Michael Easley inContext

Was the Trinity invented in the fourth century? Or was it always there in Scripture?

On this episode of InContext, Michael Easley sits down with church historian Brian Litfin to discuss his book, The Story of the Trinity: Controversy, Crisis, and the Creation of the Nicene Creed.

Together they explore why the Trinity was not created at First Council of Nicaea, but clarified there. From the Shema in Deuteronomy to the Son of Man in Daniel, and from the Gospels to Pentecost, Scripture consistently reveals one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Chapters

00:00 Why the Trinity Matters for Salvation

03:00 Why Evangelicals Are Rediscovering the Nicene Creed

08:00 What Is a Creed? (And Why It’s Not Above Scripture)

14:00 Monotheism in a Polytheistic World

22:00 Theophanies and Christ in the Old Testament

30:00 Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man

36:00 The Holy Spirit and the Fulfillment of the New Covenant

42:00 Was the Trinity Invented at Nicaea?

Key Topics Discussed:
-Why creeds matter for modern evangelicals

-How Jesus understood Himself as the Son sent by the Father

-The Holy Spirit’s role in fulfilling the New Covenant

-Why theology is essential—not optional—for salvation

-If God is not truly Trinitarian, there is no incarnation, no atonement, and no indwelling Spirit.

Links Mentioned:
⁠The Story of The Trinity by Dr. Brian Litfin

More About Dr. Litfin

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Robert J. Morgan joins Michael Easley for a powerful conversation about the history, theology, and enduring influence of Christian hymns. Why have these songs lasted for centuries? What are we losing when churches abandon them? And how can we recover the richness of hymnody without rejecting modern worship?

Drawing from his book The Origin of Hymns, Morgan traces the story of congregational singing from the song of Moses in Book of Exodus, through the golden age of English hymnody with writers like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, to the modern era. He shares the powerful backstory behind “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford, and how that hymn connects to the film I Can Only Imagine 2.

This episode challenges pastors, worship leaders, and believers to rediscover hymns not as nostalgia—but as theological formation. Hymns teach us how to worship, how to suffer, and how to endure.

Chapters

00:00 Why We Need Hymns Again
02:00 Robert Morgan’s Ministry Journey
05:00 The Story Behind The Red Sea Rules
09:00 The Biblical Origins of Hymnody
14:30 The Golden Age: Watts & Wesley
20:30 Theology vs. Repetition in Modern Worship
26:00 “Come Thou Fount” and Teaching Lyrics
30:00 The Story Behind “It Is Well With My Soul”
37:00 Hymns, Suffering, and Enduring Faith
42:00 Why the Church Must Recover Both Old and New

Key Topics Discussed:


The biblical roots of congregational singing


The theological depth of historic hymns


Isaac Watts and the birth of English hymnody


Charles Wesley and revival-driven worship


The problem of disposable worship music


Teaching hymn lyrics to modern congregations


The tragic story behind “It Is Well With My Soul”


Hymns as spiritual formation across generations


Combining historic hymns with modern worship songs

Links Mentioned:

The Origin of Hymns by Robert J. Morgan

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How does the entire Bible fit together? In this episode of inContext, Michael Easley sits down with New Testament scholar Alan Thompson, author of A Basic Guide to Biblical Theology, to explore how Scripture unfolds as one unified story.

They unpack the difference between exegesis, biblical theology, and systematic theology—and explain why context is king when reading the Bible. You’ll learn how the major covenants (Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New) progressively reveal God’s redemptive plan, how Jesus fulfills those promises, and what He meant when He said the Kingdom of God was “at hand.”

They also explore the “now and not yet” tension in the New Testament, the meaning of inheriting the Kingdom, the Exodus as a pattern of redemption, temple imagery throughout Scripture, and the breathtaking vision of the holy city in Revelation 21.

If you want to grow deeper in your understanding of Scripture—and think theologically about your faith—this conversation will strengthen your confidence in God’s Word.Subscribe for more in-depth biblical conversations.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Prayer

02:00 What Is Biblical Theology?

