Thinking Fellows Are There Hidden Secrets in the Old Testament? Featuring Chad Bird
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Jan 27, 2026 
Chad Bird, Old Testament scholar and 1517.org resident who co-hosts 40 Minutes in the Old Testament, critiques claims of hidden codes in Scripture. He explores why people pursue secret meanings and how that can distort faith. The conversation favors historical context, literary awareness, original languages, and a Christ-centered approach to reading the Old Testament.
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Mystique of Secret Knowledge
- Secret-knowledge claims often appeal to spiritual elitism and novelty rather than evidence.
- Chad Bird says this mystique draws people who want deeper status through exclusive biblical interpretations.
Scripture Intends Clarity
- Perspicuity means Scripture is written to be understood, not to hide truths behind codes.
- Scott Keith warns denying clarity undermines confidence in core doctrines like justification by faith.
Caesarea Philippi Tour-Guide Theory
- Scott recounts a Hebrew-scholar claim that Matthew 16's rock refers to a pagan altar at Caesarea Philippi.
- He criticizes presenting such contextual trivia as the only correct reading of the confession.