Stuff You Missed...In The Bible...In Church History

#46 - "Why Paul Must Take a Back Seat to Jesus - The key ingredient to properly approaching and interpreting the NT." Let's explore a controversial but important thesis that may help us approach the New Testament in a more mature way and could help us clear up many errors in the process,   “Start with Paul and you will see Jesus incorrectly, start with Jesus and you will see Paul much differently.”   For any questions or comments, please email me: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

In Episode #45 we tackle the often confusing and mysterious question that many Christians have fretted over, "What is the Unpardonable Sin?"   You will be surprised that the teaching is found in one of the most famous teachings in all of the Old Testament.  It isn't a mystery, it is very clear, it is concrete.  Join us to find out, "What is the Unpardonable Sin?" To reach out with any questions or comments, please email at: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

Most of us are curious about the details of culture that surrounded Jesus' day that we don't know about.  Often we are surprised when the historical facts contradict the tradition that we have been taught.  In Episode #44 we explore, "5 Things Most People Don't Know About the NT."  You will find these things enlightening, maybe even a little provocative, and I hope clarifying in our constant pursuit of truth in our understanding scripture.   If you have comments, thoughts, or just want to drop me a line please contact me through my email: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

Our approach to conversion...  Is our process today of "raising our hands" to receive Christ or praying a "20 second prayer" creating strong disciples?  What kind of process did Jesus employ for people wanting to convert?  In this podcast David will explore our current approach to conversion within Western Christianity and contrast it with a surprising approach from Judaism.  It is a challenging subject that will make you think.   If you would like to email David and share your thoughts or questions, please email at: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

In our episode #42 I will explain my absence recently and why I was out for a while, and then we will look at Luke 11:1 when one of Jesus disciples ask Jesus, "Lord teach us to pray."  We will do a deep dive into the Lord's prayer in our titled episode, "The Lord's Prayer is not quite what you thought it was."  If you would like to reach out with any questions, thoughts, etc... you can reach me on my email at: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

Are Today's Preachers Weakening The Gospel?  The Challenge of Modern Day Sophists.  Paul had a lot to say about many preachers in his day who were relying more on the power of their own oratory to move people, than they were about the content and power of the message of the Gospel.  Paul had the same dilemma that we have today, where showmanship and polished rhetoric took precedence over the truth of the gospel.  Explore with us how the Sophists greatly influenced the Greco-Roman world and the church's viewpoint of power. To comment or share your thoughts, I would love to hear from you.  Email me at: mdavidhancock@gmail.com

What can Galileo teach us today?  Many of us know the name Galileo.  But few know what he did, the context which he operated in, and the problematic headwinds that he faced in trying to overcome centuries of tradition, theological assumptions and constructs in the church when it came to some of his scientific discoveries.  Learn more about the man Galileo, the difficulty in his heresy trial, and the lessons that we can learn and apply in our context of faith and science... Also, I'm indebted to the great biographer Michael White for his indispensable book on Galileo and his work, "Galileo: The AntiChrist."  For a more in depth study on Galileo I highly recommend his work which I've linked here.  

Who are the Nephilim in Genesis 6? One of the questions that I get asked most frequently over the years is the strange passage found in Genesis 6.  I always get asked, “Who are the Nephilim?”  You may be surprised that the most plausible answer is rather simple, and not as complex and bizarre as two of the most common theories espouse.  Learn more...

