The Word Without Walls Podcast

Dr. Eschelbach engages life's fundamental questions and concepts with analysis and reference to the witness found in nature, common human experience, and biblical texts. Forty years of caring for the lives of people as pastor and professor provides recognition of questions and challenges that matter, as well as answers and solutions that are real and effective.

Student Questions: On Prayer 04/25/2024

Student Questions: On Prayer In this episode, a student asks questions related to prayer. He struggles with prayer, and feels like he's just going through the motions. He grapples with others talking about a "personal relationship" with Jesus, and wonders what that means. We work through various aspects of his question. Included in this episode are references to: The Exegete's Prayer (Psalm 119:33-40) The Lord's Prayer as a template (see John 17) Red Pyramid and Green Arc perspectives. You can listen more , and read . /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30987018

Student Questions: On baptism, part 6 04/13/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 6 In this episode, I continue from responding to a question about language in the Book of Concord. What new challenges do we face in our society that weren't there when the Book of Concord was written? When we think about salvation, is one "out until one's in"? Is that what the Book of Concord is saying? How should any ideas about salvation begin? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30810453

Student Questions: On baptism, part 5 04/09/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 5 As the study of baptism continues, this student's question is related to language found in the Book of Concord. What is the Book of Concord? Does a regenerate soul=faith/belief/trust? Can you lose your regenerate soul? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30740338

Student Questions: On baptism, part 4 04/04/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 4 In this episode, we consider Romans 6 and Titus 3 as they both relate to baptism. What does our anthropological view need to be as we read these passages? Why is a three-dimensional worldview essential? We take an in-depth look at these texts, clearly defining the terms we encounter. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30634813

Student Questions: On baptism, part 3 04/02/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 3 As we continue to work through questions on baptism, today's are: Can you lose the regenerate soul as you "mature", or if your heart becomes hard? What is instruction given before adult baptism? As we discuss these, I talk about the worldview and a worldview. Below are visuals that I reference in the episode. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30634703

Student Questions: On baptism, part 2 03/29/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 2 As we continue to work through questions related to baptism, one student asks how baptism relates to faith/belief/trust? As we work through this, we define the terms faith/belief/trust. We'll talk about different worldviews, including a Red Pyramid World, which you can view a visual of below. What is the problem with thinking in this worldview? Alternatively, we consider what happens when we look at a , with the Son of God at the center. A visual of that is below. What is faith/belief/trust in this universe? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30590443

Student Questions: On baptism, part 1 03/25/2024

Student Questions: On baptism, part 1 This is the first of several questions regarding baptism. A student wonders when a soul is regenerated, thinking about John the Baptist leaping in the womb. As we work through this question, let's consider what each person consists of (body, soul, and spirit), and how life begins. How integral is the Word of God in our lives? How do we know an infant is a child of God? When Peter says, "Baptism now saves you," what did he mean? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30530878

Student Questions: Questions about evil 03/21/2024

Student Questions: Questions about evil This episode's question concerns evil--How does God take evil and use it for good? Does that make it good? In working through this, we define what good, evil, and wickedness all mean. How is it that evil is a necessity in the world? How is wickedness different from evil? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30485623

Student Questions: Examples of Sin and Salvation 03/19/2024

Student Questions: Examples of Sin and Salvation In this episode, a student asks about how the flood narrative and Israel in Exodus connect with baptism, and demonstrate sin and salvation. In answering, we look at examples throughout the Bible of both the Old Adam, and those who are honest about their dependance on God. Can we also see examples throughout history? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30430603

Student Questions: Genealogy 03/14/2024

Student Questions: Genealogy A student asks about the genealogy of Jesus as written in Matthew. How and why is it different from Luke? What are the point of genealogies in the Bible? What are important things to note, and what can we learn from them? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30366603

Student Questions: Best of All Possible Worlds? 03/11/2024

Student Questions: Best of All Possible Worlds? I've often told my students (and you've probably heard in this podcast) that we're living in the best of all possible worlds. A student asks how this could be. I talk through this, including why there is suffering, and how we view the life that God has given us. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30327258

Student Questions: Freedom and Responsibility? 03/08/2024

Student Questions: Freedom and Responsibility? This student question is related to 2 Corinthians 3:16-18--what is the freedom that is being spoken of in this passage? In working through this question, we must consider, what worldview are we using as we are looking at the world? What is the essence of the image of God, regenerated in us? What would be a more helpful word to use when thinking about our own lives, rather than "freedom"? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30283923

Student Questions: Firstborn of Creation? 03/05/2024

Student Questions: Firstborn of Creation? How is it that Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, as mentioned in Romans 8 and Colossians 1? Why do Jehovah's Witnesses use Colossians 1 as evidence that Jesus is not God? What does firstborn mean in the New Testament? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30232413

Student Questions: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil 02/29/2024

