Bible Bard - English

Judas the Betrayer

The story of Judas Iscariot in the New Testament is the unique story of a man who is one of twelve disciples chosen by Jesus. This man is a witness to all that Jesus does during his brief three (3) year ministry just like the other 11 disciples. Yet, he does not claim absolute fealty to Jesus as do the eleven. Instead, he betrays Jesus to his enemies for a little money and then, when his plan or purpose goes awry, commits suicide. Judas is traitor, but John in the passage describing that betrayal immediately follows that story with the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus! This juxtaposition is telling. Peter is another traitor. One traitor commits suicide while the other traitor becomes the chief apostle of the first half of the book of Acts! What does the literature of the Bible tell us about this very strange circumstance?

Important Word Pairings in the Bible

Bible Bard podcast BB-154 Important Word Pairings in the Bible. Because we look at the biblical text as literature, we notice the pairings of people like Jacob and Esau or Moses and Aaron. There are also pairings of physical objects like heaven and earth, land and sea, flesh and spirit. And pairings of concepts, whether metaphors like light and dark or sweet and sour, or spiritual ideas like blessing and cursing, sin and righteousness, or justice and mercy. Today we look at some important pairs and how they become a vocabulary for understanding God. Go to www.BibleBard.org [http://www.BibleBard.org] to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information. Remember, the Bible Bard English podcast is translated into other languages including Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Swahili, Chichewa, and Bengali (in transcript only) and we are looking for more local translators. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-or-listen-144924239?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bible-bard-podcasts-global-reach] or at the website Donate tab. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com [BibleBardUS@gmail.com]. Glad to hear from you!

Theophanies (Appearances of God) in the Bible

Bible Bard podcast BB-153 Theophanies (Appearances of God) in the Bible. God visibly appears in the Biblical narrative. When this happens in the story it is is called “a theophany”. In the Bible, God is not a theoretical supposition, He is personally present. He is not a clockmaker setting the universe into motion and then disappearing from the story into some god-place we cannot go. Instead, God interrupts the course of human events and His presence changes things. When God appears in a physical theophany, human beings usually fall, hide, tremble, remove shoes, confess uncleanness, or fear their own death. Go to www.BibleBard.org [http://www.BibleBard.org] to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information. Remember, the Bible Bard English podcast is translated into other languages including Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Swahili, Chichewa, and Bengali (in transcript only) and we are looking for more local translators. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-or-listen-144924239?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bible-bard-podcasts-global-reach] or at the website Donate tab. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com [BibleBardUS@gmail.com]. Glad to hear from you!

Character Development in the Bible, Part 2, Samuel

Bible Bard podcast BB-152_Character Development in the Bible, Part 2, Samuel. In the last episode, BB-150, Part 1, Samuel’s mother, Hannah presents the 3–4-year-old boy Samuel to Eli the priest. Samuel has no part in the decision. In this story he did not decide to be born, he did not determine who his parents would be, their circumstances, or how his presence would fit into their lives. What happened to Samuel is outrageous, yet it happens to each one of us. Go to www.BibleBard.org [http://www.BibleBard.org] to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information. Remember, the Bible Bard English podcast is translated into other languages including Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Swahili, Chichewa, and Bengali (in transcript only) and we are looking for more local translators. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-or-listen-144924239?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bible-bard-podcasts-global-reach] or at the website Donate tab. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com [BibleBardUS@gmail.com]. Glad to hear from you!

Character Development in Bible Stories

Bible Bard podcast BB-151_Character Development in Bible Stories. There are great characters in the Bible, but today I want to look at just a few from a particular story from the book of 1 Samuel Chapter 1. Here we have a man named, Elkanah and he has two wives. One of them is named Peninnah and the other is Hannah. The most important character in this story is not the man but is the second wife Hannah. Go to www.BibleBard.org [http://www.BibleBard.org] to download a transcript, listen to another episode from the Archive, or get links to other materials and information. Remember, the Bible Bard English podcast is translated into other languages including Spanish, Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Swahili, Chichewa, and Bengali (in transcript only) and we are looking for more local translators. Support the Bible Bard podcast on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/posts/watch-or-listen-144924239?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link] at BibleBardUSA. As little as $1/week or $5/month helps to cover the costs of the podcast. You can also give at GoFundMe [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bible-bard-podcasts-global-reach] or at the website Donate tab. Send the Bible Bard any questions or remarks you care to offer to BibleBardUS@gmail.com [BibleBardUS@gmail.com]. Glad to hear from you!