BartBaconshereticalBibleclass

NOTES ON THE 5-1-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 5-4-24 1320 HST >> Many thanks to Bill for his presentation and to Bill, Doug, and Kevin for their comments. >> In this class we studied a short clip from a class by Professor Bart Ehrman, we took another look at the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Bill gave a presentation about some recent experiences arising from a meditation training program, we discussed the meaning of “Kingdom of God,” and we discussed the parable of the two dogs (Red Dog / Gold Dog). AUDIO GLITCHES AT THE 5-1-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 5-4-24 1320 HST During class my internet connection had numerous brief fluctuations. Moments of audio that were corrupted should have been recorded as follows. >> 22:55 “only contrast in form” >> 28:22 “thank you” >> 49:44 to 49:48 “it’s just that you have added the next level to it.” >> 51:38 to 51:43 “when Jesus said ‘Kingdom of God’” >> 55:26 to 55:27 “the point I’m trying to make” >> 56:44 to 57:54 I was reading the text that appears in the video. >> 56:00 to 56:05 “I’m going to throw in an opinion that will be surprising to you guys” >> 1:04:25 to 1:04:29 “a more direct statement of what the third chapter of the gospel of John says” >> 1:05:28 to 1:05:35 “is beyond just here and now experience” >> 1:13:00 to 1:13:04 “what Jesus is trying to get us all to achieve” >> 1:14:53 to 1:14:55 “that his grandmother lived under” CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 5-1-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 5-4-24 1320 HST >> At 21:32 to 21:38 “his students” should have been “his undergraduate students.” >> At 29:19 to 29:40, it’s not the only question. There remains the question of what “salvation” means, the question of exactly what we are being saved from. >> In my comment at 47:50 to 49:50 I quoted Bill as having said “the emotion led.” What he actually said (at 40:58 – 41:09) was “this thinking followed a feeling.” >> At 59:30 to 59:33 “both books” should have been “both the yogis and A Course in Miracles” >> At 1:04:34 to 1:04:36 “two thousand years” should have been “nineteen hundred years” >> At 1:34:43 to 1:34:45 “in the tares religion” was meant to be “in the wheat religion.” >> At 1:53:55 to 1:53:57 “close comma” was meant to be “close quote.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 5-1-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 5-4-24 1320 HST >> At 1:12:16 “the light shines in the darkness” is from John 1:5. >> At 1:15:09 to 1:15:13 the parable of a tiny seed growing into a big tree is at Mark 4:30-32, Matthew 13:31-32, and Luke 13:18-19. >> At 1:34:48 to 1:35:12 “Take the plank out of your own eye first” is found at Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42. >> At 1:46:54 to 1:47:03 “Be still and know that I am God” is found at Psalm 46:10. >> At 1:47:06 to 1:48:06 the reference was to Matthew 6:25-34. The term at 6:32 is variously rendered into English as “heathens,” “pagans,” and “gentiles.”

NOTES ON THE 4-17-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-27-24 0601 HST >> Special thanks to Doug Thompson for his outstanding contributions to yet another class. >> This class was a continuation of the 3-6-2024 and 4-3-2024 classes on the error of translating "Gehenna" into English as "hell" and the origins of the concept of eternal damnation in Christianity. We also took a close look at certain aspects of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares from Matthew 13. These three classes together are supremely important. In my opinion there is no way that one can really understand the Bible as a whole or the teachings of Jesus in particular without understanding the issues presented in these three classes. >> From 40:10 to 46:25, the confusion with regards to the Greek word for “reapers” was due to a typo by Doug resulting in his looking at a different word in Strong’s Concordance. Doug was looking at 2322, therapeia, which means “attention or medical service” and is related to 2323 (therapeuó, to serve or cure) and 2324 (therapón, an attendant). The Greek word at Matthew 13:30 is the plural of 2327, theristés, which means “reaper or harvester” and is related to 2326 (therismos, harvest or reaping) and 2325 (therizó, to reap, harvest, or gather). See https://biblehub.com/greek/2322.htm See https://biblehub.com/greek/2327.htm >> The fact that I refer to Professor Bart Ehrman’s work does not mean that I agree with all of his conclusions. It only means that I think he presents important facts and analyses. Since he’s an atheist and I’m a believer, it should be obvious that I think he misunderstands the life and teachings of Jesus, the Bible as a whole, and metaphysical reality. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 4-17-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-27-24 0553 HST >> At 8:29 to 8:32 “middle decades” was meant to be “middle centuries.” >> There was a brief audio failure at 1:21:37-39. What I said was “the truth that could set us free.” >> At 1:29:05 and 1:29:14, “1944” should have been “1994”. >> At 1:46:22 to 1:46:35, I should have added “in the Roman Catholic west” to the statement “I think that up until Martin Luther the movement that Jesus started really had been almost snuffed out.” I’m not qualified to comment on conditions in the Eastern Orthodox lands and other lands on the geographical fringes of Christianity beyond the power of the Roman church. >> See below for a correction to my comments on the story in one of the Upanishads. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 4-17-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-27-24 0553 HST >> The Wikipedia article on the apocryphal document that Doug mentioned is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_of_Peter >> Information on Professor Bart D. Ehrman and his work can be found at: https://www.bartehrman.com/barts-biography/ https://religion.unc.edu/_people/full-time-faculty/ehrman/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_D._Ehrman >> The collaborative project that I mentioned, by the editors of Hinduism Today and Christianity Today, can be seen at https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/june-1994/1994-06-a-point-counterpoint-of-hindu-and-christian-beliefs/ https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1993/february-8/special-report-hinduism-gains-foothold-in-america.html >> From 1:35:00 to 1:36:36 and later, the story to which I referred is found at the third and fourth khandas (sections) of the Kena Upanishad. This is one of probably countless passages from Hinduism that set forth the monotheistic aspect of Hinduism. The lesser gods in that parable are Agni, Vayu, and Indra, not the Hindu trimurti (or trinity) of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Christians should recognize that parable in the Kena Upanishad as a Hindu equivalent of John 15:1-8, the initial verses of the most important chapter in the New Testament. >> From 1:36:45 to 1:37:15 “You are gods” is quoted by Jesus at John 10:34-35. He was quoting Psalm 82:6. >> For those who are interested in the Hindu scriptures, I recommend starting with the major Upanishads. For those who read the major Upanishads, I recommend starting with the translation by Eknath Easwaran. >> Note with regards to the Hindu deities: Brahman, the supreme creator god, is the equivalent of Yahweh or God the Father in the Bible. Brahman should not be confused with Brahma, one of the lesser deities. >> The longer video featuring professor Ehrman, "The History of Heaven and Hell," is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxqHIauZCaQ >> The related shorter video (which Doug told us is by one of Ehrman’s students) “I traveled to Jerusalem to face my fear of hell,” is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGvcRnlId4k

