Podcast
The Narthex
Hosted by The Narthex · EN
For those on the cusp of faith, considering should you stay or should you go. Perhaps you’re ready to throw in the towel on this whole following Jesus thing because the suffering is too much to bear. This channel is dedicated to you ❤️🩹. Explore this middle ground between faith and unbelief.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Clash of Beliefs: Gavin Ortlund and Jonathan Pageau Debate the True Church
1w ago00:23:37Tap to summarizeThis episode reviews a discussion between Protestant Baptist Gavin Ortlund and Orthodox Jonathan Pageau about what constitutes the true church and whether Christians outside Orthodoxy are truly Christian. The presenter contrasts Pageau’s emphasis on Orthodoxy, salvation as personal transformation, and skepticism of justification by faith alone with a Lutheran/Protestant view that the church is found wherever the gospel of Christ crucified and raised is proclaimed, faith trusts His promises, and the sacraments are rightly administered across denominations. The script critiques institutional “church idolatry,” warns that progressive sanctification can become works-righteousness, and disputes Pageau’s claim that faith alone is heresy. It also debates evangelistic urgency, noting Pageau’s focus on personal holiness and quotations from the saints versus Ortlund’s appeal to Scripture, especially Romans 10 and the idea that faith comes by hearing.00:00 True Church 01:10 Luther on the Invisible Church02:37 Institutionalism and Tyranny Warning03:23 Gavin Probes Salvation Boundaries04:36 Salvation as Transformation06:19 Decree vs Healing Salvation07:51 Gospel Arrows Downward09:01 Sanctification vs Justification11:15 Who Gets Saved and Why Care12:03 St Theophan Quote Reaction13:33 Saving Others by Being Saved15:24 Words vs Witness in Evangelism17:38 Romans 10 and Mission Urgency19:50 Calvinism and Evangelism Tension20:59 Justification by Faith Alone Clash21:45 Wrap Up and Final Takeaway
Transcribe →Heated Exchange - Part 1: Protestant vs Orthodox
2w ago00:21:40Tap to summarizeDr. Daniel Shaw, Lutheran pastor and New Testament professor, comments on a debate between Baptist Gavin Ortlund and Eastern Orthodox Jonathan Pageau about what constitutes the true Church and true Christianity. It contrasts Orthodoxy’s claim that full communion with Christ requires communion with the visible, institutional Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant/Lutheran ideas of the church as “hidden,” defined by where the gospel is proclaimed, and sacraments are rightly administered. The narrator argues Orthodoxy emphasizes theosis and an ontological, visible reality of salvation that can turn into cooperation with God and uncertainty about “doing enough,” linking this to concerns about works, troubled consciences, and even purgatory. Highlighting a tense exchange, Ortlund says becoming Orthodox would feel like denying the validity of Protestant churches where he encountered Christ, while Pageau suggests Christ is among Protestants similarly to how he is among non-Christians, prompting Ortlund to press whether Protestants differ from Buddhists.00:00 Debate Setup and Stakes00:52 Hidden Church vs Visible Church01:22 Theosis and Salvation Process03:41 Institutional Communion Claims04:39 Where the Gospel Goes Missing05:33 Works Anxiety and Purgatory Logic07:34 Gavin Pushes Back on Exclusivism11:13 Pageau on Christ Among All13:32 Protestants Compared to Buddhists14:16 Law, Works, and James 217:18 Gospel Creates the Church20:03 Ethereal Answers and Final Critique
Transcribe →Joseph's Final Journey | What His Coffin Reveals About Faith
3w ago00:52:59Tap to summarizeDan Shaw explores this powerful biblical teaching on the lives of Joseph, Jacob, and Rachel. Gain perspective on enduring faith through these ancient narratives. This presentation examines key moments from scripture, focusing on the historical and spiritual significance of Joseph and Jacob. Whether you are deepening your personal bible study or seeking encouragement, this session connects traditional biblical stories to modern application. The message highlights lessons of perseverance and character that remain relevant for believers today.00:00 Joseph Story Recap00:49 Judah Changes Everything03:05 Gods Promise Not Straight04:22 Jacob Learns Joseph Lives05:41 Reunion and Simeon Echo07:53 Bethel Dream Points to Jesus11:51 Rachel and Bethlehem Thread13:37 Crossed Hands Unexpected Blessing15:06 God My Shepherd and Redeemer24:43 Idols vs True Blessing28:22 Brutal Blessings30:10 Judah and Shiloh33:27 Burial and Faith36:32 Guilt After Forgiveness43:05 Absolution and Confession47:09 Genesis Ends in Coffin50:17 Creation to Consummation
Transcribe →The Protestant Paradox: Who Gets to Decide?
