A scholarly overview of the Bible. Covers controversial information like the creation story, little known facts, biblical personalities, common Bible stories and much more. Interesting and thought provoking.
Excerpt
CHAPTER I
ADAM, EVE AND THE CREATION: THE
BEGINNING OF HUMAN HISTORY
Introduction
Each of us has our own techniques for facing and dealing with life. There are many such techniques. Some have chosen religion whereas others have shunned it, and for those who have, many nonreligious strategies exist. No matter what the approach, each of us must face life. Throughout human history, inspired books have appeared which help man face and cope with life, but often these books are so difficult as to be incomprehensible or so simple as to almost seem foolish. The Bible is among these inspired works. People often think it’s too difficult to understand or too boring to read. Many people belong to the group that does not understand the Bible. It is certainly among the world’s most difficult books, but it overflows with fascinating, epic events. Other major scriptures are as difficult, yet equally interesting and popular; especially the Koran, the TAO, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita.
Film and television directors, writers and producers are well aware of the subjects that can be used most successfully to make a blockbuster movie. Love, sex, violence, crime, human interest, fantasy and humor lead the list, and all except humor can be found in abundance throughout the Bible. This being the case, it seems probable that the Bible is more difficult to understand than it is boring.
Of the many people who purchase Bibles each year, relatively few (relatively because lots of people read it consistently, but few by comparison to the number of Bibles sold) read them consistently, and fewer still read them from cover to cover. Yet it is invariably among the most popular books in the world. Common, generally unspoken complaints as to why people don’t read it from cover to cover usually lead to the idea that ‘it’s so hard to understand,’ but most of those who begin to read the Bible are usually amazed at the violence and lust they find.
Even as the Bible begins, it does not go far before one encounters violent crime. The initial crime, murder, is described in the passage:
“Cain was very angry and his face fell. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you so angry and cast down....’
Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go into the open country.’ While they were there, Cain attacked his brother Abel and murdered him.”
Genesis 4:5-8
Often throughout the Bible there are hidden clues that shed light upon its meaning. For example, an unquoted sentence within the above passage states:
“...sin is a demon crouching at the door.”
Genesis 4:7
Irrespective as to what you call it, whether a demon, beast or devil, a sin by any other name is still a sin. This passage equates sin with the devil by saying that sin is a demon; it does not actually say that a real demon or devil exists, and surprisingly, no devil or demon can be found anywhere in Genesis, even though there is a great deal of sin. It is as though the devil does not really exist except as a creation of our minds. Sin itself appears to be mankind’s biblical devil. Even though the devil’s existence is taught throughout most Christian religions as if it were a real entity, only seldom does the Old Testament mention the devil. Judging from the Bible, especially the Old Testament, the devil is just a symbol of the misfortunes in life, basically a figment of your imagination. If the devil does not really exist, it is only one of the many commonly taught religious principles that may be inconsistent with the contents of the Old Testament at least, if not with the New Testament. Such inconsistencies between commonly accepted ‘biblical’ principles and the actual contents of the Bible are the focus of much of what follows.
Many of the difficult or inconsistent ideas in the Bible are commonly sloughed off or ignored, making an accurate interpretation of the Bible difficult at best, impossible at worst. The following journey is an escapade through difficult, commonly overlooked or totally ignored terrain. There will be no attempt to overlook the Bible’s inconsistencies and contradictions, and no crime, sex or violence will be ignored just because it may be a bit embarrassing or difficult to explain. In fact, contradictions and inconsistencies will be eagerly sought in an attempt to show that the authors of the Bible may have purposely included them so as to help clarify the topic they were discussing. Thus, it may be a grave mistake to exclude them. Many significant oversights are considered, such as the fact that God is the culprit behind acts commonly thought of as evil, that reincarnation (although the word is not used) is a major concept taught throughout the Bible, or that the biblical idea of death is not a state where the soul loses consciousness or ceases to exist. These points will be considered in depth, with the aim of clarifying the contents of the Bible. Many concepts and ideas discussed in one context will be repeated in other contexts, and some concepts and ideas will be repeated throughout the book.
As the Bible begins, it presents stories that set the stage and present the symbolism for the scenarios, concepts, parables and prophecies that follow. Subsequently, these are explored. This approach is more or less parallel to that of this book. As is true of the Bible, this book begins with Genesis and ends with Revelation. We will commence our journey by looking at a few of the stories of sex, crime and violence presented in Genesis and the symbolism they portray.
