Featuring Matt Anderson and Ben De Bono
Standard Podcast
April 17, 2024
Recent Comments
- Arie - Episode 1135: The Criterion Challenge: Ordet
- Arie - Episode 1111: Iliad Introduction
September 11, 2023
- Arie - Episode 1100: The Sci-Fi Christian Undectennial Self-Celebration Extravaganza
July 12, 2023
- Arie - Episode 1074: The Joy of Work
December 10, 2022
- Nan - Episode 962: Burial vs. Cremation
August 23, 2021
Great episode. I missed it the first time around. Thanks for time looping.
Years ago, I got tagged to do study notes for an Orthodox study Bible. 1 Samuel was my responsibility, so I had to tackle the Witch at Endor.
Surprisingly there was a lot written by the Church Fathers on this passage. There were three main viewpoints:
1. The witch really did called forth Samuel from the dead. (Justin Martyr, Origen, Ambrose, & Augustine)
2. Whether it was Samuel or a demon, it appeared at God’s bidding and not by some magic of the woman (Chrysostom, Theodoret)
3. The entity was a demon who deceived Saul and gave him a false prophesy eventually leading to his own suicide. (Tertullian, Hippolytus, Ephrem the Syrian, Evagrius, Basil, Jerome, & Gregory of Nyssa). Gregory of Nyssa wrote a specific treatise on the subject. They also point to the fact that Saul had been plagued by evil spirits for years.
Regardless of the view, it does not negate the conclusion you guys came to around ghosts. I thought of one more passage where apparitions are present. After the crucifixion, one of the Gospels mentions that many of the Old Testament dead were seen walking through city of Jerusalem.
Great Job