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Paul called for followers of Jesus to be imitators of God before laying out what that would look like. In Ephesians 6:10-20, he challenges the church to fight God's battle using God's weapons. Jason and Michael explain how that often looks much different than we might expect, and because of that, we often don't even engage in the battle that God wants us to fight.

Why, in the middle of a letter about the vital nature of unity in the midst of a cosmic attack from the powers and authorities, does Paul suddenly turn to a marriage and parenting workshop for the church? The Eikon team considers the cultural context of Paul's letter and discusses how that may not be at all what Paul was doing. Understanding the contexts of Paul's writing help us understand biblical submission and how Paul envisioned it radically challenging the culture around them.

Conversations about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit often focus on the spectacular and the individual. The Eikon team examines what Paul says it looks like and it may not be what you'd expect.

Did Paul envision a collection of sin managers or a community of image-bearers? What's the difference and why does it matter?

For Paul, the Church was locked into a cosmic battle with the powers and authorities. It was a battle that Christ had already secured but the churches failed to embody that victory through their love and unity. The Eikon team considers what Paul believed the gift of unity should look like and how we often misuse the notion of unity to silence those that disagree with us or that have had differing experiences.

A Special release of our Patreon Exclusive show Do We Need the Church?Michael and Jason have a lively and explosive discussion on whether the church is synonymous with the kingdom of God and the implications of believing one way or the other.

Paul called followers of Jesus to unity and oneness because that is the very nature of God and what he wants for the world. Our identity is in Christ but what is the practical center of that identity; how do we most clearly express and identify with that identity? Was it moral behavior, church growth, or did Paul have something else in mind?

At the end of Ephesians, 3 Paul prays that the church's eyes may be opened to the victory that God has secured for them in Christ. Yet, it was a battle that many of them did not even realize they were fighting. Even more surprising is that we are engaged in that same battle and are even more unaware of it. The Eikon Team looks at the reality of that battle and considers the dangers to the church. One of the factors that amplify the dangers of this battle is when Christians find their primary identity in the church rather than in Christ. They talk about the subtle temptation of finding our identity in the church, the temporary benefits of doing so, as well as the disastrous long-term effects.www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast

Paul says that the church is the wisdom of God on display to the powers and authorities. What does he mean by that? Should this drive us towards excellence and trying to make the church look good and triumphant in everything it does? Or should it drive the church more and more to transparency, self-emptying love, and sacrifice that brings justice, mercy, and unifying equality that is put on display to the world? The Eikon team pulls apart Ephesians 3:1-13 and considers what is the mystery of Christ. www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast

Nearly 2,000 years ago Paul claimed that through Christ God had defeated the powers and authorities that sew structural injustice and human division on a mass scale. That was a claim that seemed outlandish and unfounded in the first century and even more so today. In this episode, the Eikon team looks at the evidence that Paul claimed demonstrated that God was not losing the culture but had already won. Was he right?www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast

www.patreon.com/eikonpodcastJason, Gi, and Michael make their way through Ephesians 2:1-10 and examine just what Paul meant when he said that we are saved by grace. Have we, at times, transformed Paul's words to mean something other than what he was intending to say?

As Paul prays for spiritual awareness for his first-century readers, he describes to them the reality of the spiritual battle ahead. The Eikon team dissects Paul's description of this battle and discusses the category of sin that was so important to Paul but that modern Christians have all but erased from our consciousness and have left ourselves completely vulnerable to its ravages as a result.

What does it mean to be in Christ and why did Paul describe it in such detail in the opening verses of Ephesians? The Eikon team wrestles with that and considers what this all has to do with the great cosmic battle that Paul is about to describe. They also consider what this might mean for American Christianity and whether we need to grip tighter to the past or if it's time for radical change to realign with the Gospel.

The Eikon team arrives at the end of Mark and explores where Mark ended his gospel and why. Did he intend a somewhat puzzling ending in verse 8 that challenges readers or a more triumphal ending in verse 20 that inspires readers?Please consider supporting this podcast: www.patreon.com/eikonpodcastJason's Favorite Reads of 2022:The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology - Kevin VanhoozerFor the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio - W.H. AudenHow to Inhabit Time: Understanding the Past, Facing the Future, Living Faithfully Now - James K.A. SmithOpen Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel - Thomas KeatingMy Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer - Christian WilmanMichael's Favorite Reads of 2022:What if Jesus Was Serious About the Church - Skye JethaniDear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and GraceBecoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation, and Mission - Michael GormanThe Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire - Alan KreiderYou Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World - Alan Noble

The Cross is the center of Mark's Gospel. Even though most Christian churches would identify it as their community's central symbol and heart, are we in danger of making the Cross too small? Have we embraced important elements of it but missed aspects that are just as important? The Eikon team looks at the tragedy of crucifixion but argues that the Cross is anything but. And understanding the difference is vitally important.

The Eikon team looks at Mark's stringing together of three incidents where people have the truth and wisdom of God right in front of them but tragically reject it, opting for power. But in those acts of rejection, the cross-shaped king takes his throne. These incidents should cause us to reflect on ways that we might reject the truth of the cross for something a little more comfortable and to our liking.Please consider supporting this podcast: www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast

The Eikon team examines the emotional evening at Gethsemane and the events that immediately followed and wrestle with questions that arise as the way of the cross intersects with the violence of the world. Was non-violence a central tenet of the early church and if so, why is it not for many churches today? Would the early Christians have seen that as an anti-gospel?

Please consider supporting this podcast by going to: https://www.patreon.com/eikonpodcastWhile having a type of Passover meal with his new family, Jesus redefined the temple presence of God, gave meaning to a renewed covenant with God, and demonstrated one of the most shocking and personal acts of patient love in the entire New Testament. The Eikon team looks at this touching personal moment between Jesus and his closest disciples and discusses the immense challenge of imitating Jesus' heart and character shown here in our own lives.

Is Mark 13 about the end of the world and the rapture? The Eikon team welcomes Gianna back, looks at Mark 13 in its historical context, and delves into the relatively brief history of the church's rapture and the cultural impact it has had on modern Christianity.Please consider supporting this podcast by going to: https://www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast

Jesus reserved his most direct critiques for spiritual leaders who used their position to advance their own prestige and position rather than laying down their lives for others. The Eikon team looks at two short passages where Jesus takes on this kind of misuse of authority and then discussed how that should warn and challenge spiritual leaders in today's church.Please consider supporting this podcast by going to: https://www.patreon.com/eikonpodcast