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Theodore Epp

Theodore Epp

Theodore Epp (1907 - 1985)

Theodore H. Epp, a graduate of Southwestern Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas, was the founding director of the Back to the Bible Broadcast. He began his ministry as a pastor in Goltry, Oklahoma, where he received his first taste of radio preaching. He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, to establish the Back to the Bible Broadcast, and the first program was heard on May 1, 1939, on a small local station.

He served as General Director for the broadcast until his retirement from on-air radio speaking in 1984. He continued to serve the ministry as well as perform other speaking engagements until his death in 1985.


Theodore H. Epp was an American Christian clergyman, writer, and a radio evangelist. Epp was the founding director and speaker of the Back to the Bible broadcasts between 1939-1985, heard worldwide on eight hundred stations in eight languages.

He started his ministry as a pastor and radio preacher in Goltry, Oklahoma and then relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he established the Back to the Bible radio program. It was first broadcast May 1, 1939, on a local station and was eventually syndicated as a daily, 30-minute program to more than 800 radio stations worldwide by the time of his retirement in 1985.

Under Epp's direction, the broadcasts were also noted for music by the Back to the Bible Choir and quartet. Several popular recordings were made by the choir in the 1940s and 1950s. Back to the Bible also had a weekly youth program, featuring a youth choir and serialized adventures with a Christian theme. Both the music and youth program have since been discontinued. Epp wrote nearly 70 books and magazine articles.

      Theodore H. Epp was an American Christian clergyman, writer, and a radio evangelist. Epp was the founding director and speaker of the Back to the Bible broadcasts between 1939-1985, heard worldwide on eight hundred stations in eight languages.

      Epp was born in Oraibi, Arizona, the son of Russian Mennonite immigrants. His parents were missionaries to the Hopi Indians there. After graduating from Oklahoma Bible Academy, Epp attended Hesston College, Hesston, Kansas and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now, Biola University), Epp received a ThM degree in 1932 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

      He started his ministry as a pastor and radio preacher in Goltry, Oklahoma and then relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he established the Back to the Bible radio program. It was first broadcast May 1, 1939, on a local station and was eventually syndicated as a daily, 30-minute program to more than 800 radio stations worldwide by the time of his retirement in 1985.

      Epp wrote nearly 70 books and magazine articles.

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Theodore Epp

The Word Cleanses Your Walk

John 17:13-19 The Bible speaks of our being sanctified by the Word of God as well as by the blood of Christ and by the Holy Spirit. Just as Christ is not of the world, so the believer is not of the world. God uses His Word, under the power and work of the Holy Spirit, to bring about the changes He w... Read More
Theodore Epp

The Word Is Central

Philippians 2:15,16; Psalm 119:9-16 Never forget the centrality of the Word of God to the believer's witness. The Christian is to study the Word, apply it to himself and then translate it into daily living before a crooked and perverse world. And every believer may be assured that as God's Word is h... Read More
Theodore Epp

Togetherness

Ephesians 5:25-33 No believer lives a spiritually isolated life. Together, we are members of Christ's Body (Eph. 5:30) and have responsibilities to each other. Ephesians 4:25 says, "We are members one of another." Therefore, Spirit-filled believers treat fellow Christians as they would treat themsel... Read More
Theodore Epp

Triumph in Tribulation

Romans 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 Humanly speaking, no one likes tribulation. Within ourselves we react negatively to difficulties. The word "glory" means "rejoice." No unbeliever can do this, but the believer's whole outlook is changed because of his relationship with Christ. A true Christian can lo... Read More
Theodore Epp

Truth, Not Popularity

1 John 4:1-6 It is sad, but many who talk about our Saviour and use His name do not believe that He is the eternal God, the Creator of all things, and that He came to die for the sins of mankind. In the verses previous to this, the apostle discussed false teachers who talk about Jesus but fail to ac... Read More
Theodore Epp

Two Burdens

Galatians 6:1-10 To speak of bearing one another's burdens and then to say that every man shall bear his own burden appears on the surface to be a contradiction. This really is not the case. Two different words are used in the original language that are translated "burden" in Galatians 6:1-10. The b... Read More
Theodore Epp

