The Apologetics Podcast
Top scholars join bestselling apologetics author Timothy Paul Jones and cohost Garrick Bailey to explore evidences for the truth of Christianity.
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Episodes
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Reason, resurrection, and the physical world are the focus of the most action-packed episode of Three Chords and the Truth ever produced. The primary reason why it’s so action packed is because the Toybox Hero Tournament includes a special cohost who is far more exciting than either of your intrepid cohosts.Renowned theologian Dr. Matthew Levering kicks off the episode by discussing how nature and philosophy point to the presence of God and why the physical resurrection of Jesus matters. Along the way, Dr. Levering highlights the importance of the Old Testament and professes his longstanding longing to impress his children by playing guitar in the band One Direction.In the second half, Garrick and Timothy tackle a song so amazing that it can’t even be played in music stores: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. Timothy makes the case that the central point of the song is a yearning for the spiritual realm that no human soul can quell. This leads to a discussion of how Christians should view material possessions and pleasures, interspersed with digressions that include Wayne's World, the Material Girl, and what Robert Plant meant by "children of the sun." Also "Children of the Sun" would be a great name for a band, especially if the band added umlauts.But not even "Chïldrën öf thë Sün" can compare to how amazing it would be to name a band “Charizard,” except that The Pokémon Company would probably sue the band even if they added umlauts. That’s because—Timothy learns—Charizard is the most powerful Pokémon owned by Garrick’s nine-year-old son, who shows up to cohost the Toybox Hero Tournament. This week’s tournament pits a battle-hardened zebra from the intensive-care unit against the dynamic duo of Charizard and Reshiram. The result is roasted zebra.Also, another great name for a band would be “No Stairway Denied.”
The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).
This Week’s Guest
Matthew Levering is James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary, and Co-Director of the Chicago Theological Initiative at Wheaton College. He is the author or editor of over thirty books, and the translator of Gilles Emery’s The Trinity. He co-edits two quarterly journals, Nova et Vetera and International Journal of Systematic Theology. Since 2004, he has been a participant in Evangelicals and Catholics Together, and from 2007-2016 he served as Chair of the Board of the Academy of Catholic Theology.
Links to Click
B and H Academic
Come Let Us Reason: book edited by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?: book by Matthew Levering
Proofs of God: book by Matthew Levering
The Resurrection of the Son of God: book by N. T. Wright
Stairway to Heaven: song by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV: album by Led Zeppelin
Taurus: song by Spirit
Material Girl: song by Madonna
Uptown Girl: song by Billy Joel
Return of the King (2003): film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain: book by Lewis Spence
Confessions: book by Augustine
SBTS Virtual Preview Day
Urban Ministry Podcast
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Tuesday May 19, 2020
What does it mean to say that the Bible tells the truth? And what should Christians do when they find a claim in the Bible that looks like a contradiction? New Testament scholar and Daily Dose of Greek mastermind Rob Plummer joins Garrick and Timothy to discuss these questions. In the process, Rob also examines the dilemma that once rocked biblical scholar Bart Ehrman’s belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. In Mark 2:26, Jesus linked an event from the life of David to “the high priest Abiathar,” but the event actually took place—according to 1 Samuel 21—during the high priesthood of Abiathar’s father Ahimelech. On the way to exploring this dilemma, Rob reveals his longstanding longing to become the lead vocalist for The Beatles.
Truth, goodness, and beauty are the focus of the second half. The featured musical group is the post-punk, sometimes goth, sometimes new-wave band The Cure. It’s clear from the song “Truth, Goodness, and Beauty” that Robert Smith of The Cure yearns for transcendent realities, and it’s also apparent that he believes in actual good and evil. The problem is that Smith ascribes to an atheistic worldview, and atheism provides no coherent explanation for the moral realities of good and evil or for the transcendental realities of truth, goodness, and beauty. In the midst of the dynamic duo’s explanation of “the transcendentals,” Bill and Ted—another duo, twice as bodacious as Garrick and Timothy but only half as dynamic—unexpectedly make an appearance to remind listeners how to find “Socrates” in the encyclopedia. Also, why hasn’t anyone created a superhero team called “The Transcendentals”?
It’s mystical magic against Sith weaponry in this week’s Toybox Hero Tournament, as a crimson lightsaber is forced into mortal combat against a one-eared unicorn. The level of violence slips dangerously close to PG-13, so be prepared to cover your children’s eyes as they listen to this week’s tournament. The solution to the conflict seems simple until your intrepid cohosts realize that both lightsabers and unicorns are in the Bible—sort of. Also, “Lightsabers and Unicorns” would be a great name for a band.
The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).
This Week’s Guest: Rob Plummer
Rob Plummer is chairman of the New Testament department and professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Plummer has written, co-written, or edited several books, including Greek for Life: Strategies for Learning, Retaining, and Reviving New Testament Greek (Baker, 2017), Going Deeper with New Testament Greek: An Intermediate Study of the Grammar and Syntax of the New Testament (B&H, 2016), and 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Plummer is perhaps most widely known for his role in founding and hosting the screencast, The Daily Dose of Greek (www.dailydoseofgreek.com).
Links to Click
B and H Academic
Going Deeper With New Testament Greek: book by Andreas Köstenberger, Benjamin Merkle, and Robert Plummer
Beginning with New Testament Greek: book by Benjamin Merkle and Robert Plummer
Daily Dose of Greek
Misquoting Jesus: book by Bart Ehrman
Holy Hour: song by The Cure
Just Like Heaven: song by The Cure
Truth, Goodness, and Beauty: song by The Cure
The Cure: album by The Cure
SBTS Preview Day
Urban Ministry Podcast
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Tuesday May 12, 2020
What happens when a cold-case detective applies his investigative skills to the New Testament Gospels? Find out as Timothy meets up with award-winning detective and bestselling apologetics author J. Warner Wallace. In addition to being a detective and apologist, Wallace is also a guitarist, bassist, and—Timothy is thrilled beyond words to discover—a fan of Steve Perry and Journey. With great difficulty, Timothy manages to restrain his adoration for Steve Perry just long enough to ask J. Warner Wallace a few questions about apologetics and the New Testament Gospels.
In the second half of the podcast, Garrick and Timothy examine a band that was known at different times as Sigma 6, the Meggadeaths, and the Tea Set. Not surprisingly, the band never took off until they changed their name to Pink Floyd. "Another Brick in the Wall" is the musical focus for this week, but it's difficult for Garrick and Timothy to remain focused when talking about a band that once lost an inflatable pig that was roughly the size of a bus in the skies over London. In the end, however, the dynamic duo suppresses most of their attention deficits and manages to look at Pink Floyd's The Wall from the perspective of a biblical theology of guilt and shame. Also, Pig On the Lam would be a great name for a band.
The first few minutes of the Toy Box Hero Tournament go completely off the rails as Garrick raises a grievance that forces Timothy to make a painful confession about the first episode of this season. In the end, however, your intrepid cohosts put their differences aside long enough to engage in a battle that forces a triad of testudines into mortal combat against Captain Marvel; in the end, the only thing that can possibly save the testudine triad is the hope that Carol Danvers might be an environmentalist.
This Week’s Guest: J. Warner Wallace
J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker, and best-selling author. Wallace became a Christ-follower at the age of thirty-five after investigating the claims of the New Testament gospels using his skill set as a detective. He continues to consult on cold-case investigations while serving as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He is also an adjunct professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary, and a faculty member at Summit Ministries. You can find out more about J. Warner Wallace at https://coldcasechristianity.com/.
