...where we take theology 2 the next level

Episodes

April 1, 2026

Cults | Roman Catholicism: Who Has Authority in the Church?

Episode 2.96 In this episode of Cults, Michael and Zach shift from the gospel question to a foundational issue beneath it: authority. Who has the final say in matters of faith—Scripture itself, or an institution that interpre...

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March 30, 2026

Jeremiah, Zedekiah, and Ebed-Melech: When the King Won’t Act

Episode 2.95 Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement | Part 5 In this episode of Narrative Juxtaposition, Michael and Zach examine a striking contrast in Jeremiah’s final days: a king who refuses...

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March 25, 2026

Cults | Is the Roman Catholic Gospel the Biblical Gospel?

Episode 2.94 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine a central theological question: what must someone believe about justification to be included in the family of God? This is not a discussion about sincerity, the Trinity, ...

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March 23, 2026

Ruth After Judges: When God Is King in the Chaos

Episode 2.93 Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement | Part 4 In this episode, Michael and Zach explore why the book of Ruth is placed immediately after Judges and what that placement reveals. Ju...

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March 18, 2026

Cults | Black Hebrew Israelites: Ethnicity, Law, and the Gospel

Episode 2.92 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine the theology of the Black Hebrew Israelite (BHI) movement and ask a central question: does it align with the gospel of the New Testament or redefine it? While BHI groups ...

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March 16, 2026

Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement…

Episode 2.91 Jonah: The Prophet Who Doesn’t Belong In this episode of the Narrative Juxtaposition series, Michael and Zach explore one of the most unusual books in the prophetic collection: Jonah. Unlike the surrounding proph...

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March 11, 2026

Cults | Four Christian-Adjacent Movements: Where the Doctrinal Fault …

Episode 2.90 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine several modern Christian-adjacent movements and ask a clarifying question: Where do the real doctrinal fault lines lie? Rather than treating every movement as equally pro...

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March 9, 2026

Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement…

Episode 2.89 Mark’s Sandwiches: How the Gospel of Mark Uses Interruptions to Teach Theology In this episode of Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement, Michael and Zach examine one of the most di...

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March 4, 2026

Cults | Is Christian Science Christian? Mind, Matter, and the Meaning…

Episode 2.88 [Note: We accidentally reference Jehovah's Witness at the beginning, but this episode covers Christian Science.] In this episode, Michael and Zach examine Christian Science using the same framework applied in pre...

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March 2, 2026

Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement…

Episode 2.87 Matthew: A Jewish Gospel That Won’t Stop Talking About Gentiles In this opening episode of our new series Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement, Michael and Zach explore a provocat...

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Feb. 25, 2026

Cults | Is Jehovah’s Witness a Christian Denomination? Examining God,…

Episode 2.86 In this episode, Michael and Zach apply the same standard used in the Mormonism discussion to another major movement: Jehovah’s Witnesses. The question is not about sincerity or moral seriousness. It is about the...

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Feb. 23, 2026

Joshua 8 | Serving the Lord in the Land: Covenant, Unity, and the Fin…

Episode 2.85 In this episode, Michael and Zach conclude the book of Joshua by walking through chapters 22–24, where Israel’s response to God’s finished work takes center stage. After crossing, conquering, and dividing the lan...

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Feb. 18, 2026

Cults | Is Mormonism Christian? Defining Denomination, Doctrine, and …

Episode 2.84 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine a foundational question: Is Mormonism a denomination of Christianity, or a distinct religion? The discussion moves beyond sincerity or moral character and focuses on theo...

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Feb. 16, 2026

Joshua 7 | Dividing the Land: From Lot Casting to Lasting Promises

Episode 2.83 In this episode, Michael and Zach walk through Joshua 18–21, a section often dismissed as tedious land surveys but loaded with theological weight. As the conquest narrative slows, the focus shifts from battle sce...

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Feb. 11, 2026

Does Baptism Save? A Clear Framework for a Divisive Question

Episode 2.82 In this episode, Michael and Zach examine the doctrine of baptism using William Lane Craig’s carefully defined taxonomy, focusing not on mode or tradition, but on the central theological question: what, if anythi...

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Feb. 9, 2026

Joshua 6 | Dividing the Land: Faithful Obedience, Partial Possession,…

Episode 2.81 In this episode, Michael and Zach walk through Joshua 13–21, a section of the book that often feels tedious on first read but proves theologically rich on closer inspection. As Israel moves from taking the land t...

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Feb. 4, 2026

From Psalms to Hymns: How the Church Learned to Sing Christ

Episode 2.80 Why did the church move from singing only Psalms to writing and singing hymns—and was that shift faithful or dangerous? In this episode, Michael and Zach trace the history and theology of Christian hymnody, from ...

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Feb. 2, 2026

Joshua 5 | Victory, Failure, and the God Who Fights for Israel

Episode 2.79 In this episode, Michael and Zach walk through Joshua 9–12, a pivotal section of the book that contrasts Israel acting without Yahweh with Yahweh fighting for Israel. We examine Israel’s deception by the Gibeonit...

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Jan. 28, 2026

Exclusive Psalmody 101: Should Christians Sing Only Psalms?

Episode 2.78 Should Christian worship be limited to the inspired words of Scripture alone—or is it faithful to sing biblically rich hymns that proclaim Christ explicitly? In this episode, Michael and Zach examine Exclusive Ps...

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Jan. 26, 2026

Joshua 4 | Taking the Land: God Fights, God Judges, God Keeps His Word

Episode 2.77 How does God give victory—and what happens when His people forget who the battle belongs to? In this episode, Michael and Zach walk through Joshua 5:13–12:24, the heart of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. ...

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Jan. 21, 2026

What Makes Worship Music Faithful? Lyrics, Sources, and Discernment

Episode 2.76 What makes a worship song good—and who gets to decide? In this episode, Michael and Zach sit down with Tim Bryant, fellow elder at Charleston Bible Church and worship coordinator, to talk through a thoughtful, pa...

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Jan. 19, 2026

Joshua 3 | Crossing the Jordan: Faith, Fear, and the God Who Goes Bef…

Episode 2.75 What does it really take for God’s people to step into His promises? In this episode, Michael and Zach walk through Joshua 1:1–5:15, tracing Israel’s crossing of the Jordan and uncovering how the text teaches fai...

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Jan. 14, 2026

I Think, Therefore I Am | Part 3

Episode 2.74 (This time for real.) Can Descartes Escape Solipsism? In this episode, Michael and Zach tackle one of the most common—and serious—objections to Descartes’ project: the Thomist charge that radical doubt collapses ...

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Jan. 14, 2026

I Think, Therefore I Am | Part 3

Episode 2.74 Can Descartes Escape Solipsism? In this episode, Michael and Zach tackle one of the most common—and serious—objections to Descartes’ project: the Thomist charge that radical doubt collapses into solipsism. If all...

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