Truth Be Told

Is the Bible TOO Perfect, or Too IMPERFECT? Textual Analysis of Eyewitness Accounts

The Bible is a complex series of books. It bears the marks of God in its cohesiveness across time, cultures, and personalities foretelling the end from the beginning and it bears the marks of humanity in its reflection of circumstances, periods in history, and perspectives. It wasn't perfectly understood at the times it was written and it isn't perfectly understood now because it is a book meant to gain clarity as times and seasons come into fulfillment.

As we continue to search the Scriptures to gain clarity, we can be faced with the predicament of not understanding how God's perfect Word was transmitted through His imperfect servants across imperfect media. Skeptics will raise interesting points about various perceived contradictions. Apologists will defend eyewitness discrepancy claiming that, if they were any more perfect they would be exhibiting signs of collusion. On top of this, we have the question of literary license by the authors. Sometimes the Bible seems TOO perfect almost as if it were fabricated by authors rather than recounted by historians.

If the Bible is TOO perfect - we feel we can't trust it. If the Bible is not perfect enough - we feel we can't trust it. 

Through this message we'll analyze three stories in the Bible that bear the marks of God's amazing work through imperfect people to bring about historical events in a symmetrical and poetic way and the marks of human perspective writing in such a way to impress a deeper truth behind the historical facts.

Hopefully, by the end, we'll see that while the biblical authors were exercising literary license in how they retold historical accounts, it doesn't negate the factual nature of their writings.

Rather than skepticism, through deeper study, this can become an incredible proof of God's sovereignty to preserve perfect truth through imperfect people.

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com 

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Should Christians Be Team Life or Team Death?

The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, offered a lot of wisdom on the topic of death - how to die well, how not to fear death, and how to live more fully in light of the knowledge that death is inevitable. Some, however, accused Seneca of being "obsessed with death," to which he might say, "No! You are obsessed with life!"

Which team should the Christian be on? Though so many want to paint the Old Testament as a collection of harsh, judgement books with no mercy in view and the New Testament as one of compassion, when considering the Bible through the lens of the story of life and death, the opposite picture is drawn.

The Old Testament draws clear lines between life and death and strongly exhorts the follower of God to choose life. In the New Testament, however, Christ and His followers are consistently found discussing the topic of death to self, death on behalf of others, and death by persecution as a very probable outcome for Christians. Paul even says, often, that he would PREFER to die rather than continue to live. So which is it?

In this grand story of life and death, where do we fit in and which side should we choose; Team Life or Team Death?

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

The Uncomplicated Connection Between Doom and Hope

There is a constant debate going on regarding the Church's messaging to the world. Should we "cry aloud and spare not" reflecting the sins of the world back at them, hoping to convict the world of its evil, and drawing hard lines in the sand about moral rightness? Or, should we recognize the broken state of the world and try to share the hope that surrounds what Jesus Christ has done, is doing, and will do in the future in an effort to toss a life raft to those who appear to be drowning?

Doom or hope? This is the question but, are these things as disconnected as we think? How can you refrain from calling out evil for what it is - an affront to God? How can you withhold hope from those desperate for it? Both can be accomplished.

Just like our actual, physical sight, we can only focus on one plane of perspective at a time. If we focus on what's right in front of us, everything else becomes periphery. If we focus on something far away, the things closest to us lose clarity. If we focus on the sin and corruption in the world, we bring clarity to it but lose sight of the Kingdom of God. If, however, we focus on the Kingdom, the sin of the world is seen for what it is - a blurry and uncertain mess.

In this message, given immediately after returning from Israel and experiencing some of the horrible things that happened on October 7th, 2023 first hand, we outline the connection between sin and death to show that Jesus Christ did not just die to forgive us of sin but to walk back what is done in the process of sin. The Way, the Truth, and the Life took on the life of sin, the path of corruption, and the end of death to give us the promise of healing in the future.

This promised healing isn't just one of the removal of physical ailments but a restoration of immortality AND incorruption. Sin brings a lot more than death - it also brings suffering, pain, and decay as a consequence. Even more powerfully, the forgiveness and healing that Christ brings eclipses all of that by bringing restoration, life, and purity from the corruption of sin.