5 Books I Love, That You May Have Never Heard Of...  I love what Socrates said about reading and learning, “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.”  This is the heart of my passion for reading great books.  In this last episode of 2019, I provide 5 books from have shaped me, guidelines on how to read books, and links to some of these books that many haven't heard of...  Book #1: "Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith" by Dr. Marvin Wilson.  (Theological) Wonderful theological and challenging work to how you look at and study scripture. Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This volume delineates the link between Judaism and Christianity, between the Old and the New Testament, and calls Christians to reexamine their Hebrew roots so as to effect a more authentically biblical lifestyle. Book #2: "Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews" by James Carroll.  (History) Carroll maps the profoundly troubling two-thousand-year course of the Church’s battle against Judaism and faces the crisis of faith it has provoked in his own life as a Catholic. More than a chronicle of religion, this dark history is the central tragedy of Western civilization, its fault lines reaching deep into our culture. Book #3: "Silence" by Shusaku Endo.  (Historical Ficiton) Seventeenth-century Japan: Two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to a country hostile to their religion, where feudal lords force the faithful to publicly renounce their beliefs. Eventually captured and forced to watch their Japanese Christian brothers lay down their lives for their faith, the priests bear witness to unimaginable cruelties that test their own beliefs.  Book #4: "Tatoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion" by Gregory Boyle.  Gregory Boyle has run Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, the gang capital of the world. In Tattoos on the Heart, he distills his experience working in the ghetto into a breathtaking series of parables inspired by faith.  Book #5: "Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer" by Richard Rohr.  This popular and bestselling book of the renowned Franciscan challenges people to move beyond the comfort of a settled life toward an understanding of themselves that is rooted in their connection to God. Only when they rest in God can they find the certainty and the freedom to become all that they can be. Contemplation has its place at the heart of Christianity, a place that allows people to experience how “everything belongs.”

Who has impacted our theology more than any other? One of my favorite questions to ask people is, “Who has had the largest single impact on church doctrine and theology the last two-thousand years?”  Most answer with Jesus or the Apostle Paul, and of course I can't argue with that... But outside of scripture who has had the greatest impact, whether it has been for the good or at times to the detriment of the church, on our theology?  In this episode, find out who, why, and their key doctrinal ideas... 

Part 2 of "True Christians Never Get Depressed? Reconciling Faith & Mental Health."  We move towards a healthier hermeneutic in our case study passage of Matthew 17, where a religious father brings his son who is tormented by seizures and Jesus heals the young man.  This passage becomes a case study in how we truly reconcile the chasm we have in the church towards the mental health spectrum.   If you are struggling with depression or any other mental health spectrum issue or if you have a loved one or a friend, then you will not want to miss the 5 Guidelines at the end of the podcast that will help us bridge this great divide! Here is a link to the book, "Learning To Breathe Under Water - Managing Depression in the Sea of Religion." 

True Christians Never Get Depressed?  Really?  One of the most difficult and misunderstood subjects within Christianity and faith in general, is how do we try and reconcile genuine faith with the issue of depression and other related mental health issues on the spectrum?  No doubt it is a very tough question to answer, but answer I will try.   This subject is spilt into a Part 1 and Part 2.  Part 1 helps us build the framework of the severity of the issue within the faith community, and begins to build a framework towards a healthier hermeneutic.  While Part 2 will dive deep into several key passages in the New Testament to try and bridge the gap between scripture and mental health. As mentioned in this episode, I have written a book on this subject titled, "Learning To Breathe Underwater: Managing Depression in the Sea of Religion."  You can get the book via paperback or Kindle.  Click here

Are all teachings of scripture equal?  How do we discern between two biblical truths?  How do we weigh the difference when we see two scriptural truths that look like they are in conflict?  Can one scripture or one truth cancel or equalize another? How do we know which one to act upon? How do we know how to prioritize truth, without diminishing the lighter truth? Click to listen...

In Episode #33, I want to take a deeper dive inside the context of the Roman culture: their methodologies of punishment in relation to identifying the person’s crime, which crimes within the Roman culture had the highest form of punishment, why this phrase, “King of the Jews” was not a unique phrase used just for Jesus, but was a phrase that had been carved into many plaque’s of the crucified, and why this phrase was significant to the story of Jesus’ mission. These are some of the questions we will explore in this episode titled, “What did the sign on the cross mean, “King of the Jews?” So let’s get started. 

Many of us don't know who the author of the book of James is.  Some think he is one of the two original disciples, but it surprises many when I tell them it is actually Jesus' brother.  James was the leader of the early church, and was truly a righteous man who stood up for the marginalized, the poor, those who had no voice, and was a prophet against religious injustice.  In this episode, you will find out the context of the man, the context of his times, and why in the context of Judaism he was considered a Tzedek (a righteous devout follower of God and the Hebrew Scriptures). 

Baptism...  It is such an odd word and concept when the etymology and context is absent.  We all find it meaningful, but what is it?  Where did it come from?  And why does it matter?  Come on a journey to see the concept of baptism wasn't invented by John the Baptist or Jesus, but was a practice that had already been around for hundreds of years.  Find out more.

Did Jesus go by another name?  If so, what did he hear phonetically?  Was Jesus' name unique or was it a very common name?  Was "Christ" his last name?  Why is it important to understand his original name and background?   Journey with us as we answer these questions and more in our Episode #30, "Did Jesus go by another name?"

The ultimate abuse of any child, is sexual misconduct.  To be in a trusted position, a place of authority, a person of faith and to destroy the soul of a child is the ultimate act of evil.  In the last 24hrs it has been reported by the Houston Chronicle a breaking scandal within the SBC - Southern Baptist Convention, where over 700 victims have been sexually abused by pastors and leaders.  This news story, Part 1 of 3 of the Houston Chronicle is sure to be the tip of the iceberg.   As a pastor of over 25 years and as an insider, I want to provide some thoughts on the horrible abuse.  In this episode I want to explore what went wrong, and more importantly provide a pastor's (insiders) view of what may be some possible remedy's that would greatly help curb this kind of systemic evil.  

Language is important.  We judge people by the language they use.  We understand or should I say misunderstand people by the language they use.  You may find yourself in a conversation using language and specifically cultural phrases, which we call idioms... that is commonly understood in our culture today.  And why do I want to talk about this? Because idioms and the translation of idioms are one of the most misunderstood elements when people try to interpret the scriptures.  I would dare say that many mistakes, misinterpretations, and misunderstandings about scripture derive from our fundamental error with idioms. It is hard for many of us to think that the culture of Jesus’ day had idioms that were indigenous to them.  They had cultural phrases that were understood in the Hebrew language, what we would call Hebrew idioms. What if I told you that our scriptures were chalked full of idioms that were very clear in meaning to the original audience of the 1st century New Testament, but when translated into the Greek and ultimately into another language like English, that the meaning gets lost, and can lead to great errors?  What looks like code words or esoteric phrases in the English is not code at all, more often than not they are Hebrew idioms that we don’t understand after 2,000 years removed from their original culture and language.  What if I told you that many of these Hebrew idioms when put in their proper context actually are very clear? They are easily understood. So, take a journey with me as we examine idioms in language and more specifically the Hebrew idioms in scripture that we often miss as I have titled this podcast, “Understanding Idioms Will Make or Break our Interpretation of Scripture.”

In the last episode of 2018 we are tackling a difficult subject, "Can Suicide Be Forgiven?"  Recently, there was a horrific story of a Catholic priest who was officiating the funeral of an 18 year old young man who committed suicide.  The priest throughout the funeral referred to the suicide and insinuated that the boy may spend eternally in Hell because of his suicidal action.  The boy's father even interrupted his homily during the funeral and asked him to stop.  To no avail, the priest didn't stop, and the funeral ended in tears for many.  It is hard to imagine the pain of this family and the merciless action of this priest but this horrific event raises many questions: * Where did this priest develop this idea? * How has the church and culture dealt with suicide over the last 2,000 years? * What about Judas?  Was his suicide forgivable?  Is he in Heaven? Is he in Hell?   These and many other questions are dealt with in this last episode of 2018. It is our attempt to provide an historical analysis and a deeper dive into the context of scripture surrounding the betrayal and suicide of Judas.  You will find many thought provoking ideas that may help you wrestling with this most difficult subject either for yourself or for others in your world.   www.stuffyoumissed.com

If you are like me, maybe you have always been confused and puzzled at why so many target the Jews with hate filled rhetoric, killings, and overall blame for many of society's ills.  Questions that have puzzled me for years have been questions like, “What drives this illogical behavior?” “Why has the historic church led many of these canards throughout history?” “What is the etymology that drives this theological slant?”   Then after I began my study, I was awakened to the horrific shooting this past Saturday in Pittsburgh that distills the current reality of anti-semitism that sadly is becoming a common occurrence.  Once again it raises questions of why the Jews?  What drives many anti-semitic rants? And what drives someone to the extreme violence of a synagogue massacre of innocent people worshipping in a synagogue?   This is no longer a medieval mindset. This is no longer a Germanic fueled frenzy from the Nazi’s. We have to recognize that what drives this undercurrent of extreme anti-semitic thinking in Western Civilization and more specifically the fuel of anti-semitism in the Christian history of Western Civilization.  So, I will attempt to provide a look at some of the Canards, the hoaxes, or fake information that has led to the core of many antisemitic behaviors of the past and I hope may shed some light on some of these current realities…

When you hear the terminology of “salvation” what comes to your mind?  What is salvation? Is the concept of salvation to the mind of Jesus and his context different from our modern understanding, especially in the West?  Well, I led you just a little, because the implication of my question is “yes” there is a difference. So, let’s explore that difference, how it has evolved and what implications does this have for us today...

