see what the Bible is teaching through these stories.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org.

Ancient Human Failings

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 10:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Bible Bard podcast, we look at the most ancient list of morals and ethics that human beings tried to follow.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org.

Most Important Bible Metaphors, part 4

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Bible Bard podcast, we again look at the use of figurative language in the Bible, including its most repetitive metaphors. Figurative language is important in a literary study because it takes one thing that is known and applies it to another thing that is unknown. When the Bible answers the question, “Who is God?’ metaphors are required because an immortal, invisible, spirit God is not knowable using human senses. Some metaphors in the Bible keep being repeated because what they convey is very important. This episode looks metaphors that appear more that 200 times.

For a transcript, go to www.BibleBard.org.

About Priests, Magicians, and Holy Men

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

For the last 10,000+ years or more, human beings who become aware of their own often poor decisions have turned to priests, magicians, and holy men for guidance. This episode of the Bible Bard podcast looks at what the Bible says directly about using occult actors to affect the supernatural world.

The Bible Bard provides a literary analysis of key ideas from the Bible that describe who God is and who are human beings. The texts chosen are self-explanatory but offered because their clarity describing who God is and who are humans. For those who know almost nothing of the Bible’s content this podcast provides what the Bible itself teaches about God and humankind. Visit https://biblebard.org/ to see these key biblical thoughts presented by the Bible Bard.

God Has No Favorites

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

This episode of the Bible Bard podcast continues the discussion from BB-99 of what the Bible teaches when it asserts that God has no favorites.

About Bible Prophecy and End Times

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

This episode of the Bible Bard podcast discusses the popular topic Bible Prophecy and End Times. While the Bible Bard does not take a position on ideas or concepts from the Bible that are disputable - this episode provides listeners with the background of what others Bible promoters and End Times prognosticators are talking about.

The Bible Bard provides a literary analysis of key ideas from the Bible that describe who God is and who are human beings. The texts chosen are self-explanatory, but offered because their clarity describing who God is and who are humans. For those who know almost nothing of the Bible’s content this podcast provides what the Bible itself teaches about God and humankind. Visit https://biblebard.org/ to see these key biblical thoughts presented by the Bible Bard.

Knowledge by Revelation

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:00:00 -0500

This episode of the Bible Bard podcast deals with what the Bible teaches about the source of human knowledge: 1) The creation we observe around us by using our senses and our powers or reasoning; 2) Revelation from God either through written text or directly to the mind and heart of a human being.

Hidden or Secret Believers

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

This episode of the Bible Bard podcast looks at what the Bible says about hidden or secret believers in the God of the Bible or in Jesus Christ.

BB-101_Why ListenTo the Bible

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

This is the Bible Bard’s 101st English podcast episode where we examine from a literary point-of-view what the Bible says about who is God and who are human beings. The podcast is published in eight (8) languages including English, Bengali, Chichewa, Hindi, Spanish, Swahili, and Urdu, with additional languages in process. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a translator, contact BibleBardUS@Gmail.com.

Our goal: Provide direct and simple (basic) biblical content to a worldwide audience of people who have never heard what the Bible teaches about topics of general interest. Finally, the Bible Bard project is informational. We are not trying to convert people to a religion. Instead, we provide what the Bible teaches, its literal content about a topic, listeners decide whether to agree or disagree.

Visit the Bible Bard website for more information. See www.BibleBard.org

Bible Teaching About Jesus

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In previous podcasts we’ve talked about the Bible teaching about God and the Holy Spirit. Now the Bible Bard turns our attention to Jesus. The first teaching about Jesus in this literature is that in his humanity, Jesus is subordinate to the Father. This means that while living on earth, Jesus lived under the authority and willing control of God. This is important because the texts describe Jesus as fully human. The human Jesus has no more spiritual power than other humans even though Jesus is related to the Father God in a unity that is above that of metaphor. Yet, as completely subordinate, he lives as no other human ever has, he is completely obedient to God the Father! So, texts that we read say that Jesus was dependent upon God in a way that a human child is dependent upon their parents to meet their needs. These sample texts indicate that Jesus was just like us in our own human limitations.

Living a Good Life according to the Bible

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our episode today, we ask what the Bible teaches about how to live our lives? We look at a few things Jesus said about living the good life.

The literature of the Bible can be divided by style or topic into six groups: Law (beginning of world to Moses), History (of Jews), Poetry, Prophets, Gospel, and Church. Therefore, when you read the Bible, you need to know where you are in these categories, who is speaking, who is the audience, and the topic or subject of any passage. If you know a little bit of grammar, a little bit about similes and metaphors, you can understand everything you read. Knowing a bit of world history, the story of empires and rulers, can enrich your understanding; because the stories told occurred during the times of Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman kingdoms/civilizations.

Jesus said things that apply to all peoples at any time. He also said things primarily to a Jewish audience. Some of the things he said greatly impact the later message of the church.

The Holy Spirit

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Today’s podcast we look at the use of the term Holy Spirit in the Bible. Other monotheists, like those in Judaism and Islam, think of the term Holy Spirit as a synonym for God. Their God is indivisibly one. The monotheism of most Christians is more complicated. Their God is three distinct persons who are indivisibly one being! This is a very bizarre idea and couldn’t possibly be true unless it was a revealed concept. Because of this complication in the definition of God in his essence, we must be careful to stick to what the text says, without re-interpreting it according to some ideology. That is what we do in this episode.

Loving God in the Bible

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In today's podcast we look at how humanity should express their love to God. What does the Bible say we should do? As Lesson BB-02 taught, God is not human. He is a spirit. You cannot give a spirit a hug. The verses listed here make it clear, you love God by obeying him and keeping his commands; and his commands have two benefits: they are for our good and they are not burdensome. We have a choice to believe or not believe the story or description of this God and his requirements for humanity. The Bible Bard only recites the biblical texts that explain what God requires and explains why. Since this is literature that everyone can understand, knowing it is not the problem - doing it conflicts with everything we feel as human beings. When you obey God, the Bible teaches that God feels your love - He knows that you truly mean it when you say you love God.

The Current State of Humanity

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last podcast we looked at humanity’s first disaster. It’s a remarkable story with a plot far more sophisticated than often credited. From this first disaster, what appears to be a minor disobedience of humanity to a single command of God, events of enormous significance flow. In this literature, the Bible simply tells the story and leaves it to the reader to realize what these events mean - the effect these events have on today's humanity.

The Bible's First Human Disaster

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In a previous podcast (BB-16) we began the discussion of humanity, its origins, current state, and its future according to the Bible. In our last podcast (BB-17) we looked at Spirituality in the Bible. In today’s lesson we try and understand more deeply the origins of humanity’s current condition. We do this using the techniques of literary criticism and considering what the Bible says in its story about the woman and the serpant.

Spirituality in the Bible

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last podcast (BB-16) we began the discussion about humanity in the Bible. We examined what the Bible says about human origins. In today’s reading we hear what the Bible says about spirituality. We examine how the Bible describes the spiritual, beginning with the most spiritual Being - God. People often have trouble with the idea of spirit. They think that spirit means intellect, emotions, fears, passions, and creativity, all ideas originally expressed by Plato. But human spirituality in the Bible is based upon God, who is a spirit being. What the Bible says about God provides our understanding of the concept of spirit. Other religions and philosophies describe the source for the human condition differently than the Bible does. Therefore, their remedies for this condition are different. Everything flows from the Bible's concept of God. Understanding it allows you to understand reactions against it - all of human religion and philosophy become intelligible.

Humanity in the Bible

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible is clear about who God is and what are his attributes, his emotions, and personality. In the first lessons we looked at what the Bible says about God. But the identity and attributes of humanity, which begin in the creation story, are a bit more complicated. This podcast turns to a new topic looking at what the Bible teaches about humanity. The goal of these podcasts is to present the actual text of the Bible so that listeners might know what the Bible itself teaches. The Bible Bard is not interested in the debate between creationists and evolutionists about the origin of humanity. While we acknowledge that there is a controversy, we're looking a literature - so this controversy is external to the story. The creation description is literature from which we gain an impression of what happened during the six days of [re]creation on the surface of the earth. That's correct, if we read what the Bible actually says, we find out that the details of creation of life on earth are limited to the habitable surface of the earth and that the earth itself was already there - so these creation details are about plant, animal, birds, fish, and human life. That is the limited focus of the biblical story.

What the Bible Teaches about God

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Today's podcast is a review of the first 14 episodes during which the Bible Bard has done an inductive search of what the Bible says about who is God. We’ve quoted statements from the Bible that describe God, and we've accumulated them so that we can draw some conclusions. . These conclusions come from the texts themselves and are in sharp contrast to the way God has been described, mostly by people who have never read the Bible itself. No one can argue that the text does not literally say what I've quoted it as saying - because the texts are so simple there is no problem understanding their meaning. The only problem is with ideology interpreting the texts based upon some human ideas or presumptions not found in the literal text. The Bible's thoughts presented here have no secret meaning only scholars or metaphysicians can understand. The Bible Bard exists so that you can hear what the Bible says for itself. The Bible Bard does not insist that you believe what I believe think what I think or do what I do. Make up your own mind whether you agree with the Bible ’s pronouncements.

God Is Faithful

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this podcast we look at God’s attribute of faithfulness. We examine a few simple biblical statements about God and His attribute of faithfulness. According to the Bible, what does it mean to be faithful? As the statement from a sample text from Deuteronomy suggests, those who are faithful keep their word, they fulfil their agreements. In the biblical text, God’s faithfulness is part of the idea that God cannot do wrong. His faithfulness is part of his divinity that allows people to depend upon what he promises his actions are in his relationships to humankind, both to those who believe i n him and those who do not.

This podcast presents only what the Bible says. The Bible Bard does not apologize for or argue about these biblical statements because that's not our purpose The Bible Bard provides you with the text itself, so you can make u p your own mind about what it says.

God is Love

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible compares God in his essence and actions to humanity. We see that God is all powerful, all knowing, and exists everywhere at the same time; but we also see that he is emotional. God has feelings. He responds to events as a whole person. The biblical text we look at in this episode reveals something very unique about the God of the Bible - that love is the center of his moral and emotional nature. Love is the core of his being. Don’t assume that the reverse of this statement is true: love is not God. No, the Bible makes sure that we understand that God is a person, not a power or an impersonal force, even a force as wonderful and as powerful as love. As he feels it, God’s love is powerful, because his love has an impact on his actions. In this episode we examine the Bible's teaching that God is love.

What is Unholiness?

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Holiness is difficult concept. The Bible Bard has presented what the Bible says about it. Today’s podcast discusses something even more difficult than the idea of God's holiness and that is what is the opposite of holiness. The opposite of holiness is the difficult concept called “sin”. It’s not that sin is hard to understand, it’s just that we don’t like what it means. Sin is the opposite of holiness in that it is positive unholiness. The brief (but consistent) simple Bible answer is that sin is the opposite of what God is and what God does.

To uncover what the Bible says about any topic we look at sample texts. I call these sample texts because for any topic there are usually many available texts that provide the Bible's view, so I only need to use a few of the most easily understood verses to explain a topic in the least amount of time.

God is Holy

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In today's podcast episode we come to something difficult. What does it mean that God is holy? Previous podcasts looked at Bible texts that were virtually self-defining: that is, the words in the context of the sentence were easy to understand. The meaning of the text was unambiguous and clear. But when we come to the idea of the holiness of God we run into a little difficulty; that is because the Hebrew word qodesh and the equivalent Greek word hagios were transliterated into the English word holy. That English word is based upon words from the Old English, Proto Germanic, Old Norse, Old Frisian, and Old Saxon (among other European languages). The concept of holy in these European languages is sometimes at odds with or different from what the Bible means by holy.

