In this episode of the Theology for the People podcast, Nick Cady and Jason Cralley respond to the best arguments for Biblical Unitarianism, which is the a non-Trinitarian interpretation of biblical texts about who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are.
In doing this, we look at the history of Arianism and Trinitarian formulations of who God is, including a discussion about Constantine and the First Council of Nicaea, and the Nicene Creed.
Further, we look into the arguments put forth regarding certain Biblical passages that Unitarians point to as evidence of God’s non-trinitarian, or unitarian nature, and give a defense for trinitarian beliefs.
Below, you can find a link to the video mentioned in the episode about Bad Trinitarian Analogies.
What is Biblical Unitarianism? – Considering the Best Arguments For and Against It –
Theology for the People
In this episode, Nick Cady and Jason Cralley respond to the best arguments for Biblical Unitarianism, the a non-Trinitarian interpretation of biblical texts about who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are.
In doing this, they look at the history of Arianism and Trinitarian formulations of who God is, including a discussion about Constantine and the First Council of Nicaea, and the Nicene Creed.
Further, they look into the arguments put forth regarding certain Biblical passages that Unitarians point to as evidence of God's non-trinitarian, or unitarian nature, and give a defense for trinitarian beliefs.
Make sure to visit the Theology for the People website at nickcady.org
In recent years it has become increasingly popular for people who grew up in Christianity to go through a process of “deconstruction” in which they seek to examine and question the origins of their beliefs.
Deconstruction isn’t always a bad thing, but the deconstruction movement, powered by social media, largely targets younger people and encourages them to cast off their Christiaan beliefs.
This episode of the Theology for the People podcast is the recording of a workshop which Nick Cady and Aaron Salvato co-lead at the 2023 Calvary Global Network International Conference on the Topic of Doubt and Deconstruction.
We start out by defining deconstructionism and examining its philosophical roots, then we look at the impact of this movement and some of the common themes in its claims. Finally, we discuss a Biblical response to doubt and deconstruction and give some helpful tips for addressing the questions that those who are deconstructing may have.
In recent years it has become increasingly popular for people who grew up in Christianity to go through a process of “deconstruction” in which they seek to examine and question the origins of their beliefs.
Deconstruction isn’t always a bad thing, but the deconstruction movement, powered by social media, largely targets younger people and encourages them to cast off their Christiaan beliefs.
This episode of Theology for the People is the recording of a workshop which Nick Cady and Aaron Salvato co-lead at the 2023 Calvary Global Network International Conference on the Topic of Doubt and Deconstruction.
We start out by defining deconstructionism and examining its philosophical roots, then we look at the impact of this movement and some of the common themes in its claims. Finally, we discuss a Biblical response to doubt and deconstruction and give some helpful tips for addressing the questions that those who are deconstructing may have.
Check out more from Aaron Salvato on the Good Lion Podcast.
My book, The God I Won't Believe In: Facing Nine Common Barriers to Embracing Christianity, can be found here.
Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org
Please kindly explain John chapter 10 verses 17 and 18.
Here’s what those verses say:
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
John 10:17-18
Context: The Good Shepherd Discourse
In John 10:1-18, Jesus gives the Good Shepherd Discourse, which he spoke in response to the events that took place in John 9 and the actions of the “bad shepherds” of Israel: the religious leaders who had excommunicated a family because they refused to deny that Jesus had healed their son who had been blind from birth.
In response to the actions and attitudes of the “bad shepherds,” Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd.
Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecies
In Ezekiel 34:23 and 37:24, Ezekiel (writing hundreds of years after the death of King David), predicted a future day when “David” would rule over the people of Israel as their single shepherd.
Rather than having many shepherds (spiritual leaders), who were often bad, God was going to raise up a single shepherd, from the line of David. This was certainly a reference to the promise God made to David in 2 Samuel 8, called the Davidic Covenant, in which God promised that the Messiah would come from David’s family line.
Consider this passage from Jeremiah 23, which is clearly speaking of Jesus as the future, coming “Good Shepherd.”
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: The LORD is our righteousness.’
Jeremiah 23:1-6
So, that’s the context for what Jesus says in John 10:17-18.
The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for the Sheep
In this section, in verses 11 and 15, Jesus says that, as the Good Shepherd, one of the things which differentiates him from the bad shepherds – or really from all other shepherds, is that he will lay down his life for the sheep, which he explains is motivated by his love for them.
