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What appears in this book is drawn from Scripture – but this book should not be construed as Scripture.
I have tried to tell a story: a story of Jesus.
So I have not given a word-for-word account of the life of Jesus as portrayed in the four gospels, which would have been an impossible undertaking. Nor have I attempted to write a strictly historical account, another impossibility. My purpose is to get across what Jesus has to say to us today, whether by word or deed. Toward that goal, I have opted for an impressionistic style using modern American idiomatic speech.
And, I have done what I can to weave together the available materials into a plausible whole for ease of reading. But, in most cases, the best we can say of any episode related here is that something like what is reported is what happened.
The teachings and the actions of Jesus were vividly remembered by witnesses who then disseminated them throughout the church. The gospel writers then took that recollected material and used it in their written accounts. They understood that it was the teachings that were important, not the order in which they are given. And, in general, they felt free to paraphrase Jesus when they deemed it necessary.
A few well-known elements of the Jesus story have been omitted. You won't find the infancy narratives here, nor included is John's account of the first encounter of Jesus by Peter and others -- simply because I could not think of a way to blend in that episode for a relatively harmonious whole.
You will also find that some of Jesus' words and teachings crop up more than once. In general, that is because a teaching is expounded upon by Jesus or by a gospel writer in more than one way. Hence, it seems the better course to let some repetitions stand. On the other hand, the parallel accounts of what seems to be a single incident do require selectivity and pruning in a work of this sort. That has been done, but explanation of the rationales would require too prolonged a delving into this creative writer's mind. Even so, I will be happy to answer specific questions in that regard or with respect to any other aspect of this book.
Another point: Explanatory matter and commentary are clearly set off from the main text so that the reader may decide at a glance whether to consult or to skip such material.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this book and get something out of it. But, when in doubt, check what I have written against the Bible. Even without chapter and verse, you can almost always find what you're looking for by plugging a relevant phrase into a search engine, such as: "woman caught in adultery" or "man healed at pool of Bethesda."
Enjoy!
I have tried to tell a story: a story of Jesus.
So I have not given a word-for-word account of the life of Jesus as portrayed in the four gospels, which would have been an impossible undertaking. Nor have I attempted to write a strictly historical account, another impossibility. My purpose is to get across what Jesus has to say to us today, whether by word or deed. Toward that goal, I have opted for an impressionistic style using modern American idiomatic speech.
And, I have done what I can to weave together the available materials into a plausible whole for ease of reading. But, in most cases, the best we can say of any episode related here is that something like what is reported is what happened.
The teachings and the actions of Jesus were vividly remembered by witnesses who then disseminated them throughout the church. The gospel writers then took that recollected material and used it in their written accounts. They understood that it was the teachings that were important, not the order in which they are given. And, in general, they felt free to paraphrase Jesus when they deemed it necessary.
A few well-known elements of the Jesus story have been omitted. You won't find the infancy narratives here, nor included is John's account of the first encounter of Jesus by Peter and others -- simply because I could not think of a way to blend in that episode for a relatively harmonious whole.
You will also find that some of Jesus' words and teachings crop up more than once. In general, that is because a teaching is expounded upon by Jesus or by a gospel writer in more than one way. Hence, it seems the better course to let some repetitions stand. On the other hand, the parallel accounts of what seems to be a single incident do require selectivity and pruning in a work of this sort. That has been done, but explanation of the rationales would require too prolonged a delving into this creative writer's mind. Even so, I will be happy to answer specific questions in that regard or with respect to any other aspect of this book.
Another point: Explanatory matter and commentary are clearly set off from the main text so that the reader may decide at a glance whether to consult or to skip such material.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this book and get something out of it. But, when in doubt, check what I have written against the Bible. Even without chapter and verse, you can almost always find what you're looking for by plugging a relevant phrase into a search engine, such as: "woman caught in adultery" or "man healed at pool of Bethesda."
Enjoy!
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Wonderful news!
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/wonderful-news.html
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