In these situations, the Bible Bard is concerned to provide a little context to the bible verses that discuss a topic. When the Bible says that God is holy, it is considering God to be separate from humanity in an awesome sense, so much so that he is worthy of worship. In this episode we look at biblical texts that clarify the Bible's meaning of the concept of holiness.

God is a Spirit

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The word spirit has more than one application in English. Sometimes we mean by spirit a quality of courage or enthusiasm. However, when the word is applied to a being, a spirit is an incorporeal, invisible, and intelligent personality; but it doesn't have a body, and in its natural state, it has no form. A spirit being is, more like God, than like a human being. The Bible provides many descriptions of spirit beings transforming from an invisible presence to a visible manifestation even in the case of God Himself. These visible manifestations of spirit beings, including God, are very Sci-Fi in today's culture. The language the Bible uses in describing spirit manifestations is very poetic and suggestive, as if the writer was having a difficult time finding words to describe what was seen. Remember, the text of the Bible is literature; therefore, we must look at the context of a statement to get an idea of what the author intended. We need to understand God from the Bible's perspective. Since we live in a “post Christian culture,” which is no longer acquainted with the literature of the Bible, our current culture does not know who God is according to the Bible. That is the reason the Bible Bard podcast exists - so that listeners can get beyond their popular culture to truly understand what the Bible teaches about universal topics of human interest.

God's Justice and Righteousness.

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the previous couple of podcasts, we’ve looked at God’s ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ emotions. In this lesson we are quoting several passages in the Bible that speak of God's justice and his righteousness. As a human being, how I feel about an event that happens to me, or I witness, depends on the morality I’ve been taught or not taught. In this episode we look at some sample texts that describe God's sense of justice and his moral feelings of righteousness.

Sometimes, to clarify a concept, the Bible provides a metaphor using something we are familiar with to clarify an experience or a concept of something unfamiliar.

The Bible Bard exists to provide listeners with that actual st atem en ts made by the authors of the text of the Bible about God and about people. I’m not arguing that the statements I’m sharing are true. That is a totally different discussion. In a post Christian culture, I’m more interested in the answer to the question, Do you know what the Bible teaches? than I'm interested in the answer to the question, Do you believe what the Bible teaches? Believe whatever you want. But at least be educated enough to know what the Bible says about the fundamental ideas of human society.

God's Positive and Negative Emotions, Part 2

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

This is the second of a two-part podcast about God’s emotions. Previously, we looked at six (6) core qualities that separate God from humanity making him too difficult to relate to. For example, the idea that of God's omnipresence, that He is everywhere at the same time, is difficult for us as human beings to understand or relate to. But God’s core attributes are not all the Bible teaches about God. In today's podcast, we look at a few of God’s positive feelings: kindness, compassion, and love. All human beings experience these emotions. The Bible teaches that God also feels those emotions. What’s more, however imperfectly we feel them, God’s feeling of them is complete, intense, and perfect.

In today's episode we examine the texts provided in the literature of the Bible that describe the empathy of God.

God's Positive and Negative Emotions, Part 1

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode, first of a two-part podcast, we are discussing God’s positive and negative emotions. In past podcasts we have looked at attributes of God that describe God as a very strange, abstract character. If all we knew about the Bible's God were these six things, he would be too difficult for us to relate to. Throughout its contents, the Bible describes how God’s feelings, his positive and negative emotions move him to action. Critics of the Bible (who have rarely read it) repeat some text or story that they think describes God as angry, harsh, mean, or even cruel, and in doing so seek to discredit God or the Bible's description of him.

In this episode the Bible Bard looks at God's negative emotions: jealousy, anger, and rage. Negative emotions are feelings we can relate to. When we hear how God feels about betrayal, about agreement breaking, about back-stabbing, we recognize that we feel the same thing when that happens to us. What is different about God’s jealousy is, after his anger passes, God can forgive with compassion and “everlasting kindness”. For example, if our spouse betrays us, we’re getting a divorce. But God does something that human beings do not usually do; he re-establishes his broken relationships.

God's Unlimited Power - Omnipotence

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last podcast, we heard that God lives everywhere at the same time. In this week’s reading we hear that God has unlimited power, He is omnipotent. Up to this point, the Bible Bard has enumerated three great, unique, abilities or qualities of God, as stated in the Bible: He knows everything, He is present everywhere, and in today's lesson He has unlimited power. The Bible Bard presents what the Bible says about these ideas. God has many other attributes and abilities, but these three are very special for they set the Bible's God apart from all others. This exercise of power attributed to God is highly controversial. The Bible Bard doesn’t care. We focus on what the Bible says about these sub jects. I am not even arguing that these events actually happened or are true. Instead, I am simply sharing that this is what the Bible says, which is the reason why the Bible is the best-selling book in publishing history.

Where God Lives, Omnipresence

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last podcast we heard that God knows everything. In this week’s reading we hear about where God lives, and his attribute called omnipresence. The Bible texts we examine are clear; its God is present everywhere at the same time all the time. Omnipresence means God is here in this room with me, he is present wherever you are, and he is present in the solar system of the farthest star, all at the same time! This is a very strange being and this attribute of omnipresence is totally alien from human experience. In the Bible, God defines his own uniqueness. God asserts his own existence, independent of all other beings and things in the universe. God is present everywhere at once, but he is also transcendent, which means he exists outside of and independent from the universe. In today's episode we look at what the Bible teaches about God's alien ability to be everywhere in our universe at the same time.

God Knows Everything, Omniscience

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode, the Bible teaches that God is omniscient, he knows everything. As we always do, the Bible Bard looks inductively at sample Bible texts that declare who God is and what God is like. And remember, we are looking for what the Bible says. It doesn't matter if you or I agree with a statement. What we need to have clear is what the text actually says. Our sample texts clearly state that God knows everything about the universe and everything about human beings. Our procedure is to inductively take the sample texts, accumulate the evidence of what they say, and then summarize their teaching in an inductive conclusion. Using the ideas of literary criticism as methodology to approach the biblical text, we understand what the Bible teaches about a topic.

