The Bible as Literature

What does it take to liberate people from exceptionalism? To liberate a teaching?  Such a pernicious snare, that saying of yours, “family first.” It was your fear of losing the tribe that led you to elect a king and build a city against the will of God.  So he sent his Shepherd to rescue his sheep from Cain’s cities, to liberate his people and the Torah from the stone idols fashioned by Cain’s sons.For those who have stayed with me on the podcast all these years, let me say it plainly:The idea that all people are created equal—an American principle—is beautiful and correct, but like the Torah, it is held hostage by identity politics. Like the preaching of the Cross under a Roman standard, it has been corrupted by a military-industrial nationalist agenda that feeds on the broken backs of impoverished women and children.Nothing changes under the sun.The Gospel of Luke is the Gospel to the Poor. It is a radical Gospel of Liberation. It this scroll of the Torah, the Lion of Judah, breaking free from the gilded prison of Herod's Temple—shattering the gates of brass—raging against you for your sake on behalf of the poor.He who has ears to hear to hear, let him hear!Still, the scroll of Luke is not a “liberation theology.” It is a warning that we must forsake what we have built, not build back again, but abandon what Cain built to roam freely with the Lion in his land. As Paul said:“For if I build again the things I have destroyed, I prove myself to be a sinner.” (Galatians 2:18)To borrow a term from psychology (one that I’ve used before), prophetic preaching keeps the disciple in a perpetual state of cognitive dissonance, unable to fall back on the natural human instinct to reconcile our innate hypocrisies.The teaching of Scripture is not “God is love.” The teaching of Scripture is “you are a hypocrite.”Until you submit to this repetitive literary frame, you can’t hear what Moses said, let alone Jesus. You can’t be set free. That is why the Qur’an went to such great lengths to stress St. Paul’s teaching of submission.Because the “children of the book” are no such thing. They still belong to Pharaoh.This week, I discuss Luke 7:11-16.Show Notesש-ע-ר (shin-‘ayn-resh) / ش-ع-ر (shīn-‘ayn-rāʾ)The Hebrew word שַֽׁעַר (sha’ar) means “gate” or “entrance.” It corresponds to πύλη (pylē) in Luke 7:12, functional with Ruth 4:"Now Boaz went up to the gate (שַּׁעַר֮, sha‘ar) and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down." (Ruth 4:1)This root relates to awareness, feeling, and literary expression in Arabic:شِعْر (shi‘r)—“poetry”: This is one of the most common words from this root, referring to poetry or verse, which is central to Arabic literary tradition.شَاعِر (shā‘ir) - “poet”: This word describes a person who composes poetry, playing a significant role in Arabic and Islamic culture.شَعَرَ (sha‘ara) - “to feel” or “to perceive”: This verb means to feel or become aware, capturing the idea of sensitivity or perception.مَشَاعِر (mashā‘ir) - “feelings” or “emotions”: This word, in the plural form, denotes feelings, emotions, or sentiments, often used to express emotional sensitivity.شعار (shi‘ār) “logo, emblem, or slogan”: identification or awareness through a symbol, slogan, or distinguishing mark, a “sign.”مَشْعَر (mash‘ar) - “place of awareness” or “sacred monument”: Used in Islamic contexts, mashʿar refers to a sacred or symbolic place, often in pilgrimage sites like Mashʿar al-Ḥarām near Mecca.נ-ע-ם (nun-‘ayn-mem) / ن-ع-ي-م (nūn-ʿayn-yāʾ-mīm)The word Ναΐν (Nain) is derived from the Hebrew word נָעִים (na'im), meaning “pleasant” or “lovely.” Behold, how good and pleasant (na'im) it is when brothers dwell in unity! (psalm 133:1)It, too, corresponds (prescriptively) to the books of Ruth נָעֳמִי (Naomi) but also to the Qur’an. For reference: “Blessing,” “favor,” “bounty” (ni‘mah): نِعْمَة  “And if you count the blessings of God, you will not be able to enumerate them.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:34)“Bliss,” “luxury,” “delight” (na‘īm): نَعِيم “In gardens of delight.” (Surah Al-Waqi’ah, 56:12)“To live in ease or comfort” (na‘ama): نَعَمَ “And for you in them are many comforts.” (Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:21)“Bestower of blessings,” “benevolent one” (mun‘im): مُنْعِم “And indeed, your Lord is the Forgiving, Possessor of great bounty.” (Surah An-Najm, 53:32)“Soft,” “gentle,” “smooth” (nā‘im): نَاعِم “[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant.” (Surah Al-Ghashiyah, 88:8)“The blessings” (al-ni‘am): النِّعَم “They recognize the favor of God; then they deny it.” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:83)“Softness,” “ease,” “comfort” (na‘mah): نَعْمَة “Lest His punishment should befall you if you deny his blessing.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:7) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Elitist intellectuals are drawn to the concept of a psychological trap because others’ suffering entertains them and because their perception of another's supposed trap reinforces their sense of self-importance and permanence. Poor Sartre, poor DNC, poor duopoly.“The fool says in his heart, There is no Judge.”I agree, Jean-Paul: for your spiritual children, there can be “No Exit.”The local Judean elders, who should be hearing and repeating Jesus’s words, are more concerned with manipulating the goodwill of their Roman occupiers to further their political agenda. In turn, the Roman servant, manipulated by the elders, shows zeal for the Torah. Still, his life remains in disrepair because the people of the Synagogue love their “nation” and their shiny new Synagogue more than the words—the debarim—of Isaiah.What right do the Judeans have to call anyone “worthy” or good? Their human judgment, assessment, and feedback “build” a house that Jesus does not enter and a Synagogue that ultimately rejects him.Is there an exit from Sartre’s hell? Yes. Clearly. French existentialism, like postmodernism, is silly.There is only one Judge.Stop listening to the people of Capernaum and start following Jesus. Imitate the obedience of the Centurion, who did not accept accolades from the people of Judaea but received instead the one vote that counts.This week, I discuss Luke 7:1-10. Show Notesי-ק-ר (yod-qof-resh) / و-ق-ر (waw-qaf-ra)ἔντιμος (éntimos) “precious,” “honored,” “honorable in rank” (Luke 7:2) aligns with יקר (yāqār) in Hebrew, which can function as “heavy,” “valuable,” “honored,” “dignified,” “dear,” or—relevant to Luke 7:2, 1 Peter 2:4 and 1 Peter 2:6—“precious.” The Arabic root و-ق-ر (waw-qaf-ra) implies dignity, and can funtion as “to honor.”