What did Paul mean when he spoke about a “spiritual body” — and what is the resurrection body actually made of in 1 Corinthians 15?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen — founder of NT Greek Tutoring and PhD candidate in New Testament — works carefully through one of Paul’s most debated passages, 1 Corinthians 15:36–58. Questions about the resurrection body often arise from Paul’s contrast between the “natural body” and the “spiritual body”, and from his claim that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”.

Two dominant interpretations of this passage both affirm bodily resurrection, but they differ on how Paul’s language should be understood — particularly whether terms like psychikon and pneumatikon describe material composition or the mode of life and power that animates the body. In this episode, Daniel examines Paul’s metaphors, contrasts, and Greek terminology, including the seed analogy, the diversity of bodies, and the Adam–Christ comparison, to show why reading “spiritual body” as a claim about material substance does not fit Paul’s argument.

By the end of the episode, it becomes clear that Paul is explaining how the same body can be transformed so that it is no longer subject to corruption, mortality, and death. Resurrection, for Paul, is not an escape from the current material embodiment but God’s decisive victory over sin and death.

Link to my article: https://tidsskrift.dk/dtt/article/view/115359

Don't Miss the next episode:

Daniel is joined by New Testament scholar Murray Smith to discuss Mark 8:38 and the question of whether Jesus understood himself to be speaking about his own future coming.

📘 Free Greek Guide — “Why Struggle with Greek?”
Discover the most common mistakes people make when learning biblical Greek — and how to avoid them.
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters
00:00 Coming Up…
00:47 What Is the Resurrection Body?
03:17 Two Views, One Text (What Is at Stake?)
09:47 The Seed Metaphor: Continuity and Change
17:26 Different Bodies, Different Glory
25:40 Is the Resurrection Body Made of Spirit—or Flesh?
38:51 What “Spiritual Body” Really Means
48:10 Why Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom
56:33 Transformation: How Death Is Defeated

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Why does it matter that 1 Peter consistently uses the Greek Old Testament — the Septuagint — and how does that shape the message of the letter?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen speaks with New Testament scholar Ed Glenny about how the author of 1 Peter reads and uses Scripture. Ed Glenny shows why Peter’s use of the Greek Scriptures is not incidental, but central to understanding the theology and argument of the letter.

Much of 1 Peter is shaped by careful engagement with the Old Testament in Greek. We explore why most of Peter’s quotations come from the Septuagint, how Scripture is woven around key theological themes, and why the centre of the letter is found in 1 Peter 2:4–10. Along the way, we look at examples where Greek details matter — including wordplay that cannot be heard in translation and Peter’s usage of Isaiah 40 — showing how Scripture shapes identity, ethics, and hope.

This conversation highlights why paying attention to how Peter reads Scripture helps us read 1 Peter more clearly and faithfully, and why the Septuagint still matters for understanding the New Testament today.

Don't Miss the Next episode:

In the next episode, Daniel Mikkelsen explores the material of resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15.35–58 and how Paul’s argument unfold in one of the most important chapters in the New Testament.

📘 Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?
Avoid the most common mistakes beginners make and start making real progress in reading the New Testament in Greek:
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek?utm_source=youtube

00:00 — Coming Up…
01:02 — Welcoming Ed Glenny Back: Scholar of 1 Peter and the Septuagint
05:04 — Does Reading Greek Actually Change How You Read Scripture?
08:21 — Can You Fully Trust the Bible Without Knowing Greek or Hebrew?
10:49 — What English Translations Can’t Show You in 1 Peter
16:13 — A Greek Wordplay You Can’t Hear in Translation
20:50 — ‘Raised from Among the Dead’: Why the Greek Is Plural
25:03 — Did Christ Proclaim Victory to the Spirits in Prison?
32:04 — Flesh and Spirit in 1 Peter: Two Realms or One Body?
35:14 — Why the New Testament Often Quotes the Septuagint
43:00 — Quotation or Allusion? How Scripture Is Used in the New Testament
50:30 — The Scriptural Pattern That Shapes 1 Peter’s Theology
58:49 — The New Covenant: Fulfilment and Participation
01:03:28 — Why Peter Reworks Isaiah 40
01:16:28 — What Peter Ultimately Wants Believers to Do

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Galatians 2:15–21 is one of the most debated passages in Paul — but why is it so difficult to interpret, and what exactly is Paul arguing?
In this episode, we walk step-by-step through the flow of thought in Galatians 2, showing how the Greek text reveals Paul’s logic regarding justification, faith, the law, and Christian identity.

