Search the Scriptures Live
by Dr. Jeannie Constantinou, and Ancient Faith Ministries
Latest episode
"Depart from Me, Lord!"
"Depart from Me, Lord!"
About this podcast
In this live program, Presvytera and Dr. Jeannie Constantinou guides us through Holy Scripture with the eyes of the Church Fathers and answers listener questions. Live on Mondays at 7:00pm Central/8:00pm Eastern.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 376 episodes
- "Depart from Me, Lord!"The disciples' response to the Lord's call of "Follow Me" can seem strange. Why did they abruptly leave everything and follow Him? Peter's reaction was dramatic: "Depart from me…
- Christ, Exorcism, and the Power of the DevilIn the first miracle told in his Gospel, Luke describes the Lord's exorcism of a man in the synagogue. What is the origin of the devil and evil? How much power does the devil…
- Jesus Goes Home to NazarethAfter His ministry begins, Jesus becomes a sensation. But His return to Nazareth ends with an attempt to kill Him, and He proclaims, "No prophet is accepted in his own country."…
- Divine Sonship and the Temptation of ChristImmediately after his baptism, Christ is tempted by the devil. Why does this happen, and what does it mean for us that he too faced temptation, especially at that moment? Being…
- The Baptism and Genealogy of the LordThe Baptism of the Lord according to St. Luke contains certain unique features that reflect Luke's special areas of interest. What does he emphasize? The event is followed by…
- The Forerunner AppearsThe Nativity stories are completed and Luke reintroduces John, who appears in the desert preaching and baptizing. Why are his presence and ministry so important that even now he…
- Presentation at the Temple: and Jesus at Age 12Luke's unique contribution continues as he describes the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple where his Messianic identity is recognized. As Mary "ponders" these things, she…
- Angels and ShepherdsLuke mentions angels and shepherds prominently at the Birth of Christ. We think of the scene as poetic and pastoral, but Luke's presentation is a compelling statement about the…
- The Birth of the Lord and His ForerunnerLuke alone relates the announcements of the conceptions of John and Jesus followed by accounts of their births. The remarkable role of the Forerunner is foretold by his farther…
- Mary Visits ElizabethIMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Ancient Faith Ministries will be closed in observance of American Labor Day next Monday, September 7. There will be NO NEW EPISODE of Search the…
- Mary's Mind: The Spirit and the AnnunciationWhy was Mary "troubled" or distressed by Archangel Gabriel's announcement? What important fact do we learn about her expectation for her future by her response: "I do not know…
- The AnnunciationOnly the Evangelist Luke presents this intimate scene of the Archangel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary, informing her that she is to be the mother of the Messiah. Much can…
- The Prologue of LukeLuke follows the conventions of Greek historical writing by opening his Gospel with a specific style of prologue, unique in the Bible. From it we learn much about Luke himself…
- St. Luke and His GospelWho was Luke the Evangelist and what do we know about him? In this introductory lesson to our series on the Third Gospel, we discuss the unique elements and contributions of…
- Techniques of Patristic InterpretationOur Introduction to the New Testament series concludes with an explanation of fifteen common techniques of patristic interpretation and some final comments about Scripture…
- Augustine and Jerome's CorrespondenceSaint Augustine and St. Jerome corresponded for years and disagreed over various points of interpretation and translation. The older presbyter Jerome was annoyed by the younger…
- St. Jerome: The Greatest Latin Interpreter of the ScripturesSaint Jerome was perhaps the most technically qualified Father but also ranks among the most cantankerous. We will learn why he devoted his life to the Church, how his opinions…
- Saint Augustine as a Bible InterpreterSaint Augustine lacked the theological and exegetical training of the Greek Fathers. Instead he created his own method, rules, and guidelines for Scripture interpretation, which…
- St. Augustine: The Greatest of the Latin FathersSaint Augustine has a mixed reputation among the Orthodox, but undoubtedly he is one of the leading figures of Church history. We will take an unbiased look at his fascinating…
- The Latin Fathers: St. Ambrose of MilanLatin Fathers also contributed insights and expertise to the interpretation of the Scriptures. The story of St. Ambrose of Milan is unusual and captivating. He was instrumental…
- Was Chrysostom an Anti-Semite or Misogynist?PARENTAL ADVISORY: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS CONTENT THAT MAY BE UPSETTING FOR CHILDREN. Orthodox Christians admire St. John Chrysostom, but many others view him negatively and…
- The Extraordinary Life of St. John ChrysostomWe have all heard of St John Chrysostom but few know details about his extraordinary life. His tremendous impact on the Church is immeasurable, especially in spirituality and…
- Patristic Interpretation: The School of AntiochDespite the mystique of allegory, many Christians disagreed with the arbitrary character of Alexandrian biblical interpretation. A different style arose and became popular in…
- Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa on Biblical InterpretationAmong the luminaries of the early Church were two brothers: Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa. Both were bishops, wrote theological treatises and made important contributions…
