The Bible as Literature

In this week's program, Fr. Paul explains that the biblical author intended Genesis 1:1-2:4 as a totality on its own and an expansion of Genesis 1:1.  (Episode 120) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In the original Greek text of Matthew, when Jesus warns his disciples “unless you are converted and become like children,” his statement calls to mind the Lord’s desire in Ezekiel, “that the wicked [man] turn from his path and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) In Ezekiel and Matthew, the Lord, who takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked,” wants his disciples to “turn back” from their evil path. In Matt...

This week, Fr. Paul introduces a new thesis that the scriptural story's entire message is coded in the first creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:4. (Episode 119) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In Romans 13, St. Paul dismantles the authority of Caesar by reframing Caesar’s value.  Caesar is not important because of his station or the might of Rome. He is useful, however, because his station can be used by God to further the cause of the gospel. In other words, Caesar is God’s pawn.  So when Christians are confronted by a tyrant, they must assume that they are dealing, not with the tyrant...

This week, Fr. Paul explains that, in the Bible, Israel is chosen by the flip of a coin, demonstrating that it is no different than the other nations. The story shows that any one of the nations, like Israel, would have made the same mistakes. (Episode 118) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

God’s teaching is his will, and his will is the content of his teaching. The speaking and the carrying out of this will has the power to correct our steps, imprinting itself on our heart and replacing human thoughts with, you guessed it, God’s will. For several chapters in Matthew, Jesus himself has repeated his Father’s will that the disciples share the same with those in need: “The harvest is pl...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul explains the importance of not only hearing but seeing consonantal Hebrew roots and their interconnection in the original text. (Episode 117) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The title “Son of Man” is a literal translation of the Hebrew phrase ben-adam. In Hebrew, the name Adam means “man.” As such, the biblical expression, son of man, like the modern phrase, human being, applies to anyone and everyone. C.S. Lewis captures this beautifully in the Chronicles of Narnia, where he refers to human beings as the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.  But if everyone is an o...

In this week’s program, Fr. Paul highlights the way in which the original Hebrew terminology of Genesis creates an important and recurring connection to Genesis 1.  (Episode 116) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Meaning controls understanding and shapes behavior. When a parent names a child, wittingly, or unwittingly, they assign a meaning to their child. In this sense, the modern practice of choosing a meaningless name that sounds nice should give one pause.  In the Gospel of Matthew, the Father controls our understanding of the role of Jesus by controlling when and how Jesus is named Son of God.  As a r...

This week, Fr. Paul explains the way in which the serpent twists the command of God in Genesis. Shifting to the New Testament, he continues that it is the command of Yahweh Elohim, not theology, that is central to St. Paul’s letters. These letters address the problem of human behavior, not the correct phraseology of human words.  (Episode 115) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In the New Testament, the proclamation of the death of Christ is inextricably bound to the proclamation of his Resurrection. Typical explanations of this link cheapen it by expounding on the psychology of hope, as if the Resurrection is proclaimed as an antidote for the emotional burden of the Cross. On the contrary, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the first fruits of those who have fallen aslee...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul explains how the critical distinction between Elohim and Yahweh Elohim in the Old Testament informs our understanding of the title Kyrios as it is applied to Jesus in the New Testament. (Episode 114) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Human beings are tribal. Even in the United States, where community has evaporated, we find a way to pick sides. Driven by primal instinct, we worship, unflinchingly, the twin gods of ideology and brand, allowing fear and greed to control our fate. The Apostle Peter is no different. He too wanted to pick a side. Peter’s confession—rather, the teaching that God put into Peter to confess—rightly pro...

This week Fr. Paul discusses the movement in Genesis from Elohim to Yahweh Elohim, reminding us that the itinerary of biblical words forces us to be patient as the story unfolds.  (Episode 113) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Over the years, we’ve insisted on the biblical principle that the integrity of the teacher is irrelevant to their function. To illustrate this point, God repeatedly chooses sinners, like the Prophet Jonah, to spread his word. Insofar as they repeat the words of Scripture, the one who teaches Scripture has no bearing on the mission. It’s like in fantasy movies, when a ghost or an alien takes over s...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul continues his discussion of the plural Elohim as it relates to the Moon and the Sun in Genesis 1, noting that modern addressees are too far removed from the historical setting to easily grasp the author’s intent. (Episode 112) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Beginning with the genealogy in chapter 1, the Gospel of Matthew challenges its addressees to rethink their understanding of the words “king” and “kingdom.” Now, in chapter 16, as they enter a city named after Philip of Macedon, the chips are down. If Peter truly understands the lesson of the bread and can discern the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, can he tell the difference between the So...

This week, Fr. Paul unpacks the power of the grammatically plural noun, Elohim, explaining how it functions to supplant all other deities in the Bible. (Episode 111) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Faced with stubborn teenagers, a wise parent is steadfast and repetitive. Nothing under the heavens—save the feet of those that preach the gospel—is more beautiful than a parent who disciplines through repetition. By patiently and stubbornly repeating a wise statement, the parent inscribes wisdom in such a way that it can never be erased. Maybe that’s why the topic of bread keeps reappearing in Ma...

In today’s program, Fr. Paul explains the difference between factual and real, and ends with a subtle observation about the deception of the serpent in Genesis. (Episode 110) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In good times and bad, in peace and at moments of crisis, an evil generation seeks a sign. We want a sign that the good times will keep rolling. We want assurances that the crisis of this moment will come to an end. That’s why we’re “an evil generation”—because we look for signs in the world that satisfy our appetite for comfort and security. Such signs—the projection of our fears—are most certain...

This week, Fr. Paul expands on the problem of projecting into the biblical text or it’s actual setting—whether historical or geographic. (Episode 109) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Whenever we encounter a repeat of any biblical parable, the first and most important question is to ask why the author is repeating this story here, and secondly, how they have have changed certain elements of the story in order to make their specific point. This question is even more curious when the repetion happens within the same book. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 15:32-39. Episode 319...

This week, Fr. Paul tackles the versatility of the Hebrew word elohim, exposing the frailty and reductive tendencies of English translations. (Episode 108) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★