Why Say “Kingdom of the Skies” Instead of “Kingdom of Heaven”?

Episode Chapters

1. Intro
   0:00 - 1:41
2. Why Are There So Many Sets of Threes in the Sermon on the Mount?
   1:42 - 1:54
3. "Marianne from the Netherlands I absolutely love all of your podcast series, but what stuck with me the most about the Sermon on the Mount is the fact that everything is so well designed in parts of three. So I was wondering, is there a specific reason Matthew does this? Like symbolic meaning or ancient literary rules? I would love to know!"
   1:55 - 8:05
4. How Do We Reconcile Jesus’ Words About the Law With Other New Testament Teachings?
   8:06 - 8:09
5. "Emma from Australia My question is about Jesus’ discourse on the law and the prophets, particularly the Old Testament law. I’d always understood that later Christian teachings, such as from the New Testament letters, teach that it is permissible to not strictly follow all the laws of the Torah, such as the Sabbath, dietary requirements, or the sacrificial system, yet Jesus here says that anyone who sets aside the least of these commands will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. If both parts of the Bible are true, how do we reconcile them? Love to hear your thoughts."
   8:10 - 18:09
6. Does Jesus Contradict His Teaching in Matthew 5:22 When He Calls the Pharisees “Blind Fools” in Matthew 23:17?
   18:10 - 18:12
7. "Jeff from Oklahoma My question revolves around the part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is teaching about anger, specifically where he says, “But anyone who says ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." But later in Matthew, in chapter 23 when Jesus is condemning the religious leaders, he drops all kinds of derogatory descriptions of them, and at one point, in verse 17, even he calls them “blind fools!” How do we reconcile this?"
   18:13 - 26:05
8. What Is the Difference Between God’s Justice With Gehenna and the Philosophical Idea of Karma?
   26:06 - 26:10
9. "Katie from Illinois I have a question related to episode 10 of The Sermon on the Mount series, in which Tim and Jon discussed God’s justice and Jesus’ reference to gehenna. If the idea is that the ways God’s people have wronged others would be done back to them, what are the similarities and differences between this and the philosophical idea of karma?"
   26:11 - 32:18
10. Why Does Jesus Not Mention Abuse as a Legitimate Reason for Divorce?
    32:19 - 32:22
11. "Rebecca from USA I’m struggling to reconcile Matthew 5:19 with 5:32. There is this powerfully motivating charge to not relax the least of commandments in order to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, and this is fulfilled by understanding the heart of the law—God's wisdom filling it full in application and meaning. How does God’s wisdom fill full verse 5:32, saying that divorce apart from sexual immorality is adultery, when you take habitual, unrepentant marital abuse into account? I know God's heart for the lowly (specifically exemplified in this very Sermon on the Mount)! How is this divorce command not relaxed and wisely understood in genuine cases of abuse. I struggle that Jesus does not address this. I long for abuse to be grafted into this exception, yet want a righteousness that doesn’t bend God's word to appease my desires and personal feelings toward justice. What questions should I be asking to guide this search? What does God’s word say to this specific mourning group of people?"
    32:23 - 42:11
12. Would Jesus Say Not to Legally Swear to Tell the Truth With Your Hand on the Bible?
    42:12 - 42:14
13. "Michelle from Illinois Would you include the common legal practice in the West of swearing that one is telling the truth with one's hand on the Bible as an example of the oath-taking practices Jesus teaches us not to do? If not, how is it different?"
    42:15 - 46:13
14. Why Do You Refer to the Kingdom of Heaven as the Kingdom of the Skies?
    46:14 - 46:19
15. "Gwen from Florida Why do you refer to the Kingdom of Heaven as the Kingdom of “the skies”? Is “the skies” a more faithful translation of the term Jesus is using?"
    46:20 - 53:45
16. Show Credits
    53:46 - 56:01