The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary

A weekly walk through all 66 books of the Bible, where you can discover more about Scripture and how it shapes our lives today.

The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 33 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Bible in a Year from Luther Seminary, a education show with 33 episodes published.

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  Episode #33

  The Gospel of Mark: Mystery, Humor, and the Secret Jesus Kept

  Aug 19, 202629 min

  The Gospel of Mark takes center stage in this episode of The Bible in a Year . Dr. Kristofer Phan Coffman, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, joins the hosts to unpack why Mark is the shortest and most mysterious gospel. He explains the messianic secret, Mark's surprising humor, and its deep connections to the writings of Paul. Listeners will hear about the Gerasene demoniac, the demon named Legion, and the cosmic battle between Jesus and demonic powers that drives Mark's narrative forward. Dr. Coffman also addresses the puzzling multiple endings of Mark 16 and why the earliest manuscripts leave the women fleeing the tomb in fear. The conversation explores why the Gospel of Mark has often been overlooked next to Matthew and Luke, and why modern scholars believe Mark served as a source for both later gospels. The episode closes with Dr. Coffman's take on Mark's central message: Jesus' power over Satan revealed through his self giving love on the cross. Visit enterthebible.org for more on the Gospel of Mark and every book of Scripture.

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  Episode #32

  32. Unpacking the Gospel of Matthew: How is Jesus like Moses?

  Aug 12, 202629 min

  In this episode of The Bible in a Year , hosts Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Rev. Katie Langston turn to the Gospel of Matthew. They're joined by Dr. Kristofer Phan Coffman, Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, who guides listeners through the book's genre, likely authorship, and original audience. The conversation covers Matthew's signature elements: the Sermon on the Mount, the Torah, Matthew's own story as a tax collector, and the Great Commission. Dr. Coffman also unpacks the visit of the Magi, explaining why this familiar Christmas story sets up a much bigger claim about who Jesus is. The discussion moves through several of Matthew's distinctive parables, including the sheep and the goats, the wedding feast, and the workers in the vineyard, and considers why Matthew is remembered as a teaching gospel. Dr. Coffman describes Jesus in Matthew as "like Moses, but better," modeled on Moses yet working on a far grander scale. The episode also touches on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship as an example of the Sermon on the Mount's ongoing influence. It's a rich, accessible entry point into the Gospel of Matthew for anyone reading along with The Bible in a Year .

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  Episode #31

  What Does It Really Mean to Be "Restored"? Zechariah and Malachi Close Out the Old Testament

  Aug 5, 202636 min

  What does it mean to be restored, according to the Bible? This episode closes out the Old Testament with Zechariah and Malachi, two short books written after the people returned from exile in Babylon. Dr. Cory Driver, Director of Research at the Center for Life at Miami University of Ohio, joins hosts Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker and Dr. Kristofer Phan Coffman to explore what restoration actually looks like. It turns out to be about more than rebuilt walls and a rebuilt temple. It's about a people learning what it means to follow God again, for the first time. Dr. Driver walks through Zechariah's eight strange and beautiful night visions, the promise of a humble shepherd king, and the two anointed leaders who point forward to something greater. Then the conversation turns to Malachi's raw, honest argument between God and the people, including the hard passages on divorce and the promise that Elijah will return before the day of the Lord. Along the way, listeners will hear how both books shape the story of Jesus in the New Testament, setting up a hopeful and fitting close to the Hebrew Bible.

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  Episode #30

  30. The Two Shortest Books You've Probably Never Read (And Why They Matter)

  Jul 29, 202624 min

  What does the Day of the Lord mean, and why does it look so different in two short prophetic books? In this episode, hosts Kathryn Schifferdecker and Jennie Wojciechowski welcome guest Kristin Wendland, associate professor of religion at Wartburg College, to explore Zephaniah and Haggai. Zephaniah confronts idolatry head-on, warning that the Day of the Lord brings judgment on unfaithfulness. But that judgment isn't the end of the story. Kristin shows how the book turns toward hope, restoration, and a faithful God who transforms rather than abandons. Haggai takes us to a different moment entirely, after the Babylonian exile, when the returning people of Judah are called to rebuild the temple. Kristin unpacks why the timing mattered, what King Josiah's earlier reforms have to do with Zephaniah, and how both books point to a God who remains present through judgment and renewal. Though these two books are short and easy to skip, this conversation shows why they still matter for faith today.

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  Episode #28

  28. Nahum, Jonah, and the God Who Won't Give Up on Nineveh

  Jul 15, 202624 min

  Most people know Jonah as the guy who got swallowed by a whale, but this book of Jonah summary reveals a much stranger and funnier story than that. In this episode of the Bible in a Year podcast, hosts Katie Langston and Kathryn Schifferdecker are joined by Rolf Jacobson, Dean of the Faculty at Luther Seminary, to explore the books of Jonah and Nahum. Rolf walks through Jonah's reluctant call to preach against Nineveh, his flight in the opposite direction, the storm, the big fish, and the five word sermon that somehow converts an entire city from the king down to the animals. He also unpacks the book of Nahum, which pronounces God's judgment on Assyria for its brutality against Israel and sets the stage for everything Jonah wrestles with. At the heart of the conversation is the Hebrew word hesed, God's steadfast loving mercy, and the uncomfortable question Jonah leaves us with. If you want mercy for yourself, can you also want it for the people who hurt you or the people you hate? Along the way, Rolf and the hosts play a round of Bible Bingo covering Nineveh, providence, nature, and obedience, and dig into some strange details in the Hebrew text that even seasoned scholars find surprising. Whether you are new to the minor prophets or have read Jonah a dozen times, this conversation offers a fresh way into a small book with a lot to say.

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