Making better Bible readers

Many Christians know firsthand the challenges that come from studying scripture and the concern of interpreting it accurately. Questions arise as a reader tries to piece together the dense and rich information of the text, and these questions many times are not answered so simply on a Sunday morning. The BibleProject podcast excels at tackling challenging biblical topics through thoughtful and well-informed conversation.

Tim Mackie and Jon Collins of the BibleProject – a non-profit, crowdfunded organization – are best known for its animated YouTube videos that cover a variety of biblical and theological themes. The YouTube channel has amassed over 4 million subscribers. Their podcast acts as a longer-form companion that allows the scholars to cover topics in a more comprehensive detail.

Mackie and Collins aim to provide the tools necessary to interpret the Bible in a scholarly and accurate way, with the Bible serving as a cohesive narrative that leads to Jesus. The first two episodes of the podcast, for example, discuss the contextual meaning of the Torah in reference to Christ as a saviour. Topics such as these, as well as Mackie’s Ph.D. in Bible studies and Semitic languages, provide for intriguing conversations with biblical insights that may be new to some listeners.

The episodes range from about thirty minutes to an hour depending on the topic. Other subject matters include analysis of allegory and metaphor, theological and philosophical discussions and basic orthodoxy surrounding Jesus and the early church. The podcast’s collection is wide-ranging, which makes it easy to find interesting topics and learn more about scripture.

Along with its educational upside, the podcast itself is simple and well-produced. The conversation is easy to follow even when discussing challenging issues, and this is mainly because the episodes are formatted merely as a conversation between two friends. Collins typically asks the questions, as if serving as the advocate for the average Christian, and Mackie gives his best response.

Although Tim Mackie is extremely knowledgeable in the areas of theology and biblical language, some of his non-traditional views have led to backlash in the Christian media sphere. Tim Mackie and the BibleProject have been criticized – mainly by traditional Reformed and Calvinist pastors or media sites – for their position on the doctrine of atonement. If a listener takes issue with this position, a quick Google search will lead to an article from The Gospel Coalition and plenty of other pieces on the topic. However, even most of these critical responses praise the BibleProject for the quality of the content. Listening to Mackie and his critics speak on ideas such as atonement could also be a good way to learn about Calvinist doctrines and people’s potential contentions with them.

If you are looking to enhance your Bible reading skills, learn about scripture and grow in your faith, The BibleProject podcast could be just the resource for you.