Adam, Eve, Creation and the Garden of Eden
Few stories have caused as much controversy as the biblical story of creation. Many well meaning, sincere individuals insist that the biblical creation is an accurate
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THE BOOKS OF INSPIRATION AND WISDOM
CHAPTER III
THE BOOKS OF INSPIRATION AND
WISDOM
The Bible has served as a source of inspiration and wisdom to millions upon millions of people throughout history. Although it has many functions besides inspiration, some portions are almost solely sources of inspiration. These include the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and portions of the Apocrypha. In times of despair, need or uncertainty, these books are uplifting; in times of trouble, they are soothing; in times of sickness, they are healing. They have something to offer every need or to fulfill every desire, but often they are of more than purely inspirational value. Frequently, they give insight into the nature of God and existence. At other times, they are prophetic, and at still other times, they give insight into past events. In short, one could truly say that they contain something for everyone. These books and the book of Job often contrast opposites in Nature by showing the effects of each and how they balance each other, but as elsewhere in the Bible, the need for opposites to exist in Nature is not always as clear as the need to avoid extremes. These books have many messages and serve many functions, only a few of which can be presented here. They add diversity and value to the Bible.
THE PSALMS AS MEDITATION AND PRAYERS
Meditation and prayer are fundamental aspects of the Hebrew religion. Christ and the prophets frequently sought out secluded places for meditation and prayer, and we can assume that the apostles did also. The Bible makes no clear distinction between meditation and prayer. Neither is such a distinction obvious in most Christian religions. When Christ went out to meditate and pray, he did so alone, or with one or two disciples nearby. Even those few disciples who might have accompanied him did not necessarily meditate and pray with him, but stayed away somewhere in the distance and often fell asleep as they did in Gethsemane where he was betrayed. These points are illustrated in the passage:
“When they reached a place called Gethsemane, he said to his disciples, ‘sit here while I pray.’ And he took Peter and James and John with him. Horror and dismay came over him, and he said to them, ‘My heart is ready to break with grief; stop here, and stay awake.’ Then he went forward a little, and threw himself on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, this hour might pass him by....
He came back and found them asleep.”
Mark 14:32-37
This passage also illustrates that Christ meditated or prayed when he was troubled. At this point, we are interested in the guidelines for effective meditation and prayer. Christ gave at least one example of prayer (Matthew 6:7-13; Luke 11:1-4), commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. The twenty-second Psalm is an example of meditation. It was used by Christ as he hung nailed to the cross, and begins, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me...” (Psalm 22:1). Many Psalms appear to be meditations and prayers.
Understanding the difference between meditations and prayers helps to illustrate how they are presented in the books of inspiration and wisdom. Meditations are concentrated focus on a single word, thought, concept or idea. Meditation is a mental cleansing process much as fasting is a physical cleansing process. Prayer is a communication with God for the purpose of making a request. It is an active process where you are using the energy in the Universe to achieve a goal. (Contrary to popular belief or the generally accepted notion, prayer is not talking to God or asking and/or begging God for something. In prayer, you are the one acting and the Universe responds to your actions.) There is some overlap between the two, and thus there is often no clear distinction between them. All prayer is a form of meditation, but all meditation is not necessarily a form of prayer. Prayers are often preceded by an invocation to God. In the twenty-second Psalm, God is invoked with the expression, “My God, My God,” and the sentence that follows it indicates the frame of mind expressed in the passage. Other invocations include “Hear, O Lord, when I call aloud” (Psalm 25:7), “To thee, O Lord, I call” (Psalm 28:1) and “Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men” (Psalm 140:1). These expressions attract attention much as a person might call out someone’s name to get their attention. They are for the benefit of the person praying, not for God. God knows and hears everything we say and do.
Many bible prayers express the greatness of God. They emphasize the importance of God and the humility required of man. Further, they teach man how to mentally prepare when you approach God. You are the vehicle that sets an idea in motion. You must be humble, but firm and full of faith, if you want to realize the goals of your prayers. God is the source that provides the request without fail and no matter what it may be, but God must be approached properly. The Psalms illustrate the proper approach.
Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Book of Luke.
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Revelation: The Easy Study Bible Commentary
Not for scholars but for anyone who struggles to understand the New Testament!
The Easy Study Bible Commentary takes The Easy Study Bible Diagramed and examines, describes and expounds upo
