Our Thread

Pasa Graphe' Theopneustos Kai Ophelimos (Greek) is one of the most often-repeated passages from the Scriptures, ie, the Bible. The passage appears in the heading of our Facebook page. But what does it say to us in our various tongues? Well, for those of us who speak English, this passage is a bold testimony from the pen of one Paul, a first-century scholar from the Isrealite tribe of Benjamin. It is also a statement steeped in the thelogy of the Biblical narratives. So, Paul wrote to a young ethnic Jew named Timotheus: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable......"
At the time Paul wrote those words, there was not yet a codex known as the "New Testament." The scrolls of papyrus on which were written the Scriptures are what we call today the "Old Testament." In its immediate and limited interpretation, Paul is saying that the messages in the Old Testament are inspired by God. That being so, who is the man who would say that the record of the flood in Noah's day was simply an allegory, and not an historical account?

Ruth

There's fairly good evidence that the unknown author of Ruth did his writing in the days of David, Israel's most famous king. The events this ancient writer presents took place back in the days of the judges.

An Israelite man, his wife, and two sons leave Canaan because of a famine and go to live in Moab, where food is more plentiful. After a while the father and two sons all die, leaving three widows—the mother and the two young women the sons had married after arriving in Moab.

The famine over in Canaan, the mother decides to return, and Ruth, one of her daughters-in-law, insists on going with her. They settle in Bethlehem, where a beautiful romance begins between Ruth and Boaz, a local farmer.

As the plot unfolds, two things become apparent. First, a more beautiful short story has never been written. Second, the story isn't just about people; it's about God and His providence.

That makes the book of Ruth worthy of our closest attention.