Student Questions: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Several students have questions about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Discussed in this episode are: Why are God's words regarding the tree considered law? Did Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Life before the Fall? What about the language the devil uses to tempt Eve? As we look at this account from Genesis, you can also listen to a related episode on Genesis 3:6-7, found . /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30179203

Student questions: Different worldviews? 02/26/2024

Student questions: Different worldviews? A student asks about something I talk about in class a lot: different worldviews. Why is it problematic when we have only a one-dimensional worldview? Why does each person have conflicting thoughts? How can our worldview help seemingly contradictory Bible verses make sense? I refer to the and worldviews in this episode. Here are the links to have a visual of each model. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30116248

Student Questions: Vicarious Atonement? 02/22/2024

Student Questions: Vicarious Atonement? A student asks what the vicarious atonement of Jesus means. In answering, we consider the demands of the law, biblical examples such as the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant, Abraham and Isaac, and (most importantly) Jesus and Barabbas. Recommended Bible passages are John 16 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30063673

Student Questions: To fast, or not to fast? 02/20/2024

Student Questions: To fast, or not to fast? A student asks, "What difference does the coming and going of Jesus make, if there is still fasting before and after his life, death, and resurrection?" In discussing the answer, we consider our interest in the law as Christians. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/30026438

Student Questions: Poor and Lowly=Saved? 02/17/2024

Student Questions: Poor and Lowly=Saved? A student asks: Does being poor and lowly mean that you are automatically saved? In the response, we consider what being poor and lowly has to do with faith. How does this differ from popular thought? How does salvation work? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29993568

Student Questions: What about free will? 02/13/2024

Student Questions: What about free will? In this episode, a student asks how there can be any personal responsibility without free will. How can you test to determine if we do, in fact, have a free will? What about all of the "choice" language in the Bible? What about considering life as one of discovery, not of decisions? Any questions/challenge to this episode? . /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29924643

Student Questions: Who is saved, and how? 02/09/2024

Student Questions: Who is saved, and how? The student question discussed in this episode is who is saved, and how? What is the downfall when we consider this question by starting with thinking about ourselves? Where should we start? How do we answer this question from God's perspective? How is Lazarus and the rich man a good example? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29871423

Student Questions: Who sinned first? 02/06/2024

Student Questions: Who sinned first? When and what was the nature of the first wrongdoing? Consider the creation account and God's design. How did Adam's failure and corruption come about? And what if Satan wasn't corrupted until after Adam? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29821453

Student Questions: Why did God create Satan? 02/03/2024

Student Questions: Why did God create Satan? To consider in this episode: How was the world made? How does Satan try to be God? Does this apply to us, as well? Why did God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29779538

Student Questions: The Nature of God and Free Will 01/31/2024

Student Questions: The Nature of God and Free Will Some of the questions we consider in this episode are: If you are all-powerful, can you do whatever you want? Does God have a free will? When people think they have free will, what are they not taking into account? Is religion a choice people are free to make? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29737023

Student Questions: How can we be made like God, but not God? 01/27/2024

Student Questions: How can we be made like God, but not God? Did God set us up to fail in the way He created us? In this episode, different worldviews are mentioned. You can find out more info about the Red Pyramid worldview , and the Green Arc worldview . /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29674308

Student Questions: The problem of evil, part 2 01/24/2024

Student Questions: The problem of evil, part 2 How can this be the best of all possible worlds? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29621688

Student Questions: The problem of Evil, part 1 01/20/2024

Student Questions: The problem of Evil, part 1 People often ask, "If there is a God, and He is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good, why is there evil and suffering in the world?" The answer often given is unsatisfying and unhelpful. What are other ways that we can consider an answer to this question that defends the idea of an all-good, all-powerful God? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29575688

Student Questions: Capitalizing the Divine Pronoun, and the Exegete's Prayer 01/17/2024

Student Questions: Capitalizing the Divine Pronoun, and the Exegete's Prayer This episode addresses two student questions: Should we capitalize pronouns that refer to God? Why is this done inconsistently? What is the exegete's prayer? What is an exegete? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29525928

Student Questions: Feeling Inadequate 01/06/2024

Student Questions: Feeling Inadequate Starting a new topic for podcast episodes: questions I've received from students in my theology classes. This first episode deals with feeling inadequate. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29368448

Homily: Malachi 2 12/15/2023

Homily: Malachi 2 This episode records a homily I preached for chapel at CUI at the end of November, in the transition from the end of the church year to Advent. The text is Malachi 2:13-16 and the subject is the abuse of women. /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29100008

Advent 1 readings and homily 12/12/2023

Advent 1 readings and homily In this episode, hear the readings for Advent 1: Isaiah 64:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, and Matthew 13:24-37. Also, hear a meditation based on the reading. What if these readings indicate the first true gift of Christmas? What if Christmas isn't about getting, but about taking away? /episode/index/show/wordwithoutwalls/id/29031423

The Word Without Walls Podcast

TOPICS