This We Believe: Exploring the Essential Texts of the Christian Faith
Michael Niebauer
57 episodes
1 week ago
video feed: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve Many of us are taught to read the Bible like historians. We read a passage, use the tools of academia to reconstruct its original context, then tease out morals and principles to help us in our current context. While this approach has many strengths, it also has some major weaknesses, as it can lead to elitist, unstable, unspiritual, and unbiblical interpretations. This episode continues the first part of this season, where we discuss how the...
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video feed: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve Many of us are taught to read the Bible like historians. We read a passage, use the tools of academia to reconstruct its original context, then tease out morals and principles to help us in our current context. While this approach has many strengths, it also has some major weaknesses, as it can lead to elitist, unstable, unspiritual, and unbiblical interpretations. This episode continues the first part of this season, where we discuss how the...
video feed: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve Many of us are taught to read the Bible like historians. We read a passage, use the tools of academia to reconstruct its original context, then tease out morals and principles to help us in our current context. While this approach has many strengths, it also has some major weaknesses, as it can lead to elitist, unstable, unspiritual, and unbiblical interpretations. This episode continues the first part of this season, where we discuss how the...
Now on video. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve Order Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion Why does our experience reading the Old Testament seem so different than our experience reading the New Testament? Do you long to have those kind of life changing encounters with God not just in the Gospels, but also in books like Number and Exodus? Today we are going to discuss why we can’t seem to vividly encounter God in so much of the Old Testame...
Now on video. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve This special season of This We Believe teaches Christians how to read the Bible like the early Church. It will examine the problems with modern approaches to readings scripture, how the wisdom of the early church can help Christians encounter the Glory of Jesus Christ in every book of the Bible, and practical steps we can all take to read the Bible along the same trajectory. This series can be viewed on its own, and as...
In these special episodes, Dr Niebauer discusses how the early Christians read scripture, and how his new book, Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion can help both new and mature Christians read the Bible in a similar manner. Available here: https://a.co/d/9F3FjzC If your church wants to use Four Mountains for a Bible study, visit http://michaelniebauer.com for discussion guides and to set up a zoom discussion with the author. This We Believe is brought to you by Le...
What are the vows that we make before God, and how are they different from the promises and pledges we make in the world? What do the promises we make to others tell us about promises we make to God? This episode discusses the teaching of Jesus regarding speech in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37). This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes reader...
What is the relationship between adultery and the ways in which we gaze upon the images of other human beings? Why does Jesus only permit divorce in the case of sexual immorality? When, if ever, is remarriage allowed after divorce? This episode continues our series on the sermon on the mount by discussing Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce in Matthew 5: 27-32. This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God...
What are the ways that anger manifests itself in the human heart, and what can we do to control it? Why is it important to deal with conflict before we come to the altar at church, and before we resort to the legal system? This episode continues our series on the Sermon on the Mount with Matthew 5: 21-26. This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers...
What are the moral laws in the Old Testament, and how do we discern which laws are moral and which are not? How can such laws teach us about the love of God? This episode continues our three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20 in the Sermon on the Mount, addressing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament laws known as the Moral Law. This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four...
What does it mean to follow the Old Testament laws that pertain to temples and animal sacrifices, if we do not have these things today? What do these laws tell us about how Christians today ought to approach worship? This episode continues our three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20 in the Sermon on the Mount, addressing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament laws known as the Ceremonial, or Liturgical Law. This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthco...
What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law? Does this mean we no longer have to follow the Old Testament laws? How can we tell which laws we still have to follow and which ones we don’t? This episode begins a three episode series on Matthew 5: 17-20: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is acc...
What does it mean to be the light of the world, and what, if anything, does the church have to do in order to become the light of the world? Do Christians have to worry about the impact and influence that their actions have on the world? This episode discusses Matthew 5: 14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shi...
What does it mean for Christians to be the salt of the earth? How do Christians impact the world without being overcome by it? This episode unpacks Jesus' first statement after the Beatitudes: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountain...
What does it mean to be a peacemaker, and how do actively make peace with others in the world? How does are ability to be at peace with God effect our ability to be peacemakers with our friends? This episode discusses the seventh Beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes r...
Why is it that Christians who exhibit mercy and meekness should expect to be treated poorly by the world? If Jesus is the true way to all that is good, true, and beautiful, then why will Christians be reviled for believing in him? This episode addresses the final two beatitudes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake," and "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you." This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s for...
What does it mean to be pure in heart? Is holiness something that we achieve, or something God does for us? What is the relationship between purity of heart and a vision of the face of God? This episode discusses the sixth Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers through the who...
Why do Christians proclaim “Lord have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy” each Sunday at Church? How can God be merciful and justice, and what is the relationship between justice and mercy? What does it mean for us to show mercy on our enemies? This episode discusses the beatitude “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four ...
What does it mean to be righteous, and how do we become righteous? How can we hunger and thirst for something other than food? This episode discusses the fourth Beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers through the whole story of the Bible throu...
What does it mean to be meek? Why should we not retaliate when someone harms us? How do we endure harm without having it effect our identity? This episode discusses the third Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers through the whole story of the Bible through its mountains, tr...
Why do we mourn, and what do we mourn for? Is the comfort that Jesus promises to mourners a present comfort, or something that only comes in the future? This episode discussed the second Beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers through the whole story of the Bible through its ...
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? How is humility the opposite of pride? How do we grow in humility, and what should we expect to receive when we do? This episode examines the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This We Believe is brought to you by Lexham Press, publisher of Dr. Niebauer’s forthcoming book Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion. Four Mountains takes readers through the whole story of the...
This We Believe: Exploring the Essential Texts of the Christian Faith
video feed: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeBelieve Many of us are taught to read the Bible like historians. We read a passage, use the tools of academia to reconstruct its original context, then tease out morals and principles to help us in our current context. While this approach has many strengths, it also has some major weaknesses, as it can lead to elitist, unstable, unspiritual, and unbiblical interpretations. This episode continues the first part of this season, where we discuss how the...