NOTES ON THE 4-3-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-9-24 >> This class was a continuation of the 3-6-2024 class on the error of translating "Gehenna" into English as "hell." We also discussed the origins of the concept of eternal punishment. These two classes together are supremely important. In my opinion there is no way that one can really understand the Bible as a whole or the teachings of Jesus in particular without understanding the issues presented in these two classes. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 4-3-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-9-24 >> A few minor corrections will be added at a later date. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 4-3-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 4-9-24 >> Additional references will be added at a later date.

NOTES ON THE 3-6-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 3-9-24 >> This was a supremely important class. The next class will be a continuation of this class, and it’s likely that all of our subsequent classes will build on the topics mentioned here. In my opinion understanding the issues presented here is crucial to success in any attempt to learn the Bible. This is also one of the very few classes we have had that could be a stand-alone class and does not depend very heavily on the previous classes, which means that new viewers could start here as a sample. >> At multiple points Doug and I mentioned the New American Standard Bible, or NASB. The following quotes are from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_American_Standard_Bible. “The New American Standard Bible (NASB, also simply NAS for New American Standard) is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Published by the Lockman Foundation, the complete NASB was released in 1971. … new revisions were published in 1995 and 2020.” “The NASB is an original translation from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. It is an update of the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901, which itself was a revision of the 1885 Revised Version (RV), which updated the King James Version (KJV).” >> At 18:27 to 19:40. I took the trip to Texas in 2012. >> At 19:51 I made a comment with regards to “every significant prophet.” The background for that statement is that in my opinion (emphasis), Ezekiel and Daniel are books that have some significance, but they are not the works of truly significant prophets by those names. >> At 20:23 to 21:17. I discovered that “God’s Voice” had been wiped out of most modern translations of the Bible in 2017. >> At 53:00 to 53:40. With regards to the date of Dante’s Inferno, the following is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy. “The Divine Comedy … is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. 1308 and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of Western literature. … It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.” >> At 1:35:59 to 1:36:09, where I mentioned Valley Forge as a symbol of sacrifice, the student should note that this is a meaning of “sacrifice” that is ENTIRELY different from the meaning of sacrifice to God as mentioned in the Bible and propounded by orthodox Christianity. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 3-6-24 CLASS LAST EDITED 3-9-24 >> At 8:04 to 8:20, Zoom did not record the third clip that I showed. It was from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, at time index about 9:08 in the movie, where Harry says “You’re lying.” >> At 19:36 to 19:37, “but I didn’t know that it was in the Bible,” I could have added “and was surprised to find it there because 2000 years of orthodox and proto-orthodox Christian belief has been based on the validity and absolute necessity of sacrifice.” >> At 20:08 to 20:16, “adamantly opposed to 1700 years, or more, of Christian doctrine” would have been more complete as “adamantly opposed to the doctrine of almost all of the epistles except James and adamantly opposed to 1700 years, or more, of Christian doctrine.” >> At 38:13 to 38:16 I mentioned Mount Horeb as a location distinct from Mount Sinai. Further research revealed that most scholars think Horeb and Sinai are two different names for the same place. The following is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Horeb. “Mount Horeb … is the mountain at which the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God, according to the Book of Deuteronomy …. It is described in two places (the Book of Exodus and the Books of Kings) as … "Mountain of Elohim". … In other biblical passages, these events are described as having transpired at Mount Sinai. Although most scholars consider Sinai and Horeb to have been different names for the same place, there is a minority body of opinion that they may have been different locations.” >> At 51:00 to 51:08, “How they sacrificed their children was they burned them to death.” It’s possible they might have slain the children in a more merciful manner, and then burned their bodies after killing them. >> At 57:57 to 58:02 the World English Bible was not the last Bible on the list which translated Gehenna honestly. In fact it was second to last; the last one was Young’s Literal Translation. >> At 1:02:54 to 1:03:01, the copyright on my copy of the NASB is 1973, which is why I thought the translation was completed in 1973. In fact it was released in 1971. See notes above under “NOTES ON THE 3-6-24 CLASS.” >> At 1:13:42 to 1:13:48, “the first time” was meant to be “the first time that I know of.” >> At 1:27:36 to 1:28:35, Doug was right and I was wrong about the King James Version. The following is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version. “The task of translation was undertaken by 47 scholars, although 54 were originally approved. All were members of the Church of England and all except Sir Henry Savile were clergy.” >> At 1:28:16 to 1:28:23, “New King James Bible” was meant to be “King James Bible.” >> At 1:28:35 to 1:29:46, it appears that I was right about the New English Bible. The following is reformatted but is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_English_Bible. Contributors and sponsors: Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland, British and Foreign Bible Society, Church of England, Church of Scotland, Congregational Church in England and Wales, Council of Churches for Wales, Irish Council of Churches, London Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Methodist Church of Great Britain, National Bible Society of Scotland, Presbyterian Church of England. >> At 1:42:31 to 1:42:34, “ancient manuscripts of Matthew” was meant to be “ancient manuscripts of Mark.” >> At 1:47:01 to 1:47:04 “chapter four” was meant to be “Mark chapter nine.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 3-6-24 CLASS >> At 18:58 to 19:17, the reference was to Isaiah 1:10-20.

