Bob walks through Hebrews 10:19–22. Every believer now has the confidence to enter the holy places, a standing that once belonged to one high priest on one day a year, and only with blood. The way in is “through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,” the veil torn when Jesus died. Bob takes a side step to Genesis 15, where God alone passed between the divided animals, taking on Himself the penalty for a broken covenant.

Then come the two cleansings attached to the invitation to draw near: hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, the blood of Jesus applied inside (Hebrews 9:14), and bodies washed with pure water, the outside. Both describe something already done. Bob shows how Hebrews builds the background: the old covenant’s “various washings” that could never cleanse the conscience (9:10), teaching about washings for new believers (6:2), blood and water at Sinai (9:19), and Ezekiel 36’s promise now fulfilled. He closes with how different traditions relate the two cleansings. They agree both are real and differ on timing and mechanism.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 A promise kept, and a passage that pictures baptism 02:06 Confidence to enter the holy places 03:48 Through the curtain, through His flesh 05:51 A side step: God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15 08:08 “Let us draw near”: two cleansings 13:36 The background in Hebrews: washings, Sinai, and Ezekiel 17:40 How different traditions read Hebrews 10:22 21:04 Closing and the question

Description Jesus didn't reject fasting; He rejected fake fasting. In Day 6, we examine Jesus's three major teachings on the subject. We look at Matthew 6, where He instructs disciples to "wash their faces" and fast in secret to avoid the "hypocrite's reward" of human applause. We analyze the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18), where a man who fasted 104 times a year was rejected by God because of his pride. Finally, we explore the "Bridegroom Theology" of Matthew 9, where Jesus explains that Christian fasting is not a legalistic requirement, but a longing for His return.

Keywords Matthew 6, Jesus on fasting, Pharisee and Tax Collector, hypocrites, wash your face, spiritual pride, Bridegroom fast, Christian fasting vs Jewish fasting.

Hashtags #Jesus #SermonOnTheMount #Fasting #Hypocrisy #BibleStudy #ChristianLiving #Matthew6 #RedemptionChurch

Bob Baulch is upfront: the word “baptism” isn’t in this sentence, and Paul doesn’t define the washing. This is an allusion, not a proof text. He walks up Paul’s one-sentence “staircase”: love, the cross, holiness, cleansing, and presentation. Then he goes back to where Paul got the picture: Ezekiel 16, where God finds an abandoned newborn, enters a covenant with her, bathes her with water, anoints her, clothes her, and makes her beautiful, with echoes in Isaiah 61–62 and Hosea. Paul puts Jesus where God stood and the church where Jerusalem stood.

Bob then takes the phrase apart: the washing (loutron, a bath), the water Paul chose to name, and the “word” (rhēma, a spoken utterance), with five ways it has been read. He notes that the early church, and even John Calvin, heard baptism here, and he shows how nine traditions read the passage. Finally, he points to the wedding still ahead (Revelation 19) and the best part of the verse: the bride doesn’t wash herself. The one holding the water is the Bridegroom.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and an honest note: allusion, not proof text 02:31 Paul’s one-sentence staircase 06:04 The bride in Ezekiel 16 10:32 Washing, water, and word 15:44 Is this baptism? 18:12 How different traditions read Ephesians 5:26 24:23 The wedding still ahead 25:55 What we can say, and closing prayer

Description By the time of Jesus, the religious landscape had shifted dramatically. The Pharisees, a group originally dedicated to holiness, had turned fasting into a competitive sport. While God only commanded one fast day a year, the Pharisees were fasting 104 extra days annually—every Monday and Thursday without fail. In Day 5, we investigate the history of the Pharisees and why they chose those specific days (hint: they were Jerusalem's market days, ensuring the maximum number of people would see them).

We look at how a voluntary discipline slowly morphed into a social expectation, and eventually into a badge of spiritual superiority. Using the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18, we see how fasting became a tool for pride rather than humility. The Pharisee stood in the temple reciting his fasting resume to God ("I fast twice a week!"), while the tax collector simply asked for mercy. This episode forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: Are we fasting to draw close to God, or are we fasting to feel superior to other Christians who aren't?

Keywords Pharisees fasting, fasting twice a week, Luke 18, religious legalism, spiritual pride, Monday and Thursday fast, history of the Pharisees, Jesus and Pharisees, fasting for show.

Hashtags #Pharisees #Legalism #BibleHistory #ReligiousPride #Fasting #Christianity #Luke18 #SpiritualCompetition

Bob reads the whole sentence (Titus 3:4–7) and notes three things before getting to “washing.” Paul is talking about salvation, he rules out earning it before he mentions washing, and he joins water and Spirit together, the same pairing found in Ezekiel 36 and John 3:5. Then he looks at the two rare Greek words behind the phrase: loutron (“washing” or “bath,” used only here and in Ephesians 5:26) and palingenesia (“regeneration,” a second Genesis, used only here and in Matthew 19:28).

Is the washing baptism? Even John Calvin granted that Paul at least alludes to baptism, while others like John Gill disagreed. Bob shows that the real disagreement is among three claims: baptism causes the new birth, signifies it, or is the appointed occasion for it. Titus 3:5 gives a phrase, not a mechanism. He closes with how nine traditions read the verse.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: two passages about a washing 01:58 Titus 3:4–7 in context 03:03 Three things to notice before “washing” 05:23 Two rare words: loutron and palingenesia 09:19 Is the washing baptism? 12:35 Three different claims about baptism and new birth 14:55 How different traditions read Titus 3:5 18:17 What we can say, and closing prayer

Description Moses and Elijah are the two greatest figures of the Old Testament, and they share a mind-blowing connection: they both fasted for 40 days and 40 nights without food or water. In Day 4, we dive into the medical reality of these events. While a human can survive weeks without food, the body shuts down after only a few days without water. This means the fasts recorded in Exodus 34 and 1 Kings 19 were not just acts of discipline—they were supernatural miracles where God sustained His servants in the wilderness.

We explore the biblical significance of the number 40 (testing, preparation, and transformation) and trace the path from Moses on Mount Sinai to Elijah on Mount Horeb, culminating in the Transfiguration where both men appear with Jesus—who also fasted 40 days. However, this episode comes with a critical safety warning: these "absolute fasts" are descriptive, not prescriptive. We discuss why attempting a 40-day dry fast is not an act of faith, but a dangerous presumption that can lead to death. Learn the difference between a supernatural miracle and a model for us to copy.

Keywords Moses fast, Elijah fast, 40 day fast, absolute fast, dry fasting dangers, supernatural fasting, Mount Sinai, Exodus 34, 1 Kings 19, fasting safety, Transfiguration.

Hashtags #40Days #Supernatural #MosesAndElijah #BibleMiracles #FastingSafety #DoNotTryThis #Exodus #MountSinai

Bob Baulch starts with the Greek. “Born” is passive, something done to you, and one preposition governs both “water” and “Spirit.” When Nicodemus doesn’t understand, Jesus rebukes him for not recognizing it, which points back to Ezekiel 36:25–27: clean water for cleansing and a new Spirit for transformation.

Then Bob lays out a documented historical fact. For about 1,500 years, Christian writers who commented on John 3:5, from Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian to Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther, read the water as baptism. In 1553, John Calvin’s commentary on John broke from that consensus, reading “water and Spirit” as one idea, the Spirit’s cleansing pictured as water. Since then, other readings have appeared: physical birth, the word of God, Calvin’s view, and Jewish ceremonial washing. Bob walks through how nine traditions read the verse today and leaves listeners to weigh how much that long consensus should count.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and Nicodemus comes at night 01:57 The Greek: born “of water and Spirit” 03:13 “Are you the teacher of Israel?” Ezekiel 36 05:38 1,500 years of agreement 09:21 1553: Calvin breaks with the consensus 12:53 Five readings of “water” today 16:06 How different traditions read John 3:5 23:01 What we can say, and closing prayer

Description The Bible never gives us a detailed "how-to" manual for fasting, but it clearly shows us when and why people fasted. In Day 3, we analyze the four distinct patterns of voluntary fasting found throughout the Old Testament to help you identify the purpose of your own fast. We look at Grief Fasts, where David fasted for his dying child and for the death of King Saul. We examine Crisis Fasts, where leaders like Esther and Jehoshaphat called the entire nation to stop eating because they faced annihilation.

We explore Seeking Fasts, where prophets like Daniel abstained from rich food for 21 days to gain spiritual understanding and breakthrough. Finally, we look at Repentance Fasts, where even wicked King Ahab and the pagan city of Nineveh humbled themselves to turn away God's judgment. Which of these patterns describes your current season? Are you grieving a loss, facing a crisis, seeking direction, or repenting of sin? Understanding the biblical "why" will give you the strength to persevere when the physical hunger sets in.

Keywords Types of biblical fasting, why do Christians fast, Esther fast, Daniel fast, fasting for repentance, fasting for breakthrough, King David fasting, spiritual disciplines, Jehoshaphat, Nineveh.

Hashtags #BiblicalPatterns #PrayerAndFasting #EstherFast #DanielFast #SpiritualWarfare #BibleStudy #Grief #Repentance

He reads the passage phrase by phrase: a “circumcision made without hands,” something God does, not a human ritual; the ambiguous phrase “the circumcision of Christ” and its three possible meanings; the stripping away of “the body of the flesh”; being “buried with him in baptism”; and being raised “through faith in the powerful working of God.”

Bob then presents the paedobaptist case as its own proponents would, drawing on Genesis 17, covenant theology, the Westminster Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism (Q74), and Calvin’s Institutes (4.16). Then he presents the credobaptist case: the “through faith” clause, the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:34 where all will know the Lord, and Paul’s inward circumcision in Romans 2:28–29. He’s careful to separate what the text says from what each side infers, and reminds us of the real pain this debate has caused. Both sides agree on one thing: the outward sign is not enough. God is after the heart.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and why Colossians 2 is so debated 01:51 Reading Colossians 2:11–13 02:44 A circumcision made without hands 06:33 The paedobaptist case 09:57 The credobaptist case 14:42 What the text does and doesn’t say 16:30 Why care: the pain this debate has caused 18:09 Closing prayer and what’s next

Description After the Babylonian empire destroyed Jerusalem and burned Solomon's Temple in 586 BC, the Jewish people were devastated. In their grief, they established four new annual fast days to commemorate the tragedy: the breaching of the walls, the burning of the Temple, the murder of the governor, and the beginning of the siege. These were human-made fasts born out of genuine trauma. But seventy years later, when the people asked God if they should continue these fasts, God answered with a devastating question in Zechariah 7: "When you fasted... was it actually for ME that you fasted?"

In Day 2, we explore the danger of fasting at God rather than for God. It is possible to fast with perfect technical precision—skipping meals on the right days and saying the right prayers—while your heart remains far from Him. Bob Baulch unpacks the history of these four "mourning fasts" and applies God's critique to our modern practice. Are we fasting to manipulate God into fixing our problems, or are we fasting to seek His face? This episode is a crucial heart-check: are you fasting to remember your pain, or to encounter your Healer?

Keywords Zechariah 7, Tisha B'Av, destruction of Jerusalem, fasting motives, biblical history, mourning fasts, Zechariah 8:19, Christian fasting, fasting for God, Babylonian exile.

Hashtags #FastingHistory #Zechariah #HeartCheck #BiblicalFasting #Jerusalem #ChristianHistory #SpiritualMotives #RedemptionChurch

Bob Baulch walks through Galatians 3:23–29. The law was a temporary guardian until faith came. Verse 26 says we are sons of God “through faith.” Verse 27, joined by the little word “for,” says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Bob unpacks the clothing picture. In the ancient world, clothes signaled identity and status, and in patron–client culture, entering a new patron’s household meant new garments. Early Christians later dressed the newly baptized in white robes. He then shows how Baptist, Restoration Movement, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions explain the link between verses 26 and 27.

Finally, he turns to verse 28, “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, no male and female,” possibly an early baptismal confession, and what it means when believers rebuild the walls baptism tore down.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and why Galatians is a surprising place 03:09 The setting: the law as a temporary guardian 04:03 Sons through faith, clothed through baptism (vv. 26–27) 05:28 Putting on Christ: clothing and identity 08:56 The tension: how traditions connect verses 26 and 27 12:27 “Neither Jew nor Greek”: all one in Christ 15:14 What Galatians 3:27 means for you 17:33 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch reads Romans 6:3–7 slowly and walks through the language that carries its weight. The verbs are passive, describing something done to us. Paul stacks the “with” words: buried with, united with, crucified with, which are participation, not observation. The word for “united” (symphytoi) pictures a branch grafted and grown together with a tree. The “body of sin” is not annihilated but stripped of its ruling power.

