One of the key differences between the modern Western world and the Biblical world is the importance they place on community.
#1: East vs West
There are a lot of differences between the Eastern, Hebraic mindset and our modern Western ways of thinking. In this episode, we get an overview of some of these contrasting perspectives, focusing on differences related to community.
#2: Honor and Shame
What determines how you act? Are you more driven by a sense of whether the action is right or by what people will think? In this episode we look at a key difference between Eastern and Western cultures and how it influences how people in the Bible acted. This is a huge cultural contrast that is easy for Westerners to miss.
#3: Names and Naming
What is a name? Why do you have the name you have? Is there any significance to it? In the Bible, names were more than just a label. What does it mean to be renamed or to lose a name? What does it mean to carry God’s name well or in vain?
#4: The Father’s House
What is the basic building block of ancient society? How does the Bible use imagery of “the father’s house” to us teach about our relationship with God?
#5: Marriage and Family
Did Jesus promise us a mansion in heaven? Learn about ancient Israelite marriage and family customs to interpret imagery used in the New Testament.
#6: Redemption
What happens when life falls apart? How do you pick up the pieces? One of the ways the lives of people in the Bible were reassembled was by being redeemed. Redemption was not an abstract idea to them. Join us as we explore what redemption meant to them and what that means for us today.
#7: Table Fellowship
Who do you eat with? Meals in the ancient world were more than just what was on the table – who was at the table was even more important. Jesus’s controversial choice of dinner guests drew mixed reactions. What does it mean to be invited to eat with Jesus?
Recap
We hope you’ve enjoyed this series on communal culture in the Bible. Here is a quick recap of what we’ve covered.