NOTES ON THE 2-21-24 CLASS >> For the first time in almost a year, there was a technological problem that degraded the quality of my voice throughout the recording. However, it is still usable. I think I have corrected the problem, and I definitely will do what I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. >> The last forty minutes, which was all open discussion, were about the approaches to sex in the Bible and in traditional Christianity. I think this was a discussion that has significant practical application that may be more obvious than much of what we have discussed before. This discussion starts at about 1:38:15 or maybe a little earlier. >> The points I made from 2:12:44 to the end of the recording (5m45s later) are a summary of a large part of what I have been trying to teach since the start and of a very large part of the Bible. The churches have never understood a single particle of this, which to a large extent is why they have never come even remotely close to understanding the Bible. The ideas I presented were not entirely familiar to Doug, which means I have to assume that no one else understands them at all. This is at the core of everything I ever have taught or ever will teach and also at the core of the meaning of the Bible. I recommend that you listen to this portion as many times as necessary to understand what I said there. The entire lecture portion of the 10-29-2023 class, which is from 19:08 to 1:30:59 on the recording of that class, is an expanded version of what I summarized in the last 5m45s of this class. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 2-21-24 CLASS >> At 5:44 – 5:46, “the class schedule this week” was meant to be “the class schedule this year.” >> From 23:20, “the three types of things that you’re going to see are” should have been “the three types of things that you’re going to see on a typical page are.” Study Bibles in fact have other types of study helps in addition to verse-by-verse notes, footnotes for alternative manuscripts and translations, and cross-references. >> At 1:27:00 – 1:27:03, Avila was and is in Spain, not France. >> At 1:30:13 – 1:30:14, “I think is tares” was meant to be “I think is wheat.” >> At 2:02:54 – 2:03:00, “If my built-in nature is to have sexual urges” should have been “If my built-in nature is to have sexual urges, and that’s sinful for me.” >> There was a brief audio failure at 1:48:41 – 1:48:49. What I said, which was not entirely recorded, was “a real strong sense of their relationship with Jesus or attraction to God.” >> At 2:13:05 – 2:13:08 “this year” was meant to be “last year.” >> At 2:14:18 – 2:14:23 “make them guilty” was meant to be “make them feel guilty.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 2-21-24 CLASS >> With regards to 43:51 to 46:45, there are probably hundreds of references in the Bible to having only one god and to having no gods before Yahweh. Among the most prominent are the first of the Ten Commandments at Exodus 20:3-5 and Deuteronomy 5:7-6, the Shema Y’Israel at Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Jesus’ restatement of the Shema at Mark 12:29-30, and “no one can serve two masters” at Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13.

NOTES ON THE 2-7-24 CLASS >> I discussed the availability of audio versions of the Bible. >> I discussed the CSN radio network. >> We discussed the term “trinity” versus the doctrine of the Trinity. >> I gave more examples to prove the point that the gospels of Matthew and Luke are not entirely reliable. >> Most of the rest of the class was about Matthew 5:38-48 and the equivalent passage at Luke 6:27-37. >> Special thanks to Doug and Kevin for their outstanding contributions. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 2-7-24 CLASS >> From 11:47 to 13:21 I mentioned the CSN network. I neglected to state that it is a radio network. >> From 22:36 to 31:02 we discussed the “Johannine Comma” (Latin: Comma Johanneum) at 1 John 5:7-8. Based on the NRSVUE, the version that was never seen in the most ancient manuscripts is rendered into English as “There are three that testify in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth.” The ancient and authentic manuscripts are rendered into English as “There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.” Based on what we saw in class, I was mistaken in saying that the corrupted version was invented by the Roman church in response to Erasmus; apparently it first appeared at least as early as 1215. ADD HERE CORRECTION TO THE REASON FOR THE FOOTNOTE. >> At 38:23 to 38:36, I said that I think Matthew 5:39a is “probably the single most destructive concept that I have ever heard.” I expressed the same concept at 1:23:20 to 1:23:31 and probably at other times in this class and also at the 1-17-24 class. I somehow forgot that the single most destructive concept that I have ever heard is the anti-God, anti-Jesus, anti-human, anti-life, anti-love, anti-sanity, anti-ACIM dogma invented by ACIM so-called “teachers” and so-called “students” that not only must we never intentionally resist any evil, but also we must never intentionally do any good, express any love, recognize any difference between good and evil, recognize any qualitative difference between any behaviors, thoughts, feelings, conditions, or events, or have any preference for any one condition or event over any other condition or event. >> At 45:15 to 45:22 and 46:35 to 46:39, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogy_of_Jesus, Luke records 42 generations from David to Joseph, therefore 43 generations from David to Jesus. >> At 47:20 to 47:26 I said “right down to the last king.” In fact Jeconiah was the second to last king of Judah. The last king (Zedekiah) was his uncle, and therefore was not part of the genealogy of Jesus. See 2 Kings 24:15-20. >> At 1:15:26 to 1:15:28, “erroneous” should have been “inerrant.” >> At 2:07:15 to 2:07:21 I said “A Course in Miracles gives a new definition to a whole bunch of Christian words.” Actually the number of Christian words to which ACIM gives new definitions may be in single digits. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 2-7-24 CLASS >> With regards to 37:04 to 37:18, 37:57 to 38:06, 1:54:50 to 1:55:04, and possibly other cases, various renderings from Matthew 5:39a are: NABRE: one who is evil NASB: an evil person NASB1995: an evil person NCB: someone who is wicked NCV: an evil person NET: the evildoer NIV: an evil person NKJV: an evil person NRSVUE: an evildoer. >> At 48:30 to 49:44, Thomas Paine died in 1809. The full title of the book I mentioned is The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. It was published in three parts in 1794, 1795, and 1807. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Reason, last edited 29 January 2024 at 18:32 UTC.) >> With regards to Paine’s pamphlets which were causative factors in the American Revolution, two quotes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine#American_Revolution are: “Paine has a claim to the title The Father of the American Revolution, which rests on his pamphlets, especially Common Sense, which crystallized sentiment for independence in 1776.” “In late 1776, Paine published The American Crisis pamphlet series to inspire the Americans in their battles against the British army.” >> At 51:34 to 51:49, 1:08:34 to 1:08:52, and shown but not spoken at 1:16:00 to 1:16:20, the references for “not hear” are Deuteronomy 30:17, “But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear,” and Matthew 13:13, “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (NKJV).

