Spirit of God E16 (Q+R) — Where did Jesus and his followers get the idea of being baptized by the Spirit? If we have the Spirit, do we need other people to help us understand the Bible? And when we’re filled with the Spirit, do we become more our true selves, or is it Jesus now living through us? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from the Spirit of God series. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode.

Find the full collection of video, podcast, and written resources for Spirit of God →

CHAPTERS

1. Intro (0:00–3:08)
2. Where Did Jesus and His Followers Get the Idea of Being Baptized by the Spirit? (3:08–14:23)
3. Why Have You Not Referred to the Spirit with a Gendered Pronoun? (14:23–20:57)
4. When I’m Filled with the Spirit, Do I Become More My True Self, or Is It Jesus Now Living Through Me? (20:57–38:32)
5. If We Have the Spirit, Why Do We Need Help from Other People to Understand the Bible? (38:32–48:33)
6. Is the Sevenfold Spirit of God from Isaiah the Same As the One Mentioned in Revelation? (48:33–56:39)
7. Conclusion (56:39–1:03:18)

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Tim and Jon went into more depth on biblical imagery of passing through chaos waters in these two episodes from our How to Read the Bible series: Crossing the Chaotic Waters and Chaotic Waters and Baptism.
• Tim mentions how he used the pronoun she to refer to the Spirit in his translation for the BibleProject Class on Ezekiel.
• Tim references two books by the scholar Kathryn Tanner: God and Creation in Christian Theology and Jesus, Humanity, and the Trinity.
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E15 — Some New Testament passages present the Spirit as a distinct agent, or entity, who teaches, reminds, and even dwells within Jesus' followers. But more often, the Bible describes the Spirit as God's power, presence, or energy. So what led early Christians to conceive of the Spirit of God as the third person of the Trinity? In this final episode of the series, Jon and Tim discuss how the Spirit came to be understood as a person and what this means for how we experience God's presence today.

CHAPTERS

1. Is the Spirit a Person? (0:00-10:18)
2. Clues in the Gospel of John (10:18-33:28)
3. Persons of the Trinity Assumed in Paul’s Writings (33:28-45:52)
4. Layers of Meaning in the Trinity (45:52-58:29)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• On the Holy Spirit by St Basil the Great
• “How did the Spirit become a Person?” (essay) by Joerg Frey
• God and Spiritual Beings (podcast series)
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Pure Joy” by Lofi Sunday feat. John Lee
• “Eucalyptus” by Lofi Sunday feat. Eluzai
• “City Sunset” by Lofi Sunday feat. Marc Vanparla
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E14 — The Gospel of John portrays the Spirit’s coming as a significant turning point, as if God’s Spirit hadn’t yet been present in the world. Jesus breathes on his followers just as God once breathed life into humanity. And Jesus promises his disciples that the Spirit will enfold them into the very life of God. In this episode, Jon and Tim unpack John’s profound view of the Spirit as the source of eternal life, union with God, and transformation.

CHAPTERS

1. Recap and Jesus Breathing on His Disciples (0:00-15:30)
2. Living Water and “The Spirit Was Not Yet” (15:30-34:11)
3. Jesus Promises the Spirit (34:11-47:50)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Joy” by Lofi Sunday feat. CRFT
• “afteroon reads.” by Lofi Sunday feat. PAINT WITH SOUND.
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E13 — The New Testament powerfully claims that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now also at work in his followers. The Spirit gives us new desires and ways of thinking, and one day the Spirit will recreate us with new resurrection bodies, like the one Jesus has! So how does this hope impact the way we live now? In this episode, Tim and Jon trace the connection between the Spirit and resurrection, revealing the Spirit of God as the bringer of new creation life.

CHAPTERS

1. Resurrection After the Exile and a Surprising Twist (0:00-8:55)
2. Raised by the Spirit of Holiness (8:55-22:01)
3. Living in Resurrection Life (22:01-38:20)
4. The Spirit Creating Resurrection Bodies (38:20-54:46)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Paul and the Trinity: Persons, Relations, and the Pauline Letters by Wesley Hill
• Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ by Eugene H. Peterson
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “evening drive.” by Lofi Sunday feat. PAINT WITH SOUND.
• “Snow Fall” by Lofi Sunday feat. TBabz
• “Live and Love” by Lofi Sunday feat. TBabz
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E12 — In early communities of Jesus’ disciples, prophecy was a significant manifestation of the Spirit, one which continued for centuries to follow. But this wasn’t the only kind of prophecy happening in the first-century Greco-Roman world. So how was prophecy in the New Testament Church different from the surrounding culture? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the Apostle Paul’s teaching on prophecy in local churches and its ultimate aim of love.