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Trip to Israel: Days 15a and b, 16a, 17a, b, and c, and 18: Leaving Israel, Border Crossing, Petra, Mt. Nebo, Tel Al Hammam (Sodom), and Amman, Traveling Home

THE FINAL EPISODE!

This episode clips along at a pretty good pace - a lot to see and hear about, but this recounting of events matches the feeling of trekking across Israel, barely making it into the country of Jordan, and seeing all there is to see before getting out of the country. It all blurred together and happened so quickly that, despite having 3 days in Jordan, it felt more like wandering in the wilderness trying to make our way home, just like the Israelites did thousands of years before.

The border crossing was a nightmare but I got a good story out of it. Jordan itself didn't exactly endear itself to me despite the fact that I am, genuinely, glad that I went. Some of the hostility we came across was, no doubt, due to the recent aggression towards Israel and the long-held aggression between Islam and Judaism, but some was just indicative of a terse and aggressive people. 

Petra was all that it's hyped up to be. Stunning formations built right into the sandstone from an ancient peopled called the Nabateans, possibly related or allied with the Edomites of the Bible. 

Mt. Nebo was surreal, to survey the promised land with a longing for it as we also felt like strangers in a strange land, drew me closer to Moses than I've ever been up to this point. 

Tel Al Hammam seems to be the more scientifically verifiable site of Sodom. Even though it didn't seem to fit the picture I had in my head, scholarship seems to be working its way towards a consensus that this is the correct historical site. 

After a long few days of wandering through the desert, seeing some of the most incredible things on Earth, staying in amazing hotels, and trying different food, we had rebooked our flights out of the modern city of Amman and made it out safely. Though so many had difficulty getting out of the Middle East, my dad and I were so fortunate to have even better flight plans open up to us than the ones we had originally booked. 

All in all, this trip to Israel and Jordan was absolutely life changing. I hope by listening through this series you're motivated to travel there yourself or study the Biblical text through the lens of the land of the Bible which offers so much clarity to the stories it contains. Thanks so much for listening!

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Trip to Israel: Days 13 a, b, c, d, and 14: Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Shopping in the Muslim Quarter, The Garden Tomb, October 7th Attack on Israel

OUR FINAL DAYS IN ISRAEL!

I am feeling almost as sad about this as I was at the time of actually leaving Israel. However, all good things must come to an end and this is no exception.

Of course, this series won't be over with this episode because we still traveled into Jordan and there's a lot to talk about there that I'd be remiss not to mention.

On Day 13 in Israel we visited the two primary proposed sites of Jesus' crucifixion, burial, and resurrection: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden Tomb. Despite the Church of the Holy Sepulcher being steeped in mystical, Catholic tradition (contrary to my upbringing and Western mindset) and my bias being against it as the actual site of Jesus' death, the evidence was fairly strong in favor of it. Interestingly, my bias was, originally, leaning towards the Garden Tomb, but I had a change of heart after visiting each site. Which of these two, if either, do you see as the most likely site?

We also had a few hours to have lunch and do some shopping in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem which led to me being absolutely duped out of about 5 bucks from a young kid named Ryan and his brother Abu. I may come out looking ridiculous from this exchange but, overall, I count it as a positive experience.

Day 14 saw the horrific attacks on Israel by Hamas that had us all on edge but never feeling exactly unsafe. It was surreal to be witness to some of the conflict that goes on in Israel by virtue of them being surrounded by people with antithetical beliefs, cultures, and views and my heart still goes out to them as they continue to struggle against terrorism in their nation.

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Trip to Israel: Day 12a, b, c, and d: Temple Mount, Pool of Bethesda, Shiloh, and City of David Light Show

The temple mount was a surreal experience. To have stood closer to the proposed spot of the Holy of Holies than most of my biblical heroes could have in their time was humbling. Being there while it was almost deserted was ethereal. Picturing the layout of the first century scenery was enlightening. Standing at the Dome of the Rock, facing the Mt. of Olives, and looking up at the sky where Jesus says He'll return from was amazing.

We continued this slower-paced, contemplative day by walking to the pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a lame man, stopping by at the Church of St. Anne to sing a song and speak with the attending priest on the way. The pools are all dried up now, but the porches can be made out affirming the biblical account.

A few of us had the opportunity to drive deeper into the West Bank to see the biblical city of Shiloh. Fairly incredible to, in one day, see Israel's two primary capital cities where the ark of the covenant was housed. We also were fortunate enough to get a behind the scenes look at the red heifers being kept for a potential, future purification of a priesthood in the event that a third temple is built.

