Best Exegetical Tools Podcasts (2024)

1
Language Tools, Learning Trends, and the New THGNT-ESV Parallel Bible 41:54

3+ y ago41:54

41:54

After Crossway partnered with Tyndale House to produce a new Greek New Testament, it was only a matter of time before a THGNT-ESV parallel Bible was produced. How can students of the Scriptures benefit from these tools? How can seminaries and Bible colleges train students to use tools like these? What is the goal of language learning for exegetes? …

1
Visual Outline Charts of the New Testament | Scott Bashoor 32:44

4y ago32:44

32:44

Can the importance of context be visualized? A unique and innovative resource, Visual Charts of the New Testament (SCS Press, 2020) introduces, surveys, and outlines every book of the NT in single-page charts, breaking them into discourse units and smaller sub-sections. In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis interviews author Scott Bashoor, faculty a…

1
Interpreting Scripture Like It's Inspired | Matthew Barrett 50:30

4+ y ago50:30

50:30

The Gospels don't have a 'lower' Christology than Paul, so why has this claim gained ground? To answer this question, Matthew Barrett considers the nature of Scripture, the definition of biblical theology, and the role of systematics in exegesis. Barrett has taken on these challenges in Canon, Covenant, and Christology: Rethinking Jesus and the Scr…

1
The Task of a Biblical Scholar | Andreas Köstenberger 52:20

4+ y ago52:20

52:20

What does a biblical scholar do? Andreas Köstenberger's answer is simple, but he has applied it in his own career in a variety of ways. Dr. Köstenberger serves as Research Professor of NT and Biblical Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Director of the Center for Biblical Studies, Founder of Biblical Foundations, Editor of the Jour…

1
How Does the New Testament Use the Old Testament? 49:05

4+ y ago49:05

49:05

Christians have one Bible with two testaments, and the New Testament authors frequently refer back to the Old Testament Scriptures. But they don't only point to prophecies that have been fulfilled or directly quote OT passages. In this episode, joined by co-host Taylor DiRoberto, Travis gives an overview of the NT use of the OT and considers some t…

1
Paul and Plato? Two Errors with Pagan Parallels | Joseph Dodson 36:06

5y ago36:06

36:06

What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What does philosophy have to do with the New Testament? In Acts 17, Paul answered, "Plenty!" In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis chats with Joseph Dodson about two common errors when it comes to studying extrabiblical parallels to Scripture, especially in Greco-Roman philosophy. Dodson (PhD, Aberdeen) is assoc…

1
Meeting God in the Bible: Devotions and Academics | John Linebarger 45:03

5y ago45:03

45:03

How is so-called "devotional" reading of the Bible different from so-called "academic" reading of the Bible? Why must the serious student of Scripture make time for both? How can the methodical and inquisitive reader make Scripture reading a time of worship? In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis asks these questions and more of John Linebarger, a "c…

1
More than Citation: Matthew's Use of the OT | Patrick Schreiner 46:04

5y ago46:04

46:04

Matthew’s use of the Old Testament portrays Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament story. But Matthew doesn’t do this with just citations and quotations of specific OT texts. In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis chats with Patrick Schreiner (Assistant Professor of NT Language and Literature, Director of the ThM Program, Western Semi…

1
Jonah as Literature | Sam Bierig 49:27

5y ago49:27

49:27

What does the book of Jonah want readers to think and do? Beyond the history and apologetics involved, many readers are unaware of the important literary cues in Jonah. Sam Bierig, Dean of Spurgeon College at Midwestern Seminary, has been studying, writing, and preaching Jonah and wants Christians to hear the cues and see the book as it is. What's …

1
Dispensational Hermeneutics | Cory Marsh 40:31

5y ago40:31

40:31

Dispensationalism: It's not just about the end times; it's also about exegesis. As Cory Marsh, Associate Professor of New Testament at the College at Southern California Seminary, points out, it's largely about hermeneutics. In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis chats with Cory about the exegetical commitments of dispensational thought. A member of …

1
Intertextuality: What and When? | Brian Koning 43:48

5y ago43:48

43:48

Throughout Scripture, one author will recall the words or themes of an earlier author, whether through a quotation, allusion, or echo. How do exegetes identify these cases of intertextuality? What is their importance? On this episode of Tool Talk, Travis talks with Brian Koning, an adjunct professor of theology at Grand Canyon University researchin…

1
A Life of Missionary Scholarship | Todd Scacewater 39:18

5+ y ago39:18

39:18

It is more and more feasible for a lifelong missionary to contribute substantially to scholarship. David Clark is one such missionary scholar, leveraging his decades of Bible translation work to provide helpful insights to the fields of biblical studies and corpus linguistics. On this episode, Todd Scacewater (Founder of Exegetical Tools, Co-Founde…