But in verses 17-18, Jesus shows that another motivation for laying down his life, is that he is doing it in obedience to the Father.
The Connection Between Love and Keeping God’s Commands
Verse 17 should not be understood to mean that Jesus earns the Father’s love by laying down his life, rather that there is a relationship of mutual love between the Father and the Son. Jesus’s obedience to the Father’s authority and commands is a reflection of his love for the Father.
In John 14:15, Jesus told his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And in John 15:10, Jesus explains that “abiding” in his love looks like, in practice: keeping his commands, just as he keeps the Fathers commands and thereby abides in the Father’s love:
Abide in my love.If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
John 15:9b-10
Clearly there is a connection between love and keeping God’s commands. Jesus expressed his love for the Father by doing what the Father had called him to do, and there was a relationship of mutual love between them, which manifested itself in Jesus being willing and glad to submit to the Father’s authority.
Laying Down His Life, Only to Take It Up Again
In verses 17 and 18, Jesus explains that the plan of the Father, by which he would save his people from their sins (cf. Matthew 1:21) was not only that he would lay down his life, but that he would take it up again, i.e. resurrect from the dead.
This is one of the few places in the New Testament where Jesus’ resurrection is attributed as an action of Jesus himself. In most other places, God the Father is described as raising Jesus from the dead. This is important because it is one more example of the fact that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God: because Jesus does the works that are attributed to God alone, e.g. the creation of the world.
On a human level, Jesus’ life was taken from him by the actions of evil men. And yet, as we see in verse 18, those events were not outside of Jesus’ control. Jesus was not as a victim of circumstance, but the one who was in control of his destiny. Later on, during his trial, before he was crucified, Pontius Pilate said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:10). Jesus replied, “‘”You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). These incidents show that Jesus was in control of his own destiny.
A good example of this two-fold understanding of why Jesus died is found in Acts 2:23, where Peter says to the crowd gathered on the day of Pentecost:
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Acts 2:23
In this verse we see both the human responsibility and the plan of God which were at work in the death of Jesus. Jesus laid down his life willingly; he certainly could have walked away from the Garden of Gethsemane on the night when he was arrested. He didn’t have to come to Jerusalem at all, actually – and many people urged him not to! But Jesus went, knowing what awaited him, intent on laying down his life BOTH as an act of loving obedience to the Father who sent him, and as an act of loving redemption for those whom he came to save.
Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic
If you have a question or would like to suggest a topic for me to address here on the blog, click here: Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic
We talk about how the Beatitudes are meant to be understood, and how people have misread them throughout history. Further, we also discuss what the eschatological nature of the Beatitudes, and what they mean for practical areas of life, such as lament, power, and politics.
In this discussion, we talk about different interpretations of the Beatitudes, from Martyn Lloyd-Jones to Robert Schuller, to the church fathers. We also talk about Nietzsche, Constantine, and the question of whether Christianity creates emasculated men under the heading of “meekness,” and what it looks like to live out the ethic of Jesus in our modern world.
Chris Castaldo is the Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. He has a PhD from London School of Theology, where he studied under Dr. Tony Lane; the same professor who was my mentor for my Masters dissertation.
Chris Castaldo is the Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. In this episode we discuss his recent book The Upside Down Kingdom: Wisdom for Life from the Beatitudes. We talk about how the Beatitudes are meant to be understood, and how people have misread them throughout history. Further, we also discuss what the eschatological nature of the Beatitudes, and what they mean for practical areas of life, such as lament, power, and politics.
Chris has a PhD from London School of Theology, and he is a fellow at the Center for Pastor Theologians. He has authored and contributed to several books including: Talking with Catholics about the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals.
You can find more about Chris and read his writings at chriscastaldo.com.
On this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I speak with Pastor Mitch Chase from Louisville, Kentucky about how a better understanding of Genesis 3 can help us understand the entire Bible in a deeper way.
The First Gospel: Why Genesis 3 is Key to Understanding the Entire Bible – with Mitch Chase –
Theology for the People
Mitchell Chase (PhD) is the Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as Preaching Pastor at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. Mitch has written several articles for the Gospel Coalition, and he is the author of several books.
