Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro

About Ryan and Brian's Bible Bistro

A podcast about the Bible, theology, and all things related to the Christian faith. Hosted by Ryan Sarver and Brian Johnson..

Publisher

Ryan Sarver

Category

religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Feb 2021

Latest episode

18 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

203 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Aug 2026

   Paul for the World with Dr. Nijay Gupta

   Brian talks with his professor Dr. Nijay Gupta about his new book Paul for the World, its predecessor Strange Religion, and what's next. Highlights: Crossover publishing — Gupta writes for engaged "nerdy lay people" and pastors, bridging academic scholarship and pop-Christian devotional writing. From Strange Religion to Paul for the World — the first book immersed readers in the ancient "marketplace of gods"; readers then asked how to actually live faithfully today, prompting this follow-up (original title: Here and Now). A "here and now" gospel — Gupta argues the gospel is about present life, not just future heaven, drawing on Bonhoeffer's idea of "worldliness" (invasion, not escape) and Philippians 3 / Revelation 21. How topics were chosen — built around (1) what makes up a human life (work, health, friendship, sports) and (2) what Paul himself actually wrote about most — mostly practical, worldly problems, not abstract theology. Friendship in Paul — Paul wasn't a lone wolf; he's constantly surrounded by named companions. Gupta argues Paul favors agapētos ("beloved") over philos to "Christianize" friendship. Wellness & suffering — 2 Corinthians' "sentence of death" language connects to modern anxiety and depression; Gupta shares a personal near-death story from a snowstorm. Love in Pauline theology — revisiting The Affections of Christ Jesus: love isn't just ethics, it's central to Paul's theology (Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 13). Strange Religion revisited — ancient religion as civic/communal, not private; the Roman ritual of evocatio as background for "I will never leave you nor forsake you." What's next:2 Timothy commentary (Smyth & Helwys series) Fierce and Faithful — children's book on 25 women in Scripture (w/ Carmen Imes) God Spoke Through Her — on women prophets (Feb. 2027) The Wooden Compass (working title) — a book on the cross and discipleship Books mentioned: Paul for the World, Strange Religion, The Affections of Christ Jesus, Tell Her Story (Gupta) · Dominion (Tom Holland) · Letters and Papers from Prison (Bonhoeffer) Scripture referenced: Philippians 2–3 · Galatians 2:20 · 2 Corinthians 8–9 · 1 Thessalonians · 2 Timothy · Revelation 5, 21 · Acts 19 · Joel 2/Acts 2

2. 

   21 Jul 2026

   Be Perfect? Rethinking Jesus' Hardest Command

   Ryan and Brian return from an extended break to close out Matthew chapter 5 in their ongoing Sermon on the Mount series, tackling Jesus' teaching on loving your enemies and the puzzling command to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." Episode Summary Picking back up in the Sermon on the Mount, Ryan and Brian work through Matthew 5:43–48, where Jesus contrasts the popular teaching "love your neighbor, hate your enemy" with his own command to love and pray for enemies. They trace the "hate your enemy" idea to a possible source in Psalm 139, examine parallel teaching in Luke 6, and dig into the Greek word teleios — usually translated "perfect" — arguing that "mature" or "complete" better captures Jesus' meaning. The conversation widens into Paul's theology of love in Philippians 2, John 13, and Ephesians 4, and closes with a reflection on Galatians 6:2 ("carry each other's burdens") and what it practically looks like to love the way Christ loved. Key Discussion Points Matthew 5:43–45 — Jesus quotes Leviticus 19:18 ("love your neighbor") and contrasts it with the added, extra-biblical teaching "hate your enemy," then commands love and prayer for persecutors, appealing to God's own impartiality (sun and rain on both righteous and unrighteous). Where "hate your enemy" came from — A look at Psalm 139:19–22 as a possible source for the added teaching, and how post-exilic hostility toward Israel's enemies may have shaped this interpretation. Luke 6:27–36 parallel — Comparing Jesus' "love your enemies" teaching in Luke, including the Golden Rule and the call to lend without expecting return. Matthew 5:46–47 — Jesus contrasts kingdom ethics with the behavior of tax collectors and pagans, calling his followers to a higher standard of love that extends beyond their own group. "Be perfect" (Matthew 5:48) — Why "perfect" is a misleading translation of the Greek teleios; the case for "mature" or "complete," tied to imitating God's character rather than achieving moral flawlessness. Philippians 2 and John 13 — Jesus' self-emptying (kenosis) and foot-washing as models of the same self-giving love, and Michael Gorman's argument (from his work on Paul and John) that these passages share deep conceptual and linguistic ties. Ephesians 4:11–16 — Paul's use of teleios ("mature") in the context of the body of Christ growing up into Christ through love; a brief detour on how the NIV adds interpretive language not present in the Greek, compared to the NRSV. Cruciformity — Drawing on Michael Gorman's concept (and its later expansion to "resurrectional cruciformity"), the idea that believers conform their lives to the shape of the cross — self-sacrificial, others-focused love. Nijay Gupta's "Affections of Christ Jesus" — Central to the episode's second half; Gupta's argument that Pauline love is both feeling and action, produced by the Spirit rather than willpower, with reference to Romans 5:5 ("God's love poured into our hearts"). Practical application — Wrestling with what loving enemies looks like in ordinary life (patience in traffic, responding to anger with love, forgiveness) rather than only in extreme examples like Mother Teresa. Galatians 5:13–15 and 6:2 — "Carry each other's burdens" as fulfilling the "law of Christ"; a footnote referenced from Gupta's book noting that burden-bearing was historically slave/servant work, reframing mutual burden-bearing as mutual servanthood. Scripture Referenced Matthew 5:43–48 · Leviticus 19:18 · Psalm 139:19–22 · Luke 6:27–36 · Matthew 22:37–39 · Philippians 2:5–11 · John 13:1–17 · Romans 5:5 · Romans 5:6–8 · Ephesians 4:11–16 · Galatians 5:13–15 · Galatians 6:2 · 1 Peter 1:16 Books & People Mentioned Affections of Christ Jesus — Nijay Gupta Paul for the World — Nijay Gupta (upcoming interview episode) Michael Gorman — Paul and John in Harmony (new release); concept of "cruciformity" / "resurrectional cruciformity" From Adam to Christ — Morna Hooker (quoted on the cross and self-emptying love) Charles Taylor, A Secular Age — referenced via Andrew Root's concept of "the haunting of transcendence" Andrew Root — previous podcast guest, referenced regarding transcendence and secularism

3. 

   28 May 2026

   Oaths, Vows, and Letting Your Yes Be Yes

   Ryan and Brian reunite in person at "Bistro East" (Ryan's home in Indianapolis) to celebrate Ryan's 45th birthday and dive back into their ongoing Sermon on the Mount series. This episode covers Jesus' teaching on oaths and vows — what the Old Testament commanded, where things went wrong, and what Jesus calls his followers to instead. In This Episode A birthday dinner recommendation: Bodhi Thai restaurant in Indianapolis (reservations required — book 7 days ahead!) Milestone: Episode 202 of the podcast Main text: Matthew 5:33–37 — Jesus on oaths and swearing Key Scripture References Leviticus 19:12 — Do not swear falsely by God's name Numbers 30:1–2 — A man must fulfill every vow made to the Lord Deuteronomy 23 — Do not delay fulfilling a vow; silence is better than a broken promise Judges 11:29–31 — Jephthah's hasty vow and its tragic consequences Judges 21:1 — Israel's rash oath regarding Benjamin, leading to further tragedy Matthew 5:33–37 — Jesus: "Do not swear at all... let your yes be yes and your no be no" James 5 — "Let your yes be yes and your no be no" (parallel teaching from Jesus' brother) Matthew 23:16 — Jesus rebukes the Pharisees as "blind guides" Numbers 15:26 — Unintentional sins and forgiveness for the community Main Takeaways The Old Testament law was clear: if you make a vow, you must keep it. Breaking an oath meant profaning God's name and incurring serious consequences. But the stories of Jephthah and the tribe of Benjamin illustrate the danger of hasty vows — rushed promises that lead to devastating outcomes. Jesus cuts through all of this with a radical simplification: don't swear at all. His point isn't legalistic — it's about the kind of people his followers should be. Kingdom people should have such consistent integrity that oaths become unnecessary. When your word is always good, there's no need to back it up with a sworn guarantee. The deeper issue: swearing an oath implies your normal words can't be trusted. If your yes always means yes and your no always means no, the whole system of oath-taking becomes redundant. Interesting Side Note: The Kol Nidre Brian discusses the Kol Nidre, a prayer chanted at the opening of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) in Jewish tradition. Rooted in Aramaic for "all vows," it essentially declares any inadvertent oaths made in the coming year null and void — a fascinating reflection of how seriously Jewish tradition has wrestled with the problem of broken vows. Coming Up Next, Ryan and Brian will continue in Matthew 5 with Jesus' teaching on turning the other cheek. Find More Episodes & Series Visit the Bible Bistro website for full series archives including studies on Zechariah, Daniel, and more — useful for personal study, teaching, and preaching.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings