#298: The Johannine Epistles | God is love and there are many antichrists

After the sixth trumpet, an angel tells John to eat a book. So John ate the book, which tasted sweet but made his belly bitter. Then two witnesses appear and and chaos ensues. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/305.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

In this episode, Jesus (disguised as a 7-eyed, 7-horned lamb) opens the seventh seal, and seven trumpet-bearing angels appear. When the angels blow their trumpets, all hell breaks loose. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/304.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

In this episode, the 7-eyed, 7-horned sacrificed lamb (Jesus) opens the first four seals, thereby setting loose the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to kill one-quarter of the humans on earth with war, famine, and beasts. Then an angel tells the angels at the four corners of the earth not to hurt the earth, sea, or trees until they mark 144,000 foreheads, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/303.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

In this episode, John of Patmos gets a peek at heaven, where a seven-eyed, seven-horned lamb appears who is able to open a book with seven seals. This is the lamb who has redeemed believers with his blood (Jesus). The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/302.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

Jesus writes seven letters to seven churches, encouraging them for doing the things he likes and threatening them for doing things he doesn't like. I f they are good, he'll let them eat from the tree of life; give them a white stone with a secret name written on it; write his own new name, his God's name, and the name of God's city on their bodies; and he'll even let them sit with him and his father on his throne. Sounds like heaven to me! The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/301.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

The book of Revelation is the most controversial book in the Bible. It was one of the last to make it into the canon of scripture, and Luther very nearly threw it out. It is the main source of predictions about the end of the world - all of which have failed, as will all future attempts using this bizarre book. The first verse tells us that it was revealed by God to Jesus who told it to an angel who told it to John. Everything that is predicted in the book will soon happen. The author, John of Patmos, believed that the end was near and would happen in his lifetime. The letter from God, Jesus, an angel, seven spirits, and John is to the seven churches in Asia, in modern-day Turkey. Jesus shows up in the first chapter. His head and hair are as white as snow, his eyes are like flames of fire, his feet are bronze, and a two-edged sword sticks out of his mouth. He has the keys to hell and death. You'll know him when you see him. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/300.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

No one knows who wrote this epistle, but whoever it was liked to call people names. Ungodly men ordained to condemnation, filthy dreamers, defilers of the flesh, ungodly sinners, murmurers, complainers, mockers walking in their own ungodly lusts -- all in just 25 verses! The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/299.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

The three Johannine epistles are all anonymously written, as was the gospel of John. No one knows who any of these "Johns" were, but none of them was who believers have always  believed him to be: the apostle John, "the beloved disciple." The three epistles and the Gospel of John share enough features, however, that they are thought to have been written by members of the same community, and may have been written by the same non-John. In them we learn that God is love and that we should shun non-believers. "John" knew he was living in the last days since there were so many antichrists. And since there are a lot more now, we must be living in the latter-day last days. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/298.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

This is another letter that claims to have been written by Peter, but almost certainly wasn't. It does have some interesting things in it, though. In it we learn that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, Lot was a just and righteous man, and that God plans to completely destroy the earth soon - but then, a day to God is a thousand years, and vice versa. The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/297.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW

The author claims to be the apostle Peter, but most scholars think it was forged. Illiterate, Aramaic-speaking, first century, Galilean Jews didn't write fancy letters in Greek. There are a few things in First Peter that should be of interest. Slavery is approved in 2:18, women are insulted in 3:1-7, believers are told not to run away from skeptics in 3:15 - and the devil wants to eat you (5:8). The author claims to be the apostle Peter, but most scholars think it was forged. Illiterate, Aramaic-speaking, first century, Galilean Jews didn't write fancy letters in Greek. There are a few things in First Peter that should be of interest. Slavery is approved in 2:18, women are insulted in 3:1-7, believers are told not to run away from skeptics in 3:15 - and the devil wants to eat you (5:8). And, above all things, love one another. Because love covers a multitude of sins. (4:8) The text and notes for this episode can be found here: https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/fewer-words/296.html If you enjoy these podcasts, consider supporting us at https://patreon.com/BFW