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Bible Translation and Linguistics: Formal vs. Functional? | Todd Scacewater 33:01

5+ y ago33:01

33:01

It’s easy to simply refer to varying philosophies of Bible translation as either “formal” or “functional,” but are these valid categories? What are the values and setbacks of these different translations of Scripture? How does contemporary linguistics help us think through this? On this episode of Tool Talk, Travis chats with Todd Scacewater (Exege…

1
The State of Bible Reading (and Reader's Bibles) | Glenn Pauuw 32:25

5+ y ago32:25

32:25

The advent of English “reader’s Bibles” and audio Bibles is upon us. What should we make of it? With poor statistics on Bible literacy in the West, how can pastors and church members encourage more and better Bible reading in their churches and small groups? On this episode, Travis chats with Glenn Paauw, Senior Director of Content at the Institute…

1
Faith & Scholarship: A Conversation with Peter J. Williams 34:19

5+ y ago34:19

34:19

“I’ve sought to devote my life to being a believing biblical scholar” – Peter J. Williams (PhD, Cambridge University). Dr. Williams leads one of the leading institutions for biblical studies in the world as the Principal of Tyndale House Cambridge, yet he’s recently authored a book for laypeople and pastors, titled “Can We Trust the Gospels?” (Cros…

1
Limited Lexicons: Our Flawed Friends and Their Future 38:32

5+ y ago38:32

38:32

Have you ever stopped to consider whether your lexicon of choice was trustworthy? The erudite exegete might recognize the limitations of lexicons, but what are we supposed to do with them? In his groundbreaking "A History of New Testament Lexicography," John A. L. Lee (Macquarie University) gently but incisively shows the faulty methodology that pl…

1
How to Read the Revelation Rightly | Jason Kees 37:56

5+ y ago37:56

37:56

The Revelation of Jesus to John and… you? If you’ve ever wondered how to read the Revelation, then you should consider who was meant to read it. This conversation with Jason Kees discusses his work identifying the ideal reader of the Apocalypse of John and the merits of a “canonical” approach to biblical interpretation. Dr. Kees (PhD, Biblical Stud…

1
Pursuing a PhD in the Pastorate | Jason Kees 31:10

5+ y ago31:10

31:10

Why should a pastor consider doctoral studies? How in the world can you find the time? Why would a pastor teach seminary and Bible college students? What does an average week look like? Is there such a thing? Whether you’re a pastor considering PhD studies, a seminarian looking to the future, or a curious veteran, this interview with Jason Kees (Ph…

1
A New Take on Jude: The Zealot Hypothesis | Herbert W. Bateman IV 37:31

5+ y ago37:31

37:31

Jude famously called his readers to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” But against whom are they to contend? Who are these “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ”? Herb Bateman, NT scholar and President of the Cyber-Center for Biblical Stu…

1
Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading for Comprehension | Karl Kutz and Rebekah Josberger 40:03

5+ y ago40:03

40:03

How can students of Biblical Hebrew keep what they’ve learned for a lifetime? By getting into the text more quickly and understanding the language more deeply. That’s how the authors of Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading for Comprehension: An Introductory Grammar (Lexham Press) have been teaching, and it’s working. Karl Kutz and Rebekah Josberger ha…

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The Theological Exegesis of Jonathan Edwards | Owen Strachan 36:30

5+ y ago36:30

36:30

Jonathan Edwards, one of America’s greatest thinkers, was not only a theologian and philosopher but a preacher. So how did Edwards exegete the Scriptures? Can a puritanical devotee of the historical-grammatical method approve Edwards’s Puritan preaching? Owen Strachan, author of the brand new Edwards daily devotional Always in God’s Hands (Tyndale …

1
Reading the Septuagint | Greg Lanier and Will Ross 40:25

5+ y ago40:25

40:25

What’s the Septuagint and why should you read it? Maybe you have no idea, or maybe you think you’ve heard it all, but there are few people better equipped to answer those questions than Greg Lanier and Will Ross of Reformed Theological Seminary. Lanier and Ross have worked with Hendrickson Publishers to produce the beautiful two-volume Septuaginta:…

1
Biblical Greek Made Simple: A New Grammar | Danny Zacharias 47:25

6y ago47:25

47:25

Year after year, students take Greek, pass Greek, and forget Greek. Maybe you were one of those students. Maybe you're the one teaching them. How can we make the most of the tools available to us in Bible software, the most of our students' time, and actually teach them to comprehend the basics? Danny Zacharias, associate professor of New Testament…

