#185: Don't Worry

In Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus encourages his followers to pursue first the Kingdom of God and not to worry about temporal things. In doing so, Jesus challenges various assumptions that plague so much of modern culture -- not least, the assumption that ultimate meaning can be found in material possessions. But Jesus pushes back on this, reminding his listeners that people are valuable for who they are, namely, children of God.Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! +++

This episode takes a deep dive into Mal. 1:6-14, where the priesthood is rebuked for not giving God the honor due his name. On the surface, this passage says alot, especially in terms of individual, practical/devotional application. But Matt takes listeners behind the text, showing how the larger story of Israel, the calling of Abraham in particular, factors into the equation as well. In short, Malachi isn't prophesying from within a theological vacuum. To the contrary, he prophesies in light of ancient Jewish beliefs, among which were inlcuded, not least, important missiological expectations.+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

In this episode, Matt takes a look at a strange passage: Malachi 1:2-5. It is here where the text says God loves Jacob but hates Esau. Some interpret this as a statement about divine election, that is, about how God pre-assigns eternal life and eternal reprobation to certain individuals. Is this what Malachi is teaching? The answer is clear: No, there's a much better way to interpret this text.+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

The book of Malachi is part of the so-called "minor prophets" of the Hebrew Bible. And while it's true these books tend to be shorter than other prophetic texts (such as Isaiah), they nonetheless pack a major punch. Malachi is no exception to the rule. In this first installment of an extended series through Malachi, we look at some ways in which the book gives us a glimpse into the beliefs and expectations of the Jewish people. Malachi, indeed, has important things to say about concepts such as election, the covenant, and the significance of Israel's priestly vocation -- all of which play an integral role in the writings of the New Testament. In short, if you want to read the New Testament well, you can't neglect Malachi. +++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

In this two-part series, Matt talks with Seth Hart (PhD, Durham University) about his research on evolution and teleology. This discussion covers a lot of ground, so you’ll want to take notes! With a background in science, biblical studies, and theology, Hart offers a wealth of expertise on this fascinating topic.+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

In this two-part series, Matt talks with Seth Hart (PhD, Durham University) about his research on evolution and teleology. This discussion covers a lot of ground, so you’ll want to take notes! With a background in science, biblical studies, and theology, Hart offers a wealth of expertise on this fascinating topic.+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon:⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

In this second installment, Dr. Ian Paul addresses questions about the 144,000, the church and Israel, the socio-political implications of Revelation, and how the church is depicted as the Bride of Christ. Ian's website: https://www.psephizo.comIan's commentary on Revelation: Revelation: An Introduction And Commentary+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠

Dr. Ian Paul joins the podcast in a two-part interview that covers key questions about how to understand the enigmatic book of Revelation. In part 1, Ian discusses how understanding ancient robotics can help modern readers interpret the text of Revelation, why the "strangeness" of this text is an important feature, and what sort of "vision" might have led John of Patmos to record what he did. Ian's website: https://www.psephizo.comIan's commentary on Revelation: Revelation: An Introduction And Commentary+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠

Matt discusses a passage from the Wisdom of Solomon (an apocryphal/deuterocanonical text) that has some very interesting things to say with respect to: (a) God's power, (b) God's mercy/love, and (c) the way God relates to his creation. In Wisdom 12:1, the text says that God is "in" his creation. How should we understand this? To guide us in our thinking, we take a look at St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica, where he addresses the question of how it might be right to speak of God being in all things. +++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

When it comes to interpreting the Bible, it’s important to keep in mind that we all bring prejudgments to the text. Some prejudgments are helpful; others are not. In this episode, Matt offers brief reflections on this and how remembering our interpretive bias can help us exegete the biblical text faithfully and accurately.+++Pre-order Matt’s newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown (available wherever books are sold) - Amazon: ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/0eD0cGtz ⁠⁠Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠⁠https://matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!