Bible

Want to read the Bible? Start with Luke.

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

We’ve all seen them, even those who are not interested in reading the Bible… those “Read the Bible in a Year” web lists and apps. I tried following one list once, and I could not get through it. And this was after I had one Master degree in Christianity (my Master of Divinity) under my belt and had experience in ministry.

The reason most people, me included, struggle and fail in this attempt is usually Numbers. Genesis is fine, lots of adventure, interesting characters. Exodus, story of this guy Moses, also a lot happening. Leviticus is judgy, lots of rules, and people certainly talk about it.

And then Numbers…. the most boring books in the Bible.

The thing is, the Bible is not a book in itself, it is a library. We have it in one collection with a different number of books depending on if you pick up a Protestant Bible, a Catholic Bible or an Orthodox Bible (I’ll explore those differences another time). But, the Bible is not something designed for you to read from cover to cover. Eventually it would be great if you get to reading it all, and certainly don’t do it without a guide of some kind, but reading it like a book will make you miss the entire point.

The Bible is a group of books written over hundreds of years, gathered and approved by different groups of people, and put in one place – known as a Codex – for ease of use, not because they tell a story front to back like a novel.

So why start with Luke? Of all the books in the Bible, Luke is the easiest to understand.

Luke is the social justice Gospel, the one that has instructions and stories of what to do to follow God’s desire that we help each other. Luke does not get spiritual or confusing like John, or overly poetic like Matthew. And it has more to it than Mark. It doesn’t have a secondary agenda like Revelation, nor is it answering questions like the letters of Paul – and we never got those questions to start. It’s not repeating the history and culture of a people so they won’t forget who they are, like the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament if that is how you were taught to identify it). Luke is simply plain old Social Gospel, and the book that reminds us that Jesus did things for others, so we should too.

Some of it will be confusing without the help of interpreters, after all it was written 2000 years ago and we have lost a lot of the cultural understanding from those days. But it is still the most plain language book in the Bible.

Who wrote the Gospels?

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

After last week’s blog post I got to thinking about how much people know about the Gospels in general. Sunday School education really doesn’t get into it, and most Sunday School teachers have never been taught the differences and assumed histories of the four Gospels in the first place.

We have four Gospels in the New Testament, or Christian Scriptures canon. We can only assume why these four were chosen while so many others were not, because the criteria has been lost to time. This is a good place to look if you want to see many of the other writings in Early Church history, including what was known as Gnostic writings (not all books or letters excluded from the Christian canon are considered Gnostic).

The four Gospels were written anonymously. We can only guess at who the writer, or writers, based on how they wrote, the words and language they used, and any historic or geographical references we might be able to identify. That is not a lot to go on, so most Christian scholars today stick with the names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, names that were assigned by the early church.

Matthew was named after the disciple Matthew who was described as a wealthy Hebrew who was once a tax collector, Matthew 9:9, 10:3. This fits with the Gospel of Matthew having the most references to the Hebraic tradition and language. It is believed this scripture was written for the Hebraic-Christian community in Antioch, around 80 CE (Common Era). They would have been a small but wealthy group of early followers living in a large Hellenistic city. Matthew is the first Gospel we see because of its length, not because it was written first or is the most accurate or important.

Mark is named for a companion of Paul who also knew Peter, and travelled with Paul on his early missionary trips. His name pops up in several places in Paul’s letters, or the letters people assume Paul wrote. {Colossians (4:10), Philemon (1:24), and potentially 2 Timothy (4:11)} This makes Mark one of the first known people to share the word of Jesus outside of Peter and Paul, which would fit as the writer of the first Gospel. This Gospel was probably written in Rome, around 60-70 CE, just before or just after the Roman government destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem and kicked all the Hebrews out of that territory. What makes Mark unique is that it is styled after a Greek play that assumed the audience would respond to the open-endedness of the play by deciding their own conclusions.

Luke was originally named after a reference in pseudo-Pauline letter Colossians (meaning people thought Paul wrote it, but scholars today do not agree). The reference was to a physician named Luke, Colossians 4:14. They thought it had to be Luke because of all the stories about healings, but today scholars are no longer convinced of that. They think it is more likely that Luke was just a very well educated Greek convert to Christianity, because the Gospel is written in very advance Greek, and he would be considered the first historian of the church. The writer of Luke also wrote the Book of Acts. Scholars can’t agree about where Luke was written, but they do agree it was in a very wealthy Hellenistic centre within easy travel to Jerusalem, around 90 CE.

John has a slightly different story. Throughout the Gospel of John, we read about the Beloved Disciple, but there is no name attached. Then at the crucifixion Jesus tells John to take care of his mother, Mary, when he sees her standing beside the “Beloved Disciple”, John 19:26-27. Modern feminist scholars think putting John in that story came afterwards and that the Beloved Disciple was in fact Mary Magdalene. There are a number of reasons to think this might be the case, given books outside the Christian canon that highlight Jesus and Mary of Magdalene’s close relationship (and no, I do not think they were married or in a romantic relationship, I think Mary of Magdalene was old enough to be his mother). Also, how full her story is at Resurrection, and that there was a final chapter added after the book was completed that highlighted Peter, a disciple who was known to have issues with Jesus’ close relationship with Mary Magdalene. This Gospel was believed to be written in Ephesus, around 100 CE.

None of this is absolute history, but rather conjecture based on how each book was written. Scholars hope that someday there will be more discoveries of ancient texts that will give us more information.

Are the Scriptures lying to us?

