Back in the Isaiah 59 episode, Bob Baulch promised to get to Hebrews 10. Fifteen episodes later, here it is. Like Ephesians 5, this passage doesn’t use the word “baptism.” It pictures it: “our bodies washed with pure water.”
Bob walks through Hebrews 10:19–22. Every believer now has the confidence to enter the holy places, a standing that once belonged to one high priest on one day a year, and only with blood. The way in is “through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,” the veil torn when Jesus died. Bob takes a side step to Genesis 15, where God alone passed between the divided animals, taking on Himself the penalty for a broken covenant.
Then come the two cleansings attached to the invitation to draw near: hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, the blood of Jesus applied inside (Hebrews 9:14), and bodies washed with pure water, the outside. Both describe something already done. Bob shows how Hebrews builds the background: the old covenant’s “various washings” that could never cleanse the conscience (9:10), teaching about washings for new believers (6:2), blood and water at Sinai (9:19), and Ezekiel 36’s promise now fulfilled. He closes with how different traditions relate the two cleansings. They agree both are real and differ on timing and mechanism.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 A promise kept, and a passage that pictures baptism02:06 Confidence to enter the holy places03:48 Through the curtain, through His flesh05:51 A side step: God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 1508:08 “Let us draw near”: two cleansings13:36 The background in Hebrews: washings, Sinai, and Ezekiel17:40 How different traditions read Hebrews 10:2221:04 Closing and the question

Title FASTING DAY 6: When Jesus Confronted Religious Fasting
Description Jesus didn't reject fasting; He rejected fake fasting. In Day 6, we examine Jesus's three major teachings on the subject. We look at Matthew 6, where He instructs disciples to "wash their faces" and fast in secret to avoid the "hypocrite's reward" of human applause. We analyze the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18), where a man who fasted 104 times a year was rejected by God because of his pride. Finally, we explore the "Bridegroom Theology" of Matthew 9, where Jesus explains that Christian fasting is not a legalistic requirement, but a longing for His return.
Keywords Matthew 6, Jesus on fasting, Pharisee and Tax Collector, hypocrites, wash your face, spiritual pride, Bridegroom fast, Christian fasting vs Jewish fasting.
Hashtags #Jesus #SermonOnTheMount #Fasting #Hypocrisy #BibleStudy #ChristianLiving #Matthew6 #RedemptionChurch

The rare word for “washing” from Titus 3:5 shows up only one other time in the New Testament, and it’s in a passage about husbands and wives. Paul writes that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:25–27).
Bob Baulch is upfront: the word “baptism” isn’t in this sentence, and Paul doesn’t define the washing. This is an allusion, not a proof text. He walks up Paul’s one-sentence “staircase”: love, the cross, holiness, cleansing, and presentation. Then he goes back to where Paul got the picture: Ezekiel 16, where God finds an abandoned newborn, enters a covenant with her, bathes her with water, anoints her, clothes her, and makes her beautiful, with echoes in Isaiah 61–62 and Hosea. Paul puts Jesus where God stood and the church where Jerusalem stood.
Bob then takes the phrase apart: the washing (loutron, a bath), the water Paul chose to name, and the “word” (rhēma, a spoken utterance), with five ways it has been read. He notes that the early church, and even John Calvin, heard baptism here, and he shows how nine traditions read the passage. Finally, he points to the wedding still ahead (Revelation 19) and the best part of the verse: the bride doesn’t wash herself. The one holding the water is the Bridegroom.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap, and an honest note: allusion, not proof text02:31 Paul’s one-sentence staircase06:04 The bride in Ezekiel 1610:32 Washing, water, and word15:44 Is this baptism?18:12 How different traditions read Ephesians 5:2624:23 The wedding still ahead25:55 What we can say, and closing prayer

