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2013 BHC Publications

2013 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #3
Pharaoh vs. Two Midwives

The Pharaoh of Egypt, a living god of the Egyptians, was afraid and living in dread of the Israelites. He was the leader of the Egyptian armies. Wouldn’t you think he would mobilize his armies and attack the Israelites? So, what does he do? Pharaoh comes up with another plan – a really strange one when you think about it -- he mobilizes two midwives and gives them orders! This is a story that every Bible reader should know and teach their children – especially their daughters.

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2013 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #3
The Transformation of Cain’s Parents

The account of Cain, Abel and Seth has always fascinated me because it has so many important lessons about life. Even people who do not read the Bible know Cain murdered his brother. Almost everyone has heard what he said to God -- "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain’s question touches hearts universally because it not only focuses on relationships; it addresses a very important question that we all have – Who has my back? There is another question that the account raises that should be considered too – Did Cain & Abel’s parents have their backs?

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2013 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #2
Letting Our Bibles Tell Their Own Stories

The Bible is the most famous book in history and the bestselling book in America . There is an average of three Bibles in every home. It is the Holy Scriptures of Christianity and Judaism. It is not surprising that many hold strong beliefs about it. . . Our Bibles contain accounts with valuable wisdom and time-tested values that have endured for over a two-thousand years.  The problem we face is that the words of the Bible are used most often to try and prove someone’s doctrines instead of being allowed to tell their own stories.

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2013 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #1
The Most Important Word in Jesus’ Bible

Let’s begin by making sure we understand what Jesus’ Bible was. When most people read the word “Scriptures” in their Bible, many picture “their Bible.” 

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Is your Bible what you pictured when you read the above verses? Is your Bible what the author of those words had in his mind too? If we believe that the verses above mean our Bible, then we assume that the author’s Scriptures meant our Bible. But what if he had something else in mind – then what do we do?

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2012 BHC Publications

December

2012 THE TEACHINGS OF THE JEWISH JESUS #1
The Christmas Clues: A Glimpse of the Real Jesus & the Founders of Christianity
By Jim Myers

Christmas provides us with two clues that give us a glimpse of the real Jesus and the founders of Christianity. The first is the Theology of Christmas and the second is the Spirit of Christmas. The Theology of Christmas consists of beliefs and the Spirit of Christmas is defined by actions. Their origins provide us the very important clues. 

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Links for more information.

 

History of Christmas

History of Christmas in America

November

2012 THE TEACHINGS OF THE JEWISH JESUS #1
The Jewish Jesus & Baptism

By Jim Myers

Baptism is a very important Christian ritual today and has been from the very beginning. One of the famous New Testament characters is even named after it – John the Baptist. Since I was raised as a member of a Baptist church, for many years I thought that John the Baptist created our church and that we were the original Christian church because our named appeared in the New Testament. In this article we will discuss baptism. Our goal is to answer these questions about baptism: Why was it done? Where was it done? How was it done? Who did it? By whom was it done?
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The Jewish Jesus

November

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #11
Do You Want to “Come Near to God”?

By Jim Myers

Most will probably immediately answer, “Yes!” The next question is -- What do you do “to come near to God?” Today, the answers would probably be read the Bible, pray, sing worship songs, etc. This would sound very strange to ancient Israelites, Jews of the First and Second Temple periods, and the Jewish Jesus. They didn’t just “hang out” with God.

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What God Treasures

October

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #10
A Trip With Jesus to His Synagogue
By Jim Myers
A trip to the synagogue with Jesus would have been a eye opening experience. Luke records a visit that is loaded with a treasure chest of cultural clues that will help you understand just what it would have been like to go with Jesus on that day.
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Second Temple Synagogues

The Temple

September

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #9
Abraham, the Land & His Descendants
By Jim Myers
What people believe about Abram/Abraham affects how they read the Bible and view events in the Middle East today. It has been this way for many centuries. It affects not only religious beliefs; it influences political and military decisions, too. What does the Bible say about Abram/Abraham and the land Yahweh gave him?
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Abraham

Mesopotamia

BHC Memorial Garden

August

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #8
Many Biblical Ways to Get to Heaven?
By Jim Myers
Death is a real problem for humans. We know that it is in our future and a bunch of people would like to know what they can do here that affects what will happen there. The places people find most of their answers are religions. As most people know, all the answers are not all the same, Maybe someone should set up an “Afterlife-Mart?” If someone did set up an Afterlife-Mart the largest section would contain Christian options. 
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Rabbi Leynor discusses Death, Mourning & Funerals

