The Bible as Literature

Written by: The Ephesus School
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Each week, Fr. Marc Boulos discusses the content of the Bible as literature. On Tuesdays, Fr. Paul Tarazi presents an in-depth analysis of the biblical text in the original languages.
    © Copyright The Ephesus School Network, 2013-2024. All rights reserved.
    Show more Show less
Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • They Built Themselves High Places

    They Built Themselves High Places
    Jan 2 2025

    “He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (Luke 11:23)


    Mothers, not women—mothers specifically—are exploited by the schemes of city builders. This distinction is important because women are often party to the weaponization of mothers.


    I began this week's monologue with a verse from Luke 11 because it is impossible to hear what Luke wrote about “scattering” until you hear clearly what he taught about point of reference.


    As Matthew taught us earlier in the New Testament, you cannot serve two masters: You cannot serve the Hasmoneans and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve Herod and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve Caesar and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve any institution and the Kingdom of God.

    You are allowed one choice in the Bible: submit to him and gather for him and scatter as Jesus scatters, or submit to something else and gather against Jesus, which means you are the wolf, stealing sheep and scattering the Master’s flock.

    All clergy are hirelings, but not all are wolves. Whether an assembly is full or not, who can tell who is gathering and who is scattering? None but him, and it has nothing to do with a church’s balance sheet.

    Truly, truly, I say to you: the first three verses of Luke 8 carry the proclamation of the liberation of the mothers of Judah from the buildings of the Israelites, which are an affront to God.

    This week, I discuss Luke 8: 1-3.

    Show Notes


    Μαγδαληνή / ג-ד-ל (    gimel-dalet-lamed) / ج-د-ل (jīm-dāl-lām)


    Μαγδαληνή (Magdalene) from the Hebrew מִגְדָּל (migdal) in the New Testament functions as “Mary Magdalene,” (Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή), or “Mary of Magdala.” In Arabic, مجدل (majdal) a fortress, tower, or stronghold, can also function as something braided or woven tightly or strong.

    “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower (migdal) that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:4)“The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower (migdal) to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.” (2 Kings 17:9)

    Χουζᾶς / ח-ז-ה (ḥet-zayin-he) / ح-ز-ي (ḥāʼ-zā-yāʼ)

    The Hebrew root ח-ז-ה (ḥet-zayin-he) can function as “to see” or “to behold,” typically in prophetic usage. In Arabic, حَزِي (ḥazi) refers to “an astrologer” or someone who interprets celestial phenomena to foresee events.

    Σουσάννα / ש-ו-ש (shin-waw-shin) / س-و-س (sīn-wāw-sīn)

    Transliterated from the Hebrew or Aramaic name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah, “lily”), Σουσάννα (Sousanna), appears in the Septuagint in the text of the same name. Shoshannah can function as “lily” or “rose,” in Hebrew and Aramaic usage.

    • שׂוּשׂ (sus): To rejoice or exult.
    • שׁוֹשׂ (shos): Rejoicing or delight.

    The same root in Arabic سوس (sūs) is associated with managing, governing, or overseeing.

    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
  • To the Text

    To the Text
    Dec 31 2024

    In this episode, Fr. Paul stresses the importance of going to the biblical text, not “going back, ” highlighting how Paul’s letters and even Luke’s Gospel were written to specific individuals, challenging the tendency to read these texts as universally applicable. We want to make Scripture timeless to elevate our power, but its power lies in its direct address to its original audience.

    ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
    Show more Show less
    13 mins
  • Do You See?

    Do You See?
    Dec 26 2024
    We imagine that love is the product of a kind or generous heart. We confuse love with sentiment. Maybe we want others to like us. Perhaps we can’t stomach their suffering, so we medicate them with lies, or we embrace their fantasies because they accommodate our needs. We coddle sentiment as a virtue because it feels safe, womblike, and even noble. Sentiment reinforces our private delusions. There is no better resolution for cognitive dissonance than sentimentality. Sentiment is practically Western doctrine. Make everyone feel good. How dare you not? How dare you be so unfeeling, so cold, so unloving? The problem with this line of thinking is that it is evil. Only a self-oriented person believes that a human being is capable of love.God is the only one who loves his children. If you keep insisting on yourself, which is indicative of what Chris Hedges calls hyper-masculinity, that’s all you will ever understand about relationships. You will never find him. Those who think otherwise always end up alone, sitting in someone else’s chair until the day he appears. You cannot meet God until you are not there, Habibi. You will never find him in your “community,” you harlots. “You brood of vipers.” Truly ba‘alic—the lot of you, “reclining together.” That is the prophetic and Pauline wisdom that Jesus uses in Luke 7 to trap Simon, who fancies himself something when he is nothing.“Do you see this woman, Simon?” Do you dare judge her? Worse, do you dare judge her rightly? Nothing in the Bible is worse than being right about a wrong that condemns you. Jesus does not praise her because she loves much. How could he? That is akin to Simon’s mistake. She is a human. She is incapable of love. Instead, the Lord praises the only one who loved her, the one who gave her the tears to wash his feet when he forgave her much, forgiveness she received from above in submission to him. Simon, on the other hand, judged much.“What caused you to deny the Master, Simon?” You fool. There is no Judge but him. If I were you, I would trade in my sandals for a pair of running shoes. This week, I discuss Luke 7:40-50.Show Notesδανιστής / ת-ו-ך (tav-waw-kaf) / ت-ك-ت (tāʾ-kāf-tāʾ) The Greek word δανιστής(danistēs), “moneylender,” refers to a person who lends money, often with interest, associated with violence in Scripture. In Luke 7:41 it is aligned with the function תֹּךְ (tok), which carries the usage “violence” and “oppression” in Proverbs:“The poor man and the oppressor תְּכָכִים (tekakim) have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.” (Proverbs 29:13)In Arabic تَكَتَكَ (taktaka) means to trample underfoot or to crush, akin to war. تَكَتُك (takatuk): A repetitive sound, such as tapping or clicking, reflecting rhythmic motion or action. The war drum. In Semitic, the idea of trampling extends to subjugation, domination, or persistent oppression, aligning with its use in biblical Hebrew and in Luke 7. δάκρυ / ד-מ-ע (dalet-mem-ʿayin) / د-م-ع (dal-mīm-ʿayn)“I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears דִּמְעָתִי (dim‘ati).” (Psalm 6:6)ἔλαιον / ש-מ-ן (shin-mem-nun) / س-م-ن (sīn-mīm-nūn) Fat, oil, olive oil. “Then Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen) on top of it.” (Genesis 28:18)“You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen), because your olives will drop off.” (Deuteronomy 28:40)“You will sow but you will not harvest. You will tread the olive press, but will not anoint yourself with oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen); and [you will tread] grapes, but you will not drink wine.” (Micha 6:15)“For their mother has committed prostitution; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil (שַׁמְנִי, shemeni), and my drink.’” (Hosea 2:5)The function س-م-ن (sīn-mīm-nūn) appears four times in the Qur’an, twice regarding Joseph’s dreams and the famine in Egypt, once regarding the Hospitality of Abraham, and once referring to food for the unrighteous from the “thorny plant” on the Day of Judgment: لَا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِن جُوعٍlā yus’minu wa lā yugh’nī min jūʿ“[Which] neither fattens nor avails against hunger.”Surah Al-Ghashiyah (88:7)μύρον / מֹר — מ-ר-ר (mem-resh-resh) / م-ر-ر (mīm-rāʼ-rāʼ) The function מ-ר-ר conveys bitterness, sharpness, or acridity, both literally (in taste and smell) and metaphorically. The Arabic مُرّ (murr) and مِرَّة (mirrah) are cognates of the biblical Hebrew מֹר (mor), which ...
    Show more Show less
    30 mins

What listeners say about The Bible as Literature

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.ca reviews

Amazon Reviews
No reviews are available