FASTING DAY 05 - "The Pharisees: How Fasting Became a Competition"
Title FASTING DAY 5: The Pharisees – How Fasting Became a Competition
Description By the time of Jesus, the religious landscape had shifted dramatically. The Pharisees, a group originally dedicated to holiness, had turned fasting into a competitive sport. While God only commanded one fast day a year, the Pharisees were fasting 104 extra days annually—every Monday and Thursday without fail. In Day 5, we investigate the history of the Pharisees and why they chose those specific days (hint: they were Jerusalem's market days, ensuring the maximum number of people would see them).
We look at how a voluntary discipline slowly morphed into a social expectation, and eventually into a badge of spiritual superiority. Using the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18, we see how fasting became a tool for pride rather than humility. The Pharisee stood in the temple reciting his fasting resume to God ("I fast twice a week!"), while the tax collector simply asked for mercy. This episode forces us to ask an uncomfortable question: Are we fasting to draw close to God, or are we fasting to feel superior to other Christians who aren't?
Keywords Pharisees fasting, fasting twice a week, Luke 18, religious legalism, spiritual pride, Monday and Thursday fast, history of the Pharisees, Jesus and Pharisees, fasting for show.
Hashtags #Pharisees #Legalism #BibleHistory #ReligiousPride #Fasting #Christianity #Luke18 #SpiritualCompetition

Only two places in the New Testament describe new birth as a washing: John 3:5 and Titus 3:5. In this episode, Bob Baulch turns to the second, Paul’s words to Titus: God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Bob reads the whole sentence (Titus 3:4–7) and notes three things before getting to “washing.” Paul is talking about salvation, he rules out earning it before he mentions washing, and he joins water and Spirit together, the same pairing found in Ezekiel 36 and John 3:5. Then he looks at the two rare Greek words behind the phrase: loutron (“washing” or “bath,” used only here and in Ephesians 5:26) and palingenesia (“regeneration,” a second Genesis, used only here and in Matthew 19:28).
Is the washing baptism? Even John Calvin granted that Paul at least alludes to baptism, while others like John Gill disagreed. Bob shows that the real disagreement is among three claims: baptism causes the new birth, signifies it, or is the appointed occasion for it. Titus 3:5 gives a phrase, not a mechanism. He closes with how nine traditions read the verse.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap: two passages about a washing01:58 Titus 3:4–7 in context03:03 Three things to notice before “washing”05:23 Two rare words: loutron and palingenesia09:19 Is the washing baptism?12:35 Three different claims about baptism and new birth14:55 How different traditions read Titus 3:518:17 What we can say, and closing prayer

FASTING DAY 04 - The Impossible Fasts - Moses and Elijah
Title FASTING DAY 4: The Impossible Fasts – Moses & Elijah's 40 Days
Description Moses and Elijah are the two greatest figures of the Old Testament, and they share a mind-blowing connection: they both fasted for 40 days and 40 nights without food or water. In Day 4, we dive into the medical reality of these events. While a human can survive weeks without food, the body shuts down after only a few days without water. This means the fasts recorded in Exodus 34 and 1 Kings 19 were not just acts of discipline—they were supernatural miracles where God sustained His servants in the wilderness.
We explore the biblical significance of the number 40 (testing, preparation, and transformation) and trace the path from Moses on Mount Sinai to Elijah on Mount Horeb, culminating in the Transfiguration where both men appear with Jesus—who also fasted 40 days. However, this episode comes with a critical safety warning: these "absolute fasts" are descriptive, not prescriptive. We discuss why attempting a 40-day dry fast is not an act of faith, but a dangerous presumption that can lead to death. Learn the difference between a supernatural miracle and a model for us to copy.
Keywords Moses fast, Elijah fast, 40 day fast, absolute fast, dry fasting dangers, supernatural fasting, Mount Sinai, Exodus 34, 1 Kings 19, fasting safety, Transfiguration.
Hashtags #40Days #Supernatural #MosesAndElijah #BibleMiracles #FastingSafety #DoNotTryThis #Exodus #MountSinai

