Paul Samuel

InVerse 1st Quarter 2026: Apologetics

Sebastien Braxton

Joe Reeves

Jonathan Walter

Hope Channel

06 Jesus and Buddhism

Coming to you from Silver Spring, Maryland, welcome to Inverse, a Bible-based conversation on life principles, contemporary issues, and thought-provoking perspectives.

Now here's your host, Joe Reeves, with Inverse.

Hello, my name is Joe and welcome to Inverse.

Glad to be here together to discuss some things.

We've been looking at apologetics this quarter.

You can find all of our Bible study written out.

You can go deeper than what we have time to on the program if you go to inversebible.org.

There's past studies there, but our current 1 is apologetics.

And we are looking at the reasons for Christianity, the reasons to believe.

And you can see all of our programs at hopetv.org forward slash inverse.

So we're glad to continue our discussion of world religions, of Christianity and why I should believe, what are the reasons?

We're looking at another story of Jesus, but we will begin with prayer as always.

We want the Holy spirit to guide us today.

Heavenly father, we thank you that you are the God who created the universe and yet cares about us individually everyone, and that you are willing to reveal yourself to us as we step into faith.

And so I pray that you will increase and strengthen our faith, that you will open our hearts and minds to understand your word, and you will speak to us, not just here, but those listening and watching wherever they are.

We have considered during this season of Inverse as we've studied apologetics, that all the different religions of the world wrestle with the same or similar questions, questions about suffering, about destiny, about origin, and there's different answers offered by different teachers.

Today's episode is Jesus and Buddhism, and we are looking at a story of Jesus from the Gospel of John, Chapter 9, where these questions are addressed about suffering, about origin, many of the same questions that Buddha wrestled with some centuries before.

Maybe before you read the passage, Sebastian.

You can tell us about Buddha and his palace and his struggles.

So Siddhartha Buddha, or Guatemala was actually his name.

But Siddhartha Guatemala was basically living in a palace.

He was a prince, he was very comfortable.

And there was a sort of, not like a prophecy, but basically saying you have to keep him from anything outside the palace.

So life, pleasure, money, comfort, food, he had everything.

And 1 day he ends up actually going out into the world and he encounters suffering.

And from that moment in time, he basically saw no meaning in his palace life.

And he essentially went on a journey to figure out how to end suffering.

And through that process, he came up with things of self-discipline, of compassion, et cetera, et cetera, which became like the dharma, the way that it goes.

And essentially, to summarize there at the end, he gets the title Buddha, which means the awakened 1.

So there's a problem, the problem is suffering.

He's on a journey, he's searching for enlightenment.

Well, how to figure out how to get rid of suffering and his solution without letting too much out of the bag is That you need to detach from caring about the things of this world So meanwhile Jesus enters this world.

There's the same problems there's problems of suffering and pain and other teachers Buddha was before Jesus some centuries before, and attempting to offer certain answers.

Jesus is here on earth in John chapter 9.

And let's see what we discover in this story from John chapter 9.

Now, as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva.

And he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.

And he said to him, go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is translated, scent.

So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Now we need to know that the worldview of these people in this story, these Jewish people, is very similar to some of the Hindu thinking.

They also thought that if a man is born blind, that it must be because Either he sinned or his parents sinned.

And so he is suffering maybe a karma, so to speak.

And they want Jesus to affirm this worldview.

Jesus is not ascribing guilt to any previous birth, to any previous existence.

For instance, I'll read to you from Hindu scriptures, which the Buddha used.

It says, accordingly, those who are of pleasant conduct here the prospect is indeed that they will enter a pleasant womb, either the womb of a Brahman, the priestly class, or the womb of a Kshatriya, the warrior class or the royal class, or the womb of a Vaisya, which is a professional business class person.

But those who are of stinking conduct here, the prospect is indeed that they will enter a stinking womb of a dog or the womb of a swine or a womb of an outcast.

And when The way Jesus responds to the question, did this man sin, did his parents sin?

Jesus refuses to ascribe any inherited guilt.

Jesus says, this is so that God will be glorified in this person.

Diametrically different from either the Jewish worldview or the prevailing Buddhist or Hindu worldview at the time.

Where does this man's blindness come from?

05 Jesus and Hinduism

Coming to you from Silver Spring, Maryland, Welcome to Inverse, a Bible-based conversation on life principles, contemporary issues, and thought-provoking perspectives.

My name is Joe and we at Inverse study the Bible with friends at a table and with you.

And we're so excited that you've joined us today.

We're very glad to have you here, Felicia.

And we've been studying apologetics this season.

We've been learning as we've prepared for this, and these programs aren't scripted, but we do study and prepare, and then we have a great conversation and so apologetics what we've done for this is episode number 5 what what have you learned so far.