NOTES ON THE 1-17-24 CLASS >> I think this class was as good as any Bible class that has ever taken place anywhere, any time, no matter whether at a university, a church, a monastery, or anywhere else. I recommend the video to everyone. >> Special thanks to Doug for his outstanding contributions. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 1-17-24 CLASS >> From 30:42 to 31:09 I was making recommendations about books to give insight into the meaning of the life and teachings of Jesus. I said “If you want to have insight into the meaning of the life and teachings of Jesus, the two best books to read, aside from the ancient books, … the two books that I would most recommend are Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and Illusions, both by Richard Bach.” In my statement I was referring to beginner-level books. A Course in Miracles provides a thousand times more insight into the meaning of the life and teachings of Jesus than everything else ever written (including the five gospels and all of the other ancient books) all combined together, but it is not a beginner-level book. The same could probably be said for a small number of similar modern books. >> At 1:35:05 and again at 1:37:05 I said that the next class would take place in two weeks. January has five Wednesdays, and my plan is to hold class on the first and third Wednesdays through the end of June, so in fact the next class will take place three weeks after the 1-17-2024 class.

NOTES ON THE 1-3-24 CLASS >> I think this was a VERY important class with ideas on reading the Bible (especially for beginners) that you won’t hear anywhere else. Some of those ideas were the contrast between the epistles and Matthew on what became orthodox Christian salvation theology, ideas on picking a translation, recommended order of reading the books of the Bible, the unique weaknesses of each gospel, and an overview of the books of the Tanakh. I recommend that those who were not in class watch the recording. If you were in class, I recommend watching it again to ingrain the ideas in your mind. The corrections noted below are important. >> Due to a Zoom failure, the screen is blank from 1:16:57 to 1:21:32, but the table I intended to display does show up from 1:21:32. >> From 1:44:20 we had about twenty minutes of open discussion that was not recorded, after which I resumed recording. >> Doug’s metaphor of a puzzle during the final 60 seconds is profoundly important. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 1-3-24 CLASS >> At 54:50 to 54:54, “no human sacrifice there or at any point after” should have been “no valid human sacrifice there or at any point after.” >> From 1:07:20 to 1:15:27, with regards to the order in which to read the gospels, I should have said to read the Gospel of Thomas at any point after Mark and preferably before Luke. I would also advise reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions, both by Richard Bach, as possibly the two best books aside from ancient books to obtain insight into Jesus and the meaning of his teachings. >> From 1:19:30 to 1:19:34, I was mistaken in my statement that both Leviticus and Numbers are “pretty much all [from] P.” For Leviticus that statement is true, but Numbers, like Genesis and Exodus, is a combination of J, E, and P. See “Additional References” (below) for my source. >> From 1:22:28, “Isaiah and Jeremiah coming in close second” should have been “Isaiah and Jeremiah coming in close sixth and seventh.” >> From 1:38:20, “… the story as told in the book of 2 Kings … they commence fanatical animal sacrifice.” This correction is an important example of three principles. The first principle is that one reason why I try to provide in this series of emails the book/chapter/verse references for what I said in class is that it forces me to make sure what I said was right. The second is that the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles are propaganda made by the priests as a replacement for and distortion of the Deuteronomistic History. The third is that the purpose of the books of Chronicles was to support the Tares Religion. In my statement I was conflating the accounts of the reforms of Josiah in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. In 2 Kings 23:21-23 the story is only that the Passover was kept for the first time since the days of the judges, which means for the first time since the Israelites crossed the Jordan almost eight hundred years earlier. As would be expected from the author of Deuteronomy (which says almost nothing about sacrifice) and Jeremiah (which is opposed to sacrifice), there is no mention of sacrifice per se and no mention of the priests or Levites as being involved in the Passover. In 2 Chronicles 35:1-19 the original story is distorted into a long discussion of the role of the priests and of the sacrifice, at that one Passover, of a total of 44,100 animals. This is an example of what I can not overemphasize for anyone who wants to read the Bible: Like much of Leviticus and other passages that come from the P document, the books of Chronicles are start to finish garbage written for the purpose of establishing the Tares Religion as the replacement for the Wheat Religion – there was no intention of telling the truth in the minds of the authors. >> From 1:39:33, “… that history, which is the great bulk of the history in the Bible,” should have been “… that history, which is the great bulk of the meaningful history in the Protestant 'Old Testament.' " The first four books contain myths and legends, not meaningful history; the books of Chronicles have no claim at all to being history; and the books of Maccabees are not found in the Protestant canon. >> At 1:39:56-57. Based on the correction noted above, I realize that 2 Kings 22-23 is not saying that they found a fraudulent book, and in fact the story in 2 Kings would fit with their having found Deuteronomy. >> From 1:44:15 "read the Bible first" should have been "read the gospels first." ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 1-3-24 CLASS >> Recording from 19:44 to 23:06. With regards to ritual purity in ancient Jewish religion, the source I mentioned is the course titled “Jesus and His Jewish Influences,” by Professor Jodi Magness, Ph.D., a professor at UNC-CH. This course is 24 thirty-minute lectures and is one of many excellent courses at The Great Courses, www.thegreatcourses.com. I think most of the content I referred to is from lectures 5, 13, and 23. >> From 24:52: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is quoted by Jesus at Matthew 5:38. The Tanakh references include Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. >> From 25:54, Jesus’ statement “Blessed are the peacemakers” is from Matthew 5:9. >> From 41:10, Jesus’ statement containing “in spirit and in truth” is at John 4:19-24. >> From about 55:55, my reference is to sacrifices to Molech as recorded in the Tanakh, which appear to have included child sacrifice. Bible verses include Leviticus 20:2, Leviticus 20:3, Leviticus 20:4, Leviticus 20:5, 1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:10, and Jeremiah 32:35. >> From 1:19:08 to 1:19:34, the comments with regards to the documents from which Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers were constructed is from the Appendix of Who Wrote the Bible, by Richard Elliott Friedman, published by Simon and Schuster, © 1987. >> From 1:37:35, the “discovery” of a book attributed to Moses is from 2 Kings chapter 22. >> From 1:38:40 I said “Deuteronomy barely even ever mentions sacrifice.” I’m currently reading through Deuteronomy to find to what extent it mentions sacrifice. With 13 of 34 chapters left to read, I have found only one brief reference, at 27:4-7, to sacrifice. A search of the NKJV at Biblegateway found additional cases of “offerings” only at brief passages in chapters 12 and 18. >> From 1:36:50 to 1:37:56. The references to the book given by Moses having been lost for so long that no one in power even knew that there ever had been a book from Moses is from 2 Kings 22:3-20.

