by Peter Enns
Exodus, book of, 59–60, 77, 82–83, 85–89
Ezekiel, 89–90, 91–92
Ezra, 83
faith: act of transformation in order to maintain the, 189–90; being raised from the dead as reward for, 243, 245–46; Bible as book of wisdom invites our journey of, 112; Deuteronomy’s permission for personal discernment and, 88–89; pursuit of wisdom as life of, 46–47; What is God like? wisdom question for person of, 123–26, 160, 179–83, 271–75. See also Christian faith
fallen angels, 185
false worship, 89–91, 99, 145, 146
firstborn sacrifice, 247
the Flood, 121–22
“fools” (book of Proverbs concept), 30, 35
“Fourfold Method,” 275
“friends of God,” 43–44
Garden of Eden, 39, 40, 187
Gentiles, 222–25, 235–37, 266–67
German Christmas traditions, 193–94
God: angels providing accessibility to, 183–85; the Bible’s purpose to “reveal,” 120–23; biblical images of, 153–54; covenant between Israel and, 59–60; divine violence committed or commanded by, 145–49; his Plan A to start our journey toward wisdom, 9–13, 38–44, 215; his wisdom when “ordering” creation, 45; is not a helicopter parent, 13–15, 47, 215, 255; Judah feeling abandoned by, 98–102, 230–31; “one God among many gods” belief, 129–31, 138–39, 143, 167–69; our misguided expectations of, 4–5; our perception of his Plan B (when Plan A unraveled), 13, 38; presence in the Temple by, 85, 100; story of Jonah and Nahum on the nature of, 102–7; tree of life and death symbolisms related to, 39; wisdom as a gift from, 11–13; wisdom as creating accessibility to, 42–44. See also reimagining God; What is God like? question; Yahweh (Y-H-W-H)
gods: ancient Israelites’ “one God among many gods” belief, 129–31, 138–39, 143, 167–69; Greek philosophers on the Greek, 174; Jesus on theos of Greek and Roman, 276; King Mesha’s sacrifice of his child to his, 135–36, 137, 138, 143; Yahweh’s ten plagues and supremacy over other, 139–41, 143
God’s justice, 180–83
golden calf, 145
the Gospels, 210–12, 242–43
Greek culture/language, 173–79, 187–89, 215
Hagar, 220, 224
Hebrew language, 172, 184
helicopter parenting, 13–15, 47, 215, 255
Herod, King (king of Judah), 210, 226
homosexuals, 261, 265–68
Hosea, 92–93
idolatry prohibition, 57–58
incarnation, 273
Iron Age religion, 137–39
Iron Age tribal culture (1200–500 BCE), 36
Israel/Israelites: covenant between God and, 59–60; divine violence against and enacted by, 145–47; division into northern and southern kingdoms, 99, 135; exodus out of Egypt after ten plagues, 139–41, 143; false worship sin of, 89–92, 99; Fourth Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy given to, 54–56, 63; on the laws given by God to, 51–52, 53–56; loss of control over their promised land, 232–34; a Messiah as challenging identity of, 250; mistreated as slaves in Egypt, 56, 66; Moses warning them to be God’s people, 130; northern kingdom falling to the Assyrians, 99, 102; “one God among many gods” belief of ancient, 129–31, 138–39, 143, 167–69; prohibited from idol worship, 57–58; Ten Commandments given to the, 51, 54–56, 58–59, 63, 86–87, 141–42, 220, 222. See also Jewish people; kingdom of Judah
“Is this what God is like” question, 120–23, 148–49. See also What is God like? question
James’s letter: on faith, 236–37
Jehoram, King (northern kingdom of Israel), 135
Jehoshaphat (king of Judah), 135
Jehu, King (northern kingdom of Israel), 92
Jerome, 82–83, 84
Jesus: cleansing the Temple, 208–9, 227–28; the four Gospels’ unique retelling of life of, 205–12; incarnation of, 273; John’s Gospel pitting “the Jews” against, 207–8; Judaism tradition reimagined by, 194–97; multiply names and titles of, 276; NT connecting Israel’s return from exile to ministry of, 242–46; parables and the language of wisdom by, 198–202; Paul on the wisdom of, 11; reimagining a God with no interest in national borders, 233–34; transforming the story as a crucified Messiah, 195, 215. See also Messiah; resurrection
Jesus movement: Christianity reimagined from Jewish sect of, 155–57, 167, 194–97, 215, 218–30; debate over role of Gentiles in the, 222–25, 235–37, 266–67
Jewish–Christian relations, 207–8
