Galatians 2:15–21 is one of the most debated passages in Paul — but why is it so difficult to interpret, and what exactly is Paul arguing?
In this episode, we walk step-by-step through the flow of thought in Galatians 2, showing how the Greek text reveals Paul’s logic regarding justification, faith, the law, and Christian identity.

Daniel Mikkelsen speaks with Nicolai Techow (Lecturer at Fjellhaug International University College, Copenhagen), a scholar of Paul and the Greek New Testament, about how reading Galatians in Greek uncovers structure, connections, and meaning that are often obscured in English translations. Together we explore how Paul uses phrases like “works of the law” and “Gentile sinners,” why verse 18 is a turning point in the argument, and how the grammar and discourse build toward Paul’s famous statement: 'I have been crucified with Christ.'

This episode will be helpful for anyone studying biblical exegesis, justification by faith, Pauline theology, the New Perspective on Paul, or for those simply wanting to understand how Paul’s reasoning works in context — rather than as isolated theological slogans.

Finally, we consider how Paul’s understanding of justification shapes daily Christian life and why his argument in Galatians remains so important for the Church today.

Don't Miss the Next episode:

A conversation with Ed Glenny on how the Septuagint (LXX) is used in 1 Peter, why Peter sometimes quotes Scripture differently than the Hebrew text, and what that means for our understanding of inspiration, meaning, and early Christian interpretation.

Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the biggest mistakes beginners make and start making real progress with biblical languages:
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters

00:00 Coming Up...
01:09 Meet Nicolai Techow — Scholar of Paul and the Greek Text
05:06 How Learning Greek Became an Unexpected Joy
08:44 Three Levels of Understanding Scripture Through Greek
15:12 What Greek Reveals That English Can’t Capture
19:58 How Greek Changes How We Read Salvation in Galatians
22:56 Why Paul Writes Galatians the Way He Does
28:43 How Galatians 2 Fits Into Paul’s Larger Argument
36:08 Why Galatians 2 Is One of Paul's Most Debated Texts
41:30 Key Puzzles in Galatians 2 — What Does Paul Mean?
51:46 What Is Paul Tearing Down and Rebuilding?
01:06:17 How Justification Shapes Everyday Christian Life

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

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Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Reading Leviticus this way makes it deeper.
Many readers approach Leviticus as a dense book of rules and obscure laws — difficult to read, difficult to understand, and seemingly far removed from everyday Christian life. But what if the problem isn’t Leviticus, but the way we read it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Christian Canu Højgaard — pastor, Hebrew scholar, and specialist in Leviticus — to explore how the book functions as carefully crafted literature rather than a random collection of laws. We discuss how understanding its structure, themes, and original context reveals a stunning theological vision centred on God’s presence with His people, holiness, identity, and wisdom.

Christian also explains how reading Leviticus in Hebrew slows us down and opens up patterns, echoes, and connections we simply cannot see in translation — including a beautiful line running across the Torah through Leviticus and all the way back to Eden.

Whether Leviticus has confused you, bored you, challenged you, or intrigued you — this conversation will help you appreciate why it sits at the heart of the Torah and why it still matters for Christians today.

Next Episode Preview

Next episode, Nicolai Techow and I will explore the flow of thought in Galatians 2 — and why understanding Paul’s structure changes how we read the letter and apply it today.

📘 Free Greek Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the biggest mistakes beginners make and start building real reading ability:
👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapters:

00:00 Coming Up...
01:05 Meeting Christian Canu Højgaard: Leviticus Specialist and Pastor
03:52 Learning the Biblical Languages: A Turning Point
05:35 How Hebrew Slows You Down (and Opens Up Everything)
08:45 Hidden Word Connections Only Visible in Hebrew
14:52 Leviticus Isn’t a Stand-Alone Book
19:00 Why Treat Leviticus as Literature?
21:47 The Surprising Structure Behind Leviticus
26:02 Laws as Identity: Not Just Rules
27:51 The Holiness Code: What Is It and Why It Matters
33:11 A Book Structured to Change Its Readers
37:04 Leviticus and the Big Narrative of Scripture
41:53 What We Discover When We Read Leviticus This Way
45:26 Isn’t Leviticus Just a Dry Book of Laws?
49:13 Law as Wisdom for Life with God
52:25 How Grammar Reveals Meaning
57:58 What About Tattoos, Rituals, and Strange Laws?
01:01:37 Leviticus as a Unified Vision: Holiness in Relationship
01:05:41 How Should We Apply Leviticus Today?

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspire

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.

Did the first readers of Genesis see creation as a temple?
In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Professor of Old Testament Jens Bruun Kofoed joins me to explore how ancient Israelites understood the creation account in Genesis 1–11 — and why seeing Eden as a sanctuary and humanity as God’s image-bearers transforms the way we read Scripture.

We dive into temple imagery, ancient Near Eastern context, Hebrew language insights, and how the earliest audience would have heard the creation story. We explore how creation, tabernacle, and new creation form a unified biblical theme. We discuss the meaning of shalom, the literary patterns linking Genesis to the Tabernacle and Temple, and the biblical claim that humanity is called to represent God’s character in His sacred space. We also address questions about genre, myth, history, and what makes the God of the Bible utterly unique among ancient gods.

Whether you are curious about biblical languages, temple theology, Eden imagery, or early Jewish interpretation, this conversation offers a rich, historically grounded perspective on Genesis that is often missed by modern readers — and deeply relevant for the Christian life today.

Don't miss the next episode:

In the next episode, I speak with Christian Højgaard about reading Leviticus as literature — and how its structure, themes, and theological design reveal far more than a book of laws.

Free Guide — Why Struggle with Greek?

Avoid the four most common pitfalls and start making real progress in biblical Greek:
🔗 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greek

Chapter:

00:00 — Coming Up…
01:01 — Meeting Jens Bruun Kofoed — Hebrew Bible Scholar, Creation Account Specialist, and Preacher
03:56 — The Story Behind a Hebrew Scholar
06:02 — How the Original Languages Unlock Scripture
08:59 — Shalom Is Deeper Than You Think It Is
14:59 — Creation & Tabernacle: The Overlooked Literary Thread
17:18 — Creation → New Creation: The Bible’s Grand Pattern
20:01 — Why Study Genesis’ Creation Narrative So Deeply?
22:53 — Myth or History? The Question Everyone Gets Wrong
31:08 — Why Understanding Genre Is So Important
35:06 — How the First Readers Heard Genesis
43:55 — The Garden as Sanctuary
49:31 — Creation as Cosmic Sanctuary
53:06 — How God’s Presence Shapes the Whole Bible
01:00:32 — Are Biblical & Ancient Near Eastern Creation Stories the Same?
01:07:49 — The God Who Is Nothing Like the Ancient Gods
01:10:42 — What First Creation Means for Your Life Today

Music Credits:
Music from #Uppbeat
🔗

Please, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer.

Podcast Keywords:
biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study, Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.