The Bible as Literature

Latest Episodes:

Under the Tent of Shem Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

This week, Fr. Paul discusses the meaning of the names Shem, Ham, and Japheth, explaining that the verb “to dwell” in Hebrew pertains specifically to tent dwelling—another notable breadcrumb reflecting his broader thesis about shepherdism in the Bible. He concludes by taking our questions on the first appearance of the word covenant in the Bible, and the link between the nakedness of the progenitor and the life blood in Genesis. (Episode 96)

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It’s Not for Sale Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

We live in a society whose standard of value has created broken communities, a generational increase in mid-life suicides, and a steady supply of ideological violence. Yes. The love of money is indeed the root of all evils and we Americans are living proof. And please, no platitudes about how money is fine if you don’t love it. Show me someone who does not love money. Even the great hermits and stylites of old loved money—that’s why they chose to flee the world in the first place—to escape the madness we now embrace.

Thanks be to God, the parables of the Kinging in Matthew set forth a new standard of value, one measured not by the acquisition of wealth—but of biblical wisdom. Praise the Lord in the heavens! Praise him in the heights, that this wisdom is definitely not marketable and not for sale.

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 13:44-48.

Episode 307 Matthew 13:44-48; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Cryptic Sorrow” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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The Noahic Covenant Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

This week, Fr. Paul discusses the significance of the rainbow as a heavenly sign beyond the control of human beings. This “bow” or “arch” in the heavens, he explains, indicates the distinction between the Abrahamic and Noahic covenants in the Bible. (Episode 95)

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It’s All About the Wheat Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

When the disciples turn to Jesus to explain the parable of the wheat and the tares, they make the terrible mistake of reducing the Lord’s teaching to “the parable of the tares of the field,” omitting any reference to the wheat in verse 36. This omission betrays their misplaced focus: The parable is all about wheat production, but the disciples remain preoccupied with the tares, ignoring the imperative of the parable.

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 13:36-43.

Episode 306 Matthew 13:36-43; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Frost Waltz” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Life Blood Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

This week, Fr. Paul explains that only God has dominion over life and death in the Bible, and subsequently, the blood of earth mammals—including human beings—is strictly his domain. (Episode 94)

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Hidden in Plain Sight Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

We human beings foolishly trust in our own eyes. We look at other people and assume that we understand what we see and then we make judgments. But is it really possible to see? When you look at a field freshly planted, can you point out which seed will be most productive? Of course, you can see the field, and you may even know where the seeds are planted, but you have no clue what’s going to happen. The result is in the seeds, but this result is hidden from you in plain sight, from the foundation of the world.

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 13:31-35.

Episode 305 Matthew 13:31-35; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Magic Forest” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Everything That Swarms Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

This week Fr. Paul critiques the commonplace human assumption that the animals are “like us,” noting that in Scripture it is the human beings who are like all the other animals. As with the New Testament, where the oikonomos is no different than the other slaves in the household, so too in Genesis, man’s appointed responsibility does make him different than any of the other earth mammals.

(Episode 93)

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There Are No Good Guys Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

When we hear a story of judgement in the Bible, our natural tendency is to try to identify the good guys vs. the bad guys so that we can make ourselves one of the good guys. In this sense, we’re no different than the slaves in the parable of the wheat and the tares. We want to be on the right side so that we can remove the ones whom we decide are on the wrong side. However, in the parable, the Lord and Master of his slaves prevents us from doing so in order to protect his wheat. As a result, both the wheat and the tares are forced to live together in God‘s field until the time of the harvest. In the meantime, no one is aloud judge anyone or to separate one kind of person from another.

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 13:24-30.

Episode 304 Matthew 13:24-30; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Skye Cuillin” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Upon Ararat Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

Fr. Paul begins his discussion of Genesis 8 by emphasizing the Scriptural priority of the animals, differentiating between the creatures of the sea, the creatures of the ground and the birds of the air—the latter being of special importance. He also touches again briefly on the mention of Ararat, which, he explains, appears in the story as a clear indication of the Syrian desert.

(Episode 92)

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Roots Not Fruits Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

Whether dealing with cultural or historical themes, or emphasizing biblical languages, we talk a lot about historical context on the podcast. So let me be blunt, the popular notion that teachers should “make the Bible relevant today” or “make the Bible relatable,” is absolutely wrong. It’s not only wrong, it’s unforgivable, because when you engage in such nonsense, you shut your students out of the Kingdom.

In order to understand what someone is saying, you need to learn their language and understand their situation—you need to relate to them. This applies not just to history and language, but also to physical and geographic context.

On the other hand, you could try to make the the whole world relate to you, see everything and hear everyone from your perspective and filter everything through the lens of your thoughts, feelings and experiences...please let us know how that works out for western civilization.

Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 13:17-23.

Episode 303 Matthew 13:17-23; Music from https://filmmusic.io: “Hotrock” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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