In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod, we continue to dive deep into a multi-faceted and often misunderstood subject: the anatomy of evil in the Bible. While many look to the dramatic imagery of the Gospels or Job, this episode shifts the lens toward the practical, "boots-on-the-ground" letters found at the end of the New Testament—the Pastoral and Catholic Epistles.

Drawing from texts like James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude, Hebrews, and the letters to Timothy and Titus, Daniel dissects how these second and third-generation communities defined the forces threatening to undo their mission. We explore evil not as a single, abstract monster, but as a three-dimensional threat:

• The Evil Within: How disordered internal desires—pride, lust, and the "love of money"—serve as the "source code" for human destruction (James 1:14-15; 1 Timothy 6:10).

• The Evil Between Us: The social collapse caused by favouritism, the "poison" of the tongue, and the absence of love within a community (James 2-3; 1 John 4:20).

• The Evil From Outside: The terrifying rise of the "False Teacher," the ideological spirit of the "Antichrist," and the prowling "roaring lion" that seeks to devour the faithful (2 Peter 2; 1 John 2:18; 1 Peter 5:8).

Whether you view these texts as sacred scripture or fascinating historical artefacts, this episode offers an accessible, scholarly, and engaging look at how ancient writers mapped the struggle for human goodness.

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As we continue to explore the representation of evil in the Bible, we now move on to explore the Pauline Epistles. For the Apostle Paul, it wasn't just about pitchforks and demons. It was a complex interplay of psychology, paradox, and cosmic oppression.

In this episode of Cogito Ergo Pod, Daniel dissects the "flavours" of evil in the Pauline tradition, moving from the personal to the apocalyptic. We explore:

• Hamartia & Sarx: Evil as "missing the mark" and the internal struggle of the ego.

• The Law: How rules can inadvertently provoke transgression.

• Principalities & Powers: The esoteric vision of systemic, spiritual injustice.

We also navigate the scholarly distinction between Paul's Undisputed and Disputed letters to see how these ideas shaped the Western mind.

(Note: This episode also builds on the biography of Paul discussed in Episode 19.)

In this episode, host Daniel dissects the concept of evil as it's presented in the New Testament Gospels. From a secular, literary, and historical perspective, Daniel first explores why these texts frame evil in a world of cosmic warfare, Roman occupation, and intense sectarianism. The episode then breaks down the three primary categories of evil in the narratives: Personified Evil (Satan, demons like "Legion," and the Beelzebub accusation), Systemic Evil (the political paranoia of King Herod and the cynical indifference of Pontius Pilate), and Internal Evil (the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the betrayal of Judas, and the frightening psychology of the mob).