The Greatest In both Gospels, the Disciples ask Yeshua who’ll be greatest. As is usual, Matthew puts a slightly different spin on it than Mark. In Mark, the question is posed in such a way to imply the Disciples are asking which is the greatest among them, but Matthew frames it as the greatest in … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew 18, Mark 9
Category: Essays
Real Bible Studies: Mark 2-5
Many episodes in Mark are repeated in Matthew, who almost always puts his own spin on them. Frequently, Matthew summarizes passages Mark embellishes and expands on topics Mark summarizes. Matthew also mixes and matches stories that are connected in Mark, possibly to obscure when the events are occurring. In addition to not offering a nativity … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Mark 2-5
Author’s Intent: Fatigue
Recently, on Wednesdays, I’ve been publishing Real Bible Studies but this week, I’m taking a break. This is mainly due to the fact that I’m finishing up a month filled with many twelve hour work days, and I’m just not in a very creative mood right now. Plus, I have another writing project that’s been … Continue reading Author’s Intent: Fatigue
Author’s Intent: Writing Prompts
I very rarely use writing prompts. This is usually because I don’t have much trouble initiating a writing project. I can almost always think of something to write. It’s converting it to meaningful output that’s the challenge. My method is to start writing, regardless of how it sounds, then once I have something on the … Continue reading Author’s Intent: Writing Prompts
Real Bible Studies: Matthew and Mark, Transfiguration
Matthew 17, Mark 9 One improvement Matthew makes over Mark is in how Matthew edits the episodes in his Gospel versus how Mark does. For instance, Mark 9 begins with what appears to be the wrap up of the previous episode where Yeshua predicts what’s going to happen in Jerusalem. And he said to them, … Continue reading Real Bible Studies: Matthew and Mark, Transfiguration
Author’s Intent: Endings
I don’t like endings. I rarely go to funerals and whenever I leave someone’s presence, I frequently say, “See you later” rather than “Goodbye”. Equally, I never joke about death or dying. The comedian, Dick Shawn, is said to have ended his act by feigning a heart attack to avoid encores. When he suffered a … Continue reading Author’s Intent: Endings
Real Bible Studies, Matthew and Mark
Tradition of the Elders Chapters 15-16 of Matthew are an almost word for word insertion from Mark 7-8 though Matthew makes several changes to the source material. Both cite passages from various scriptures in condemning the Pharisees and Scribes for dishonoring their elders (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9). Given that Yeshua himself … Continue reading Real Bible Studies, Matthew and Mark
Author’s Intent: Allegory
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.Oscar Wilde In his preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde lays out his manifesto for artists. Among the tenets he mentions is the quote … Continue reading Author’s Intent: Allegory
Real Bible Studies, The Gospel of Mark
Baptism, Temptation, and Disciples Most scholars agree that Mark was the first Gospel and both Matthew and Luke made liberal usage of Mark, going so far as to lift entire passages without changing a word. Mark tells a simple, straightforward story of an itinerant preacher and miracle worker who begins as a follower of John … Continue reading Real Bible Studies, The Gospel of Mark
Author’s Intent: Motivation
A common question for any writer is why we write. For me, I have a desire to express myself and do so better in writing than speaking. This has been consistent throughout my life. When speaking extemporaneously, I often disengage my brain, leading to either saying the exact wrong thing at the exact wrong time, … Continue reading Author’s Intent: Motivation