St. Philip Institute Podcast

Baptism Series: The New Testament & Baptism

In the Gospels, we see Jesus enter his public phase by receiving a baptism of water by John the Baptist, and at the end of his life he asks his disciples to baptize all the nations. We might say, then, that baptism forms the bookends of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo explores the significance of baptism for Jesus and its connection to discipleship. 

 

Show Notes:

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, see paragraphs 1217-1222. 

In the Bible:  

• The Ministry of John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 1-12; Mark 1: 1-4; Luke 3: 1-20) 
• The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3: 13-17; Mark 1: 9-11; Luke 3: 21-22) 
• The Necessity of Baptism (John 3: 3-5) 
• Baptism of “Households” seen in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 16: 27-34) 
• Baptism as Death and Life (Romans 6: 1-14) 

From St. Basil: 

“The image of death is fulfilled in the water, and the Spirit gives us the pledge of life. Therefore it is clear why water is associated with the Spirit: because of baptism’s dual purpose. On the one hand, the body of sin is destroyed, that it may never bear fruit for death. On the other hand, we are made to live by the Spirit, and bear fruit in holiness. The water receives our body as a tomb, and so becomes the image of death, while the Spirit pours in life-giving power, renewing in souls which were dead in sin the life they first possessed. This is what it means to be born again of water and Spirit: the water accomplishes our death, while the Spirit raises us to life.” 

Baptism Series: The Old Testament & Baptism

Often, when Christians think about baptism, we immediately turn to the New Testament, or speak about sacramental theology. But an important grounding for the sacraments is the rich biblical imagery evoked in the celebration of the sacraments, and in developing a full theology of the sacraments. In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo explores the deep Old Testament roots of baptism by turning to the prayer of the baptismal font. 

 

Show Notes 

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, see paragraphs 1217-1222. 

In the Bible:  

Genesis 1: 1-2 

Genesis 7-8 

Exodus 14 

Joshua 3 

The Gospel of Mark, Part VI: The Disciples

Throughout the Gospels, the Twelve Disciples get to spend extra time with Jesus, see him prayer, watch him perform miracles, etc. Yet they still struggle to understand precisely who Jesus is! Why is this and what does it show us about the spiritual life? Join Dr. Luke Arredondo as he explores this topic.

 

Passages discussed in this episode:

Mark 4:10 ff: Jesus explains the parable of the sower;

Mark 6: 45-52, esp. 51-52: Jesus enters the boat after the feeding of the 5,000 and says “Take heart, it is I (ego emi)," but the disciples do not understand;

Mark 8: 17-21: Disciples do not understand (again!)

The Gospel of Mark, Part V: The Role of Faith in Jesus’ Healings

In the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus as a divine healer, a miracle worker par excellence, able to calm the storms and raise the dead. But we also read that, in some cases, he is “unable” to heal due to the unbelief of the crowds. Alternatively, Jesus sometimes tells someone: “Your faith has healed you.” What is the link between faith and healing? Join Dr. Luke Arredondo as he discusses this aspect of Mark’s Gospel. 

 

Passages discussed in this episode:

Mark 5: 25-34 (Woman with a hemmorage) 

Mark 6: 1-6 (A prophet is not without honor) 

Mark 7: 24-30 (The Syrophonecian woman) 

Mark 9: 14-29 (this kind can only come out through prayer /and fasting) 

Mark 15: 33-34 (The Centurion’s faith) 

 

Catechism of the Catholic Church on Miracles: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/548.htm 

The Gospel of Mark, Part IV: Jesus’ Ministry of Exorcism

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performs a ministry of exorcism that helps to reveal his identity as the Lord, as the Messiah. This is seen especially in the story of the Geresane Demoniac. Join Dr. Luke Arredondo as he explores Jesus’ exorcisms in Mark, and the way these stories help us to answer the key question of the Gospel: Who is Jesus?  

 

Stories of Exorcism in Mark’s Gospel: 

Jesus heals the man with an unclean spirit (Mk. 1:21-28) 

Jesus accused of being possessed by Beelzebul (Mk. 3: 22-28) 

The story of the Gerasene Demoniac (Mk. 5: 1-20) 

Jesus heals the boy with a mute spirit (Mk. 9: 14 ff) 

 

Fulton Sheen on the Gerasene Demoniac: The Devil - Venerable Fulton Sheen 

The Gospel of Mark, Part III: The Urgency of the Gospel

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels, at just 16 chapters, but it is action-packed. In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo is joined by Elizabeth Slaten to discuss the urgency and uniqueness of the message of salvation found in Mark’s Gospel.  

The Gospel of Mark, Part II: Who is Jesus?

In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo examines the identity of Jesus as presented in three key scenes in the Gospel of Mark: Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2: 23-28), the calming of the sea (Mark 4:35-41, Mark 6: 45-51) and the Transfiguration (Mark 9: 2-9). While some contemporary scholars claim that Mark’s Gospel presents a Jesus who is merely human, these passages, especially when seen in light of their Jewish context, reveal Jesus as the LORD, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.   

 

Recommended Reading:  

The Case for Jesus, Brant Pitre: 

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Jesus-Biblical-Historical-Evidence/dp/0770435483 

The Gospel of Mark, Part I: Introduction

In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo discusses the nature of the Gospels as a literary genre. Many contemporary authors and pundits claim that the Gospels should be classified as folklore or myth, but there is considerable evidence, as well as Christian tradition, that sees the Gospels as a form of ancient biography.  

 

Recommended Resources: 

Richard Burridge, The Gospel for All Christians: Rethinking the Gospel Audiences 

https://www.amazon.com/Gospels-All-Christians-Rethinking-Audiences/dp/0802844448 

 

Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses  

https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Eyewitnesses-Gospels-Eyewitness-Testimony/dp/0802874312/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1C2FQO8J9K4LC&keywords=richard+bauckham&qid=1686841238&s=books&sprefix=richaqrd+bau%2Cstripbooks%2C140&sr=1-2 

 

Brant Pitre, The Case for Jesus 

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Jesus-Biblical-Historical-Evidence/dp/0770435483/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686841323&sr=1-1  

Dei Verbum, Part II

In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo discusses the second half of Dei Verbum, the Vatican II document on divine revelation, and especially focuses on the concept of the biblical renewal the council called for. He also offers some suggestions for resources to help Catholics put the Scripture at the heart of their prayer lives. 

Dei Verbum, Part I

In this episode, Dr. Luke Arredondo examines the historical context and the first half of the Vatican II document on divine revelation, Dei Verbum.