Nicodemus, “the teacher of Israel,” comes to Jesus at night, and Jesus tells him, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” What does “water” mean in that sentence? Few questions in modern interpretation are more contested.
Bob Baulch starts with the Greek. “Born” is passive, something done to you, and one preposition governs both “water” and “Spirit.” When Nicodemus doesn’t understand, Jesus rebukes him for not recognizing it, which points back to Ezekiel 36:25–27: clean water for cleansing and a new Spirit for transformation.
Then Bob lays out a documented historical fact. For about 1,500 years, Christian writers who commented on John 3:5, from Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian to Augustine, Aquinas, and Luther, read the water as baptism. In 1553, John Calvin’s commentary on John broke from that consensus, reading “water and Spirit” as one idea, the Spirit’s cleansing pictured as water. Since then, other readings have appeared: physical birth, the word of God, Calvin’s view, and Jewish ceremonial washing. Bob walks through how nine traditions read the verse today and leaves listeners to weigh how much that long consensus should count.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap, and Nicodemus comes at night01:57 The Greek: born “of water and Spirit”03:13 “Are you the teacher of Israel?” Ezekiel 3605:38 1,500 years of agreement09:21 1553: Calvin breaks with the consensus12:53 Five readings of “water” today16:06 How different traditions read John 3:523:01 What we can say, and closing prayer

Title FASTING DAY 3: 4 Biblical Reasons to Fast – Grief, Crisis, Seeking, Repentance
Description The Bible never gives us a detailed "how-to" manual for fasting, but it clearly shows us when and why people fasted. In Day 3, we analyze the four distinct patterns of voluntary fasting found throughout the Old Testament to help you identify the purpose of your own fast. We look at Grief Fasts, where David fasted for his dying child and for the death of King Saul. We examine Crisis Fasts, where leaders like Esther and Jehoshaphat called the entire nation to stop eating because they faced annihilation.
We explore Seeking Fasts, where prophets like Daniel abstained from rich food for 21 days to gain spiritual understanding and breakthrough. Finally, we look at Repentance Fasts, where even wicked King Ahab and the pagan city of Nineveh humbled themselves to turn away God's judgment. Which of these patterns describes your current season? Are you grieving a loss, facing a crisis, seeking direction, or repenting of sin? Understanding the biblical "why" will give you the strength to persevere when the physical hunger sets in.
Keywords Types of biblical fasting, why do Christians fast, Esther fast, Daniel fast, fasting for repentance, fasting for breakthrough, King David fasting, spiritual disciplines, Jehoshaphat, Nineveh.
Hashtags #BiblicalPatterns #PrayerAndFasting #EstherFast #DanielFast #SpiritualWarfare #BibleStudy #Grief #Repentance

For about 1,500 years, most of the Christian world used Colossians 2:11–12 to support baptizing infants. For the last 500 years, a growing number of Christians have read the same passage as pointing the other way. In this episode, Bob Baulch lays out the evidence both sides work with, without declaring a winner.
He reads the passage phrase by phrase: a “circumcision made without hands,” something God does, not a human ritual; the ambiguous phrase “the circumcision of Christ” and its three possible meanings; the stripping away of “the body of the flesh”; being “buried with him in baptism”; and being raised “through faith in the powerful working of God.”
Bob then presents the paedobaptist case as its own proponents would, drawing on Genesis 17, covenant theology, the Westminster Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism (Q74), and Calvin’s Institutes (4.16). Then he presents the credobaptist case: the “through faith” clause, the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:34 where all will know the Lord, and Paul’s inward circumcision in Romans 2:28–29. He’s careful to separate what the text says from what each side infers, and reminds us of the real pain this debate has caused. Both sides agree on one thing: the outward sign is not enough. God is after the heart.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap, and why Colossians 2 is so debated01:51 Reading Colossians 2:11–1302:44 A circumcision made without hands06:33 The paedobaptist case09:57 The credobaptist case14:42 What the text does and doesn’t say16:30 Why care: the pain this debate has caused18:09 Closing prayer and what’s next