CORRECTIONS NEEDED TO STATEMENTS MADE AT THE 2023 12 20 CLASS >> Only the wheat teachings of the Bible are grades K-3. The tares teachings are steps backwards, not education. >> From 22:30. The best purpose for reading the Bible is also to promote the growth of your personal relationship with the Trinity, with all of mankind, and with the rest of the life on Earth. However, that’s just another way of saying what I said about ACIM and some other scriptures. >> At about 43:45 to at least 44:15, I was mistaken in my statement that both Leviticus and Numbers are almost all from the P document. For Leviticus that statement is true, but Numbers, like Genesis and Exodus, is a combination of J, E, and P. >> At 45:15 – 45:26, “the books of the Tanakh, in order and by type” should have been “the books of the Tanakh, in the order of the Protestant and Catholic canons and by type.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 2023 12 20 CLASS >> For 0:00 – 6:20. Parable of the Sower. Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, Luke 8:4–15, and Thomas saying 9. >> For 0:00 – 6:20. Legion of demons and herd of pigs. Mark 5:1-20, probably also Luke. >> For 0:00 – 6:20. ACIM miracle principle “altar of truth.” Urtext Manuscripts T.1.B.22g, add Original Edition Tx.1.20. >> From 47:22, the story of David and Goliath is found at 1 Samuel 16:14 – 17:58. >> For 48:18 ff: With regards to the law code in Deuteronomy, the chapters that I was referring to would start at chapter 13 or earlier and continue through at least chapter 22. >> From 57:29, the chapters to which I was referring are Hebrews 9 and 10. The verse I mentioned from about 59:23 to about 1:00:01 is Hebrews 10:14. >> The reference from the book of Genesis is 3:1-7. >> From 1:05:10 to at least 1:06:38, the references were to the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Apostles’ Creed includes I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. (source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, https://www.usccb.org/prayers/apostles-creed) The Nicene Creed does not specify the body in its statement regarding the resurrection, but instead reads as follows: I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. (source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, https://www.usccb.org/prayers/nicene-creed)

Our actual 39th session, held on 12-13-23, was a private class. The purpose of this video is to catch up online viewers to the point that we were at when that class started.

NOTES ON THE 11-19-23 CLASS >> After Thanksgiving we will switch to Wednesday nights. The next class will be held 11-29-2023. >> While we were still in the usual preliminaries, there was a technology failure that resulted in 3 minutes and 33 seconds of either silence or recovery from the silence. Skip from 5:42 to 9:15 if you don’t want to waste your time. If you want to skip all of the usual preliminaries and get right to the substance, just start at 9:15. >> In this class we finished our discussion of the Parable of the Sower in Mark. After that we took a close look at the problems with Isaiah 6:9-10, how Mark introduced a new problem when he quoted part of those verses, and how Matthew and Luke handled those two problems when they copied the Parable of the Sower from Mark. >> At the very end of open discussion I introduced new and important material about Mark 10:41-45. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 11-19-23 CLASS >> With regards to what I said at 47:43 to 49:27 and again at 50:30, I searched both of my study Bibles by Evangelicals and found that neither one of them say what I remembered one of them as saying. I may have seen that interpretation somewhere else, but the bottom line is that my statement was wrong. >> At 1:05:01 to 1:05:56, the two alternate versions of Mark 1:1 that I mentioned are explained by the footnote on that verse in the NRSVUE: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.[b] Footnote [b]: Other ancient authorities add Son of God >> At 1:25:58 to 1:26:02, “Jeremiah 21” was meant to be “Jeremiah 7:21.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 11-19-23 CLASS >> The quote at 35:47 to 36:48 was by Yogananda’s paramaguru (his guru’s guru), Lahiri Mahasaya. >> “God is love” is found twice in the Bible: 1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16. >> “Choose life” is from Deuteronomy 30:19. >> The quote at 49:27 to 50:22 is from The Jewish Study Bible, produced by the Jewish Publication Society (1999) and published by Oxford University Press (2004), pg 797.

NOTE ON THE 11-12-23 CLASS We covered several topics that are related by themes that will become apparent as you watch. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 11-12-23 CLASS >> From 22:24 (or earlier) to at least 23:04 I said that none of the authors of the New Testament understood the teachings of Jesus, with the exceptions of the authors of Mark and John. I should have added Revelation to that list, and I need to double-check James. Aside from those books, I stand by what I said. >> At about 26:30 and again at 26:50, I said that Jesus quoted Hosea 4:6. In fact Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 and not 4:6. See Matthew 9:13 and 12:7. However, the meaning of Jesus’ statement at Matthew 12:7 is almost identical to what Hosea said at 4:6 – the reason for human suffering is lack of knowledge. >> At 27:50 to 27:58, “the knowledge that you’ve seen” was meant to be “the knowledge that you need.” >> At 37:54 to 38:02, I said “a bunch of the inner circle, the guys who had come from Bethsaida.” The gospel records that seven apostles were there, five of whom are named. Of those named, Peter and the sons of Zebedee came from Bethsaida. We are not told whether the two not named are the other two apostles from Bethsaida: Philip and Andrew. >> At 1:20:07 to 1:20:10, “he quotes Isaiah nine ten” was meant to be “he quotes Isaiah six verses nine and ten.” ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 11-12-23 CLASS >> “You know neither the scriptures nor the power of God” is found at Mark 12:24 and Matthew 22:29. >> “The truth will set you free” is found at John 8:32. >> The encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus is found at Luke 24:13-35. >> The clearest Biblical statements that we are all divine are at Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34. >> “Greater things than these” is found at John 14:12.

