The Sean McDowell Show

LifeAudio
LifeAudio
  • 4.8 (288)
  • Christianity
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Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Sean is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. On this channel he tackles some of the biggest questions about God, morality, and contemporary culture. Visit www.seanmcdowell.org for more posts and info.

  1. 23h ago

    The Book of Enoch Explained: Nephilim, Demons & Genesis 6

    The Book of Enoch has exploded online, and the claims run in both directions: some say it unlocks the Bible's biggest mysteries, others say it can't be trusted at all. Dr. Joel Muddamalle this time talks about First Enoch specifically. Why has it captured so much attention, what kind of literature is it, and how much interpretive weight should it carry? READ: The Unseen Battle, by Joel Muddamalle: (https://amzn.to/4xyQnM9) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Timestamps 0:00 — Why has the Book of Enoch exploded online? 5:02 — What is First Enoch, and what kind of literature is it? 9:14 — When was it written, and by whom? 11:34 — What "pseudepigraphical" actually means 14:03 — Who was the biblical Enoch? 16:24 — How the Qumran community treated it 22:14 — A viewer challenges the method 24:48 — What Joel thinks First Enoch is actually doing 28:28 — The main readings of Genesis 6 31:07 — Why he holds the supernatural view 33:12 — Spiritual beings who eat, walk, and are seen 38:04 — What Jude and 2 Peter are doing 40:11 — The early church fathers on Enoch 42:19 — Not canonical — but not worthless 54:34 — Why quoting something isn't endorsing it 1:02:02 — Should Christians read it? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  2. 2d ago

    Where Demons Actually Come From, According to Heiser

    Most of what Christians picture when they hear "angel" came from medieval art and Vacation Bible School, not from the biblical text. Dr. Joel Muddamalle worked alongside Michael Heiser at Logos Bible Software and became a friend and protégé. In this conversation he walks through what Heiser argued about the unseen realm, where he thinks Heiser pushed the church in the right direction, and where he'd refine him. READ: The Unseen Battle, by Joel Muddamalle: (https://amzn.to/4xyQnM9) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org 0:00 — Intro 2:35 — Working with Michael Heiser 4:34 — The traditional picture, and where it came from 9:54 — Cherubim, seraphim, archangels, sons of God 14:06 — "Angel" as a job description 15:05 — The divine council and the hasatan 19:07 — Where Heiser was right, and where Joel would refine him 29:50 — The traditional picture of demons 31:55 — Deuteronomy 32 and the gods of the nations 39:38 — Genesis 6 and the Nephilim 45:22 — Why "unclean spirits" meant something specific 48:26 — The three rebellions 52:42 — Azazel and the scapegoat 1:00:06 — Jesus in the wilderness 1:04:51 — Where Satan fits 1:13:24 — The angel of the Lord as pre-incarnate Christ 1:16:14 — What this changes for the church Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  3. Sep 11

    The "Lost" Gospels Are Back. What Do They Really Say About Jesus?

    Bart Ehrman posed it as a hypothetical question: What if the canon had ended up containing the Gospels of Peter, Thomas, and Mary instead of Matthew, Mark, and Luke? I put that question to Dr. Greg Lanier, who has just written a GREAT BOOK on the Apocryphal Gospels. His answer is that the scenario has no historical basis, and that if you actually had only those three, you'd have no coherent story of Jesus at all. Dr. Lanier's argument throughout is that the Apocryphal writings are downstream of the canonical Gospels, not competitors with them. CHECK OUT: Greg's channel: https://youtube.com/@GregLanier-d5r CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) READ: Apocryphal Gospels: Separating the Real Jesus from Fan Fiction (https://amzn.to/4qqO3nM) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Timestamps 0:00 — Do these writings threaten the historical Jesus? 0:51 — Responding to Ehrman's what-if 3:36 — Why write a book on fake gospels? 6:42 — What "apocryphal" actually means 11:08 — Sayings, fragments, and full compositions 16:57 — Peter, Mary, Thomas, and Judas 22:28 — How much history is in them? 27:04 — Why scholars now say they're downstream 31:11 — From the Jesus Seminar to the Da Vinci Code 33:33 — The Jesus Wife fragment 41:56 — Bad apologetics on both sides 44:05 — The Infancy Gospel of Thomas 52:15 — The Protoevangelium of James 57:16 — Your nativity scene isn't in Matthew or Luke 1:00:07 — How the apocryphal gospels argue for the four 1:07:19 — What the church fathers actually said 1:12:04 — Why he does this work Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  4. Sep 8

    Daniel 1:1-8: The Principles You Decide Before the Pressure Comes

    Here's a question worth sitting with: what are the principles you actually live by? In this message I look at Daniel. They changed where he lived, what he studied, the language he spoke, and even his name. But the text says he had resolved not to defile himself (past tense). He didn't develop those convictions under pressure. He arrived with them. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org 0:00 — What principles do you actually live by? 1:15 — A lesson from my dad 3:06 — Daniel: a man of principles 6:08 — Daniel 1: the siege of Jerusalem 11:01 — Why Babylon actually won 13:42 — Chosen for the king's court 17:16 — Living somewhere unsympathetic to your beliefs 19:38 — They changed his name 21:09 — Why the food? 23:59 — What hills will you die on? 25:43 — Jana and the assignment she wouldn't do 27:20 — An athlete who walked away 29:31 — What Os Guinness told me about legacy 30:56 — Decide before the pressure comes Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  5. Sep 4

    The Lost Site of the Tabernacle...Have We Found It? | Big Update

    Scott Stripling's team put out a press release about their latest season at Shiloh. Roughly 400 news stories followed. What his team actually found is more interesting. Since 2017 they've been excavating a building whose dimensions, orientation, and dating all match what we'd expect of the tabernacle and Scott is careful to say it's a strong candidate, not a confirmed identification. He's running the largest dig team in the Middle East, largely funded by people who want the Bible confirmed. What keeps that from shaping the conclusions? His answer is worth hearing. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  6. Sep 1

    What 50 Years Studying the Resurrection Taught Me - Gary Habermas

    Gary Habermas has likely studied the historical evidence for the resurrection more than anyone who has ever lived. He's just finished a four-volume work on it and he told me the final volume, on theology and practice, may be the last thing he writes on the subject. It's my favorite of the four, and I wanted to ask him why he made the turn. READ: On the Resurrection: Volume 4, by Gary Habermas (https://amzn.to/4gE7qGI) Make sure to subscribe and check out some of my other videos for more on Christianity, Theology and other aspects of culture! CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) CHECK OUT: Consider Supporting the Ministry! (https://seanmcdowell.org/give) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [SMDCERTDISC] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: @sean_mcdowell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Timestamps 0:00 — How central is the resurrection? 1:21 — Why he turned from evidence to practice 2:32 — Why the resurrection completes the gospel 6:50 — Faith and radical commitment 9:04 — Not by works, but unto them 10:47 — Suffering: his first wife, and now Eileen 13:31 — Why errors in the gospels wouldn't undo the resurrection 16:44 — Persecution 21:11 — Emotional doubt, and why it's most of it 25:32 — The fear of death 28:05 — Living in the power of the resurrection 30:37 — Why the final chapter is on heaven 36:03 — The card he received when his first wife was dying 37:08 — Is he finished writing on the resurrection? 44:06 — The book he might still write, on simple living 47:20 — The new questions he's living with at 76 50:07 — Living with questions you can't answer Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  7. Aug 28

    Book of Mormon vs the Gospels: Comparing the Witness Testimony

    How reliable are the eleven witnesses who attest to the Book of Mormon? Dr. Rob Bowman, author of Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions, joins me to do a deep dive comparing them alongside the Gospel witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus, asking questions such as: What did they really see? Can we trust their testimony? Etc. Let us know what you think! READ: Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions by Robert M Bowman Jr (https://amzn.to/4wMqmbn)  CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

  8. Aug 26

    The New Mormonism: How LDS Beliefs Are Changing

    Mormonism is changing and the version of it a Latter-day Saint holds today may look almost nothing like the version their parents held. I sat down with Aaron Shafovaloff and Brandi Bronson to map what's actually happening. Aaron has done evangelism in Utah for two decades and volunteers with Mormonism Research Ministry. Brandy was LDS for 27 years before leaving. Aaron lays out seven distinct streams within the movement today and Brandy describes the Mormonism she was raised in divine nature, eternal progression, creating worlds, and what made her start to question it. CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Timestamps 0:00 — What is "the new Mormonism"? 0:27 — Brandy: 27 years as a Latter-day Saint 1:08 — Aaron: two decades of evangelism in Utah 2:05 — The eras: early, pioneer, correlation, neo-orthodoxy 4:54 — Is it changing faster now? 5:42 — Ships at sea with no anchor 6:51 — Brandy's 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 7:16 — The great apostasy and the exclusivity claim 9:16 — When the cracks appeared for her 11:09 — The seven streams 12:37 — Correlated Mormonism 13:24 — Neo-orthodoxy and "a crush on evangelical grace" 15:08 — Revisionism 16:21 — Primitive Mormonism 17:23 — Progressive Mormonism 18:29 — Cultural Mormonism 19:13 — Which streams are actually biggest 21:26 — Why the apologist and the stake president sounded so different 22:22 — Why Mormons are forced to be more nuanced now 24:19 — "I even considered staying" 27:15 — The Gospel Topics essays 30:06 — Who is Blake Ostler? 31:14 — The regress of deities 32:24 — Ostler's reinterpretation 35:02 — Is any stream moving genuinely orthodox? 36:38 — "More rhetorical than structural" 41:17 — What used to make something essentially Mormon 45:13 — What holds it together now 46:45 — Do you have to believe in Jesus to stay a member? 50:32 — Why orthopraxy over orthodoxy 52:23 — Universalism and "we're all going to make it" 55:18 — 2 Nephi 25:23, before and after 59:07 — Are more people coming to Christ? 1:03:32 — The one change Aaron celebrates without reservation 1:04:25 — If you're LDS, I want to hear from you 1:05:03 — Where to follow Brandy and Aaron Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Sean is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. On this channel he tackles some of the biggest questions about God, morality, and contemporary culture. Visit www.seanmcdowell.org for more posts and info.

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