Links to Click
B and H Academic
Stand Firm: book by Paul Gould, Travis Dickinson, and Keith Loftin
Cold-Case Christianity: book by J. Warner Wallace
Forensic Faith: book by J. Warner Wallace
So the Next Generation Will Know: book by Sean McDowell and J Warner Wallace
Cold-Case Christianity for Kids: book by J. Warner Wallace
Case Makers Academy
The Wall: album by Pink Floyd
Another Brick in the Wall: song by Pink Floyd
Shine on You Crazy Diamond: song by Pink Floyd
Hey You: song by Pink Floyd
Comfortably Numb: song by Pink Floyd
Urban Ministry Podcast
SBTS Preview Day
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Tuesday May 05, 2020
Tuesday May 05, 2020
Apologetics scholar Josh Chatraw joins your intrepid cohosts this week to talk about cross-centered apologetics, Augustine of Hippo, and what it takes to hang out with Tim Keller. Josh is the coauthor of several books, including Truth in a Culture of Doubt from B&H Academic. Along the way, Josh makes the mistake of revealing his longstanding affection for pseudo-saxophonist Kenny G, apparently unaware that Kenny G is Timothy’s least favorite musician. The ensuing kerfuffle threatens to eliminate Josh from the podcast. In the end, a reference to the Dave Matthews Band intervenes and saves the day.Davy Jones—no relation to Timothy, by the way, because British rock stardom is nowhere to be found in any branch of Timothy’s family tree—is the focus of the second half of this week’s podcast. But, of course, you don’t know him as Davy Jones; you know him as David Bowie—and as Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and the Thin White Duke. Garrick also remembers him as the goblin king in the movie Labyrinth, but Timothy and Garrick end up having very different opinions about this particular film. (Also, why hasn’t there ever been a heavy metal band named “Labyrinth”?) In 1975, while recording his album Station to Station, David Bowie seriously considered Christianity. His song “Word on a Wing” encapsulates some of his spiritual struggles during this time. So what was it, from a human perspective, that kept Bowie from turning to Christ? That’s the question that Garrick and Timothy consider this week. Before the segment is over, you’ll also learn about Garrick’s odd fixation on Portuguese renditions of David Bowie’s songs and Timothy’s surreptitious purchase of stone-washed jeans when he was seventeen.This week’s Toy Box Hero Tournament is the toughest yet (but, then again, this is only the second one). A Lego AT-AT owned by Garrick’s son levels its blasters at a wizard bearing Hermione Granger’s wand—or, more precisely, an overpriced replica thereof, purchased at Universal Studios because, once in a while, Timothy does actually give in to his children. So which one of these two toys will win? Find out in this week’s episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast!
This Week’s Guest
Joshua Chatraw is the director of New City Fellows at the Center for Public Christianity and resident theologian at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Some of his books include Apologetics at the Cross (co-authored with Mark Allen) and Truth in a Culture of Doubt (co-authored with Andreas Köstenberger and Darrell Bock). You can find out more about Josh and the Center for Public Christianity at https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/.
Links to Click
B and H Academic
Truth in a Culture of Doubt: book by Andreas Köstenberger, Darrell Bock, and Josh Chatraw
Apologetics at the Cross: book by Josh Chatraw and Mark Allen
The City of God: book by Augustine
The History of Apologetics (June 2020): book by Benjamin Forrest, Josh Chatraw, and Alister McGrath
Telling a Better Story: book by Josh Chatraw
Labyrinth (1986 Film)
Word on a Wing: song by David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust: song by David Bowie
Space Oddity: song by David Bowie
Bus Stop: song by David Bowie and Tin Machine
God Knows I'm Good: song by David Bowie
Lazarus: song by David Bowie
SBTS Virtual Preview Day
Urban Ministry Podcast
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Tuesday Apr 28, 2020
Tuesday Apr 28, 2020
Many apologies for the poor audio quality in some portions of this week's podcast; when this episode was recorded, Timothy and Garrick were still working on different solutions for recording the podcast while socially distanced.
It's a new season of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, and Garrick and Timothy are serious about social distancing.
They are, in fact, so serious about being socially distant that they've installed a mile-wide river to separate them.
In the first half of this earthshaking season premiere, your intrepid cohosts discuss a recent article in Christianity Today entitled "Is the Coronavirus Evil?" The answer given in the article is "no," and the author argues that such calamities and their causes are good. According to Garrick and Timothy and pretty much every theologian in the history of Christianity, however, the answer is "yes," because calamities of this sort are a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. Before it's all over, a battle ensues in which Augustine of Hippo, Herman Bavinck, and Karl Barth unite to defeat not only this errant article but also armchair theologian and wrestler Hulk Hogan. To do this, it becomes necessary for Timothy to explain a philosophical concept known as "surd evil."