Jewish people: adopting the Aramaic language, 172–73; becoming the “people of the book,” 171; feeling abandoned by God, 98–102, 230–31; God’s justice and resurrection of martyred Jews, 180–83; God’s promise of reward for faithfulness, 180–81; Hellenization of the, 173–79; John’s Gospel pitting Jesus against the, 207–8; loss of control over their promised land, 232–34; Paul on circumcision and dietary laws of, 222–25, 235–36, 237; Paul on tensions between Jesus’s followers who are Gentiles and, 266–67. See also Babylonian exile; Israel/Israelites; kingdom of Judah
Jewish Temple: Antiochus IV Epiphanes’s altar to Zeus in the, 182; description and importance to Jewish people, 226–27; first one destroyed by the Babylonians, 100; God’s presence in the, 85, 100; Holy of Holies in the, 226; Jesus’s cleansing of the, 208–9, 227–28; second one destroyed by the Romans, 226–27; shifting perception of God’s presence in, 228–30. See also Tabernacle
Job, 147
John’s Gospel, 204, 207–12, 228, 242
John the Baptist, 209, 242
Jonah, 102–7, 148
Judaism: the Bible of, 37, 81–82; Christianity reimaged from Jewish sect of, 155–57, 167, 194–97, 215, 218–30; impact of Greek culture on, 174–79, 187–89, 215; on the laws given by God to Israel, 51–52, 53–56; NT writers’ explanation of Jesus and adaptation of, 217–18; writing of OT following Babylonian exile, 101–2, 169–73. See also Torah
Judaism tradition: and beliefs of the Sadducees and Pharisees, 188–89, 243; Christianity reimagined from Jewish sect, 155–57, 167, 194–97, 215, 218–30; of deliberating over biblical laws, 62–63; faithful to tradition through adaptations, 166, 187–90. See also Christian tradition
Judith, book of (Apocrypha), 235
justice. See God’s justice
kingdom of God, 199
kingdom of Judah: Assyrian threat to, 85–86, 99; Babylonians used by God to punish, 259; clay figurines dug up by archaeologists in, 58; Deuteronomy’s reflection Assyrian threat to, 85–86; division of northern kingdom and, 99, 135; falling to Babylonians, 232; feeling abandoned by God, 100–102; King Manasseh and exile of, 109–12, 273; people returned from Babylonian captivity, 100, 233. See also Babylonian exile; Israel/Israelites; Jewish people
“know thyself,” 46–47
the law: Second Amendment (US Constitution), 63–64; understanding the cultural and time context of, 36–37. See also biblical laws; Mosaic Law
Levi, tribe of, 247
life of wisdom: and becoming “friends of God,” 43–44; life of faith as pursuit of, 46; our sacred responsibility to live a, 41, 107, 113, 277
Luke’s Gospel, 210, 211–12, 242
Manasseh, King (kingdom of Judah), 109–12, 273
Mark’s Gospel, 210, 211–12, 242
Marmalade (cat), 23
Matthew’s Gospel, 210–12, 242
Mesha (king of Moah), 135–36, 137, 138, 143
Messiah: as challenging central elements of Israel’s identity, 250; God rising the dead the, 246; Jesus’s reimagining as crucified, 195, 215, 245; Paul reimagining the resurrection of Jesus as, 243–46; political meaning refined by Jesus as the, 276. See also Jesus
Midianites, 145–46
Mosaic Law: Paul’s letters on circumcision and not eating unclean food, 222–25, 235–36, 237; Paul’s reimagining of God and, 156, 218–22; Ten Commandments, 51, 54–59, 63, 86–87, 89–91, 141–43, 220, 222. See also biblical laws; the law; Torah
Moses: Deuteronomy on the death of, 83–85;
flight of Jesus as an infant to Egypt echoing story of, 210–11; leading the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, 139; never entering the promised land, 84; Paul’s reimagining of the God of, 156, 218–22; response to the golden calf by, 145; saw the God of Israel translation on, 176; Ten Commandments given on Mt. Sinai to, 51, 86–87, 141–42, 220, 222; warning to Israelites on being God’s people, 130
Nahum, 104, 106, 148
Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon), 100
New Testament (NT): as book of wisdom, 212; as evidence for importance of reimagining past, 195–97; the four Gospels’ unique retelling of the life of Jesus, 205–12; the Gospels, 210–12, 242–43; ministry of Jesus tied to Israel’s return from exile in, 242–46; parables of the, 198–202; Paul’s letters, 222–25, 235–36, 237, 256–68; value of reading the “letters” in the, 254–56. See also Bible; Old Testament (OT)
New Testament writers, 156, 195, 217–25
new wine and old wineskins story, 211–12, 230
New York Yankees, 216–17
Noah’s story, 121–22
