A New Voice of Freedom

A New Voice of Freedom is scripture study delivered as a reading. Its recent episodes belong to a series called 'Stories of the New Testament', and they go through the Book of Acts one chapter at a time. Each installment is labeled plainly with a running podcast number, the book, a part and a chapter. Some chapters are split into lettered parts, and one episode suggests hearing the previous part first, so the series works best in order. Linda Messer introduces each episode and names her husband Ron in the welcome. After that comes a steady rhythm of reading and explaining. Passages are read aloud in their old 'thee and thou' wording, sometimes in full before any comment. Then the commentary starts, usually by drawing on another book of the Bible. Pentecost is traced back to Exodus and the Feast of Weeks, with a note that the word means fiftieth. The healing of a lame man is read as the fulfillment of the promise in Matthew to make Peter and Andrew fishers of men. The choosing of seven men to care for the poor, Stephen and Philip among them, leads into priesthood keys and the laying on of hands. The theology is stated plainly, without hedging. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are presented as separate beings with distinct roles, and faith in Christ is set apart from the faith of Christ. One episode turns to what happens after death, describing spirits that keep the same mind and personality and a division between the righteous and the wicked. Hard passages are not avoided: the story of Ananias and Sapphira is called emotionally difficult before it is read unbroken. Persecution runs through these chapters, from apostles jailed and then rejoicing to be counted worthy of shame, to Gamaliel's warning against fighting God. The stoning of Stephen is set up with a numbered list of reasons the story matters, including the first appearance of Saul, later called Paul. Stephen's retelling of Israel's history, from Abraham through Jacob and Joseph, is followed closely, with short notes on how the crowd is reacting. The name might suggest politics, but these Acts episodes are Bible study from start to finish. Episodes end with the same short thanks and a pointer to the next podcast.