Also, "Surd" would be a great name for a band.
The devil himself shows up in the second half of this week's episode. That’s because the dynamic duo tackles the classic hit "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones. In the process of explaining what Mick Jagger got right and wrong in the lyrics of this song, Garrick and Timothy also discuss such pressing dilemmas as why Satan chose to take the form of a serpent instead of a cat in the Garden of Eden.
With the tragic loss of the Infinity Gauntlet at the end of last season—may our treasured friend from Season 1 rest in peace with the fan to whom we sent it—it became necessary to come up with something even more absurd than drawing random questions about fictional universes from a plastic glove. This was difficult, but not too difficult because Garrick and Timothy are veritable experts when it comes to random absurdities. And so, this week represents the inaugural Toy Box Hero Tournament, in which your cohosts steal toys from their children and force these toys into duels that result in the death of one toy or maybe just in a lot of pointless arguments. This week, it's a battle between Captain America's shield and a Lite-Brite, because that somehow made sense at the time.
The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com), and Garrick and Timothy are giving away notebooks with this logo on them. Listen to the episode to discover how to win.
Many apologies for the poor audio quality in some portions of this week's podcast; when this episode was recorded, Timothy was still working on different solutions for recording the podcast while socially distanced.
Links to Click
B and H Academic
The Problem of Evil: book by Jeremy Evans
Is the Coronavirus Evil?: article by Daniel Harrell
The City of God: book by Augustine of Hippo
How Can a Good God Allow Evil in the World?: podcast episode with Eric Johnson
Sympathy for the Devil: song by The Rolling Stones
Yer Blues (Remastered 2009): song by The Beatles
Rollin' Stone: song by Muddy Waters
The Prodigal Son: song by Robert Wilkins
SBTS Virtual Preview Day
The Urban Ministry Podcast
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Contact us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Theme music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Monday Dec 30, 2019
Monday Dec 30, 2019
Welcome to the final episode of season one of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast! This week's podcast includes paganism, the Piano Man, and the most daring giveaway ever attempted on any human podcast.
Pagan parallels are the theme of the first half. Even in ancient times, pagan philosophers claimed that Christians had “used pagan myths in fabricating the story of a virgin conception.” So is it possible that the miraculous conception of Jesus was plagiarized from pagan parallels? That’s the excellent adventure that Garrick and Timothy undertake in the first half.
In the second half, Garrick and Timothy search for spiritual truth in the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. In the process, everyone is shocked to discover that Billy Joel's piano playing makes Garrick a cultured person and---as the truth is revealed about Garrick's first dance with his wife---maybe even slightly romantic. And then, as if things couldn't get any more awkward, the question from the Infinity Gauntlet is mostly about cuteness. Timothy has expertise in family ministry and in history and in movies where lots of things explode; he also knows about guitars and Greek. But Timothy has no expertise whatsoever in cuteness. And thus, because the Infinity Gauntlet has malfunctioned by spawning a question about cuteness, it must be given away. Otherwise, it might attempt at some point in the future to make Timothy answer questions about topics like My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite, which could irreparably rip the space-time continuum. This terrible recognition forces Garrick and Timothy to formulate one of the most daring giveaways ever attempted in the history of podcasting: Your intrepid cohosts are giving away the Infinity Gauntlet, along with at least ten copies of the new edition of Timothy's book Perspectives on Family Ministry. Listen to this week's episode to find out how to win.
If you listen to the end, you'll also hear a song written by Timothy Paul Jones and recorded with his band Encomia during the infamous illegal recording sessions in an abandoned house in Manhattan, Kansas in the spring of 1993. The title of the song is “The Lottery.” This particular song was partly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s short story of the same name, and the lyrics were written from the perspective of a dying victim of abortion.
Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
In this Episode
Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?; The God Who Goes Before You; Perspectives on Family Ministry; and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones.
Questions to Discuss
1. Skeptics claim that the story of Jesus is not only false; it is actually borrowed from earlier pagan beliefs. What do we mean when we say that the pagan parallels aren't really parallel?