northern kingdom: conquered by Assyria, 232; division of Israel into southern and, 99, 135; falling to the Assyrians, 99, 102; King Mesha of Moah’s rebellion against, 135–36, 137, 138, 143
Old Testament (OT): angelic activity in the, 183–85; Aramaic translation of the, 172–73; Bible of Judaism or the Christian, 37, 81–82, 101; crisis of God’s abandonment triggering writing of, 101–2, 169–73; NT as reimagining God and the, 155–57, 167; reimagining God through story of King Manasseh, 109–12, 273; resurrection as metaphor for returning from exile, 241–42; “the satan” of the, 186; Septuagint (Greek translation) of the, 175–79. See also Bible; New Testament (NT); Yahweh (Y-H-W-H)
“one God among many gods” belief, 129–31, 138–39, 143, 167–69
parables, 198–202
parents: ability to change their parenting, 93; biblical law on child rearing by, 24–28, 35, 36, 75; children suffering for sin of their, 89–91; fear of loss of child by, 97–98
Pascal, Blaise, 118–19, 121
Passover meal, 67–68, 85
Paul: James’s letter: on faith based on ideas of, 236–37; on Jesus becoming wise from God, 11; reimagining God, 156, 218–22; reimagining the Torah, 222–25
Paul’s letters: on authority of governing authorities, 257–60; on circumcision and not dietary laws, 222–25, 235–36, 237; debate over authorship of, 256, 263; on the final judgment and reimagining the resurrection, 243–46; Protestant Reformation launched by words of, 256–57; Romans 13:1 as demonstration of wisdom, 257, 258, 259, 260; slaves, women, and homosexuals discussions in, 261–68
Pentateuch, 170
Persian Empire, 100
pet-sitting rules, 52–53
the Pharisees, 188–89
Philo, 178
Plan A, 9–13, 38–44, 215
Plan B, 13, 38
Pontius Pilate, 234
prophets’ biblical purpose, 89
Protestant Reformation, 256–57, 275
Proverbs, book of: on Adam and Eve driven out of Garden of Eden, 39; antiquity, ambiguity, and diversity of, 35–38, 76; child rearing advice in the, 24–25, 27, 36; little and hidden moments in the, 44–45; meaning of “fools” in, 30, 35; not really “rules to live by” in the, 35; reading the situation as being what wisdom is about in, 31–34, 47; similarities between parables and, 200; time and cultural context and value of, 36–38; understanding the contradicting bits of wisdom in, 29–32; wisdom used to understand contradictions in, 29–38, 70; the Woman Wisdom of the, 201–2
Qumran (probable Essene community), 189
Rachel “national mother” symbolism, 98
raised from the dead, 241–43, 245–46. See also death; resurrection
raising children. See child rearing
Rehoboam, King (kingdom of Judah), 99
reimagining God: Babylonian exile followed by Israelites,’ 168–69; divine violence consideration in, 145–49; failure of God’s justice and, 180–83; following the lead of biblical writers in, 144; Greek culture’s influence on Judaism, 174–79, 187–90, 215; how Deuteronomy engaged in, 87; how the biblical writers engaged in, 126–28, 157; how we change our perception by, 93; Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection as a major, 155–57, 167; King Manasseh’s story on, 109–12, 273; in our time and place as sacred responsibility, 125–26, 157, 277; by Paul explaining Jesus’s resurrection, 244–46; Paul’s approach to, 156, 218–22; the questions and issues we recycle when, 157–60; as what Christians do, 156–57; What is God like? question and, 123–26, 160, 179–83. See also biblical adaptation; God; tradition
religious traditions. See Christian tradition; Judaism tradition
resurrection: kingdom of God established following the, 242–43; of martyred Jews as God’s justice, 180–83; as OT metaphor for returning from Babylonian exile, 241–42; Paul’s letters on reimagining Jesus’s, 243–45; reimagining God through Jesus’s crucifixion and, 155–57, 167. See also crucifixion; death; Jesus; raised from the dead
Roman Empire, 210, 226–27, 257–60, 264–65
rulebook mentality, 19–20, 27–28, 35, 78, 112–13
Sabbath Day, 54–56, 63
sacred responsibility: for finding places where God and our world meet, 159; Jesus inviting us to seek out our, 205; to live a life of wisdom, 41, 107, 113, 277; to reimagine God in our time and place, 125–26, 157, 277. See also Bible’s purpose; Christians
sacrifice: child, 135–36, 246; of firstborn, 247; Jesus’s death as a “substitutionary,” 249; the tribe of Levi has a kind of, 247
sacrificial altar (mizbeach), 175–76
the Sadducees, 188–89, 243
Samaria, 232
same-sex relationships, 261, 265–68
the Sanhedrin (Jewish civic leaders), 188
Satan, 185–86
Saul, King (Israel), 146
Second Amendment (US Constitution), 63–64, 77
Septuagint (OT Greek translation), 175–79
Sermon on the Mount, 233–34
sexual orientation, 261, 265–68
Simeon, 181
sin: children in exile for their parents’, 89–92; Ezekiel on people punished for their own, 90, 91–92; “homosexuality is a,” 265
The Sin of Certainty (Enns), 4
slavery, 10, 56, 65–67, 78, 261–68
Socrates, 46
Solomon, King (Israel), 99, 226, 232
southern kingdom. See kingdom of Judah
“suffering servant,” 247–48
survival, 163–66
Tabernacle, 226. See also Jewish Temple
Ten Commandments: ambiguity of the, 58–59; First Commandment to worship only Yahweh, 142–43; Fourth Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, 54–56, 63; given to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Horeb), 51, 86–87, 141–42, 220, 222; listed, 57–58; Second Commandment on false worship, 89–91. See also biblical laws
The Ten Commandments (film), 139
ten plagues of Egypt, 139–41, 143
Torah, 156, 170, 202–3, 218–22. See also biblical laws; Judaism; Mosaic Law
tradition: adaptations as keeping Judaism faithful to, 166, 187–90; German Christmas, 193–94; New York Yankees’ example of adapting a, 216–17. See also Christian tradition; reimagining God
tree of life, 39, 40
the universe size, 117–20
“unnatural” acts, 267
Uriah, 231–32
violence. See divine violence
wealth, 32–34
Wesleyan Quadrilateral, 272
What is God like? question: accepting the responsibility to answer the, 160; the author on his view of God, 271–73; God’s honor is at stake in answering the, 179–83; historic struggle of humanity over the, 273–75; as the wisdom question for us all, 123–26. See also God; “Is this what God is like” question
wisdom: to adapt ambiguous laws in diversity of OT laws, 69–71; as being about reading the biblical situation, 31; as being ready for the little and hidden thin
gs, 44–46; Bible’s purpose as a book of, 9–13, 19, 20, 38–44, 69–71; biblical writers moving from rulebook mentality to, 19–20, 112–13; as central to obeying the biblical laws, 60–63; Christian theology as an exercise in, 196; creating accessibility to God, 42–44; developing a proper attitude toward wealth, 33–34; as a gift from God, 11–13; honest knowledge of oneself as reward of, 46–47; Jesus’s parables and the language of, 198–202; modern-day Christians and the challenge of, 275–77; our sacred responsibility to live a life of, 41, 107, 113, 277; Paul on Jesus becoming God’s gift of, 11, 107; Plan A as God’s plan for us to find, 9–13, 38–44, 215; Proverbs on tree of life and creation as being, 40–42; reinforced by the “real” message of biblical laws, 59–63; reimagining God in light of Jesus as, 194–97; Romans 13:1 as demonstration of, 257, 258, 259, 260; spiritual adaptation to understanding the Bible’s, 78–82; understanding Proverbs’ contradicting bits of, 29–38, 47, 70; What is God like? as the wisdom question, 123–26, 160, 179–83
Wisdom of Solomon (Apocrypha), 42, 43, 179
women: Paul’s letters on role of, 261, 264–65; Roman Empire cultural expectations for, 264–65
Yahweh (Y-H-W-H): abandonment of Israel triggering writing of OT, 101–2, 169–73; ancient Israelites’ “one God among many gods” belief, 129–31, 138–39, 143, 167–69; covenant between ancient Israel and, 59–60; Deuteronomy’s message on Judah’s alliance only with, 86; First Commandment to worship only, 142–43; Israelites’ stories on their God, 101; the name of the God of Israel, 57, 58; ten plagues brought to Egypt by, 139–41, 143; understanding jealousy of, 142–43. See also God; Old Testament (OT)
the Zealots, 189
About the Author
PETER ENNS (PhD, Harvard University) is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania, and the host of The Bible for Normal People podcast. He is also the author of The Sin of Certainty, The Bible Tells Me So, Inspiration and Incarnation, and more.
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Copyright
Scripture quotations are taken from New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