CHAPTERS

1. Recap and Setup for New Testament Prophecy (0:00-9:25)
2. Prophecy at Pentecost and in the Greco-Roman World (9:25-30:32)
3. Tongues and Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14 (30:32-45:22)
4. Prophecy as Divine Perspective and Loving Discernment (45:22-1:01:21)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Tim mentions our series on the theme of the Chaos Dragon.
• Filled with the Spirit by John R. Levison
• The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist
• The First Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Greek Testament Commentary) by Anthony C. Thiselton
• Tim references a C.S. Lewis essay, which can be found in his book, The Weight of Glory
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Faithful” by Lofi Sunday feat. Marc Vanparla
• “The Kingdom” by Lofi Sunday feat. Marc Vanparla
• “Pleasant Places” by Lofi Sunday feat. Yoni Charis
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E11 — In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit fills Jesus’ followers at Pentecost; they are to be like a new temple of God’s presence and power. In addition to a temple, the Apostle Paul throws another metaphor into the mix: the community of believers as a body filled with the Spirit. But where did Paul get this image and what does it mean? In this episode, Tim and Jon explore the Church as a Spirit-filled body, empowered with the Spirit’s gifts to serve one another and the world.

CHAPTERS

1. Recap and Setup for the Church as a Body (0:00-11:01)
2. The Church as a Spirit-Filled Temple and Body (11:01-25:57)
3. The Spiritual Gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 (25:57-45:30)
4. Conclusion (45:30-54:23)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Grey” by Lofi Sunday feat. PAINT WITH SOUND.
• “Peace With You” by Lofi Sunday feat. Oly.Lo
• “Enveloped In Love” by Lofi Sunday feat. Yoni Charis
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E10 — After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the Holy Spirit becomes the primary way Jesus’ presence and power remains with his followers. The book of Acts demonstrates how the Spirit’s coming fulfills the Hebrew Bible’s hope for God to dwell with his people in a new kind of temple. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore how Pentecost marks the beginning of a new Spirit-filled temple community, uniting God's people and continuing Jesus' mission.

CHAPTERS

1. Recap of Luke and Setup for Acts (0:00-16:19)
2. A New Temple at Pentecost (16:19-34:04)
3. The Spirit Uniting a Scattered Diaspora (34:04-46:21)
4. Jesus’ Followers as a New Temple in 1 Peter (46:21-1:00:05)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus: Luke's Account of God's Unfolding Plan by Alan J. Thompson
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Pleasant Places” by Lofi Sunday feat. Yoni Charis
• “Redeemables” by Lofi Sunday feat. Yoni Charis
• “Snowflake” by Lofi Sunday feat. Asaph's Arrows
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spirit of God E9 — Our conversation on the Spirit of God is turning  the corner from the Hebrew Bible to the New Testament. The word for “spirit” in the Greek New Testament is pneuma, and like ruakh, it also means “wind,” “breath,” and personal energy related to a person or deity. While all the gospels mention the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit, Luke is the leader by far with 78 references in his two-part collection of Luke-Acts. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore how deeply the Holy Spirit is integrated into the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

CHAPTERS

1. The Spirit Filling John and Conceiving Jesus (0:00-17:50)
2. The Spirit Anointing Jesus for Ministry (17:50-32:16)
3. The Spirit Spreads to the Many (32:16-45:02)
4. Jesus Gives Up His Spirit and Receives a New Spiritual Body (45:02-1:02:20)

OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

View this episode’s official transcript.

REFERENCED RESOURCES

• Tim quotes from New Testament scholar Andrew Remington Rillera’s book The Lamb of the Free: “The consistent message throughout the entire NT is not that Jesus died instead of us, rather, Jesus dies ahead of us so that we can unite with him and be conformed to the image of his death.”
• The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright
• Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.

SHOW MUSIC

• “Radiance” by Lofi Sunday feat. solae
• “Dissonance” by Lofi Sunday feat. Just Derrick
• “date night” by Lofi Sunday feat. Cassidy Godwin
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.