Then Bob names the question that divides Christians here: is Paul describing what baptism does, or what it pictures? He lays out sacramental, symbolic, Reformed, and participatory readings, and notes something striking: after five chapters on justification by faith, Paul answers with baptism, while the parallel in Colossians 2:12 adds “through faith.” Finally, he lands where Paul lands. Verses 1–10 state who we already are; verse 11 calls us to keep counting it true. You don’t fight your way into a new identity; you fight from it.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: from Peter to Paul 01:04 The question Romans 6 answers 03:38 Reading Romans 6:3–7 04:53 Passive verbs and the “with” words 08:27 Does baptism do it, or picture it? 11:06 Where is faith? Romans 6 and Colossians 2:12 14:45 Identity first: “Consider yourselves dead to sin” 17:07 Closing and what’s next

Bob Baulch starts with the setting: Christians under pressure, and Peter’s picture of Noah’s flood as a “type,” with baptism as the “antitype.” The same water that judged the old world carried eight people safely through. Then Peter qualifies his claim: “not as a removal of dirt from the body.” The water itself is not magic. Instead, baptism is an eperōtēma toward God for a good conscience. That’s a Greek word found only here in the New Testament, rendered “answer” (KJV), “appeal” (ESV, NASB), or “pledge” (NIV, CSB), and each choice shifts the emphasis. Finally, Peter anchors it all “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Bob then walks through how Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Wesleyan, Anglican, Pentecostal, and Restoration Movement traditions read the verse. Peter says baptism saves, says the water isn’t what saves, and says the saving power comes through the resurrection. How those three statements fit together is where traditions differ.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 A verse with no textual question 01:22 The setting: suffering, Noah, and the flood 03:56 Peter’s claim, and what he says it doesn’t mean 06:16 Eperōtēma: appeal, pledge, or answer? 11:01 “Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 12:29 How different traditions read 1 Peter 3:21 21:44 What we can and can’t say 23:27 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch starts with a detail English translations smooth over. In the first half of the verse, one Greek article governs two participles, “having believed” and “having been baptized,” describing one person marked by both actions. The second half has only one: “having disbelieved.” He shows why this gives both major readings real work to do, and why neither side can simply point to the grammar and claim victory.

Next, he sets Mark 16:16 beside the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20, where baptizing and teaching describe how disciples are made, and shows how the verse works as part of a commissioning, not a standalone formula. He traces how early Christian writers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine read it: baptism as the norm, with careful thinking about exceptions, including baptism of desire (Ambrose’s funeral sermon for Valentinian II) and baptism of blood for martyrs.

Finally, he takes up the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39–43) and four ways traditions explain his salvation without baptism. Every tradition affirms baptism matters and that the thief was saved; they differ on why.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap and today’s deep dive 02:14 One article, two participles: the Greek of Mark 16:16 06:44 What the grammar means for both readings 09:14 Mark 16:16 beside the Great Commission 13:42 The church fathers, baptism of desire, and baptism of blood 19:06 The thief on the cross: four explanations 23:24 Other exception cases, and what Mark 16:16 settles 25:43 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob walks through the key Greek words one at a time: “having believed,” “having been baptized” (passive, something done to a person), “will be saved,” “having disbelieved,” and “will be condemned.” Then he focuses on the verse’s asymmetry. Belief and baptism appear together on the saving side, but only unbelief appears on the condemning side. What does that silence mean?

He lays out the two main readings fairly. One reads the silence as exclusion: only unbelief condemns, so baptism isn’t essential. The other reads it as assumption: unbelief is the root, and someone who refuses to believe won’t be baptized anyway. Bob is careful to separate what the text states from what readers infer. He then shows how Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Pentecostal, and Restoration Movement traditions read the verse, and lands honestly: the grammar leaves room for more than one reading, and Mark 16:16 alone doesn’t settle the baptism-and-salvation question.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: from the textual question to the text 01:18 The Greek, word by word 04:40 The asymmetry: baptism drops out of the second clause 07:14 What the verse says vs. what readers infer 08:29 Two ways to read the silence 13:47 How different traditions read Mark 16:16 23:25 What we can and can’t say 24:33 Closing prayer and what’s next

The two oldest complete Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, both end Mark at 16:8, with the women fleeing the empty tomb in fear. Bob walks through the evidence against verses 9–20 being original: other early witnesses that end at verse 8, the shorter alternate ending, the comments of Eusebius and Jerome, and differences in vocabulary and style. Then he presents the case for the longer ending fairly: its presence in Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Bezae, and most later manuscripts, Irenaeus quoting Mark 16:19 around AD 180, Tatian’s Diatessaron, and scholars such as William Farmer, Nicholas Lunn, and James Snapp Jr.

