Biblical Heritage Center Blog

  Exploring Biblical Heritages creates transparency in Bible Studies and Belief Systems. Transparency in Bible Studies begins with an awareness of the relationships between the three types of biblical texts pictured above. The biblical texts most explorers use are English translations. However, it is important to keep in mind that English translations are made from Hebrew texts (#1) and Greek texts (#2) .   There are many things you can discover using an English translation, but there are some things that can only be seen in Hebrew or Greek texts. My job is to be you Tour Guide and always keep my eyes on the Hebrew or Greek texts. I will alert you to things that will help you more accurately understand the verses we are exploring.   It is important to remember that we all bring preconceived ideas (beliefs) about the biblical texts. Some view biblical texts as “ the inerrant and infallible Word of God ,” while others view them as “ complete fiction .” I ask ever...

  Exploring Biblical Heritages and most Bible studies are two different things. Bible studies are usually “ echo-chambers, ” like we find on social media, which are opportunities to reinforce and confirm what participants believe. Exploring Biblical Heritages , on the other hand, often exposes problems in what participants believe.   ● We ask all participants to agree to follow the BHC Primary Guideline – “ My belief system will be large enough for all facts, open enough to be examined and questioned, and flexible enough to change if errors or new facts are discovered .”   Our first task is to identify the Primary Source ( speaker or writer ) of the words we are exploring using BHC Linguistic Guidelines .   ● A word consists of symbols/sounds with attached bundles of associations that include the Source’s culture and personal experiences.   ● Words must be examined in the complete context in which they appear . Context plays a major role in determining the...

  The January 2021 issue of our monthly newsletter, Discovering the Bible and Exploring Our Biblical Heritages , in now online:   Reconnecting Jesus to His Jewish Culture and Impacting Our Lives in 2021   This is one of the most important newsletters I have written in the past 35 years. It specifically addresses the single most important subject for Christians:   Salvation   The graphic above provides the answer. If you want to understand it –   Click Here and read the newsletter .   Which would be more important to Jesus: People doing acts of justice or believing man-made doctrines about him?   How could this “ belief change ” impact our lives and society: 70% of the American population committed to doing acts of justice?   WWJD?   Thank you for Exploring Our Biblical Heritages. Please share and discuss it with others.   Shalom, Jim Myers   ☼  Donate and help us provide much more information!  Click Here to Donate ...

  One thing Judaism and Christianity both value is The Ten Commandments . But did you know there are three stories about the Ten Commandments in the Bible -- and they have important differences ? Today, I am going to focus on the commandment related to Day Seven .   The three stories are found in Exodus 20:8-11, Exodus 34:21, and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Based on our work, we believe the order below reflects the order in which they originally appeared.   Six days you shall work, but on the Seventh Day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. (Exodus 34:21)   The meanings reflected in this version appear to be very straight forward. Notice how the second story expands the commandment.   Remember the Shabbat Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the Seventh Day is the Shabbat of Yahweh your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, n...

  2 Timothy has traditionally been viewed as a message from Paul to Timothy. Today, many scholars view it as a document written by followers of Paul about forty-years after he was executed by the Romans .   The first part of verse 3:16 has been used by Christian institutions as a “ proof-text ” to support doctrines about the “ inerrancy and infallibility of the Christian Bible :”   “ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God . . . . ”   Biblical Heritage Explorers know that taking verses out of their immediate contexts can destroy the original meanings of the words .   Our first task is to establish the immediate context.   It is 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and we find important information about the meaning of “ the Scripture ” in those verses.   ● You have known the Holy Scriptures from childhood .   ● The Holy Scripture are able to make you wise for salvation .   ● They are given by inspiration of God.   ● They are prof...

  America has a big problem! How would you like to live in a society with networks of trusted friends and neighbors – with reliable sources of information? We don’t! That sums up the problem. Levels of trust in this country — in our institutions, in our politics, and in one another — are in precipitous decline . Few people consider the media as reliable news sources. The potential consequences of that toxic mix are well-known:   When social trust collapses, nations fail.   Exploring Biblical Heritages provides a way to deal with both problems. The first step is incorporate the BHC Primary Guideline in your life! It is based on science , not on institutional authority .   (1) My Belief System will be large enough to include all facts .   ● Each Explorer focuses first on examining his or her own Belief System .   ● They learn to make clear distinctions between Beliefs and Facts .   ● Learning how to consciously label statemen...

  I am a “ numbers guy ” who “ loves facts .” Amazon delivered “ The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2021 ” to my back porch on Saturday, so you can probably guess how happy that made me. One of the first sections I always visit is the religion section. When I added the new information to what I already knew, this is what I visualized in my mind.   30 CE (Globally) One Jesus with One Group of Followers.   1970 (Globally) 1,130,000,000 Christians & 18,630 denominations/paradenominations.   2000 (Globally) 1,888,000,000 Christians & 33,820 denominations/paradenominations.   2020 (Globally) 2,545,579,000 Christians & 40,000 denominations/paradenominations.   Next, I checked the number of Christians in America as we prepare to enter 2021.   245,264,000 (73.5% of the Total Population)   As I focused on the trends above, a seemingly crazy question popped into my mind:   What would happen if Christians found ways to work togethe...