Displaying 1 - 20 of 186 in total
The Law: A Two-Edged Sword
In today's episode, we wrestle with St Paul's description of the Mosaic Law in Romans, which he indicates is both good, yet a cause of us stumbling. We conclude by poi...
I Will Draw All Men To Myself
In John 12, Jesus begins the final week of His earthly ministry, with "Greeks" (Gentiles) coming to hear Him. We discuss what this signifies and how it connects to Jes...
Philip Baptizes the Samaritans
We discuss the events that led to one of the first deacons, Philip, baptizing many of the Samaritans, and why Peter and John later came to lay hands on them for the re...
John (the Baptist) Sends His Disciples
We discuss why John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus, questioning if Jesus was the Messiah. Through that exchange, we come to realize how John can be called "th...
"Where Your Treasure Is..."
In today’s episode, we discussed teachings from the Gospel of Luke, focusing on the significance of where one places their treasure and the importance of being prepare...
Mary Said "Rabboni"
We discuss Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene, in which she recognized Him only when He called her by name. What does that mean and why did she call Him "Rabboni?" Wh...
Why Paul Argues About Circumcision
Today's discussion centered around why Paul made such a big deal about the issue of circumcision among Gentile Christians. Ultimately, Paul's concern was with interpre...
Spiritual Warfare & The Armor of God
We discuss the nature of spiritual warfare and Paul's metaphor of putting on the whole armor of God, with an emphasis on how the spiritual warfare is fought not so muc...
John 3:16 and Nicodemus
To provide context for the famous verse John 3:16, we discussed the complex person of Nicodemus, one who accepted Jesus, yet was still initially ashamed to publicly pr...
Jesus as the Firstfruits of the Resurrection
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul focuses on the resurrection of Christ. We discuss why Paul focuses on the resurrection and why it is so important to Paul to recognize Jesus ...
The Dormition Gospel Reading
For the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Orthodox Church appoints a reading from Luke that references a different Mary. Why does the Church choose that...
Wheat and Tares
The parable of the wheat and tares (or as it is translated in our reading, the weeds) is a key parable that corresponds to the parable of the seed. We discuss its impo...
Become Like Children
We begin today by discussing the half-shekel tax the Pharisees wanted Jesus to pay, and the significance of Jesus interaction with His disciples around this episode. W...
Let Your Light Shine or Hide Your Deeds?
Today we examine Matthew 5 and compare it to Matthew 6, discussing the apparent contradiction. Specifically, in Matthew 5, Jesus tells His disciples to let their light...
Jesus As Both Shepherd & Door
In John's Gospel, Jesus talks about Himself as both Shepherd and Door. We discuss what each of these allusions means, while also contrasting Jesus with the false sheph...
Following God's Commandments vs Philosophical Pursuits
We discuss how the Bible, generally, and today's passage from Proverbs, specifically, challenges the worldview of its time--seeking "sophia" (wisdom) through philosoph...
The Cross and the Midpoint of Lent
We discuss the scriptural reason why the cross is our focus on the 3rd Sunday and 4th week of Lent. We conclude by focusing on the true meaning of "taking up your cros...
Cain, Abel, and Anti-Possessiveness
We discuss the story of Cain and Abel and how it teaches one of the most important lessons of Lent: becoming antipossesive.
Genesis 1, Lent, and Pascha
We discuss the first reading of Lent, Genesis 1:1-13, and how this text relates to what we as Orthodox Christians do during Lent, and how it also connects with our cel...
Joel Prepares Us For Lent
With Lent approaching, we now have readings from the Old Testament appointed. Today, we discuss the book of Joel and how it prepares us for the ultimate purpose of the...