Bible/Introduction

Lesson 1 (A Workingman's Book)

INTRODUCTION

This Lesson is intended to be confrontational! It is inspired by the life-changing moment when a Man wrestled with Jacob until the breaking of day: "…He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint…. He touched the socket of Jacob's hip in the muscle that shrank" (Genesis 32: 25, 32).

The Word of God, read with expectant faith, will bring dynamic, structural change to one's life. If read in the spirit (not in the crooked corridors of the mind), the Word of God is surgical and places us out of joint in our present, "secure" relationship with God.

Let the Student be on notice: the abrupt, staccato style of this Lesson no more resembles flowing, reader-friendly, seamless prose than a wrestling match resembles a ballet.

PURPOSE

This Lesson will attempt to share with you a few simple and proven tools which could change the way you look at the Bible. The four areas of study are:

1) Scripture versus Religion; 2) A demonstration of Self's lock (or control) over the Human Spirit; 3) The Word as: Hammer to the Rock; Water in Hands of the Potter; Soap to Conscience; 4) Scripture as Carbohydrate, Mineral, Protein; the implications of the Hebrew root word for [the English word] "meditate" (i.e. as in Psalm 1: 2 ).

LEARNING HINTS

As you read the assignments, connect and observe the following:

1) The contrast between secular (non-fiction / textbooks etc.) and biblical writing. Note: You might begin to gather nine such secular specimens / see Assignment # 1 2) The "meat / potatoes / vegetables" nature of large portions of the Bible;

ASSIGNMENT

Read: Gen. 1:1–5;* Joshua 1:1–7;* Ezra 1:1–4;* Isaiah 1:1–4;* Luke 1:1–4;* Acts 1:1–4;* Colossians 1:3–8;* James 1:1–12;* 1 John 1:1–4*

• with each reading, find an opening paragraph from a secular source (i.e. books you have on your shelf / recent magazines or newspapers you have scattered about your home etc.) and compare the writing of the opening paragraphs ... noting the profound difference between the secular and the sacred. Key: Look for the tone of "spiritual authority" in Bible passages, however weak the writing style (i.e. by contrast with the secular writer who must, of necessity, capture the reader's attention with stark prose).

Read: 1 Kings 1 (as "Carbohydrate"); Psalms 91 (as "Mineral"); Ephesians 1 (as "Protein")