Echo Zoe Radio

In this episode, Andy and Ryan continue to explore the Biblical covenants with the Mosaic covenant.

In this episode, Andy and Ryan continue to explore is the Abrahamic covenant.

In this episode, Andy and Ryan begin to unpack the Biblical covenants. The first covenant they explore is the Abrahamic covenant. This episode was recorded while they were touring Israel on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Ryan and Andy examine the roles of Moses and Elijah in the Old and New Testaments, and how they relate to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, both historically and prophetically.

Ryan and Andy discuss the elements of 1 Corinthians 15 and the heart of the Gospel message.

Episode 5 of The Bible Nexus, originally posted November 9, 2025. The mysterious “Angel of the Lord” in the Old Testament.

Episode 4 of The Bible Nexus, originally posted October 11, 2025. The origins, journeys, disappearance, and future of the Ark of the Covenant.

Episode 3 of The Bible Nexus, originally posted September 28, 2025. In this episode Ryan Habbena and Andy Olson discuss various realms of Priesthood in the Bible, including the supreme Priesthood that Jesus established.

Episode 2 of The Bible Nexus, originally posted August 22, 2025. In John chapter 4, Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at the well. We discuss the history of Israel, who the Samaritans are and how they came to be, as well as the significance of this encounter.

Ryan Habbena and I recently launched a new podcast, The Bible Nexus. This episode of Echo Zoe Radio is the first episode of The Bible Nexus Podcast. We introduce ourselves, talk about our intentions for the new show, and talk about the history and significance of Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.

The history and future of the promised land is explored by Ryan Habbena and Andy Olson.

Andrew Rappaport and Fred Butler return for the sixth annual Roundtable. The three of us each brought a topic to discuss for roughly 20 minutes. We start with Andrew, who wanted to talk a little about “Christian Nationalism,” primarily that he doesn't like the use of the term. Fred followed with a discussion of “Worldviews,” […]

Ryan Habbena walks us through the seed promise, from the curse on the serpent following the Fall in Genesis to the ultimate victory in Revelation. (02:00) Exploring the Seed Promise and War (13:26) The Seed War and Promise (27:49) Advancing the Seed Promise (36:22) Comparing Genealogies in Gospels (43:41) Understanding the Seed Promise Fulfillment (56:40) The Seed Promise Unveiled Scriptures Referenced Genesis 3:15 John Chapter 8 Galatians Chapter 3 2 Samuel 7 Matthew Chapter 1 Luke Chapter 3 Revelation 12

Will Dobbie is pastor of Emmanuel Church of Knoxville, Tennessee, and author of “From Everlasting to Everlasting: Every Believer's Biography,” and “A Time to Mourn: Grieving the Loss of Those Whose Eternities Were Uncertain.” He returns to talk about mourning the deaths of loved ones who are either unsaved, or whose salvation is unclear. Scriptures Referenced […]

Kofi Adu-Boahen is pastor of Redeemer Bible Fellowship in Medford, Oregon. Kofi has been with us several times, and returns once again, this time to talk about Law and Gospel. Outline of the Discussion The Gospel is at the center of our Christian lives. Without understanding the relationship between the Gospel and the Law of […]

Gabe Hughes is pastor of Providence Reformed Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona. He’s also an author, and creator of WWUTT, or When We Understand the Text, a ministry in which he creates Youtube videos, writes books, and has a daily podcast. For this episode, Gabe and I talk about Christians and Entertainment. We touch on various […]

Andrew Rappaport and Fred Butler return for the sixth annual Roundtable. The format is more free-form this time around. It’s a fun discussion that begins with Fred talking about Bigfoot, and ends with Andrew discussing “No Quarter November.”

Andrew Rappaport is the founder of Striving for Eternity Ministries, and co-creater of the Christian Podcast Community. He’s also a frequent guest, and is back for his ninth episode of Echo Zoe Radio. Andrew returns to talk about the history and politics of modern Israel. Andrew lays out the governments of the land from the […]

Gene Clyatt returns for a fourth installment of English Reformation history {at least in regard to the time-period.) Gene was first on with me in August of 2021, where he talked about the early days of the English Reformation under Henry the 8th and Bishop Thomas Cranmer. In the May, 2022 episode, Gene returned to […]