Sometimes the subject of prayer can be laborious and difficult.  We hear the admonishment to pray continuely from the pulpit, but really what is prayer?  When the Apostle Paul encouraged us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing" what was the context he was operating from?  What if I told you that prayer is not esoteric as much as it is very concrete?  Find out what prayer without ceasing means from its original context of Jesus and Paul's day and how this can revolutionize your understanding of what prayer really is...

Our last podcast we explored the connections between the recent religious scandals of the Catholic Church and the Megachurch in Chicago “WillowCreek Community Church.”  And it garnered quite a response. Like others it seems like the question that begs is this question, “Why is religious betrayal, the worst of all betrayals?” Why is religious betrayal seemingly the most difficult to overcome? What is it about religious evil that is most insidious? We all may have a variety of opinions on the why, and I’m sure that most of our heartfelt rants are true, but to help us provide a plumb line, a level, a construct that we can all work in, I want to take us back to a familiar but often misunderstood passage of scripture in Exodus 20 and do a deeper analysis of the 3rd Commandment "Do not take the Lord's name in vain."  This background and anaylsis will help us unlock the answer to this most difficult question, “Why is religious betrayal the worst of all betrayals?”

What do the scandals of the Catholic Church and WillowCreek Church have in common?  The last several weeks have brought us some of the biggest scandals in modern church history. The Catholic Church in Pennsylvania has had over 300 priests abuse 1000+ minors in the last several decades, according to their own records.  And then one of the largest megachurches and arguably the most influential church in the US, WillowCreek Community Church in Chicago, IL has had their founding pastor Bill Hybels step down as multiple accusations of sexual misconduct have been appropriated against him.   Though these are two very different entities, what do they have in common?  Find out why the very structures that have supported their past success, are also what fueled their downfall. 

Born Again!  This well known phrase comes arguably from the most famous passage in the New Testament scriptures in John 3.  The dialogue is between two Jewish Rabbi's and teachers of the law, Nicodemus and Jesus.  In Nicodemus' late night private meeting, he comes with a curious mind to know if he is the Messiah, the one he has been looking for all his life?  Jesus responds with what looks like at first an enigmatic phrase to Nicodemus, but what is shocking once we see the original Judaic context, is this phrase was extremely familiar to Nicodemus.  So, the focus of this episode #21 is, "What did this phrase mean in its original context and why did this throw Nicodemus off his spiritual game?"  You will find the original context quite enlightening!  Enjoy!  If you enjoy this episode and the podcast, would you consider leaving a review on iTunes?   Click here to leave a review on iTunes

Have you ever heard a charismatic preacher pound the pulpit and say something like, “We are in a war with the devil.  And in a war only the most violent wins. In fact, Jesus said it from his own lips, that only the violent men of God will prevail over the devil.  Only the strong warriors for God will take the kingdom by force?” If you have been involved in a charismatic church or heard a TV evangelist, chances are you may have heard something like this.  They have used this text from Matthew 11:12 as their clarion call to rally the troops and especially try to appeal to the testosterone of men. It is a spiritual infomerical to call the men of the church to stand up for God and beat the snot out of the devil… so to speak.   It sounds really good.  It seems to preach well.  It gets some resounding AMENS, especially for some of the wives who want their man to be a man of God.  But is this really what Jesus is saying??? When this passage from Matthew 11:12 gets quoted as a proof text, it sounds really good.  But when you measure it against the other teachings of Jesus, then it doesn’t measure up with the love and grace that is characteristic of most of Jesus’ teachings.  So, how do we reconcile this passage? Is Jesus saying something altogether different? What does he really intend to teach in this passage about the Kingdom of God or Heaven?  

Was anti-semitic ideology an outlier?  Was it on the fringe or was it apart of the fabric of theology and church life in Germany? Did the pastors and priests of Germany knowingly preach and teach a theology of anti-semitism in the pulpits? And what can we learn from this period of church history that may help guide our behavior today?  

What did Jesus mean in Matthew 6:22-23 when he said you need to have a "good eye" not an "evil eye?"  Was this some kind of esoteric teaching that was a spiritual riddle?  Or was this something much simplier once the context is uncovered?  Find out more about the Hebraic context and why it matters in interpreting this enigmatic passage...

Can a woman be a leader in the church? A pastor? Recently, two events in Evangelical Christianity has elevated the controversial subject of the role of women in the church – Beth Moore's open letter to men regarding how she is treated as a women in a male dominated religious culture and Dr. Paiger Patterson's comments about a 16 year female and advice he gave to a woman who was being physically abused by her husband.  Once again, no where in the modern world are women are treated as second class citizens, but the church is still affirming women to regulated roles of subjugation.  Why? How can this be justified?  Can we take a different approach? 

Have you ever wondered, “Why are priests in the Catholic Church celibate?  Has it always been this way? When did this monastic celibacy start and why?” Well, it seems that priestly celibacy, or rather the lack of it, is consistently in the news, for some kind of sexual abuse, ever since the newspaper “Boston Globe” broke the scandal of Priestly pedaphelia in 2002... (Listen for full episode)

So, let’s ask the big question, “is tithing a biblical concept?”  Should we tithe today? Why is the NT silent on this topic? How does God really want us to give in generosity? Well, to begin our framework to answer these questions, let me begin by telling a story… Listen for more...

Can the church truly be a church without a building?  How much do we allow the building to shape our framework of faith? In America specifically, how did we get to such a Walmart mentality towards our church buildings?  What is the connection between building the Cathedrals of the Middle Ages and the Mega Churches we have today?  What drives the architecture of our buildings and how does that impact how we live out our faith? Well, let’s dive into this topic, “From Cathedrals to Mega Churches: A brief history how buildings shape our faith”  

What is faith?  Is faith a leap of the mind?  Is faith a leap of action?  This episode will tackle the misconceptions and confusion surrounding this often used term.  An what we will find will surprise you! 

You may have heard, "We are not under the Law, we are under Grace" or "The Old Testament is a bunch of rules of do's and dont's, while the New Testament is about God's Grace."  These phrases are now part of the popular venacular in many church circles today, but what if I told you that these were rejected by the early Church?  In fact a man named Marcion, who first championed many of these ideas, was rejected and excommunicated by the early church fathers for this kind of thinking.  Though Marcion's teachings were considered the first great heresy and were rejected, how did these ideas continue to live and also grow in their influence on the church today?  Come find out in our podcast "Stuff We Missed in Church History!"

As a Jewish Rabbi, Jesus works from a different vantage point as he teaches to a primarily Jewish audience on the subject of forgiveness.  It is a very different framework than most of our Western contruct of "I'm Sorry."  Learn what you missed on forgivness from the Hebraic framework of Jesus' teaching from three major passages of scripture: 1. Matthew 6 - The Lord's Prayer..."forgive me my sins, as I forgive those who sin against me" 2. Matthew 18 - Jesus responds to Peter's question on forgiveness of 7 x 70 3. Matthew 5 - Leave your gift at the altar and go and be reconcile to your brother

What if I said, that our current understanding and methodology of FORGIVENESS is not the healthiest?  It seems to perpetuate a dysfunctional irresponsibility more often than not, and doesn’t provide the kind of healing that restores the soul?  What if, on closer inspection, that Jesus’ teaching shows us that we have some of it right, but some of it wrong, and if we could correct that portion that we have misunderstood, then we could restore most of our relationships, healing many of our scars, and we could be psychologically, emotionally, and more spiritually healthy?  Journey with us, to find out what forgiveness is not and what the reality of forgiveness looks like...