In this episode, Mitch and Nick discuss how a better understanding of Genesis 3 can help us understand the entire Bible in a deeper way. Mitch’s latest book, Short of Glory: a Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall, addresses this topic. We discuss some issues in Genesis 3, such as the priestly role of Adam and the naming of Eve, among others.
Follow Mitch on Substack at Biblical Theology
My guest is Shane Angland. Shane is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he was also a missionary in Eastern Ukraine.
The Raskol of 1666 was a schism that took place in the Russian Orthodox Church, which highlights some of the distinctive features of Orthodox theology, and Russian Orthodoxy theology uniquely. Furthermore, we talk about how Russian Orthodox theology plays a role in the current war in Ukraine.
On this episode of Theology for the People, we dive into the topic of Russian Orthodox Christianity.
My guest is Shane Angland. Shane is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, and he was also a missionary in Eastern Ukraine.
The Raskol of 1666 was a schism that took place in the Russian Orthodox Church, which highlights some of the distinctive features of Orthodox theology, and Russian Orthodoxy theology uniquely. Furthermore, we talk about how Russian Orthodox theology plays a role in the current war in Ukraine.
Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org
On this episode of the Theology for the People Podcast, I speak with Mike Neglia about the 7 letters to 7 churches in Revelation 2-3, and what these letters show us about Christ’s concern for local churches, and how that should shape the way we feel and act towards the local church ourselves.
Mike Neglia is the Lead Pastor of Calvary Cork, in Cork, Ireland. He is a graduate student at Western Seminary and he leads Expositors Collective, an initiative to train and equip the next generation of Christ-centered expository Bible teachers.
Christ's Concern for the Local Church: Seen in the 7 Letters to Churches in Revelation – with Mike Neglia –
Theology for the People
Mike Neglia is the Lead Pastor of Calvary Cork, in Cork, Ireland. He is a graduate student at Western Seminary and he leads Expositors Collective, an initiative to train and equip the next generation of Christ-centered expository Bible teachers.
In this episode, Mike and I speak about the 7 letters to 7 churches in Revelation 2-3, and what these letters show us about Christ's concern for local churches, and how that should shape the way we feel and act towards the local church ourselves.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Expositors Collective Podcast episode with Jeffrey Weima
The Sermons to the Seven Churches of Revelation: A Commentary and Guide, by Jeffrey Weima
Calvary Global Network International Conference
Calvary Cork YouTube page
One of my favorite quotes about preaching comes from Richard Baxter, the 17th century English Puritan pastor and writer. He described his mode of preaching like this:
I preached as if never to preach again; as a dying man to dying men.
That quote conveys the sense of weight and urgency that a Christian sermon must have. This sense of weight and urgency can be seen in the preaching of the prophets, of Jesus himself, and in the preaching of the Apostles, recorded in the Book of Acts.
“Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others“
In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul is writing about the incredible hope that we have because of the gospel. It is a hope that enables us to live free from the fear of death, because we know that eternal life awaits us as a result of what Jesus accomplished for us.
And then, in 2 Corinthians 5:11, Paul declares: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”
To persuade means to convince someone to accept or adopt a certain point of view, belief, opinion, or course of action. It involves presenting arguments, evidence, or appeals that are designed to change someone’s mind or motivate them to take a particular action.
What is it then, that we are called to persuade people to do? In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul says that it is as if God is appealing to people through us: “We implore you, on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God!”
“I have written these things so that you may believe”
At the end of the Gospel of John, the Apostle John lays his cards on the table and says,
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31
In other words, John was trying to do something more than just convey true information. He was seeking to convey true information in a way that would compel and persuade people to believe.
Persuasion Versus Manipulation
There’s a difference between persuasion and manipulation.
Paul the Apostle, in 1 Corinthians 1-2, says that when he came to Corinth, he did not seek to manipulate the Corinthians in any way by use of rhetorical techniques. Rather, he preached Christ, and Him crucified, and he did so with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
So, while we do seek to persuade, we must never be manipulative. How does that work out practically?
The Power of Expository Preaching
John Scott explains the power of expository preaching in this way:
The skillful expositor allows the text to open itself up before our eyes, like a rose unfolding to the morning sun and displaying its previously hidden beauty.