NOTE ON THE 11-05-23 CLASS We covered numerous related topics in this class, most of which were related to the topic of the relationship between the conscious and subconscious parts of the mind and how that relates to following Christ and the two paradigms. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 11-05-23 CLASS >> None that I know of so far. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES FOR THE 11-05-23 CLASS >> For 7:35 – 10:28. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26, NKJV). >> For 48:15 – 48:45. Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again." (Gospel of Thomas 49, Patterson and Meyer translation) >> For 48:15 – 48:45. The explanation of how the Gospel of John tells the same thing as Thomas 49 was given at the 5-28-23 class, from 1:07:30 to 1:20:19. >> For 1:01:56 – 1:02:59. “The Bhagavad Gita and other parts of the Mahabharata epic possess several knot-points (vyas-kutas). Keep the knot-points unquestioned, and we find only mythical stories of a peculiar and easily misunderstood type. Leave the knot-points unexplained, and we lose a science that India has preserved with superhuman patience after a quest of thousands of years of experiment.” (Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda, Self-Realization Fellowship, Thirteenth edition, 1998; pg 367 of the 2019 printing) >> For 1:22:23 – 1:33:00. “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30, NKJV)

NOTE ON THE 10-29-23 CLASS The main topic of the class was the relationship of the conscious and subconscious parts of the mind, and how that relates to following Christ and the two paradigms. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 10-29-23 CLASS >> None that I know of so far. REFERENCES FOR THE 10-29-23 CLASS >> For 15:40 – 17:12. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV) >> For 15:40 – 17:12. The Parable of the Sower is at Mark 4:1-20, as well as Matthew 13 and Luke 8. >> For 15:40 – 17:12. Jesus said, "Congratulations to those who are alone and chosen, for you will find the kingdom. For you have come from it, and you will return there again." (Gospel of Thomas saying 47, Patterson and Meyer translation) >> For 15:40 – 17:12. Jesus said, "There are many standing at the door, but those who are alone will enter the bridal suite." (Gospel of Thomas saying 75, Patterson and Meyer translation) >> For 28:08 – 28:17. His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it." (Gospel of Thomas saying 113, Patterson and Meyer translation) >> For 57:00 – 57:44. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! (Romans 7:15-24a, NIV) >> For 1:03:14 – 1:03:38. The message of the crucifixion is very simple and perfectly clear: “teach ONLY love, for that is what you ARE.” (ACIM, Urtext Manuscripts version, T 6 B 14) >> For 1:25:11 – 1:25:31. … makes it likely that the ego will attack anyone and anything, for no reason at all. This is exactly what it DOES. (ACIM, Urtext Manuscripts version, T 9 C 7) Note: “Ego” is the term that ACIM uses for what I call “tares mind.”

NOTE ON THE 10-22-23 CLASS The main topic of the class was the Biblical representation of Satan, but the second topic was fundamentals of reading the Bible. I presented the first four fundamentals near the start. After the discussion of Satan, from 1:06:15 to the end, we discussed strategies for reading the Bible in two specific cases: Hosea 4:5-6 and the book of Job as a whole. For anyone who intends to read the Tanakh, the “Old (not a) Testament,” this was some of the most important material that has been presented so far in class, and I think you might have a hard time finding the perspectives presented here at other sources. At the next class I will probably build on my initial comments on the book of Job. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 10-22-23 CLASS LAST EDITED 2-25-24 >> At 27:02 to 27:13, “I do think we’re at a level of depth that you’re not going to find in Bible classes” I meant to say “in many Bible classes.” >> At 27:52 to 27:53, “it probably will be easier for them” should have been “it probably will be easier for us.” >> At 28:53 to 29:15 and again at 45:03 to 45:21 I said that Satan shows up in the Tanakh only in Job and Zechariah. In fact Satan shows up one other time in the Tanakh. At 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan tempts David to take a census of Israel. >> At 34:15 to 34:17 where I said “all his family is dead,” what I meant to say is “all his children are dead.” >> At 39:40, “something that Colin Tipping makes” should have been “a point that Colin Tipping makes.” >> At 51:36 to 51:42, “You have to look at the context; there’s no way you can tell by the context” was meant to be “You have to look at the context; there’s no way you can tell except by the context.” >> At 58:24 to 58:27, the 20th chapter of Revelation is third to last, not second to last. >> At 58:44 to 58:46 “we live among God” should have been “we live in the awareness of the presence of God.” >> At 1:05:44, “close to the lecture period” was meant to be “close to the end of the lecture period.” >> At 1:47:25 to 1:47:38, with regards to the Persian period, it was from 539 to 332 BCE – from the sixth century to the fourth century BCE, not fifth to third centuries BCE.

NOTE ON THE 10-15-23 CLASS The 10-15-23 class was about the psychological cause and effect processes that lead to war and the alternative psychological cause and effect processes that could prevent war, with the current Israel-Hamas war being a case in point. We drew on numerous passages both from the Bible and from extra-Biblical wisdom to inform the discussion of how human psychology leads to war and how the thought system given to us by God could prevent war. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 10-15-23 CLASS >> From 17:30 to 17:55, I said “The concept of The Force in the Star Wars movies is very very closely related to the concept of Logos in the Star Wars movies.” What I meant to say was “The concept of The Force in the Star Wars movies is very closely related to the concept of Logos in the Gospel of John and probably also in Philo.” >> At 22:40 to 22:55, when I said “so then it would be a connection with your mind” what I meant to say was “so then it would be a connection between their minds and your mind.” >> At 38:50 to 38:56, “We’re gonna go to Hosea chapter six” should have been “ … Hosea chapter four.” >> At 39:29 to 39:36, when I said “Hosea would be the second in that century,” what I meant was “the second most important in that century.” >> From 39:37 to 39:50, when I was commenting on the books of the prophets, I said “In terms of the quality of the prophetic books, I think you have to put Jeremiah and Hosea probably tied for first, and then I would put Hosea second.” What I meant to say was “I think you have to put Jeremiah and Isaiah tied for first, and then I would put Hosea third.” >> At 48:14 to 48:18, when I said “Well, they weren’t thinking about that, and neither were the Germans,” what I meant to say was “Well, the Japanese weren’t thinking about that, and neither were the Germans.” >> At 1:13:42, quoting the Gospel of Thomas saying 29, “Yet I dwell …” should have been “Yet I marvel …” >> At 1:41:27 to 1:41:35, when I said “It’s not a failure to recognize …” what I meant to say was “I’m not advocating failure to recognize …” REFERENCES NOT GIVEN AT THE 10-15-23 CLASS >> None that I know of so far.

NOTE ON THE 10-8-23 CLASS The 10-8-23 class followed a different format from the previous classes. It essentially consisted of four separate but related lectures. The first was by myself, the second was by Doug, the third was by Bill, and the fourth was by myself. I THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT CLASSES SO FAR. The recording is two hours and four minutes long – thirteen minutes longer than the longest that we have had in the past. For those who did not lecture, this class will be better as a recording than it would have been if you had actually been present at class. I recommend listening to it in parts when your schedule allows sufficient time, and not necessarily trying to listen to it all at once. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 10-8-23 CLASS >> WILL BE ADDED LATER. REFERENCES NOT GIVEN AT THE 10-8-23 CLASS >> WILL BE ADDED LATER.

