I Adjure You
What if ancient Jewish communities knew more about spiritual warfare than we do today? In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Merrill Greene, an expert on the Qumran community and their protective rituals. He walks us through the world of apotropaism (yes, we had to practice saying it), which is all about warding off evil before it even has a chance to strike.
We explore how the Qumran community saw themselves as living in the end times and how their practices shaped early Christian thought. Ever heard of Songs of the Sage? These ancient hymns were believed to startle demons into submission—talk about the power of worship!
Merrill also challenges the modern church’s tendency to reject spiritual practices that have deep biblical roots. From Psalm 91’s exorcistic power to the Lord’s Prayer as a weapon against the enemy, we dive deep into what’s real, what’s superstition, and what we might be missing out on.
We also tackle some hot-button topics, like:
The dangers of deliverance ministries gone wild
Why some spiritual protection methods are biblical, not superstitious
The Essenes’ mysterious influence on early Christianity
The power of music in spiritual warfare (spoiler: demons don’t like worship!)
And if you think this episode is already full of wild ideas, just wait until we discuss Merrill’s upcoming book on altered states of consciousness in the Bible. This episode is a mind-bender in the best way possible.
Do you think the church has lost some ancient spiritual wisdom? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
