Genesis Marks the Spot

Carey Griffel
  • 5.0 (38)
  • 基督教
  • 一周一更

Raiding the ivory tower of biblical theology without ransacking our faith.

  1. 2天前

    Between Glory and Ashes: Fire at the Boundary - Episode 153

    This episode launches a new mini-series on the theme of fire in Scripture and how it works as more than just a judgment or “end times” metaphor. Fire marks boundaries, tests fitness for nearness, guards holy space, and signals God’s own presence with His people. Starting at the flaming sword of Eden, Carey traces how fire shows up as a guardian of sacred space, a refining presence, and a covenant sign—from Noah’s burnt offerings and Abram’s smoking firepot to Moses and the burning bush. Along the way, she draws on frame semantics to help us see fire not as a single symbol, but as a cluster of overlapping frames: guardian, purifier, theophany, judgment, empowerment. We also explore some fascinating scholarly debates about Genesis 3:24: Is the flaming sword just a weapon… or a spiritual being in its own right? How do ancient Near Eastern parallels and Psalm 104 factor in? What do later readings like the Targums suggest about God’s presence “east of Eden”? From Cain and Abel to Noah, Abram’s covenant ceremony, and Moses at the burning bush, this episode asks: What counts as a boundary in these stories? What makes someone fit to draw near? How do judgment and mercy belong together in God’s fiery presence? Finally, these themes connect to the bigger biblical story of glory, conquest, and God’s dangerous-yet-merciful nearness—with an invitation to go hunting for fire imagery in your own studies, using word studies as a launchpad but not the destination. On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/ Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot    Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: Chapters (00:00:00) - Why Fire is a Burning Topic(00:04:26) - Flaming Sword of Eden: Judgment or Mercy?(00:11:17) - Divine Council Readings: Is the Sword a Spiritual Being?(00:21:24) - Targums and Divine Presence(00:28:21) - Fire, Boundaries, and Sacrifice I: Cain and Abel(00:32:59) - Fire, Boundaries, and Sacrifice II: Noah(00:38:08) - Covenant by Fire: Abram’s Vision and the Smoking Firepot(00:43:46) - Names, Circumcision, and Ishmael in the Promise(00:49:01) - The Burning Bush: Holy Ground and a Reluctant Prophet(00:54:01) - Glory and Word Studies

    1 小时 2 分钟

  2. 11月7日

    From Magic to Presence: Prayer, Baptism, and Protection - Episode 152

    In this sweeping synthesis episode, Carey zooms out from Mesopotamian exorcism texts to contrast ancient magic/technique with the Bible’s holiness/presence frame. We explore how Scripture attributes sickness and calamity to God’s covenant governance (not a sprawling demonology), why ritual ≠ incantation, and how protection language (Psalm 91) differs when it’s used as prayerful trust rather than magical leverage. We also trace Passover’s blood as sign of covenant loyalty (protection for presence) versus pagan apotropaic rites (protection from volatile powers), and we re-situate baptism as incorporation into a purified people indwelt by the Spirit. Along the way: John Walton on conflict theology, Heiser’s take on Psalm 91 and the “evil eye,” Egypt’s maat, Hittite purity, and the danger of the sacred. We finish by reframing discipleship around holiness first, not death first—so that ethics flow from presence, not technique. Resources & references mentioned Psalm 91 and Jesus’ temptation (Matt 4); Heiser’s Naked Bible episodes on Psalm 91 & “evil eye” (ep. 162 and 321 referenced). Udug-hul Tablet 12; Shurpu confessional series; Egypt’s maat; Hittite rituals and kings. Community note In November 2025 the On This Rock community is discussing the church—join the conversation; link in show notes. On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/  Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot    Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/   Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: Chapters (00:00:00) - Agency & sickness(00:05:36) - Ritual vs technique(00:07:21) - Psalm 91 & the “evil eye”(00:09:07) - Guarding against “magical drift”(00:15:25) - Holiness-first ethics(00:18:49) - Baptism in the holiness frame(00:22:37) - Plague & providence(00:25:30) - Priest vs healer roles(00:27:12) - Shurpu confessions & fire(00:32:49) - Incantation vs prayer(00:36:22) - Divination & technique creep(00:41:02) - Jesus’ temptation and amulets(00:44:43) - Comparing Egypt and Israel(00:50:31) - The danger of the sacred(00:59:32) - Holiness that transforms

