The B-Side Bible: Your backstage pass to what didn't make the sermon.
"They Didn't Teach That At School" has been renamed The B-Side Bible. The B-Side Bible is a playful nod to the forgotten, overlooked, and underappreciated parts of Christianity and the Bible — much like a B-side on an old vinyl record. While the A-sides are the polished, well-known stories you hear in sermons (think Noah, Moses, and Jesus’ greatest hits), the B-sides are the strange visions, fringe characters, obscure rules, and wild moments hiding in the background.
This podcast is your backstage pass to what didn’t make the sermon — the sacred oddities, quirky tales, and theological curveballs that rarely get the spotlight but are just as fascinating.
Mark Kerrigan is a teacher with a bachelor of Education and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies. Mark has been teaching for twenty years and has also written 2 novels.
The B-Side Bible: Your backstage pass to what didn't make the sermon.
Witchcraft and Magic in the Roman Empire
In chapter 19 of the Book of Acts of the Apostles, we encounter an unusual event that took place in the city of Ephesus.
According to the biblical account, the Apostle Paul had been preaching and performing miracles in Ephesus, which threatened the livelihood of those involved in the occult and magical practices. Many people who practiced magic arts and sorcery were deeply impacted by Paul's teachings and chose to renounce their previous practices.
As the newly converted believers turned away from their former practices, they brought together their books and scrolls on magic and sorcery. In Acts 19:19, it is stated, "A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. "
In this podcast we take a closer look at this episode in history and discover, not only was magic and witchcraft rife throughout the Roman Empire but that Christianity had a significant and lasting impact on its practice.