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

In the first few centuries, those in educational leadership in the church tried to conflate or harmonize the Scriptures. In this past century Biblical scholars have been trying to untie those assumptions. So what does that really mean?

I was chatting with someone this week who asked why in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist pretended to not know Jesus, when we all know he was Jesus’ cousin. Interesting question, and takes a little bit to unpack. This blog post will only look at one of many characters than need attention, however, the first answer is no, the Scriptures are not lying to us.

The early church tried to line up all the Gospels, and where they did not line up well, they were forced to line up so the same story was assumed across all four Gospels. The problem is, all four Gospels were written by different people – unknown to us, and only given names because of this harmonizing process by the early church – and were written in different locations around Galilee and Israel in the first century of the Common Era (CE).

Mark was first, written around the time of the destruction of the second temple, so either just before or just after 70 CE (I am more convinced of the argument that it was just before). He was telling a narrative in the Greek tradition of playwriting that expected the audience to complete the final act either in their imagination or through action. If you look at the end of Mark you can see the story just stops, but at two different times others tried to add on endings, one to mirror Luke, and another that has confused scholars ever since.

Matthew came next, somewhere around 80 CE, and he was raised in the Hebrew tradition. No other Gospel has as many references to Hebrew Scriptures or practices as Matthew.

Luke followed around 90 CE. He was once considered to be a doctor because of all the healing stories included. Modern scholars have decided he was not a doctor, but was probably the earliest historian of Jesus, at a time when no one was really an historian like we understand them today, Luke just used better material to tell his story. Luke is written in the most elevated Greek, which suggests he might have been a convert to Christianity.

These three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are known as the Synoptic Gospels or storytelling Gospels. They have many stories in common, but each is told with differing details. Even the story of the nativity, which today is told as one story, is told differently in the Gospels. Mark doesn’t have it, Matthew had the wisemen and star, and Luke had the angels and shepherds.

The Gospel of John is completely different. While the Synoptic Gospels gradually reveal that Jesus was the Messiah, John comes out of the gate proclaiming this truth, and then spends the entirety of the Gospel proving it like Jesus was on trial. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus is big and bold and never hides, unlike the Synoptics where Jesus is always trying to slip away or go unnoticed.

If we prioritize Luke, John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins. But that is the only Gospel that tells us they are related. In the Gospel of John, John the Baptist had never met Jesus but he did have a conversion experience and then became a messenger of God. Mark and Matthew have John the Baptist as the wild man living in the desert, a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy.

Same person, three different backstories, all telling us about a person who told others to prepare, Jesus was coming.

So are the Scriptures lying? No. We have to look at each Gospel as a stand alone story.

Sunday Reflection – Lent III, March 23, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

One More Chance

Luke 13 About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed while they were offering sacrifices. 2 Jesus replied:

Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what happened to them? 3 Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don’t turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed. 4 What about those 18 people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? 5 Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don’t turn back to God, every one of you will also die.

6 Jesus then told them this story:

A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn’t find any. 7 So he said to the gardener, “For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven’t found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?”

8 The gardener answered, “Master, leave it for another year. I’ll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. 9 Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn’t, you can have it cut down.”

Sunday Reflection – Lent II, March 16, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Jesus’ Lament

Luke 13 31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “You had better get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you!”

32 Jesus said to them:

Go tell that fox, “I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and three days later I’ll be through.” 33 But I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, Jerusalem is the place where prophets are killed.

34  Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn’t let me. 35  Now your temple will be deserted. You won’t see me again until the time when you say,

“Blessed is the one who comes
    in the name of the Lord.”

Sunday Reflection – Lent I, March 9, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Temptation

Luke 4 When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the power of the Holy Spirit was with him, and the Spirit led him into the desert. 2 For 40 days Jesus was tested by the devil, and during that time he went without eating. When it was all over, he was hungry.

3 The devil said to Jesus, “If you are God’s Son, tell this stone to turn into bread.”

4  Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say, ‘No one can live only on food.’ ”

5 Then the devil led Jesus up to a high place and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. 6 The devil said, “I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 Just worship me, and you can have it all.”

8  Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say:

‘Worship the Lord your God
    and serve only him!’ ”

9 Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on top of the temple. The devil said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off. 10-11  The Scriptures say:

‘God will tell his angels
    to take care of you.
They will catch you
    in their arms,
and you will not even hurt
    your feet on the stones.’ ”

12  Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don’t try to test the Lord your God!’ ”

13 After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

Ash Wednesday Reflection – March 5, 2025

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

 

How To Guide to Faithful Living

Matthew 6  When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.

2 When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

3 When you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know about it. 4 Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you.

5  When you pray, don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

6 When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

16 When you go without eating, don’t try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. 17  Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then others won’t know you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

19  Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. 20  Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

Kids Korner: Is Jesus a king? (November 24th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read John 18:33-37 with your family.

In the days when Jesus was teaching, people tried hard to understand what he was trying to say, especially when the things Jesus said were so different from what they understood of the world around him.

We have the same problem today. We expect Jesus’ stories and teachings to fit into our 21st century world, and really struggle to force it to fit when it doesn’t easily.

But Jesus asked us to think outside the box, to not use our assumptions to understand what he was saying, but rather to use our heart and our ears to hear the message and vision of something new.

When Jesus was asked if he was king, he knew Pilate was only asking about political leadership the way Pilate understood it. But Jesus was never interested in leading a country or an empire, Jesus was trying to change all of it into a better world for everyone, not just the rich.

Jesus didn’t answer Pilate because Pilate could not understand. Now it’s our turn. Do we understand Jesus?