Third John is a Charm

In the FINAL episode of BCBS, we struggle to unpack the fever dream of John's Revelation - beasts, angels, prophets, kings and elders surrounding God's throne in heaven, a big, hungry dragon and too many plagues to count. We share our final thoughts on our Bible project and give our last testimonies while questioning the nature of our reality. Bonus: lots of heavy breathing from Xena the dog. Thank you for listening and keep the faith! [email protected]

In our penultimate BCBS episode, we appreciate Jude's frankness and dire warnings leading into the book of Revelation. His strongly-worded letter leads us to brace for snakes while renewing our commitment to peace and love despite the futility of our doomed world. 

This third letter from apostle/evangelist/elder John praises good hospitality and prompts more questions than answers about utilitarianism, early church infighting and the philosophy of good and evil, all on a single page of papyrus.  [email protected]

The same or another John writes a short letter to a small church, the collective church or an actual woman representing a church. He warns against blocking your own blessing and letting false prophets infiltrate your sacred space. We learn to be discerning with our love, and to find biblical truth in the Real Housewives.  [email protected]

This letter from an anonymous John is as insistent as it is inscrutable. As some have strayed from the church, John reminds the flock to ignore the traitors and keep it pushing alongside those who've been walking in love all along. We continue to weigh the purported pure nature of God against his portrayal in the text, and ask ourselves just how much we're supposed to hate the world he created.  [email protected]

We discuss Peter's confounding second letter and wonder about the nature of utopia, accountability and the snowball effect. As Peter feels himself nearing the end, we also enter the homestretch, the final countdown to Revelations.  [email protected]

Turns out a life of faith is no cake walk. Peter doesn't mince words, and we take his warnings about suffering and sacrifice to heart. We discuss sobriety and discipline, and wonder how to fly above the haters while staying grounded in love. 

James is way more practical than his predecessors in the early-Christian-letter-writing game, so we have lots of life lessons to chew on. We discuss faith without works, judgment of self vs others and the benefit of keeping certain folks at arms' length.  [email protected]

An anonymous author pep-talks the backsliding Jewish believers, renewing their faith and reminding them to stay the course to honor their ancestors. We discuss perseverance through struggle, the confounding duality of Yahweh and what it takes to find peace in this life or the next. 

Paul's shortest letter is strongly worded and written to a guy whose runaway slave he's claimed for himself. Now it's time to set him free in Christ and decide his fate. While debating the merits of power and manipulation, we wonder where's the beef between Paul and Philemon.