3w ago00:24:57Tap to summarizeDr. Daniel Shaw explains that sola scriptura means the Bible is the highest norm for faith and life, not the only authority, and distinguishes it from “solo scriptura.” Responding to a Roman Catholic apologist’s claim that Protestantism “makes zero sense” because private judgment isn’t scalable and requires a visible magisterial authority, the host argues that institutional consensus does not guarantee truth and that authority rests in the gospel message, not in particular leaders. He traces how the church began with Christ’s post-resurrection commission and Pentecost preaching before any New Testament existed, emphasizing that the preached word creates and sustains the church and later becomes codified in apostolic writings. He contends Scripture is the earliest, most reliable deposit of the apostolic “rule of faith,” critiques later doctrines not found in Scripture, and notes the “many denominations” objection to be addressed next time.00:00 What Sola Scriptura Means01:13 The Denomination Objection03:57 Scalability and Illiteracy05:30 Consensus Is Not Truth06:49 Need for Visible Authority09:54 Apostles Versus Message10:26 Matthew 16 and Peter11:55 Early Church and Bishops12:42 Starting From Scratch14:28 Gospel Before New Testament16:12 Pentecost Creates the Church19:00 Rule of Faith and Creeds20:07 Why Scripture Comes First24:03 Closing and Repentance
Transcribe →Knowledge Puffs Up: The Apologist Problem
4w ago00:12:37Tap to summarizeDan Shaw asks why Christian apologists are so often disliked, clarifying that apologetics means giving a reasoned defense of the faith (not “saying sorry”) and that anyone can be an apologist for many things. He draws on Helmut Thielicke’s 1962 book A Little Exercise for Young Theologians to argue that theological knowledge can puff people up into “Gnostic pride,” where truth and love are seldom combined, producing a possessive, superior posture toward others. Shaw highlights Thielicke’s warning that truth can be used for personal triumph or to “kill,” leading apologists, pastors, or theologians to disdain simple believers and even become destructive toward the church while treating empty pews as proof of correctness. He urges Christians to hold truth and love together, avoid hubris, and emulate C.S. Lewis’s humility. 00:00 Why Apologists Get Hate00:28 What Apologetics Means02:02 The Thielicke Diagnosis03:36 Knowledge Can Puff Up06:21 Truth Without Love09:49 Using Truth To Win10:55 Dont Be A Jerk11:57 Holding Truth And Love12:28 Final Charge Be Like Lewis
Transcribe →Trent Horn & Bryce Crawford: A Deep Dive into the Eucharist
Jun 1700:28:56Tap to summarizeDan Shaw, host of The Narthex, plays and analyzes a back-and-forth from Bryce Crawford’s podcast featuring Catholic apologist Trent Horn, using it to examine what Christians should call the sacrament and what it truly is. He argues “the Lord’s Supper” best emphasizes that Christ hosts and gives the gifts, not that worshipers make it meaningful by their thanksgiving. Shaw contrasts symbolic views, Catholic transubstantiation, and the Lutheran doctrine of real presence (sacramental union), insisting the key is Jesus’ promise in the words of institution and Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 11. He critiques importing Aristotelian metaphysics to explain the change and connects the Supper debate to Christology, presenting Communion as Christ giving his true body and blood with bread and wine for forgiveness, life, salvation, and personal assurance.00:00 What Do We Call It?00:33 Why Lord's Supper Matters02:27 Podcast Debate Setup03:48 Symbol vs Transubstantiation, Bryce Crawford06:21 Reformation Views Explained10:25 Catholic Metaphysics Analogy, Trent Horn13:39 Early Church Quotes15:28 Lutheran Promise Approach17:24 Christology and Real Presence21:42 Assurance and Redundancy24:58 Luther Catechism: Cling to the Promise
Transcribe →Christianity and Deconstruction (feat. Rhett McLaughlin)
Jun 1400:28:32Tap to summarizeDan Shaw explores why people leave Christianity by probing a deeper issue beneath individual complaints: the search for certainty in a world that feels like an “earthquake.” Using Luc Ferry’s discussion of Descartes, it argues that radical skepticism and “I think, therefore I am” locate certainty inward, a pattern echoed in Greek options like Stoicism (detach to avoid pain) and Epicureanism (dive into pleasure). Dan contrasts this with Rhett McLaughlin’s deconstruction, in which losing the “appetite for certainty” felt liberating, and with his later claim that evangelical faith often demands certainty through assent to doctrinal propositions. The script concludes that certainty isn’t achieved by introspection or institutional authority but is bestowed from outside through the proclaimed gospel—“faith comes by hearing”—especially through Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.00:00 Life On Shifting Sand00:49 Why People Leave Church01:23 The Monster Underneath02:16 Descartes And Certainty05:36 Radical Doubt Method08:34 Doctrines And Doubt11:42 Rhett On Deconstruction15:06 Stoicism Or Epicureanism18:34 Certainty Revisited 202621:42 Certainty Bestowed Not Found23:26 Promises From Without26:53 Given Christ In Sacraments27:47 Final Word Of Assurance
Transcribe →The Truth About the Lord’s Supper: Ritual or Reality?
