ABRAHAM'S SACRIFICE OF ISAAC: What if obedience isn’t always righteous?

Abraham’s greatest act of faith… was saying “no”?

If you’ve been told that obedience is the highest form of faith— even when it contradicts your sense of right and wrong — You’re not alone. And you’re not faithless. You're discerning. You’re listening. You’re trying to honor God and your conscience. That’s not rebellion. That’s spiritual maturity. Join this free course today and discover a faith that makes room for both justice and trust.

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THIS CLASS IS FOR YOU... IF

  • You’ve been silenced in the name of “submission”
  • You’ve been taught that disagreeing is dishonoring God
  • You carry spiritual trauma from leaders who used Scripture to control or manipulate
  • You feel guilty for having questions—and scared that doubt means disobedience
  • You want to rebuild your faith without abandoning your morality, your intuition, or your God

🎁 What you’ll walk away with:

A fresh, honest take on the story of Abraham and Isaac—one that upholds justice and faith

Jesus’ perspective on Abraham’s obedience (hint: He saw something different than we preach)

Biblical permission to say “this doesn’t sound like God” and not feel condemned

A more trustworthy view of God—where faith doesn’t mean self-betrayal

Tools to navigate faith without falling into fear, guilt, or shame

Course curriculum

    1. How to use this course

    2. Before we begin...

    3. Hi, I'm Your Professor

    4. An Academic Approach to the Bible

    5. Private Tutoring

    1. 1. Abraham Argues with God

    2. 2. Biblical Job Description of God

    3. 3. Further Discussion of Abraham's Argument: Prof. Clifford Orwin

    1. 1. Abraham Learns of God's Character

    2. 2. Which Image of Abraham is Best? Prof. Christine Hayes of Yale University

    3. 3. Jesus/Isaac Connection: Prof. Joel Baden at Yale University

    4. 4. Jesus Isn't Isaac

    5. 5. Gaps in the Text: Prof. Joel Baden at Yale University

    6. 6. Ancient and Modern Child Killers: Prof. John Collins and Joel Baden at Yale University

    1. 1. Did Abraham Believe God?

    2. 2. Q&A: Abraham Didn't Tell Sarah...?

    3. 3. Q&A: Why Not Assume Abraham Lied?

    4. 4. Withholding Isaac from God

    5. 5. Q&A: What About Hebrews 11:19?

    6. 6. The Missing Angel

    7. 7. Q&A: What is Textual Criticism?

    8. Read: “Abraham Didn’t Believe God”

    1. 1. Watch: Documentary on Child Sacrifice

    2. 2. Watch: Yale University Professor on Child Sacrifice

    3. 3. Child Sacrifice in the Ancient Near East

    4. 4. Q&A: Abraham's Hermeneutics

    5. 5. A Faith Greater than A Moabite

    6. Read: “When God Wants Dis/obedience”

    7. Optional: Did Abraham Fail the Test? Watch J. Richard Middleton Explain An Alternate Approach to Genesis 22

About this course

  • Free
  • 29 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Instructor

Matthew Korpman

Matthew J. Korpman is an adjunct professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at La Sierra University. He is completing his PhD in New Testament studies and is a graduate of Yale University's Divinity School. He has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles in the world's top academic journals, edited articles for Oxford, and published the bestselling book "Saying No to God: A Radical Approach to Reading the Bible Faithfully" (Quoir, 2019).

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If you’ve ever been in a church or spiritual space where obedience mattered more than justice… Where asking questions felt like rebellion… Where following God meant denying your own moral compass…This course was created with you in mind.

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