Episode Details

Does Genesis tell us the age of the earth? Many of us come to the creation story with modern questions, but Genesis was written to answer the questions of the Israelites after 400 years in Egypt. Understanding the author’s purpose changes everything about how we read it.

The 66 books of the Bible were written by about 40 authors, and each one wrote with a purpose. In this episode, Heather and Sarah share 3 reasons why understanding the Author's purpose matters:

• So we don’t ask the Bible to do something it was never intended to do
• So we don’t whisper where the author shouts
• So we don’t shout where the author whispers

Beyond Genesis, they look at how often Luke records Jesus talking about money (and why we tend to skim past it), and how verses like Luke 6:38 and the prayer of Jabez get turned into messages their authors never intended.

If you’ve ever wondered why the Bible seems to say different things to different people, this episode will help you read it the way its authors meant it to be heard.

This podcast is also released as a video podcast on YouTube here.

Subscribe for more on understanding the Bible, and tell us in the comments: is there a verse you’ve heard “shouted” that might actually be a whisper?

To learn more about reading the Bible in context, download the CHARA Bible study guide and find more resources at thecharaproject.com. Subscribe for more on understanding the Bible, and tell us in the comments: has a verse ever changed for you once you learned its history?

The Chara Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help build confidence in studying the Bible on your own and with your neighbor. Chara is the Greek word for JOY, and the Chara team offers resources and teaching to empower people to find joy as they explore the Bible, grow in their Biblical understanding, and help others do the same.

To support The Chara Project, visit https://www.thecharaproject.com/give

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