No Experts Allowed

100th Episode Spectacular

After one hundred episodes (counting only a handful of re-airs), Jonathan puts Seth’s Bible knowledge to the test against two longtime friends. See how Seth fairs and whether he can continue hosting No Experts Allowed.

We’ll return next week with an episode related to Palm Sunday. Until then, thank you to all our listeners, whether you’ve listened once or have been following us for almost two years. We’re glad you’re journeying with us through the Bible.

This episode is marked “explicit” because Seth swears during the second round of Bible trivia.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Reconciliation involves power dynamics. The two parties are rarely equal. This inequality applies to God who “reconciled us to himself through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18) and, in turn, gives people the task of reconciling too. Jonathan and Seth, however, discuss how people may force reconciliation or use it to maintain the status quo. They discuss how reconciliation is ultimately God's doing and not to be coercive. To hear this passage in a new light, they turn to Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible, The Message.

Isaiah 55:1-9

If you're like us, you're familiar with the phrase: "My plans aren’t your plans, / nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord" (Jer. 55:8).  It often loses its context; it stands alone. Jonathan and Seth discuss how they've heard this verse cited. They also discuss Israel's situation in exile as the background for Isaiah's pronouncement. This context helps them hear the phrase as comforting to people with an uncertain future.

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Abram "cuts" a covenant with God. But this covenant requires children; Abram's heir is enslaved, who Abram does not want to receive the inheritance. Later in Israel's history, being enslaved in Egypt will become central to their identity. Jonathan and Seth use this reversal to discuss how what bothers us about ourselves may also bother us when we see those qualities in others. It's a reflective episode, perfect for lent.

Romans 10:6-13

Declarations that “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9) inevitably also declares that others are not lords. Caesar was not in antiquity, neither are contemporary despots, nor employers, or partners. But how does one decide what and who to support? Jonathan and Seth tackle that question and apply it to the conflict in Ukraine.

With the late Thomas Merton we pray for peace: “Teach us to be long-suffering in anguish and insecurity, teach us to wait and trust. Grant light, grant strength and patience to all who work for peace. Grant us prudence in proportion to our power, wisdom in proportion to our science, humaneness in proportion to our wealthy and might. And bless our earnest will to help all … peoples to travel, in friendship with us, along the road to justice, liberty and lasting peace.” 
(Taken from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative)

Luke 9:28-36

Jesus’ transfiguration is communal. Peter, James, and John accompany Jesus up the mountain; Moses and Elijah appear. Just like “no one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or puts it under a bed” (Luke 8:16), Jesus’ glistening and glorious face shines onto the disciples. So, Jonathan and Seth discuss its communal element. Jesus’ glory continues to shine in communities too- in churches around the world, between friends, and through this podcast’s community.

Luke 6:28-37

Jonathan's break was looking up: he moved, started a new job, and was approved for ordination. Seth's break was rockier: he had emergency surgery after losing vision in his left eye. They each note that these felt like rewards or punishments. So, they discuss how "getting what you deserve" embeds itself in our theologies. While one may resist loving their enemies, the idea of karma can seem simple and attractive.

Since this passage includes Jesus' admonition to "love your enemies," we pray using words from Yusef Iman's poem of the same name, which one can read here.

Winter Break Re-Air: Job 1:1; 2:1-10

Theologians have produced many theories to explain suffering, but sometimes it seems to simply happen with no reason and with no long term gain. The reality of suffering seems as relevant as ever. Communally, more than 2,000 people die of the coronavirus daily in the United States alone. Personally, Seth’s retina detached in his left eye, leaving him partially blind and in need of surgery. So, we re-air this episode about Job, the role of the Adversary, and the complexities of suffering. 

Assuming Seth’s eye recovers as expected from surgery, a new episode will air next Saturday, February 19th.

Winter Break Re-Air: Esther 7:1-10

Robert Alter calls the book of Esther "Carnivalesque." He notes that no competent empire would have irreversible decrees. The king is portrayed as a buffoon, incapable of making decisions. The book serves as the origin of the Jewish festival of Purim. Jonathan and Seth discuss Pirium, which commemorates the day Jews were to be killed, and how we recall negative situations.

Over the next few weeks, Jonathan settles into a new house and a new job, so we will return with a new episode on February 19th. Until then, we'll re-air two of our favorite episodes from the last few months.

Luke 4:21-30

In a few verses, the crowd switches from praising Jesus to attempting to throw him off of a cliff. They are irate because Jesus tells them he will not perform the same miracles for them as he did in Capernaum. His mission is broader than that, and he cites two texts from the Hebrew Scriptures to prove that God's plan has always been that way. Jonathan and Seth discuss how we react when we see God working in others' lives and not in our own.

Over the next few weeks, Jonathan settles into a new house and a new job, so we will return with a new episode on February 19th. Until then, we'll re-air two of our favorite episodes from the last few months.