Imagine a world without writing. People simply talk. They make promises. They shake hands. When the matter is really important, they employ rituals to ensure that everyone remembers. In pre-literate England, the sale of real estate included an elaborate ritual: go to town and round up a couple of little boys, then go to theContinue reading “No Written Records? Close the Deal and Slap the Children: Ezra 6:1-2. “
Category Archives: The Bible is Literature/part of an education
The Bible is the Story of Human History. Hebrews 4:12.
The Bible is not some dusty, ancient book about some forgotten land, none of which is relevant today. The Bible is a cross-section of human history, a cross-section of humanity. When we get to heaven and look back on all of human history, we will see the Bible differently: it is a detailed record ofContinue reading “The Bible is the Story of Human History. Hebrews 4:12.”
The Fear of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:15.
Image: the famous “Earthrise” photo captured by the crew of Apollo 8 on Christmas Eve, 1968. Part One: a Challenge to Put Some Effort into Your Bible Reading. Most of us believe we ought to read the Bible. Many of us start. But finishing is a real challenge and a significant accomplishment. The Good Book,Continue reading “The Fear of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 28:15.”
He Tells the Best Stories. Esther 7:9.
Everyone loves a great storyteller—and there is none greater than God himself. But the Bible is not an easy read. There are not only language challenges but also the way we tell stories has changed significantly in the last four thousand years. But the best readers can get past such challenges, and the rest ofContinue reading “He Tells the Best Stories. Esther 7:9.”
PROUD TO BE IGNORANT. Acts 7:22.
Have you noticed the way some Christians are proud to be uneducated? Preachers will say things like “well, I’m just a poor country preacher, but …” and you can tell they wear that badge with pride. Pride in your own ignorance is a classic example of anti-intellectualism, and it has deep roots in the AmericanContinue reading “PROUD TO BE IGNORANT. Acts 7:22.”
THE ART OF LANGUAGE. Psalm 46.
How powerful are WORDS? Visual art can capture scenes and moods, whether an epic war or a domestic still life. Music uses sound to capture emotions, and it runs the gamut from light comedy to epic drama. Art, music, dance, and even the art of cooking can convey emotions and some simple ideas. But onlyContinue reading “THE ART OF LANGUAGE. Psalm 46.”
ECCLESIASTES IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE BIBLE. Do You Have a Favorite?
What is your favorite book of the Bible? Have you thought about it? Have you read enough of the Bible to have a favorite? If not, why not? What are you waiting for? It only takes a few minutes a day. The first time I read Ecclesiastes, I had just spent the hardest year ofContinue reading “ECCLESIASTES IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THE BIBLE. Do You Have a Favorite?”
TWO GREAT BOOKS. Revelation 1:3.
Great stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Genesis (Hebrew for “in the beginning”), is literature’s greatest story of beginnings—no religion or culture has an “origin story” to match it. Likewise, Revelation is literature’s greatest story of endings—unmatched by anything in the world’s greatest libraries. Revelation is the essential “final chapter.” It tiesContinue reading “TWO GREAT BOOKS. Revelation 1:3.”
OPENING LINES. 1 John 1:1-4.
Can you name these novels by their famous openings? “Call me Ishmael.” “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had goneContinue reading “OPENING LINES. 1 John 1:1-4.”
Editing on Horseback. Romans 15:1.
Did you know that the sixty-six books of the Bible were codified into a single book long before the chapter and verse divisions were added? Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury (and a key writer of the Magna Carta), first introduced chapters in the year 1228. The first Bible to be published with both chaptersContinue reading “Editing on Horseback. Romans 15:1.”
Household Words: 