Exegesis

A proper exegesis of even the shortest section of scripture is outside the scope of this forum. So the following samples each address a particular approach to, for example, Second Peter, which has been deemed (by myself) to be missing. In other words, these are not definitive interpretations (as if there is such a thing), but suggestions as to a new approach by which to proceed.

James

James was classically the first epistle after the Gospels and Acts in our Bibles until it fell out of favor with those who did not see how perfectly it meshed with John and Paul’s writings. I see every reason to value its place as the first epistle, and this exegesis presents it as such.

Two good exercises by which to approach scripture are (1) To stop imputing our own morality on God’s word, and (2) To realize that complexity in scripture has everything to do with God’s desires and almost nothing to do with our philosophical questions. Number 1 is addressed by Proverbs Is Not Moral, and number 2 is addressed by a brief look into the First Fourteen Verses of Ephesians.

The Story in the Book of Hebrews

A long exegesis of Hebrews with an emphasis on why the writer felt impelled to go on at length about the peculiar subjects he picks.

Philippians

In Philippians Paul kicks back and relaxes almost as much as in Philemon. But he hides in it his (accurate) premonition of what will happen with the remaining history of Christianity.

Titus

Titus presents the universal God of salvation for all: “God our Savior” and tells us how to operate socially inside and outside our Christian culture.

First Peter

Can a simple translation serve as an exegesis? In this example, and excruciatingly literal translation from the Greek is coupled with a wildly colloquial version. Peter’s second paragraph is too concentrated for the colloquial version, and had to be split into two explanatory paragraphs, but the rest of the epistle can be read like a parallel edition.

Paul’s Mystery

Paul’s mystery is not exactly a book in and of itself, but it might as well be. Kind of like the invisible book that he wrote over all his visible epistles.

The Fourteen Appendixes to Genesis Unfolded

Appendix 1: What Genesis Chapter One Does Not Say Before we approach the text with all our answers, it is useful to consider the questions.

Appendix 2: The Changes to Adam An ordinary look at Adam and Eve’s bodies demystifies religious dogma; did we fall from a state of goodness, or rise to a state we could’nt handle?

Appendix 3: The Two Trees: Morality vs. Mortality A look at what being mortal means, and what God is and has always been doing about it.

Appendix 4: Jehovah vs. Elohim Ancient warring factions or common sense that a child could understand?

Appendix 5 The Woman and the Seed A look at the ramifications of being a woman… to Jesus.

Appendix 6: The Stories in the Genealogical Histories It’s far more than a list of names.

Appendix 7: Time Time is not longer than we think, it’s broader.

Appendix 8: The Days of the Deluge, Peleg, and Eber The shape of society; how the initial power centers that are still around were set up.

Appendix 9: Sarai, Mother of Faith How Sarah picks up where Eve left off.

Appendix 10: Mother of All Living Eve, Rebecca, and the dialogue between sister, mother, and wife.

Appendix 11: Seventy Souls to Egypt Who went down with Jacob to Egypt, and why the record is set that way.

Appendix 12: Esau is Edom Why does scripture spend so much time on Esau and the sons of Seir?

Appendix 13: Themes Within Themes - The Ephesian Pattern How the overarching saga of Genesis is summarized in Ephesians as a model of reality.

Appendix 14: Where was the Field? An investigation into this strange word that begins the second account of creation suggests an entire world that we are missing.