Daniel Mikkelsen speaks with Nicolai Techow (Lecturer at Fjellhaug International University College, Copenhagen), a scholar of Paul and the Greek New Testament, about how reading Galatians in Greek uncovers structure, connections, and meaning that are often obscured in English translations. Together we explore how Paul uses phrases like “works of the law” and “Gentile sinners,” why verse 18 is a turning point in the argument, and how the grammar and discourse build toward Paul’s famous statement: 'I have been crucified with Christ.'

This episode will be helpful for anyone studying biblical exegesis, justification by faith, Pauline theology, the New Perspective on Paul, or for those simply wanting to understand how Paul’s reasoning works in context — rather than as isolated theological slogans.

Finally, we consider how Paul’s understanding of justification shapes daily Christian life and why his argument in Galatians remains so important for the Church today.

Don't Miss the Next episode:

A conversation with Ed Glenny on how the Septuagint (LXX) is used in 1 Peter, why Peter sometimes quotes Scripture differently than the Hebrew text, and what that means for our understanding of inspiration, meaning, and early Christian interpretation.

Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the biggest mistakes beginners make and start making real progress with biblical languages:
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters

00:00 Coming Up...
01:09 Meet Nicolai Techow — Scholar of Paul and the Greek Text
05:06 How Learning Greek Became an Unexpected Joy
08:44 Three Levels of Understanding Scripture Through Greek
15:12 What Greek Reveals That English Can’t Capture
19:58 How Greek Changes How We Read Salvation in Galatians
22:56 Why Paul Writes Galatians the Way He Does
28:43 How Galatians 2 Fits Into Paul’s Larger Argument
36:08 Why Galatians 2 Is One of Paul's Most Debated Texts
41:30 Key Puzzles in Galatians 2 — What Does Paul Mean?
51:46 What Is Paul Tearing Down and Rebuilding?
01:06:17 How Justification Shapes Everyday Christian Life

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Reading Leviticus this way makes it deeper.
Many readers approach Leviticus as a dense book of rules and obscure laws — difficult to read, difficult to understand, and seemingly far removed from everyday Christian life. But what if the problem isn’t Leviticus, but the way we read it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Christian Canu Højgaard — pastor, Hebrew scholar, and specialist in Leviticus — to explore how the book functions as carefully crafted literature rather than a random collection of laws. We discuss how understanding its structure, themes, and original context reveals a stunning theological vision centred on God’s presence with His people, holiness, identity, and wisdom.

Christian also explains how reading Leviticus in Hebrew slows us down and opens up patterns, echoes, and connections we simply cannot see in translation — including a beautiful line running across the Torah through Leviticus and all the way back to Eden.

Whether Leviticus has confused you, bored you, challenged you, or intrigued you — this conversation will help you appreciate why it sits at the heart of the Torah and why it still matters for Christians today.

Next Episode Preview

Next episode, Nicolai Techow and I will explore the flow of thought in Galatians 2 — and why understanding Paul’s structure changes how we read the letter and apply it today.

📘 Free Greek Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the biggest mistakes beginners make and start building real reading ability:
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters:

00:00 Coming Up...
01:05 Meeting Christian Canu Højgaard: Leviticus Specialist and Pastor
03:52 Learning the Biblical Languages: A Turning Point
05:35 How Hebrew Slows You Down (and Opens Up Everything)
08:45 Hidden Word Connections Only Visible in Hebrew
14:52 Leviticus Isn’t a Stand-Alone Book
19:00 Why Treat Leviticus as Literature?
21:47 The Surprising Structure Behind Leviticus
26:02 Laws as Identity: Not Just Rules
27:51 The Holiness Code: What Is It and Why It Matters
33:11 A Book Structured to Change Its Readers
37:04 Leviticus and the Big Narrative of Scripture
41:53 What We Discover When We Read Leviticus This Way
45:26 Isn’t Leviticus Just a Dry Book of Laws?
49:13 Law as Wisdom for Life with God
52:25 How Grammar Reveals Meaning
57:58 What About Tattoos, Rituals, and Strange Laws?
01:01:37 Leviticus as a Unified Vision: Holiness in Relationship
01:05:41 How Should We Apply Leviticus Today?