1
Preaching and Teaching the Gospel(s) | Todd Chipman 32:34

6y ago32:34

32:34

The Gospels are more than a weigh-station on the way to the cross. How can we preach, teach, and read the fourfold Gospel for all they’re worth? To answer this question, Travis interviews Todd Chipman, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Pastor of The Master’s Community Church. Listen in to hear ho…

1
How Did the Patristics Interpret Scripture? | Matt Emerson 37:24

6y ago37:24

37:24

Can church history and exegesis live together in harmony? How did the early church fathers interpret the Bible? What can we learn from them without sacrificing sound exegetical methods? Matt Emerson provides a helpful primer and some interesting examples. Emerson is the Dickenson Associate Professor of Religion and Program Director for the Master o…

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If Scripture is Inerrant, then Scholarship is Necessary | Dan Brown 45:49

6y ago45:49

45:49

Commentators aren't infallible, even when their assertions are footnoted. That seems obvious, but it's easy to blindly accept scholarly consensus. Dan Brown, convinced of the harmony of Scripture, went on a journey that began with a mission trip to Thessaloniki, Greece, and ended with a PhD in New Testament. Travis sat down with Dan to talk about s…

1
Why Your Exegesis Needs Discourse Analysis | Todd Scacewater 34:45

6y ago34:45

34:45

You probably know just how important grammar and syntax are to interpreting Scripture, but what about paragraphs, chapters, and sections? If you’ve studied discourse analysis, you know just how important it is to understanding the author’s intended meaning of any passage. If you haven’t, you’re only going to be hearing more and more about it. In th…

1
Sarcasm in Paul's Letters? Never. | David Dickenson 30:27

6+ y ago30:27

30:27

Ever wished there was a sarcasm font? If it's hard to tell when someone is being sarcastic or ironic in your native tongue, how much more Koine Greek! Travis sat down with David Dickenson, Adjunct Professor and PhD Candidate in New Testament at Midwestern Seminary, to talk about Paul's use of irony and sarcasm. But you probably don't need to listen…

1
Believing the Bible About the Supernatural | Michael Heiser 35:22

6+ y ago35:22

35:22

Psalm 82:1 says, "God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment." Who are these gods? Why do so many interpreters gloss over this and other elements of the supernatural in the Scriptures? Travis asks Michael Heiser, expert in Ancient Near Eastern studies and author of "The Unseen Realm." Dr. Heiser is Sch…

1
Doing Biblical Theology with Geerhardus Vos | Todd Scacewater 33:27

6+ y ago33:27

33:27

What is Biblical Theology? Geerhardus Vos, an elite theologian of Old Princeton, knew. Travis chats with Todd Scacewater, pastor, founder of Exegetical Tools, and co-founder of Fontes Press, which recently re-published Vos’s contribution “The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church,” a premier example of biblical theology. To…

1
Lies Pastors Believe About Their Preaching | Dayton Hartman 33:22

6+ y ago33:22

33:22

Pastor, you believe lies about your identity. Lies that hinder your ministry. Fight lies with the Gospel truth. That’s the message of “Lies Pastors Believe” (Lexham Press), a new book from Dayton Hartman, pastor of Redeemer Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In this episode of Tool Talk, Travis and Dayton discuss how these lies affect exegesis …

1
A Vernacular Bible and the KJV-Only Crowd | Mark Ward 36:20

6+ y ago36:20

36:20

Have you ever been a part of a church or met a believer who believed the "Authorized" version was the only proper English Bible? Maybe you know all the text-critical issues, but do you know how to explain the importance of a vernacular Bible to people in a patient, loving, pastoral way? Mark Ward, a Logos Pro at Faithlife has laid out a stellar, ea…

1
How (Not) to Use Your Lexicon in Bible Translation | Todd Price 26:37

6+ y ago26:37

26:37

Your lexicon is dangerous for your interpretation of Scripture if you don't know how to use it! Todd Price (PhD, Corpus Linguistics and NT) explains how not to use your lexicon and why more language nerds might consider being a missionary-scholar. As the Roma Bible Translation Coordinator for Pioneers and author of Structural Lexicology and the Gre…

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Was Charles Spurgeon an Expositor? | Christian George 21:16

6+ y ago21:16

21:16

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was the "Prince of Preachers," but was he an expository preacher? Were his sermons driven by the text of Scripture? Travis went to the beautiful Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary, home to thousands of Spurgeon's handwritten notes and correspondence, to talk to Dr. Christian George, Curator of the Spurgeon Library, Prof…

1
The Greek Text of James | William Varner 33:14

6+ y ago33:14

33:14

The letter of James has been disputed and distorted by many through the centuries, but Dr. William Varner, Professor of Bible and Greek at the Master's University, has made the study of this inspired text a labor of love. In his new work, James: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Fontes Press), Dr. Varner utilizes the most recent resources and analyti…