وَقَار (waqār) — Dignity or solemnity. This word is often used to describe a person’s respectful or dignified demeanor.وَقِرَ (waqira) — To be weighty or important. In this form, it implies something substantial or of significant value.وَقَّرَ (waqqara) — To honor or respect. This is the form II verb (with shadda on the middle letter), meaning “to show respect or honor,” often used in contexts where someone honors or reveres another.تَوْقِير (tawqīr) — Reverence or high regard. This noun, derived from form II of the root, refers to the act of showing respect or esteem, often used in formal or respectful contexts.مُتَوَقِّر (mutawaqqir) — Dignified or solemn person. This adjective describes a person who carries themselves with dignity, calmness, and respectability.وَقُور (waqūr) — A dignified or composed person. This adjective describes someone who possesses an aura of respect, often used for people who are calm, collected, and reverent.The Hebrew root רפא (rafa) is rich in function related to healing, repairing, and recovering, extending across various Semitic languages. Arabic uses the verb رَفَأَ, (rafa'a) “to mend or repair,” with a similar connotation. "And say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired (לְהֵרָפֵא, leheraphe)and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.’" (Jeremiah 19:11 )ח-ו-ר (ḥet-waw-resh) / ح-ر-ر (ḥāʾ-rāʾ-rāʾ)ἔντιμος (éntimos) also aligns to חֹר (ḥor), “free,” or “noble” حُرّ (ḥurr) freebornحرية (ḥurriya) “freedom” or “libertyحرر (ḥarrara): To liberate or set freeἔντιμος appears only in Luke 7:2, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:6 and Philippians 2:29.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The folly of human construction is similar to that of large language models. Noam Chomsky talks about this in his famous critique of the current state of artificial intelligence and the absence of scientific analysis. We imagine that these expansive predictive systems are creative. Sure, they are impressive, even helpful—for good and ill—and yes, they will likely replace or change your job, but these tools are not creative. They simply regurgitate what was already found before the LLMs themselves were made functional.LLMs validate the power of syntax. In effect, a machine is Sola Syntaxis: by merely observing word order and function at scale, it can channel the content of a written text without philosophical abstraction or creativity. LLMs do not comprehend. A machine does not tell you what it thinks, feels, or experiences. Yet, it can often accurately repeat what is found in a text, unlike theologians and philosophers, who are tripped up by human creativity and reason.At the same time, if you ask an LLM a question about a data set, instead of analyzing the data, it will accurately repeat what other people have said about that data. In that case, it often sounds as stupid as we do.I believe the marketing people and even some programmers when they say that they do not understand how these systems work because they are neither scientists nor grammarians. They are capitalists, digital tycoons, corporate shills, and engineers. You know, the people who control education, media, politics, and religion in the West in the service of making a buck or pursuing their dreams.I, myself, am not an expert. The industry may or may not be close to general artificial intelligence. Then again, food, water, and medicine may or may not reach Palestinian children who may or may not be in mortal danger and who may or may not deserve the same benefits upon which you gorge yourself daily. I don't need the Holocaust media to tell me that. I heard it in the Torah.But hey, ignorance is strength, Habibi.Whether or not large language models become creative, I do not doubt that industry will leverage them in harmful and destructive ways as we do with all technology—as we already have in West Asia because “nothing changes under the sun.”But that’s the point. An LLM is just a mechanism of regurgitation. Ask it a question, and you get the same old answer, just faster, at scale. It does a miraculous job of aggregating, processing, regurgitating, and predicting more of the same more efficiently. That’s what human construction is. You take something that was there at the world’s foundation—something you did not create—and rearrange it. You can’t make something new because you are not the builder. The environmental crisis is just more damage piled up. Even the nuclear bomb, as ugly and stupid as it is, is just a bigger bomb. There’s nothing to brag about. It’s not new. It’s just bigger and dumber. You, O man, can’t make one hair on your head black or white.Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? (Job 40:9)Unfortunately, I’m convinced that most of you, based on where you are found in the Parable of the Sower, are convinced that you do thunder with a voice like God’s—best of luck to you.This week, I discuss Luke, chapter 6, verses 46 to 49.Show Notesח-ר-שׁ (ḥet-resh-shin) —or— ח-ר-שׂ (ḥet-resh-sin)In the original consonantal Hebrew, “sin” and “shin” are not differentiated; the reader must infer the correct pronunciation. Is Paul, the self-proclaimed “ἀρχιτέκτων” of 1 Corinthians 3:10, the חֶ֫רֶשׁ (ḥeresh)—the expert “artisan” or the wise חֶֽרֶשׂ (ḥeres), “earthen vessel” of Isaiah 3:3?“The captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the expert artisan (or wise earthen vessel),and the skillful enchanter.” (Isaiah 3:3)The Arabic function ح-ر-ش (ḥāʾ-rāʾ-shīn) conveys usages that relate to pottery, for example, “to scratch” or “to be rough” but functions more broadly concerning acts of incitement, provocation, and can mean “to stir up.” حَرَشَ (ḥarasha)– to incite or stir up (as in creating conflict).تحريش (taḥrīsh) – incitement, provocation, or stirring up discord.ע-ש-ק (‘ayin-shin-qof) / ع-س-ق (‘ayn-sīn-qāf)The Greek term πλήμμυρα (plēmmyra), “flood,” occurs only once in the New Testament (Luke 6:48) and only once in the LXX:“If a river rages (יַעֲשֹׁ֣ק ya‘ashoq), he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. (Job 40:23)In Arabic, عَسَقَ (‘asaq) means “to commit injustice” or “to oppress” and extends to wrongful treatment or exploitation. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul underscores how the Septuagint’s different ordering and classification of texts impact our ability to hear the words of God correctly, shifting Chronicles from the Ketubim to historical books, reframing them as historical events rather than wisdom writings. The same can be seen with Daniel’s placement between Ezekiel and the Twelve, which undermines its resonance as wisdom literature. (Episode 330) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For all you lost souls, reading books about how to be a better parent; For all you disciples of neoliberalism, believers in the new fascism, the elitist colonialism repackaged in a delusion tailor-made for people lured by the flattery of progress, fooled by a “new world” where the enlightened trample on the dead, comforted by the lie that they know better than all those who have ever lived, I have news for you:It’s not “good” news; it’s just news, but if you insist on labeling it, please consider it “bad news.”According to the Gospel of Luke, “a tree is known by its fruit.”Now, before you get together with your breakfast buddies and start gossiping about each other’s children, again, I have “news” for you, Habibi.You are gossiping.Oops!Like Jesus said, there is no such thing as a “good” teacher or a “good” parent because, as far as the eye can see, there has never been a family tree that has produced a “good” result.You, Habibi, are the blind guide, just like the rest of us.Let’s assume for a moment that the Platonic principle of the “moral arc of history” isn’t wishful thinking and make the wild assumption that you are an improvement on your parents, an incremental step forward, part of the sum total of history your ancestors and your society have achieved.What’s the result?What’s happening now in the world after everything supposedly learned by man less than a century ago? What did we learn? Did the war ever stop?Did we “grow” in humility? Never mind that you can’t “grow” into something small. It’s a foolish statement, an antinomy.No, our behavior has not improved, as evidenced by your parents’ fruit and yours.We used to use religion to whitewash our tombs. Now, we use liberal values, which cynically ridicule religion while embracing the fiction of religious nationalism in West Asia to justify the desperate agenda of the dollar. In the end, the mechanism—the function—is the same. In the modern West, our heartfelt, introspective, socially conscious, “normie” liberal values are leveraged as the new opium of the people: “bread and circuses” as the elitist machine rages forward.Luke’s message is clear: There is no such thing as progress. We are no better than our parents; the judgment of Genesis 6 is written, and God almighty has spoken the truth. We dare not test him.No human tree ever bears good fruit. If there is any hope, we must put our hope in him.This week, I discuss Luke 6:43-45.Show Notesע-ץ-ץ (ayin-ṣadi-ṣadi) / ع-ض-ه (‘ayn-ḍād-hā’)The Hebrew עֵץ (‘eṣ) can refer to “tree,” “timber,” “wood,” or even a “handle.” It has a functional connection to עצה (‘eṣah), which pertains to advice or counsel. In Arabic عِضَاه (‘iḍāh) can refer to thorny trees and shrubs commonly found in arid or desert regions. Aligns to δένδρον (dendron) in Luke 6:43. “When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees (צָעֵ, ‘eṣa) by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree (עֵץ, ‘eṣ) of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?” (Deuteronomy 20:19)ס-נ-ה (samek-nun-he) / س-ن-ن (sīn-nūn-nūn)סְנֶה (s’neh) in biblical Hebrew can mean briar or bramble (a thorny, fruit-bearing bush), sometimes translated as “bush,” as follows in Exodus. It corresponds to βάτος (batos) in Luke 6:44:“The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush (סְנֶה,s’neh); and he looked, and behold, the bush (סְנֶה,s’neh) was burning with fire, yet the bush (סְנֶה,s’neh) was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2)In Arabic, sanan (سنن) is multi-functional. Though not directly used as “thorn” or “bush,” its root س-ن-ن (sīn-nūn-nūn) pertains to things like “point” or “sharp edge” and can relate to the idea of something pointed or thorn-like. The plural form, sunan, refers to “customs” or “practices,” particularly those of the Prophet Muhammad, known as Sunnah (سُنَّة), recalling, from the Bible, that wisdom has an edge and cuts against the grain:“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When a student plays teacher with an earthen vessel, there comes a moment in their imaginary dialogue when the trust they thought they had is broken. It's not broken, of course, because the dialogue itself was platonic. It's akin to the crisis of faith a student has when they hear the Bible clearly for the first time and realize the Jesus they heard about in Sunday school is not the Jesus of the gospels. This crisis of trust is a sudden realization that the point of reference for the imaginary dialogue in your head is not the point of reference for the liberating monologue that breaks through to you from the lips of the earthen vessel. Your platonic dialogue exemplifies “the blind leading the blind,” leading you into a snare inside your mind. To break free from this crisis of faith, you must move past your confession that you don't trust the earthen vessel. You must realize the truth, namely, that it is the Torah that you do not trust. You trust in yourself and your construct of the blind leading the blind. You value the comfort of blindness more than the teaching of God. So, Habibi, you have to make a choice. The comfort of the snare and the pit, the blue pill, or the difficulty of the painful thing you don't trust, the red pill, which comes to you through the earthen vessel, the bitter delivery mechanism of God's monologue.The problem, of course, is that the red pill shares nothing in common with everything about you. You can't find one book in your library, one stance in any corner of your broken premises that shares anything in fellowship with the red pill. Every time it is offered, it seems wrong and untrustworthy—the red pill, not the vessel, or is it the pill? Can you even decide which one you don't trust?This week, I discuss Luke 6:41-42. Show Notesט-ר-ף (ṭet-resh-fe)טָרָף (ṭaraf) “fresh-plucked” aligns to κάρφος “dry stalk” and is the only such alignment in the Septuagint. It is typically (weirdly?) translated as “speck” or “mote” by colonial scholars. “The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a (ṭaraf) freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water had subsided from the earth.” (Genesis 8:11)“Why do you look at the (κάρφος) speck (dry stalk) that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Luke 6:41)Also, κάρφος does not appear in Paul’s letters, only in Matthew 7:3 and Luke 6:41.طَرَفَ (ṭarafa) in Arabic can mean “to tear” or “to take a portion.”طُرْفَة (ṭurfa) can refer to something that is torn off or a fragment, and in some dialects, it may mean something rare or unique.