The Bible in Context
Les Bridgeman Have you ever felt like you entered the rabbit hole of no return? If you start reading the literature on Genesis 1, you will. Nearly every line in Genesis 1 is the subject of intense debate. In this post I will focus on two interrelated debates among Christians regarding Genesis 1: the proper interpretation of … Read more
The word pseudepigrapha means “falsely attributed” so technically the Pseudepigrapha are ancient Jewish books that bear the name of an author who didn’t actually compose them. Entitling a work after the name of a famous person was a common practice in the ancient Near East. The Pseudepigrapha date from around 300 B.C. to A.D. 300. … Read more
Christianity is composed of three major branches: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant. Each branch has the same 66 books in their Bibles. In comparison with most Protestant Bibles, however, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles have additional books. LXX The extra books come from the first major translation of the Bible called the Septuagint … Read more
The first sentence of the Bible is mind-blowing: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1 NIV). Of course, this shows God’s creative power to bring all things into existence, including time, matter, space, and the laws of nature, but it also shows his love. Since there is nothing higher than … Read more
In Lesson 1 we learned the basic skill of observation. In this lesson we’ll practice that skill with a longer section of Mark. Identify the repetition in Mark 1:14-45 by highlighting the same word/concept (or variations of the same word/concept) in the same way each time you see it. For example, if you see the … Read more