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Ad Fontes: A Review of the New Tyndale House Greek New Testament | Todd Scacewater 28:54

6+ y ago28:54

28:54

"Ad fontes," said Erasmus. Return to the sources! The brand new Tyndale House Greek New Testament uses a distinct methodology to attempt to do just that. Does it succeed? Dr. Todd Scacewater, founder of Exegetical Tools, explains the point of a new Greek New Testament and gives an in-depth review of this new effort from Crossway. Be sure to check o…

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Sola Scriptura -- How Much Does Doctrine Inform Exegesis? | Matthew Barrett 38:39

7y ago38:39

38:39

Doctrine must inform our exegesis, says Dr. Matthew Barrett, author of "God's Word Alone" and editor of Zondervan's "Five Solas" series and Crossway's "Reformation Theology." Dr. Barrett is Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and clearly a fan of Sola Scriptura. So why does he believe that we must b…

1
Interrogative Exegesis #1: Three Questions to Evaluate Historical Backgrounds 13:44

7y ago13:44

13:44

Ever read about some historical event or cultural custom and immediately think of a passage of Scripture? Sometimes jumping to conclusions is jumping off a cliff. In this episode of Tool Talk, host Travis Montgomery shares three questions to evaluate potential historical context for better exegesis. Check out ExegeticalTools.com for more great cont…

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Literary Context and Statistical Probability | Mark Giacobbe 27:34

7y ago27:34

27:34

Statistics, probability, and exegesis? Travis talks to Mark Giacobbe, Teaching Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate at Westminster Theological Seminary, about how something called Bayes' Theorem is informing his dissertation. Mark's unique path to scholarship includes a musical career, post-9/11 missions to Afghanistan, and now teaching Greek at WTS. Now tha…

1
Expectations vs. Reality for New Pastors | Kevin Moore 27:32

7y ago27:32

27:32

Theological education teaches you "how" to study the Bible in-depth, but many pastors are asking a different question: "When?!" Travis called up Kevin Moore (@kevmoore_) to talk about Bible study expectations vs. reality in a new pastorate. Kevin is the Associate Pastor of Northpoint Christian Church in Spearfish, SD (northpointcc.net), a busy chur…

1
No Quick Fix: Analyzing Experiences Through Exegesis | Andy Naselli 30:01

7y ago30:01

30:01

Travis chats with Andy Naselli (@andynaselli), author of “No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It’s Harmful,” available now from Lexham Press. This new book about “Keswick theology” is a great case study of thoroughly and biblically examining a popular doctrine. Andy received PhDs in Theology (Bob Jones University…

1
What Does a Pastor-Scholar Actually Do? | Todd Chipman 34:18

7y ago34:18

34:18

The concept of the "pastor-scholar" has been en vogue in recent years, but what does it actually mean to be one? To answer that question, Travis sat down with Todd Chipman (@ToddRChipman), a real-life pastor-scholar. Dr. Chipman has been pastoring The Master's Church in Kansas City since he first began seminary, and now continues his ministry while…

1
Creeds in Real Life and the Descent of Christ to Hell | Todd A. Scacewater 24:50

7y ago24:50

24:50

Travis sat down with Todd Scacewater, founder of Exegetical Tools, to discuss a thorny issue with the Apostles' Creed: did Christ really "descend into Hell?" What does that mean? Is it Biblical? Todd and Travis also discuss why and how pastors might incorporate the creeds into their church's worship, as well as the new discipleship guide from Fonte…

1
Efficient Exegesis with BibleWorks | Jim Barr 28:48

7y ago28:48

28:48

Jim Barr has been working with BibleWorks software for the past sixteen years. Travis and Jim talk about how students, pastors, and scholars can use BibleWorks to get into the text of any Scripture passage quickly and effectively. Jim explains some of the more unique features of BibleWorks, like audio paradigms and morphology-tagged high-resolution…

1
Mere Devotion and Lifelong Learning | Mike Ackerman 37:37

7y ago37:37

37:37

Mike Ackerman is a Professor of New Testament and Church Planting at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, MO and a self-proclaimed autodidact. Travis and Mike discuss the importance of being "the dean of one's own lifelong learning," the necessity and benefit of a disciplined devotional life, and Dave Chappelle.Check out ExegeticalTools.com for more …

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Two Common Errors in Bible Study | Todd Scacewater 28:13

7y ago28:13

28:13

For this inaugural episode, Travis sat down with Todd Scacewater, the founder of Exegetical Tools. Travis and Todd talked about the purpose of ExegeticalTools.com and two common (and opposite) errors in Bible study. Check out ExegeticalTools.com for more great content, subscribe to the podcast, and follow us on social media @exegeticaltools!View th…

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