FASTING DAY 2: Four Fasts That Broke God's Heart
Description After the Babylonian empire destroyed Jerusalem and burned Solomon's Temple in 586 BC, the Jewish people were devastated. In their grief, they established four new annual fast days to commemorate the tragedy: the breaching of the walls, the burning of the Temple, the murder of the governor, and the beginning of the siege. These were human-made fasts born out of genuine trauma. But seventy years later, when the people asked God if they should continue these fasts, God answered with a devastating question in Zechariah 7: "When you fasted... was it actually for ME that you fasted?"
In Day 2, we explore the danger of fasting at God rather than for God. It is possible to fast with perfect technical precision—skipping meals on the right days and saying the right prayers—while your heart remains far from Him. Bob Baulch unpacks the history of these four "mourning fasts" and applies God's critique to our modern practice. Are we fasting to manipulate God into fixing our problems, or are we fasting to seek His face? This episode is a crucial heart-check: are you fasting to remember your pain, or to encounter your Healer?
Keywords Zechariah 7, Tisha B'Av, destruction of Jerusalem, fasting motives, biblical history, mourning fasts, Zechariah 8:19, Christian fasting, fasting for God, Babylonian exile.
Hashtags #FastingHistory #Zechariah #HeartCheck #BiblicalFasting #Jerusalem #ChristianHistory #SpiritualMotives #RedemptionChurch

Galatians is Paul’s angriest letter, written against teachers who said faith in Christ wasn’t enough without circumcision and the law of Moses. Its drumbeat is faith, not works; grace, not law. That makes Galatians 3:27 all the more striking: in the middle of his fiercest argument for justification by faith, Paul affirms baptism.
Bob Baulch walks through Galatians 3:23–29. The law was a temporary guardian until faith came. Verse 26 says we are sons of God “through faith.” Verse 27, joined by the little word “for,” says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Bob unpacks the clothing picture. In the ancient world, clothes signaled identity and status, and in patron–client culture, entering a new patron’s household meant new garments. Early Christians later dressed the newly baptized in white robes. He then shows how Baptist, Restoration Movement, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions explain the link between verses 26 and 27.
Finally, he turns to verse 28, “neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, no male and female,” possibly an early baptismal confession, and what it means when believers rebuild the walls baptism tore down.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap, and why Galatians is a surprising place03:09 The setting: the law as a temporary guardian04:03 Sons through faith, clothed through baptism (vv. 26–27)05:28 Putting on Christ: clothing and identity08:56 The tension: how traditions connect verses 26 and 2712:27 “Neither Jew nor Greek”: all one in Christ15:14 What Galatians 3:27 means for you17:33 Closing prayer and what’s next

