The Bible as Literature

In today’s program, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Genesis 26, reiterating the unique role of Isaac in the story while highlighting critical Hebrew wordplay that is simply untranslatable. (Episode 192)

Trapped by the Reformation and endless reactions against it, it’s difficult for contemporary Christians to escape ongoing and silly theological debates about grace and salvation. Everyone cheapens the Master’s grace by treating it either as a free pass or as some mystical force that controls their lightsaber. The only way to understand grace is the way the writers of the New Testament use it—as th...

Fr. Paul begins his reading of Genesis 26 by pointing out what so many miss and thus misread Paul: you are blessed not only because Abraham trusted God but because he obeyed his voice. (Episode 191) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We scratch our heads when the Bible repeats a boring statement over and over again, but what should puzzle us is the odd moment when the Bible seems to take shortcuts like the rest of us. Why, after enumerating the words of Jesus twice, does Matthew summarize the third prayer to the Father by saying, he said “the same thing once more”?  The answer reflects the Lord’s exasperation with his watchmen...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul wraps up his Q and A session with Richard and Fr. Marc on Genesis 25.  (Episode 190) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When English speakers co-opt the Matthean expression, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” they inevitably de-scripturalize them. They twist the words of Jesus as though they refer to an inner psychological struggle or matter of conscience: “I want to do the right thing, but my nature fights against it.”  After 400 episodes of the Bible as Literature podcast, do you still need us to spe...

This week, Fr. Paul takes follow-up questions on Genesis 25. (Episode 189) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We naturally want Jesus to be invulnerable, and the thought of him feeling anxiety or, as Matthew writes, extreme grief about his predicament presents an uncomfortable picture of God’s messiah. We prefer a version of Jesus that manifests perfection and stoic implacability because we believe in this possibility for ourselves. But that’s not what Matthew is saying. On the contrary, in the entire sit...

In this week’s discussion of Genesis, Fr. Paul recalls a personal example, reflecting on the criticality of memorization for the study of Scripture. (Episode 188)

Just as human biology is inevitable, so too are human words about development and growth. We talk about building and sustaining to defend and survive, and we talk about supporting and protecting for deeply selfish reasons tied to our biology.  In Matthew, Peter’s zeal when he proclaims, “I will not deny you,” is not for God’s teaching or even his teacher’s life. All he cares for is the victory of...

This week, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of Genesis 25. (Episode 187) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When Jesus uses the word “body” in Matthew’s gospel, unless you abandon all assumptions, transporting yourself to first-century Roman society, it is impossible to hear—let alone understand—what the Lord is saying during his Last Supper.  The disciples may be concerned with tribe and city, eager to wave their flags and pledge their allegiances, but Jesus Christ has a different mission. The difficul...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul begins his discussion of Genesis 25. (Episode 186) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We Americans love it when it’s about us. We just love it.  Until we are sitting with Jesus in the Middle East, eating with our hands, and Jesus says, “it’s the guy sitting with me, eating with his hands.”  “Which guy, Jesus?”  Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 26:20-25. Photo Credit: “The Last Supper,” by Sliman Mansour Episode 395 Matthew 26:20-25; Music: Narcissus by Kevin MacLeod Link: https...

This week, Fr. Paul takes questions regarding his analysis of Genesis 24. (Episode 185) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We imagine an historical connection between the peoples of the biblical story and the peoples living in the modern world because our premise in 2021 is our identity. Who are you? To what group do you belong? What are your beliefs? On whose side are you?  The moment you mistakenly answer these questions (almost always, using the pronoun “we” even though you are a single individual), inevitably, you...

This week, Fr. Paul concludes his reading of Genesis 24, noting the importance of paying close attention to even the smallest detail of every verse. (Episode 184) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Tribe, nation, city, patrimony, heritage, religion, flags and bumper stickers—Judas Iscariot.  Value, opportunity, market, profit, commerce, civilization, exploitation and slavery—Judas Iscariot.  Judas Iscariot, “man of the city.” Judas Iscariot, “tribe and city.” Judas Iscariot, securing his future by the throwing “the ordinary man” under the bus.  Nothing changes under the sun. Richard and Fr....

In today’s program, Fr. Paul explains how the term “prosper,” used in English translations of the Bible, does not reflect the meaning of the original Hebrew term, yiṣlēaḥ, which means to make thing go correctly, according to the words of instruction. (Episode 183)    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In so far as the “daily bread” of the Lord’s prayer is the daily reading by which the disciples should be fed, in Matthew’s gospel, poverty is the consequence of refusing to receive and distribute the Lord’s heavenly bread. In the plainest and most obvious meaning of Matthew’s metaphor, if the people living in your house are poor, it’s because you are not feeding them. You have no one to blame but...

This week, Fr. Paul critiques the biblical priests as the first platonists who sought control by making out of the many words of God’s instruction a platonic oneness—“the teaching,” so to speak—which they refer to as “the Torah.” (Episode 182)   ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Sometimes we want so desperately for Jesus to be a super hero that we willfully ignore what is written before our eyes. Faced with powerful religious chiefs and elders—men whose position and power in Israel depends on the approval of the very people they mistreat—we ourselves are blinded by titles and want to make the phrase “son of man” into a title of equal or greater value. But it’s not, becaus...

This week, Fr. Paul introduces his presentation of Genesis 24 touching on Isaac’s role and the significance of what he terms the prolegomena of the story. (Episode 181)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Whatever term we use to describe it, be it “worldly,” “earthly,” “materialistic,” or the more precise biblical phrase, “of the flesh,” the fact is, the way we think and speak is dominated and controlled by our fears and desires. We fear judgment, so our hands bend the commandment into a cultural bludgeon. We desire comfort, so our minds twist the written gospel into an amorphous oral tradition, ac...

This week Fr. Paul takes questions and discussion on the meaning and usage of Hebrew terminology in Genesis. (Episode 180) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★