Reasoning Through the Bible

Glenn Smith and Steve Allem
  • 4.6 (19)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Reasoning Through the Bible is a verse-by-verse Bible study podcast dedicated to teaching Scripture from chapter one, verse one, with careful attention to historical context, theology, and faithful application.Each episode offers in-depth, expository teaching rooted in the authority of the biblical text and the shared foundations of the historic Christian faith. While taught from an evangelical perspective, this podcast warmly welcomes all Christians seeking deeper engagement with God’s Word.Designed for listeners who desire serious Bible study rather than topical devotionals, Reasoning Through the Bible explores entire books of Scripture in an orderly and thoughtful manner—examining authorship, setting, theological themes, and the meaning of each passage within the whole of Scripture.Whether you are studying the Bible personally, teaching in the Church, or simply longing to grow in understanding and faith, this podcast aims to encourage careful listening to God’s Word through faithful, verse-by-verse exposition.

  1. 22h ago

    CAN WE TRUST THE GOSPELS? | The Four Gospels Study Introduction

    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

    CAN WE TRUST THE GOSPELS? | The Four Gospels Study Introduction

  2. 3d ago

    When the Redeemer Pays the Price - Ruth 4:1-22 (Session 5)

    Ruth chapter 4 brings the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz to its beautiful conclusion. Boaz goes to the city gate, gathers the elders, and properly follows the law to settle the question of redemption. A closer relative has the first right to redeem Naomi’s land, but when he learns that Ruth must also become part of the family inheritance, he declines. Boaz then steps forward and publicly declares that he will redeem both the land and Ruth. The transaction illustrates what redemption means. Something has been lost, a legitimate claim exists, and a price must be paid to restore it. Boaz pays that price and gains the legal right to redeem Ruth and restore the family inheritance. The session connects this with Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that believers were bought with a price. Christ paid the debt of sin in full through His death on the cross. Redemption is not merely forgiveness in the abstract—it is a costly act in which the Redeemer pays what we could not pay for ourselves. Ruth’s progression throughout the book is remarkable. She begins as a foreigner, then calls herself a maidservant, then becomes Boaz’s maid, and finally becomes his wife. She moves from poverty and exclusion to belonging, inheritance, marriage, and blessing. Naomi experiences a similar transformation. She once asked to be called Mara because she believed the Lord had dealt bitterly with her. By the end, she holds a grandson in her arms while the women of Bethlehem celebrate with her. The book closes with the genealogy leading to King David, showing that God’s providential work in the lives of Ruth and Boaz becomes part of the larger story of redemption that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ. Scripture: Ruth 4:1–22 Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session include: What does it mean when we say Jesus paid for our sins?What is redeeming and why is it important to us? How is Jesus our redeemer? What is the state of a person before and after they come to Christ? 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

    When the Redeemer Pays the Price - Ruth 4:1-22 (Session 5)

  3. 4d ago

    When the Redeemer Makes a Promise - Ruth 3:1-18 (Session 4)

    Ruth chapter 3 brings the Kinsman-Redeemer theme to the center of the story. The session begins with the law from Deuteronomy 25, which provided for a widow to be cared for by a close family member so that the family name, inheritance, and land could continue. That background becomes essential when Naomi recognizes that Boaz may be able to act as Ruth’s redeemer. Naomi then sends Ruth to the threshing floor. Ruth approaches Boaz humbly, lies at his feet, and asks him to spread his covering over her because he is a close relative. Her request is essentially a request for Boaz to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer. Boaz responds with kindness and integrity. He praises Ruth’s character, explains that another relative has the first right of redemption, and promises that if that man will not redeem her, he will. This session explores how Boaz points toward Jesus Christ. A redeemer had to be a true kinsman. In the same way, Christ had to become fully human in order to redeem humanity. He is not a distant Savior—He became one of us so that He could serve as our mediator and Redeemer. The chapter also emphasizes humility, submission, timing, salvation, waiting on God, and trusting His promises. Ruth places herself at Boaz’s feet. Boaz makes a promise. Then Ruth has to wait. That same pattern speaks powerfully to the Christian life. Christ has made promises to His people, including the promise that He will return. Until then, believers are called to trust Him while they wait. Scripture: Ruth 3:1–18 Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study Some questions discussed in this session include: How does God keep families together?Can we earn a relationship with Christ? How should we approach God when talking to Him? How should a couple today find a spouse? What time is the best time to settle our relationship with God? 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

    When the Redeemer Makes a Promise - Ruth 3:1-18 (Session 4)

  4. 5d ago

    When the Redeemer Notices You - Ruth 2:5-23 (Session 3)

    Ruth 2 moves fully into the growing relationship between Ruth and Boaz. Ruth is a widow, a foreigner, and poor. She has no inheritance in Israel and is gathering leftover barley simply to survive. Then Boaz, a wealthy landowner from Bethlehem, notices her. In this session, Glenn and Steve explore how the romance between Ruth and Boaz also illustrates the believer’s relationship with Jesus Christ. Ruth is the outsider with no ability to change her circumstances, while Boaz is the wealthy kinsman who sees her, protects her, provides for her, and begins drawing her closer. Boaz tells Ruth to remain in his field, commands his workers not to harm her, gives her access to water, invites her to eat with his servants, personally serves her food, and instructs his workers to intentionally leave extra grain behind for her. Ruth receives far more than the minimum the law required. The passage also explores Ruth’s status as a foreigner and the biblical truth that God does not show partiality based on race, nationality, social standing, or background. By the end of the chapter, Naomi recognizes that Boaz is more than simply a generous landowner. He is a close relative and a potential kinsman-redeemer. The romance is beginning, but so is a much larger picture of redemption. Scripture: Ruth 2:5–23 Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study Questions discussed in this session are:   What does the Bible teach about race and nationality? How should we take care of the least advantaged in our midst?Can we trust in the providence of the Lord? How much does God notice of our lives?What benefits does Christ give us?   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

    When the Redeemer Notices You - Ruth 2:5-23 (Session 3)

  5. 6d ago

    When God Quietly Arranges the Details - Ruth 1:15 – 2:4 (Session 2)

    Ruth 1–2 shows the difference between turning toward God and fully committing to Him. Orpah begins the journey toward Israel but eventually returns to Moab. Ruth does the opposite. She leaves her homeland, her people, and her former gods behind and tells Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” Her words are more than family loyalty—they represent a wholehearted commitment to Yahweh. When Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem, the town is stirred by Naomi’s return. Naomi asks to be called Mara, meaning bitter, because she believes the Lord has afflicted her. Her grief is understandable, but she cannot yet see what God is preparing. The story then introduces the biblical practice of gleaning. Under the Mosaic Law, landowners were required to leave portions of their harvest for widows, foreigners, travelers, and the poor. This system provided help while still allowing those who were able to work for their food. Ruth does exactly that. Rather than demanding assistance, she humbly asks permission to glean behind the harvesters. Then one of the most important statements in the story appears: Ruth “happened” to come to the field belonging to Boaz. Boaz is wealthy, respected, related to Naomi’s late husband, and positioned to become a kinsman-redeemer. His meeting with Ruth looks accidental from a human perspective, but the story begins revealing God’s providential arrangement of ordinary circumstances. God’s provision often does not arrive through spectacular miracles. Sometimes it appears through a field, a harvest, a conversation, or simply being in the right place at the right time. Scripture: Ruth 1:14–2:9 Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study   Questions discussed in this session include: Does God always recognize those who turn Him?  What value is there in taking care of the human needs of a loved one? Can we keep one foot in the old life and one foot in the new?  Is there a Biblical way to have welfare?  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

    When God Quietly Arranges the Details - Ruth 1:15 – 2:4 (Session 2)

  6. Aug 10

    When Tragedy Makes God Seem Far Away - Ruth 1:1-14 (Session 1)

    The Book of Ruth begins during the dark period of the Judges, when Israel was marked by disobedience, idolatry, and judgment. Yet Ruth offers a striking contrast: even in a corrupt culture, individuals can still live faithfully, and God can work quietly through ordinary people and painful circumstances. In this opening session, Glenn and Steve introduce the major themes of Ruth, including redemption, kindness, rest, providence, love, grief, and restoration. Ruth and Boaz will eventually become the great-grandparents of King David, and Ruth will also appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The story begins with a famine in Bethlehem, whose name means “house of bread.” Elimelech leaves the promised land with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons and travels to Moab. There, Naomi loses her husband and both sons, leaving her in a foreign land with her two daughters-in-law. The session pauses to consider the deep grief that follows the loss of a spouse and other loved ones. Steve shares personally about the death of his wife and how his relationship with God, his daughters, and other believers helped him continue through sorrow. When Naomi hears that the Lord has again provided food in Judah, she begins the journey home. She urges Ruth and Orpah to return to their families. Orpah leaves, but Ruth clings to Naomi and makes one of Scripture’s most memorable declarations: “Where you go, I will go… your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” At this point, Naomi believes that the Lord has turned against her. She cannot yet see that God is using these very circumstances to bring blessing, redemption, and a future greater than anything she could imagine. Scripture: Ruth 1:1–18 Series: The Book of Ruth — An RTTB Study   Questions discussed in this session include:  If tragedy happens, is God sill working?  What does it indicate when the Jews leave a land? Can grief be overwhelming? Can good come out of tragedy? 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

    When Tragedy Makes God Seem Far Away - Ruth 1:1-14 (Session 1)

  7. Aug 7

    WHY DID GOD COMMAND THE DESTRUCTION OF CANAAN? | Joshua Explained

    Why did God command Israel to destroy the people of Canaan? Passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua describe commands to destroy entire Canaanite populations, including soldiers, families, livestock, and cities. These passages raise one of the most difficult moral questions in the Old Testament and are often used by skeptics to accuse God of cruelty or injustice. In this topical discussion, Glenn and Steve examine the larger biblical context surrounding the judgment of Canaan. The study begins with God’s sovereignty as Creator and giver of life. Because life comes from Him, He possesses authority over life and death in a way that human beings do not. The Canaanites were also not presented as innocent people. Their culture included child sacrifice, sexualized worship, idolatry, and practices that eventually corrupted Israel when the nation failed to carry out God’s command completely. God’s judgment was not sudden or arbitrary. Israel remained in Egypt for approximately four centuries before entering Canaan, and the biblical pattern shows that God repeatedly warns people before judgment. Rahab demonstrates that a Canaanite who recognized Yahweh, believed, and submitted to Him could receive mercy. The discussion also considers four possible ways God could respond to evil: permit free choices and judge them, permit evil without judgment, prevent every evil choice and eliminate meaningful human freedom, or remove children before they mature into the same evil practices. The central conclusion is that God’s actions must be understood within His holiness, sovereignty, patience, justice, and complete knowledge of every possible outcome. Topical Study: The Judgment of Canaan Series: Reasoning Through the Bible Topical Series 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 DID GOD COMMAND THE DESTRUCTION OF CANAAN? | Joshua Explained

  8. Aug 6

    WHO IS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD? | The Pre-Incarnate Christ Explained

    Who is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament? This phrase appears repeatedly in passages involving Hagar, Abraham, Moses, Balaam, Gideon, Samson’s parents, and the nation of Israel. At first glance, readers may assume this is simply another created angel. A closer examination, however, reveals that the Angel of the Lord speaks with God’s authority, accepts identification with God, gives divine promises, receives worship, forgives or judges, and is feared as Yahweh Himself. In this topical study, Glenn and Steve examine several important Old Testament appearances of the Angel of the Lord. Hagar calls Him the God who sees her. In Genesis 22, He tells Abraham that he did not withhold Isaac “from Me.” In Exodus 3, the Angel of the Lord appears in the burning bush and identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The study also considers appearances in Judges, including the Angel of the Lord speaking to Gideon and appearing as a man to Samson’s parents. These passages show that He could appear physically and converse with people while still being identified as Yahweh. Isaiah 63 and Zechariah 12 provide further evidence by distinguishing between divine persons while affirming the deity of the One who suffers, delivers, and is pierced. These passages contribute to the biblical foundation for the deity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. The Angel of the Lord is best understood as the pre-incarnate Son of God—Jesus Christ appearing before His birth in Bethlehem. Topical Study: The Angel of the Lord Series: Reasoning Through the Bible Doctrine Discussions 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

    WHO IS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD? | The Pre-Incarnate Christ Explained
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About

Reasoning Through the Bible is a verse-by-verse Bible study podcast dedicated to teaching Scripture from chapter one, verse one, with careful attention to historical context, theology, and faithful application.Each episode offers in-depth, expository teaching rooted in the authority of the biblical text and the shared foundations of the historic Christian faith. While taught from an evangelical perspective, this podcast warmly welcomes all Christians seeking deeper engagement with God’s Word.Designed for listeners who desire serious Bible study rather than topical devotionals, Reasoning Through the Bible explores entire books of Scripture in an orderly and thoughtful manner—examining authorship, setting, theological themes, and the meaning of each passage within the whole of Scripture.Whether you are studying the Bible personally, teaching in the Church, or simply longing to grow in understanding and faith, this podcast aims to encourage careful listening to God’s Word through faithful, verse-by-verse exposition.

Information

  • Creator
    Glenn Smith and Steve Allem
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    684
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Reasoning Through the Bible
  • Show Website
    Reasoning Through the Bible

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