    1 小时 7 分钟

  3. 10月31日

    Purity before Sinai 3: One Goat to Clean Them All - Episode 151

    Concluding the mini-series reading from Udug-hul (Udug-hul) Tablet 12, a Mesopotamian exorcism/purification text, and tracing how a single goat in this ritual ends up doing several jobs—substitute, container of breath, apotropaic object, and finally the thing that carries evil away. From there, Carey compares the logic of the text with Leviticus 16 (Day of Atonement) and Numbers 19 (red heifer) and asks the hard question: where’s the line between ritual and magic? The answer is more nuanced than “the Bible isn’t magical.” Sometimes the Bible does very ANE-looking things—but without trying to force the deity. We also see that Mesopotamia loved protective objects (bells, cords, incense, figurines, “good” demons) and how Israel’s Scriptures both fit into and flip that world. What we cover Quick recap of the first two episodes in this series Reading the next section of Tablet 12 (the “one goat doing many jobs” part) Apotropaic magic 101: bells, cords, circles, incantations, and why people felt vulnerable Why Mesopotamia can use the same class of being (storm demon) for harm or healing Parallels and contrasts with Leviticus 16 and Numbers 19 “You don’t do a ritual if you don’t think it does something” — but what kind of “something”? How Israel’s rituals purify space without acting like they’re trapping a stray demon The seven protective figures and divine-council overtones A pastoral-ish landing: how might Christians still hedge their bets with low-key magical thinking? On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://ww... Chapters (00:00:00) - Re-reading the scapegoat section(00:03:21) - Magic vs ritual refresher(00:08:59) - Biblical parallels: Leviticus 16 and Numbers 19(00:16:14) - Water, radiance, and binding the goat to the patient(00:23:30) - Containment and boundary-making around the bed(00:30:03) - Naming the demons and sending them to the netherworld(00:35:06) - Temple statue, sunrise, craftsman, and mediation layers(00:45:44) - The seven protective storm demons by city(00:51:56) - Fire, fat, milk, wrestlers, and threshold protection(00:57:47) - Recap of ritual logic

    1 小时 7 分钟

  4. 10月24日

    Purity before Sinai 2: Sacred Technology of Cosmic Repair - Episode 150

    This episode continues last week’s deep dive (Ep. 149) into Udug-hul Tablet 12, exploring how ancient Mesopotamians understood purity, sacred space, demons, and ritual—and how that compares (and collides) with the Bible’s worldview. Carey walks through Ea (Enki), Marduk, Belet-ili, Eridu, decreed destinies, and a striking black-goat “scapegoat” rite tied to breath, life, and expulsion—then turns to the big question: what’s the difference between magic and ritual for Christians, and how does that shape practices like baptism, exorcism, and embodied worship? 150 TRANSCRIPT In this episode: Why look before Sinai to grasp biblical purity and sacred space Mesopotamian divine council logic: Ea → Marduk → priest as mediator Eridu as a prototype of divine order; destinies and lots language Belet-ili (Mami/Nintu) and “learning the ways of the demons” The black goat rite: breath, life, and removing the ālu/utukku demon Biblical contrasts: Leviticus 16 scapegoat vs. Mesopotamian incantation Magic vs. ritual: mechanistic tech vs. covenantal, participatory practice Embodied sacred space/time: why liturgy, baptism, Eucharist still matter Mentioned texts & themes: Genesis 1–2 (cosmic temple), Deut 32 (lots), Enūma Eliš, Atrahasis, Eridu traditions, Leviticus 16 (scapegoat), Ezekiel 37 (breath & life). 150 TRANSCRIPT Join the community: On This Rock (Carey’s biblical-theology community) and ways to support via Patreon/PayPal. On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/  Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: Chapters (00:00:00) - Mesopotamian demonology vs. Bible terms(00:04:59) - Tablet 12 overview: the eco-destroying demon(00:07:27) - “Not a god”: categories of beings & elohim(00:09:02) - Ea (Enki), Marduk, and priestly mediation(00:15:03) - Eridu, Apsu, and heavenly blueprints(00:24:21) - Consulting Belet-ili: learning the demons’ ways(00:29:19) - Order vs. chaos: does chaos have a pattern?(00:35:12) - The black-goat rite: setup & purpose(00:38:56) - Personal deities(00:43:30) - Prayers & offerings: doing the same work(00:47:59) - Who can be a "son of the god"?(00:50:58) - Activated mercy via performance(00:52:37) - The strange case of the breathing goat(00:56:23) - Breath, life, and expulsion mechanics(01:03:50) - Magic vs. ritual: Christian stakes(01:11:11) - Embodied sacred space/time today