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Did the first readers of Genesis see creation as a temple?
In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Professor of Old Testament Jens Bruun Kofoed joins me to explore how ancient Israelites understood the creation account in Genesis 1–11 — and why seeing Eden as a sanctuary and humanity as God’s image-bearers transforms the way we read Scripture.

We dive into temple imagery, ancient Near Eastern context, Hebrew language insights, and how the earliest audience would have heard the creation story. We explore how creation, tabernacle, and new creation form a unified biblical theme. We discuss the meaning of shalom, the literary patterns linking Genesis to the Tabernacle and Temple, and the biblical claim that humanity is called to represent God’s character in His sacred space. We also address questions about genre, myth, history, and what makes the God of the Bible utterly unique among ancient gods.

Whether you are curious about biblical languages, temple theology, Eden imagery, or early Jewish interpretation, this conversation offers a rich, historically grounded perspective on Genesis that is often missed by modern readers — and deeply relevant for the Christian life today.

Don't miss the next episode:

In the next episode, I speak with Christian Højgaard about reading Leviticus as literature — and how its structure, themes, and theological design reveal far more than a book of laws.

Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the four most common pitfalls and start making real progress in biblical Greek:
🔗 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapter:

00:00 — Coming Up…
01:01 — Meeting Jens Bruun Kofoed — Hebrew Bible Scholar, Creation Account Specialist, and Preacher
03:56 — The Story Behind a Hebrew Scholar
06:02 — How the Original Languages Unlock Scripture
08:59 — Shalom Is Deeper Than You Think It Is
14:59 — Creation & Tabernacle: The Overlooked Literary Thread
17:18 — Creation → New Creation: The Bible’s Grand Pattern
20:01 — Why Study Genesis’ Creation Narrative So Deeply?
22:53 — Myth or History? The Question Everyone Gets Wrong
31:08 — Why Understanding Genre Is So Important
35:06 — How the First Readers Heard Genesis
43:55 — The Garden as Sanctuary
49:31 — Creation as Cosmic Sanctuary
53:06 — How God’s Presence Shapes the Whole Bible
01:00:32 — Are Biblical & Ancient Near Eastern Creation Stories the Same?
01:07:49 — The God Who Is Nothing Like the Ancient Gods
01:10:42 — What First Creation Means for Your Life Today

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Some scholars within the Paul within Judaism school (PWJ) argue that Paul taught two distinct paths to salvation—one for Jews through the Law and another for Gentiles through Christ. But is that really what Paul says?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen is joined by Josh Ip Cho-suen (pastor and biblical scholar) to examine how Paul actually speaks about salvation for Jews and Gentiles. We trace the development of the PWJ view (including influences from E. P. Sanders and covenantal nomism) and test it against key texts like Galatians 2 and Romans 3.

They also talk about how Greek helps us understand the Great Commission (Matt 28) and grace in Romans 5.

Through close attention to Greek grammar, historical context, and theological reasoning, Daniel and Josh explore whether Paul envisioned two ways of salvation—or one gospel for all who believe—and why this still matters for the church today.

Don’t miss the next episode:
Creation in Genesis with Jens Bruun Kofoed—exploring how the original audience would have understood the opening chapters of the Bible.

📘 Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?
Avoid the four most common pitfalls and start making real progress:
🔗 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters

00:00 – Coming Up…
01:01 – Meeting Josh Ip Cho-suen: Pastor, Scholar, and Theologian
04:37 – Why Learning Biblical Languages Still Matters
06:21 – Greek Grammar Shows What’s Most Important in the Great Commission
09:51 – The Meaning of Grace in Romans 5
18:06 – Who Are the “Paul within Judaism” Scholars?
27:15 – Why the Paul within Judaism Scholars Argue This Way
30:53 – Was Paul Writing Only to Gentiles? Inside the Debate
41:59 – How Paul Describes Salvation for Jews and Gentiles
49:52 – Galatians 2 and the Question of Two Roads to Salvation
01:01:14 – Testing the Paul within Judaism Interpretation
01:09:51 – What Paul Really Thought about Sin and Humanity
01:15:08 – Paul’s Theology of Salvation Explained
01:24:59 – Why This Still Matters for Christians Today

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

How did early Christians understand the Kingdom of God—and how did their view move beyond the Gospels into Paul, Acts, and the Apostolic Fathers?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen speaks with Tyler Hoagland, independent scholar of early Christianity, about how the Kingdom of God was conceived in the first 150 years after Christ.

