Weird Stuff in the Bible

Luke Taylor
  • 4.9 (66)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Find the answers to all those questions you were too embarrassed to ask in Sunday School. Welcome to Weird Stuff in the Bible, where we explore scripture passages that are bizarre, perplexing or just plain weird. Hosted by Luke Taylor. Dive deeper! Sign up for the newsletter (and catch up on past newsletters) at this link: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/

  1. 1d ago

    The Underworld Realm: Revelation and the Sea

    You can breathe huge sigh of relief once you get to Revelation 21. Because not only are you almost done reading the whole Bible, but you’re also past all the bad stuff. The devil, the antichrist and false prophet have been taken care of. Judgement day is over. Sin and the corrupted world are wadded up and thrown away. And Revelation 21 and 22 speak of eternity: the place we will spend the rest of our existence once this current world is done. Revelation 21:1 says Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Holllld up. The sea was no more? Like, the oceans and rivers are gone? Does that mean there will be no swimming, no visits to the beach, and no more Avatar sequels in the eternal state? Now, before you freak out, let me just say up front: this is code language. This is what Revelation does often: it uses symbols to speak of a deeper reality. It’s not saying there’s no oceans or no dolphins or no Hawaii in the new heavens and new earth. It’s using biblical code words to speak of something else. In fact, if you’ve looked into it, you’ve probably heard it explained this way: that the sea is a word that represents chaos, and so by saying there was no more sea, that’s actually the Bible saying that there was no more chaos.  And that’s technically not wrong…but there’s actually something much deeper going on here beneath the surface. And by the end of today’s episode, you’ll know all about it. I find Revelation 21:1 to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.  But to start, turn to Revelation 5, and let’s get weird. —— Check out my interview with Megan Medick on Uncommon Sense right here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncommon-sense-with-meagan-medick/id1884935580?i=1000777122024 Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:25 - God Slays the Chaos Dragon 9:20 - The Three Realms of Revelation 16:05 - The Antichrist Emerges 18:40 - The Sea Gave Up the Dead 22:00 - No More Sea Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    The Underworld Realm: Revelation and the Sea

  2. Jul 22

    The Three Realms of God’s Creation

    On this podcast, we like to explore the strange things tucked away in Scripture. There are so many obscure and unfamiliar passages in your Bible that don’t often get studied, so that’s what we like to shine a light on with this show. But there’s actually something pretty weird stuff that isn’t tucked away; it’s right there in the opening verses of Genesis. I mean we all know the first two verses of the Bible: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Right. Everybody knows that. Before there was light, before there was land, before there were dinosaurs, before there was anything else—apparently there was Kevin Costner because we had a Waterworld. It said the planet was totally covered with water. And from there, the Lord started working on creating the attributes of the earth, the beings who would populate that earth, and the astronomical features of our entire universe.  At least, that’s what it sounds like God is doing. But then you also have verses like these: (Verses 6-7) 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. Well, hold on a second? What is the expanse? What are the waters? Why did some waters stay down here on earth while other waters went up to heaven? I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.  Turn to Genesis 1, and let’s get weird. Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:40 - A Hint of Something Deeper 7:45 - Code Words in Genesis 13:20 - Order Out of Chaos 17:00 - The Watery Underworld 26:55 - Next Time & Closing Thoughts Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    The Three Realms of God’s Creation

  3. Jul 15

    Taking Hermon Back: The Transfiguration & Psalm 89

    This year, we’ve talked typology. We’ve talked about what happens when you see the glory of God. We’ve talked about Mount Hermon. Today, I’m gonna put these pieces together. Today’s episode ties up a lot of things we’ve been learning about this mysterious mountain, because it’s the place where the Watchers came down to the earth in Genesis 6. And throughout the Old Testament, this mountain and the whole Bashan region was the epicenter of evil, a stronghold of fallen angels, a bastion of giants and their ghosts! But not only that, it’s the exact place where Jesus declared His intention to build his church in Matthew 16, and the mountain where He transfigured in Matthew 17.  And perhaps that’s the most mysterious thing about it of all. Because of all the places for Jesus to go and make these declarations—why there? Why not pick one of the holy mountains like Sinai or Zion?  Going to Hermon to start your church is kinda like going to Dairy Queen to start your diet. But Jesus didn’t look at things the way we do in the natural. Jesus was supernatural. In other words, some of the things Jesus did…were weird. And I’d like to explore why He chooses this spot for the Transfiguration in the Bible.  Turn with me to Isaiah 14, and let’s get weird. Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 5:15 - Part 4- The Mountain of El 13:20 - Part 5- Parallels with Psalm 89 23:15 - Part 6- This Mountain Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    Taking Hermon Back: The Transfiguration & Psalm 89

