And the serpent said unto the woman, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Thanks for your work Nathan. It really is great stuff. Bravo.
Regarding the Bible, could you please make some recommendation/s for books that help understand the Bible in line with your understanding? I pick it up and read a bit sometimes, but to be honest it comes across really poorly. I read several pages recently about burnt offerings and splattering blood about the horns on an alter and all over their robes... seemed a lot more Satanic than anything else... It frustrates me, because I know there is something to the Bible.
I'd also be curious as to your thoughts about the fact that it is a bad translation of the original texts. Massive liberties have been taken according to Mauro Biglino... a Hebrew translator that worked for the Vatican.
Thank you Mitch. I am glad you asked about the Bible and biblical study. It is a very good question. The Bible is, among other things, an historical document, or rather, a collection of sixty-six historical documents testifying to the sinfulness of humanity and the redemptive activity of God in history. I personally have benefited from reading the biblical literature in context with other texts from ancient near eastern and first to third-century Greco-Roman literary milieus. For example, the “primeval prologue” of Genesis 1-11 has parallels in the Babylonian Enūma Eliš and Akkadian Epic of Atra-Hasis, and the Gospel of John and his three New Testament letters can be read against later Gnostic pseudepigraphal gospels like the counterfeit Gospel of Thomas. Likewise, the Apostle Paul’s epistles in the New Testament sometimes reflect Greco-Roman (especially Stoic) themes, and the Hebrew wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) sometimes reflects (or even quotes) Egyptian wisdom texts. Although rather academic, reading the biblical texts in their historical contexts and contrasting their message with that of contemporaneous literature can help to highlight the unique perspective the Bible offers. In fact, I was going to trace some of the more important points of divergence between biblical and pagan religious literatures from antiquity to the present-day in an already half-finished trilogy of MindWar Intel briefings. Two notable points of divergence concern the practice of magic and themes of initiation. But I digress.
For such historical-literary study, the Word Biblical Commentary series is usually pretty good. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia is also a solid study tool.
You will notice that my interests have a decisive “scholarly” orientation. However, especially in recent years, I have increasingly come to appreciate the practical simplicity of the biblical message. Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels and Paul’s letters, for example, can be analyzed as historical documents, of course, but they can and should also be read as brilliant “field manuals” for psychological and spiritual warfare.
The Book of Job is a classic of world literature and, along with the New Testament, is a good place to begin a personal study of the Bible. Ecclesiastes, too, has always been a personal favorite. It is a treatise on meaning and meaninglessness at the end of which the reader is reminded that there is no end to craving after knowledge and power, and that the ultimate purpose of being human is rather to “fear God and keep his commandments.” In other words, it is more valuable and rewarding to live a moral life than to be filled with knowledge or to build an empire. To “live a moral life,” according to the biblical worldview, simply means to be a follower of the way of Jesus Christ. The Gospels show us his ways and teachings, and the letters of his disciples in the New Testament provide us with expositions, often very practical and straightforward, to sharpen our understanding and put those ways and teachings into practice.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novels, perhaps especially The Brothers Karamazov (regarded by many as the greatest novel ever written), are magisterial expressions of Christian faith and practice.
A major factor influencing my understanding of the Bible is my exposure to myriad other philosophies, from Confucianism and shamanism to Nietzsche and Freud and Buddhism and Neoplatonic Hermeticism and many others. As I was witnessing the wickedness of the world throughout the MindWar “epidemic” of lies and deceit, like so many, it became increasingly clear to me that the Bible had more to say about contemporary world affairs and how to handle oneself amidst the turmoil than did any other religious or philosophical text I had encountered in my years of study. The philosophy of F.W.J. Schelling also played a role in bringing me back to a more profound appreciation of the Bible. John Laughland has written an excellent volume on Schelling versus Hegel: From German Idealism to Christian Metaphysics.
Mate... that was incredibly generous of you to share all of that infirmation with me! Thank you so much! I’ll dive in and go deep on all the sources you provided... I’m surprisingly excited about it...
Great question Mitch (I've had similar thoughts/questions) and fantastic answer and resources Nathan 🙏 I've copied/pasted into my references so I can go look into them later. Cheers.
May the Lord bless you and your family in your new position and for sharing the truth of the Gospel with others. Knowing the Gospel for one’s self is the most important truth to know.
Good evening Mr. Wiley, this is Owen Coleman from West Shore Christian Academy reaching out to you. We miss you very much and even though I have left the school also, I wish for you to go back. You were my favorite teacher and I plead for this.
Dear Owen, it is pure joy for me to read your kindhearted message. I have thought of you and your WSCA classmates often since our time studying literature together. Cheers. Numbers 6:24-26
I've thoroughly enjoyed your well researched and presented briefings here. I've downloaded Ye Shall Surely Die and look forward to jumping into that and having it at reference as needed.
Thanks for your work Nathan. It really is great stuff. Bravo.