    1 小时 17 分钟

  5. 10月17日

    Purity Before Sinai: Subverting Storm Demons - Episode 149

    Today we step before Leviticus into Sumerian and Akkadian worlds to see how ancient people thought about purity, danger, and the sacred—and how Israel both echoes and upends that world. We sample Udug-hul exorcism tablets (incl. Tablet 12), meet storm-like demons, and trace common ancient ritual media (living water, flour circles, fire, incense, bells, tamarisk).  Along the way we test big claims: holiness as a spatial/ritual frame, why “purity precedes holiness,” why Israel’s God doesn’t do “conflict theology” like Mesopotamia, and how not to over-systematize the Divine Council.  If you’ve read Heiser, Walton, or dabbled in 1 Enoch, apkallu lore, or Enuma Elish, this episode gives you a more complex, historically grounded backdrop—without ransacking your faith.  Don’t forget to check out the community at On This Rock for resources for Geller’s Healing Magic and Evil Demons. On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot    Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/   Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan  Chapters (00:00:00) - Ancient Frames and Why They Matter(00:06:09) - Recap: Holiness as a Spatial/Ritual Frame(00:09:57) - How to Read ANE Texts Responsibly(00:19:11) - Clean/Unclean as Ritual Categories(00:21:30) - Research Question: Did Purity Precede Holiness?(00:25:49) - The Ancient World’s Pragmatic Religion(00:27:17) - Demons, Disease, and Incantations(00:29:02) - Demons in ANE vs the Bible(00:31:23) - “Conflict Theology” vs Israel’s God(00:34:29) - Tablet 7: Water Rites & Feeding the Ghosts(00:40:56) - Tablet 8: Birds, Omens, and Red Garments(00:42:42) - Tablet 9: Purifying Buildings(00:44:47) - Tablet 12 (Reading): The Storm Demon’s Ruin(00:49:26) - Context Matters: Storm God vs Storm Demon(00:52:04) - Apkallu & Geography Cautions(00:54:59) - Not Exegesis: Parallels to Genesis 1–9(00:58:14) - “Not a God,” Yet Gigantic: Status & Radiance(01:00:48) - Multiple Chaos Frames in the ANE(01:02:54) - Contrast of Solutions: Udug-hul vs Genesis(01:05:51) - Takeaways from Mesopotamian Materials

    1 小时 9 分钟

  6. 10月10日

    Unseen Realm Expanded with Mike Chu - A Heiser-ish Conversation Episode 148

    Carey sits down with Mike Chu to talk through the new Unseen Realm - Expanded Edition, how Heiser clarified his stance on creeds, why frame semantics and ancient contexts matter, and why a Christotelic reading (aimed at the eschaton) can keep Scripture’s big story intact. Along the way: pastoral cautions about celebrity culture, the value of scholarship and seminary, and a practical reframing of Imago Dei as being made as God's image (not merely "in" it). Highlights include: Heiser’s "non-credal" (not anti-credal) posture, Genesis 6 in an exilic frame, and how holiness as "other" reshapes baptism, worship, and daily vocation. What's actually new in Unseen Realm (Expanded Edition) and why it matters for teachers and small-group leaders Heiser on creeds: non-credal vs anti-credal, and using creeds as boundaries, not as an interpretive lens Christocentric vs Christotelic: aiming at the end goal of Christ (including the Spirit and the Eschaton) Reading Genesis 6 with an exilic Mesopotamian frame vs a Mosaic/Egyptian frame Imago Dei as vocation: "made as God's image," and why that lands pastorally The completion of AWKNG School of Theology's "Seminary on a Thumb Drive" initiative On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot    Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/   Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan  Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcoming Mike; DCW year ahead & community vibe(00:05:01) - Expanded Edition notes (preface timeline, Awakening)(00:06:46) - "Vibe shift": hunger for scholarship & plain speech(00:08:34) - Pushback & avoiding Heiser-only celebrity culture(00:10:21) - Listening > labels; scholarly retrieval as discipleship(00:21:05) - Heiser and the Creeds: Non-credal, Not Anti-credal(00:25:21) - Christocentric vs Christotelic (aiming at the eschaton)(00:35:59) - Theological Messaging: God with Us(00:41:28) - Genesis 6: Exilic Mesopotamian Frame vs Mosaic/Egyptian(00:48:05) - The value of listening in scholarly study(00:53:24) - Imago Dei: "as" God’s image, not merely "in" (pastoral payoffs)(00:58:55) - Why we need teachers who do the dirty work(01:05:12) - Are seminaries cemetaries?(01:09:21) - The value of learning in cohorts(01:12:36) - Diversity, cohesion, and the need to find support(01:17:47) - Remind, Remind, Remind: Don't lose your identity(01:24:07) - Wrapping up thoughts on The Unseen Realm Expanded Edition(01:24:08) - AWKNG School of Theology: Seminary on a Thumb Drive