NOTE ON THE 10-1-23 CLASS The 10-1-23 class is part of a series with the previous three classes and depends on those classes. The dates of those classes are 9-10-23, 9-17-23, and 9-24-23. If you have not watched those three classes, watch them in order and then come back to this one. Those were some of the best classes so far, so if this is your first look at my classes, they will give you a sense of whether these classes will be appealing to you. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 10-1 CLASS >> From 16:25 to 16:57, when I said that my corrections are at Zoom, I meant to say they are at Rumble. >> At 24:35 to 24:47, when I said "lord in all caps with the last three letters in lower case" what I meant to say was "lord in all caps with the last three letters in smaller font." >> At 38:40 when I said "we have a record of what he [Jesus] said," it would have been more accurate to say "a minority of the human race has had a record of what he said." >> At 39:28 where I said "The Holy Spirit is with us now," a more accurate statement would have been "The Holy Spirit is with all people all the time." >> At 55:16 to 55:24, "an analysis of the history and future of the Israelite religion" would have been more accurate as "an analysis of the history and a prophecy of the future of the Israelite religion." >> At 1:02:10 to 1:02:22, "when you flip to a destructive mental perception to a constructive mental perception" should have been "when you flip from a destructive mental perception to a constructive mental perception" REFERENCES NOT GIVEN IN CLASS >> At 28:31 to 33:26, when I referred to Hebrews "without the shedding of blood," the reference is to Hebrews 9:22 specifically and to the context at chapter 9 as a whole. >> At 28:31 to 33:26, when I referred to Paul in Romans, the passage to which I was referring is Romans 9:14-22. >> At 48:27 to 48:35, when I thought I was quoting Jesus as having said "He was a liar from the start," I was conflating two parts of John 8:44, which reads in part "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (NIV) >> At 1:40:37 to 1:41:48, the passage in ACIM to which I referred is at Urtext Manuscripts W.200.R6.6. It reads as follows: When you are tempted, hasten to proclaim your freedom from temptation, as you say: “This thought I do not want. I choose instead ...” And then repeat the idea for the day, and let it take the place of what you thought. In Original Edition (that title is a misnomer) it is at WkBk.RvVI.9. >> At 1:41:48 to 1:42:16, the passage in ACIM to which I referred is at Urtext Manuscripts T.2.E.47-48. It reads as follows: For this reason, any attempt to resolve the basic conflict through the concept of mastery of fear is meaningless. In fact, it asserts the power of fear by the simple assumption that it need be mastered at all. The essential resolution rests entirely on the mastery of love. The equivalent passage is found in Original Edition at Tx.2.98.

NOTE ON THE 9-24-23 CLASS The 9-24-23 class is part of a series with the 9-10-23 and 9-17-23 classes and depends on those classes. If you have not watched those two classes, watch them first and then come back to this one. Those were two of the best classes so far, so if this is your first look at my classes, they will give you a sense of whether these classes will be appealing to you. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 9-24-23 CLASS >> At 9:17 – 9:21 "I have new challenges" should have been "I have no new challenges." >> The quote from the Dhammapada is from Chapter VIII, verses 4-6, which is verses 103-105 of the book. >> At 54:08 to 54:24 I said "It can be read by Jesus as a description of the evolution of Israelite religion." Obviously what I meant was "It can be read as a description by Jesus of the evolution of Israelite religion." >> At 58:46 to 58:55 "that concept of human sacrifice" should have been "Jesus' concept that all sacrifice is always wrong was replaced with the belief in a once-for-all human sacrifice." >> From 1:08:00 to 1:08:22 Bill and I were discussing different ways of understanding the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. At 1:08:05 I said "I think the other ways of looking at it are helpful." From 1:08:15 I said "I think all four ways are ...." I was referring only to the four explanations that I offered, and NOT to Matthew's explanation. The four explanations that I offered were 1) removing the tares from one's own mind, 2) mankind over the course of history collectively removing the tares from all of our minds, 3) a parable of the development of Israelite religion, and 4) a prophecy of the development of Christian religion. Matthew's explanation is the consignment by Jesus of evil people to "the furnace of fire" (13:42) at "the end of the age" (13:39, 40).

NOTE ON THE 9-17-23 CLASS The 9-17-23 class is paired with the 9-10-23 class and depends on that class. If you have not watched the 9-10-23 class, watch that one first and then come back to this one. These were two of the best classes so far, so if this is your first look at my classes, these two will give you a sense of whether these classes will be appealing to you. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 9-17-23 CLASS >> From 1:29 to 2:47 Doug and I were discussing whether Jesus was executed for blasphemy or for heresy. I'm sure I can speak for Doug when I say we both know he was executed by Pilate and not by the Sanhedrin, which means that speaking literally he was not executed either for heresy or for blasphemy but because the Sanhedrin put Pilate in a position where he had no other choice. We were using verbal shorthand to refer to the motivations of the Sanhedrin in order to avoid the necessity of making very long sentences to explain the exact nuance of how it happened. In fact what the Sanhedrin actually did was to bear false witness to the civil authority that had the responsibility to prevent uprisings and the power to execute Jesus. >> From 11:50 to 17:25 in the discussion about the triangle of belief in separation, guilt, and harm, Doug and I were again using verbal shorthand with the word "guilt." In this section and probably also every case in which we used the word "guilt" in this class, we were referring to "inherent guilt" and not "specific guilt." See the following for the definitions of "inherent guilt" and specific guilt." Introduced 7-16-23, on unedited recording from TI 07:07 to 10:05. Reviewed and upgraded 7-30-23, on unedited recording from 2:47 to [not after] 19:53. Reviewed again 8-13-23, on unedited recording from 37:17 to 50:59 and 1:00:42 to 1:02:19. >> From 19:30 to 19:39 I said that at 1 Chronicles 22:1 Satan tempted King David to take a census. I meant to say 1 Chronicles 21:1. >> At 26:40 to 26:42 I said Genesis 1-6 when I meant to say Genesis 3:1-6.

If you like the class, feel free to share it. NOTE ON THE 9-10-23 CLASS Although I have been very happy with many of the previous classes, I think this one was the best and most important so far. If you’re only going to listen to one class, this should be it. If you understand what was said, you’ll probably want to listen to all of the previous classes and all of the future classes. If you do decide to listen to the others, I recommend doing so in order, because this is academic learning with each class building on the previous classes. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 9-10-23 CLASS >> At 24:12 to 24:36 I said that Satan as the superhuman adversary to God only occurs at two places in the Tanakh: the book of Job and Zecharaiah 3. In fact Satan as a superhuman being also occurs at 1 Chronicles 21:1, where he tempts King David to take a census of the people of Israel. >> At 27:45 to 27:53, referring to the Second Temple Period, I said “after the return to Babylon.” What I meant to say was “after the return from Babylon.” >> At 59:14 to 59:21 I said “traditional Christianity is a Satan foundation.” What I meant to say was “traditional Christianity is based on a Satan foundation.” >> At 1:25:43 to 1:25:50, referring to Matthew’s explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, I said “tares means bad people, and wheat means bad people.” What I meant to say was “wheat means good people.” >> At 1:28:18 – 1:28:25, referring to the cases where Matthew takes content from Mark and changes it to make some people look guilty, I said there was “case after case after case” where we could actually see what Matthew did. In fact I have never counted the cases where Matthew does this. Off the top of my head I know of only two, both of which are theologically crucial, but in fact I do not know how many there are.

CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 8-27-23 CLASS >> At 54:17 to 54:22 “any thing” should have been “any case of man-made evil or suffering.” >> At 46:00 to 46:08 I guessed that our in-class cause and effect exercise to analyze the relationship of cases of man-made evil and suffering with the judicial paradigm took place “probably on the thirteenth,” meaning at the August 13th 2023 class. In fact it took place at the July 30th class. >> At 1:31:40 to 1:31:49 “this whole baptism and confirmation thing” should have been “this whole infant baptism and confirmation thing.”

If you like the class, feel free to share it. CORRECTIONS TO STATEMENTS AT THE 9-3-23 CLASS >> From about 1:19:41, Doug stated that “in the early decades of the church … [the Christians] were living communally.” After class Doug searched for evidence to support that statement and found very little. At the subsequent class (9-10-23) from about 8:56 to about 15:52, Doug gave a detailed correction of his statement with regards to communal living by the early Christians.

COMMENT ON THE 8-20-23 CLASS I was dissatisfied with the excessive insertion of unnecessary comments – a total of twelve interruptions by my count – at 2:17 to 7:17. I was far more dissatisfied with the events at 1:13:00 to 1:18:10, which included twenty-three additional unnecessary interruptions, a descent into complete chaos, overt rejection of my authority to lead the class, and the necessity for very strong words by myself in order to get the class back on track. If I were trying to make my own class look good, I would edit these parts out of the published recording. However, they are an example of group spiritual study in real life, so I’m leaving them in the hopes that the events themselves may be educational to some who hear them. If you’re not in the mood to listen to chaos, simply skip those sections. After the class, my written comments to the class were “Let’s make sure this never happens again, and let’s allow God to make some good come out of the events that occurred. This class is meant to be an academic environment. I will not allow it to descend into comedy and group entertainment.” CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 8-20-23 CLASS >> At 23:35 “Hebrew reads from left to right” was meant to be “Hebrew reads from right to left.” >> From 27:00 we were discussing the meaning of Jeremiah 7:22. From 27:00 to 27:48 I said “All of the commands to do any offerings to God are given during that period. There’s not a single one recorded in the Bible that is not given in that period. So if they’re not given in that period, then they’re not in the Hebrew scriptures at all. And if God is saying that all the ones that purport to have come from Him during that period are a lie, because He didn’t speak them, then that means there’s not a single one in the Hebrew scriptures.” That should have been “All of the commands to do any offerings to God that purportedly were given, were purportedly given during that period. There’s not a single one recorded in the Bible that purportedly was not given in that period. So if God did not give them during that period, then God did not give them at all, in spite of the fact that they are in the Hebrew scriptures. And if God is saying that all the ones that purport to have come from Him during that period are a lie, because He didn’t speak them, then that means God is saying that every single one that is in the Hebrew scriptures is a lie.” COMMENT: It also means that every case in the Bible where the name of God is invoked when those commandments are given is a violation of the commandment “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” See Leviticus 7:38, which is the summary of Leviticus 1-7, as an example of taking the name of the LORD in vain. >> At 1:23:12, background noise obscured “our” at what should have been “our limitations.” >> At 1:10:40 to 1:10:50 “I don’t think it makes a significant difference how the author knew” should have been preceded by “In this particular case.”

IF YOU LIKE THE CLASS, FEEL FREE TO SHARE IT. CORRECTIONS TO MY STATEMENTS AT THE 8-13-23 CLASS >> At 17:24 to 17:29, “he [Mark] wrote while Peter was still living in conjunction with Mark” should have been “he [Mark] wrote while Peter was still living in conjunction with Peter” >> From 32:05, “any case of man-made evil and suffering that’s not the result of unavoidable ignorance” should have been “any case of man-made evil and suffering that’s not the result of the judicial paradigm, except in cases of unavoidable ignorance.” >> At 39:45 to 39:47, “Gospel of Job” should have been “Book of Job.” >> At 1:11:25 to 1:11:34, “it got into Luke’s gospel” should have been “it got into Luke’s sequel to his gospel.” >> From 1:15:38 to about 1:15:57 I stated that “I don’t think there’s a single case on this list where anybody would have known consciously what they were doing.” In the discussion that followed I adhered to that basic line of thought. Upon reflection I realized that Doug was on the right track and that the statement I made that none of the people perpetrating the distortions knew consciously what they were doing was totally erroneous. This is probably the most important case of the class teaching the teacher that has happened so far in our class. Doug’s insights open a range of closely related topics, and we will need to follow up on this as soon as possible. Although there may have been subconscious motivations behind the distortions, the behaviors were definitely consciously deliberate in at least some of the examples given. As an example of the further examination needed here, my statement at 1:16:43 “and that it’s subconscious” should have been “and that it’s subconsciously motivated.” The topic is bigger than what can be covered in this list of corrections to my statements.