Video Description
[The Hook] If you grew up thinking fasting was a frequent, mandatory requirement in the Bible, you’re about to be surprised. In the entire Old Testament—all 39 books, all the laws—God only commanded His people to fast on one specific day per year.
[The Content] In Day 1 of our 21-Day Fasting History series, we examine Leviticus 16 and the "Day of Atonement" (Yom Kippur). We unpack the Hebrew phrase anah nephesh ("afflict your soul") and explain why this single day was the only time God said, "You MUST fast."
We also explore the massive implication of this fact: Every other fast in the Bible was voluntary. From David fasting for his dying son to Esther fasting for her people, these were voluntary acts of desperation and devotion that God honored, even though He didn't command them.
[What We Cover]
• The Command: Leviticus 16 and the High Priest's entry into the Holy of Holies.
• The Hebrew: What anah nephesh really means (humbling/afflicting the soul).
• The Contrast: The difference between the one commanded fast and the voluntary fasts of David, Daniel, and Esther.
• The Application: If God isn't forcing you to do this 21-day fast, why are you doing it? We explore three biblical motivations for voluntary fasting.
[Series Context] This is Day 1 of a 21-Day series connecting church history to spiritual transformation. Yesterday we defined fasting; today we look at the Old Testament law. Tomorrow (Day 2), we’ll look at the "human-made" fasts the Jews created after Jerusalem burned—and the heartbreaking question God asked about them.
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SEO Keywords & Tags
Primary Keywords: Biblical Fasting, Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, Leviticus 16, Is fasting a command, Christian Fasting History, Anah Nephesh.
Long-Tail Keywords: How many times did God command fasting, Difference between commanded and voluntary fasting, Why do Christians fast 21 days, Old Testament fasting rules, Meaning of afflict your soul.
Hashtags: #BiblicalFasting #Leviticus16 #DayOfAtonement #ChristianHistory #21DaysOfPrayer #YomKippur
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Social Media Captions (Short Form)
Option 1 (The Fact Check): Pop quiz: How many times did God command the Israelites to fast in the Old Testament? A) Weekly B) Monthly C) Once a year The answer is C. Just one day: The Day of Atonement. In Day 1 of our history series, we explain why God only required one day, and why biblical figures like Daniel and Esther fasted voluntarily anyway.
Option 2 (The Challenge): God isn't forcing you to fast these 21 days. He only commanded one fast in the entire Old Testament (Leviticus 16). So why are you doing it? If it’s not to earn salvation or check a religious box, what is your motive? Watch Day 1 to find out why voluntary fasting is often more powerful than mandatory fasting.
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Blog Post / Podcast Show Notes Summary
In Day 1, we dismantle the idea that fasting is a legalistic requirement by going straight to the source: Leviticus 16. We discover that the "Day of Atonement" was the only mandated fast in Israel's history. We explore the Hebrew concept of anah nephesh ("afflicting the soul") and contrast this single command with the voluntary fasting practices of heroes like David and Esther. The episode concludes by challenging modern believers to identify their motivation: are you fasting because you feel forced, or are you voluntarily seeking God to "not take His presence for granted"?

n Romans 5:20, Paul says, “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” The obvious question follows: why not keep sinning so grace can abound? Paul’s answer in Romans 6 isn’t a lecture or a philosophical argument. It’s baptism.
Bob Baulch reads Romans 6:3–7 slowly and walks through the language that carries its weight. The verbs are passive, describing something done to us. Paul stacks the “with” words: buried with, united with, crucified with, which are participation, not observation. The word for “united” (symphytoi) pictures a branch grafted and grown together with a tree. The “body of sin” is not annihilated but stripped of its ruling power.
Then Bob names the question that divides Christians here: is Paul describing what baptism does, or what it pictures? He lays out sacramental, symbolic, Reformed, and participatory readings, and notes something striking: after five chapters on justification by faith, Paul answers with baptism, while the parallel in Colossians 2:12 adds “through faith.” Finally, he lands where Paul lands. Verses 1–10 state who we already are; verse 11 calls us to keep counting it true. You don’t fight your way into a new identity; you fight from it.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 Recap: from Peter to Paul01:04 The question Romans 6 answers03:38 Reading Romans 6:3–704:53 Passive verbs and the “with” words08:27 Does baptism do it, or picture it?11:06 Where is faith? Romans 6 and Colossians 2:1214:45 Identity first: “Consider yourselves dead to sin”17:07 Closing and what’s next