To round out the day, several of us were dropped off at the Jaffa Gate to see a lightshow telling the story of King David projected onto the walls of the City of David itself. We didn't quite know what to expect from this going in but, considering the night was cool and pleasant and the story was incredibly relevant to the setting, it was an awesome way to spend an evening before walking back through Jerusalem to our hotel.

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Trip to Israel: Day 11a, b, and c: Masada, Qumran, and the Dead Sea

Masada is one of the most sobering stories in Jewish history. The final stand of the first Jewish Revolt following the destruction of the temple by Rome saw 960 inhabitants kill themselves rather than be captured or defeated by their enemies. To this day, the swearing in ceremony of the Israeli military swears that what happened at Masada will never be repeated.

Qumran isn't much to look at, though the rock formations are beautiful, but what this location means for the trust we can have in the accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is monumental. Despite only being a few caves in a cliff face, the accompanying story of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is incredible considering it wasn't archeologists, scientists, or researchers who found them, but a shepherd boy watching after his flock.

Floating in the Dead Sea (Arabah or the Salt Sea as it's found in Scripture) is one of the coolest experiences, but it's a taxing process to get all the way down to that elevation through throngs of people. It's a story to say the least!

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

 

Trip to Israel: Day 10a, b, c, d, and e: Gethsemane, Western Wall, Temple Institute, City of David and Jerusalem Tour, Hezekiah’s Tunnel and Pool of Siloam

**LINK TO PICTURES DOWN BELOW**

Day 10 was, by far, our busiest day in Israel. For one, the buses couldn't follow us into the narrow streets of Old Jerusalem so, basically, we were a walking tour for most of the day. Looking back, I'm surprised by how familiarized I was with the layout of the city by the end of this day. Even though it just felt like endless stairs and turns down outdoor corridors opening up into various sites and quarters, and a lot of the sides of the retaining walls to the Temple Mount look the same, even just having one focal point for cardinal directions has really helped me out a lot! 

The difficult thing about Jerusalem is just how tightly packed everything is. The beautiful thing about Jerusalem is just how tightly packed everything is. It's hard to discern between one amazing, significant site and the next, but you can see so much in such a short window of time. \

We started the day in the valley between Jerusalem and the Mt. of Olives so we could see the proposed location of the Garden of Gethsemane. From there, we marched up to the old city of Jerusalem and walked around the higher elevation portions of the city before walking down into the City of David and, ultimately, descending again through Hezekiah's Tunnel.

An incredible, busy day. Hope you enjoy listening!

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

Trip to Israel: Day 9a, b, and c: Beit She’an, First Look at Jerusalem, Israel Museum

Prior to leaving the region of Galilee we stopped at Beit She'an, the historical location where Saul and his son's bodies were hung by the Philistines after they died at Mt. Gilboa. I took a bit of detour from the main group to climb to the top which made me feel anxious but turned out alright.

We, then, drove south to Jerusalem, passing Jericho on the way. Finally seeing the city itself was definitely worth having its own section in the episode, and our first stop in the city itself was the Israel Museum.

This museum is laid out much like other museums are but this stop, in particular, did an amazing thing in both orienting us to the layout of the city as well as tying together loose ends from the previous sites we had visited. The Israel museum has the most impressive archeological finds from the entire land of Israel. Each artifact was a tying together of all we had seen up to this point.

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

 

Trip to Israel: Day 8a, b, and c: Caesarea Philippi, Tel Dan, and the Syrian Border

Day 8 was our last full day in the region of Galilee before heading down/up to Jerusalem for the remainder of the Feast of Tabernacles. 

In this episode we'll walk through the proclamation by Peter when he stated at Caesarea Philippi that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. We'll also talk about how the landscape of this area plays a big part in interpreting this conversation between Jesus and His disciples. 

At Tel Dan, we walk through an ancient city viewing the ruins of an altar set up by Jeroboam at the time of the division between Judah and Israel and discuss some impressive archeological finds from this area.

To end the day we drove within a mile of the Syrian border - a place where, just a few years prior to this visit, would have seen us shot at. We also took a detour to an army base turned memorial for lost soldiers during the Six-Day War.

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

 

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg