Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Well Done, Melinda

Greg talks about Melinda Penner, cofounder of Stand to Reason, who went home to be with the Lord last week, then he answers questions about men teasing each other, the biblically appropriate role of the military, and whether 1 Timothy 3 is descriptive or prescriptive.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Well done, Melinda. (00:00)
2. Since men who are close to each other tend to tease each other, do you think that’s part of being a man, and do you think the Bible has anything to say about this kind of behavior? (07:00)
3. What is the biblically appropriate role of the military? (14:00)
4. Is 1 Timothy 3 descriptive or prescriptive? (39:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Melinda Penner’s Homecoming – 1959–2023

Interview: Justin Brierley – The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God

Greg interviews Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again, about the rise and fall of the New Atheist movement, why he thanks God for Richard Dawkins, a shift in many atheists’ view of Christianity, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God – The podcast
• Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm Still a Christian by Justin Brierley
• Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity
• The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener

Related Links:

• Jesus Built Western Civilization by Amy Hall (quote by Tom Holland)
• We Take Christianity’s Influence on the World for Granted by Amy Hall (video of Tom Holland)
• Answering the New Atheists—Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
• Greg Koukl and Michael Shermer at the End of the Decade of the New Atheists
• To the Atheist Who Called Jesus “The Magic Carpenter” (And a Warning to Churches) by Amy Hall

No Evidence for God?

Greg talks about an atheist’s response to his quote summarizing some evidence for God, then he answers questions about why he will be speaking at a church that has women pastors and why Protestants don’t view the works of the early church fathers as authoritative for doctrine.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: No evidence for God? (00:00)
2. Why do you think it’s okay to speak at a church that has women pastors? (28:00)
3. Why don’t Protestants view the works of the early church fathers as authoritative for doctrine? (42:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Stand to Reason’s tweet summarizing some evidence for God, and the atheist’s response
• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Should Women Teach in Church? by Greg Koukl

Getting around the Watchful Dragons

Greg gives some thoughts about C.S. Lewis after attending 1517’s conference on Lewis last weekend, then he answers a caller’s questions about whether or not a woman should be a lead pastor and whether he should be concerned about his pastor planting a church with a woman lead pastor.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Getting around the watchful dragons (00:00)
2. What do you think about a woman being a lead pastor? (28:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• 1517.org

Related Links:

• Should Women Teach in Church? by Greg Koukl

Does It Make Sense for an Atheist to Claim He Used to Be a Real Christian?

Greg adds another quick thought about the last call on the previous episode, then he answers questions about atheists claiming they used to be “real Christians,” whether the word “relationship” accurately describes our connection with God, and non-Christians receiving benefits from their prayers.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: One more thought on the last call from the previous episode about old-earth creationism (00:00)
2. What do you think about my view that it’s inconsistent with an atheist worldview for an atheist to claim he was once a real Christian? (05:00)
3. Is the word “relationship” an accurate word for our connection with God, or is there a more biblical way of describing it? (26:00)
4. What do you think of people from other religions appearing to receive benefits from their prayers? (41:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – November 10–11 in Minneapolis, MN; February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA
• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy
• Decision Making and the Will of God episodes: Part 1 and Part 2
• Hot Tub Religion by J.I. Packer
• A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer
• Preaching God’s Love in Acts? by Greg Koukl

A Recipe for Faithfulness

Greg shares information about the film Nefarious that an Open Mic caller mentioned last week, talks about faithfully hitting singles and doubles, then answers a question about how much of creation can be explained by natural causes on an old-earth creationist view.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A recipe for faithfulness (00:00)
2. On the old-earth creationist view, how much of creation can be explained by natural causes alone? (35:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – November 10–11 in Minneapolis, MN; February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA

Related Links:

• Theistic Evolution: Drifting toward Darwin by Greg Koukl

Are People Who Divorce and Remarry Living in Continuous Adultery?

Greg talks about how the tactics are tools for “gardening,” then he talks to callers about whether Luke 16:18 means that divorced people who remarry are living in continuous adultery, whether Bible versions violate the command not to add to God’s words, the brains of transgender people, and the origin of evil.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The tactics are tools for gardening. (00:00)
2. If I’m divorced, does that mean I’m living in continuous adultery according to Luke 16:18? (09:00)
3. Do the different versions of the Bible violate the commands in Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18–19 not to add to or subtract from the words of God? (24:00)
4. Do brain scans really show that the brains of transgender people are different from other people’s brains? (41:00) 
5. Did Eve sin because she had evil in her heart, or was she simply tricked by Satan? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• 3 Reasons Those Who Are Unbiblically Remarried After a Divorce Should Not Leave Their New Spouse by Justin Taylor (citing John Piper)

Jesus’ Circles and Lines

Greg talks about Andy Stanley’s response to Al Mohler in which he said Jesus drew circles instead of lines, then he answers questions about responding to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s transcendentalism and advice for making an argument to a school board about pornographic material in the library.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Jesus’ circles and lines (00:00)
2. How can I respond well to the philosophy of transcendentalism in my literature class? (32:00)
3. I have three minutes to make an argument to the school board against pornographic materials in the school library. Do you have any advice for me? (50:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Jesus Drew Circles and Lines: A Response to Andy Stanley by Hunter Beaumont
• An Assessment of Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference by Alan Shlemon
• The Future of Faith: A Debate – Greg Koukl and Deepak Chopra
• Greg’s Message to His School Board Regarding Proposed Sex Ed Curriculum by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Why Is the Old Covenant Obsolete? by Amy Hall (on Andy Stanley’s call for pastors to “unhitch [their] teaching of what it means to follow Jesus from all things old covenant.”

The Number One Indicator of Apostasy in the Church

Greg explains why embracing pro-gay theology is a serious warning sign, offers a tactical approach for answering a question about whether one can be a gay Christian, then answers questions about the most important apologetics topics, non-believers taking communion, what we’ve earned vs. God’s blessings, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The number one indicator of apostasy in the church (00:00)
2. A tactical approach for answering a question about whether one can be a gay Christian. (16:00)
3. What apologetics topics do you think are the most important to introduce to a group of men whom I’ll have the opportunity to teach for two hours? (29:00)
4. Comments from a caller on sola Scriptura (35:00)
5. What should we do in a situation where a non-believer is taking communion? (43:00)
6. What’s the relationship between what we’ve earned and God’s blessings, and does our work affect God’s blessings? (52:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Five Things to Look for in a Christian College by Greg Koukl
• Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference: Deep Dive Response – Sean McDowell’s interview of Alan Shlemon
• Never Read a Bible Verse by Greg Koukl
• STR U Online Training
• Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible by John D. Meade and Peter J. Gurry

Interview: Alan Shlemon – Concerns about the Unconditional Conference

Greg talks to Alan Shlemon, who attended the Unconditional Conference at Andy Stanley’s church, about the good and bad of what was taught there, how those who promote pro-gay theology viewed the conference, Alan’s concerns, Andy Stanley’s sermon explaining his position, etc.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Alan Shlemon – Concerns about the Unconditional Conference (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Andy Stanley's Unconditional Conference: Deep Dive Response – Sean McDowell’s interview of Alan Shlemon
• A Reformation the Church Doesn’t Need – Part 1 and Part 2 by Alan Shlemon and Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Alan Shlemon: Matthew Vines’s Reformation Project Conference – Podcast
• Answering Matthew Vines’s 40 Questions – Podcast
• A Response to Matthew Vines: The Bible Doesn’t Support Same-Sex Relationships by Amy Hall
• Sean McDowell and Matthew Vines on the Bible and Homosexuality – Video
• Should We Downplay the “Clobber Passages” on Homosexuality? by Alan Shlemon