- Patristic Interpretation Part 2: The Rise and Demise of OrigenOrigen was the shining star of the 3rd century, the pride of the Church of Alexandria. Brilliant and celebrated, he authored thousands of books and influenced countless Fathers…
- The Earliest Christian Biblical InterpretationThe earliest Christian biblical interpretations outside the NT are found in the second century Fathers. We will look at the lives, key writings and important contributions of…
- Christ as Interpreter of the Scriptures, Part 2All the Old Testament is interpreted in the light of Christ. He fulfilled the Law, both rejecting extreme legalism but also expanding it, showing that he expected us to go beyond…
- Jesus Christ as an Interpreter of the ScripturesWe have often read about Jesus in the Scriptures but how did he himself interpret them? Christ's own interpretations of Jewish Scriptures along with his methodology and attitude…
- The Jewish Interpretation of the ScripturesThe roots of Orthodox biblical interpretation are found in Christ himself, followed by the apostles. How did Jesus interpret the Scriptures? How did other rabbis interpret them?…
- Apocryphal Errors and the Church and Ancient InterpretationAfter following up with questions about some apocryphal historical errors that appear in Church hymns, we will turn our attention to early Jewish and pagan interpretation and how…
- Jesus Misbehaving: Christian ApocryphaFalse books, "apocrypha," were written by heretics who signed the names of apostles to give them credibility. But some apocrypha were not heretical. They contained stories about…
- All about the ApocryphaWho created the apocrypha and why? Why did the Fathers oppose Christians reading them? In this lesson, we will look at the rise of apocryphal writings and discuss why they were…
- How Many Canons?Although general consensus for the NT canon was reached around AD 400, many surprising variations continued. Complete uniformity did not exist for hundreds of years. Revelation…
- Who Created the New Testament?What were the main factors considered for including books in the Christian canon, which books were easily accepted, and which books faced opposition? Who decided ultimately which…
- Rejecting the Writings of John?Certain controversies arose during the second century that created problems for the writings of the Apostle John. Some actively lobbied to keep the Gospel out of the New…
- Second Century Controversies and the New Testament CanonDevelopments occurred in the second century that impacted the Church, and eventually, controversies and crises created the need for a Christian collection of Scripture. But which…
- The Jewish Scriptures and the Early ChurchHow did the Jewish Scriptures function for the early Church? What was the Jewish canon for the Jews and for the first Christians? When and why did Christians begin to compose and…
- The Perils and Pitfalls of TranslationIs there a "best" English translation? What does a translator consider when choosing between words? Which popular Bibles are actually not translations but distortions? Dr Jeannie…
- A Brief History of English Bible TranslationsThe number of English Versions has exploded in recent years. Why? How are they different? What should you consider and what should you avoid? We'll look at the history of the…
- The Art of Bible TranslationAccurate and effective translation of the Bible requires language knowledge but also other skills. What considerations must translators weigh and how does their approach affect…
- Famous TranslationsCertain translations of the Bible have played an important role in Christian and Jewish history, especially the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text. Why were they created and why…
- Is the Birth of Jesus Just Another Myth?Critics of Christianity claim that the birth of Jesus is simply copied from pagan mythologies. We'll examine those claims and make a true comparison of the "other accounts" of…
- Special Lessons on the NativityIn the first of two special lessons on the Nativity of Christ, we will look at lesser discussed details about the birth of Christ, such as how the devil was deceived and why the…
- Are Bible Manuscripts Reliable?No two manuscripts of any biblical book are exactly alike. Why not? Does this affect the reliability of the Scriptures, and should we be concerned? What do ancient manuscripts…
- The Written Tradition: Bible ManuscriptsYour neatly printed Bible is based on thousands of handwritten manuscripts. Where are they? How old are they? How were manuscripts produced in the past, and how are they analyzed…
- Why Did Christians Sometimes AVOID Writing?Early Christians relied on oral tradition since that was the norm in education, not only for them but for all ancient people. There were also many times when Christians…
- Understanding Oral TraditionThe Bible relies heavily on oral tradition, even though it is written. Why is that the case? How did early Christians learn about Jesus? How did they interact with Scriptures…
- Escaping an Angry God?The concept that God actually gets angry and has similar human emotions and traits is not only theologically incorrect but spiritually damaging. This week, we hear from both…
- God is Not Like Us!As we continue our discussion of why God does not get angry, jealous, or otherwise behave as a human being, we will look at some of the most famous passages of the Bible and how…
- The Truth about God and Biblical LanguageReorienting ourselves to think differently about God is a challenge, but necessary if we are to have a correct understanding of God and the Bible. Even the ancient Fathers…