Regarding the Bible, could you please make some recommendation/s for books that help understand the Bible in line with your understanding? I pick it up and read a bit sometimes, but to be honest it comes across really poorly. I read several pages recently about burnt offerings and splattering blood about the horns on an alter and all over their robes... seemed a lot more Satanic than anything else... It frustrates me, because I know there is something to the Bible.
I'd also be curious as to your thoughts about the fact that it is a bad translation of the original texts. Massive liberties have been taken according to Mauro Biglino... a Hebrew translator that worked for the Vatican.
Cheers, and best of luck.
Mitch
Thank you Mitch. I am glad you asked about the Bible and biblical study. It is a very good question. The Bible is, among other things, an historical document, or rather, a collection of sixty-six historical documents testifying to the sinfulness of humanity and the redemptive activity of God in history. I personally have benefited from reading the biblical literature in context with other texts from ancient near eastern and first to third-century Greco-Roman literary milieus. For example, the “primeval prologue” of Genesis 1-11 has parallels in the Babylonian Enūma Eliš and Akkadian Epic of Atra-Hasis, and the Gospel of John and his three New Testament letters can be read against later Gnostic pseudepigraphal gospels like the counterfeit Gospel of Thomas. Likewise, the Apostle Paul’s epistles in the New Testament sometimes reflect Greco-Roman (especially Stoic) themes, and the Hebrew wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes) sometimes reflects (or even quotes) Egyptian wisdom texts. Although rather academic, reading the biblical texts in their historical contexts and contrasting their message with that of contemporaneous literature can help to highlight the unique perspective the Bible offers. In fact, I was going to trace some of the more important points of divergence between biblical and pagan religious literatures from antiquity to the present-day in an already half-finished trilogy of MindWar Intel briefings. Two notable points of divergence concern the practice of magic and themes of initiation. But I digress.
For such historical-literary study, the Word Biblical Commentary series is usually pretty good. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia is also a solid study tool.
You will notice that my interests have a decisive “scholarly” orientation. However, especially in recent years, I have increasingly come to appreciate the practical simplicity of the biblical message. Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels and Paul’s letters, for example, can be analyzed as historical documents, of course, but they can and should also be read as brilliant “field manuals” for psychological and spiritual warfare.
The Book of Job is a classic of world literature and, along with the New Testament, is a good place to begin a personal study of the Bible. Ecclesiastes, too, has always been a personal favorite. It is a treatise on meaning and meaninglessness at the end of which the reader is reminded that there is no end to craving after knowledge and power, and that the ultimate purpose of being human is rather to “fear God and keep his commandments.” In other words, it is more valuable and rewarding to live a moral life than to be filled with knowledge or to build an empire. To “live a moral life,” according to the biblical worldview, simply means to be a follower of the way of Jesus Christ. The Gospels show us his ways and teachings, and the letters of his disciples in the New Testament provide us with expositions, often very practical and straightforward, to sharpen our understanding and put those ways and teachings into practice.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novels, perhaps especially The Brothers Karamazov (regarded by many as the greatest novel ever written), are magisterial expressions of Christian faith and practice.
A major factor influencing my understanding of the Bible is my exposure to myriad other philosophies, from Confucianism and shamanism to Nietzsche and Freud and Buddhism and Neoplatonic Hermeticism and many others. As I was witnessing the wickedness of the world throughout the MindWar “epidemic” of lies and deceit, like so many, it became increasingly clear to me that the Bible had more to say about contemporary world affairs and how to handle oneself amidst the turmoil than did any other religious or philosophical text I had encountered in my years of study. The philosophy of F.W.J. Schelling also played a role in bringing me back to a more profound appreciation of the Bible. John Laughland has written an excellent volume on Schelling versus Hegel: From German Idealism to Christian Metaphysics.
Thank you again and God bless.
Mate... that was incredibly generous of you to share all of that infirmation with me! Thank you so much! I’ll dive in and go deep on all the sources you provided... I’m surprisingly excited about it...
I feel like you just opened a door for me.
Cheers,
Mitch
No problem my friend. I am grateful for your question.
You’re the man… thanks Nathan.
Great question Mitch (I've had similar thoughts/questions) and fantastic answer and resources Nathan 🙏 I've copied/pasted into my references so I can go look into them later. Cheers.
Nathan
May the Lord bless you and your family in your new position and for sharing the truth of the Gospel with others. Knowing the Gospel for one’s self is the most important truth to know.
Good evening Mr. Wiley, this is Owen Coleman from West Shore Christian Academy reaching out to you. We miss you very much and even though I have left the school also, I wish for you to go back. You were my favorite teacher and I plead for this.
Definitely your favorite,
Owen Coleman
Dear Owen, it is pure joy for me to read your kindhearted message. I have thought of you and your WSCA classmates often since our time studying literature together. Cheers. Numbers 6:24-26
Good luck in your new position Nathan!
I've thoroughly enjoyed your well researched and presented briefings here. I've downloaded Ye Shall Surely Die and look forward to jumping into that and having it at reference as needed.