Reading The bible isn’t enough
Friday, December 17th, 2021
Click here to the daily readings
Today, I have no specific verse to focus on. I chose to research Matthew’s point of sharing the genealogy of Jesus.
Mainly, what caught my attention was the mention of the 14 generations’ sections.
I thought to myself, is that how it factually happened?
It turns out that’s not the explicit genealogy but Matthew’s way of making several theological statements.
I encourage you to Google a bit to discover the differences.
- There are a few generations excluded from the parts to make the numbers work.
- The number 14 comes from the Greek spelling of David’s name
- Some of the women in the story are associated with sex scandals
- A couple names are “misspelled” on purpose to connect Jesus to the Psalms and Prophets.
- And some other things going on
What I find interesting about this type of writing is the complexity of the message.
These days, Christians are quick to read the Bible verbatim and come up with their own theological conclusions without any consideration to the style of writing used, the context of the time, and the target audience.
Exploring the meaning of this genealogy served as a good reminder that the Bible is something to be studied at a much deeper level than just reading and memorizing the text.
I wonder what I have been missing by trying to read the Bible as if it were a non-fiction book with great wisdom in it.
In peace,
~Juan