He also shows how Catholic, Orthodox, mainstream Protestant, Baptist and evangelical, King James Only, Restoration Movement, and Pentecostal traditions handle the question. Next episode turns to what the verse actually says.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Why ask whether Mark wrote Mark 16:16 01:41 Where Mark ends in the two oldest manuscripts 04:45 More early witnesses that end at verse 8 06:57 The internal evidence: vocabulary and style 07:46 The case for the longer ending 10:44 How different traditions handle the question 15:01 Where that leaves us 16:32 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch lays out four major readings as fairly as he can, the way people inside each tradition would explain them:

• Sacramental-institutional (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran): a visible, historical church you enter through baptism.
• Reformed: the people God chose, with the visible church as a mixed field of wheat and weeds.
• Believers’ church (Baptist, evangelical, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, non-denominational): everyone who has trusted Jesus, with baptism as the public announcement of that faith.
• Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ and related churches): the one identifiable New Testament church, entered through baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

All four agree that Jesus bought the church with His blood. They differ on where that church is found. Bob holds his own view for the series’ closing episodes.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 “What did you just join?” Paul’s charge at Miletus 04:10 What Acts 20:28 says, and a note on the manuscripts 05:17 Reading 1: Catholic, Orthodox, and Lutheran 10:06 Reading 2: Reformed 14:53 Reading 3: The believers’ church 20:23 Reading 4: The Restoration Movement 24:24 The four readings side by side 25:54 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch starts with a detail from Acts 2:38: “repent” is plural, spoken to the whole crowd, while “be baptized” is singular, “each one of you.” Repentance is communal; no one can go under the water for you. But what each person is baptized into is not a private faith. It’s a community.

Bob walks through the four practices in Acts 2:42: the apostles’ teaching (didachē), fellowship (koinōnia), the breaking of bread, and the prayers. He looks at the sharing of possessions (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–37), why Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was lying rather than keeping their money, and the echo of the ancient ideal that true friends have all things in common. He notes that in verse 47 it is the Lord who kept adding to their number. Finally, he lays out the two main ways Christians read the passage, as a descriptive snapshot or a prescriptive blueprint, and what both readings agree on: the baptized life is a life together.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: three thousand out of the water 02:01 “All of you” repent, “each of you” be baptized 05:20 Reading Acts 2:41–47 06:36 Four practices: teaching, fellowship, bread, and prayers 11:07 “All things in common” 13:57 “The Lord added to their number” 15:35 Snapshot or blueprint? Two ways to read Acts 2 23:06 Closing prayer and what’s next

Jerusalem is packed with pilgrims for the Feast of Weeks. Then come three signs: a sound like a rushing wind from heaven, tongues as of fire resting on each one, and the gospel heard in every listener’s native language. Bob shows how each sign points to the Spirit’s arrival and to Babel being reversed. Peter, the same man who denied Jesus weeks earlier, stands up and preaches from Joel 2, Psalm 16, and Psalm 110: the Jesus they crucified is alive, enthroned, and pouring out what they are seeing.

Cut to the heart, the crowd asks, “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer puts four things on the table: repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, a promise for them, their children, and all who are far off. That day about three thousand were baptized. Next time: what they were baptized into.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 A course correction: why we’re staying in Acts 02:12 The Feast of Pentecost 03:04 Wind, fire, and every language 07:09 Peter’s sermon: Joel 2 and the Psalms 10:46 “What shall we do?” Peter’s four-part answer 14:22 The promise widened, and three thousand baptized 17:52 What the text says and what it doesn’t settle 20:27 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch slows down on the little Greek preposition eis (“for”), used more than 1,700 times in the New Testament with a wide range of meanings. He lays out four major readings: purpose, result, basis (“because of”), and reference, and weighs them against parallels like Matthew 26:28 and Matthew 12:41 and what Greek grammarians such as Daniel Wallace have said. He also examines a more careful argument based on the shift from plural “repent” to singular “be baptized.”

Then he’s honest about what the grammar settles and what it doesn’t. Acts 2:38 most naturally connects baptism to forgiveness, while the rest of the New Testament most naturally connects forgiveness to faith. How those two fit together is the central question of the series.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and why Acts 2:38 is so debated 01:52 The scene at Pentecost 03:24 One little word: eis 04:36 Four ways to read “for the forgiveness of sins” 09:27 What the grammarians say about “because of” 10:57 The shift from “all of you” to “each of you” 15:27 What the evidence settles and what it doesn’t 18:51 Closing prayer and what’s next

The answer comes from Isaiah 59:1–2. God’s hand isn’t too short to save, and His ear isn’t too dull to hear. Instead, “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you.” Bob unpacks the Hebrew word for “separation” and what it means for God’s face to be hidden. He then traces the same pattern through the Old Testament: Adam and Eve hiding in the garden (Genesis 3), Moses unable to see God’s face (Exodus 33:20), and the tabernacle veil (Hebrews 9:7).