Bystander Indiffernce.  Our current cultural climate has it's roots in modern history where rhetoric villifies groups and individuals as subhuman, and once we arrive at this point, history shows us the consequences to our social fabric is disasterous.  This week, two events, the school shooting that killed 17 innocent students in Parkland, FL and the death of Billy Graham, have an unusual connection of response.  Find out what this unusual connection is and why knowing our modern history from the Holocaust can help us create unity and not division when sudden events happen.

The symbol of the Cross is fixated in the imagination of western culture, but its orgins are not what we think they are.  What if I told you... The Cross was not the symbol of Christianity for the first 300 years after Christ… The Cross as a literal symbol was non-existent those 300 years… not in artwork, not in mosaics, not in places of worship, not anywhere… That a majority of Jews worldwide, see the Cross as a symbol of anti-semitic hatred... The Cross as a symbol of Christianity was popularized by the Roman Emperor Constantine with his vision on the Milvian Bridge… Have I whetted your appetite yet?  Did I get your curious quotient up?  Are you ready to learn some amazing facts of history that shed light on a symbol we thought we knew?  Let’s see some of the stuff we missed in church history regarding the symbol of the cross.

Part 2 "Is The Rapture Real?"  Building upon the first episode that focussed on the etymology of the Rapture teaching in church history, we now turn our attention to diving deeper into the context of Scripture.  We specifically look at two scriptures that have become primary support of the Rapture: Matthew 24 and 1 Thess.4.  You will find, that once the multiple layered context is widened, the outcome is much different than previously thought. 

Did you know that the condemnation of Galileo as a heretic was in the period of the Roman Inquisition?  Like any of our episodes that cover a large period of church history that last over 300 years, we must narrow our scope in order to digest some of the key elements of the Roman Inquisition.  This episode will address three questions: What is the Roman Inquisition?   What were its primary objectives? And how does the Spirit of the Roman Inquisition impact our culture, behavior, and ethos of the church at large today?     

If you asked anyone in history prior to the 1820's, "Do you know what the doctrine of the Rapture is?" You would have heard crickets in their response.  No one in church history had espoused a view of what is now known as the Rapture, or at least anyone with any theological weight behind them.  So, where did it begin?  How did it develop as a teaching? Who influenced and popularized the idea? And how did the teaching effect the church at large?  Please listen to the entire episode before you make any judgements... 

So, now let's look at a short primer on the Spanish Inquisition and some of the bigger highlights by asking three key questions: What made the Spanish Inquisition different from the Medieval Inquisition? What were the forms of torture? Who were the primary targets of the Spanish Inquisition? Several years ago, I stood on a high bluff with a missionary friend of mine over a city in Spain.  The mountains of the Pyrenees were the backdrop that framed the beauty of this city of 150,000.  He then said something fairly shocking, “It’s amazing that a part from the Catholic Cathedral in the town square, which is a historical site and not necessarily a working church, apart from the 8 older ladies who attend mass once a week, there isn’t one other church in the entire city.”  As an American, where sometimes there is a church on every corner, I was in shock at his statement...

There is a lot of confusion in the body of Christ regarding the role of Satan, sin, and temptation.  Does God tempt us?  Is Satan the driving force behind all the mayhem in our lives? How are we tempted?  Was Jesus implying that Peter was devil possessed when he said, "Get behind me Satan!" ???  Find out these answers and more in this podcast episode, "The Devil Made Me Do It!" 

What do you think of when you hear the word “Inquisition?”  In many respects it has become a dirty word.  But say what you will about the Inquisition, no matter who you are, everyone knows its name. At least enough to throw the term around casually, to summon it as a metaphor in our culture, to exploit it in movies, the news, and to use it as a weapon in heated verbal debates. But what is the Inquisition? How did it start? What are its implications for us today? With a heart of curiosity, let's find out in the first of our three episodes, "What is the Inquisition? Part 1 The Medieval Inquisition." 

Haven't you always wondered... What was Jesus was writing in the sand when they brought to him the adulterous woman? Though none of us were actually at this event 2,000 yrs ago. One thing is for certain, the Pharisees and Scribes who brought this woman accused of adultery understood very clearly what he was writing. It is my goal, that by the time we get to the end of this episode, we will have uncovered some key facts, details, and context that will help us understand the most plausible explanation of what Jesus was writing in the sand that day. So, with a heart of curiosity, let’s get started…