Jonathan Worthington is adjunct professor of theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, incoming Chaplain for the North Hennepin Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, and Director of Research at Training Leaders International. He joins us to talk about training pastors and ministry leaders around the world. Outline of the Discussion Jonathan grew up in Virginia. He went to seminary at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and then moved to Scotland to study for his PhD. Following that, he stayed on full-time with his church in Scotland, before taking a position as a New Testament professor at Belfast Bible College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After changes in UK immigration policy, his family was forced to return the the US. It took some time before ending up where he is now, but for the last seven years he's been at Training Leaders International (TLI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His position allows him to incorporate three passions that are difficult to combine: academics, serving the local church, and working in cross-cultural settings. Jonathan describes Marcus from India, who was the village “doctor,” only because he had slightly more knowledge of medicine than the average villager. When several villagers became Christians along with Marcus, they all just assumed he'd be their pastor. TLI started out as a ministry of Bethlehem Baptist Church. While they are still very friendly, they have since split off and are independent. TLI teaches local leaders in short, intense training sessions. There are nine week-long training sessions spread over three years. After each teaching session, attendees are tasked with finding people to teach what they just learned over the next four months leading up to the next training session. Jonathan taught Maria in the Philippines. Maria was excited, and knew exactly who she wanted to teach. The problem was that the people she wanted to teach were not literate. Jonathan had been reading about orality, or oral-based learning. (Aural is a similar term pertaining to hearing.) There's a spectrum that ranges from Primary-Oral to Primary-Literate, with many points in between. He came up with a strategy with Maria to be able to go back and teach those who could not read. Being more Oral can have advantages. Our brains retain different types and amounts of information depending on the type of thinking we do (oral vs. literate.) Throughout history, most people have learned by hearing. From the priestly teaching in the time of Christ to the churches of the Middle Ages, people heard the scriptures preached. Maria would go on to teach in her home village in similar manner. Most of the places TLI does work in are open countries, where ministry work is allowed. For some closed countries, they can fly people to a nearby open country for training, then send them home. They typically feel safe in the places where they go. However, they often need to be discrete for the sake of the people they are serving. White faces showing up can put a target on the locals. In discussing open vs. closed, we talked about Dubai. The United Arab Emirates is closed, but Dubai is very open. It's a popular tourist destination. There is a seminary there, and churches. Proselytizing is not allowed though. It used to be a place where people from closed countries could be brought in for training. Jonathan has taught in: India, Mongolia, the Philippines, Romania, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Brazil, Panama, and Chile. They also have a “Diaspora Program” that teaches immigrants in the US who then go to their communities to lead their own people groups. Additional Resources Email Jonathan Jonathan's Scholarly Articles on Global Theological Education: Orality’s Breadth and Depth Mature Together: The Task of Teaching in Missions Navigating Empathy Deep Motivation in Theological Education Engaging Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes by Jackson Wu Spiritual Formation by Training Leaders in Their Indigenous Cultures: The Importance of Cultural Humility and Virtue Theory A Vision and Philosophy for Developing a Curriculum of Non-Formal Cross-Cultural Theological Education Jonathan's Articles for Popular Venues: When Decaying Bodies Meet a Creator God Deep Learning that Transforms Would Paul Be Considered a Bad Missionary Today? Hope Beyond Heaven and Justice Now Put on Trifocals: God is More Than Sovereign The Bible’s Story on a Kid’s Napkin Have We Missed the Honor-Shame Focus in Scripture? Our Mission Remains Essential

Allen Nelson is pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Perryville, Arkansas. He’s also the author of “Before the Throne: Reflections on God's Holiness,” “From Death to Life: How Salvation Works,” and “A Change of Heart: Understanding Regeneration and Why it Matters.” He also writes for Things Above, a Christian group blog dedicated to Missions, Evangelism, […]

Ryan Habbena is pastor of Conquering King Fellowship church in Eagan, Minnesota, Instructor at Village Schools of the Bible, President of the Mount Moriah Foundation and Zera Biblical Films, and board member of Echo Zoe Ministries. He joins us this month to talk about the Sabbath, from the historical requirements of Sabbath keeping to the contemporary, New Testament understanding of the Sabbath. Outline of the Discussion The Law, the Prophets, and the New Covenant writings have much to say about the sabbath. Addressing “Christendom” in the broadest sense (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and even Cultic,) there is a broad range of views regarding the sabbath. Seventh Day Adventism, which Ryan describes as “a more tolerable cult,” has in it's very name the adherence to sabbath-keeping, and that the sabbath is the seventh day of the week (Saturday.) It is an Antichrist doctrine that strays, according to them. Within mainline Protestant denominations, we find the “Puritan sabbath,” which is the understanding that the sabbath has been changed from the seventh day to the first day. Within Messianic Judaism, we have a traditional sabbath, in keeping with traditional Judaism. It's helpful to look at the whole counsel of God in regard to the sabbath. The discussion of the sabbath begins with the seventh day of creation, in which God ceased. This began the seven day cycle. There is no command to keep the sabbath prior to Moses. Compare this to circumcision, which begins with Abraham. It is in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) that we first see a command to keep the sabbath. (Exodus 20:8-11) It is in the commandment that the issue becomes more complicated. The other nine commandments are transcendent. We would say they are all still binding under the New Covenant. The place to start with a New Testament understanding is with the commands of Christ. What does He have to say about the specific Mosaic command regarding the sabbath? In Exodus 35, we see the penalty for sabbath-breaking is death. There is also a sabbath for the land. The land shall be cultivated for six years, and allowed to rest on the seventh year. There is both continuity and discontinuity between the Mosaic Law and the New Covenant. An example of continuity is that the only way anyone is saved, in any era, is by Grace through Faith. No one has ever been saved by observation of the Law. The rabbinical elements of Judaism had their rise during the Second Temple (Intertestamental) period. A major controversy among the rabbinical schools was in regards to how to observe the sabbath. What is bound, and what is loosed? The sabbath customs are very strange to the non-Jew. For example: the willingness to load the dishwasher on Saturday, but unwillingness to press the “start” button to allow the dishwasher to run (loading it seems to be the work, not running it, but they see things differently because of what the rabbis teach.) Similarly, the elevators have a “sabbath” mode, whereby the door opens and closes at every floor; there is no need to press any buttons. Some of the tension between Jesus and the rabbis was their perception that He was breaking the sabbath. Jesus deliberately violated rabbinical traditions without violating the Law. As an aside, in Martin Luther's hymn “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” we find the line “Lord Sabaoth His Name.” This does not mean “Lord of the Sabbath,” but rather “Lord of Hosts.” Jeremiah prophesies a New Covenant (31:31-34.) This covenant is not like the covenant made with their fathers. The issue of the sabbath is directly related to Covenant. It matters which covenant we are under. The sabbath is something valuable to be looked towards as a believer, but is not in regards to an old covenant law. Romans 14 speaks to differences between the old and new covenants; things like what to eat, what festivals to observe, and days to regard. If we, as new covenant believers, were called to observe the sabbath as was done under the old covenant, this is where Paul would have clarified as such. We shouldn't see sabbath as a day to worship, but rather as something that points us to the perfect, finished work of Jesus Christ. We who believe enter into His sabbath rest. Paul likewise rebukes the Colossians over their practice of judging each other in regards to several old covenant practices (2:16-17) The consistent thread is that it is okay (or good) to continue to observe old covenant practices such as sabbath keeping. What is not okay (or good) is commanding others to do the same. The author of Hebrews links belief to sabbath rest (3:16-4:13.) Other views of sabbath (views that hold Christians to sabbath observance, lead to a slippery-slope. If we are to observe the sabbath as in the old covenant, must we make lists of forbidden activities? What must the punishment be for failure to observe the sabbath? Scriptures Referenced Genesis 2:1-3 Exodus 20:8-11 Exodus 35:1-3 Exodus 23:10-11 Matthew 16:19 John 5:1-17; ch. 9 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 8 Acts 2, 15 Romans 2 Romans 14: 1-6 Colossians 2:16-17 Hebrews 3:16-4:13

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” – Acts 17:6b-7 ESV Dan Phillips is pastor of Copperfield Bible Church in Houston, Texas. He has a Master of Divinity from Talbot Theological Seminary. He also writes for the collaborative blog Pyromaniacs, and his own blog, Biblical Christianity. He's the author of two books, The World-Tilting Gospel, and God's Wisdom in Proverbs.” I've had in mind to ask Dan for an interview for Echo Zoe Radio for quite some time. His book The World-Tilting Gospel is a wonderful read, about the most dear subject to any Christian's heart: the Gospel. For this episode, Dan and I discussed the book, and through it, the Gospel. An Outline of the Discussion The Gospel is not just about an experience, it's really about truth. That truth is grounded in a worldview, and really begins with Genesis 1:1, and not John 3:16. “Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is, no longer have the categories to understand it, no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories in their non-moral universe — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think theyâ€re guilty.” – David Wells, Founder's Conference, Tulsa, OK, June 2007 Our dire situation begins in the Garden of Eden, as Adam and Eve committed the first sin by disobeying God and partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as they were commanded not to.This act changed their very nature, and their worldview. That corrupted worldview and nature persists to this very day, and every one of us (their descendants) are born into this corrupted nature and worldview. God had in mind all along to remedy the situation. Dan illustrates the true nature of our predicament through the analogy of a man in an operating room in a hospital, with teams of doctors working hard to save him. If we saw such a thing, we'd know that his situation is dire. With that mindset, we look to the cross, where the Son of God had to die in order to save us from our sin. We look to the serious nature of the remedy to truly understand the seriousness of the situation. The nature of apostasy shows that a person never truly understood the serious nature of his own sin, or of the remedy that was required to save him from it. Penal substitutionary atonement is first introduced in Genesis 3 (not Romans 3), when God made a blood sacrifice to cover the guilt of sinners (Adam and Eve). The Old Testament sacrificial system provided a daily, visual reminder of the nature of sin. As the Israelites saw the bloody sacrifices taking place at the Temple, they were to associate the blood shed with their own sins; that blood was necessary to cover the guilt of their sins. Isaiah 52:13-53:12, written 700 years before Christ, gave a detailed description of the suffering of one man for the sins of the elect. Justification and regeneration are two “towering truths” that come out of the Gospel. Justification deals with our horrible record (our guilt), and regeneration deals with our horrible nature (our . Faith has three elements to it: hearing truth, understanding that it is true, and entrusting ourselves to it. Salvation doesn't begin by making the “right decision,” it begins with God raising dead sinners to life. Dan addresses three people with a faulty approach to the Gospel: Gutless Gracers, Crisis Upgraders, and Muzzy Mystics. Gutless Gracers are people who subscribe to a view called “Free Grace.” It's not that they are gutless, but their view of grace is gutless. In effect, their view of grace does little to nothing. Crisis Upgraders have a view that they can “upgrade” their Christian life through some sudden experience. Keswick is a non-charismatic view that you can upgrade your standing as a Christian by “laying it all on the altar.” The Charismatic view is that we are “upgraded” through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Muzzy Mystics are those who “let go and let God”. They believe that they cannot do anything themselves, that their own mind is an enemy to their spirituality. “The flesh” is the remaining effect of sin that we deal with in this life. It presents us with the remaining and ongoing struggle that we deal with. The Holy Spirit baptizes into the body of Christ. Dan explains the works of the Spirit, and juxtaposes that to some false teachings and understandings of the works of the Spirit. Scriptures Referenced Jeremiah 17:9 Genesis 1-3 Genesis 3:15 Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Romans 10:17 Genesis 15:6 Titus 2:11-14 Psalm 1 John 15 Romans 7:14 Acts 17:6-7 Additional Resources The World-Tilting Gospel: Embracing a Biblical Worldview and Hanging on Tight (Amazon affiliate link) Pyromaniacs, the group blog started by Phil Johnson, now shared between Dan Phillips and Frank Turk Biblical Christianity – Dan's personal blog Related episodes Phil Johnson: The Doctrines of Grace Dr. James White: Sola Gratia & Sovereign Grace Ryan Habbena: Sanctification Phil Johnson: Sola Fide Robert Bachtell: The Case for a Biblical Worldview Mike Abendroth: Sola Scriptura Dr. Kevin Bauder: Evangelicalism Tony Miano: Biblical Evangelism Sye Ten Bruggencate: Presuppositional Apologetics Jordan Hall: A Modern Day Downgrade Nick Coldagelli: The Love of God

Michael Coughlin is an evangelist from Ohio, and an abortion abolitionist. He was first on Echo Zoe Radio nearly seven years ago, for the July 2016 episode, in which we talked about Proper Comparisons. He returns this month to talk about Faithfulness through Trials. Outline of the Discussion Michael visited in 2018 while in town […]

Gabe Hughes is Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church in Lindale, Texas. He’s also an author, and creator of WWUTT, or When We Understand the Text, a ministry in which he creates Youtube videos, writes books, and has a daily podcast. For this episode, Gabe joins us to discuss a major controversy within the Southern Baptist Convention […]