If you take Biblical information as “inspired direct
truth”, you're going to be disappointed. Why? Those men and women
dedicated to assembling the Word of God from scrolls and ancient
tales included information intended not only as literal instructions,
uncontestable facts, and God's marching orders, they were driven to
inspire understanding.
Understanding can come to you in lots of ways. There is
meaning in instructive fiction. There are lessons in children's stories. There are realities about your past and in the histories of
your ancestors that you can discover through documentary accounts.
When I read how vestiges of cultural questions came about through
(Jewish) tribal traditions, and how searching for a hopeful future
was inspired by New Testament Apostles, I realized that the Bible is
about useful meaning.
Did the Biblical scholars exaggerate Noah's story? Did
Jonah tell about his big fish experience during an evening around a
“braggers” campfire? Were the scholars aware of the power of
their metaphors? How many Old Testament stories became “fill in the
blank” accounts in order to make puzzle pieces fit into a popular
jigsaw?
1 comment:
How did you know about the "bragger's campfire?" We've tried to downplay that aspect for 3k years.
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