Exploring My Strange Bible

Heaven & Hell E4 — Everything we learn in the Bible about heaven and hell comes from a series of complex, ancient images, and it’s easy to misunderstand them. What do images of eternal death and everlasting fire refer to in their original context? And what do images of new creation and resurrection actually mean? In this final episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim brings everything together. He explores Jesus’ teaching on God’s final justice, as well as the apostles’ hopes for a renewed creation, which closes out the grand story of the Bible. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Find Tim’s study notes for this series here.

Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

The Journey of Desire by John Eldredge

The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians by Gordon Fee

Theology for the Community of God by Stanley J. Grenz

Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Nob Hill (Instrumental)” by Drexler

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Aaron Olsen edited and remastered today's episode. JB Witty writes our show notes. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

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Heaven & Hell E3 — The definitions of human life and death on pages 1-3 of the Bible are based on the idea that humans can live in a state of death. But the goal of God’s rescue mission is to take people out of “living death” and transfer them into a mode of “eternal life” here in the present. In this third episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim moves onto a new part of the story, which is the Old Testament vision of final justice. Why does God bring divine justice into human history, and what comes after it? Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Find Tim’s study notes for this series here.

Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Nob Hill Instrumental” by Drexler

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Aaron Olsen edited and remastered today's episode. JB Witty does our show notes.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heaven & Hell E2 — The biblical authors didn’t see death as something that just happens to you at the end of your physical life. Rather, both life and death are present realities, starting on page three of the Bible. (And believe it or not, zombies are a biblical idea!) In this second episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim tackles the biblical word for “heaven,” exploring what it does and does not mean, and then unpacks the language of life and death throughout the rest of the Bible. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Find Tim’s study notes for this series here.

Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Nob Hill (Instrumental)” by Drexler

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Aaron Olsen edited and remastered today's episode. JB Witty does our show notes.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Heaven & Hell E1 — Popular culture and the media show us many misconceptions about heaven and hell. For example, it may be surprising to learn that, in the Bible, the opposite of heaven is not hell, but Earth! In this first episode of a four-part lecture series, Tim explores the popular misunderstandings and distortions of the concepts of heaven and hell in Western culture. Starting on page one of the Bible, he looks at the themes of life, death, the grave, eternal life, and eternal death. Tim gave this message at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisc., on September 30, 2011.

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Find Tim’s study notes for this series here.

Themes in Old Testament Theology by William Dyrness

Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Nob Hill (Instrumental)” by Drexler

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Aaron Olsen edited and remastered today's episode. JB Witty does our show notes.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The phrase “Come, Holy Spirit” has deep roots in the Christian Church, across many centuries and traditions. It’s a phrase regularly used both in communal worship and personal prayer, but what does it actually mean? In this message, Tim teaches from a variety of biblical passages to identify what followers of Jesus are actually saying (and not saying) when they pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Tim gave this message at the 2025 Holy Spirit Conference in Portland, Ore., on February 8th, 2025.

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

Check out Tim’s extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

“Nob Hill (Instrumental)” by Drexler

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Aaron Olsen edited and remastered today's episode. JB Witty writes our show notes.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.