Every New Testament baptism passage, from Acts 2:38 to Romans 6, 1 Peter 3:21, and Titus 3:5, is written against this backdrop. Traditions disagree on how baptism relates to the solution, but they agree on the problem. And Isaiah doesn’t stop with the problem: God’s own arm brings salvation (Isaiah 59:16), and the Redeemer comes to Zion (Isaiah 59:20; Romans 11:26), answered in Jesus (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 10:19–22).

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Phase two begins: what does baptism do? 01:42 First, understand the problem 03:23 Reading Isaiah 59:1–2 05:09 Separation and the hidden face of God 07:45 The pattern through the Old Testament 12:00 Why the problem matters for every baptism passage 15:59 Isaiah’s answer: God’s own arm brings salvation 20:13 Recap, closing prayer, and what’s next

Bob points out that Luke uses three different Greek prepositions (epi, eis, and en) across Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and 19:5. A fixed formula wouldn’t change every time it was reported, which suggests Luke is describing the authority and allegiance behind the baptism, not the words spoken. Bob then explains what “in the name of” meant in the first century: transfer to someone’s account, acting under delegated authority, and belonging to someone (1 Corinthians 1:13–15). The Didache and Justin Martyr show the Trinitarian formula in early use.

He also presents the Oneness Pentecostal position, looks at “calling on His name” in Acts 22:16, and recaps the whole Foundations phase before the series turns to its central question: what does baptism do?

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Matthew 28 or Acts: two formulas? 01:27 Baptism in Jesus’ name in Acts, and why the prepositions differ 04:56 What “in the name of” meant in the first century 08:37 Formula and authority: how Matthew 28 and Acts fit together 10:43 The Oneness Pentecostal view 13:30 Calling on His name: Acts 22:16 15:23 Recap of the Foundations phase 18:23 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch takes the verse apart. In Greek, there’s one main command, “make disciples.” Going, baptizing, and teaching all support it. Baptism isn’t a detached add-on; it’s part of how disciples are made. Bob also notes that Jesus says “in the name,” singular, a Trinitarian confession in itself.

Then he takes up a question some scholars raise: was the Trinitarian formula original, or added later? He weighs Eusebius’s shorter quotations against the evidence of every Greek manuscript, the Didache, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. He also compares the parallel commissions in Mark 16 (noting the textual question about the longer ending), Luke 24, and Acts 1:8, and sets up next episode’s question: why does Acts baptize “in the name of Jesus”?

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 From the Jordan to the Great Commission 02:16 Matthew 28:19–20: one command, “make disciples” 06:49 “In the name”: the Trinitarian formula 09:28 Was the Trinitarian formula added later? 13:32 The commission in Mark, Luke, and Acts 17:26 What the Great Commission tells us about baptism 20:42 Closing prayer and what’s next

God called Israel His son (Exodus 4:22). Israel passed through the water, went into the wilderness for forty years, was tested, and failed. Matthew shows Jesus walking the same path: called out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15), through the water, then led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days. Each of His three answers to the devil comes from Deuteronomy, the book of Israel’s wilderness failures. Where Israel fell, Jesus stood.

Then Bob turns to what happened when Jesus came up out of the water: the Son in the river, the Spirit descending, and the Father speaking. He traces the Father’s words to Psalm 2, Isaiah 42, and possibly Genesis 22, looks at the meaning of the dove, and connects the “torn” heavens in Mark 1 to Isaiah 64:1 and the torn temple veil in Mark 15:38. He also shows how Ignatius, Chrysostom, Gregory of Nazianzus, and others read the event, and draws out what Jesus’ baptism tells us about identity, mission, the Trinity, and the wilderness that follows the water.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap and today’s plan 01:33 The pattern: Israel, God’s son, through the water 04:06 Three temptations, three answers from Deuteronomy 09:23 The Trinitarian theophany at the Jordan 11:22 The Father’s voice, the dove, and the torn heavens 15:51 How the early church read Jesus’ baptism 17:59 What Jesus’ baptism tells us about baptism 20:30 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob Baulch begins with the geography. John 1:28 places the baptism at “Bethany beyond the Jordan,” which most scholars identify with the east-bank site of Al-Maghtas, across from Jericho. That’s the same stretch of river where Israel crossed into the promised land under Joshua (Joshua 3:16). Bob then explains the “Joshua typology” the early church saw there. Joshua and Jesus share the same Hebrew name, Yeshua, and both began their public leadership at the Jordan. He draws on Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Aphrahat, Gregory of Nyssa, and modern scholars like Jean Daniélou.

