Reasoning Through the Bible

John the Baptist was not impressed by outward religion, family heritage, or public appearances. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, he challenged them to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” In this session, Glenn and Steve examine what genuine repentance means and why changed thinking should eventually produce changed actions. 
John’s message also contains strong warnings of coming judgment: the axe at the root, the winnowing fork, the chaff, and unquenchable fire. We discuss the difference between baptism with the Holy Spirit and baptism with fire, why religious heritage cannot substitute for faith, and how John’s warning fits with both the justice and love of God.
The session then moves to the baptism of Jesus. Why was a sinless Savior baptized? We consider how Jesus identified with humanity, how baptism points toward death and resurrection, and how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all revealed together at the Jordan River.
Matthew 3:7–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 4
  Questions discussed in this session include:
Are there modern-day Pharisees and Sadducees?
Can someone be a true Christian without showing the fruit of repentance? 
Does Jesus ever do unpleasant and violent things? 
Is the doctrine of Hell found in the Old Testament? 
When will be the baptisms of the Holy Spirit and Fire?
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

God repeatedly guides Joseph during the dangerous early years of Jesus’ life. When Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt, he obeys immediately. Later, God directs him back to Israel and then to Galilee. In this session, Glenn and Steve discuss how Christians should think about dreams and spiritual experiences today and why every claimed message must ultimately be tested against Scripture. 
Matthew also continues emphasizing fulfilled prophecy. Jesus is born in Bethlehem, comes out of Egypt, and grows up in Nazareth—three very different locations that come together in the life of the Messiah. The discussion also examines Herod’s killing of the children in Bethlehem and why the event’s absence from surviving secular history is not especially surprising.
Then Matthew 3 introduces John the Baptist, a rough wilderness prophet with a simple message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We consider what repentance means, why John baptized in the Jordan, and how Isaiah’s prophecy identifies John as the herald preparing the way for the coming King.
Matthew 2:13–3:6 | The Book of Matthew - Session 3
Questions discussed in this session include: 
Does God speak to people in dreams today? 
 What about the modern messages people get from Mary? 
 Were the accounts around Jesus’ birth accurate historically? 
Does God provide guidance to those who follow Him? 
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why does the virgin birth of Jesus matter? Matthew 1 does much more than tell us the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth. It identifies Him as the Savior who will save His people from their sins and as Emmanuel - “God with us.”
In this session, Glenn and Steve examine Joseph’s difficult situation when he learns Mary is pregnant, the angel’s explanation that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and the textual evidence supporting the virgin birth. They also discuss why the virgin birth is theologically important to understanding both the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ.
Then Matthew 2 introduces the Magi, who travel in search of the newborn King of the Jews. We consider what the Bible actually tells us about these wise men, why the star appears to be a supernatural act of God rather than an ordinary astronomical event, and the striking contrast between outsiders who travel to worship Christ and religious leaders who know the prophecy but never go to Bethlehem. 
The session closes by examining Herod’s hostility, the Magi’s worship of Jesus, and the significance of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 1:18–2:12 | The Book of Matthew — Session 2
 Questions discussed in this session include:
What is the main reason Jesus came to earth?
What is the importance of the virgin birth? 
 Who were the Magi (Wise Men)?
What does fulfilled prophecy tell us about the messiah? 
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why would Matthew begin his Gospel with a genealogy? In the very first verse, Matthew identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David, and the son of Abraham. Those names are not accidental. They connect Jesus directly to two of the great unconditional covenant promises God made in the Old Testament. 
In this first session of our verse-by-verse study through Matthew, Glenn and Steve examine the Davidic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, and why Jesus’ ancestry establishes His right to the promised kingdom. We also look at some of the unexpected people Matthew includes—such as Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba—and what their presence reveals about God’s grace and faithfulness.
Finally, we examine the structure of Matthew’s genealogy, including the three groups of fourteen generations, why generations can be omitted in biblical genealogies, and why these lists should be used for their intended purpose rather than as a precise method for calculating historical dates.
Matthew 1:1–17 | The Book of Matthew — Session 1
Questions discussed in this session include:
How did Jesus fulfill the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants?
 What are the purposes for the genealogy and what can it tell us? 
 Can we trust God to keep His promises? 
 Are God’s promises to Israel still in place? 
Can we use the Biblical genealogies to calculate the age of the earth? 
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Before beginning our verse-by-verse study of the Gospels, we step back and ask some foundational questions about the four Gospels. Why do we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Why do they sometimes emphasize different events or arrange their material differently? And can these ancient accounts really be trusted?
In this introductory session, Glenn and Steve examine the distinct audiences and emphases of the four Gospels, with Matthew presenting Jesus to a predominantly Jewish audience and emphasizing Him as the promised King. They also discuss the so-called “synoptic problem,” literary and form criticism, the claim that the Gospels were originally anonymous, and arguments that the accounts were written too late to preserve reliable testimony. 
Most importantly, the discussion considers the eyewitness foundation behind the Gospel accounts and why similarities and differences between them do not require us to treat them as myths or legends. This session provides the foundation for the RTTB verse-by-verse journey through Matthew. 
Matthew Series — Session 1 | Introduction to the Four Gospels
Questions discussed in this session include: 
What are the distinctions in the gospels? 
Why are there four gospels instead of just one? 
Who wrote them and can we trust their writings? 
What does the term “gospel” mean and why is it important to us? 
When were the gospels written? 
How long was it between the events of Jesus and when they were written down?
Who were the intended audiences for the gospels? 
Were the gospels anonymous, or how can we be sure who wrote them? 
Is there a synoptic problem?  
Support the show
Thank you for listening!!  Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. 
You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible
Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible 
May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve