The renewal of the Bible interpretation debate in your columns is interesting and educational, in my opinion. As laymen, we, the public, need to be informed of the latest positions of knowledge-oriented church philosophers, the theologians, regarding new findings by researchers.

Most people don't go to church in search of deep bible knowledge. They are usually content with literature setting out the beliefs currently approved by the particular church, and sermons on morals/ethics deemed acceptable by the church, and perhaps reinforced by biblical examples; sermons of comfort in a problematic world, and eschatological pronouncements on the fate of the soul, and so on. The pastor is mostly concerned with maintaining organisational cohesion and united effort which will ensure continued financial contribution by the laity and therefore with the continued existence and even growth of membership in an ambience of fierce competition for converts. The layman is therefore often said to be about 150 years behind the theologians in Bible knowledge.

exceedingly hard

It is exceedingly hard, if not impossible, to understand the Bible by bible readings alone, whether assisted by the 'Holy Ghost' or not. The writers used many literary devices, usually based on morality tales to tell their narratives. This led to repetition such as one finds in the tale of the 'bombing' of Sodom and Gomorrah being used again in the matter of the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. The last 12 verses of St Mark's book are now acknowledged as one of the instances of so-called "pious fraud" added by a church father to engender belief in the resurrection.

confusion

Much confusion has crept in this wonderful scriptural compilation due to the attempt to harmonise the records of scribes fleeing the rampaging Assyrians, who overran the northern kingdom. They fled to the south, Judah, and that is the reason we have two accounts, often mutually exclusive of many Bible stories. Two creation accounts; two versions of the covenant with Abraham; two versions of the ten commandments and therefore two different reasons for Sabbath keeping; two versions of the flood and so on.

Among the stories are clear hints on Jesus' marriage to the messianic bride Mary; His final oral questioning by the panel of doctors in the temple, leading award of the Doctor of Laws degree; and the names of two of his three children - the first, Phoebe Tamar in Romans 16: 1 & 2, and the second, a boy called Jesus Justus in Colossians 4:11. The third child named Joseph (code for 'crown prince' of the Judean royal family) was carried into Europe by the pregnant Mary after she was exiled the Herodian estates in France due to opposing her husband's policy of peace with the Romans.

Many European royal houses have genealogical records which identify the bloodline of Jesus among their ancestors. They have known this for centuries. It was Jesus' duty to marry and so preserve the bloodlines of David, Israel's most revered king, down the generations.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK BLAKE

mysterymonpatrick@hotmail.com