  4. Jul 8

    The Transfiguration at Mount Hermon

    One of the most mysterious statements Jesus ever said was this claim that He made in three of the Gospels: (Matthew 16:28) “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” He says this in Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27 and Mark 9:1. And it’s caused a lot of Christians to wonder: what could Jesus have meant by this when 2,000 years have passed since then and Jesus still hasn’t returned? Well, it gets a lot less mysterious when you look at what immediately happened after He said those words. In all three accounts, the next thing to take place after that was an event called the Transfiguration. Jesus went up on a mountain with three of His disciples and lit up brighter than the Fourth of July. So, OK. Jesus was talking about the Transfiguration there, not His Second Coming. It all makes sense now. But I always wondered: what is the Transfiguration all about? I mean, it seems really significant. Only three disciples were even allowed to go. Elijah and Moses also make a cameo. Then Peter starts talking about building a tabernacle or tent for them, and I’m like, where did that idea even come from? And then they all just move on afterwards like it didn’t even happen. There are so many strange things going on in this story. I mean, no offense to Jesus, but I find the Transfiguration account to be really really weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.  Turn with me to Matthew 16, and let’s get weird. Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:20 - Part 1- The Mountain 8:20 - Part 2- The Old Testament Transfiguration 17:25 - Part 3- The Covenant at Hermon 25:10 - Next Time & Newsletter 27:25 - Closing Thought Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    The Transfiguration at Mount Hermon

  5. Jul 1 ·  Bonus

    (REBROADCAST) Explaining Abraham's Bosom

    There is a parable which I believe is not technically a parable- I believe it’s a true story- called The Rich Man and Lazarus. Jesus tells this story in Luke 16. And there’s a lot of strange things you could point out about this story, but what always sticks out to me is where Lazarus goes when he dies in this story. Luke 16:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. And as you read the story, you find that a rich man died and went to a fiery place of torment called hades, but the beggar named Lazarus went to a better place called Abraham’s Bosom.  Now, we’ve all heard of going to heaven and hell when we die. And I don’t believe in purgatory. But what is Abraham’s Bosom? And I’ll do you one better, where is Abraham’s Bosom? And I’ll do you one better, why is Abraham’s Bosom in the Bible? We’ll answer all these questions today, because I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible. Turn to Isaiah 14, and let’s get weird. 0:00 - Intro 3:20 - Sheol 8:50 - Abraham’s Bosom 12:45 - Luke 16, The Rich Man and Lazarus 19:40 - Closing Thoughts If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

  6. Jun 24

    The Ghosts of Giants | Enoch 16 & Matthew 18

    Last week, we talked about where demons come from. This week, I want to talk about why they’re still here.  So demons are the spirits of the giants in the Old Testament. Most of them probably lived prior to the flood. But they all died, and when they did, their spirits didn’t leave this planet. God left them right here on the earth to act as spirits of affliction against mankind.  These are demons. The ghosts of giants. God literally says in Enoch 16, “thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great ⌈judgement⌉.” And by the way- I’ll show you today that the Bible backs this up 100%. But hold up. Why do we have to deal with them? The giants and their spirits are irredeemably evil. They do nothing but cause problems. The flood was supposed to give us a fresh start. Why not just send them on down to h-e-double-hockey-sticks and we can be done with them? I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why the demons got left behind in the book of Enoch, as well as in our Bibles.  And not only that, it’s going to conclude our week-by-week journey through the Book of Enoch that we started in January.  So if you’re ready for that, turn to Matthew 18, and let’s get weird. Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:25 - Basanizo  8:08 - Persons Without Bodies 16:45 - Enoch 16 22:20 - Types of Spirits 26:50 - Next Time 27:50 - Closing Thoughts Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    The Ghosts of Giants | Enoch 16 & Matthew 18