1 that apologetics does not mean you're apologizing for anything, but it means making a defense, giving answers as to why you believe what you believe, but knowing how to communicate in such a way with other people who have never heard the gospel, have never heard the name of Jesus, and knowing how to share that in a way that resonates with them, that is not in a dogmatic kind of way, but an attractive thing.

And so that's 1 thing that we've covered about apologetics.

It's also paying attention to getting an interest in the ideas out there, the beliefs of other people out there, knowing a little bit about the fears and hopes and desires of people, And that helps us respond with the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the medicine where the need is.

Uh-huh, and in episode 2, we looked at a story of Paul doing that when he was in Athens and he perceived their thoughts, their beliefs, and he addressed them.

He even quoted from some of their own authors.

Anything else you're picking up this season?

I think just a reminder that, you know, the word that we said it comes from apologia, obviously in that word is the root word logos, right?

And the idea of Christianity through apologetics shows us that it appeals not just to the heart, but to the mind.

That you don't have to check out your brain to be a Christian.

That you can be a reasonable, rational person and still believe in God, which we brought up that Richard Dawkins quote.

And the reminder of that, that yes, he can be vast and incomprehensible mentally, but still close to the heart.

And I wanna remind you that, that's important for each 1 of us.

So I, at a very young age, I learned the Bible stories.

But as a teenager, I thought, you know, I don't want to be a Christian just because it's my culture or my tradition.

I only want to be a believer if I can defend it and I can give reasons why.

And so that, it's not just about who gets the faith, it's about who keeps the faith.

And every single person, Every single believer needs to understand the reasons for themselves and to be able to explain and share with others.

Grappling with the questions is like developing antibodies within ourselves.

The grappling with the doubts, this is important.

If we do, when tragedy hits, when life's challenges hit us, then we're caught unawares, and our faith falls, and we fall apart.

But as Christians facing the doubts, facing the questions, they grow in us faith that's informed.

And we're looking at the scriptures today and we want to pray and ask God to be with us.

And Felicia, could you pray for us at the beginning?

Father, we thank you so much that we can bring our questions to you.

You don't ask us to follow you blindly, but as we go on our way and we have these different thoughts that come, we know that we can find the answers in the person of Jesus.

So as we study about different religions and different questions, we pray that our faith in Jesus would grow.

We are turning in our Bibles to John chapter 3.

It's a conversation that Jesus has with somebody.

Jesus came into this world in a certain context 2000 years ago.

There were already religions and worldviews that were out there.

Jesus offered something that was different.

So as we think about these words, we've studied John chapter 3 before, but we're listening to this conversation of Jesus and how would this be heard from an Eastern religion or from a worldview to the East.

And this is very important for us to think about in our context today.

I don't know how many of you have neighbors and friends that practice Hinduism or similar religions like that originating out of India and Nepal, but really a global religion now.

We have, Yes, 2 of the world's largest temples by area size are in the US and in Canada, in Europe and so forth.

It is a growing religion, adherents around the world.

They are migrating and building families and forming communities around the world.

So it's likely that you will find them as neighbors, that you'll interact with them in business, in the workplace.

And it's a rich opportunity to encounter their hopes and fears with the gospel.

So let's bring the words of Jesus to the conversation from John chapter 3, and I think verses 1 through 8.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no 1 can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

Jesus answered and said to him, most assuredly I say to you, unless 1 is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered, most assuredly I say to you, unless 1 is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again.

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Okay, so he's speaking to Nicodemus, he's religious, He's a rabbi, he's a teacher of the Jews.

But this was in a broader conversation as well, and the Gospel of John has gone to the whole world.

What if it was a Hindu teacher that was listening to Jesus and that he was conversing?

How do you think he would have heard it, Sebastian?

Well, I think the way that he would have heard it would be in Hinduism, the idea that every birth is a rebirth, right?

So there is this concept of the new birth.

They would have heard that in the context of reincarnation.

So every birth is a rebirth, And your current state and the level of society in which you live is a result of the life that you lived, unbeknownst to you.

Felecia Lee

04 The Problem of Evil

Hello, my name is Joe, and welcome to Inverse Bible Study, where we get into the verse and we study the Bible together.

And we are studying this season about apologetics and diving into 1 of the most difficult and common questions today about suffering about the problem of evil and so glad you could join us so glad I have friends here at the table with me Sebastian welcome.

Aloha glad you're here for the show is back I Joe you're here and Jonathan still here.

Haha yes, you know with this group we never know what's going to come, but it's always or usually good.

We are glad to be here at this table and ask about the problem of suffering and where does it come from and what does it mean about God and why is there Evil in this world.

Yeah, let's pray Heavenly Father we are so grateful for the privilege of life and the privilege of being able to study your Word, especially as we turn our minds to this topic, a defense for God in light of the evil that exists in this world.

And evil is 1 of the things, Lord, that is most undeniable about what the word of God teaches us.

So we pray, Lord, that you would guide our conversation, be with our thoughts and our understanding.

And we pray with David that you would open our eyes, that we may behold wondrous things from your law.

You know, it's hard to imagine the Bible without the book of Job.

It is defining, it creates orientation to the whole canon of scripture, I think.

And so this story is hopefully 1 that's familiar and 1 that we should understand well and see new depth to.

We're going to start in the first verse of the book of Job and understand this story and what it tells us about our own stories.

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job and that man was blameless and upright and 1 who feared God and shunned evil And 7 sons and 3 daughters were born to him.

Also, his possessions were 7, 000 sheep, 3, 000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large household.

So that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their 3 sisters to eat and drink with them.

So it was when the days of feasting had run their course that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.

For Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

Thus Job did regularly." Smooth sailing so far.

Any observations you want to make about the life of Job, about his faith?

The story is an interesting story if you know the whole book.

We do believe that it's an actual real story, not some kind of allegory, but we think it was, you know, before Abraham, and that he was 1 of those individuals who had that faith in God, maybe passed down throughout his family, from, you know, from the descendants of Noah.

And I think that's always a good thing to see.

You see he was blameless and upright, 1 who feared God and shunned evil.

Something that is not easy to do today, and something that was never easy to do.

And so I think that sets the stage to the rest of the story.

But just so we know, Time-wise, we think it was probably in the third millennia before Christ, around that time.

Okay, so 1 of the earliest narratives or biographies.

Yes, yes, definitely before Moses, before Israelites and Abraham.

And if you consider some of the aspects of Job are, you know, first mentions this character, right?

Then you see the fact that of his family, so we understand that in the Bible, having children was a sign of blessing, the fact that you were barren was a negative thing, it meant like God's blessing was not upon you, but he has 10 children.

Then you go to the fact that he was wealthy, right?

500 yoke of oxen in verse 3, he has 500 female donkeys and a very large household, so that's all his servants.

Then you see his reputation, he was, this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And then you go down to verse 5, and it says that he was a faithful priest of his home.

And then at the end, anybody can be holy for a phase, right?

You can get all 5 of those things correct for like a day, maybe a couple weeks, but then it ends by saying, thus Job did regularly.

And I love the fact that 1 Christian author says that a changed life is a great miracle, but a consistent 1 is another great miracle.

And so people can be great for a moment, but Joe, we're looking at somebody here that, if I told you this is how the story started, you would not think this book is 42 chapters.

You'd be thinking, hey, this brother right here took the gospel to all of his area, brought all these people to God.

And it's interesting for us that on a topic of apologetics on the problem of evil, we're starting with a man's life who is basically unparalleled to what we see today.

Yeah, Job's story kind of reminds me of the Genesis story in a way.

The book of Genesis starts off with everything just beautiful and prospers, and then the devil comes in and then messes everything up.

And so the story starts out where he just prospers.

Like how could anything go wrong in this story until the accuser steps in?

It would be nice if we could end the story there.

I mean, that's what I want my life to be.

Don't worry, Sebastian, you're not there yet.

Just keeping my brother in the place of humility and constant growth in Christ, amen.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came among them.

And The Lord said to Satan, from where do you come?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it.

Then the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, 1 who fears God and shuns evil?

So Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for nothing?

Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?

You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face The Lord said to Satan behold Satan all behold all that He has is in your power only do not lay a hand on his person So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

So suddenly the camera that was pointed to earth and to Job and his family is now pointed to heaven.

02 Climbing Mars Hill

This is a Bible study with friends where we are studying the Bible, challenging topics, good topics.

You can see all of our past Bible studies at inversebible.org today we are looking at apologetics, episode number 2 of this season.

And you can see all of our past seasons on hopetv.org forward slash inverse.

And we are excited to dive into the Word with you, wherever you are watching from.

And I will ask Jonathan to pray for us as we open the word today.

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for the opportunity to study together here in the studio, but also with those who are watching and joining us from wherever they are.

We ask that your spirit will speak to our hearts and teach us and guide us and help us as we focus on your word, as we learn what you try to teach us.

So we thank you and we pray all these things in the name of Jesus, amen.

Apologetics, we learned in the last episode, it is not learning how to apologize, but it is learning how to give a defense of one's belief.

Christian apologetics is the study of answering difficult questions about Christianity, the Christian worldview, and giving a defense for it.

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Paul Samuel

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