Next, he walks through all four Gospel accounts, each adding something unique: Mark’s torn heavens, Matthew’s conversation with John, Luke’s praying Jesus, and John’s Spirit that “remained.” Finally, he lays out five scholarly readings of Jesus’ one stated reason, “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15): solidarity, obedience, inauguration, sanctifying the waters, and recapitulation, with recapitulation setting up the next episode.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Why would the sinless Jesus be baptized? 02:39 Where Jesus was baptized: Bethany beyond the Jordan 05:20 Why the location matters: Joshua 3 06:33 The Joshua typology the early church saw 13:07 The four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism 18:26 Five readings of “to fulfill all righteousness” 22:42 Recap 24:26 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob starts with the Jordan River itself, the river Israel crossed into the promised land (Joshua 3), where Naaman was cleansed, and where John called the nation to come through again. He then lays out five things that set John’s baptism apart from ordinary Jewish washings: it was done by another person, it happened once, it dealt with sin rather than ritual impurity, it looked forward to the coming kingdom, and it demanded real change of life. He also weighs the claimed connection to the Qumran community.

Next, Bob tackles a hard question: how could John’s baptism be “for the forgiveness of sins” before the cross? He presents three readings fairly. Then he shows from Acts 19 that the early church drew a clear line between John’s baptism and Christian baptism, and closes with Luke 7:29–30, where response to John’s baptism became a dividing line.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 John the Baptist: the bridge between the Testaments 01:07 Why the Jordan River matters: Joshua 3 04:22 What John did: the four Gospel accounts 07:21 Five ways John’s baptism was new, and the Qumran question 11:44 “For the forgiveness of sins” before the cross? 15:40 John’s baptism vs. Christian baptism: Acts 19 and Apollos 19:28 Recap and Luke 7:29–30 22:03 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob walks through four patterns the New Testament itself connects to baptism. Noah’s flood, where water both judged and saved, is a picture Peter calls a type of baptism (1 Peter 3). The Red Sea crossing is the moment Paul says Israel was “baptized into Moses” (1 Corinthians 10:1–2). Circumcision is the covenant sign Paul places side by side with baptism (Colossians 2:11–12), and it’s the passage behind one of the biggest debates in church history: infant baptism versus believer’s baptism. Finally, Ezekiel 36:25–27, God’s promise of cleansing water and a new Spirit, is the background Jesus expected Nicodemus to recognize when He spoke of being “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3).

These connections are laid out here. What they prove and don’t prove comes later in the series.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap, and what typology means 02:00 Noah’s flood: 1 Peter 3 03:38 The Red Sea crossing: 1 Corinthians 10:1–2 05:03 Circumcision: Colossians 2 and the infant baptism debate 07:55 Ezekiel 36 and “born of water and the Spirit” 09:54 Pulling the four pictures together 12:05 Closing prayer and what’s next

Bob starts with a quick correction from Episode 4, adding embaptō (“to dip into”), used at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:23; Mark 14:20). Then he introduces four Hebrew words that shape everything the Old Testament does with water: tabal (dip), rachats (wash the body), kabas (wash clothes), and taher (be clean). He walks through the Levitical purity system (Leviticus 11–15; Numbers 19), where water moved people and things from unclean to clean, and from separated to restored.

He also visits the mikvah, the ritual immersion pools archaeologists have found by the hundreds in first-century Israel, and explains the debated practice of proselyte baptism and why its timing matters for reading Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 A correction from Episode 4: embaptō 01:54 Stepping into the Hebrew world 03:56 Four Hebrew words: dip, wash, launder, be clean 07:11 The Levitical purity system 11:40 The mikvah: ritual immersion pools 13:35 Proselyte baptism and Nicodemus 16:28 Pulling it together 18:16 Closing prayer and what’s next

Baptistēs means “the one who baptizes,” and in the New Testament it is used only for John the Baptist. Bob also looks at why Mark sometimes calls John “the baptizing one” instead (Mark 6:14). Baptismos means a washing done by dipping, and the New Testament uses it for Jewish ceremonial washings of hands, cups, and pots (Mark 7:3–4; Hebrews 6:2; 9:10). Baptisma is the big one: the noun for the baptism event itself, used for John’s baptism, Jesus’ baptism of suffering, and Christian baptism.

The key takeaway: the New Testament doesn’t use the same word for washing cups and for being baptized into Christ. Same family, same root, but different contexts and different words. With the Greek foundation complete, the series moves next into the Old Testament and Jewish background.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: baptō and baptizō 01:09 Baptistēs: the baptizer 03:06 Baptismos: Jewish ceremonial washings 05:55 Baptisma: the baptism event itself 09:31 The whole word family together 11:32 Closing prayer

Bob shows that baptizō wasn’t originally a religious word at all. Non-Christian writers used it for ships swamped by waves (Polybius), a man overcome by wine (Plato), a young priest drowned in a pool (Josephus), and objects in the Dead Sea (Strabo). He also corrects a popular sermon illustration, the “pickle recipe,” by looking at what Nicander of Colophon actually wrote about preparing turnips.

Then he turns to two non-ritual New Testament uses, the Pharisee’s washing in Luke 11:38 and Jesus’ “baptism” of suffering in Mark 10:38–39, and asks why the early Christians chose this stronger word for their practice.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Recap: baptō 00:30 Baptō vs. baptizō: the difference 01:52 Not a religious word: how ancient writers used baptizō 05:46 The “pickle recipe,” corrected 09:11 Baptizō in the New Testament: Luke 11:38 and Mark 10:38–39 11:57 Why the early Christians chose baptizō 14:17 Closing prayer

Baptō simply means to dip or immerse something in a liquid. Sometimes it’s a quick dip, and sometimes it’s an immersion that stains or dyes what goes in. Bob traces the word through classical Greek, its three New Testament uses (Luke 16:24, John 13:26, Revelation 19:13), and examples from the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament used in Jesus’ day, including 2 Kings 8:15 and Job 9:31.

Along the way, he sets up the key distinction for the next episode: baptō is the root, but the New Testament uses a related word, baptizō, for baptism. Why that word was chosen matters for everything that follows.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 “Baptize” is a transliteration, not a translation 01:24 The root word baptō: dip, dye, stain 03:23 Baptō in the New Testament 05:20 Baptō in the Septuagint 07:23 Why it matters: baptō and baptizō 08:39 Closing prayer and what’s next

Through real-life stories, like a Catholic-raised young woman told her baptism doesn’t count, Bob shows how this issue affects real people. He also lays out the seven-phase roadmap for the series: the Greek words behind “baptize,” Jewish washings and the mikvah, the New Testament texts, the central question of what baptism does, 2,000 years of history, mode and subjects, and modern movements. Throughout, the evidence will be kept separate from his own position.

Paul asked, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:13) and wrote of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). This series asks what that really means.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Two Christians and a wall of water 01:01 How big the divide really is 02:47 Real people, real stories 04:06 “Is Christ divided?” 04:45 The seven phases of this study 07:13 Why Bob’s own journey matters 09:14 Closing prayer and what’s next

The series runs about 80 to 90 main episodes in seven parts: Foundations (the Greek words, Jewish washings and the mikvah, John the Baptist, and Jesus’ own baptism), New Testament Theology (Acts 2:38, Romans 6, Galatians 3, 1 Peter 3:21, Colossians 2), The Central Question (does baptism cause transformation or signify it?), Historical Development (from the Didache through Augustine and beyond), Mode and Subjects, Post-Reformation and Special Topics, and finally Bob’s own conclusions, clearly labeled as his.

After the main series come at least two dozen weeks of bonus content: dramatic baptisms from church history, modern testimonies from the mission field, conversations with representatives of major traditions, and practical resources.

Three commitments guide the series. It will be comprehensive. Every tradition will be presented so that its own people would recognize it. And it will be transparent about sources, keeping evidence and interpretation clearly separate.

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5). Let’s find out what it means.

Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting Jesus the Savior?

Chapters 00:00 Welcome: the series at a glance 01:32 Part 1: Foundations 02:56 Part 2: New Testament theology 04:09 Part 3: The central question 05:28 Part 4: Historical development 06:36 Parts 5–7 and the bonus content 11:28 What makes this series different 13:25 Launch details and closing prayer