  7. Jun 17

    Demons are NOT Fallen Angels | Enoch 15 & Genesis 6

    Virtually all the theology books out there tell us: demons are fallen angels. This is the prevailing theory offered by most scholars, pastors and theologians today. In GotQuestions.org's article titled “What Does the Bible Say about Demons?” The first four words are these: “Demons are fallen angels…”  And I love that website, but this is an area where I would disagree with them. But I bring that article up because that represents the conventional wisdom in modern times in the Western world. And it’s also what I believed most of my life. That when Satan rebelled against God, he took a third of the angels with him, and that these angels are the demons who make up his kingdom today- the same demons that Jesus was constantly casting out of people when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. The only problem is: the bible never says that. And that’s not what the ancient peoples believed. Don’t get me wrong: there is a Satan. There were indeed fallen angels. However, the ancient people- including the writers of the Bible- believed demons came from somewhere else. In fact, by the end of today’s episode, you’ll see that Jesus Himself used an expression that tells us exactly where the demons came from- and we can prove from His own words that they are NOT fallen angels. So why do people in modern times see things differently? I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why this contemporary theory is NOT in the Bible.  Turn to Genesis 6, and let’s get weird. The GotQuestions.org article I referenced: https://www.gotquestions.org/demons-Bible.html Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:10 - The Genesis of the Giants  6:50 - Enoch 15 10:05 - The Genesis of the Demons 17:00 - Unclean Spirits 22:00 - What Does the Bible Say? 25:00 - Closing Thoughts Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    Demons are NOT Fallen Angels | Enoch 15 & Genesis 6

  8. Jun 10

    “Because of the Angels” in I Corinthians 11:10

    I Corinthians 11 is one of those really weird passages of Scripture that I would say 90% of Christians just kind of try to ignore.  It’s probably the most out-of-place chapter in the entire New Testament. It feels very counter-cultural, extremely outdated, and not super relevant to anything in modern church practice.  It’s a section that even the most conservative, Biblically faithful modern churches like to pretend isn’t there. I’m talking about the chapter where Paul talks about head coverings. He tells us in  I Corinthians 11:5 every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head What are you talking about, Paul? Where is this coming from? Is this just a cultural thing, or is it a literal command for all believers anywhere, anytime? And what’s even more strange is Paul’s reason for this statement, which he gives in Verse 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Oh, ok then. Because of the angels. Great. Totally makes sense now.  WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, PAUL? Turns out, he’s talking about the Watchers. Those dudes we’ve been reading about this year in our book of Enoch study. Why is Paul referring to them in this section about head coverings, though? I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.  Turn to I Corinthians 11, and let’s get weird.  Sign up for the weekly newsletter! Get additional insights and Bible study tips for unpacking strange things in scripture. Enter your email here: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/ Check out the website! www.weirdstuffinthebible.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:05 - Revisiting this Odd Chapter 9:05 - Don’t Blur the Lines 18:10 - Ancient Pop Culture References Visit the Weird Stuff store! https://luketaylorpodcasts.creator-spring.com You can also find a list of past newsletters at that same link so you never have to miss one. If you want to get in touch, my email is weirdstuffinthebible@gmail.com Hosted by Luke Taylor If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

    “Because of the Angels” in I Corinthians 11:10
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Find the answers to all those questions you were too embarrassed to ask in Sunday School. Welcome to Weird Stuff in the Bible, where we explore scripture passages that are bizarre, perplexing or just plain weird. Hosted by Luke Taylor. Dive deeper! Sign up for the newsletter (and catch up on past newsletters) at this link: https://weirdstuffinthebible.beehiiv.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Luke Taylor
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    140
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024. Luke Taylor.
  • Show Website
    Weird Stuff in the Bible