The Bible as Literature

The Ephesus School
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The Bible as Literature

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.

  1. Sing to the Lord a New Song

    MAR 27

    Sing to the Lord a New Song

    In every age, empires create words to describe the people in the societies they seek to dominate and exploit. Eventually, these terms are turned inward and used against themselves. The Greco-Romans—and their eastern heirs, whom modern scholars call the Byzantines—labeled those outside their empire as barbarians.  The colonials who settled the Americas, after dismantling the peaceful coexistence of Semitic peoples in Southern Spain, referred to the inhabitants of this supposed “new” land as savages. Whether communists, leftists, or terrorists, from age to age and generation to generation, we rely on the notion of the alien or foreigner to demonize the other. Humanities scholars, clinging to the illusion of progress, speak as though they have just discovered this problem, but wisdom literature has tackled this since before Hellenism emerged as a blot on humanity’s historical record.  When Jesus sets out to make a pilgrimage to Decapolis, he does so under the control of his Father’s will, who breathes into his sail and sends him on a mission—not to trample underfoot the barbarians at the edge of Constantine’s empire, but to confront Constantine himself.  It is Constantine, Habibi, who is the problem. The Emperor is the barbarian from whom the Lord’s inheritance must be saved.  This week, I discuss Luke 8:22, which exposes the true enemy of God, not the outsiders, but the emperor himself. Show Notes πλέω / מ-ל-א (mem-lamed-alef) / م-ل-أ (mīm-lām-hamza) That which fills, makes full; fullness, full amount, measure, extent: “Sing to the Lord a new song,Sing his praise from the end of the earth!You who go down to the sea, and all that fills it (וּמְלֹאוֹ umelo'o),You islands, and those who live on them.” (Isaiah 42:10)The root مَلَأَ (malaʾa) in Arabic can be found in words such as: مَلَأَ (malaʾa) - to fillمَلِيء (malīʾ) - full, filledمَمْلُوء (mamlūʾ) - filled (passive participle)امْتَلَأَ (imtalaʾa) - to become full, to be filledمِلْء (milʾ) - fullness, fillingتَمْلِيء (tamlīʾ) - filling (verbal noun)مَلَأ (malaʾ) - assembly, ruling council, crowd, publicἄνεμος / ר-ו-ח (resh-waw-ḥet) / ر-و-ح (rāʾ–wāw–ḥāʾ) ἄνεμος (anemos, “wind,” 8:23) When the wind fully enters (מְלֹא / مِلْء) the sail, it takes shape, and the boat is propelled forward. Classical Arabic poetry often compares the full sail to a “breathing chest”—expanding, alive, and responsive to the unseen force of wind (رِيح rīḥ, which in Scripture functions as God’s breath or “Spirit.”) The biblical Hebrew term רוּחַ (ruaḥ) and the Arabic رُوح (rūḥ) both function as wind or divine Spirit. The Greek verb πληρόω (plēroō), meaning “to fill,” “make full,” or “complete,” also corresponds to מ-ל-א and appears numerous times throughout Paul’s letters, notably:  καὶ μὴ μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία, ἀλλὰ πληροῦσθε ἐν Πνεύματι,“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”(Ephesians 5:18)Paul deliberately chooses a second term in 1 Corinthians—not πληρόω, but κορέννυμι—to convey sharp sarcasm, mocking the leaders in Roman Corinth for being full of themselves and smug in their self-satisfaction. The only other appearance of this Pauline term, which does not occur in the Septuagint, is in Acts 27, which corresponds to Luke by way of authorship:  “καὶ ἐμπλησθέντες τροφῆς ἐκούφισαν τὸ πλοῖον ἐκβαλλόμενοι τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.”“And when they had eaten enough (ἐμπλησθέντες), they lightened the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.” (Acts 27:38)See also: ب-و-ء (bā-wāw-hamza) / ב-ו-א (bet-waw-alef) πλέω also corresponds to בוא (Jonah 1:3), which aligns with Acts 27:38.  الْمَلَأ (al-malaʾ) “ruling council, community leaders, chiefs, the elites” is a recurring function in the Qur’an, where prophets confront the elite power structures in their communities. The malaʾ are gatekeepers of institutional norms and the status quo, resisting the prophets’ calls for repentance and submission to God.قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌqāla al-malaʾu min qawmi firʿawna inna hādhā lasāḥirun ʿalīm“The elite of Pharaoh’s people said, ‘Indeed, this is a learned magician.’”Surah al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:34 (ref. to Moses)فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ مَا هَـٰذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ…faqāla al-malaʾu alladhīna kafarū min qawmihi mā hādhā illā basharun mithlukum…“So the chiefs of his people who disbelieved said, ‘This is only a man like yourselves…’”Surah al-Muʾminūn 23:24 (ref. to Noah)The malaʾ belittle the prophets: • “He’s just a man like us.” (26:155) • “He’s a liar.” (26:186) • “He’s possessed/crazy.” (26:154) • “He’s a magician.” (26:34) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    33 min
  2. Glory to the Most High

    MAR 13

    Glory to the Most High

    Some concepts in the Bible are so crucial that if they aren’t properly understood from the outset, the text itself can be twisted from a guide that protects your steps into a snare that traps you in a cycle of endless folly. One such example is the idea of ownership or proprietorship. When you hear the Bible, even in the original languages, but especially in translation—for example, the colonial King James text—when you hear the Bible in that translation, you are hit over and over again with a notion of ownership that has as its reference not Scripture but, in fact, the King of England, who imagines that he owns things, just like those of us living in a capitalist society imagine that we own things. Just ask your child. Ask them about the shirt on their back, the shoes they wear to school, or the toys on the floor of the room where they sleep. Ask them to whom those things belong. They will likely tell you that they “own” those things. But that is not how ownership functions in Scripture. Even when it says, “your land,” in Scripture—even then—the underlying premise of the text is that God, not his children, is the sole proprietor. That”s how ownership works in the Bible. Everything is a temporary loan. No one “owns” anything except God. That is what the word “inheritance” means. It is not granted to you, so you can “possess” it in perpetuity. It is a temporary gift that can be reclaimed and lent to others at any time. You cannot claim it as property because you are not the Most High. You are not the Proprietor. This week, I discuss Luke 8:22. Show Notes ἀνάγω (anagō) / ع-ل-و (ʿayn-lām-wāw) / ע-ל-ה (ʿayin-lamed-he) This root carries the core function of “ascending” or “rising.” The same root is used to refer to pilgrimage in Jewish tradition, particularly in the phrase עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל, (ʿaliyah la-regel) literally “going up” or “ascending by foot,” referring to three biblical festivals involving pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem: “For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up (בַּעֲלֹתְךָ - baʿalotka) three times a year to appear before the Lord your God.” (Exodus 34:24)Religious and political ideologues routinely pervert this verse. The biblical understanding of land relationship can be described as patrimony (נַחֲלָה - naḥala). This concept frames the land as a divine inheritance or trust from God, who remains the sole owner. As Leviticus 25:23 explicitly states: “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me.”Other verses where the same root appears are also significant for Jewish tradition: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” / “To which the tribes go up (עָלוּ - ʿalu), the tribes of the Lord—an ordinance for Israel—to give thanks to the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1, 4)“And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up (וְנַעֲלֶה - venaʿaleh) to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)“‘If this people go up (יַעֲלֶה - yaʿaleh) to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.’ So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, ‘It is too much for you to go up (מֵעֲלוֹת - meʿalot) to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.’” (1 Kings 12:27-28)Luke’s lexical use of ἀνάγω (anagō), the Greek parallel to Hebrew עלה (ʿalah), repeatedly functions as a direct reference to Exodus themes: the plagues, the movement out of Egypt with God into the wilderness, the people’s complaints, and constant reminders that it was God who brought them up, and God who brings up. The Arabic cognate عَلَا (ʿalā), means “was high, was elevated, rose, ascended.” The word عَلَا (ʿalā) and related forms from this root occur multiple times throughout the Qur’an: فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّfa-taʿālā allāhu al-malik al-ḥaqq“Exalted is God, the true King”(Surah Ta-Ha 20:114)إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِinna firʿawna ʿalā fī al-arḍ“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land”(Surah Al-Qasas 28:4)وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًاwalataʿlunna ʿulūwan kabīran“And you would surely cause corruption on the earth with great arrogance”(Surah Al-Isra 17:4)سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَىsabbiḥi isma rabbika al-aʿlā“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High”(Surah Al-Aʿla 87:1)The root functions in various ways, including: عَلِيّ (ʿaliyy) - high, exaltedأَعْلَى (aʿlā) - highest, most exaltedتَعَالَى (taʿālā) - to be exalted, elevatedعُلُوّ (ʿuluww) - height, exaltation, arrogance“Al-ʿAli” (The Most High) is one of the 99 names of God. The same root appears in the angelic proclamation from Luke 2:14, which is used in Christian liturgical services in the doxology: “Glory to God in the highest”: المجد لله في الأعاليal-majdu lillahi fil-ʿali ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    25 min
  3. Forget, Lest You Forget

    MAR 6

    Forget, Lest You Forget

    What is it like to be unaffected? How sad it must be to go to church, attend a class, interact with your neighbor, and be indifferent to what they say. What is it like to be unaffected? To be so confined to yourself that when you look at your natural reflection in the mirror, you see your flaws—you might even acknowledge them—but the moment you look away, you forget them. You carry on with your life. It’s a curiosity, an interest, a fleeting insight, perhaps. But it’s a compartment, a facet of your identity that you create that fits into something you control—a picture you paint that does not influence how you live. What is it like to be unaffected? To live in such a way that everything around you exists as an experience in service to you on your checklist—an item on your itinerary, your menu, your agenda. What happens when every member of society treats everything like a trophy wife? Their job, partner, children, friends, family, affiliations, and even the place they pray? Everything becomes a trophy wife. Even God—the god of their imagination—becomes a trophy wife. What happens when everything is the object of the reflection of their natural face? What is it like to be unaffected? To resolve the dissonance of your natural reflection with the comfort of forgetfulness. To return to what was left behind. To turn away from what lies ahead. To prefer a lie. To lie to yourself. What happens when you look away? This week, I discuss Luke 8:19–21. Show Notes Refer to Episode 548: Μαγδαληνή / ג-ד-ל (gimel-dalet-lamed) / ج-د-ل (jīm-dāl-lām) In Latin, creāre means “to create,” “to produce,” or “to elect.” In Rome’s political sphere, it referred to the act of appointing or electing officials, including Julius Caesar. Hearers Not Listeners “For if anyone is a listener of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” (James 1:23-24)“Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ λόγου καὶ μὴ ἀκροαταὶ μόνον…”“But be doers of the word and not listeners only…”(James 1:22)“Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοι εἰσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀκούοντες καὶ ποιοῦντες.” (Luke 8:21) In James 1:22, ποιηταὶ λόγου (“doers of the word”) and ἀκροαταὶ (“listeners") correspond to the participial forms found in Luke 8:21: ἀκούοντες (“hearing”) and ποιοῦντες (“doing”). Notably, ἀκροαταὶ and ἀκούοντες come from different roots. ἀκροαταὶ from the root: ἀκρο- (akro-), meaning at “the edge” or “the extremity,” implying passive reception, or “listening” vs. ἀκούοντες “to hear.”) Someone who sees their natural face (πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως, “the face of his birth”) in a mirror and then forgets what he saw is the one who hears Scripture and neglects to act. He chooses to forget his appearance in God’s eyes. His knowledge of Scripture (the mirror) is overtaken by willful self-deception. He is a listener, not a doer.  ἀκροατής (“listener to”) occurs only four times in the New Testament, all with the negative connotation of inaction:  Romans 2:13: γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι“for it is not the listeners of the Law”James 1:22: καὶ μὴ ἀκροαταὶ μόνον παραλογιζόμενοι“and not mere listeners of the Law, who delude themselves” James 1:23: ὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής“for if anyone is a listener of the word and not a doer"James 1:25: παραμείνας οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος“not a forgetful listener, but a doer”παραλογίζομαι / ر-م-ي (rā-mīm-yāʼ) / ר-מ-ה (resh-mem-he) To deceive, defraud. To desert, abandon, or betray. To cast, throw, to cast (blame), or shoot (arrows). The Arabic رَمَى (ramā) and the Hebrew רמה (rāmā) carry the same function.  “So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, ‘What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived (רִמִּיתָנִי, rimmītānī) me?’” (Genesis 29:25)“But whoever earns an offense or a sin and then blames it (يَرْمِ yarmī) on an innocent has taken upon himself a slander and manifest sin.” Surah An-Nisa (4:112)James 1:24: ἐπιλανθάνομαι (“to forget”) "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten (ἐπελάθετο) what kind of person he was." (James 1:23-24)"For God is not unjust so as to forget (ἐπιλαθέσθαι) your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints." (Hebrews 6:10) "Do not neglect (ἐπιλανθάνεσθε) to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2) "And do not neglect (ἐπιλανθάνεσθε) doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:16) "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting (ἐπιλανθανόμενος) what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13) Philippians 3:13 refers to 3:8, which pertains to Paul’s station, family, tribe, religion, religious purity, heritage, personal achievements, religious accomplishments, national pedigree, and personal zeal—in his words—"ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν / ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα" (I consider everything a loss; I consider them dung):“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere dung, so that I may gain Christ.”"ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου μου, δι’ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω." ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    37 min
  4. It's Literature

    MAR 4

    It's Literature

    This week, Fr. Paul reminds us that a word does not carry meaning yet the words of Scripture make God’s instruction accessible. Likewise, it is the words of God to which we submit, not an abstract Torah in Deuteronomy, but the words of God, a point echoed in the letters of St. Paul. (Episode 333) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    14 min
  5. It's Personal

    FEB 20

    It's Personal

    When people hear Luke 8:18, they assume it is talking about stuff. But Luke, like the Book of Job, is not about stuff. It is about darkness and light. When people evaluate others—their first mistake is that they evaluate at all—they measure what others have. That is how the Duopoly assesses Job. They love him because he was rich, pity him because he was poor, judge him because he was self-righteous, or cheer him because he did not give up. They experience the full range of human suffering, not through their own trials, but by observing and evaluating others. They think they are something when they are nothing—wolves in sheep’s clothing. Women and men who glory in the flesh; who glory in the suffering of others. They are the Duopoly—the "both-sidesies" people. Thus says the Lord: There is only one side; my throne in the heavens. It is mine, my kingdom rules over all, and I am not mocked. Even what they think they have is already gone, fading before they can grasp it—lost in their foolish desire to measure it. There is only one thing needful. And it cannot be counted as loss, because it does not come from them. That is why they think it has no meaning—because it is not of their making. Those who think like them, who act like them, will become like them. This week, I discuss Luke 8:18. Show Notes ἔχειν (to have) and δοκεῖ ἔχειν (thinks he has)1 Corinthians 8:2οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς “There is no god except one.” (oudeis theos ei mē heis)لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ “There is no god but him.” (lā ilāha illā huwa; common phrase, e.g., Surah Al-Baqarah, 255)שְׁמַע יִרָאֵל יְהוָה (אֲדֹנָי) אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה (אֲדֹנָי) אֶחָד “Hear O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (shamaʿ yisra'il, yahweh [adonai] eloheinu, yahweh [adonai] aḥad; Deuteronomy 6:4)Galatians 6:3δοθήσεται (it will be given)Romans 12:31 Corinthians 4:7ἀρθήσεται (it will be taken away)Romans 11:21-22ἐκκόπτω (ekkoptō) “cut off, cut down” כ-ל-ה (kaf-lamed-he)To complete, finish, or bring to an end. Destruction, annihilation, perishing.2 Corinthians 13:5Luke makes 2 Corinthians functional in 8:18, reinforcing “the light” in 8:17 as an implement of testing. See my comments on the previous verse: φανερός / ב-ח-ן (bet-ḥet-nun) / م-ح-ن (mīm-ḥāʾ-nūn)In Latin, “en-” and “ex-” are prefixes with distinct meanings: The word “encounter” comes from the Old French “encontre,” which means “meeting” or “opposition,” and is derived from the Latin “in-” (meaning “in” or “on”) and “contra” (meaning “against” or “opposite”). At its root, “encounter” literally means “to meet against” or “to face.” In contrast, the anti-biblical term “experience” signifies “going through a test” or “emerging from a trial.” It emphasizes the personal involvement and subjective perception of events, where meaning is drawn from one’s own reference point. This internalized perspective distinguishes experience from encounter, as it places the self at the center of interpretation, making it inherently self-referential. I appreciate Father Paul Tarazi for highlighting this distinction and Matthew Cooper for further exploring the Latin etymologies with us—over coffee. ☕ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    40 min
  6. May God Cover Us

    FEB 6

    May God Cover Us

    Most people, when they hear the story of Josiah and his priest rummaging through the rubble of the temple in Jerusalem and stumbling upon a scroll, fall prey to the hope that Josiah was a reformer. That he picked up the scroll, looked upon those who came before him, and thought: I can do it better. I can get it right this time. But that's the trap. That's the mistake. That's the arrogance--not just of Josiah, but of the one hearing the story. Had he only watched Star Trek. Had he seen what happens, over and over again, to the guy in the red shirt--the one who beams down to the planet with Kirk and Spock. The one standing there, amid ruins, staring at some mysterious artifact. Why is the planet in ruins? Where have all the people gone? What is this strange artifact? And just before the guy in the red shirt meets his inevitable doom, the real question emerges: Why did they keep it buried? Why were they afraid of it? More importantly, why am I holding this thing in my hands? Perhaps instead of uncovering it, Josiah should be praying for cover--in the wilderness. This week, I discuss Luke 8:17. Show Notes κρυπτός / א-ט-ם (aleph-tet-mem) / أ-ط-م (ʾalif-ṭāʾ-mīm) “To seal,” “to block,” or “to close securely.” In Arabic, أَطْمَ (ʾaṭma) can indicate “a strong building” or “fortification,” although this root is not as commonly used in contemporary Arabic. "And there were shuttered windows (אֲטֻמוֹת, ʾăṭumōt) looking toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were palm tree decorations." (Ezekiel 40:16)"There were latticed windows (אֲטֻמוֹת, ʾăṭumōt) and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus were the side chambers of the house and the thresholds." (Ezekiel 41:26)φανερός / ב-ח-ן (bet-ḥet-nun) / م-ح-ن (mīm-ḥāʾ-nūn) “Examining,” “testing,” or “distinguishing.” This root appears in various Semitic languages with similar meanings: Aramaic: בְּחַן (bǝḥan) – to test, try.Syriac: ܒܚܢ (bḥan) – to test, examine.Arabic: مَحَنَ (maḥana) – to probe, examine, or test a student.“Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, so that your words may be tested (יִבָּחֵנוּ, yibbāḥēnû) whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, you are certainly spies!” (Genesis 42:16)The name of the surah, al-Mumtaḥanah, sometimes rendered “She who is to be tested,” refers to the believing women tested in 60:10, the only occurrence of م-ح-ن in the Qur’an, as the term اِمْتَحَنَ (imtaḥana) as the imperative فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ( fa-imtaḥinūhunna“test them!”). In Classical Arabic, م‑ح‑ن conveys “to test,” “to try,” “to examine,” or “to subject someone to a trial or hardship.” The noun مِحْنَة (miḥnah) means “trial,” “ordeal,” or “affliction.”  ἀπόκρυφος / ס-ת-ר (samek-taw-resh) / س-ت-ر (sīn-tāʾ-rāʾ) Hiding, concealing, covering, or sheltering. The Arabic noun سِتْرًا (sitran) means a covering, a veil, or protection.  لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا(lam najʿal lahum min dūnihā sitran)“…We had not provided for them any cover (سِتْرًا) from it (the sun).”Sūrat al-Kahf (18:90) الله يستر (allāhu yastur) literally means “God conceals” or “God covers.” In everyday usage, Arabic speakers often say it as an exclamation along the lines of “May God protect us!” or “God help us!” A prayer for protection or guidance in hardship, asking that God will hide something undesirable from public view, such as a fault or mistake, and that he will cover sins. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    25 min
  7. God is the Light

    JAN 30

    God is the Light

    Evil always dresses in a garment of light. It hides in plain sight. It smiles. It’s friendly. It’s comforting. It’s dishonest. It appears as something it’s not. Take, for example, that seemingly innocuous campfire song all your children have been taught to sing at your silly church camps: “This Little Light of Mine.” Like a mother who possesses children; like a tribe that possesses land; like those who refuse to let go of what God destroys—or worse, those who wickedly imagine they can compensate for God’s will by loving their neighbor—like a spoiled child clamoring for a toy. Yes, this little hymn of the Antichrist twists the teaching of the Gospel of Luke into a fascist anthem that leads, at worst, to genocide—and at best, to a mind-numbing theology of the cult of self: the worship of money, human reason, community, and ultimately, state power. “This little light of mine?” Are you kidding me? Do you really think the place men dared not tread is now yours to share? Do you know what you’re talking about? Do you really believe the light upon which Moses dared not gaze is yours to adorn with coverings, like a pet? Think. No—do not think. Hear. To what did Luke refer in chapter 8 when he said lampstand? Container? Cover? What do any of these things have to do with you and your church camps? He who has ears to hear, let him hear. This week, I discuss Luke 8:16. Show Notes ἅπτω / נ-ג-ע (nun-gimel-ʿayin) / ن-ج-ع (nūn-jīm-ʿayn) Greek: to set on fire. Hebrew: to touch, strike violently, reach, or afflict. The Arabic cognate نَجَعٌ (najaʿ) refers to 1. the effect of the action, 2. being effective, or 3. having an impact or benefit—for example, a statement or teaching; in modern usage, a medicine. In a nomadic context, it signifies the departure or migration of people or animals in search of pasture or sustenance. λύχνος / נ-ר (nun-resh) / ن-و-ر (nūn-wāw-rāʾ) Light, lamp. The Arabic cognate نُور (nūr) functions as “light” or “illumination.” καλύπτω / כ-ס-ה (kaf-samek-he) / ك-س-ى (kāf-sīn-yāʾ) Cover, conceal, clothe, drape, forgive. The Arabic verb كَسَا (kasā) means “to clothe” or “to cover.” Its triliteral root is ك-س-و (kāf-sīn-wāw). كسوة الكعبة (kiswat al-ka'bah) denotes the cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca. σκεῦος / כ-ל-י (kaf-lamed-yod) / ك-ي-ل (kāf-yāʾ-lām) Vessel, implement, tool. The Arabic word كيل (kayl) refers to a measure of grain. It denotes measuring, weighing, or apportioning something in quantities. The root is also related to the Hebrew function כול (kul), which can function as comprehending, containing, or measuring. In Arabic كُلّ (kulu) indicates all. κλίνη / מ-ט-ה (mem-ṭet-he) / م-ط-ط (mīm-ṭāʾ-ṭāʾ) Couch, bed, to incline, stretch downward, extend. The Arabic مَطَّ (maṭṭa) "to stretch" or "extend" shares a common Proto-Semitic root (m-ṭ-) with Hebrew: Hebrew מ-ט-ה (m-ṭ-h);Arabic م-ط-ط (m-ṭ-ṭ); Aramaic מטא (mṭʾ); Akkadian (maṭû)λυχνία / מ-נ-ר (mem-nun-resh) / ن-و-ر (nūn-wāw-rāʾ) Lampstand, light, menorah. The Arabic cognate of מְנוֹרָה (menorah) is منارة (manārah), which means candlestick, lighthouse, or minaret (the tower of a mosque), the lighthouse from which the call to hear scripture is announced to all. The triliteral root in Arabic pertains to light, illumination, or shining. اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ(allāhu nūru as-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi)”"God is the light of the heavens and the earth.”(Surah An-Nur 24:35) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    37 min
  8. God Is Not Shy

    JAN 23

    God Is Not Shy

    It has taken some time to understand what the Parable of the Sower meant when it introduced the function “soil” in its critique of human beings’ betrayal of God’s covenant with Abraham. Still, by the time the New Testament was written, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all found it necessary to clarify that the position of the one being judged was separate from the station of the one Judge. In the end, the nuance of “seed” as covenant unto instruction vs. seed as offspring and the distinction between “holy seed” and “rebellious seed” were not clear enough for those who, like the Caesars, sought to enthrone themselves as gods by making the Bible a historical narrative about their community. Long before the Qur’an split the function zera’ into two distinct Semitic roots, the New Testament introduced the function “soil” opposite the covenantal seed of Abraham to demonstrate how God’s instruction operates as the sole Judge of his offspring, who, like Job, are found wallowing in the dark midnight of their self-righteous fate, powerless before him, left only with only “with ears to hear” his voice and the opportunity to submit to him, or not. That is why Jesus is explicit and open. There are no secrets or mysteries. The seed is the word of God, and the mystery is his judgment, which, the prophet Daniel taught us, is beyond man’s grasp. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. This week, I discuss Luke 8:9-15. Show Notes μυστήριον (mystērion) / ר-ז-ז (resh-zayin-zayin) The term רָז (raz) is an Aramaic word that means “mystery” or “secret.” “The king answered unto Daniel, and said, of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:47)The name “Daniel' comes from דָּן (dan), meaning 'judge,” and אֵל (el), which refers to “God.”  קוֹדֶר (qoder) / قَدْر (qadr)In biblical Hebrew, קוֹדֶר (qoder) can mean “dark” or “gloomy.” (Job 30:28) In Arabic, the phrase ليلة القدر (laylat al-qadr) refers to “The Night of Decree,” “The Night of Power,” or " The Night of Fate,” during which the prophet received the Word of God.  As an extension of judgment, qadr can also refer to value, worth, extent, amount, volume, or rank: له قدر كبير (lahu qadr kabīr) “he is highly esteemed.”قدر الماء (qadr al-māʼ ) “amount of water”παραβολή (parabolē) / מ-ש-ל (mem-shin-lamed) / م-ث-ل (meem-tha-lam)  In Arabic, the word مَثَل (mathal, plural: أمثال amthāl) is equivalent to the Hebrew מַשָּׁל (mashal). إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا(inna allāha lā yastaḥyī an yaḍriba mathalan mā)”Indeed, God is not shy to present a parable (mashal)”Surah Al-Baqarah (2:26) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    38 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    The Ephesus School
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    901
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Ephesus School Network, 2013-2024. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Bible as Literature

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