2. What about the parallel of Mithras? Are there other supposed parallels between Jesus and Mithras?
3. In what ways do pagan parallels sometimes confuse the historical claims of the New Testament with later Christian practices?
4. Let’s suppose for a moment that some patterns that were present in the life of Jesus could be found in some previous religion. Would this weaken the historical foundations of the Christian faith, as critics claim?
5. Why shouldn't we worry that the date of Christmas may have pagan origins?
Links to Click
If you want to learn more about pursuing kingdom diversity and racial reconciliation, one great place to start is For God So Loved the World: A Blueprint for Kingdom Diversity, written by Walter Strickland and Dayton Hartman. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com
B and H Academic
The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: book by Roger Beck
The Roman Cult of Mithras: book by Manfred Clauss
God in the Dock: book by C. S. Lewis
Contra Celsum: book by Origen of Alexandria
"We Didn't Start the Fire": song by Billy Joel
"She's Got a Way": song by Billy Joel
"Piano Man": song by Billy Joel
"Smells Like Teen Spirit": song by Nirvana
"Celebration at the Berlin Wall": clip from ABC News
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship.
Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly.
Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Monday Dec 23, 2019
On May 25, 1977, a young filmmaker named George Lucas released a space fantasy that he had simply titled Star Wars. Three years later, Lucas expanded the title to Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope and it became clear that this movie was one small segment of a far larger story. Over the past four decades, this story has developed into one of the most influential cultural phenomena of the modern era. Now, with the release of Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the saga that began In 1977 has drawn to a end—and what an ending it is!
In this special episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones take a theological look at the latest and the last installment in the Skywalker saga that George Lucas launched more than four decades ago.
Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
Questions to Discuss about Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
1. How does redemption take place within the worldview of Star Wars?
2. Characters in Star Wars frequently describe their ideal as “balance” between the dark and light sides of the Force. Yet, in the end, victory is not achieved through balance but through a victory of light over darkness. What does this tell you about the inadequacy of Eastern views of salvation?
3. What does the change in Rey’s perception of her own identity reveal about humanity’s awareness of our need for redemption through adoption?
4. Why do stormtroopers aim their blasters so poorly? How could sandpeople possibly be worse shots than stormtroopers?
Links to Click
B and H Academic
Finding God in a Galaxy Far Far Away: book by Timothy Paul Jones
Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary: visual guide to Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Complete Saga: movie series originally by George Lucas
Star Wars Party: album by Meco
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go here.
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple / Android / RSS).
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned on Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in this program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Monday Dec 16, 2019
Monday Dec 16, 2019
This week’s episode covers the birth of Jesus, death, resurrection, and everything in between! It’s only a few days until Christmas 2019—a celebration which, this year, Timothy has very helpfully renamed “The Star Wars: Episode IX After Party.” At some point between now and Christmas Day, millions of people throughout the world will hear these words from the New Testament: “It came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria” (Luke 2). But there’s a problem with these words: According to records from Roman history, it seems that Quirinius didn’t become governor of Syria until almost ten years after Jesus was born.
So what do we do with this apparent discrepancy in the governorship of Quirinius? In the first half of this episode, esteemed New Testament scholar Robert Plummer joins Garrick and Timothy to put an end to this perplexing problem once and for all. Along the way, Dr. Plummer also displays the multifaceted nature of his knowledge by delivering a death blow to the dilemma that bursts from the bowels of the Infinity Gauntlet this week: Which is more powerful, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber or Captain America’s shield? In the end, a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail provides the answer that we’ve all been waiting for. In the second half of the program, your intrepid cohosts go back to Genesis—the band from the 1980s, not the book in the Bible. In the first chapter of Genesis, they find Mike Rutherford, a genius who was involved in the genesis not only of Genesis but also of Mike + the Mechanics. After listening to “The Living Years” by Mike + the Mechanics, Garrick and Timothy explore what’s right and what’s wrong with some of the most popular perspectives on death, resurrection, and the afterlife. Nearly all of the dynamic duo’s favorite theologians manage to show up along the way: Augustine of Hippo, Herman Bavinck, C.S. Lewis, and—of course—the most excellent time-traveling rock’n’roll philosopher-theologians of the 1980s, Bill and Ted.
Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
In this Episode
Robert Plummer, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Daily Dose of Greek screencast. He is the author or co-author of several books, including Going Deeper with New Testament Greek (B&H, 2016) and 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Follow Dr. Plummer on Twitter at @dailygreek.
Questions to Discuss about Quirinius
1. Quirinius became the governor of Syria around the year 6 A.D. During that time, there was a well-known census that resulted in a revolt, but Jesus wasn’t born during that time. Jesus was born around the year 4 B.C., when King Herod was still alive. How was Jesus Christ born around four years B.C.—“Before Christ”?
2. How should a Christian respond when history outside the Bible seems to contradict the Bible?
3. One possibility suggested by scholars is that Luke made a mistake. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this possibility?
4. Another possibility suggested by scholars that the word translated “first” should be translated “before.” So, this text should be translated: “And this was the census before the census when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” What are the strengths and weaknesses of this possibility?
5. What solution do you find most compelling?
Links to Click
If you want to learn more about New Testament Greek, one great place to start is Going Deeper with New Testament Greek, co-authored by Robert L Plummer. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com
B and H Academic
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: movie by George Lucas
Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi: movie by Rian Johnson
Die Hard: movie by John McTiernan
Elf: movie by Jon Favreau
Immortality of the soul; Or, Resurrection of the Dead?: book by Oscar Cullman
"In The Air Tonight": song by Phil Collins
"All I Need is A Miracle": song by Mike + The Mechanics
"The Living Years": song by Mike + The Mechanics
Bill and Ted Philosophize with Socrates: clip from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Welcome to the illegal episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast! This episode commemorates two illegal acts, both of which were captured on tape and involved live rock and roll.
The first of these two acts happened in 1987 when Paul “Bono” Hewson vandalized a public sculpture with spray-paint during U2’s Save the Yuppies concert in San Francisco.
The second illegal act took place six years later, in 1993, when Timothy Paul “Definitely Not Bono” Jones rehearsed and recorded music in a condemned house on Fairchild Avenue in Manhattan, Kansas. One of the cassettes that Timothy’s band recorded there has been unearthed to provide the closing song for this week’s episode.
Despite the flagrant illegalities in the second half of this week’s program, the first half manages to remain completely licit, lawful, and full of C.S. Lewis. That’s due solely to the heroic efforts of Dr. Dan DeWitt, director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University. Dr. DeWitt—artist, author, and all-around very legal person—helps us to understand why the apologetics methods employed by C.S. Lewis still matter today. The question that Dr. DeWitt faces from the Infinity Gauntlet is a DC and Marvel mashup that throws the most righteous superhero in each universe into a battle that will shatter one of them forever or until the next reboot.
But then we get to the second half of the program, and everything pretty much goes to heck in a herd of hand-baskets. Bono’s illegal act in San Francisco triggers not only a citation for violating California Penal Code 594PC but also an exploration of the eschatology of U2’s cover of “All Along the Watchtower,” the very song that gave this podcast its name. But, even though it was Bono who added the words “three chords and the truth” to Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” it wasn’t Bono who coined this phrase in the first place. “Three chords and the truth” can be traced back to one of the greatest composers in the history of country and western music, Harlan Howard. This excursion into music history leads to some unexpected links to soul artist Curtis Mayfield and to Ms. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” herself, Cyndi Lauper. After an exploration of the differences between the eschatologies of Bono and Bob Dylan, the sordid story of Timothy’s illegal rehearsals emerges and forever besmirches his previously-pristine reputation.
Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
In this Episode
Dan DeWitt, Ph.D., is associate professor of applied theology and apologetics and the director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University. Before joining the faculty of Cedarville University, Dr. Dan DeWitt served in academic and pastoral roles as Lead Pastor of the Campus Church of Highview Baptist Church, and as Dean of Boyce College. He is the author of several books, including Why God?, Life in the Wild, and Christ or Chaos. Follow Dr. DeWitt at @DanDeWitt.
Questions to Discuss
1. Who was C.S. Lewis?
2. How has C.S. Lewis influenced your life?
3. What are some of C.S. Lewis' strongest apologetic arguments?
Links to Click
If you want to learn more about apologetics, one great place to start is Passionate Conviction, edited by William Lane Craig. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com
B and H Academic
"C.S. Lewis": website by HarperCollins Publishers
Surprised by Joy: book by C.S. Lewis
The Problem of Pain: book by C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters: book by C.S. Lewis
Miracles: book by C.S. Lewis
"Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come": song by U2
"All Along the Watch Tower": song by Bob Dylan
"All Along the Watch Tower": song by U2
"Pride (In the Name of Love)": song by U2
"Heartaches by the Number": song by Cyndi Lauper
"People Get Ready": song by Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship.
Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly.
Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
Tuesday Dec 10, 2019
Welcome to the creed episode of Three Chords and the Truth!
But don’t worry: we are not talking about the band Creed. (In case you’ve forgotten, Creed was the 1990s band whose videos were filled with embarrassingly-bad CGI and scenes in which the lead vocalist apparently couldn’t keep himself from flailing his arms wide open for most of the song.) Despite Garrick’s best efforts to focus the entire episode on the band Creed, Timothy manages to maintain sufficient focus to discuss both the Apostles’ Creed and a new secular creed. You’ve probably seen this new secular creed on a yard sign somewhere in your city: “In this house, we believe that black lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science is real, love is love, and kindness is everything.” Garrick and Timothy explore what’s wrong, what’s right, and what doesn’t make sense at all about this secular creed. In the process, they discover that even secular people will always create creeds because every human being is created for creeds.
Not only are we created for creeds as human beings, but we’re also wired for worship. Worship is the theme of the music segment this week, and U2 is the star—which is fortunate because, if this week’s song hadn’t been from a band as great as U2, Garrick would have insisted on spending the entire hour talking about Creed. Along the way, Garrick and Timothy reveal the origins of the name “U2” and discover a band called “the Virgin Prunes” that was nearly renamed “the Deuteronomy Prunes.” Your intrepid cohosts unanimously conclude that “Virgin Prunes” and “Deuteronomy Prunes” are two of the worst possible names for a band—although, if the name had been re-styled as “Deütërönömÿ Prünës” so that it had more umlauts than Mötley Crüe it might actually have worked in the 1980s. John Calvin, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Herman Bavinck all make appearances as the dynamic duo tries to determine why U2’s song “Where the Streets Have No Name” triggers a sense of transcendence and worship within us.
This week’s question from the Infinity Gauntlet pits one superhero who communicates with insects against another who’s been infected by a radioactive arachnid. In the end, no nip from an arachnid is sufficient to stand against the capacity to shrink and expand exponentially.
Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
In this Episode
Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?; The God Who Goes Before You; Perspectives on Family Ministry; and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones.
Questions to Discuss
1. What do creeds have to do with apologetics?
2. What does "holy catholic church" mean in the Apostles' Creed?
3. Why do people create creeds, even if they don’t believe in God?
Links to Click
If you want to learn more about confessions of faith, one great place to start is Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms by Timothy & Denise George. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com
B and H Academic
Creeds of Christendom: book by Philip Schaff
When Children Became People: book by Odd Magne Bakke
Scientism and Secularism: book by J.P. Moreland
Where the Conflict Really Lies: book by Alvin Plantinga
Let the Trumpet Sound: book by Stephen B. Oates
Commentary on Romans: book by John Calvin
"The Earliest Christian Confession about the Resurrection": podcast episode by Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey
The Joshua Tree: album by U2
"What's This Life For": song by Creed
"Creed": song by Third Day
"Where the Streets Have No Name": song by U2
"Out of Control": song by U2
"Sunday Bloody Sunday": song by U2
"Bullet the Blue Sky": song by U2
“Where the Streets Have No Name (Live)”: song by U2 from U2360 Tour
ThreeChordsApologetics.com
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/
How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is
Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.
2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show.
3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale.
4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise.
5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod
The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship.
Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly.
Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).