What is the core teaching of the Judeo-Christian tradition?
Do modern scholars go too far? Do they slander Scripture?
Was ancient Israel a warrior culture? Was it a collectivist culture? How does this affect Biblical interpretation?
Why doesn’t the Bible condemn slavery?
Were the Books of Timothy forgeries?
Was the Moabite woman Ruth an illegal alien in Israel?
Why does an Almighty God permit suffering?
Why did Jesus need to die on the cross for our sins?
YouTube video for blog: https://youtu.be/rSSF3Wq6Bsw
MY ECUMENICAL APPROACH TO BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Many others discuss biblical interpretation, but due to my ecumenical approach, you may learn something new.
What is the core teaching of the Judeo-Christian tradition? It is the two-fold Love of God and neighbor, that we should Love God with all of our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind and with all of our all, and that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.
Hillel and Jesus, Reflections on Rabbi Telushkin’s Observations
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/hillel-and-jesus-reflections/
Comparing Hillel and Shammai to Jesus
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/comparing-hillel-and-shammai-to-jesus/
More Stories and Sayings of Hillel and Shammai
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/more-stories-and-sayings-of-hillel-and-shammai/
Jesus, Hillel, and Shammai, Loving God and Neighbor
https://youtu.be/ygxn2qqGnOI
St Augustine applies this principle to Bible study. St Augustine teaches, “Whoever thinks he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but interprets them in a way that does not build up this two-fold Love of God and love of neighbor, does not truly understand the Scriptures. If, on the other hand, a man draws a meaning from the Scriptures that builds up the two-fold Love of God and love of his neighbor, although he does not precisely understand the exact meaning of the author, his error is not pernicious,” as he does not intend to deceive.[1]
St Augustine did not believe that the Bible was always literally true. He teaches: “It is a wretched slavery which takes the figurative expressions of Scripture in a literal sense,” because the Bible exhorts: “the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” What does St Augustine mean by figurative? When the Word of God in Scripture does not, “when taken literally, refer either to purity of life or soundness of doctrine, it can be seen as figurative.” St Augustine continues, “Purity of life refers to the Love of God and our love for our neighbor, whereas soundness of doctrine refers to the knowledge of God and our neighbor.”
St Augustine agrees with Origen and many other Church Fathers, that whenever the literal reading of Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, appears to violate the two-fold Love of God and neighbor, then it must be read allegorically.[2]
St Augustine: On Christian Teaching, aka On Christian Doctrine, How To Read Scripture
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-augustine-on-christian-teaching-how-to-read-scripture/
https://youtu.be/uQCnAJMPoos
One good example is the last verse of Psalm 137, where the Jews experiencing the Babylonian Captivity pray that they may bash the Babylonian babies’ heads against the rocks. Many Church Fathers, especially in the Philokalia, interpret this verse allegorically, teaching us to eliminate both large and small sins from our lives.
Psalm 137: Should We Bash the Babylonian Babies Against the Rocks? Spiritual and Historical Interpretations
https://youtu.be/wRT68KfvxhU
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/psalm-137-should-we-bash-the-babylonian-babies-spiritual-and-historical-interpretations/
This principle of interpretation was affirmed by Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, who chaired the 1994 Pontifical Biblical Commission. Although he was reluctant to condemn any credible method of biblical interpretation, he preferred the Patristic Commentaries, the interpretations by the Church Fathers. He cautioned against the possible misuse of the historical-critical method, which seeks to understand the Scriptures in their historical context. He is also skeptical of feminist and liberation theological interpretations. He cautioned that fundamentalist interpretations can be shallow and simplistic, since you cannot ignore the original meaning of the text.
Cardinal Ratzinger, Orthodox Christians, and evangelical Protestants all have a reverential attitude towards the Scriptures. How they differ is that European Catholic and Orthodox Christians prefer the patristic commentary and are far more open to modern scholarship, whereas many evangelical Protestants who are not professors reject patristic and scholarly interpretations. IMHO, deconstructing evangelical believers would be far less likely to embrace atheism or agnosticism if they opened their hearts to patristic commentary.
Vatican Decree on Biblical Interpretation, Cardinal Ratzinger and the 1994 Pontifical Biblical Commission
https://youtu.be/6jwUNScn_sM
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/interpretation-of-the-bible-in-the-church/
Some people think that one of the Ten Commandments means: Do Not Lie, while the actual wording is: Do Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor. The positive form of this commandment is to protect the reputation of your neighbor, avoiding gossip. A better summary is: Do Not Slander.
Why do so many Christians denigrate those whose beliefs differ from their own, particularly online? We should instead follow the example of the medieval rabbi Ramban, or Nachmanides. When he disagrees with his predecessor, Rambam, or Maimonides, he praises his wisdom and tactfully states his difference of opinion, never condemning his rival. On the other hand, Martin Luther is known for his savage denunciation and name-calling of Erasmus and many who disagreed with him. Unfortunately, many Christians today follow Luther’s example by calling other Christians of other denominations names.
Playlist on: Do Not Slander:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJVlY2bjK8lhTnABTrLctnrK9JDtgwIZR
Pope Francis teaches us in several encyclicals that we should be responsible in our dialogue with other Christians, especially online, respecting their opinions and beliefs, treating them like we should treat all our neighbors.
Pope Francis teaches us: “Dialogue is often confused with something quite different: the feverish exchange of opinions on social networks, frequently based on media information that is not always reliable. These exchanges are merely parallel monologues. They may attract some attention by their sharp and aggressive tone. But monologues engage no one, and their content is frequently self-serving and contradictory.”
Pope Francis Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship
https://youtu.be/WmT12-PFrt8
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/pope-francis-encyclical-fratelli-tutti-on-fraternity-and-social-friendship/
Should we also refrain from slandering the Bible, but rather seek to build up the reputation of the Bible and the Judeo-Christian tradition? Are agnostic theologians like Bart Ehrman damaging the reputation of the Holy Scriptures and the Judeo-Christian tradition? This concern is seen in the very titles of some of his works:
- Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why.
- Forged: Writing in the Name of God
- Forgery and Counter Forgery: The Use of Literary Deceit in Early Christian Polemics
Bart Ehrman was a Fundamentalist Christian who first attended Moody Bible Institute to reaffirm his staunch belief in the literal truth of the Bible. He later attended mainline seminaries, where he studied under Bruce Metzger, and they are renowned textual critics, studying the many ancient manuscripts that form the basis of biblical interpretation. But then he lost his faith, becoming instead a fundamentalist scientist who is reluctant to believe anything that cannot be definitively scientifically proven.
I have previously quoted Ehrman in past reflections, and he is an intellectually honest scholar with many interesting observations, and I agree with nearly all of the evidence he cites to support his conclusions. However, I rarely agree with his conclusions, because he is too quick to criticize and denigrate the Scriptures and Christian tradition.
Future YouTube reflections on Bart Ehrman
As an example, we will review a criticism made by one of his critics, Luke Timothy Johnson, a fellow Great Courses professor, who wrote a book critical of the historic Jesus movement that Bart Ehrman champions. He originally taught the standard scholarly line that the Book of Timothy, for stylistic reasons, was likely not written by St Paul. But then he realized he was needlessly challenging the faith of some of his students, so he sought a more respectful but still intellectually honest explanation.
Many of St Paul’s writings suggest that he is dictating the epistle, especially when he notes that he is writing this segment in his own hand. We know that the two letters of Timothy were dated after most of St Paul’s other epistles and were written in a very different style, so perhaps the author of Timothy was St Paul’s assistant, and St Paul approved it. US Presidents have ghost speechwriters; why not St Paul? Such explanations are far better than labeling works like Timothy forgeries.
Why good can come from calling the Epistles of Timothy forgeries? How many will be tempted to ignore the moral lessons of these Epistles, or abandon the faith altogether because of this name-calling? The early Church Father Origen doubted the Pauline authorship of Hebrews, yet he did not call it a forgery, so neither should we call Timothy a forgery. Eusebius and others make it clear that the authenticity of the moral message was primary, and apostolic authorship and common acceptance were secondary in reaching a consensus of whether an Epistle was included in the canon.
Historical Jesus, Blog 1, Let us vote on what Jesus really said
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/historical-jesus-blog-1-let-us-vote-on-what-jesus-really-said/
Historical Jesus, Blog 2, Modern Search for Historical Jesus
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/historical-jesus-blog-2-modern-search-for-historical-jesus/
Historical Jesus Blog 3, How are we to be saved? How are we to interpret Scripture?
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/historical-jesus-blog-3-how-are-we-to-be-saved-how-are-we-to-interpret-scripture/
Historical Jesus Blog 4, Views of Historical Jesus Scholars
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/historical-jesus-blog-4-views-of-historical-jesus-scholars/
Modern Search for the Historical Jesus
https://youtu.be/81TkRcaNfCM
If the ancient church accepted the apostolic authority of the books in the Bible, does it even matter if modern scholars cannot prove this authorship using modern criteria? Often the details of many oral traditions of the ancient world conflicted. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus often offers multiple versions of a story and tells us which he prefers and why. Rarely did the ancient Greeks transcribe the famous speeches word for word.
