The Bible as Literature

It is common for students to judge their teachers. Worse, students today are encouraged to do so, being routinely asked to fill out teacher evaluation forms. Some have even created websites to aggregate student gossip about their teachers. In a culture that lauds greed and shames mothers, it seems that everyone has an opinion about the one who stands before them bearing gifts. Not so and not on Paul's watch, who reminds the church, it is not you who evaluates me, but I who evaluate you, "So that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things." Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 2 Corinthians 2. (Episode 124; 2 Corinthians 2; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Meatball Parade” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

According to human standards of leadership, when Paul changes course midstream, it appears to his disciples that he is vascillating between "yes" and "no," like a man who can't keep his promises. In reality, it is the church that is wavering because Paul's disciples are unwilling to place all their trust in the instruction that controls their teacher's actions. Richard and Fr. Marc discussion 2 Corinthians 1:12-24 (Episode 123; 2 Corinthians 1:12-24); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “SONG NAME” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

When Paul talks about comfort in 2 Corinthians, it is easy to receive his words as much needed nurturing, as though we have suffered unjustly and are in need of God's intervention. But what if God has already intervened? What if the difficulties in our life are not unjust? What if the suffering of which we complain is not evil? What if the blessings and the curses in our life come from the same source? Richard and Fr. Marc begin their discussion of 2 Corinthians. (Episode 122; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Fife and Drum” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

Without realizing it, when people hear the word “church,” they usually imagine a meta institution with clear organizational or ideological boundaries, akin to a government or global corporation. Worse, in our various expressions of Christianity, one way or another, we tend to operate as such. Whether attempting to control the world through ideology, or to market ourselves for institutional gain, our understanding of church rebels against the Lord’s teaching. As disciples of Scripture, our duty, according to St. Paul, is to refresh our minds, supplanting our idolatrous notions of institution with the literary context imposed by the Bible. For Paul, who invites his addressees to hear him “according to the Scriptures,” the reference for “church” is something far less glamorous than the powerful institutions idolized by human beings. A church, in Scripture, is akin to a shepherd’s flock, and Paul himself is the slave, not of a powerful institution, but of a Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. Richard and Fr. Marc conclude their study of 1 Corinthians. (Episode 121; 1 Corinthians 14:29-58); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Floating Cities” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

Isaiah 22:12 Therefore in that day the Lord God of hosts called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head and to wearing sackcloth. 13 Instead, there is gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die. 14 But the Lord of hosts revealed Himself to me, “Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord God of hosts. You guessed it: in preaching the Resurrection in 1 Corinthians, Paul is explaining and applying the judgement of Isaiah 22 to the church. However, what’s really clever is that the phrase in Isaiah, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we may die,” was also used by Roman gladiators on the eve of battle. Interesting, that the people of Israel, and now, the church in Corinth, share the same understanding of life and death as the Roman pagans. “Do not be deceived,” Paul explains, “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Richard and Fr. Marc conclude their discussion of 1 Corinthians 15. (Episode 120; 1 Corinthians 14:29-58); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Thief in the Night” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

Psalm 2:1 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware. ’” 10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him. (NASB) Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 15.

When reading an ancient text in translation—especially one laden with nuance—there is a high risk of misunderstanding. On the one hand, there are expressions, cultural and historical references, and terminology that are not immediately accessible to modern readers. At the same time, a statement’s meaning often seems obvious, when, in fact, the translation is misleading or the reader has assumed a context that is foreign to the narrative. The first rule of exegesis is that everything must be heard in context. Historical context, linguistic context, but most importantly, narrative context. When a phrase seems to jut out of St. Paul’s letter, such as, “women are to keep silent in the churches,” It feels jolting and chauvinist to modern readers. As jolting as it seems, rest assured, such a statement flows with the broader discussion and does not mean what your twenty first century ears think it means. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 14:20-39. (Episode 118; 1 Corinthians 14:20-39); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Anamalie” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

Better to “speak five words” that give instruction, Paul explains, “than ten thousand words” that mean something to you but are useless for everyone else. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 14:1-19. Prompted by listener feedback, this week’s episode begins with a review of the function of sin in the Torah and its implications for Paul’s gospel. (Episode 117; 1 Corinthians 14:1-19); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Awesome Call” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

After spending the better part of 12 chapters putting the church’s household in order, in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, St. Paul crowns the power structure he established with something more excellent and of greater importance than any household station or duty: the act of love. For Scripture, how we treat others is not just a litmus test--it is the only test--of our knowledge of the commandments of God. For, “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” Richard and Fr. Marc continue their reading of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. (Episode 116; 1 Corinthians 13); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Unwritten Return” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

The key to understanding any idea, statement or position is to examine its premise. What underlying assumptions must be made for an idea to make sense? What motivations drive these assumptions? Once you are able to examine an argument in this way, even the most clever intellectuals are quickly put to shame. No matter how sophisticated the theology of the elite in Roman Corinth, because their assumptions were predicated on human principles, nothing they said could ever pass muster with Paul and everything they did caused division in the church. Why? Because from the Bible’s point of view, if it’s a human word, it is naturally selfish. So what is an apostle to do? Take a stand against all sides and do so at your own expense. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 12. (Episode 115; 1 Corinthians 12); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “East of Tunesia” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

According to our friend Google, a contradiction is, “a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another.” According to St. Paul, this combination is a mechanism of wisdom, as in, “I will undermine power by exercising power,” or “I will create heterarchy by imposing hierarchy.” Welcome to 1 Corinthians 11. (Episode 114; 1 Corinthians 11); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Rynos Theme” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

What if you know something is OK, but someone else does not? What if you know something is not OK, but others think it is fine? What if someone offers you something that is OK, and they think it is OK, but someone else is confused and thinks that it is not OK? Can something be both OK and not OK at the same time? What do you do then? Most people are fine when the gospel says, “do not judge,” but what if the commandment also means allowing others to judge you? What should you do about the negative people in your life? We’ll give a little hint: St. Paul does not believe in the pursuit of your happiness, but he is is fine if others are happy because of you; even better if they are happy at your expense. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 10:14-31. (Episode 113; 1 Corinthians 10:14-31); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Fretless” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

What does it mean to be chosen in the Bible? What is the purpose of having a chosen people? How does God honor his chosen? What is expected of those who hope to join the ranks of the chosen? How long is a chosen person’s tenure? Doesn’t the whole idea of being chosen go against human fellowship? When it comes to the Bible, one man’s curse is another man’s blessing, and vice versa, ad eternum. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. (Episode 112; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Casa Bossa Nova” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

Can you make yourself the least of all by insisting on your title and station? Can you sacrifice everything for the sake of others without them liking it? Are you able to repeatedly flip an argument on its head until no one is able to stake out a position? Can you use a metaphor over and over again to illustrate how you should be treated but then turn on your own use of the metaphor because, not only are you not talking about oxen, but you are not talking about food? If you answered yes, your name must be Paul, and this must be 1 Corinthians 9. (Episode 111; 1 Corinthians 9); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Spy Glass” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)

According to Wikipedia, “Illusory superiority is a cognitive bias whereby individuals overestimate their own qualities and abilities relative to others. This is evident in a variety of areas including intelligence, performance on tasks or tests, and the possession of desirable characteristics or personality traits.” This may explain why so many students believe they have something to offer their professors. It may also explain why—for all their supposed knowledge—the elite of the church in Roman Corinth were absolutely clueless about the gospel. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss 1 Corinthians 8. (Episode 110; 1 Corinthians 8); Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “Thatched Villagers” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/)