Bible Wisdom Today

Stan Watkins
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Believing that the Bible is the Word of God takes simple faith; truly understanding its meaning for life today takes hard work. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. All of these obstacles require careful examination by today's Bible student. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.Your teacher, Stan Watkins, completed his Bachelor of Religious Education from Multnomah School of the Bible (now Multnomah Campus of Jessup University) in 1980 and served in Christian ministry for many years. Currently he is a private piano teacher and supports his local church in the Seattle area. He has been married to his wife, Mary, since 1990 and has three adult children.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    Introduction to Genesis

    Welcome to a new series of studies on the Book of Genesis. In this season, we will study the early chapters of Genesis, which relate stories from primeval history, in preparation for studies in the patriarchal history of Abraham and his descendants in a later season. While Genesis is anonymous, Moses has traditionally been considered its author. Scholars have challenged that view in the last 150 years, however. This episode summarizes the authorship issue and suggests a mediating position that allows us to establish a historical context as the basis for our interpretation. We also touch on other introductory issues, such as the genre of Genesis and the book’s relationship to ancient near eastern literature and contemporary science. We conclude with an analysis of the first two verses of Genesis, setting the stage for a detailed study of the creation narrative in upcoming episodes.   00:00 Opening comments 03:34 Authorship of Genesis 13:22 Genre of Genesis 16:25 Genesis and ancient near eastern literature 20:35 Genesis and science 23:23 In the beginning… 32:30 Closing comments   Study questions for Genesis 1:1-2 1.      Genesis begins with “In the beginning,” not “In the beginning of….” What conclusions would you draw from this distinction? 2.      What is your first impression of God from these verses? 3.      Does it seem like God created the disordered state, then brought order out of it, or was the disordered state preexisting before God began bringing order? 4.      How does the phrase “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” make you feel? 5.      Why do you think that Genesis tells us that God was the creator, but does not tell us exactly how He created? 6.      How aware are you of God’s created world in your daily life? 7.      What do you hope to gain from studying the early stories of Genesis? Episodes released every two weeks on Monday Contact me: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/contact/

    34 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    Majestic hymn to the creator | Genesis 1

    In this second episode in our study of Genesis, we will continue the story of how God transformed primeval chaos into a functional universe where God may be worshiped. Genesis describes God’s transforming work over a period of seven days, which the biblical author presents in a beautiful literary structure worthy of representing the beauty of God’s universe. Through this compositional framework the writer highlights important theological emphases and demonstrates that he is not giving a chronological narrative. As a result, we do not need to carry the heavy burden of fitting scripture together with modern science. The Biblical story of creation and the scientific explanation of origins are not in conflict at all. They are discussing totally different subjects.  Additional resource: Chart of the structure of this hymn to the creator 00:00 Opening comments 07:15 The First Day 11:56 The Second Day 15:09 The Third Day 17:33 The Fourth Day 22:30 The Fifth Day 25:37 The Sixth Day 35:45 Closing comments Study questions for Genesis 1:3-2:31.      Notice the repeated words and phrases throughout this passage. What does this tell you about the orderliness of God? What does it tell you about the purposes of the human author of this section?  2.      Why does this passage describe God forming the universe on days 1-3 and filling it on days 4-6? Do you feel any sense of climax in this story? 3.      What is the relationship between God’s spoken word (“And God said, let…”) and his sovereign power (“and it was so”)? 4.      Why do you think the Bible tells us who created, but does not tell us exactly how? What does this tell you about the relative importance of the method and timing of God’s creation? 5.      In your everyday life, how aware are you of the created world around you? How does this affect your opinion of God? 6.      What does it mean to you to be created in God’s image? Does this give you a better opinion of yourself? How does this affect your relationship with God? With other people? 7.      How does this story of creation affect the way you treat the natural world around you? Episodes released every two weeks on Monday Contact me: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/contact/

    38 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    God rested. Was he tired? | Genesis 2

    Today, we come to the seventh day of creation where we read that God rested. Why would God rest? Was the all-powerful God exhausted after all his work of creating? In flippantly asking this question, we demonstrate that we are modern people, far removed from the original audience of Genesis. In this episode, we will spend an extended time examining the ancient cultural context, particularly the literature surrounding near eastern temple dedications. There we find the concept of a god at rest in his temple. When God rests, he can begin to work, managing his world and receiving our worship. This is a radical mind shift for us, but deeply meaningful for our day-to-day relationship with him.   00:00 Opening comments 03:11 The seventh day 08:28 Understanding Genesis through ancient near eastern literature 25:18 What does God’s creation mean to us? 33:38 Closing comments Study questions for Genesis 2:1-31.      What evidence do we have that the whole cosmos is God’s temple? 2.      Why did God cease from work on the seventh day 3.      How did God make the seventh day holy? What does this mean in your life? 4.      What is the connection between Genesis’ record of the seventh day and God’s instruction to the children of Israel to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) 5.      How can you delight in God as you enjoy his good creation? 6.      Has your study of this passage challenged you in your understanding of God and what he is like? Episodes released every two weeks on Monday Contact me: https://www.biblewisdomtoday.com/contact/

    36 min
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About

Believing that the Bible is the Word of God takes simple faith; truly understanding its meaning for life today takes hard work. The Bible was written long ago, in a foreign language, within an alien culture, using unfamiliar literary styles. All of these obstacles require careful examination by today's Bible student. This podcast is for those willing to do the hard work to discover God's wisdom for life today.Your teacher, Stan Watkins, completed his Bachelor of Religious Education from Multnomah School of the Bible (now Multnomah Campus of Jessup University) in 1980 and served in Christian ministry for many years. Currently he is a private piano teacher and supports his local church in the Seattle area. He has been married to his wife, Mary, since 1990 and has three adult children.

Information

  • Creator
    Stan Watkins
  • Episodes
    26
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bible Wisdom Today
  • Show Website
    Bible Wisdom Today