Bible Encounters

You and I both know that the 'underworld' isn't below the earth. We also know that heaven isn't really 'up' there. These are directional ideas rooted in the ANE 3 tiered cosmology. So why does the Bible use this language to talk about 'where' Jesus went after he died on the cross? 

Did God tell Eve that giving birth to a child would be painful? Maybe not. Do you ever read about childbirth being painful in the Bible anywhere else? Could our translation there be off? Could it refer to difficulty having children? Does that relate to Genesis? Does that better connect with the story of the Bible? How does Mary relate to all this? I hope you find this interesting guys. Merry Chris...

The temple was the meeting place of the gods and humanity in the ANE. What is shocking is how God's temple presence would be found not on a high mountain but in a lowly girl from Nazareth. Here God takes common ideas and presents a very uncommon message. 

What does the Old Testament say about SHEOL and how about the New Testament word HADES? What relationship is their with their cultural neighbors? Are we to understand the location of this reality literally from the Bible of culturally?

Who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6? How do they relate to the serpent in Genesis 3? What do the Nephilim have to do with all this? You know, those crazy giants like Goliath? And finally, how does Jesus' birth relate? Let's dive in!

What/who is that serpent in the garden? Is it a chaos creature that was common to ANE literature? Is it an actual serpent? Is it a rebel spiritual being? I confess this study has me a bit confused the more I go down the rabbit hole. 

Hey, go look in the mirror right now. Do you know who you see? You see a royal priest. Do you know why? Because you see a human. What was said of only a few special individuals in the Ancient Near East, God says of all humans. And if this is true of us, you would expect this language to pop up in the NT with Jesus. I hope this lesson helps you think differently about you and your fellow humans you...

Why did people bring food and drink to temples? Why did God want food brought to his temple? Why did Job's friends think Job had sinned when we are told from the very beginning that he had not sinned? Let's find out. 

So what does the garden of Eden, Mt. Sinai and the Temple have in common? Guess what, its the three-tiered cosmology. I know! Crazy stuff. 

Why does it say in Exodus 20 that no idol of God should be made in heaven above, the earth below, or the waters under the earth? Does the Bible present the world as 3 major tiers? If so, is the Bible wrong then? Or could there be another explanation? Let's dive in. 

So the little girl from It's a Wonderful Life, Zuzu, was a cutie but was wrong about angels. Want to know why? (Hint: it has to do with wings). Also, we are going to chat about seraphim and cherubim being described differently but actually are the same spiritual being BUT are not angels. Oh boy, here we go. 

Does anyone like Star Trek? Especially the Next Generation? Well, Captain Picard has a staff room where he talks with Riker, Geordi, Worf, Dianna, and Data about big decisions they have to make. Apparently, something like that is going on in the Bible. 

What does the Psalmist mean in 97:9 when he says the Lord is exalted above all gods? Aren't those other gods fake? If so, isn't that empty praise? But wait, we know there is one 1 God. So how do we resolve this? Maybe the issue isn't with our theology but our vocabulary. 

What in the 'world of the Bible' is up with the sun, moon, and stars? I am pretty sure you all have a pretty good grasp of what the lights in the sky are and where the light comes from. I wonder if those in the ancient near east would have thought the same as us? When is the last time you checked out Genesis 1:14-19 and thought about how the lights are described? You may be surprised at what you f...

What in the world of the Bible is going on with an 'expanse' separating waters? How can empty air separate water? I don't get it. Maybe we need to dive into the mind of the ancient audience to see what is going on here. 

Have you ever wondered why Genesis 1 talks about creation in such strange ways? In this lesson, I will make a case that Genesis 1 is using creation language that was very common at that day but presenting a message that was unique. So as we 'dive' into this text and compare the language, 'water' you gonna think? (😊)

In this lesson, I want to explain the approach I take to Bible study. I call it the 4 contexts: Reader, Historical, Literary, and Bible Context. Hopefully, this will create a foundation for us. For the remainder of the course, we will zoom in on the historical context as we strive to get into the 'World of the Bible'.

In this lesson, we will explore the implications of how God used common forms of communication but delivered very uncommon messages to the original audiences in the Bible. 

Let's hear God speak to us through Peter's letter 

1Peter 5:5-14. What does it mean for the people of God to be in Babylon? 

Who are elders? How should they lead? When is the last time you prayed for your elders? Hope this lesson encourages you to support the elders God has placed over you.

1. Why does God test us?  2. What does it mean to bear Christ's name?  3. How can judgment be encouraging? 

Here Peter challenges his readers that the end of all things is near so they should suffer against sin and build each other up in their faith.

I am going to share another take on the spirits in prison. Brace yourself. This is weird. 

Peter calls Christians to live with each other and with those outside the body of Christ in a way that reflects Christ's life. Then Peter starts talking about spirits in prison and Noah. What? Huh? Here we go...