The Bible is Literature/part of an education

WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.

I wrote a book of study tips. One tip encourages visual learners to make the content from their classes visual if possible. But visual media have their limits: “IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO STUDY, THEN CONVERT YOUR NOTES TO DRAWINGS AND DIAGRAMS. If you’re a ‘visual person’ (everyone says they’re a visualContinue reading “WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.”

The ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’ Matthew 15:4-9.

When confronted by the Pharisees, Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of man-made rules. “God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ … but you say ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, ‘whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple’—does not have to honor his father and mother. YouContinue reading “The ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’ Matthew 15:4-9.”

SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.

I try to read the Bible with fresh eyes. It’s hard to read the familiar Sermon on the Mount as though I were hearing it for the first time. But I try. Jesus created images, ideas, and poetry as rich as anything by Shakespeare or MLK. And what a poetic opening! “Blessed are the poorContinue reading “SERMON ON THE MOUNT:You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows. Matthew 5-7.”

SCHOOL IS NOT PUNISHMENT.

I was unhappy in high school. And I was not the only one. Sharpstown High School had all the worst problems of American high schools, from drugs to riots to shootings. And for several months one year, someone phoned-in bomb threats nearly every day. The first time it happened it was funny and exciting, aContinue reading “SCHOOL IS NOT PUNISHMENT.”

Is the Bible Too Long for You?

There’s a fascinating verse at the end of the Gospel of John: And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. John 21:25. What a way to end the story! It’sContinue reading “Is the Bible Too Long for You?”

“Let’s kill all the lawyers.”

Who are our heroes? Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and Nolan Ryan? Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk? Celebrity actors or “influencers”? Political and military leaders? Let’s ask the question another way. Who is most critical to the survival of our society? We do not depend on entertainers for survival. Rich businessmen are only slightlyContinue reading ““Let’s kill all the lawyers.””

RESPECT THE WORD. Jeremiah 33:3.

I always thought grownups were a little silly about Bibles: don’t drop it, don’t set it on the floor, don’t wrinkle the pages, don’t let it get wet, etc. But that comes from a good motive. Most people in history had no Bible or shared one, and had to treasure it. And consider this: whenContinue reading “RESPECT THE WORD. Jeremiah 33:3.”

EXPRESSIONS FROM THE BIBLE. John 19:30.

You probably know what it means if I say, “I wash my hands of this matter.” It means I’m not involved or responsible. It comes from Pilate washing off the question of Jesus’s guilt. And you probably know the context in which Jesus made famous the phrase, “He who lives by the sword will dieContinue reading “EXPRESSIONS FROM THE BIBLE. John 19:30.”