Table of Contents
Rethinking Wrath, Judgment, and the Christlike God. A Conversation with Dr. Brad Jersak
God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus. We haven’t always known this, but now we do.
What if everything we believed about God’s wrath needs to be re-examined in the light of Jesus? What if divine justice is not about punishment, but about healing? What if the Bible’s most fearsome passages were never intended to be the final say on who God is?
In this powerful and timely episode of The Dig In Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Brad Jersak, professor at St. Stephen’s University, respected theologian, and author of books like A More Christlike God, A More Christlike Word, and Her Gates Will Never Be Shut. Brad’s work has offered a bold and compassionate alternative to traditional doctrines of judgment, hell, and divine violence.
But this conversation also matters in the wider cultural moment. Names like Bart Ehrman have influenced a generation of skeptics, agnostics, and even Christians wrestling with Scripture. Ehrman is known for exposing contradictions, inconsistencies, and troubling portrayals of God in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. Many walk away from faith not because of Jesus, but because they cannot reconcile the wrathful, tribal deity they see in parts of Scripture with the loving Christ of the Gospels.
Brad Jersak doesn’t run from those questions. He meets them head-on. And in doing so, he offers a path forward, one that holds on to Jesus as the full revelation of God.
Inside This Episode: Theology That Heals
In this conversation, we explored deep, often uncomfortable theological territory with tenderness and clarity. Brad doesn’t just offer theories, he presents a coherent vision of God that starts and ends with Jesus Christ crucified.
Here’s a glimpse of what we covered:
-
Jesus as the Final Word: Why Brad believes Jesus (especially crucified) is not one revelation among many, but the only true image of the Father
-
Reading Scripture through Christ: How this perspective shifts the way we understand Old Testament violence, judgment, and “holy war”
-
God’s Wrath Reimagined: Exploring wrath as self-destructive consequence rather than active vengeance
-
The Problem of Hell: Why the traditional doctrine of eternal conscious torment cannot coexist with the character of Jesus
-
Bart Ehrman’s Influence: How Brad responds to the critiques raised by scholars like Ehrman, and why the answer isn’t to dismiss them, but to dig deeper
-
Restorative Justice: What it really means for God to judge in righteousness, not through destruction, but through restoration
-
Why This Matters Today: How a distorted view of God produces fear-based religion, and why recovering a Christlike theology changes everything
Dive Deeper: Brad Jersak’s Essential Works
Brad has been a spiritual guide for those deconstructing toxic religion and rebuilding their faith on the foundation of Christ. Here are some of his most important books:
-
A More Christlike God – A powerful exploration of what it means for Jesus to be the exact image of God
-
Her Gates Will Never Be Shut – A deep study of judgment, hell, and redemption in the Bible
-
A More Christlike Word – How to read Scripture through the lens of Jesus, not flat literalism
-
Can You Hear Me? – A gentle introduction to hearing God’s voice in everyday life
-
St. Stephen’s University – The academic and spiritual home where Brad teaches theology, peace studies, and biblical interpretation
Listen to the Episode Wherever You Are
Bart Ehrman, Deconstruction, and the Christlike Alternative
This episode is especially important if you or someone you love has been influenced by Bart Ehrman’s scholarship. Ehrman has raised legitimate and difficult questions about Scripture, questions that deserve honest and thoughtful answers.
But the solution is not to abandon the Bible. It’s to read it differently.
Brad Jersak’s Christ-centered approach doesn’t ignore historical or textual difficulties. It embraces them, and walks through them with Jesus as the guide. That’s the kind of theology that can stand up to scrutiny. It’s also the kind of theology that brings healing, not fear.
This isn’t just academic debate. This is about reclaiming the Gospel. It’s about setting people free from distorted images of God and introducing them to the One who said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.”
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever sat in a pew, heard a sermon about hell or wrath, and silently thought, “That doesn’t sound like Jesus,” this episode is for you.
If you’ve lost faith because you couldn’t reconcile the God of the Bible with the God of love, this conversation might just open the door again.
And if you’re a pastor, leader, or teacher looking for language to bridge the gap between biblical truth and the heart of Christ, this interview is a masterclass.
Dr. Brad Jersak is not afraid to ask the hardest questions. But more importantly, he’s found something beautiful on the other side: a God who looks exactly like Jesus.
Let’s dig in.
