Master of Divinity Podcast

Michael considers literary forms found in scripture. Here are the readings shared in the episode:

209: If a nobleman struck another nobleman’s daughter and has caused her to have a miscarriage, he shall pay ten shekels of silver for her fetus. 210: If that woman has died, they shall put his daughter to death. 211: If by a blow he has caused a commoner’s daughter to have a miscarriage, he shall pay five shekels of silver. 212: If that woman has died, he shall pay one-half mina of silver. 

Exodus 21:22-27: When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman's husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26 When a slave owner strikes the eye of a male or female slave, destroying it, the owner shall let the slave go, a free person, to compensate for the eye. 27 If the owner knocks out a tooth of a male or female slave, the slave shall be let go, a free person, to compensate for the tooth.

Matthew 5.38-41: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

Genesis 32.22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."

Philippians 2.5-11: Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Isaiah 5.7-10: This is the story of the Lord’s people. They are the vineyard of the Lord Almighty. Israel and Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected them to yield a crop of justice, but instead he found bloodshed. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of oppression. Destruction is certain for you who buy up property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the land. 9But the Lord Almighty has sealed your awful fate. With my own ears I heard him say, “Many beautiful homes will stand deserted, the owners dead or gone. 10Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten measures of seed will yield only one measure of grain.”

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In this episode, we look at how books and fragments of ancient text became the Bible.

Here is the word list for our translation exercise: And / they were astonished / at / the / teaching / of him / He was / for / teaching / them / as / authority / having / and / not / as / the / Scribes.

Here are the readings:

Mark 1.22: They were amazed at his teaching, for he taught as one who had real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. (NLT)

22And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. (KJV)

22Everyone was amazed at his teaching. He taught with authority, and not like the teachers of the Law of Moses. (CEV)

22They were surprised at his teaching--so forthright, so confident--not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars. (The Message)

22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (NRSV)

Visit the following link to see visual representation of the Q hypothesis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_source#/media/File:Synoptic_problem_two_source_colored.png

Genesis 1.1-5: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 2.4b-9: In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground--7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

1 Corinthians 14.33b-35: As in all the churches of the saints, 34 women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

Philippians 4.1-3: Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

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Michael continues to explore A Drama in Three Acts, this time looking at Exile and Emmanuel. Some of the readings:

Deuteronomy 8.11-18: “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. 12For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, 14that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17He did it so you would never think that it was your own strength and energy that made you wealthy. 18Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfil the covenant he made with your ancestors.

Deuteronomy 8.19-20: But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshipping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

Isaiah 1.18-23: “Come now, let us argue this out,” says the Lord. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. 19If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. 20But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 21See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. 22Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine. 23Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them take bribes and refuse to defend the orphans and the widows.

Psalm 137.1-4: Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem. 2 We put away our lyres, hanging them on the branches of the willow trees. 3 For there our captors demanded a song of us. Our tormentors requested a joyful hymn: “Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!” 4 But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

Isaiah 43.1-4: But now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 4Others died that you might live. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

Isaiah 54.6-8: For the Lord has called you back from your grief—as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God. 7“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8In a moment of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. 

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We begin with a look at the theme of Exodus, and Michael shares thoughts from a few of his favourite authors. Here are the readings and quotes shared:

Ephesians 1.15: For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I’ve not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious One, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know God better.

Walter Bruggemann, The Prophetic Imagination: "The program of Moses is not the freeing of a little band of slaves as an escape from the empire, though that is important enough, especially if you happen to be that little band. Rather, his work is nothing less than an assault on the consciousness of the empire, aimed at nothing less than dismantling the empire both in its social practices and its mythic pretensions. Israel emerged...as a genuine alternative community" (p. 18-19).

Gustavo Gutierrez, Essential Writings: "Behind these texts we can see [the] principal reasons for this vigorous repudiation of poverty. In the first place, poverty contradicts the very meaning of the Mosaic religion. Moses led his people out of slavery, exploitation, and alienation of Egypt so that they might inhabit a land where they could live with human dignity" (p. 8).  

Rosemary Radford Ruether, Woman-Church: "In the story of the Exodus we find that the first acts of rebellion against Pharaoh are those of women. The mother of Moses refuses to obey the decree to kill her newborn son and hides him in the bulrushes. The sister of Moses seizes the opportunity to save him by presenting him to the daughter of Pharaoh who comes to the river to bathe. Pharaoh’s daughter also disobeys by accepting the Hebrew child and bringing him up as her own. Thus a conspiracy of women takes place across class and ethnic lines to save the child who will be the liberator of Israel" (p. 43-44).

Exodus 2.23-25: The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery, their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.

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In the introduction, Michael explains the Master of Divinity degree and how it will form the outline of this series of courses. In order, we will look at the Bible, church history, ethics, systematic theology, and practical theology, with a focus on worship. Visit p2.ca/podcast to learn more.

Special thanks to Heather Maclean, who played the tune HOLY MANNA, an American folk hymn composed by William Moore (1790-1850).

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