No Other God

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In today's episode we are looking at the thought that the Bible considers its God the only God. Per our methodology, we listen to what the Bible says about ideas in sample texts. These texts are very clear. There is no ambiguity. The biblical thought is the same in the original languages and in any translation - it says the same thing. But some Bible declarations are hard, dogmatic things to say, and this is one of them. The Bible Bard presents what the Bible teaches. The assertion today is that this God has no rival, no equal. We’ve already learned God is not man and God is a Spirit. Something is ruled out. Something is ruled in.

It will take time to develop a full description of God, but that is what the podcast does. We begin with the biblical text alone. We do not start with ideology, denominational theology, or presuppositions from human reasoning. The Bible Bard is searching inductively for what the what the Bible declares about who God is, what He is like, and how He behaves. The inductive process takes time, but process takes time but provides real certainty about the answers it finally he answers it finally obtains.

God is not Human

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In today's episode we're looking at the thought that God is not human. This is such an important idea. To understand the Bible teaching, we listen to what the Bible says about this concept. We find in three sample statements, two negative and one positive, what God isn’t and what he is. If God is not human, what is he? The answer the Bible gives, he is a spirit. At this moment, that’s all we know. But by taking other clear statements like these that provide further definition and amplification, we'll build up an understanding of who the Bible's God is and what he, she, or it is like.

This is an inductive rather than a deductive approach. Understand that religions often use a deductive approach. They begin with accepted premises and try to reason to new conclusions. Our approach is the opposite. Using an inductive approach, we gather and build up discrete pieces of information about a Bible topic using Bible verses themselves as data until we’ve collected enough content to hazard some conclusion about what the Bible is teaching. We set aside our own ideas, and for the moment just try to hear the Bible's thoughts.

What is the Bible Bard?

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Watch the full Bible Bard promo video here: BB-01 What is the Bible Bard?

The Bible Bard is a weekly podcast that presents what the literature of the Bible clearly states about God and human beings. The Bible Bard presents what the Bible itself directly and clearly states about a subject. The Bible Bard podcast isn’t here to push the ideas of any religious sect on you. The Bible Bard is a public service presenting Bible literature to an audience that has, through no individual fault of their own, never heard what this book – the bestselling book ever in the history of publishing – actually says. That is the content you get whenever you listen to the Bible Bard. You can see everything at www.BibleBard.org including an episode archive, podcast translations to different languages, and a store where you can download anything you want for a donation of any size. This is the way the Bible Bard works. Brief recitations, closely focused, no distractions, no rabbit trails. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com. Glad to hear from you.

How the Bible was Written, Part 1

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible is a compilation of 66 individual books written by over 40 authors over a period of about 1,600 years beginning about 1,500 BC – about 100 AD. In the 39 books that form the content for the Old Testament different persons, people groups, nations, and empires, different religions and philosophies all march past the reader. The content for the Old Testament was composed during the rise and fall of the historic empires of the past, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, among others. This podcast answers the question, How the text of the Bible was actually composed? In this episode we look at several places where we have particular Bible answer to this question.

How Jesus Prayed

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

There are several ways to approach the topic of prayer in the Bible. In this episode let's see how Jesus prayed. The prayers of Jesus were rational communications to God. In this episode we discuss his posture in prayer, the places he prayed, the topics he prayed about.

What the Bible Wants from People

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode we discuss some sample verses that describe the Bible’s goal for humanity. Ancient texts often describe a view of humanity and divinity. The Bible describes humanity as it sees it. It also describes goals of God for humanity and then provides the means to achieve that goal. A lot of nonsense is described under the topic of spirituality. What is spiritual is usually confusing. But the Bible is clear about what God wants from people, and it's often not what you think.

What does "Peace" mean in the Bible?

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

When Jesus Christ speaks of peace, what does he mean? In this episode we perform an analysis of just two (2) verses spoken by Jesus to see what he says about peace. The text is John 14:24-25. There’s a lot in these two verses to discuss. We can experience the peace God gives, have peace in our relationships with others, and have peace with ourselves - something people with a conscience have a hard time finding.

About Heaven and Hell according to the Bible

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The recent ideas of physics, like string theory, bosonic, superstring, and M-theory promote the idea that there are more dimensions in the universe than the four (4) we are used to. In this episode we discuss from the Hebrew Scriptures God the fact that angels appear and disappear from our four (4) dimensions. In the New Testament we have descriptions of a New Heaven and New Earth. Both parts of the Bible provide details that are not metaphors drawn from the imaginations of some wandering shepherds of the ancient past or citizens of the early Roman empire. This episode discusses what the Bible says about the dimensions of Heaven and Hell.

Healings Jesus Did

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

For people who disbelieve the supernatural, the healings the New Testament described that Jesus performed are just mistaken conclusions of witnesses to events or at worst, simply lies in a conspiracy to elevate Jesus politically and religiously. This episode provides some of the actual text of the many healings Jesus performed. In these verses we see that categories of illness healed included everything from general healing, the healing of a communicable disease, terminal disease, healing performed without a personal, conscious knowledge of the sick person, and finally the healing of genetic diseases that are only understood as categories of illness in modern times.

But these healings were performed for reasons beyond the compassion of Jesus on the sick. This episode discusses the reasons Jesus healed the sick.

Requirements to be a Monotheist

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

There are many religions in the world, but only three basic monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Each of these has various internal denominations and sects. The major difference between these internal divisions is based upon how they read and understand their own sacred scriptures. In this episode, we look into these three (3) religions, to understand how to become a member of their creed. The similarities and differences can be shocking.

Bible Metaphors - Figurative Language in the Bible

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode we examine the use of poetic language, simile, and metaphor in the Bible. Remember, a major premise of the Bible Bard is that the Bible is literature and as such can be analyzed using the tools of literary criticism. Sometimes, in reading the Bible, this can be a bit tricky; that happens, because the Bible is also a religious text and people have many ideas about how a religious text should be approached. A difficulty is that some interpret metaphors literally, while others can misunderstand the sense of a figurative expression. In this episode we discuss and illustrate a simple literary method to clarify metaphoric language.

Bible Symbolism - Figurative Language in the Bible

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this episode we discuss the use of symbolism in the Bible. Remember, a major premise of ours is that the Bible is literature and as such can be analyzed using the tools of literary criticism. Sometimes, in reading the Bible, this can be a bit tricky; that happens, because the Bible is also a religious text and people have many ideas about how a religious text should be approached. Biblical symbolism is a fertile field in which to grow the poppies of bad thinking, false premises, and poisonous conclusions that twist the plain meaning of the text into its opposite. In this episode the Bible Bard provides examples of symbolic texts from the Bible and how Bible text itself explains the symbols meanings found within its text.

Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last couple of podcasts, we looked at the humanity of Jesus, then we examined the deity of Jesus, now we come to the Bible’s message about Jesus. That message is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is more than one Gospel in the New Testament. In this episode we look at the special gospel around Jesus, also called the Gospel of Grace.

Jesus is God in the Bible

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In our last podcast (BB-23) we looked at the humanity of Jesus. In today’s discussion we investigate his deity. It is true that the Bible claims both deity and humanity for Jesus at the same time. The sample texts presented today, which we read inductively, present factual statements that proclaim the deity of Christ Jesus. It’s difficult to imagine how any sincere person could assert that Jesus is never called “God” anywhere in the Bible. Those who asset such have believed their ideology instead of the Bible.

Sex in the Bible in the Family

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

As stated in Lesson 42 Sex and marriage, God has not placed rules around sexual activity within marriage. He has placed rules about sex within the family and extended family. God says, "No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations… " Human beings like sex and seem to want to have it with anyone they see. Because family members are generally more available to a person than anyone else, sex within the family happens. This episode details these restrictions.

Sex in the Bible, in Marriage

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this lesson we're beginning a look at what the Bible teaches about sex. Sex is a powerful force in human life, so the Bible has a lot to say about it. The sexual part of marriage, the sexual activity within marriage, is not given any rules in the Biblical text except to say that if each partner consents to an activity, the marriage bed is “undefiled”. However, faithfulness in marriage is required of each partner. This episode details what the Bible teaches about sex in marriage.

Achieving Peace with God, Ourselves, and Others.

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

This episode discusses three (3) things we need to know if we are to obtain peace with God and ourselves. 1. Commit your just revenge and vengeance to God. 2. Forgive those who harmed you. 3. Receive forgiveness from God for our sins against him. None of this seems possible to most human beings and for many, #2 forgiving others seems the most difficult. This episode details what the Bible actually says about finding peace with God, ourselves, and others.

Summary Thoughts after 40 Bible Bard Episodes

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The point of this podcast is to present Bible content to a generation of listeners that, through no fault of their own, have had little or no contact with the best-selling book in all of publishing history. The Bible is a controversial book because it says things that shock and surprise human beings that take the time to listen or read it. It’s an alien book about a supernatural Being that reveals ideas and thoughts that ancient people could not have made up on their own. This episode summarizes some of those amazing thoughts.

The New Testament Church

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

A description of the New Testament church is a very difficult thing to provide. The Bible Bard podcast is based upon the idea of reciting only texts that provide a simple and clear description of a topic using words and sentences not difficult to understand. The church as described in the New Testament does not easily conform to those basic podcast requirements.

This episode looks at a division in the history of the New Testament church that is often ignored or mis-represented by denominational church organizations. The Book of Acts provides an account of the early church in two parts: in its first half Acts provides a description of what the Apostles' (Jewish) Church in Jerusalem did after Jesus ascended. In the second half of Acts the story focuses on the rise of the Gentile Christian church based upon the ministry of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul. Listeners should not fail to notice this split in the content of Acts and fail to comprehend the distinctions between the Jewish ministry in Jerusalem and the world-wide ministry of the Apostle Paul.

This episode explains those distinctions that are essential to understanding the New Testament church.

The Human Family of Jesus

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Jesus was a human being and therefore he had a human family. Christian teachers have had difficulty with this fact and denominational churches have often including this New Testament fact into their doctrine. Everyone is willing to agree that the virgin Mary was the human mother of Jesus. The Bible states that after Joseph married the pregnant Mary, they did not have sex until after Jesus was born (Matthew 1:25). Other texts describe other natural born siblings of Jesus that Mary and Joseph had after Jesus’ birth (Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3). These textual facts conflict with denominational ideology.

In this episode the Bible Bard details what the literal text of the Bible says about Jesus' family and discusses what happens when any theological system, based upon a rational human logic, is imposed upon the Biblical text.

Controversial Statements of Jesus

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Jesus is reported in the Gospels to have made some important statements about God and human beings. This episode presents 12 of the most controversial things Jesus said. When religious people find out what Jesus says, many are offended. Little of what Jesus actually said is easy to hear, for that reason some even question whether Jesus actually said these things. It seems easier for some to prefer their idea of who Jesus is to who the Bible says he was - including the outrageous things the Bible's Jesus often says.

This episode details these claims Jesus makes. You decide whether he actually said them.

Knowing God's Love

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

God is invisible. He seems distant, because while we can talk to him (prayer), he doesn’t seem to respond immediately to us.

This episode discusses verses believer's faith that communication with God is real and not just wishful thinking. The following sample texts explain why rational people can think, feel, and believe that their communications with God are part of a conversation.

Life After Death Part 2

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

n the last lesson (BB-34) we looked at life after death for believers in Jesus Christ. In this lesson we look at life after death for non-believers. The Bible speaks of the possibility of two (2) births and two (2) deaths for every human being. This is a wonderful Bible idea. This episode provides the clear literary text that describes how this concept works.

Life After Death, Part 1

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

This episode describes what the Bible say about life after death? We know from the teachings of other religions that some (like Hindus, Buddhists) want release from the cycle of death and rebirth, and release (moksha) from personality. The Bible expresses the view that God likes individuals and that people retain their individual personalities throughout eternity. This episode shows the texts where the Bible describes this concept.

Why Christians are Persecuted

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible warns believers in Jesus Christ to expect persecution. The word “Christian” means actually “Christ follower”. In the countries today in North Korea, Afganistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Miramar, China, Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, they all heavily repress and persecute, even murdering and imprisoning people they identify as Christians. Christians are persecuted elsewhere, not as obviously. Why should Christians be subject to violence and persecution? What are Christians doing, how are they acting that so enrages other members of their societies?

In this episode the Bible Bard discusses this ongoing problem for both Christians and hostile unbelievers.

Right in God's Eyes

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Our culture struggles with authority, not because people despise it, but because they reject illegitimate authority—authority that abuses its power. Many perceive God as such an authority, believing God has the power to prevent suffering, but chooses not to, which seems unreasonable to those unfamiliar with what the Bible teaches about God.

This episode discusses what God wants for humanity and what He doesn’t want according to the Bible. It also discusses the contrast between what humanity wants and what God wants. Most people have not heard what the Bible actually teaches about this subject - they've only heard criticisms of what people who haven't read the Bible assume that it teaches.

Are You a Deist?

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

A lot of people believe that while there is a Creator, He does not intervene in the universe. He set it up, it is running like a clock full of natural controls, but He is off elsewhere doing God things. The Bible has a lot to say about this idea, especially in the first book in the Bible titled after its main character, Job. This literature is over 4,200 years old and directly addresses the idea of a God who is not there as opposed to a personal God. In the story, the narrator tells us that God and Satan agree on a bet. The bet is that if Job is afflicted with his children dying, losing his riches, sickened with terrible boils over his body that Job will curse God. God disagrees and takes Satan’s bet. This episode of the Bible Bard presents what this ancient book of the Bible says in its story - and it is shocking to hear!

How to Talk to God - the idea of prayer

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

What does the Bible teach about talking to God? About prayer? All people, even those who do not believe in God, would like to talk to him if they could. For example, in the Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark we have the character Dr. Marcus Brody stating, "The Ark is a beacon. It’s a radio for talking to God." In this podcast you will see that YOU are the ARK for talking to God!

This podcast episode describes three essential things the Bible teaches about prayer - these are so simple and direct - the opposite of what many churches and non-Christian religions both teach about prayer.

The Mission of the Bible Bard

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible Bard reflects on what the podcast has done todate and why. Here’s the problem with information about anything:

There is too little information so that we are missing content that we need or there is too much information so that the essential content we want is difficult to find. The Bible Bard has tried to strike the correct balance between these two problems.

The Bible Bard has not included teachings about these subjects because the Bible teaching on many subjects is debatable. Instead, the methodology employed has been literary analysis of very simple and direct Bible teachings using an inductive approach that adds these simple ideas together until answers to questions, like who is God, can be expressed.

Listen to this important explanation of how the podcast works and what it does.

Understanding the Book of Job

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Book of Job is controversial in both the date assigned to its original publication and the story that make up its contents. As said before, the Bible Bard is not here to dispute or defend the Biblical text. We have textual evidence that this is the first book of the Bible, written before the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Setting aside the book’s date of composition, the meaning of the story in the book of Job is also disputed. As listeners to this podcast know, the Bible Bard uses the methods of literary analysis to understand any text. Simple questions about the story like who, what, when, how, and why are answered, and a literary understanding of what any paragraph in the text is saying is used. While the Bible is a holy book because it tells us who God is, it is also literature, because it tells us about human beings. It does not require secret instructions or mystical templates to be understood.

Get the Story of the Book of Job as its literary content presents it. Stay away from anyone who claims that you lack training, secret information known only to them, or a theological or ideological framework that they possess (that you do not) before you can understand a biblical text.

Understanding the Great Commission

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this podcast we look at the Great Commission and try to understand who it is given to and what it means. Here is the actual text:

"Then Jesus came to them (the disciples) and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19 (NIV)

The Great Commission is purported in tradition to be the commissioning or marching orders of the Christian church. But we know that is not correct. This episode discusses what the literature of the New Testament directly states and the context for those statements as we use the techniques of literary criticism to understand this wonderful commission.

What Jesus cannot do

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Ask a Christian, what can Jesus do? and the answer lis usually, "anything". In this podcast we look at what the book of Mark says about Jesus in his healing ministry. There is something Mark says that Jesus cannot do. Jesus could control disease, evil spirits, and even the weather, but what he couldn't control tells us a lot about him and God's purpose in the way he has structured his relationship with human beings and in the way the world works.

The Bible verses quoted by the Bible Bard assert revolutionary things. These are thoughts and ideas human beings didn’t make up. Acting upon this information by doing what God says that is the problem discussed in this episode.

Bible Metaphors, Part 2

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible Bard podcast has discussed before why figurative language is needed in the text of the Bible. In this Part 2 of this discussion, we reflect a little bit more on the use of poetic language, simile, and metaphor, and analogies in the Bible. Here's a couple of the important metaphors of the Bible:

Jewish nation is the wife of Jehovah, therefore Israel is married to God.
The Christian church is the bride of Christ therefore, Jesus is the bridegroom.
Jesus Christ is the lamb, the light, the vine, the bread.

