Bible Themes

By Charles Cloud

There are many ideas and images which can be found in different parts of the Bible. These themes connect the various parts of the scriptures. This is one of the ways in which the unity of this Bible is exemplified. In addition, these common themes can be understood more deeply if we begin to realize how the themes are developed and presented in different parts of the Bible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Cloud
• Release date: Sep 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370408030

Charles Cloud

I spent almost 25 years as a Catholic Christian pastor. After leaving ministry, I earned a Master of Science in Addiction Counseling and worked in that capacity for almost two years before health issues forced me to quit. I am currently on disability and spend my time writing or working around my home. Working in the yard has been a key means for me to maintain my mental health.

Book preview

The Word

Is Alive

By Charles W. Cloud

Copyright 2017 Charles Cloud

Published by Charles Cloud at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Prologue

Sacrifice

The Desert

Covenant Relationship

The Sea

Repentance and Forgiveness

Trust

The Poor and Marginalized

The Messiah

Intercessory Prayer

The Summit

Symbolic Numbers

About the Author

Introduction

I am not a scripture scholar. I have no degrees in Biblical criticism or anything of the kind. What you are reading, therefore, is not a work of exegesis. Nor will you find any examination of various Biblical versions found on ancient papyri. This is not aimed at scholars and I have no desire to suggest different readings of the ancient Greek and Hebrew texts.

I am, however, a student of the Bible and I was entrusted with the ministry of the Word for more than two decades. I have read and re-read several English translations of the Bible and spent countless hours in reflection and meditation on Biblical texts, often in preparation for preaching but also often for deepening my own connection with God.

It is my opinion that the stories, poetry and other elements of the Biblical text were passed on because they spoke powerfully to people of their relationship with God. There are, for example, many stories about Abraham in the Book of Genesis, but there were likely many more events in his life that are not recorded in the Bible. The ones we have were passed on because they continued to speak to people for more years than I can really imagine.

My own approach involves entering into the stories themselves. If you imagine our ancestors sitting around the campfire thousands of years ago with, perhaps, grandfather sharing stories that he heard from his own grandfather, then I suspect you might get an idea of the approach I am taking. The grandchildren, surely, did not engage in discussions about the historical context of the stories or the various traditions that might be part of the story. Instead, they allowed the stories to weave a web of images in their hearts and minds. There were probably times when grandfather chose to share a particular story to help his children and grandchildren in difficult moments. Suppose, for example, that one of the grandchildren had been disobedient to his father. At that point, grandfather might have told the story of David and Bathsheba. Is it possible that many of the psalms were a kind of singalong to pass the time while traveling or during hard labor? Why not? The point is, I want these stories to come alive for you, to speak to your heart, and to help you connect to God.

We must also keep in mind that the Bible is in harmony with itself. Historians tell us that some of the earliest Christians, a small minority, believed that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament were different. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is one God and He makes Himself known to us in both the Old and New Testaments. One of my purposes in writing this text is to amplify this reality. To try to understand one Testament without the other is to severely limit our understanding.

One final thing. Several years ago, a group calling themselves the Jesus Seminar sought to determine which elements of the New Testament are