When God Speaks: The Power of Divine Words in the Old Testament | Prof. Steven Mann

In this powerful episode, Pastor Johnny Ova sits down with Prof. Steven Mann, chair of the seminary at Azusa Pacific University and a leading expert in speech act theory, Old Testament theology, and biblical narrative. Together, they explore how God’s words throughout Scripture are not just spoken statements but active forces that create, command, bless, warn, and transform.

Prof. Mann explains how the lens of speech act theory helps us understand the Bible on a deeper level. From Genesis 1 to Jonah, from covenant to correction, from prophecy to poetry, this conversation unpacks how divine speech functions across the Old Testament. You will never read “And God said…” the same way again.

We also explore how this theme connects to the New Testament and the identity of Jesus as the Word made flesh, offering a full-picture view of how God's speech is both consistent and redemptive across the entire biblical arc.

📚 Resources by Prof. Steven Mann

• Words Creating Worlds: Old Testament Narratives and Speech Act Theory (Lexington Books, 2025)
• Run, David, Run! (Eisenbrauns, 2013)
• “Let There Be Cain: A Clash of Imaginations in Genesis 4” – JSOT 46.1 (2021): 79–95
• “Ask and You Shall Intercede” – Bulletin for Biblical Research 29.2 (2019): 208–224
• “Performative Prayers of a Prophet” – Catholic Biblical Quarterly 79 (2017): 20–40
• “You're Fired: An Application of Speech Act Theory to 2 Samuel 15.23–16.14” – JSOT 33.3 (2009): 315–334Steve_Mann_Publications…

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#TheDigInPodcast #StevenMann #SpeechActTheory #OldTestament #BiblicalStudies #Theology #GodSpeaks #DivineSpeech #ChristianPodcast #BibleStudy #Jonah #Genesis #Jesus #WordMadeFlesh

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:43 From Band Director to Youth Pastor
• 3:08 How Speech Act Theory Found Him
• 4:54 What Is Speech Act Theory?
• 7:32 God's Words as Action
• 10:41 Speech, Power, and Human Language
• 13:28 What Does It Mean That God Speaks?
• 18:34 Divine Speech in Genesis 1
• 23:30 Marduk vs. Yahweh: Genesis in Its Ancient Context
• 24:51 What Is Covenant? Brueggemann's Insight
• 28:15 Is Every Directive God's Ideal?
• 31:01 Blessing and Cursing as Speech Acts
• 34:19 When Prophets Speak on Behalf of God
• 36:22 Jonah’s Prophecy and Nineveh’s Repentance
• 38:24 Can Human Response Change God's Plan?
• 42:13 Who Knows? The Power of Second Chances
• 44:01 Does the OT Point to Jesus as Divine Speech?
• 45:07 Proverbs 8, Wisdom, and the Word Made Flesh
• 46:28 Hebrews, Fulfillment, and the Language of Jesus
• 49:23 Jesus Fulfills, Not Abolishes, the Law
• 51:20 God Walks With Us Through Brokenness
• 52:34 Reading Jonah Again With Fresh Eyes
• 55:08 The Bible Doesn’t Just Inform, It Transforms
• 56:14 Final Thoughts