Episodes

  • How Do People End Up in the Wilderness?
    Sep 15 2025

    The Wilderness E3 — In the Bible, the wilderness is a hostile, dangerous place where humans can’t survive. Because of this, the wilderness also reminds us that we all live on the precipice of life and death, and our survival depends on the one who is greater than us. The Bible’s earliest wilderness stories depict humans finding themselves in this setting due to their own foolish choices or the foolish choices of others. In this episode, Jon and Tim look at the wilderness stories of Adam and Eve, Hagar, and Moses, highlighting how God responds with surprising compassion.

    CHAPTERS

    1. Recap and Setup for Today’s Stories (0:00-11:36)
    2. Adam and Eve Exiled Into the Wilderness (11:36-20:31)
    3. Hagar Flees From Abraham and Sarah Into the Wilderness (20:31-45:13)
    4. Moses Flees From Pharaoh Into the Wilderness (45:13-1:08:15)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Tim references an episode from The Exodus Way series about Abraham and Hagar. You can find that episode here: How Did Israel End Up in Egypt?
    • For more on the seven women in Exodus, check out our Scholarship Team’s article, “7 Powerful Women in the Bible Who Help Rescue God's People.”
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Beach Chilling” by Lofi Sunday, Just Derrick
    • “Blissful Thoughts ft. TBabz” by Lofi Sunday
    • “Grey ft. PAINT WITH SOUND.” by Lofi Sunday
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • The Wilderness of the Sea
    Sep 8 2025

    The Wilderness E2 — In the Bible, the wilderness is an uninhabitable, hostile place for human life. And in the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2, the wilderness symbolically represents the chaos of a pre-creation state. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the wilderness language in the creation narrative and how it contrasts with Eden, God’s oasis of beauty, order, and abundance.

    CHAPTERS

    1. Recap on the Meaning of the Wilderness (0:00-9:16)
    2. Pre-Creation Wilderness and the Eden Oasis (9:16-40:27)
    3. Wilderness and Eden Imagery in the Prophets (40:27-57:32)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Break Bread” by Lofi Sunday, Oly.Lo
    • “Refuge ft. Just Derrick” by Lofi Sunday
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    58 mins
  • The Worst, Best Place to Be in the Bible
    Sep 1 2025

    The Wilderness E1 — This year, we are looking at themes that play a prominent role in the Exodus story. And today, we’re starting a new series on the theme of the wilderness. The wilderness is a setting that shows up constantly in the Bible, and it mainly represents a hostile, barren place where humans can’t survive. So why does God repeatedly lead his people through it? In this episode, Jon and Tim introduce the theme and discuss how the biblical authors portray the wilderness as a place of testing, character formation, and even an Eden-like refuge.

    CHAPTERS

    1. The Breadth and Meaning of the Wilderness in the Bible (0:00-12:30)
    2. A Place Hostile for Human Life (12:30-30:35)
    3. A Place of Testing and Refuge (30:35-47:09)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Tim alludes to this past episode about the function of settings in the Bible: Setting in Biblical Narrative from our How to Read the Bible series.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Pearly Gates ft. Isaac Wheadon” by Lofi Sunday
    • “Sunrise ft. Jk Beatbook” by Lofi Sunday
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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    47 mins
  • Did Jesus’ Death Have to Be a Gruesome Crucifixion?
    Aug 25 2025

    Redemption Q+R (E12) — Is deliverance from evil spirits a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? Was God demanding a redemption payment through Jesus’ death? And are salvation and redemption basically the same thing? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our Redemption series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode!

    View all of our resources for Redemption →

    CHAPTERS

    1. Revisiting the Conversation of Redemption and Tackling Your Questions! (0:00-2:50)
    2. How does payment relate to redemption, and why does God demand a payment? (2:50-24:15)
    3. Why did Jesus’ death have to be such an awful, gruesome crucifixion? (24:15-36:12)
    4. When Jesus delivers a person possessed by an evil spirit, is this a redemption from the evil one over to God’s possession? (36:12-42:50)
    5. What does it mean to be saved, and is it the same as redemption? (42:50-55:09)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • When discussing Jesus’ redemption of people possessed by evil spirits, Tim references episode 7 of this series: How Does Jesus Redeem People?
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    55 mins
  • Earlier Explorations of Redemption
    Aug 18 2025

    Redemption Hyperlink Episode (E11) — There are so many themes in the Bible, from redemption to exile, to mountains and cities. In every series, we attempt to isolate and study one biblical theme. But it’s important to remember that biblical themes are woven together throughout the Bible like instruments in a symphony. Today in this hyperlink episode, we’ll listen to clips from previous podcast series where the theme of redemption also came up in Jon and Tim’s conversations.

