Weird Stuff in the Bible

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to Thee.

Jude 9 is one of the strangest commands in the entire Bible to me. Well, let me start with

Jude 8.

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

So it’s telling us that we need to be really careful in how we talk about spiritual things because there’s a lot going on in the unseen realm that we don’t understand. And we get into trouble when we assume things, because we can assume a lot of things that are wrong.

If you’ve been listening to this podcast, I’ve tried to share things about the spiritual realm that most Christians don’t know about. The divine council. The Sons of God. The scope of God’s sovereignty. The unseen realm is more complicated than simply angels vs demons.

So Jude warns us to be careful in how we talk about spiritual beings. It says we might even inadvertently blaspheme good beings because we call something evil that is actually good.

And that brings us to Jude 9. One of the strangest commands in the entire Bible. It tells us to even temper the way in which we talk about God’s enemy: the devil.

Jude 9 says

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

So it’s telling us right there: be careful how you talk about spiritual beings. Even be careful that you don’t disrespect the devil.

Now, that’s quite an extreme example to go to when telling that we need to show respect. So extreme that I find it to be weird. And I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

So turn to Jude 9, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:50 - Respect Who?

7:00 - Michael vs Satan

9:45 - Honor All

18:05 - Next Time

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

I’ve been doing this podcast for about a year now and I can’t believe I haven’t done an episode about this yet.

Today, we’re going to be talking about territorial spirits. And that phrase refers to the fact that spirits are assigned to certain sectors of the earth.

Many Bible-readers aren’t aware of this little tidbit about how the spiritual realm works, and you may question whether this is in the Bible.

In fact, it’s ALL THROUGH the Bible. We just encountered one place last week when we were studying the demoniac of Mark 5. This was the guy who had a “Legion” of demons within him, and Jesus ends up casting the demons into the pigs.

What’s really strange, though, is a request from the demons not to be sent out of that territory. This was a spiritually dark place known as the Gadarenes- or some translations may say the Gerasenes.

Mark 5:10 said

And he [and this is the demon-possessed man] begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

In other words, the demoniac begged Jesus earnestly not to send the demons out of the country.

Why were the demons so intent on staying within this location?

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to Genesis 11, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

1:45 - The Deuteronomy 32 Worldview

10:00 - The Rest of the Bible

13:00 - Next Time and Mailbag

14:44 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

If you’re intrigued by strange Bible stories, uncovering Bible mysteries, or learning about unusual biblical teachings, this podcast is for you! Dive deep into weird Bible facts, biblical controversies, and the supernatural in the Bible, while exploring the hidden stories of the Bible you may have never heard. Get a fresh perspective as we explain the Bible in ways that challenge the norm and uncover the unexpected. I’m so glad you’re here- don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so that you never miss an episode!

Most of us would agree that God and Satan are about as different as you can get. That they are such polar opposites that it would be virtually impossible to confuse one with the other. That it would be tantamount to heresy to try to compare the two.

And yet, there’s a mystery to the identity of the figure called the “God of this World” in II Corinthians chapter 4.

Verse 4 of that chapter says

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

So, the conventional wisdom or assumption that most Christians make is that the “god of this world” must be Satan. The reason being, this figure is said right here to be blinding the minds of unbelievers to prevent them from hearing the Gospel. Sounds like a not-good thing to do, right?

However- that raises the question: if unbelievers have had their minds blinded by Satan, then how is it their fault that the don’t obey the Gospel? How can God hold it against them that they don’t believe if it’s not their fault?

And is it really true that Satan would have the power to blind people to God’s truth?

But then if it’s not Satan, if it’s actually God, then that raises another question: why would God blind people to the truth about Himself?

It’s not clear-cut any way you look at it. And it’s strange that this one mysterious figure could potentially either be God or Satan.

That kind of mistake isn’t like mixing up the ranch dressing with the caesar dressing. This is like mixing up the ranch dressing with boiling hot lava that melts your face off. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out...yet it kinda is.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to II Corinthians 4, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:30 - The Context

5:15 - Is it Satan?

10:40 - is it God?

16:45 - Hardenings and Delusions

20:20 - The Abandonment Wrath of God

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

What happened when you got in the water at your baptism?

Guess what? You didn’t just get wet.

You made a proclamation of faith- not just to any humans who witnessed your baptism- but a proclamation of faith that reverberated throughout the entire spiritual realm.

And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re in the right place, because this episode today is going to explain the significance of baptism in the demonic realm.

And along the way, we’ll also explain one of the most puzzling passages in scripture:

I Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Woah, baptism save us? This passage went off the rails real quick. I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore why it’s in the Bible.

Turn to I Peter 3, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:10 - Dedication

4:45 - The Spirits in Prison

11:50 - Baptism Now Saves You?

19:15 - A Spiritual Loyalty Pledge

22:45 - Next Time

24:00 - What Happened at Your Baptism?

Special thanks to the Two Witnesses Live podcast for inviting me on their show recently! Here is a link if you’d like to see/hear it: https://www.youtube.com/live/Mh0bTZhUKwk?si=vqVdx6KZx9tQIZSo

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor

Jonah chapter 2 is one of the weirdest chapters in the entire Bible.

I mean, think about it: at the end of Jonah 1, he gets swallowed by a giant fish in the Mediterranean Sea. At the beginning of Jonah 3, he’s spat back out on dry land. In between those events, Jonah lifts up this prayer or lament about his situation to heaven, and that’s what chapter 2 consists of. But Jonah 2 has to be the only chapter in the whole Bible that takes place entirely inside of animal.

That’s pretty unique. And kinda weird. And it’s an interesting factoid about that chapter that always sticks out to me every time I read it.

But there may be an unconsidered angle to this story: was Jonah actually dead as he spoke these words and prayed that prayer?

All my life, ever since I was a young kid, I’ve heard the story of Jonah, and it’s always been taught as if Jonah was alive the whole time he laid in that whale’s belly for three days.

And if you watch the Veggie Tales version, you’ll know that was even a host of black choir singers in there as well!

But is it possible we misunderstood what was actually going on? Is it possible that Jonah was actually dead once he got swallowed by that fish, and then was resurrected back to life when he got spat out?

This theory has been around for a while, but it’s been making the rounds here lately on social media.

I find this to be weird, and I’d like to explore whether it’s true in the Bible.

Turn to Jonah 2, and let’s get weird.

0:00 - Introduction

2:40 - What Jesus Said in Matthew 12

4:30 - What the Book of Jonah Says

12:30 - But What if Jonah Was Alive?

14:30 - Mailbag

17:50 - Closing Thoughts

If you want to get in touch, my email is [email protected]

Hosted by Luke Taylor