The Bible as Literature

In secular ideology, we tend to depict everything as a struggle between bad actors and (so-called) good actors; between victims and oppressors. Thankfully, this self-righteous view of the world is dismantled in the Bible, which assumes that all humans are bad actors. In Scripture, all peoples come face-to-face with God's wrath through a functional judgment that pivots constantly against anyone who...

Fr. Paul unpacks the literary function of the expression ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. (Episode 21) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The most difficult part of following the Bible is accepting the factuality of our powerlessness. Human beings repeatedly invent ways to sustain the illusion of control and self-importance, scheming tirelessly to defend and secure the passing fallacy of our place in the world. According to (more accurately, as evidenced by) the written Gospel of Matthew, Scripture is written; and what is written in...

Fr. Paul explains the function of hope in the biblical story. (Episode 20) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Everyone emphasizes Jerusalem. It's the big city, the important city, and the object of David's kingly ambitions—but it's not the city from which (or to which) David was called. On the contrary, it is Jerusalem's little sister, the city of Bethlehem, that is set apart as the fruit bearing house of the bread of God's instruction. It is this little town—a place of pasture for shepherds—that is by no...

Fr. Paul discusses the usage and meaning of the term raised in the biblical canon. (Episode 19) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

People read religious and philosophical symbols into the Bible all the time. They study other traditions or the symbols of ancient mythologies and jump to conclusions, reading biblical metaphor against a non-biblical context. Worse, they make horrific assumptions about the supposed continuity between these traditions and the biblical tradition. God forbid. When the Bible employs such symbols from...

Fr. Paul explains the importance of the term aman in the Bible. (Episode 18) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When we talk about children, spouses, siblings, parents, family, or even friends, we can't help but refer to them as our posession: “My” son, “my” wife, “my” family—we arrogantly refer to individuals the same way that we refer to property. In the biblical tradition, nothing belongs to human beings: not the land, none of the things in our care, not the people in our path--nothing--and certainly, no...

Fr. Paul explains the importance of the term hebel in the Bible. (Episode 17) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In the book of Leviticus, the Jubilee year is a time when everyone—even slaves—are restored to their families, their land, and their original homes. With this in mind, it is striking that Matthew draws a connection between the generation of Jesus Christ—the seventh generation in a genealogy built around multiples of seven—as the last generation before the Jubilee year. It is indeed striking, becau...

Fr. Paul reviews the Bible's systematic critique of cultural superiorty. (Episode 16)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In the first section of the genealogy in Matthew, the story behind the names helps readers piece together the puzzle of the book's teaching; but what about the last section? What can be understood from a list of names with no backstory? If you think of names personally, yes, they are useless. On the other hand, if you think of them as functions; if you examine their Hebrew roots; if you remember t...

Fr. Paul explains the importance of the Septuagint translation of the Bible. (Episode 15)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When human beings discuss society and culture, we do so with an unstated premise: that there is such a thing as a correct society and that such a society is attainable through correct ideas or actions. Unfortunately—and far from its own ideal—this assumption bolsters self-righteousness, perpetuates societal ills, and amplifies suffering in the world.  The genealogy in Matthew's gospel undermines a...

Fr. Paul discusses the scriptural language of the scriptural story. (Episode 14)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When a person does something questionable, almost always, defenders step forward to say, “he's a good man,” or “she has good intentions,” as if either statement can erase the outcome of a person's mistakes. Even worse, both statements openly contradict Scripture. In the biblical tradition, no one is righteous but God, and our intentions (no matter how principled) are irrelevant, since only the int...

Fr. Paul expounds on the term mashal (Hebrew: משל) and its centrality for Scripture. (Episode 13) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In a tradition that mocks Greek philosophy and human wisdom, it goes without saying that the wisdom afforded Solomon in the Old Testament is central to the Bible's critique of Hellenism. What's not so obvious—at least at first glance—is how this critique is expressed in the foolishness of David's son and the outcome of his life.  Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 1:7-8. Episode 224 Matthew 1:7-...

Fr. Paul explains the how the biblical school undermines classical Greek literature and philosophy. (Episode 12) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In a typical Disney movie, the writers present a protagonist-coming-of-age who faces adversity (usually an identity crisis, an injustice, or both) discovers who they are, overcomes their challenge, and then, finally, realizes their true destiny...as king, queen, or a special person of sorts who can change the world. These stories are popular because they soothe our ego with reassurances of our sel...

Fr. Paul explains the use of language by Alexander the Great and the reaction of the biblical school. (Episode 11) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In the ancient world, kingly genealogies, like kingly cities, were constructed to establish a monarch's credibility, divinity, authenticity, and permanence. It should come as no surprise, then, that Matthew (like Genesis) deconstructs the king's genealogy by presenting a disruptive counter-narrative. Where Judah longs to boast, Matthew ridicules. Where David seeks credibility, Matthew discredits....

Fr. Paul explains anti-ethnicity in the Bible and the significance of the Lord's favor towards Cyrus of Persia. (Episode 10) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

As the first book of the New Testament, Matthew enjoys the distinct honor of headlining and setting the tone for all of part two of the Bible. Like a carefully placed advertisement in your social media feed, every verse, every word, every letter in the opening chapter of Matthew is both strategic and precious. Given this fact, as disciples of Matthew's teaching, we must begin our study by acknowle...