Biblical Heritage Center Blog

  Ancient scribes used juxtaposition s to highlight differences in stories in which similarities may be found that both stories share. In other words, what appears to be a difference at first, is actually a different view of the same thing. That is how we find the Bible’s wisdom embedded in the stories of Genesis. It is a wisdom treasure chest, full of wisdom that applies to lives today. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/4353b86fa097/discovering-the-hidden-wisdom-in-the-bibles-stories-of-the-beginnings

  There are many benefits for those who explore the Bible and talk about what they discover. This email will show you an easy way to spot things to explore. All you have to do is something that comes natural for Americans – spotting differences in things . You can even turn this into a game that can played with children. Spot the differences between two very well-known Bible verses. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/742e98e85af8/how-to-spot-things-that-need-to-be-explored-in-the-bible

  I realized that I have been writing to you about things that Ike (Dr. Tennison), Jeffrey (Rabbi Leynor) and I had been researching for many years. I was focusing on bit and pieces of a lot of Bible stories. But you didn’t have the whole story in front of you, like we did. It is important for you to be familiar with the whole story before you begin exploring specific parts of it. So, I will be sending you BHC’s versions of Bible stories first, and then exploring them with you. This email includes the first part of the first story in Genesis. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/18f6cbd9db7b/laying-the-foundation-for-exploring-the-bible-in-2023

  For 30 of those years, Ike (Dr. Tennison) and Jeffrey (Rabbi Leynor), and I (Jim Myers) explored the Bible as a team. Ike, Jeffrey, and I brought unique associations each of us had acquired through our personal life experiences to the team – university professor, ordained minister, member of rock band, ordained rabbi, banker, and ordained minister. Jeffrey and I also shared experiences as law enforcement chaplains. I noticed that Ike and I used our Scriptures in a different way than Jeffrey used his Scriptures. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/d3b7a6b5eaab/wrestling-with-conflicting-biblical-texts-and-our-beliefs

  The first story in Genesis is not about the creation of the universe. It is not about theologies, supernatural creatures, or morals. It is not about individuals. It is about the Creator’s TOV Standard and the creation of the Creator’s Kingdom on Earth. Would you like create social environments in which humans live complete, rich, healthy, wholesome, harmonious, successful, and secure lives? Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/67e4f6934a72/what-is-the-creators-highest-value

  It is important to understand that my Christian Biblical Heritage brought Jeffrey and me to the first story in Genesis. But once we arrived at the ancient Hebrew text of Genesis we were in Jeffrey’s Jewish Biblical Heritage. The Jewish Jesus was never part of any Christian Biblical Heritage. He was born from a Jewish mother, circumcised when he was eight days old, taught Jewish Scriptures . . . Words paint pictures in minds. What pictures do words of the Bible paint in your mind? Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/a5e785a994c6/in-search-of-the-fathers-will-on-earth

  What did Jesus mean when he said, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?” BHC’s Primary Guideline and Linguistic Model led Jim Myers and Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor to the first story in Genesis – “God rested.” Words such as “rest” are easy to overlook because they are so familiar. However, our linguistic approach raised a red flag because we know common words often hold the key to making big discoveries. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/524e55447d8b/we-did-not-have-a-clue-to-what-god-rested-meant

  After exploring the Sermon of Mount, Jeffrey understood that the teachings of Jesus were like the teachings of Hillel, Gamaliel, and other Jewish teachers. We did not describe our work as “exploring the Bible” until 2018, but that is what we were doing. Back then, we used the term, “letting the Bible tell its own story.” It led us to our most important discovery. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/20c2b4e8c9ea/letting-the-bible-tell-its-own-story

  I had some very “spirited” conversations with Jeffrey (Rabbi Leynor) over the 30 years of our friendship. If you knew Jeffrey, you will probably be able visualize how he reacted as I tell you the story of our first conversation. It took a rabbi and a preacher working together to discover a lost part of the creation story of Genesis and the Jesus of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke . It moved us from opposite sides of a belief conflict to a relationship based on shared values! Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/58777ea08825/why-are-my-scriptures-in-your-bible

  When we examine the most ancient manuscripts of the words in our Bibles, the sources of those words were scribes. They were not the original Sources of the words, but they are the Sources of the words we can see on ancient manuscripts today. The words we read weren’t written for the public to read. They were written for scribes to read and perform them for the public. Jesus heard, read, and taught those stories. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/5b6b10bb11ad/the-lost-creation-story-jesus-knew-and-taught

  This is the second article in the Let’s Talk About “The Bible” Series . Jesus was a teacher and interpreter of the Torah. Is the Torah a Jewish religious text or a Judean political text? The answer to that questions affects how we view the teachings and movement of Jesus. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/dc0ef0bbe253/was-jesus-really-a-jew

  This is the first article in the Let’s Talk About “The Bible” Series . Over the past 1,900 years there have been many different Bibles. They were comprised of different books, in different orders, in different languages . Jesus and his original followers were Jews . Their Scriptures were what we now call “ the Tanakh .” No New Testament existed when Jesus or Paul led their movements. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/da9d937d18ef/what-the-bible-is-what-it-isnt

  For the past few years, I have been “ packing ” a lot of often complex information into our Exploring the Bible and Our Biblical Heritages Emails . The Let’s Talk About Series is a new format that will make them easier to talk about with others. The exploring skills you learn here can also be applied to other areas of life – exploring, communicating, & cooperating. Continue reading at - http://mailchi.mp/6d7474a72348/exploring-the-bible-and-biblical-heritages-in-2023