The Bible in Context
Caleb Lewis and Nate Young
Our goal is to explore the narratives of the Bible in light of their cultural and literary context. As we study the Bible, we want to get inside the mind of the author(s) to understand the intended meaning of scripture and how scripture informs our hope in Jesus.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 26, 2026 • 26min
Ep 125: Eph 6:10-24 The Message of Ephesians and the Armor of God
Eph 6 is a popular passage for Paul's metaphor of the armor of God. How should we understand this metaphor according to Paul's intention? And as we finish the letter to the Ephesians, what is its main focus? Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comYouTube - The Bible in Context PodcastSpotify - The Bible in Context PodcastApple Podcasts - The Bible in Context PodcastPassages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Mar 12, 2026 • 22min
Ep 124: Eph 6:1-9 Children & Parents, Slaves & Masters
Continuing his instructions of mutual service, Paul tackles more difficult household relationships. In both his culture and ours, relationships that have a hierarchy can breed resentment, entitlement, and disunity. What Paul says is directly applicable to the unity of our churches and families today.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comYouTube - The Bible in Context PodcastSpotify - The Bible in Context PodcastApple Podcasts - The Bible in Context PodcastPassages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Feb 26, 2026 • 32min
Ep 123: Eph 5:21-33 The Roles of Wives and Husbands
The last half of Eph 5 has produced a lot of tension within the church. However, factoring in the Biblical and cultural context can provide clarity to what Paul says about men and women in this passage. And we can do so in a way that recognizes that there are members of Jesus' family on both sides of the debate.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comYouTube - The Bible in Context PodcastSpotify - The Bible in Context PodcastApple Podcasts - The Bible in Context PodcastPassages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Feb 12, 2026 • 22min
Ep 122: Eph 5:1-21 Spirit, Offerings, and Disunity
Ephesians 4 iss filled with instructions on how to live as God’s kingdom. The first 21 verses of chapter 5 are filled with warnings of dangers to God’s kingdom.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Jan 29, 2026 • 29min
Ep 121: Eph 4 Living Unified
Ephesians 4 begins Paul’s practical instruction based on the unification of Jew and Gentile seen in the first chapters. Unity is at the center of his instructions.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Jan 15, 2026 • 22min
Ep 120: Eph 1-3 Application
We have been studying Paul’s original message in its original context. It’s time to take a step back and ask how our study applies to our own time and place.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Jan 1, 2026 • 23min
Ep 119: Eph 3:14-21 Knowing the Love of Christ
In Paul’s famous prayer, he continues a thought from 14 verses earlier. How does this passage function in Paul’s larger purpose? How do we handle some of Paul’s elevated and confusing language?Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Dec 18, 2025 • 23min
Ep 118: Eph 3:1-13 The (Seemingly) Lowly Ambassador
In Ephesians 3, Paul addresses the fact that he is a lowly person in the eyes of his culture, but he derives his authority and purpose from his commission from God.Email us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Dec 11, 2025 • 23min
Ep 117: Is God Outside of Time? With RT Mullins
Many Christians have been introduced to one way to view God and time. The question of whether God is temporal or timeless has massive implications for the way God interacts with creation and his ability to be with his people. RT Mullins has spent much of his scholarly career exploring this very question.Be sure to check out his podcast (The Reluctant Theologian) and many publications. You can follow RT Mullins’ work here: https://www.rtmullins.com/publicationsEmail us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
Dec 4, 2025 • 34min
Ep 116: Is God Unchanging? With RT Mullins
The doctrine of Divine Impassibility can raise fundamental questions about the way God interacts with us. Does God care about us? Can God react to the needs of his people? Theologian RT Mullins lends his expertise to give Biblically grounded answers.Be sure to check out his podcast (The Reluctant Theologian) and many publications. You can follow RT Mullins’ work here: https://www.rtmullins.com/publicationsEmail us your questions and comments! thebibleincontextpodcast@gmail.comThe Bible in Context Podcast — Mercy Hill Church (mercyhillshep.org)Passages read from the ESV by Crossway 2001Music: Royal by Slenderbeats