John Scott, Between Two Worlds
So, the job of a faithful Bible teacher is to help people to see what the Bible is saying in a way that is clear, and in a way that helps them see that it is not only true, but why it matters for them.
It is not our job to make the Bible “seem” compelling, rather it is our job to help people understand why it is compelling, by helping them understand and even feel the importance and urgency of what the text is saying and how it pertains to their lives.
Our goal is to help people understand the badness of sin, the hopelessness of the curse — and the greatness of Jesus, and the goodness of the gospel, in a way that compels them to believe and to act.
Augustine’s Preaching Manual
Augustine of Hippo, the famed church father, wrote a manual, to instruct other preachers how to preach.
In that manual, Augustine said that the duty of a preacher is not only to instruct and teach, but also to “rivet and delight” – and to “stir and move people to action.”
The goal of preaching, therefore, is not only to pass on true information about the Bible, but to affect the beliefs, actions, and even emotions of those who are listening.
Ultimately, we want to be used by God to reshape the foundations of our listeners’ hearts; to change what they most fundamentally love, desire, hope in, and trust in — so that by seeing what God’s Word says they are compelled to love, desire, hope and trust in Him, rather than in idols of this world.
Compelling Preaching is Born Out of Two Loves
Compelling preaching is born out of two loves: love for God, and love for people.
Because we want to honor God by rightly dividing His Word, and because we care about the fate and destiny of people, we don’t just want our sermons to be informative lectures, but we desire to bring the “words of life,” the Holy Scriptures, to bear on people’s lives in such a way that they are compelled to respond by trusting in and worshiping Jesus.
According to Pew Research, Americans are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades. These trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life. [1]
Drs. Kim and Hoffman met at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Hoffman is lead pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport, Rhode Island, and Dr. Kim is Professor of Practical Theology and the Hubert H. and Gladys S. Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership at Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University.
They are passionate about the Bible’s vision of the reconciliation of all things in Christ, and they care deeply about the Body of Christ and the Mission of God — and they share how this theology can play out practically in the way that we minister in a world which is plagued by division.
In this episode, we talk about when and how Christians should address hot topics in our societies, and some guiding principles for helping people navigate the cultural moments we find ourselves in.
Carrying Out the Mission of God in a Divided Nation – with Drs. Matthew Kim & Paul Hoffman –
Theology for the People
Drs. Matthew Kim and Paul Hoffman are the authors of Preaching to a Divided Nation: A Seven-Step Model for Promoting Reconciliation and Unity.
Drs. Kim and Hoffman met at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Hoffman is lead pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport, Rhode Island, and Dr. Kim is Professor of Practical Theology and the Hubert H. and Gladys S. Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership at Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University.
They are passionate about the Bible’s vision of the reconciliation of all things in Christ, and they care deeply about the Body of Christ and the Mission of God — and they share how this theology can play out practically in the way that we minister in a world which is plagued by division.
In this episode, we talk about when and how Christians should address hot topics in our societies, and some guiding principles for helping people navigate the cultural moments we find ourselves in.
Mentioned in this episode is Dr. Kim's book, Preaching with Cultural Intelligence: Understanding the People Who Hear Our Sermons
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the guards who were watching over Jesus’ tomb reported to the chief priests what had happened when the angel of the Lord appeared and rolled away the stone from the tomb (Matthew 28:2).
Matthew 28:11-15 says that the chief priests paid the guards a large sum of money and instructed them to say that the disciples came and stole Jesus’ body while they were asleep.
These guards were Roman soldiers who were assigned to keep watch over the tomb. We don’t know if they were punished for failing in their duty to protect the tomb, which would have been normal practice at that time, nor do we know if they got in trouble for accepting the bribe from the chief priests.
It is clear from Matthew’s Gospel that the guards were aware of the miraculous events that took place at the tomb. Perhaps they ran away when the earthquake happened or the stone rolled away from the entrance. We don’t know if they saw Jesus walk out of the tomb or not.
No matter when they left the scene, they would have been left with a powerful testimony to Jesus’ resurrection, as would the chief priests. It is significant to remember what it says in Acts 6:7, that many of the priests in Jerusalem became believers in Jesus. I wonder if any of those who became believers were part of the group who paid off the guards!
This video is particularly good at depicting the incredulity of the idea that Jesus’ disciples stole his body:
Theology for the People 