ק-ו-ר (qof-waw-resh)The triliteral root of (qorah), which typically functions as “beam,” “rafter,” or “timberwork,” and is associated with houses and walls. It aligns with the Greek, δοκός (beam), clumsily translated as “log” by colonial/neoliberal scholars attempting to make sense of what they perceive as “oriental” hyperbole. Combining “function” and Tarazi’s “itinerant word” methodology, we learn instead that the word קֹרָה (qorah) usually refers to the construction of houses and, finally, the Temple of Solomon. (1 Kings 7:2)“The beams (קֹרוֹת, qorot) of our houses are cedars, our rafters, cypresses.” (Song of Solomon 1:17) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Once you hear the biblical text and understand that the Bible satirizes and dismantles the arrogance and foolishness of war, political schemes, government powers, and the absurdity of any ruling authority, you can’t hear the Old Testament without bursting into laughter, the way that God laughs at us. The gift of biblical satire—with all its fury—is true freedom from the historical tyranny of the hell that surrounds us. Thank God that God judges and condemns us in the Bible. Only a monster would bless the monsters we are: men and women who do such monstrous things in his name, using his book, which lays out the epic parables of our monstrous forbears, whose legacy we are so desperate to manifest as our “new” destiny in West Asia. I challenge all of you to find one inch of Western society that hasn’t been coopted, sold, or sold itself out to slogans or navel-gazing. “What does it really mean that anyone can buy and sell activist discourse? Besides the trivialization of real issues…it is unclear who has claim to and who is profiting from this commodification. Think about all of the BLM merch sold on the website Etsy.com. On this site, anyone who makes anything can sell it. That being said, it is hard to know exactly who you are buying from on this site and where the money is going. I clicked on one seller with the username thewomenstore and saw that next to a shirt that read “Black Lives Matter” was a shirt that read “Tequila is Gluten Free.” … Are these phrases, priced the same, equally as important? Did this seller simply add a Black Lives Matter shirt to her collection because she knew it would sell?” — jaenichelle, Blavity.comThere are signs of hope, always, but we can count on our Western institutions to fight against them in the name of the almighty dollar. After all, our institutions were established by David and administered by Absalom. Ah, yes, “A student is not above his teacher.”This week, I discuss Luke 6:39-40.Show Notesע-ו-ר (ʿayin-waw-resh) / ع-و-ر (ʿayn-waw-ra)In Arabic, the word أَعْوَر ( ’a‘war) means “one-eyed” or “having one eye.” עִוֵּר corresponds to τυφλός in Luke 6:39, which also appears in Romans 2:19. פ-ח-ת (pe-ḥet-taw)פַּ֫חַת—pit; ravineThe corresponding term βόθυνος (bothynos) does not appear in the New Testament, except in some Greek manuscripts where it onlyappears in Luke 6:39. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Why is there violence in the Bible?Why did the authors of Deuteronomy present parables of genocide? Why did the gospel writers posit a story about tribal, religious, and political betrayals, acts of treason, and violent acts by the hand of God? Why do both Testaments deal with war, cruelty, violence, and the threat of God's wrath? The New Testament is not new in its content. It is the same old content directed at a new audience.The Bible is not a bunch of broken fragments from different writers patched together arbitrarily. This is a boring orientalist theory invented by German colonial scholars that nobody who knows what they are talking about takes seriously anymore.J,E,D,P,Q. The last one is my favorite. If you can't find the source, there must be an all-powerful imaginary source called “Q.” It was such an excellent idea that Gene Roddenberry named an entire race of fictional narcissistic deities “Q.” Good job, biblical scholarship! You're so “mystical.”For heaven's sake, pick up a copy of Tarazi and catch up.As inconvenient as it is for Westernized (Hellenized) Christians, Paul's teaching of grace—his repurposing of Roman gratia in submission to the teaching of the Cross—was a reapplication of Deuteronomy's literary wrath against Israel's sense of self-entitlement and self-importance. A redirection of God's judgment against the latest monsters to invade and occupy Mesopotamia. Deuteronomy was something like a “directed conversation” held indirectly with all parties in which God himself warns everyone, beginning with Israel:“The land belongs to me. It put you in, and I can talk you out. ”The New Testament repeats this warning to a new audience: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13) This verse or “sign” is the novelty of the prophetic self-destruction of the Temple and of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and its sign is clear: the Emperor has no clothes.I wish Congress understood Deuteronomy. But how could they? Even Western scholars, let alone the clergy, don’t get it.“Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” (Deuteronomy 29:4)Remember, the writers of the Torah, who wrote under the pen name “Moses,” were something akin to disillusioned and disaffected State Department employees.So why did Scripture deal with violence head-on, placing all violence in the hands of the unseen and indepictable God? Let me count the ways for you. For all of you “evolved” and “enlightened” Westerners.The following are notable genocides and massacres committed by invaders against occupied populations, starting from the Mesopotamian era through the Greek and Roman periods.Conquest of Sumerian City-States by Sargon of Akkad (2334–2279 BC)Gutian Invasion and Destruction of Akkad (2150 BC)Destruction of Ur by the Elamites and Amorites (2004 BC)Destruction of Mari by Hammurabi (1761 BC)Destruction of Babylon by the Hittites (1595 BC)Elamite Conquest of Babylon (1155 BC)Assyrian Destruction of Susa (647 BC)Destruction of Babylon by Assyrians (689 BC)Persian Conquest of Elam (540 BC)Destruction of Thebes (335 BC)Siege of Tyre (332 BC)Destruction of Carthage (146 BC)Massacre of the Lusitanians (150 BC)Gallic Wars (58–50 BC)If you want to get a sense of the cruelty and horror of each of these events, read Deuteronomy!“NOTHING CHANGES UNDER THE SUN.” 🍉This week, I discuss Luke 6:38.Show NotesThe triliteral root for the Hebrew word מִדָּה (middah) is מ-ד-ד (mem-dalet-dalet), which generally relates to the concept of measuring or measuring out. It corresponds to μέτρον in Luke 6:38. Its various uses can function as measures, portions, or the act of measuring something. The corresponding root in Arabic is م-د-د (mīm-dāl-dāl). This root generally relates to extension, lengthening, or spreading. Words derived from this function can include مدّ (madda), meaning "to extend" or "to stretch out," and مِقدار (miqdār), meaning "measure" or "amount."Here are some common Arabic words derived from this function:مَدَّ (madda) - to extend, stretch, or lengthen.مَدّ (madd) - extension, lengthening, or a stretch.مِدَاد (midād) - ink (historically referred to the extension of writing).مُدَّة (mudda) - duration or period of time.مِقدار (miqdār) - amount, measure, or quantity.مَديد (madīd) - long or extended.مُتَمَدِّد (mutamaddid) - stretched out, lying down, or expanded.تَمْدِيد (tamdīd) - extension or prolongation.مَامُود (mamūd) - a well-known old term meaning praised or extended (rare usage).إِمْدَاد (imdād) - reinforcement, support, or supply.“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement (מידה, middah) of weight, or capacity.” (Leviticus 19:35)The triliteral root for the Hebrew word נתן (natan) is נ-ת-נ (nun-tav-nun). This root generally means “to give” or “to grant.” It is used in various contexts to denote acts of giving, granting, or placing. It corresponds to the word δίδωμι in Luke 6:38.“Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given (נָתַתִּי, nāṯattī) you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.’” (Genesis 1:29 ) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul emphasizes that the hearing of scripture is a literary battleground where various traditions compete for control over its meaning. He critiques how translations like the Septuagint and later Christian adaptations have altered the original intent of the Hebrew consonantal text, arguing that figures such as Philo and Josephus Flavius laid the groundwork for this betrayal. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The word “آية” (āyah) in Arabic refers to a “verse” in Scripture. It can also mean a “sign” or “miracle.” Its root in Semitic is ء-ي-ي (hamza-ya-ya) or ء-ي-ن (hamza-ya-nun), depending on the classical derivation one follows.The equivalent of “آية” (āyah) in biblical Hebrew is אוֹת (’ot), which means “sign,” "proof," or “mark.”“And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign אוֹת (’ot) to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’” (Exodus 3:12)In Exodus, God himself spoke to Moses. The fact that God spoke is itself the sign, and Moses, in turn, is his sign—living proof of God's promise: “Certainly I will be with you, and you shall worship me.”“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign (’ot), they may believe the witness of the last sign (’ot).” (Exodus 4:8)“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply my signs (’otot) and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 7:3)In Exodus, Moses is living, functional proof that God himself has spoken. Moses is the ’ot elohim, the “آية الله” (āyat allāh), the “sign of God,” the ”proof of God” to Pharaoh.But as Moses confirms in Deuteronomy, the signs in Exodus are not the miracles and wonders themselves, but rather, the verses that carry them, the āyāt that record what God has spoken. These verses serve as the true “signs,” the otot that carry God’s will and instruction to the people.In turn, all those who proclaim these verses—for example, Jesus in Luke’s Gospel—are judged by those who shun God. Yet, in fulfillment of God’s command, even Jesus would not judge them before the time. His only purpose was to give God’s signs as proof in anticipation of the one Judge whose Kingdom rules over all.This week, I discuss Luke 6:37.Show NotesThe word “āyāt” in Arabic is written as آيات. It is the plural form of “āyah” (آية), which means “verse” or “sign” and is commonly used to refer to the verses of the Abrahamic texts. “They have sold the proofs' of God at a cheap price and turned away from? His path; evil is what they did.” (Surah Al-Tawbah 9:9) ש-פ-ט (shin-fe-ṭet)To judge, to rule or govern, a judgment, to administer justice. Related to the function ש-ל-מ (mem-sheen-lamed), mashal—can signify a parable but also signifies ruling, judging, and making comparisons. It can also mean “to rule” or “to have dominion.” In Arabic م-ث-ل (mīm-thāʾ-lām) is “to resemble” or “to compare” مثل (mathal).ר-ש-ע (resh-shin-‘ayin) / ر-س-ع (rā-sīn-‘ayn)To be wicked, to act wickedly. A wicked person. In Arabic, رَسَعَ can mean looseness or slackness of limbs. From the Hadith of Ibn Amr ibn al-As: “بَكَى حَتَّى رَسَعَتْ عينُهُ” (baka hatta rasa‘at ‘aynu) “He cried until his eye changed, became damaged, or its eyelids stuck together.” The word رَسَعَتْ (rasa‘at) here means: 1. Changed or became altered, 2. Became damaged or corrupted, 3. The eyelids stuck together due to excessive crying. Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari. al-Nihāya fī Gharīb al-Hadīth wa-l-Athar. d. 1210, Arabic Lexicon. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It’s difficult to be part of any relationship, at an individual or group level, without attempting to exert control. We rationalize to ourselves that we don’t want control, but it's not true. If you carefully examine your relationships in life, the level of control you attempt to exert is commensurate with your level of investment, which, in a culture of excess, precedes your commitment.In a Roman household, your level of commitment is not optional. If you are living under the pressure of your patron, you’re stuck. Whether you’re a family member or a slave, you must operate within the confines of the sheepfold in which you are found. That is your life. It’s not a question of what you choose or your level of commitment; you are committed. That’s what you do. It’s your job. Most people in the world, in day-to-day life, don’t have the opportunity to ask what entitled Americans ask. They don’t get to say, “I wonder what my purpose in life is,” or, “What is my dream job?” They just get a job if they’re fortunate and are thankful to be able to do something that provides income so that they can live.So, if you are found in a Roman household, whatever your function or status, you are committed to do whatever you are committed to do. But if your patron has not been baptized by Paul, then your reference is not Christ; your reference is Caesar. This means that the favors your patron provides the sheepfold are not given freely. They come with a price.Even though you are fully committed and have no power over your station, you still have to earn your spot. There is an expectation that your family gods, your patrician, the broader neighborhood (the familia, or city block under your patrician), and more importantly, your chief god, the emperor, expect an offering from you in order for the grace of Caesar’s favor through his patrician to be maintained.But in the end, if you act correctly because you know that your gods, your father, or your neighbors are expected to act correctly or give you something in return, is that grace? Are you committed within the sheepfold, under God through Jesus Christ, or are you still somebody else’s slave?This week I discuss Luke 6:32-36.Show Notesח-נ-נ (ḥet-nun-nun) / ح-ن-ن (ḥāʾ-nūn-nūn)חָנַן (ḥanan): “to be gracious” or “to show favor”תְּחִנָּה (teḥinnah): “supplication” or “plea for grace”حَنَان (ḥanān): meaning “tenderness” or “compassion.”تحنّن (taḥannun): meaning “to show mercy” or “to act compassionately.”נָח (nun-ḥet) NoahIn Hebrew, נָח (nun-ḥet) refers to resting, settling, or being at rest.In Arabic, أَنَاخَ (’anāḫa) “he made camels kneel down”; مُنَاخ (munāḥ) “resting place of camels”. The triliteral ن-و-خ (nūn-wāw-khāʾ) is a different root, but related, according to Klein. This connection underscores biblical shepherdism. “But Noah נָח (nun-ḥet) found favor (חֵן, ḥēn) in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)In this week’s podcast, Fr. Marc explains how Luke dismantles Rome’s system of gratia, highlighting three categories of “untouchables” in the American system, all related to control of the land. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul examines later additions to biblical manuscripts, such as Greek breathing marks and the differentiation between uppercase and lowercase letters, which were not in the original texts. He criticizes poor translation choices, like rendering the Hebrew "yarash" as "possess" instead of "inherit." He also discusses Kamal Salibi’s original discovery that the Hebrew consonants for "raven" and "Arab" are identical, allowing for different interpretations. Salibi's work, which questioned specific translation choices, remains unresolved, emphasizing the need to hear the text consonantally and showing that the biblical text resists modern interpretive control and should be read on its own terms. (Episode 328) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

If you accept the Bedouin axiom, “The tree begins with a seed”, you have taken your first step to joining the human race; to accepting that pragmatism is the currency of facts. Admit to yourself that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and operate on that basis, or lie to yourself that you aspire to a higher ideal as you continue to operate in a dog-eat-dog fashion, with blinders on. In both cases, you are squarely under God’s judgment. In the second example, with the added charge, “bearing false witness.”Whether you console yourself with your fake ideals or justify your sins with the inevitability of pragmatism, the truth is, whatever men build, create or devise, no matter their intention, it ends in moral bankruptcy. System failure is coded in your DNA.This is why, by design, the sacrifice of Isaac confounds and mocks human ethics and morality.There is another Bedouin proverb, Habibi, that reflects the actual pragmatism of life, the fact of the anti-philosophical fate in which you are found:“The hand that gives is upper one.”The problem is not interpretation, absolutism, the constitution, authoritarianism, legality, or your ability to adapt to change. The problem is you. You are not and cannot be your own reference.Learn another saying, Habibi, from the first Bedouin:“God will provide for himself the lamb for the offering.” (Genesis 22:8)People misunderstand the admonition of Luke. Yes, you are commanded to offer the other cheek, but it is not yours to give in the first place, and it given under the pressure of his upper hand, because, as he said, you are wicked.It is he who found you in utter darkness. In his wrath he is testing you as one in time of battle. He is pressuring you. You are under his judgment, for the sake of his honor.It is not your enemy who strikes you, then you could bear it. It is him.“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)This week I discuss Luke 6:29-31.Show Notes - ​נ-כ-ה (nun-kaf-he) / ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he)The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to strike” or “to beat.”“Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating (מכה, makkeh) a Hebrew, one of his brethren.” (Exodus 2:11)“He went out the next day and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, ‘Why are you striking (תכה, takkeh) your companion?’” ​ (Exodus 2:13)“Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike (נכה, nakkeh) the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.’” (​Exodus 7:17)“He who strikes (מכה, makkeh) his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15)In Arabic, the root نَكَى (nakā) shares a similar meaning related to causing harm, injury or damage. The noun نِكَايَة(nikāyah) refers to “the inflicting of injury.” ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he) is rare in the Qur’an but appears in contexts related to harm or inflicting damage, particularly in warfare.نَكِيل (nakīl) – punishment, severe retribution. It often refers to a severe or exemplary punishment meant to serve as a deterrent or warning.نَكِيلًا (nakīlan) – severe punishment or retribution, often used in Quranic or formal contexts to describe intense chastisement.“Indeed, with us [for them] are shackles and burning fire. And food that chokes and a painful punishment. On the day the earth and the mountains will convulse, and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down. Indeed, we have sent to you a messenger as a witness upon you just as we sent to Pharaoh a messenger. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so we seized him with a ruinous punishment (nakīlan).” (Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:12-16) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Am I humble?Am I arrogant?Am I pious?Am I blasphemous?Am I cruel?Am I kind?Who is the judge?Search me.Who can tell?There is only one who can tell.Any attempt to test, judge, discover, search, or discern is human folly. You can’t tell. You can’t even discover yourself. It’s a lost cause. Your best effort is to study (darash) God’s scroll, and in doing so, discover that it is God who studies you. Then there is a chance that you will be found wandering in your darkness (qoder), a chance that you will be found out, and then you will find hope.You will find God’s power in your fate (qadr) and reprieve from your mourning (qoder).If you have no control over your own fate, Habibi, why does it matter what others do? You yourself are not the judge. St. Paul will not even judge himself.There is only one judge. It’s not that you do not understand his words when they are fed to you; you just don’t like their taste in your ears.Why do you care what other people do?It’s because you want control. You want to own God. You want to keep him as your pet—at least, for starters. Your true aim is to become God.You want the throne.You want control.But you’re not the Shepherd, let alone the Divine “Emir” (أ-م-ر), his Father, who commanded his prophets “to speak” (א-מ-ר) the words that you can’t stomach:“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”This week I discuss Luke 6:27-28.My thanks to Matthew Cooper, the OCABS scholar who unlocked the inter-functionality of the Arabic word “emir” with the Hebrew verb “amar.” ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Subscribe: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2350896.rssAll of us, like Job, “go about in darkness (qoder), without comfort;” we “stand up in the assembly and cry for help.” (Job 30:28)That is what I did, under the cloud of darkness (qoder), in which God found me. I made a call, as I do each week in the assembly: you must do the work, in that state in which you have been found, because there is work to be done.This is your fate, Habibi.ק-ד-ר (Qof-Dalet-Resh)It is the same function in Arabic. The expression, laylat al-qadr (ليلة القدر), refers to the command of God given to his prophet at night: in the “night of [his] decree,” the “night of [his] power.” John Pearson was indeed attentive that night, and the result is The Slow Bible Study podcast.As fate challenges each of us, John challenges American individualism, urging his hearers to submit to Scripture as it was originally intended—through its ancient languages, in its historical setting. By stripping away interpretations and theologies, John emphasizes the Bible’s clear, uncompromising call to bow down before the Lord. His podcast confronts the pervasive egoism of American culture, encouraging us to hear and obey Scripture as God's command in the assembly, rather than our personal interpretations, reminding us that the Bible is a call to submission, not a prop for our self-justification.“In my distress, I cried to the Lord, and he answered me.” (Psalm 120:1)He who has ears to hear let him hear! I give you the premiere episode of The Slow Bible Study podcast. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul condemns the Masoretes for stamping vowels on the Hebrew consonantal text, arguing that it served as a method of control over the Bible and its later interpretation by theologians. He explains that this imposition corrupted the biblical dabar, twisting it into the Platonic logos of Greek philosophy, ultimately undermining the authority of the Torah.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, Fr. Paul asserts that the prophetic function, particularly within the clergy, is crucial for dismantling entrenched religious practices and ideologies that contradict the proposition of the biblical text.In a provocative analysis, Fr. Paul contends that the church’s fixation on orthodoxy has overshadowed the biblical emphasis on orthopraxy—right practice—as heard in Paul’s criticism of Peter for not “walking correctly” in Galatians. Fr. Paul challenges modern clergy to abandon the use of terms and practices not found in the Bible, arguing that they perpetuate a false security among believers, similar to the misguided faith in the temple criticized by Jeremiah or the misuse of scriptures such as the book of Joshua, currently unfolding in Gaza.Through this lens, the Fr. Paul calls for a radical disruption of the church’s understanding and proclamation of the the biblical text, urging clergy to submit to the prophetic command to dismantle and deconstruct the false logic and practices that have become entrenched in the life of the modern church. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

I am a fortunate man because when I hit my twenties, I was exposed to teachers who refused to give praise or express gratitude. These were people who took their cues from the cruelty and mercy of God in the Biblical text, and that’s how I’ve conducted my ministry as a priest.In recent years, it has become more difficult in the United States. Assailed by the angst of materialism and individualism, Americans push themselves further away from the cruelty of God’s mercy, desperately seeking comfort and answers to the pain that everyone feels inside their troubled hearts—a deep suburban sadness that leads to rage. We all want validation and approval; unfortunately, a commercial-industrial society that seeks to exploit you is eager to please.There is no shortage of false prophets ready to proclaim, “Good job, thank you, we appreciate you. Now please write us a check,” or “Thank you for your check. Thank you for your amazing efforts, you work so hard. Thank you for your beautiful chanting voice, Marc. Thank you for your financial support. Thank you for all you do.” But this is not love. It is not appreciation. It is exploitation. Such hubris quickly becomes: “Damn right. I did that.” But that is not what was written by the finger of God.When you are born, you are given a munificent gift of immeasurable value, for free. It did not come from you or your parents, and its only cost is measured at its moment of expiration, by the one who provides it. Instead of saying thank you for this free gift, we exploit it as though it is a business opportunity, against the will of him who gave it. “For,” Paul said, “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:7) Yet, our exploitation of God has become institutionalized, not just in the churches but in our families, schools, and government.This is what has happened to us, and it has reached dystopian levels. One can actually hear people espouse beautiful values—whether in the name of Jesus Christ, the civil rights movement, or high-minded secular values—we hear them say beautiful words in Chicago (at the DNC), and observe the faithful swoon like evangelicals as they preach, when, in fact, what’s coming out of their mouths is transactional. It is evil. “All who trust in them are like them.” (Psalm 115:8)But for those who are being saved, who have accepted the comforting cruelty of the Cross, the admonition against laughter, wealth, and praise in Luke is a biblical sign of hope in these troubling and worrisome times. This week, I discuss Luke chapter 6:24–26. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

One way or another, people want to control what the teacher says and what the teacher does.They want control.Every relationship, no matter what people tell themselves, is about their power.They want to purchase God online, have him delivered to their door, and display him at parties as part of their collection.The most wicked phrase in the human lexicon in any language is “I love you.”It is a lie, Habibi.Human beings are liars. They are incapable of love.Every time you have preached about love, philosophized about love, mourned a person’s inability to love or be loved, you have accrued divine wrath against you.Do you really think all of this is about your love? Let’s be honest before God: I do not love you and you do not love me.After so many years of ministry, the vast majority of those for whom I have slaved want to control what I say and what I do under the pretext of love and how hard they work. Well, Habibi, I do not need your love. I have fallen into the inevitable, terrible, terrifying and unmanageable hands of the iconoclastic, invisible, and inexistent God.You can’t find him pleasuring himself with friends, or hanging out at comfy social gatherings with “loved” ones.He holds vigil with those who die alone, like little girls assailed by machine-gun fire in the back seats of cars, or suffocating alone, bleeding out in bombed hospital rooms.Does your post modern god exist? “What’s the point,” you ask, in your dystopian haze, as you plan “your life” for “your children”?God is definitely real, and it has nothing to do with you and your military industrial solipsistic white picket nonsense in the suburbs, which you call “love.”“We have to unite to save democracy.”No, dummies. You have to stop killing kids.The true God, the one whom you do not love, meets his children under the rubble.Under your boot.I became a priest to teach. I am not so arrogant as to imagine that I am capable of love.The only difference between you and me is that I admit it to myself and I tell you to your face, in his name, not mine.He is my God. In him do I trust.But people do not trust God or love him, let alone the priest because they come to church for the building. Their investment is with the building.The building is their future, not God. Their building is their hope, not the teaching. Their building is their white picket fence in the suburbs. In their mind, priests come and go, but the building abides forever.But that is not what the Good Book said: “There was silence, then I heard a voice:‘Can mankind be righteous before God?Can a man be pure before his Maker?If God places no trust in his slaves,if he charges his angels with error,how much more those who live in houses of clay,whose foundations are in the dust,who are crushed more readily than a moth!Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;unnoticed, they perish forever.Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,so that they die without wisdom?’” (Job 4:16-21)This week’s episode is dedicated to the unearned love presented to me by God, a beloved wife of 25 years, who has been a steadfast companion in difficulties. She continues to support me, in her words, not because she loves me or because we are family, but because she believes in the content of what I teach. If only there were more people like you, Alla. You may be flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone, but I thank God every day that I did not make you. This week I discuss Luke 6:12-23. (Episode 530)The Destructive Power Of Motherly LoveBy Anthony Costello"One of the most chilling scenes in fiction is the portrayal of a mother named “Pam” in C.S. Lewis’ novel, The Great Divorce. In the story, Lewis envisions the eternal separation between heaven and hell, where we encounter a number of ghostly beings who are invited to visit heaven from what is presumably hell (or possibly purgatory). For a moment, these vapor-like specters are allowed to see the divine realm with their own “eyes.” These lost souls receive one final opportunity, a last chance, to choose God and eternal life. In the end, all but one of these visitors, when offered the full reality of the heavenly places and the divine light, reject the offer to stay there. Instead they opt out and return to hell. The return to hell is also a return to their own self-centered and self-created realities."[Read more] ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When you hear someone say, “If we just stick together,” it is always spoken by an individual. In truth, this individual is saying, “If you just stick with me, I will provide an outcome, and ensure a benefit.”That mechanism—“stick with me and I will provide”—is, in fact, what St. Paul describes as the power of death. It is a threat. Stick with me or else.The use of the pronoun “we” cloaks death in the garment of connection. This threat is the same evil “we” that funds death while giving campaign speeches about "sticking together.”It is the anthem of fascism. Can you hear its song in your music? Never “go back” to what? You are already what you fear.There is no question that care for the flock is paramount in Scripture. Love of neighbor and table fellowship are the only matter at hand in the commandment. The problem is, who is the “I” of the matter, that you cloak with your idolatrous “we”?To whom does the flock pertain?Colonial scholars get caught up with the Twelve Tribes in the Old Testament...but “there is only one Shepherd in the Bible, which means one flock, no matter how many tribes you find.” (Dark Sayings, p. 84)That’s why the Scribes and the Pharisees were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus in Luke; that’s also why Jesus understood their intention. Not because he was a mind reader—but because reactionary, insecure people who believe in their own values and are willing to ignore human suffering to cling to power in defense of their fake “we” are easy to understand.You do not need a degree in psychology to predict their thoughts, let alone their next move.All you need do is emasculate them; liberate what they have bound up; and tear down down what they have built up.Nonviolently, with much love, and in a spirit of fellowship.You can’t do that in congress, Habibi. But you can do it in Scripture.This week, I discuss Luke 6:8-11. (Episode 529) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★