Bible Streams

 Luke's Gospel focuses on presenting an orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus, collected from eyewitnesses and ministers of the good news. Luke presents us with another distinct and diverse view of Jesus, one that shows the human compassion and care that the Son of Man brings to people's lives. With great care for the outcasts and minorities of the day, Jesus shows us God's care for those that don't carry power, authority or position.The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its WorldBook: The ESV Study BibleBook: Powell - Introducing the New TestamentBook: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An Int

The Gospel according to Matthew, the first in our New Testaments, is an account replete with Jewish meaning, symbolism and allusion. Matthew penned his biographic account to show Jesus as the new Moses, the new David, and the new Torah, the embodiment of God in the new covenant, and a bridge between Jewish heritage and the Gentile mission.The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its WorldBook: The ESV Study BibleBook: Powell - Introducing the New TestamentBook: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An Introduction to the New TestamentWeb: The Bible Project - MarkBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra pr

Mark's record of Jesus's life and ministry is fast-paced, action-packed, and straight to the point. Jo and Alex unpack the who, what, when, and where of Mark, and spend some time exploring the interesting distinctives of the second Gospel.The life and ministry of Jesus have been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its WorldBook: The ESV Study BibleBook: Powell - Introducing the New TestamentBook: D.A. Carson &  Douglas J Moo - An introduction to the New TestamentWeb: The Bible Project - MarkBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Mu

Dr. Michael Bird joins Jo to discuss finding the historical Jesus in the Gospel accounts, and why that matters. Mike brings his great love of scripture, his wealth of knowledge, and his witty insight together to help us see the importance of the historical setting of the Gospels, the power of digging deeper into the historical and cultural setting of the New Testament, and some very helpful tips on reading the parables of Jesus!Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book (Pre-order): Michael F. Bird - Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew About The BibleBook: N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The New Testament in Its WorldWeb: Michael F. Bird on SubStackWeb: YouTube - Advancing the Christian Tradition with Michael BirdSocial: Twitter - @mbird12Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

The life and ministry of Jesus has been recorded and given to us in the form of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jo and Alex begin the series on the Gospels with a look at how we got these Jesus stories, and talk through the historical and literary context of these four accounts of Jesus the Christ.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify

The five books of the Psalter present five different collections of psalms, carefully collated and presented to draw the listener and reader into knowing God and experiencing His presence in the midst of life's highs and lows. Book 5 of the Psalms calls the worshipper to praise God amidst every part of life. Couched in the renewal of Israel as God's covenant people, and the restoration of God's covenant people to relationship and proximity to His presence, these psalms invite us into turning our entire selves toward Him! Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on th

The five books of the Psalter present five different collections of psalms, carefully collated and presented to draw the listener and reader into knowing God and experiencing His presence in the midst of life's highs and lows. Book 4 of the Psalms, short and punchy, begins to prepare the hearer for the return of God as king, lord and sovereign power over His people. The mood shifts and turns back to hope, with the undercurrent of reminder, that things can't go back to how they were.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on the Bible ProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle

The five books of the Psalter present five different collections of psalms, carefully collated and presented to draw the listener and reader into knowing God and experiencing His presence in the midst of life's highs and lows. Book 3 of the Psalter is the shortest, merely 17 psalms, yet it takes us on a journey through the psalmists' reflection on the times of exile and absence, stopping to examine the various psalms and their insights along the way.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on the Bible ProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production

The five books of the Psalter present five different collections of psalms, carefully collated and presented to draw the listener and reader into knowing God and experiencing His presence in the midst of life's highs and lows. Book 2 presents us with a series of psalms that connect us to David's life, drawing us into the thoughts, prayers and wrestles behind the scenes of life. Jo and Alex walk through this section, stopping to sample the various sorts of psalms on the way through.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on the Bible ProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle

Book 1 of Psalms is full of familiar passages and favourite hymns but also features a lot of prayers and songs of supplication and vindication. Alex and Jo explore the first 41 psalms and uncover some of the rich moments that inspire and encourage us, as well as those that point us to Jesus.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on the Bible ProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes

In episode 2 of our series on the Psalms, Jo and Alex are joined by Robert Alter to discuss how to understand Hebrew poetry. Robert is an Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative literature at the University of California in Berkeley, and has written numerous books on Hebrew literature, including the Art of Biblical Poetry. Robert has translated the Hebrew Bible into English along with a full commentary on the text, and his love for the richness of the Bible comes through in our conversation. Thanks to Robert for giving us his time and his thoughtful insights.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: Robert Alter - The Art of Biblical PoetryBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryWeb: Keats - On First Looking into Chapman's HomerBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on

The Psalms have been called the hymnbook of Israel, but their voice and their power extend to those under the Lordship of Jesus. Jo and Alex start a new series on the Psalms, to explore and understand their form, their structure, and the way their content speaks our hearts to God, and His heart back to us. This episode examines introductory and background issues and context of the Psalms.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: G.L. Archer - A Survey of Old Testament IntroductionBook: John Walton (ed) - The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentBook: Longman & Enns (eds) - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & WritingsBook: G. Grogan - PsalmsBook: N. Declaisse-Walford - Introduction to the PsalmsWeb: Psalms on the Bible ProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subs

Jude is one of the five shortest books in the Bible, yet it packs a punch for it's 461 Greek words! Featuring relentless Old Testament references and allusions, dire warnings for false teachers and those who follow them, elegant imagery, and sobering and encouraging exhortations from the brother of Jesus, it's an overlooked book that is worth exploring. Join Jo and guest co-host Alex Walker as they tackle the challenge of Jude.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Book: 2 Peter-Jude (Word Biblical Commentary) by Richard BaukhamWeb: Jude on BibleProjectBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

Dr Andrew Dunstan returns for the last episode of this series, and with Jo and Scott, discusses the purpose of the Church. God's whole-of-life vision for the Church's activities in the world helps us know why we're here, and what we're to be about. We'll be taking a short break after this episode, and we'll be back in October, 2020!Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Book: Edmund Clowney - The ChurchWeb: Malyon CollegeBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

Dr Andrew Dunstan returns as our guest, and with Jo and Scott, discusses the nature and marks of a biblical church. The power of understanding what is essential and what is cultural helps us understand the wonderful richness and diversity of how God has created us, and the ways in which He invites us to know and experience Him in the midst of the community of believers.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

When we come to discuss the People of God, and the Church, we begin to collect different ideas from all of scripture. And what do we call that? Theology! Dr Andrew Dunstan joins Jo and Scott to talk about why we do theology, anticipating a discussion to come around a healthy theology of the Church and the People of God.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

Throughout redemption history, God has chosen a people that will be His representatives in the earth, a demonstration of His presence, purpose and creativity. God saw fit to create humanity, create spaces to dwell with us, and then placed His presence within His people. This is part 1 of a series examining the theology of the Church. This episode explores the biblical foundations of this thing we call Church.Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.

After returning to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey, Paul is caught up in a riot which leads to his arrest by Roman soldiers, much like the arrest of Jesus Christ. Over the next two years Paul would face numerous trials; first to the angry crowd, then with the Jewish Sanhedrin, then with the Roman govenor Felix and his successor govenor Festus, and then finally to King Agrippa. While being able to share the gospel in various public trials in Jeruselem, Jesus Himself appeared to Paul to confirm that he must also testify in Rome. This would not only be his final "missionary journey" alongside Luke, it would also be the place of Paul's final breath. In this final episode of 'To The Ends of the Earth', Jo and Scott explore Acts Chapters 21-28. Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: The Book of Acts: A Commentary by C. Peter WagnerBook: Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightBook: ESV Expository Commentary: John - ActsWebsite: The Bible Project: ActsBible Text: ESV Online

Acts 18 begins Paul's third missionary journey and his last journey to Jerusalem. Paul undergoes myriad trials, and yet it is in this period that he most likely pens some of his most encouraging letters. Paul stands as a shining example of seeing God's revelation in the midst of and in spite of the circumstances we are caught in. It is in this same section too that Paul stats to glimpse what may be his ultimate fate: bound and imprisoned and handed over to the authorities. But, yet again, Paul counts all this as gain and joy, knowing that every jailer and government official is another person who can encounter the Good News of Jesus Christ.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: The Book of Acts: A Commentary by C. Peter WagnerBook: Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightBook: ESV Expository Commentary: John - ActsWebsite: The Bible Project: ActsBible Text: ESV Online: ActsThanks to Tim Whittle for post-production on this episode.Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on

Paul the Apostle is a complex figure, and this section of Acts takes us deeper into the life and ministry of Paul as the Holy Spirit launches his ministry into Europe. Paul visits and establishes churches throughout some of the most important cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, and experiences some of the most intense and acute sufferings of his ministry. yet, in the midst of this time, Paul understands and reveals the power and presence of God time and again. Jo & Scott jump into Acts 15-18.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: The Book of Acts: A Commentary by C. Peter WagnerBook: Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightBook: ESV Expository Commentary: John - ActsWebsite: The Bible Project: ActsBible Text: ESV Online: ActsThanks to Tim Whittle for post-production on this episode.Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify.