5 Minute Bible

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Browsing Posts in Theology

All, speech requires prior knowledge to be understood. Usually this is largely shared within a culture. So if I say “the cat” I do not usually have to tell you first what a cat is. (Even if in the context of a novel about old-time sailors it might be a whip.) Some courses of study have organised “prerequisites” courses you must take before them. Many books have a preface or prologue that cointains material the author thinks you need to know before tackling the body of the work.

Genesis 1-11 is the prologue to the Bible, The “characters” and themes it introduces will help us understand the whole of the rest.

Bonhoeffer has some hugely stimulating ideas in his discussion of the “fall” story in Genesis 3. Probably none are more stimulating, or easy to fail to grasp as his thought about “conscience” – at least difficult for people for whom the idea that conscience is the “voice of God within” is deeply embedded, since Bonhoeffer almost reverses that idea, noticing that it is conscience that drives the first humans away from God!

Sometimes a good old-fashioned cliché is the best way to achieve your desired effect, and communicate your theological message. I’ll illustrate this using Joshua 11:1-9. The story of how Jabin of Hazor and all his allied kings were defeated by Joshua and Israel. (With some help from their friend!)