Unlike Mark 16:16, this verse has no textual question attached. Every manuscript has it, and no one disputes that Peter wrote it: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you.” But Peter doesn’t leave those words alone, and every qualification he adds matters.
Bob Baulch starts with the setting: Christians under pressure, and Peter’s picture of Noah’s flood as a “type,” with baptism as the “antitype.” The same water that judged the old world carried eight people safely through. Then Peter qualifies his claim: “not as a removal of dirt from the body.” The water itself is not magic. Instead, baptism is an eperōtēma toward God for a good conscience. That’s a Greek word found only here in the New Testament, rendered “answer” (KJV), “appeal” (ESV, NASB), or “pledge” (NIV, CSB), and each choice shifts the emphasis. Finally, Peter anchors it all “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Bob then walks through how Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Wesleyan, Anglican, Pentecostal, and Restoration Movement traditions read the verse. Peter says baptism saves, says the water isn’t what saves, and says the saving power comes through the resurrection. How those three statements fit together is where traditions differ.
Are you trusting something to save you, or are you trusting the Savior?
Chapters00:00 A verse with no textual question01:22 The setting: suffering, Noah, and the flood03:56 Peter’s claim, and what he says it doesn’t mean06:16 Eperōtēma: appeal, pledge, or answer?11:01 “Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”12:29 How different traditions read 1 Peter 3:2121:44 What we can and can’t say23:27 Closing prayer and what’s next

FASTING DAY 00 - What IS Fasting? (And What It's NOT) | 21-Day History SeriesVideo Description
[The Hook] Before we dive into 2,000 years of history—from the Early Church Fathers to medieval loopholes—we have to answer the most fundamental question: What actually is fasting? (Hint: If it doesn't cost you something or move you toward prayer, you might just be dieting.)
[The Content] In Day 0 of our 21-Day Fasting History series, we define "Biblical Fasting" and expose the common counterfeits. We dig into the original Hebrew concept of anah nephesh ("humbling the soul") to understand why fasting is about reorienting your life toward God, not just changing what you eat.
We also anchor this entire series in Isaiah 58, examining why God rejects fasting that ignores injustice and selfishness, and establishing the "Real Rule" of fasting: giving up something meaningful to deepen your relationship with God.
[What We Cover]
• The definition: Voluntarily giving up something you enjoy to seek God.
• The Hebrew framing: Anah nephesh (afflicting/humbling the soul).
• The Counterfeits: Loopholes, public performance, and "Christian dieting".
• The Foundation: Why Isaiah 58 is the lens for this entire 21-day journey.
[Series Context] This is the Introduction (Day 0) to a 21-Day series connecting church history to spiritual transformation. Join us as we explore the "shocking truth" that God only commanded ONE fast in the Old Testament, how the Pharisees turned it into a competition, and the medieval debates over whether chocolate breaks a fast.
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SEO Keywords & Tags
Primary Keywords: Biblical Fasting, Christian Fasting, What is Fasting, Isaiah 58, 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, Spiritual Disciplines, Anah Nephesh.
Long-Tail Keywords: Is fasting just dieting, Difference between dieting and fasting, Hebrew meaning of fasting, History of Christian fasting, How to fast for God, Fasting and prayer explanation.
Hashtags: #BiblicalFasting #ChristianHistory #21DaysOfPrayer #Isaiah58 #SpiritualDisciplines #NotADiet
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Social Media Captions (Short Form)
Option 1 (Educational): Most Christians have never been taught the definition of fasting. It isn’t just skipping lunch. The Hebrew term is anah nephesh—humbling the soul. If you aren't replacing food with prayer, you're just hungry. Watch Day 0 of our history series to get the full definition.
Option 2 (Provocative): Are you fasting? Or are you just dieting with a Bible verse attached? In Day 0, we look at the "counterfeits" of fasting and anchor our 21-day journey in Isaiah 58. It’s time to stop performing and start seeking.
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Blog Post / Podcast Show Notes Summary
In this introductory episode to our 21-Day Fasting History series, we strip away the modern "wellness" culture surrounding fasting to find its ancient, biblical root. We explore the tension between God's single commanded fast in the Old Testament and the voluntary practice Jesus assumes His followers will do. We define the difference between anah nephesh (humbling oneself) and modern dieting, and set the ground rules for the next three weeks: if your fasting doesn't result in generosity and prayer (Isaiah 58), it's not what God is asking for.