    View all of our resources for Redemption →

    CHAPTERS

    1. Redemption and the Day of Atonement (0:00-30:24)
    2. Redeeming the Time (30:24-38:20)
    3. Redemption From the Grave (38:20-50:24)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Clip 1 is from “What Is the Day of Atonement?,” episode 6 in our 2022 series, Leviticus Scroll.
    • The Mythic Mind by Nicolas Wyatt
    • Sin, Impurity, Sacrifice, Atonement: The Priestly Conceptions by Jay Sklar
    • Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy by Roy Gane
    • Clip 2 is from “Poetry Q+R,” episode 22 in our 2018 series How To Read the Bible.
    • Clip 3 is from “What Happens After We Die?,” episode 3 in our 2017 series, Nephesh / Soul.
    • Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Eucalyptus ft. Eluzai” by Lofi Sunday
    • “Solace ft. ahmo” by Lofi Sunday
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    50 mins
  • An Eternal Redemption
    Aug 11 2025

    Redemption E10 — We’ve made it to the end of our series on redemption, where we’ll look at two last examples of redemption in the New Testament. When Jesus redeemed us from sin and death, did he pay a redemption price, and how does his redemption relate to the Torah’s sacrificial system? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore 1 Peter 1 and Hebrews 9, which connect Jesus’ redemption to sacrifices at the center of Passover and the Day of Atonement.

    CHAPTERS

    1. Series Recap of Redemption (0:00-18:04)
    2. Redeemed by the Blood in 1 Peter 1 (18:04-32:46)
    3. An Eternal Redemption in Hebrews 9 (32:46-55:27)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Check out our Leviticus Scroll series.
    • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Enveloped In Love” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis
    • “Faith (Mustard Seed)” by Lofi Sunday, Zairis TéJion
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    55 mins
  • The Power of Jesus Over Death
    Aug 4 2025

    Redemption E9 — So far in the series, we’ve been talking about how redemption means being reclaimed—freed from slavery and returned to where we belong. But what are we enslaved to, and how does Jesus set us free? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore Romans 8 and Hebrews 2 to trace how Jesus enters our suffering and overcomes death to bring us back to life.

    CHAPTERS

    1. Recap and Setup for Romans 8 (0:00-21:57)
    2. The Redemption of Creation in Romans 8 (21:57-33:41)
    3. Jesus’ Identification With Us in Hebrews 2 (33:41-49:41)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • Deification through the Cross: An Eastern Christian Theology of Salvation by Khaled Anatolios
    • “For that which He has not assumed He has not healed.” Quote from Gregory of Nazianzus in his “Epistle 101 to Cledonius the Priest Against Apollinarius.”
    • “He became what we are so that we might become what he is.” Quote often attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria. It captures his thoughts in his larger work On the Incarnation.
    • The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis
    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Cherish ft. PAINT WITH SOUND.” by Lofi Sunday
    • “I See You” by Lofi Sunday, Marc Vanparla
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    50 mins
  • Jesus’ Death as Redemption in Romans
    Jul 28 2025

    Redemption E8 — Both in his public ministry and sacrificial death, Jesus redeems people from humanity’s cosmic “pharaohs,” the Satan, sin, and death. Jesus’ miracles show more clearly how this redemption works, but he says very little about how his death serves as a redemption. In fact, the most substantial thing we get is his symbolic body and blood language during the Last Supper Passover meal. And even this still feels cryptic! Later in the New Testament, one writer offers much more explanation on how Jesus’ death works to redeem people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the letter to the Romans, where the Apostle Paul crafts a detailed explanation of how Jesus joins with us in death to transfer us from the domain of death into his Kingdom of life.

    CHAPTERS

    1. Recap and Setup for the Apostle Paul (0:00-15:09)
    2. Paul’s Condensed Redemption Story (15:09-22:03)
    3. A Gift of Redemption in Romans 3 (22:03-44:21)
    4. The Transfer from Death to Life in Romans 6 (44:21-58:34)

    OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

    View this episode’s official transcript.

    REFERENCED RESOURCES

    • You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.
    • Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

    SHOW MUSIC

    • “Mist Of Blessing ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi Sunday
    • “Picnic ft. dannyfreeman” by Lofi Sunday
    • “Snowflake” by Lofi Sunday, Asaph's Arrows
    • BibleProject theme song by TENTS

    SHOW CREDITS

    Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

    Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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    59 mins