A literary analysis of the biblical text is very important because huge differences in meaning flow from deciding the meaning of a simile, a metaphor, an analogy, and what is meant literally. This episode details what happens when an ideological need overwhelms the text itself. The Bible is a literary as well as sacred text.

interpretation conflicts with the larger meaning of a story

How the Bible was Written, Part 2

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Bible is a compilation of 66 individual books written by over 40 authors over a period of about 1,600 years beginning about 1,500 BC – and ending about 100 AD. This podcast Part 2 answers the question, How was the text of the Bible actually composed? This episode looks at several places (among many posside places) where the text answers this question.

Scoffers who do not believe in the supernatural, say that the many Bible prophecies made at one date, which were later specifically fulfilled at a future date, are lies. If effect, they think that bible redactors who lived after a prophesied event, edited the text to post-date the predictions so that it would appear there was a supernatural communication!

This episode explores these ideas.

Sex in the Bible, Part 4 of 4, Rape

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In this lesson we are looking at what the Bible teaches about sex, specifically rape. Sex is such a powerful force in human life, so the Bible has a lot to say about it. Because the Bible Bard uses a literary approach to understanding the Bible, this topic compares two different rapes recorded in the Bible and finds some amazing things the Bible says about the girls raped, their attackers, and how important and revered Bible personalities responded to these crimes. You may also want to see the other topics about sex:

Bible Bard 42 Sex in the Bible, sex in marriage, Part 1 of 4. YouTube: https://youtu.be/eCR1oW90Cgk
Bible Bard 43 Sex in the Bible, sex in the family, Part 2 of 4. YouTube: https://youtu.be/_JQSnw4TcEg
Bible Bard 44 Sex in the Bible, single gender sex and sex with animals, Part 3 of 4. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Hjfgw-hh-XY

The Bible Bard podcast is not trying to convert you to a religion. The podcast is informational and provides what the literature of the Bible actually teaches about a topic.

Why the Jews Are Persecuted

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The Jews have been persecuted for a long time by a lot of different people, ethnic groups, and nations. A lot of it could be attributed to just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, except for this Bible information: In

Deuteronomy 7:6 God is speaking, "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."

Ouch! If you are not Jewish that can hurt. But I'm joking. To explain why Jews are persecuted I dig into 16th century European Christianity and the myth of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel and God's curses on the the Hebrew nation. European Christians thought the Indians of America were the 10 Lost Tribes. They took two views: 1. Pillage them, Rob Them, Kill them because as Jews they are under God's curse. 2. Evangelize them and therefore bring Jesus back to Earth for his Kingdom.

For details on this topic, see Lesson Fifty-seven (57) Why Jews are Persecuted. https://youtu.be/ukAqc9aJlyw

About the Devil

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Where does the Bible say the devil came from and how did his opposition to God come to be? This episode discusses the history of the devil according to the literature of the Bible.

Signs of the Messiah

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

People who are not religious find it difficult to understand, but most of the great religions of the world are looking for a messiah, a great person (usually a man) who comes, saves the world from destruction, institutes their religion worldwide, and brings peace and (their kind of) morality to human beings. There are various ways individuals qualify as a messiah. Most have to do with performing some miraculous, supernatural act that validates their claim. The Bible provides verses that serve to qualify who can be the Jewish and Christian messiah. This episode discusses the qualifications for messiahship.

Biblical Metaphors, Part Three, About God

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

This podcast is part 3 of the discussion of metaphors in the literature of the Bible began in podcast BB-27 and BB-48. We look at how the Bible uses metaphor to help us understand our relationship to God. The biblical story is not a secret text meant to hide its meaning from you. Rather, the Bible is a literary (as well as sacred) text, meant to communicate to you something the author (the Holy Spirit) wants you to know. The episodes on metaphor, poetic, and symbolic language discuss the rules of interpretation used by the Bible Bard and others.

Notorious Women in the Bible

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Today's podcast looks at what the Bible says about women. As those of you know who have listened to more than one Bible Bard podcast, our view is that the Bible is both literature and a holy book. It is a holy book when it reveals things about God we could not otherwise know, and it is literature when it tells stories and makes pronouncements about humanity. In our times there has been a rise of feminism has looked at social conditions that impact women. This episode discusses what the Bible teaches about women. It discusses the five women have the worst depiction of females in the Bible and 11 of the women in the Bible that are notorious for their virtue, their wonderful character, and noble actions.

God's Morality

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

The God of the Bible is described as a moral Beling. Of course, detractors like to suggest that the God of the Bible is a hypocrite, arbitary, self-serving, and inconsistent in his claimed moral and ethical nature. What the Bible Bard does in this podcast is examine the main moral claims about God given in the Bible, so listeners who do not read the Bible, can have a good idea of what the Bible actually teaches. (See podcasts BB-02, 04, 05, 06 for a detailed discussion of the textual source of God's divine attributes.) God's moral attributes are his intrinisic knowledge or feelings of what is right and wrong. This episode describes what the Bible teaches about God's moral feelings.

The Power of Unbelief

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In today’s podcast we are interested in what the Bible teaches about the power of unbelief, mistrust, uncertainty or doubt, and skepticism. Unbelief as something active and not merely the absence of faith. This episode discusses the power of unbelief that lies in its movement from the mere lack of faith to the defiant, aggressive denial or physical opposition to the content of faith.

Approaches to Sacred Texts

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

We can analyze the three great monothestic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by their approach to their scriptures. Many people do not understand that each religion is divided by how their various denominations or sects approach to their sacred texts. This episode names and compares these divisions in denominational approaches to their own scriptures - sometimes to the point of actually nulifying what their scriptures actually teach! In the transcript of this episode you can review a table that lists approaches to Scripture and determine where what denomination you should join.

God's Names

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Various names for God are given in the literature of the Bible. The text provides both stories about people and transmits revelations about God in which his names are declared. This podcast provides the biblical texts that explain who God is in brief, unambigious sentences or paragraphs that are based upon his names. Download the transcript to see 20 names of God, where they are found in the text, and what they mean.