05:30 Exegesis vs. Systematic Theology

09:00 The Kingdom of God Explained

14:00 What First-Century Jews Expected

18:00 The Major Biblical Covenants

26:30 The New Covenant & the Lord’s Supper

32:00 Exodus, Temple & God’s Presence

38:30 The “Now and Not Yet” Framework

44:00 Inheriting the Kingdom

47:00 The Holy City & Final Transformation

52:00 Why Theology Matters for Every Christian

Key Topics Covered

Biblical theology vs. systematic theology

Why context is essential in Bible study

The Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New Covenants

Jesus and the fulfillment of covenant promises

The Kingdom of God: present and future

The “now and not yet” tension in Scripture

Exodus as a model of redemption

Temple imagery from Eden to Revelation

Revelation 21 and the holy city

Final transformation and eternal hope

Links Mentioned:

A Basic Guide to Biblical Theology by Alan J. Thompson

In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks and the global response that followed, many Christians — especially younger believers — feel confused about Israel, Palestine, Zionism, and anti-Semitism. How should followers of Christ think about these issues biblically rather than politically or culturally?

In this episode of InContext, Michael Easley sits down with Dr. Michael Rydelnik, professor emeritus of Jewish Studies at Moody Bible Institute and host of Open Line. As the son of Holocaust survivors and a lifelong scholar of Scripture and Jewish history, Dr. Rydelnik brings both personal insight and biblical clarity to a complicated conversation.

Together, they discuss God’s covenant promises to Israel, the difference between the people of Israel and the modern state of Israel, the history of replacement theology, and why anti-Semitism continues to resurface in every generation. This conversation helps Christians think carefully, compassionately, and truthfully about Israel in light of Scripture.

If you want to understand Israel’s role in the Bible and today’s world, this episode will help you anchor your thinking in God’s Word rather than social media narratives.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction and prayer

0:32 Why Christians are confused about Israel today

2:45 Dr. Michael Rydelnik’s background and story

3:38 Media influence and biblical misunderstanding

5:03 God’s promises to Israel in Scripture

6:00 Replacement theology explained

13:00 The meaning of Israel in the Bible

23:04 What Zionism really means

31:22 When criticism of Israel becomes anti-Semitic

35:43 God’s providence in preserving the Jewish people

39:15 Israel’s role in future prophecy

Key Topics Discussed

October 7 and the global response

Anti-Semitism in modern culture

Replacement theology vs. biblical covenant theology

Zionism and Jewish self-determination

The Abrahamic covenant and Romans 9–11

God’s preservation of the Jewish people

Israel in biblical prophecy

Links Mentioned:

How Should Christians Think About Israel? By Dr. Michael Rydelnik

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For more information on Dr. Michael Easley and Ask Dr. E

Visit: https://www.michaelincontext.com

In this episode of InContext with Michael Easley, Pastor Daniel Batarseh shares his journey from studying creative advertising to planting Maranatha Bible Church in Illinois — a growing, multi-ethnic church built on prayer, discipleship, and the faithful teaching of God’s Word.

Daniel explains how a revival moment among young adults led to long-term ministry, why Scripture must remain central in church life, and how simple biblical practices still produce deep spiritual transformation today. This conversation encourages pastors, leaders, and believers to trust the sufficiency of God’s Word rather than ministry trends or complex programming.

When churches gather around Scripture, prayer, and authentic community, God faithfully builds His people.Subscribe for more conversations that help you understand God’s Word in context and live it out in everyday life.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction

1:55 Daniel’s background and testimony

7:13 Seeds of faith and returning to Christ

8:44 The conference that changed everything

13:48 Moving to Chicago and ministry beginnings

16:09 Planting Maranatha Bible Church

20:06 Building multi-ethnic community through Scripture

21:43 A simple model of church life

24:05 Handling expectations and church programs

25:27 Young men pursuing godliness

26:15 What a real prayer meeting looks like

29:11 The sufficiency of God’s Word

32:08 How Scripture revives God’s people

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED

• Church planting and discipleship

• The sufficiency of Scripture

• Prayer in the local church

• Multi-ethnic church community

• Raising up young leaders

• Evangelism and pastoral calling

• Returning to a biblical model of church

• Spiritual revival through God’s Word

Links Mentioned:
Maranatha Bible Church

Watch the highlights and full version of this interview on our Youtube channel.

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