    1 小时 36 分钟

  7. 10月3日

    Purity Before Holiness: Reading Toward Christ - Episode 147

    Continuing the water series by framing purification and holiness through an ancient Near Eastern lens and a Christotelic (telos-aimed) reading of Scripture. We contrast Christocentric “reading back” with Christotelic “reading forward,” explore holy/common vs clean/unclean as two distinct axes, and ask whether Leviticus was ever meant to be a sin-management system—or a way to host a holy God in sacred space. Along the way: covenant at Sinai, ritual logic, righteousness in OT vs NT, and why Jesus as incarnate Holy One unites holy and common in himself. Bonus at the end: Carey’s first look at The Unseen Realm: Expanded Edition and its nods to frame semantics and christological lenses. In this episode Editing experiment: does lighter editing serve the mission better? Why hermeneutics matters: Christocentric vs Christotelic readings Purity → Holiness: which comes first in human religious imagination? Two spectra, not one: holy/common and clean/unclean Leviticus beyond “sin management”: making space for divine presence Covenant first, cult second; why Israel is unique amid the ANE Righteousness reconsidered across Testaments Word-study pointers: “pure/purge/refine” (gold, oil, incense), ritual vs ethical usage Teaser: upcoming episodes on atonement frames, water vs fire, and Divine Council themes Resources mentioned Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm — Expanded Edition (new front-matter on frames & christological lenses) John Walton on Christotelic reading (telos-oriented Scripture) Carey’s On This Rock community (October theme: Unseen Realm) Support / connect Join the convers... Chapters (00:00:00) - Why hermeneutics matters (not talking past each other)(00:06:03) - Ritual & baptism recap; the big question: purity or holiness first?(00:09:28) - A Christological lens: setting the stage(00:10:40) - Christocentric reading (arrows radiating back)(00:15:06) - Christotelic reading (arrows moving forward to Jesus)(00:17:26) - Case study: purification as our test-bed(00:20:51) - Is Leviticus a sin-management system? Rethinking assumptions(00:24:34) - What is holiness? Modern conflations vs ancient otherness(00:27:07) - Holiness as divine “set-apartness,” not mere moralism(00:30:41) - Don’t import later ideas into earlier texts(00:33:31) - Two axes: holy/common and clean/unclean (and the “powder-keg” mix)(00:36:33) - Why purification precedes holiness; historical signals(00:39:04) - Covenant first, cult second; Israel vs the ANE(00:43:41) - Intuitive logic of purification; why it feels “obvious”(00:47:17) - Word-study invites: pure, purge, refine; ritual vs ethical purity(00:50:45) - Fire, water, and purging; future directions(00:53:01) - Righteousness OT vs NT: behavior, justice, belonging(00:57:38) - Bonus: Unseen Realm Expanded, frame semantics, and themes for October

    1 小时

  8. 9月26日

    Baptism and Ritual: Symbol, Reality, and Identity - Episode 146

    This episode of Genesis Marks the Spot explores the meaning and function of ritual with a special focus on baptism. From Jewish mikvahs and Qumran practices to Greco-Roman mystery rites and John the Baptist’s wilderness call, baptism emerges as more than a symbol—it’s participation in a story of death, resurrection, and new creation. We’ll look at biblical passages (Romans 6, Galatians 3, Colossians 2, and more), denominational perspectives, and how ritual frames help us move beyond false binaries of “just symbolic” versus “mechanistic.” Topics include: What ritual is and why it matters Rituals as communal participation and transformation Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts for baptism Jesus’ baptism as a Trinitarian theophany Baptism in Acts and the Pauline letters Denominational views on baptism How rituals shape identity, allegiance, and belonging On This Rock Biblical Theology Community:  https://on-this-rock.com/   Website: genesismarksthespot.com    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GenesisMarkstheSpot    Music credit: "Marble Machine" by Wintergatan Link to Wintergatan’s website: https://wintergatan.net/   Link to the original Marble Machine video by Wintergatan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q&ab_channel=Wintergatan  Chapters (00:00:00) - Ritual Before Purification(00:04:33) - Defining Ritual(00:10:24) - Scriptural Examples(00:13:25) - Ritual Frames(00:16:12) - Backgrounds: Jewish & Greco-Roman(00:22:14) - John the Baptist(00:24:36) - Jesus’ Baptism as Theophany (Identity and Revelation)(00:27:16) - Baptism in Acts(00:29:42) - Paul on Baptism(00:38:34) - New Creation & Reconciliation(00:42:02) - Baptism as Allegiance/Exodus(00:43:55) - What Baptism Does(00:49:28) - Baptism, Spirit, & Sacred Space(00:52:24) - Denominational Snapshots(00:55:08) - Reflection Questions and Moving Past False Binaries

    1 小时 1 分钟
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关于

Raiding the ivory tower of biblical theology without ransacking our faith.

信息

  • 创作者
    Carey Griffel
  • 活跃年份
    2022年 - 2025年
  • 单集
    154
  • 分级
    儿童适宜
  • 版权
    © 2022
  • 节目网站
    Genesis Marks the Spot

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