Two Inseparable Truths

Job 42:1-6 Job had a new comprehension of God, which brought a new comprehension of himself. He acknowledged that he was vile. Many believers think they have reached the end of themselves when they give mental assent to the doctrine of human depravity and say we are all depraved. But it is one thing... Read More
Theodore Epp

Understanding Your Standing

Romans 5:1-5 Our standing before God is in the grace to which we have constant access (Rom. 5:2). We do not need new credentials each time we come to God, because our standing is constant since we come by means of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us. God does not accept us as we are, but as we are... Read More
Theodore Epp

Unity, Not Uniformity

Philippians 2:1-5; Psalm 133 The Christian life is not a stereotyped life composed of rules and regulations. It may involve rules and regulations, but the Christian life is essentially the presence of Christ in the believer. This is why Paul said, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lor... Read More
Theodore Epp

Victorious Faith Defeats Satan

Job 1: 12-22 According to Job 1:12 the Lord gave Satan permission to afflict Job up to a certain point. God told Satan that he could do what he wanted with all Job had, but he was not to touch Job himself So Satan set out to prove that Job was not what God claimed him to be, but God's purpose was to... Read More
Theodore Epp

Vindicated by God

Job 42:7-17 The vindication of Job was a vindication before his "friends." God called him "my servant" and had him act in the capacity of a priest for the three who had so cruelly slandered him. We not only need to see what God was able to do with Job, we also need to see the God of Job for ourselve... Read More
Theodore Epp

Waiting for God's Time

11 Samuel 2:1-11 Second Samuel 2 opens with these words: "And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron" (v. 1). David found, a... Read More
Theodore Epp

We Can Do It Also

James 5:16-18 The Bible says Elijah was a man subject to like passions, or as another translation says it, "A man of like nature" (James 5:17, RSV). God permits us to see where Elijah failed so that we need not think we are dealing with a perfect man. He was human just as we are; what sets him apart... Read More
Theodore Epp

What Do You Believe In?

Colossians 1: 1-8 Almost everyone talks about faith because almost everyone has faith in something. But faith is only as good as its object. It is important to recognize that we are not saved from condemnation by having faith in faith. Paul commended the Colossians for their "faith in Christ Jesus" ... Read More
Theodore Epp

What to Do With Anger

Ephesians 4:17-27 It is apparent that we should be angry with sin and come to hate that which would separate us from God or cause loss of fellowship. This means there will be times when we will hate what others do because it goes contrary to the Word of God. Such anger may be referred to as "righteo... Read More
Theodore Epp

When God Says No

2 Samuel 7:1-13 Nathan commended David for his desire to build a temple and then went to his own house. That night God spoke to the prophet, and as an obedient servant, Nathan brought the word to David. The message was no. God was not going to allow David to build a house of worship for Him. The Lor... Read More
Theodore Epp

When God Speaks

Job 38:1-11 God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind at this point, and what He said had an immediate effect. God's voice made Job conscious of the presence of God, whom he had not seen and said he could not find. Before this the discussion had been about God as if He were absent. Now Job was suddenly ma... Read More
Theodore Epp

When Is It a Sacrifice?

2 Samuel 24:18-25 The Lord not only stayed the plague, but through Gad He also instructed David to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite (1 Chron. 21:18). The Lord was very specific about this and left no alternative in the matter. Why this particular spot was chos... Read More
Theodore Epp

When the Heavens Seem As Brass

Job 31:6-8,33-35 Job was an unusual man. He had done many noble deeds. He was outstanding in many ways. He was the kind of man who, once he humbled himself before God, could be trusted with more responsibility. The Scriptures say that the person who is faithful in little things will also be faithful... Read More
Theodore Epp

Where Do We Stand?

1 Kings 18:7-16 Elijah commissioned Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was looking for him. Obadiah's response was one of fear. This man seems to have lacked moral strength and spiritual backbone. When the commission was given, he was reluctant to obey. The similarities between Obadiah and Elijah are few,... Read More

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