Introduction to the 10 Commandments Bible Bard Series

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the Decalogue. It is these 10 commandments as described in Exodus 20:1-7 and Deut 5:1-22 that form the basis of the national relationship between the nation and God. This podcast episode provides a list of the episodes that cover the 4 commands about your relationship with God:

1. Apostasy Ex 20:3, Deut 5:7; Violation Exodus 32. (BB-58)

2. Idolatry Ex20:4, Deut 5:8; Violation Exodus 32. (BB-58)

3. Blasphemy Ex20:7, Deut 5:11; Violation Leviticus 24:10-16. (BB-59)

4. Sabbath Ex20:8, Deut 15:12; Violation Numbers 15:32-36. (BB-60)

And the 6 commands about your relationship with people:

5. Parents Ex20:12, Deut 5:16; Violation Deut 21:18-21. (BB-61)

6. Murder Ex20:13, Deut 5:17; Violation Judges 19-21. (BB-62)

7. Adultery Ex20:14, Deut 5:18; Violation 2 Sam 11-12. (BB-63)

8. Stealing Ex20:15, Deut 5:19; Violation Joshua 7. (BB-64)

9. FalseWitness Ex 20:16, Deut 5:20; Violation 1 Kings 21. (BB-65)

10. Coveting Ex20:17, Deut 5:21; earlier examples of basis of failure. (BB-66)

This series details what each requirement is and provides the story from the literature as how the ancient Hebrews violated each particular requirement. The series also discusses what these 10 commandments mean in the modern world.

Go to www.BibleBard.org to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information.

The 10 Words Understood - Coveting

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. In this episode the 10th command against Coveting or Envy. This last command is about your personal feelings, which Jesus described as the origin of evil actions (see Mark 7: 20-21). The literature of the Bible also provides a list of feelings that are expressions of the correct inner attitude people should posses, especially believers. This literature suggests that our internal thoughts, feelings, and motives are things visible to God, which is why we should care about what our feelings teach about us.

The 10 Words Understood - Lying

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God that is called the 10 commandments. This episode discusses what the Bible teaches about commandment 9 called False Witness or saying something that is not true to or about someone in the community. How the ancient Hebrew nation specifically violated their agreement with God regarding this command is detailed from the literature. What happened to them as a result of this violation is also discussed.

The 10 Words Understood - Stealing

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. Commandment 8 is about Theft or Stealing. For this series we examine each requirement and provide the story from the literature that details how the ancient Hebrews violated one after another of these 10 laws in sequence across the books of this ancient literature! While in general the theft of something that is not one’s own is punished by restitution, theft of something that was devoted to God is punishable by death. The principle of the covenant we uncover is that if one citizen violates the law, the nation is held responsible. The uniqueness of the covenant is discussed in this series.

The 10 Words Understood - Adultery

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. Today's episode discusses commandment 7, Adultery. Adultery is defined in the law as having sexual activity with someone other than your spouse. In the Bible this command is violated by King David with the wife of another man, Bathsheba. What happens to historically to the nation as the result of this violation of the command is profoundly disturbing. Human culture, social practices, personal choices are subject in the Bible to comparison with what God says a culture, society, and individuals should be like. According to the text, those who despise God refuse to behave as God has commanded. Yet, David is described as a "man after God's own heart". Distinctions provided in the text are discussed.

The 10 Words Understood - Murder

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. In this episode we look at commandment 6 about Murder. The text of the Bible distinguishes between murder, which is the intentional, unlawful killing of a human, which often entails a malicious intent to harm with premediation; and manslaughter, which is the unintentional killing of a person usually because of an accident and especially without hatred or premediated intent. Critics are shocked that graphic stories are included in a “holy bible”. This feigned outrage is standard fare for Bible haters. The Bible Bard has often noted that the Bible is both literature (when it discusses humanity) and a holy book (when it discusses God). Looking at the text from a literary standpoint reveals important facts that most people do not consider.

The 10 Words Understood ‒ Obedience and Parents

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. This episode deals with the 5th command that we no longer think of as serious - disobeying one's parents! This command is unusual command because it deals with grown children who disobey their parents. When this command was given, unlike others before it, violations are not specifically listed. The Bible does not provide a specific instance where disobedience occurs and the punishment prescribed is carried out. Why? Of course, what if the parents are bad, abusive, horrible people? Should this command be obeyed? All of this is discussed in this episode.

The 10 Words Understood - Sabbath

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. This episode deals with the 4th commandment, keeping the Sabbath. This commandment is contraversial because it is a requirement of God that has national significance to the ancient Hebrews, but also is part of a moral set, which begins an argument about its significance in the modern world and whether God intended people who are not citizens of this covenant nation to also keep this rule. Christianity is divided about this issue, so the Bible Bard discusses what the Bible teaches - not what a denomination teaches.

The 10 Words Understood - Blasphemy

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. This episode discusses command 3, Blasphemy. This act is defined as defaming the name of God by speaking of or using his name in an empty to vile manner. Violating this command is very common occurrance in "Christian" countries. If the penalty listed were applied today, Western society would cease to exist for lack of citizens! To moderns this offense can seem trivival. Someone in the heat of an argument or in shock at an outrageous event uses God's name in vain; should this be a capital offense? The text tells us that violating this command is deeply offensive to God. This topic allows those unfamilar with Bible thinking to obtain a glimpse into the foundations of Western civilization.

The 10 Words Understood - Apostasy & Idolatry

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

In the literature of the Bible the ancient Hebrews enter into a covenant (legal) relationship with God. The core of this agreement is called the 10 commandments. This episode deals with the first two of the set, Apostasy & Idolatry, which are closely linked in the text. When God delivered the 10 laws to the Hebrews, no punishments were associated with any violation of these rules! Most punishments came later when the community that had signed up to observe these laws saw violations and needed to know what to do about it. In this episode we begin to look into the moral agreement the Hebrews made with God and how lawlessness was contrasted to obedience and devotion.

Celebrate a Bible Bard podcast milestone!