Jun 1000:17:17Tap to summarizeRev. Dr. Daniel Shaw uses Flannery O’Connor’s line about the Eucharist—“If it’s a symbol, to hell with it”—to argue that a merely symbolic Lord’s Supper becomes a demand that worsens anxiety and despair rather than a gift for sinners. He points to the Words of Institution in Paul and the Synoptic Gospels, stressing the meal was given “on the night in which He was betrayed” for betrayers and troubled consciences needing assurance. Citing Luther’s emphasis on “This is my body,” he contrasts inward self-checking with an external promise spoken by God through bread, wine, and word, reinforcing baptism and working like absolution. Though bread remains bread and wine remains wine, Shaw says Christ is truly present “in, with, through, and under” them, giving forgiveness, certainty, and comfort.00:51 O'Connor On Eucharist01:51 What Symbols Do02:36 Why Jesus Gave It04:14 Betrayal And Assurance04:57 This Is My Body06:14 Hearing God's Voice07:12 Faith Looks Outward09:26 Real Presence Explained10:40 Despair Without Promise12:45 Certainty Through Word14:10 Absolution Thought Experiment16:07 Communion For You16:53 Wrap Up And Invite
Transcribe →When You Don't Feel Saved: The Only Anchor That Holds
Jun 700:32:19Tap to summarizeThe episode argues that modern society faces a “famine of trust,” illustrated through Sebastian Junger’s TED Talk about soldiers missing the brotherhood and certainty of war compared with alienation at home, and supported by declining institutional trust (including churches). The speaker connects this pervasive uncertainty to the search for something reliable and contrasts distrust in institutions with God’s “fail-safe” promise in baptism from Acts 2 (“the promise is for you”), emphasizing Luther’s view that baptism is entirely external—done to you by God through water and Word—rather than an inward commitment. Citing Oswald Bayer’s Promissio and Luther’s catechism, it presents baptism as delivering forgiveness, grace, the Holy Spirit, and “the entire Christ,” and critiques re-baptism and inward-focused “enthusiasm” as producing anxiety and “faith in faith,” concluding that comfort comes from saying, “But I am baptized.”00:00 Famine of Trust00:52 Brotherhood in War02:48 Too Many Voices05:38 Institutions and Betrayal08:22 Something to Believe In09:28 Baptism as Promise12:28 External Not Internal16:37 Rebaptism Clip Breakdown25:02 Uncertainty and Self-Reliance28:27 Enthusiasm and Assurance30:29 But I Am Baptized31:29 Closing and Invitation
Transcribe →Baptism: Why We Need to Return to the Pentecost Promise
Jun 300:30:41Tap to summarizeBaptism as God’s Promise: Forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and Acts 2The episode argues that because God is almighty (Pantokrator), humans can only know Him through His self-revelation, seen in Genesis where God creates ex nihilo through performative speech; Satan cannot oppose God’s power but twists God’s word for deception, as in Eden. This framework is applied to contemporary “churchianity,” where institutional self-interest can distort God’s word, prompting a reexamination of baptism. Using Acts 2 at Pentecost, the speaker emphasizes the gospel’s public, universal proclamation and Peter’s call to “repent and be baptized” for forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a promise “for you and your children and all who are far off.” Baptism is presented as God’s future-oriented promise and assurance, not a human achievement, urging Christians to return to their baptism and leading into the next episode on Romans 6.00:00 Can We Know God01:12 Revelation and Genesis02:26 God Creates by Word04:34 Twisting the Word06:49 Church Deception and Baptism09:37 Pentecost and Preaching12:37 Baptism Gives Gifts14:51 Baptism as Promise17:19 Return to Baptism21:05 New Heart by Grace26:52 Assurance Not Achievement29:02 Closing and Next Episode
Transcribe →