Drawing on his doctoral research, Tyler shows how the Greek terms βασιλεία (basileia) —kingdom—and βασιλεύω (basileuō) —to reign—reveal a royal and participatory dimension often lost in translation. The conversation traces how the Gospels, Paul, and The Shepherd of Hermas continue the Kingdom theme in different ways, challenging modern assumptions about what “God’s reign” meant for the earliest believers.

Together they explore how the Apostolic Fathers extended that vision, how context and language shape meaning, and why returning to the Greek helps recover a richer, more unified understanding of the Kingdom in early Christianity.

Don’t Miss the Next Episode:
In the next episode, Daniel Mikkelsen is joined by Josh Ip Cho-suen to explore whether Paul taught two ways of salvation —one for Jews and another for Gentiles—and how this idea has been developed within the Paul within Judaism perspective. Building on the earlier conversation with Seth Postell, a Messianic Jewish scholar, the discussion considers what Paul’s teaching on salvation reveals about the relationship between law, grace, and the Jewish Messiah.

📚 Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?
Avoid the four most common pitfalls and start making real progress:
🔗 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters:

00:00 – Coming Up...
01:04 – Meet Tyler Hoagland: Scholar of the Kingdom of God in Early Christianity
02:43 – From Struggling Student to PhD in New Testament
05:54 – How Greek and Hebrew Transform Bible Reading
08:56 – Greek Insights You’ll Miss in Translation
13:21 – Creation, Incarnation, and Greek Allusions to the Tabernacle
18:01 – Why Study the Kingdom of God Before 150 CE?
21:42 – Why “Kingdom of God” Is Hard to Define
29:40 – Paul’s Royal Language in 1 Corinthians
40:17 – The Kingdom in Acts: Linked to Jesus’ Name
52:17 – What Is the Shepherd of Hermas?
01:02:50 – The Kingdom of God in the Shepherd of Hermas
01:13:23 – Kingdom Language Beyond the Gospels
01:25:36 – Living the Kingdom Today

🎵 Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Does the Book of Acts really preserve accurate eyewitness testimonies?

In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen is joined by Steve Walton—pastor, New Testament scholar, and specialist on the Book of Acts—for a wide-ranging conversation about whether Acts contains evidence of eyewitness accounts.

From the importance of Greek for reading Acts, to eyewitness testimony, historical accuracy, miracles, and the mysterious “we” sections, Steve Walton explains what makes Acts unlike any other New Testament book and why it matters today.

Whether you’re curious about how reliable Acts is as history, or interested in how biblical languages open up new insights, this episode explores the unique witness of Acts and what it means for Christians seeking to follow Christ today.

Don’t Miss the Next Episode:
A conversation with Tyler Hoagland on how early Christians understood the Kingdom of God.

📚 Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?
Avoid the 4 most common pitfalls and start making real progress:
🔗 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters:
00:00 – Coming Up...
01:04 – Meet Steve Walton: Scholar of the Book of Acts and Pastor
03:41 – Why Learning Greek Changes How You Read Scripture
06:48 – Greek Word Order: How Meaning Hides in Plain Sight
09:47 – Acts in Greek: When Translations Miss the Point
18:42 – Discovering Acts: How Steve’s Journey Began
23:12 – Why Acts is Unlike Any Other New Testament Book
26:20 – Does Acts Contain Any Evidence of Eyewitness Testimony?
36:11 – Can Acts Be Trusted as History?
45:37 – “Witness” Language: Fact, History, or Theology?
54:17 – What on Earth is Verisimilitude (and Why It Matters in Acts)?
58:06 – Miracles in Acts: Belief, Worldview, and Evidence
01:03:55 – The “We” Sections: Eyewitness or Device?
01:10:51 – What Acts Teaches Us for Following Christ Today

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.