BHC's Afterlife Section

July

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #7A
How to choose an Apostle
By Jim Myers
There were eleven apostles after the loss of Judas, so another man was needed to fill his place. An account of how that man was chosen to be an apostle is recorded in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.
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History of Christianity

Jewish Jesus

 

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #7B
Comparison of Exodus 32 and Numbers 14
By Rabbi Jeff Leynor
Israel would not have survived the ordeals of the wilderness. I have found parallels of Moses’ intercession in Exodus 32:9-14, 32-33 and Numbers 14:11-24. Both of these episodes occur after a great breach by the Israelites.
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Rabbi Leynor's Page

June

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #6
Salvation: A Preliminary Statement
By Dr. Isaac Tennison
The concept of salvation underlying the Greek words SOZO, SOTERIA, SOTER, and related words in the text of the Christian Scriptures may not be the same as the concept attached to the English words “save,” “salvation,” “savior,” and related words. The first observation is that the actual CONCEPT of salvation among Christians throughout the centuries is known primarily from answers given to questions ABOUT salvation and not about the meaning or concept of the word itself.
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Links for more information.

Dr. Tennison's Page

 

What is the Basis of your Belief?
By Dr. Isaac Tennison
Well-meaning students of the Bible will spend literally years in the study of the Scriptures by using one of the many available translations. No one to tell these students the significance of such study; and, no one can condemn them for their dedication to the task. Nevertheless, someone must tell them about the pitfalls in studying the Scriptures in this manner.
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Dr. Tennison's Page

May

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #5
Noah's Ark: Where Beliefs & Facts Collide
By Jim Myers
How many of each kind animal did Noah take on the ark? This seems like a very simple question and most Bible readers probably immediately know the answer. But the biblical answer to this question can create some serious challenges to the belief systems of millions of people. It can also transform the way we read our Bible!
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Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor's video on Noah's Ark. 
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2012 LETTING OUR BIBLE TELL ITS OWN STORIES #2
Jesus Teaches About the Dangers of Anger
By Jim Myers
The Gospels contain many clues that Jesus was a Jew who taught in Hebrew and that he taught other Jews living in Galilee and Judea in the Late Second Temple Period.  The more we can learn about his language and culture the more accurately we will be able to understand what his words meant.
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Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor's videos about Jesus' lesson about anger.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

April

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #4
Christianity & the Easter Bunny
By Jim Myers
What do Jesus and an egg-laying Easter bunny have to do with each other? The answer is, “Nothing!” There's no story in the Bible about a long-eared, cotton-tailed creature known as the Easter Bunny that lays eggs. And, in case you didn’t known, real rabbits certainly do not lay colored eggs in nests. Jesus did not create a new holiday called “Easter.”  The Early Church Fathers never participated in a festival called “Easter.”
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2012 LETTING OUR BIBLE TELL ITS OWN STORIES #1
A Man, Woman & Talking Snake
By Jim Myers
I know the name of this study sounds like the beginning of a good joke, but it is really a study of the introduction to one of the most important stories in our Bible -- the man, woman and snake in the Garden in Eden . The lives of over two billion Christians living today are still affected by how this account is interpreted. Many believe it is the record of a cosmic battle between God and Satan over the eternal destinies of the lives of all mankind. Is that what the ancient author of this famous account had in mind?
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March

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #3
Who Is a Christian?
By Jim Myers
Have you noticed that political candidates are playing the "religion-card" lately? Some are questioning whether their opponents are "really Christians." What does a Christian look like? Christianity has left a very long paper trail of its beliefs, but many Christians are aware of it. They erroneously believe that their form of Christianity is exactly like that of Jesus!
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How & What Did Jesus Teach His Disciples?

From the Jewish Jesus to the Roman Church

February

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #2
Does God Just Wink When Our Sins Hurt Others?
By Jim Myers
Our religious belief systems play a major role in creating our realities, what we believe about God and how we treat others. How we answer the above question depends on what our religious beliefs are. Finding the answer begins with how we define sin. Religions have very different definitions for this very familiar word. It must be noted that even groups or denominations of one religion may have significant differences, too.
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Hebrew Meaning of Sin

Hebrew Meaning of Repentance

Hebrew Meaning of Forgiveness

January

2012 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #1
Letting the Bible Tell Its Own Story
By Jim Myers
The Bible is the most famous book in the history of the world and there are many different beliefs about it. Some believe that the words of their Bible are the inerrant and infallible word of God. Others say they are inspired by God, but are not to be taken literally. And, still others view them as traditions, legends and myths. What people believe about the Bible makes a big difference in the way its words affect their lives.
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On the Text of the Torah

2011 BHC Publications

December

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #12
Theophilus Has a Problem
By Jim Myers
Theophilus wants to know if what he has been taught is true. Whose Gospel should he believe -- Peter's or Paul's. Paul teaches the Gospel of Christ and Peter teaches the Gospel of Jesus. Click Here

Links for more information.

Why Look for the Real Jesus?

November

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #11
Foreigners, Eunuchs & Early Christians
By Jim Myers
What is your God’s highest priority? Is it making sure people know the right doctrines? Or, is your God’s highest priority the protection of life, the preservation of life and the enhancement of the quality of life? Click Here

 

Herod's Temple

Isaiah the Prophet

October

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #10
Religion, Anger & Murder
By Jim Myers
What could have happened to cause the eldest son of Adam and Eve to murder his younger brother – immediate after the first recorded act of religious ritual in the Bible? Click Here

 

The Serpent: Wild Animal or Satan?

A Garden in Eden

September

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #9
How & What Did Jesus Teach His Disciples?
By Jim Myers
The Jewish Jesus was a teacher and the men he called to be the apostles were called “disciples,” which means they were students. The Jesus Movement was a movement built upon an educational model.  The definition of the word “teach” is “to cause to know,” so what did Jesus want his disciples to know? Click Here

 

Kal va-Chomer

Kal Vachomer

 

August

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #8A
Carrying the Teachings
By Dr. Ike Tennison
“If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting.” (2 John 10)

The first time I really studied (not just read!) this passage, I came away somewhat puzzled. The reason I was puzzled had to do with the words “…does not bring this doctrine….”  How would the person who goes to answer the door know whether or not the person at the door was bringing this doctrine with him or her?  Click Here

 

Dr. Ike Tennison

2 John

 

July

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #7
The Greatest Commandments

It is clear that the leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees were very interested in Jesus’ position on issues that were important to them. It was in an encounter with a lawyer, who was also a Pharisee, that Jesus that was asked a question that members of other Jewish sects would have been very interested in knowing his answer. The question was this – “Which commandment is the greatest commandment?” 
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Hanging the Torah

The Jewish Roman World of Jesus

June
2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #6
The End Didn't Come -- Again! 
In case you haven’t heard, the end of the world was supposed to have taken place on May 21, 2011according to Reverend Harold Camping -- and it didn’t. He is a man with a track record, because he also predicted the end would take place on  September 6, 1994 . You have to admit that he sticks to his guns though – he is now predicting that the “end of the world” will take place on  October 21, 2011 . Why does he keep doing it?
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Beliefs about life after death, mainly in Christianity

Failed Rapture Beliefs

May

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #5
The Civil War & Southern Belief Systems
The Civil War affected the way of life in America in many areas – political, economic and religious. The way Americans viewed each other and life in general changed after 1865. The fact that it was a war of Christians against Christians was nothing new.
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The Civil War

Religion in the Civil War

April

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #4
Jesus and the Synagogue
Jesus never went to church
. He did not found the First Christian Church of  Jerusalem. The place you would find Jesus on the Sabbath was a synagogue. What happens during a synagogue service? 
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Second Temple Synagogues

Jesus & the Synagogue
(previous study)

 

March

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #3
The Serpent: Wild Animal or Satan?
How one views the serpent in the famous biblical account of the “Garden in Eden,” reveals a great deal about one’s beliefs about God, as well as how one sees oneself, views women and understands how history is to unfold.
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Serpent Symbol

Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon

The Epic of Gilgamesh

February

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #2
From the Jewish Jesus to the Roman Church
The events that took place in the first four centuries of Christian history are virtually unknown to many Christians.
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The Early Church

The Early Church Fathers

January

2011 FACTS & BELIEFS REPORT #1
Facts, Beliefs, Truths & Memes
It is essential that we distinguish between
FACTS & BELIEFS.

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Links for more information.

Beliefs & Belief Systems

2011 FACTS & BELIEFS REPORT #2
The Bible(M)
The Bible(M)
is a MEME that is linked with many other MEMES, FACTS and BELIEFS.
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Memetics

2011 DISCOVERING THE BIBLE #1
The Journey of the BibleM Begins
The BibleM
is a MEME (See Facts and Beliefs Report #2), a name, given to a number of books, which are not identical.
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Discovering Our Biblical Heritages
 

2010 Newsletters & Archives
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