Summary of Greco-Persian Wars, Herodotus, Plutarch and Aeschylus Celebrate Greek Victory
https://youtu.be/frBzSQVala4
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/summary-of-greco-persian-wars-ancient-historians-herodotus-plutarch-and-aeschylus-celebrate-greek-victory/
Herodotus, Histories of Persia, Egypt and Scythia Before the Greco-Persian Wars
https://youtu.be/YwUojwMIQEw
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/herodotus-histories-of-persia-egypt-and-scythia-before-the-greco-persian-wars/
Histories of Herodotus, The Greeks Defeat the Mighty Persians in the Greco-Persian Wars
https://youtu.be/JjNcyLo54ko
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/histories-of-herodotus-the-greco-persian-wars/
The Greeks Triumph in the Battle of Salamis, Aeschylus and Herodotus: The Greco-Persian Wars
https://youtu.be/cabAkQwHnlk
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/aeschylus-and-herodotus-the-battle-of-salamis-greco-persian-wars/
The ancient historian Thucydides admitted this in his History of the Peloponnesian Wars: “As to the speeches which were made either before or during the war, it was hard for me, and for others who reported them to me, to recollect the exact words. I have therefore put into the mouth of each speaker the sentiments proper to the occasion, expressed as I thought he would be likely to express them, while at the same time I endeavored, as nearly as I could, to give the general sense of what was actually said.”[3]
Pericles Funeral Oration & Plague, Lincoln Gettysburg Address, Churchill Battle of Britain Speech
https://youtu.be/wyjWBAG6xrc
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/pericles-funeral-oration-plague-lincoln-gettysburg-address-churchill-battle-of-britain-speech/
Could the same be true for the words spoken in the Bible? Why are so many modern Christian scholars so anxious over whether Jesus said exactly what the red letters in the New Testament Bible said he said? The ancient Church Fathers did not teach us that the Bible was inerrant in all factual details. The New Testament gospels and many Old Testament books are likely compiled from many different stories and oral traditions. Why can’t we instead believe that the Holy Spirit ensured that the process of the evolving biblical texts was divinely inspired?
The ancients were fine with implicitly adopting the Thucydides standard. Timothy includes theology that a mature Paul either could or should have said. Why can’t we? The only disadvantage is that books and videos without “forgery” in the title will draw less attention.
Bart Ehrman wrote a book on why he lost his faith, titled: God’s Problem, How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question: Why We Suffer. In this book, he reflects on the many ways in which the Bible does answer this question. We plan to reflect on this book in 2027.
The Roman Stoic philosophers, who deeply influenced early Christianity and Roman culture, approach the problem from a totally different angle: We know suffering is part of the world. How can God strengthen our resolve to endure our suffering? After all, all suffering, and all blessings, will either strengthen or weaken our faith, depending on how we cope and react.
Major Roman Stoic Philosophers, My Favorite Maxims: Epictetus, Rufus, Seneca & Marcus Aurelius
https://youtu.be/E0qQgqGkoOE
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/major-roman-stoic-philosophers-my-favorite-maxims-epictetus-rufus-seneca-marcus-aurelius/
Greek Stoic and Cynic Philosophers: My Favorite Maxims: Heraclitus, Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Zeno
https://youtu.be/rq3oRftjM4c
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/greek-stoic-and-cynic-philosophers-my-favorite-sayings/
Modern Stoic Philosophers: My Favorite Maxims: Viktor Frankl, Nelson Mandela, and Others
https://youtu.be/rq3oRftjM4c
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/modern-stoic-philosophers-my-favorite-maxims-viktor-frankl-nelson-mandela-and-others/
Summary of Platonic Dialogues on Love and Friendship, With Commentary by Copleston and Anders Nygren
https://youtu.be/cjXRXQc6Ff4
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/summary-of-platonic-dialogues-on-love-and-friendship/
How can scholars know when the various books of the Bible were written? All this tells us is when scholars can more or less prove when they were written, they cannot tell us when the oral tradition that preceded many of these works began.
WARRIOR CULTURE AND SLAVERY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
The ancient world described by the Old and New Testaments differs from the modern world in many respects, meaning that these two worlds have very different anxieties and life experiences. We have many reflections on how the study of ancient literature such as the Greek Iliad and Odyssey can provide insight into the ancient condition. These classics did not serve as a Bible for the ancient Greeks, but rather warned them to avoid hubris, or the arrogance that could anger the gods. Rather, they were reflections on both the glory and the futility of war, celebrating both the warrior spirit of the ancient Greeks and its tragic consequences.
Iliad, Blog 1, Why Should a Christian Read the Iliad? The Iliad, the Basis of Greek Culture and the Western Philosophical Tradition
https://youtu.be/DpmuhZJUJn0
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/iliad_blog01/
Iliad, Blog 3, Visiting the Enemy Camp, Greeks vs Indians
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/iliad-blog-3-visiting-the-enemy-camp-greeks-vs-indians/
The Warrior Cultures of the Iliad and the American Indian, Bravely Visiting the Enemy Camp
https://youtu.be/ynIx-AVI2f8
The Iliad Blog 5, the Tide of Battle Turns Against the Greeks
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/the-iliad-blog-5-the-tide-of-battle-turns-against-the-greeks/
The Iliad Blog 6, Embassy to Achilles, Oration, Failed Meeting
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/the-iliad-blog-6-embassy-to-achilles-oration-failed-meeting/
The Iliad Blog 7, the deaths of Patroclus and Hector
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/the-iliad-blog-7-the-deaths-of-patroclus-and-hector/
The Iliad of Homer: Glory, Honor, Madness and Futility of War
https://youtu.be/7lI2ZQ50wRc
Summary of Homer’s Iliad: Warrior Culture of Ancient Greece
https://youtu.be/6C5znDxvpQ8
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/summary-of-homers-iliad-warrior-culture-of-ancient-greece/
The ancient Greek and Old Testament Jewish cultures were warrior cultures, where the male citizens were ever ready to defend their city-state. There were no conscientious objectors in the ancient world. Whereas today our anxiety is whether we will be able to retire comfortably on Social Security and our pension, the ancients worried whether a hostile city-state would one day conquer, burn and loot their home and possessions, slay the military-age men, and enslave the women and children.
Ancient Warrior Cultures, Concubines and Slaves, in Ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel
https://youtu.be/7QAZ_s6zw4E
Ancient Warrior Societies, Blog 1, The Warrior Ethos of Ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ancient-warrior-societies-blog-1-the-warrior-ethos-of-ancient-greece/
Ancient Warrior Societies, Blog 1, The Warrior Ethos of Ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ancient-warrior-societies-blog-1-the-warrior-ethos-of-ancient-greece/
Ancient Warrior Societies, Blog 2, Greek and Roman Armies and Navies
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ancient-warrior-societies-blog-2-greek-and-roman-armies-and-navies/
Ancient Warrior Societies, Blog 3, World of the Old Testament
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ancient-warrior-societies-blog-3-world-of-the-old-testament/
Ancient Warfare in Ancient Greece, Rome, and Israel. Did Joshua Massacre Pagans in Promised Land?
https://youtu.be/9xKxqAbJ2qY
Ordinary Life and Justice in Ancient Athens, Rome, and Israel
https://youtu.be/vl8KGL5Yx2w
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ordinary-life-and-justice-in-the-ancient-world/
Ordinary Life for Romans Under Stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius
https://youtu.be/9hgSbcgbCJw
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/ordinary-life-for-romans-under-stoic-emperor-marcus-aurelius/
This warrior culture led to slavery. Why doesn’t the Bible oppose slavery? Simple: slaves were the employees of the ancient world. Although slavery was always a brutal system, the treatment of slaves gradually improved through the efforts of the Stoic philosophers and early Christians. Those slaves who were not born into bondage were initially captured either during battle or by pirates.
In all ages, generally, but not always, the household slaves were treated best; small farm hands were treated better; while slaves on large plantations and especially mines worked in the worst conditions. Sexual predation by masters was rampant and often excused, since they could do what they liked with their property. Gradually, after the Roman Empire ceased expanding, the system of slavery evolved into the system of serfdom in the Middle Ages. Although serfs were confined to the estates where they were born, they were considered free men, living and marrying in their own simple hovels with their livestock.
Slaves in the Ancient World, Blog 1, Were Slaves the Employees of the Ancient World?
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/slaves-in-the-ancient-world-blog-1-were-slaves-the-employees-of-the-ancient-world/
Slaves in Ancient Greece and Rome, Blog 2
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/slaves-in-ancient-greece-and-rome-blog-2/
https://youtu.be/O67cmVRvBtA
Teachings about Slavery in the Bible, the Stoics, and by the Early Church Fathers
https://youtu.be/poyvJajCXnE
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/teachings-about-slavery-in-the-bible-and-by-the-early-church-fathers/
Why Doesn’t the Bible Condemn Slavery? Perspectives from Jewish, Christian, and Stoic Traditions
https://youtu.be/Tz8EVYLuYoc
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/why-doesnt-the-bible-condemn-slavery/
Why Doesn’t The Bible Condemn Slavery?
https://youtu.be/Tz8EVYLuYoc
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/why-doesnt-the-bible-condemn-slavery/
Iliad Blog 2, Captured Concubines in the Iliad and the Torah
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/iliad_blog02/
The Iliad, blog 4, Briseis, Chryseis, Aren’t all Concubines the Same?
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/the-iliad-blog-4-briseis-chryseis-arent-all-concubines-the-same/
Concubines in the Iliad, Old Testament and Christian Tradition
https://youtu.be/bGHHD7XTvr0
There are many personal accounts of servants and slaves in ancient literature. In the Old Testament, Abraham trusted his servant to travel to a distant land to offer gifts to Laban in exchange for a wife for his son Isaac. In several stories, when their wives were barren, handmaidens were offered to the patriarchs to ensure a bloodline.
In the Iliad, the Greek heroes fight over the fate of Bryseis, Achilles’ concubine captured in war, after they are compelled by plagues sent by the gods to release the concubine, Chryseis, to her father, Priest of Apollo, Chryses. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ loyal slave took up arms to battle the suitors.
Odyssey, Blog 1, Waiting Those Very Long Years For Odysseus
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/odyssey-blog-1-waiting-those-very-long-years-for-odysseus/
Odyssey, Blog 2, Odysseus Sings His Adventures
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/odyssey-blog-2-odysseus-sings-his-adventures/
Odyssey, Blog 3, Odysseus Returns Home to Ithica
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/odyssey-blog-3-odysseus-returns-home-to-ithica/
Odyssey, Blog 4, The Slaughter of the Suitors
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/odyssey-blog-4-the-slaughter-of-the-suitors/
Odyssey of Homer: Xenia, the Need for Hospitality
https://youtu.be/bUW4ZT9zpt8
The Cynic Philosopher Diogenes of Sinope was sold into slavery by pirates. He declined his friends’ ransom, living out his life raising the young sons of the Corinthian who purchased his services. He was buried in an honored plot in the family cemetery.
Greek Cynic Philosophers, Inspiring Greek Stoics
https://youtu.be/zAAal5p8AX8
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/diogenes-and-the-greek-cynic-philosophers/
Why does Jesus exhort us to love our enemy as our neighbor, while Moses does not, exhorting the Jews to love only their Jewish neighbors in their land? Does this mean that Christianity is a purer religion than Judaism?
This is not a fair criticism, since the Jews were also exhorted to love the sojourners, or immigrants, among them. The ancient Jews lived in a warrior culture. How could you expect them to love their enemy who often sought to burn and pillage their homes and possessions, murder their military-age men, and enslave their women and children?
But in the generations that followed the conquest of mighty empires like Persia and Rome, newly integrated citizens were no longer anxious about foreign powers conquering their city-states. Under the protection of Rome, Jesus could preach that we should both love our neighbor and love our enemy.
Foremost among the Jewish sojourners was the Moabite sojourner woman and illegal alien, Ruth, who is embedded in the lineage of King David. Am I being political when I ask whether Ruth was an illegal alien? Absolutely. Politics simply answers the age-old question: How should we love our neighbor, even those neighbors who are difficult to love? Should we love our neighbor whose skin is a different color, who is not like us? Or who worships in a pagan or hostile religion? Or who endangers us, or who has lost their mind? Should we be charitable towards our neighbor, even when they have no job?
Book of Ruth: Historical-Critical, Patristic, and Rabbinical Commentaries. Was Ruth an Old Testament Illegal Alien?
https://youtu.be/IgVDLGw9ZCY
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/book-of-ruth-historical-critical-commentaries-was-ruth-an-old-testament-illegal-alien/
COLLECTIVIST VS INDIVIDUALIST SOCIETIES
Do other scholars concur with my views on Biblical Interpretation? Or do they indirectly affirm them?
Another podcaster recommended an interesting book by Richard James: Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World. He argues that we misread many Old Testament stories because Middle Eastern cultures, both ancient and modern, are collectivist cultures; we tend to misread the Scriptures from our Western individualist context. Since he has lived in the Middle East for many years, he has many interesting personal examples of how a collectivist culture thinks differently.
One of his first examples is the story of young Joseph. A shallow reading of Genesis pictures his brothers as the villains who sell their brother into slavery. However, in many commentaries, Joseph shares the blame for his misfortunes. He accurately dreams that one day his brothers would bow down before him. But why did he arrogantly rush to share this dream with his brothers? They were likely concerned that their father’s inheritance would be shared by Joseph and Benjamin, the favored sons of his favorite wife Rachel, and that they might be disinherited.
Although his explanations shed light on many Old Testament stories, his main premise is overdrawn. IMHO, all human cultures are collectivist, although some show more individualist characteristics than others. Indeed, in this story, when Joseph bucks his role in society, he acts as an individualist, eventually rising to be the Vizier of all Egypt. Most of those whom I know are collectivist followers; very few are individualistic leaders.
Future YouTube on Collectivist vs Individualistic Societies
Although our author mentions that the United States, Australia, and England are the leading individualist cultures, he does not discuss why. In fact, an influential historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, argues that American individualism was profoundly shaped by the expansion and closing of the American frontier. When Europeans sailed across the ocean, and then headed west, they left their relatives and their former life behind, starting afresh. Rarely would they see them again, and rarely would they write. Big corporations today continue this trend: when they hire professionals from college, they post them in distant cities, far away from their families. That is why America and Australia have a less rigid class structure than many foreign countries, including European countries.
YouTube on Frederick Jackson Turner and the American Frontier???
ANCIENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS FAMILY AND INTIMACY
The independent city-states in the ancient world were part of a brutal world where women were often not safe. Although Roman women were more independent, upper-class Greek women were sequestered in the second floor of Greek houses, as was Penelope, Odysseus’ wife in the Odyssey. Although the Old Testament features many strong-willed women, often women were sheltered and protected by their fathers and husbands.
In the ancient world, it was common for thirty-year-old men to marry fourteen-year-old girls, and rarely were girls educated, as they were expected to run the household. For example, Christian tradition speculates that Mary was fourteen when Jesus was born. In ancient Greece and Rome, men could throw dinner parties with women of the night, whereas women were expected to remain faithful to preserve the family bloodline. This meant that husbands often schooled their young wives, and they looked elsewhere for friendship, sometimes in homosexual relationships. Many ancient Greeks tolerated pederasty, or men-boy relationships, but this was less tolerated in ancient Rome and condemned by the early Christian church.
Xenophon and Plato, Socratic Dialogue, Symposium, Romantic and Carnal Love,
https://youtu.be/OIe5pn2S1Ls
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/xenophon-and-plato-socratic-dialogue-symposium-romantic-and-carnal-love-part-1/
Xenophon and Plato, Socratic Dialogue, Symposium, Divine and Noble Love, Part 2
https://wp.me/pachSU-Hx
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/xenophon-and-plato-socratic-dialogue-symposium-divine-and-noble-love-part-2/
Although the Old Testament does not share our modern obsession with homosexuality, a few verses in Leviticus do condemn male homosexuality, and a handful of critical Old Testament stories mention male homosexuality. One verse in Romans condemns both homosexuality and lesbianism, and they are mentioned in several lists of vices in the Epistles. Also, there was no concept of homosexual marriage in the ancient world.
Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church: The Zondervan Debates
https://youtu.be/jiPlfJ01Blo
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/homosexuality-the-bible-and-the-church/
The infant mortality rate was sky-high in the ancient world. Parents often did not name their children until they were a few weeks old. Only half of children survived to adulthood, and scholars estimate that only one in ten survived to a ripe old age. However, if an ancient child survived to his late teens, he had a decent chance of living to fifty years or more. One prime example is Socrates, who was healthy and argumentative at the age of seventy, during the time of his trial and execution. Although the rabbinic commentary teaches us that each human life is precious, death was part of daily life, and there was less talk of the sacredness of human life.
One caution when studying any ancient culture is that the surviving ancient sources describe most accurately the lives of the upper classes who live in major cities like Athens, Rome, and to a lesser extent, Jerusalem. Although the Bible has many stories of rural patriarchs, we have a foggy picture of what life was like in remote rural areas where most of the population lived. How many of these ancient rural populations lived miserable lives of ancient serfs, like the helots of Sparta? Were men and women who lived and worked in these remote rural settlements roughly egalitarian, sharing harvesting and other tasks, out of the necessity of poverty? We only have clues on how ordinary people lived in the ancient world.
HAND COPYING THE ANCIENT SCRIPTURES AND DOCUMENTS
The fact that the ancients had to copy manuscripts by hand meant that books were incredibly expensive. Today we don’t trust our memory, but in the ancient world, whoever read a book often tried to memorize it. St Augustine, the apostles at Pentecost, and many Church Fathers quoted the Scriptures by heart.
Early in church history St Irenaeus, St Justin the Martyr, and other Church Fathers affirmed that the Old Testament was part of the Christian Scriptures. One question I had was: Why was St Paul was so hostile to the Jewish law? This did not make sense to me: If you desire to live a godly life, if you desire that the two-fold Love of God and neighbor be the compass for your life, wouldn’t you welcome instructions on how to live your life? Aren’t these found in the law? Aren’t the law and gospel mirror images of each other, as the First Psalm suggests? Isn’t this the theme of the Book of Deuteronomy, which exhorts us to Love God in two dozen formulations?
Psalm 1: The Law as Gospel? Church Fathers, Protestant Reformers, and Jewish Rabbis Comment
https://youtu.be/ZxSH9IoArLM
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/psalm-1-the-law-as-gospel-church-fathers-protestant-reformers-and-jewish-rabbis-comment/
St Irenaeus On Heresies, Eusebius and Modern Scholars, and Catholic Catechism
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-irenaeus-on-heresies-eusebius-and-modern-scholars-and-catholic-catechism/
St Irenaeus Blog 1 Against Heresies, Introduction
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-irenaeus-blog-1-against-heresies-introduction/
St Irenaeus Blog 2 Against Heresies
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-irenaeus-blog-2-against-heresies/
St Irenaeus: On Heresies, Early Church Father, Future Doctor of the Church
https://youtu.be/bG1okLOum2E
Medieval Jewish and Christian Commentators, My Gentile’s Defense of Judaism, Part 1
https://youtu.be/mN765l5O2f8
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/medieval-jewish-and-christian-commentators-my-gentile-defense-of-judaism-part-1/
Loving God in Deuteronomy, My Gentile’s Defense of Judaism, Part 2
https://youtu.be/1f-rAs-rBI0
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/loving-god-in-deuteronomy-and-a-gentiles-defense-of-judaism-part-2/
Perhaps the ancient reality that manuscripts had to be hand-copied answers this question. Few house churches had manuscripts for Old Testament books. If a Christian wanted to study the Jewish Scriptures, they had to visit the local synagogue. But why would the rabbis allow visitors to study their valuable books if they did not participate in their faith community? Could this be one reason why St Paul, St John Chrysostom, and other Church Fathers were so eager to discourage Christian Judaizers who participated in the Jewish community and festivals?
How can we apply today’s standards where printed books are inexpensive and ancient works are available online? We do not try to memorize everything we read, fearful that we may never see the text again. Although authors in all ages were irritated when someone blatantly wrote under their name, plagiarism was not a concern for ancient authors, as modern copyright laws are a recent development.
It was common for ancient authors to attribute their works to their teacher, or to a renowned past figure. Ancient authors of treasured religious texts sought to preserve the traditional beliefs they inherited and avoided originality. This is especially true in the Orthodox Philokalia collection: monks copied the works of renowned earlier monks without attribution, adding their own reflections.
The Philokalia, Classics by the Eastern Church Fathers, the Love of the Beautiful
https://youtu.be/rKVBhdHWHGI
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/introduction-to-the-philokalia-the-love-of-the-beautiful/
I cringe when I hear misattributed ancient works ascribed to pseudo-authors. Instead, we should follow the example of Erasmus, who attributed to the notional Ambrosiaster the works incorrectly attributed to St Ambrose by well-meaning ancient churchmen.
An extreme example is the works of Dionysius the Areopagite, referred to by St Thomas Aquinas as St Denis, and as Pseudo-Dionysius by modern scholars. Although Orthodox scholars value his works, other modern scholars deprecate them. Although he wrote his works in the fifth century, which include excerpts taken from the Neo-Platonic philosopher Proclus, he attributes his works to the first-century Dionysius the Areopagite. Giving him the first name of “Pseudo” implies that he was deceptive, but that is unfair since this was an accepted practice in antiquity. Dionysius greatly influenced medieval and mystical Christianity.
Dark Night of the Soul, by St John of the Cross, and Mystical Theology of Pseudo-Dionysius
https://youtu.be/6VffPIzfT-o
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/dark-night-of-the-soul-by-st-john-of-the-cross-and-mystical-theology-of-pseudo-dionysus/
There are countless contradictions in the Bible. For example, man was created last in the first chapter of Genesis; but in the next chapter, man was created before the animals so he could name them. There are also many inconsistencies in the Exodus story. Jesus is crucified on a different day of the week in the Gospel of John than in the three Synoptic Gospels. St Paul in Galatians says that the account of his travels immediately after his conversion in the Book of Acts is incorrect!
Another interesting question is: Did the original authors of the Scriptures know that what they wrote would be considered canonical in the modern sense, inspired by the Holy Spirit? The Gospels and the Torah, as well as many of the longer books with multiple writing styles, are drawn from ancient anonymous oral sources. The authors of some of the shorter books, especially where the writing style is consistent, may have been aware that their works had a wide readership.
In the case of the Pauline Epistles, Galatians was probably an early Epistle, since it is more stridently polemic than his later Epistles. Likewise, 1 Thessalonians was likely an early Epistle because of its emphasis on the imminence of the coming of the Kingdom of God, which was corrected by 2 Thessalonians, which exhorted the early Thessalonians not to quit their jobs in anticipation of the return of Christ.. None of these ancient authors knew that their works would be included in the Holy Scriptures.
OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANCIENT AND MODERN CULTURES
What are some other differences between ancient and modern cultures? In the ancient world, wild beasts were more numerous. Greek myths and archeology reveal that in the centuries before Plato, there were lions in Greece and ancient Israel. Jezebel was likely devoured by a pack of wild dogs, as more African beasts roamed the Holy Land in Old Testament times.
The Great Courses Professor Philip Cary speculated that ancient and modern man have different anxieties. Ancient men feared that they would behave like beasts, so Stoics and early Christians emphasized controlling the passions. In contrast, the modern anxiety is that we will become like robots, so we seek to express our passions, in line with the Freudian notion that we are powerless to stop reactions to bottled-up passions that boil over.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan reveals another difference between the ancient and modern worlds. Today, what would we do if we found someone beaten senseless by the side of the road? We would call the police and the ambulance. But in the Roman Empire, there were no policemen and no ambulances to call for help. Consequently, in the Golden Ass, a Roman novel written near the height of the Roman Empire, travelers in the Italian countryside constantly confronted robbers who were virtually unhindered.
Metamorphosis of Apuleius, the Golden Ass, Possible Inspiration for Pinocchio
https://youtu.be/PZuFkxhfOaI
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/metamorphosis-of-apuleius-the-golden-ass-possible-inspiration-for-pinocchio/
We may have come full circle on whether our actions are fated, or we have free will. The ancient Greek and Roman gods were not all-powerful: the fate of mankind was determined by other divine beings called the Fates. I do not remember free will being discussed in either the Bible or the early Church Fathers.
Jesus casts out the demons that rob the free will of those they possess. When reading these accounts, many of these possessed are likely suffering from either mental illness or epilepsy.
By the time of the Reformation, Erasmus argued in favor of free will, whereas Martin Luther argued that we have no free will in spiritual matters. In modern times, Freud and other psychologists argue against free will, suggesting that we are controlled by our neuroses and unconscious impulses.
St John Climacus on Mad Pride and Vainglory: Ladder of Divine Ascent, Steps 22-23
https://youtu.be/jdHCOoC808M
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-john-climacus-on-mad-pride-and-vainglory-ladder-of-divine-ascent-steps-22-23/
St John Climacus on Demons, Blasphemy, and Mental Illness: Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 23 ½
https://youtu.be/B76UJfZU9oI
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-john-climacus-on-blasphemous-thoughts-and-mental-illness-ladder-of-divine-ascent-step-23-%c2%bd/
Do We Have Free Will? Mental Illness, Demons, and Free Will in the Bible and Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome
https://youtu.be/ZdgWzU-sJds
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/do-we-have-free-will-mental-illness-and-demons-in-the-bible-church-fathers-and-the-ancient-world/
YouTube: Luther and Erasmus on Free Will
Another difference is that the modern world has many more entertainment options than the ancient world. In ancient Greece there were readings at religious festivals and athletic games once or twice a month or so, and in ancient Rome there were gladiatorial contests or chariot races several times a month.
Church and synagogue services were social events in ancient, medieval, and modern times before the twentieth century. Why did church attendance decline so dramatically in the twentieth century? We should blame Thomas Edison and others for inventing movies, radio, and television, generating an endless stream of entertainment and sporting events of all kinds. Plus, the ancient world had no equivalent to Disney World, carnivals, and countless other amusement parks. When people do attend services, their shortened attention spans will only tolerate simplistic fifteen-minute homilies rather than the hour-long orations in ancient and medieval times.
Since we, in the modern world, live for the weekend, looking forward to spending time with our families and enjoying endless entertainment options, we are really living an Epicurean lifestyle. Although many early Christians and Epictetus and many other Stoic philosophers condemned Epicureanism, the wealthy Stoic philosopher Seneca viewed Epicurus as a Stoic-Lite philosopher who counseled a moderate Epicureanism. Many of the Epicureans were upper class, as only they could afford their leisurely lifestyle.
Was Epicurus Really a Stoic-Lite Philosopher? Were all Epicureans hedonists?
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/was-epicurus-really-a-stoic-lite-philosopher-were-all-epicureans-hedonists/
Epicurus, Aristippus, and Lucretius: History of Epicurean Philosophy
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/epicurus-aristippus-and-lucretius-history-of-epicurean-philosophy/
Epicurus, Aristippus, and Lucretius: Were the Epicureans Stoic-Lite Philosophers?
https://youtu.be/49Qv3Be86Jw
CONCLUSION
We recently reflected on whether morality should be emphasized over theology, but we did not mention why theology is so central to Christianity. Was theology a Christian invention to explain how Jesus can be both God and man? Many of us who are cradle Christians do not realize how irrational this claim appears to be, and why theology developed in a vain attempt to explain this mystery.
Should Morality Trump Theology? Why My Channel Is Not Named Reflections in Theology and Philosophy
https://youtu.be/yuZkTZToGxs
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/why-morality-trumps-theology-and-why-my-channel-is-not-named-reflections-in-theology-and-philosophy/
In Luke we read that, as a teenager, “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature (or years), and in favor with God and man.”[4] How can an Almighty, all Knowing, and All-Powerful God increase in wisdom?
Christianity has countless puzzling passages. One question that puzzles many Christians is: Why did Jesus need to die on the cross for our sins? St Anselm and many others have complex speculations on the atonement, but maybe it is as simple as that famous verse in John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Some Church Fathers, like St Maximus the Confessor, speculate that this was the plan from before Creation. Perhaps Jesus died for our sins simply because He wanted to.
DISCUSSING OUR SOURCES
This is an introduction for our reflection on the Bible versions we use for our Bible studies, and our favorite commentaries and cultural background studies.
[1] St Augustine, “On Christian Doctrine,” In the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Volume 2, translated by Rev JF Shaw (Boston: Hendrickson Publishers, 1994, first published 1887), Book 1, Chapter 36, p. 533.
[2] St Augustine, “On Christian Doctrine,” Book 2, Chapter 6, pp. 537.
[3] Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, , translated by Rex Warner (London, Penguin Classics, 1972, 1954, originally after 410 BC), Book 1.22, p. 47.
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%202%3A52&version=RSVCE
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