James C Bangsund

What the Bible Doesn't Say ... and What It Does James C Bangsund

This second edition includes new material suggested by students in several class settings. In addition, indexes of scripture texts and subjects of discussion are now included. Beginning with Adam's rib and ending up with "Where is Heaven?" the writer looks carefully at seven things which "everyone knows" and yet which turn out to be rather different in the Bible or, in one case, actually missing. In each instance, he begins with "what the Bible doesn't say" and moved on to "what it does." Far from seeking to debunk any of these things, however, he notes things in the text which are "hidden in plain sight" and which give it fuller and richer meaning. Adam's rib, for instance, turns out, in the Hebrew text, not really to be a rib, after all; yet this discovery opens the text wider, rather than undermining it. The well-known story of the fall of Satan is found not to be in the Bible, although its source is discovered along with a greater understanding of the Foe who confronts us but whom we need not fear. What do we know about Jesus' descent into hell? And is Paradise heaven? Or is it in a different location that gives us even greater hope? The book does more than just probe interesting questions. The issues are indeed fascinating, but the approach itself is one that encourages paying close attention to the details of what is actually written as opposed to what we have always assumed is there. When all is said and done, we find that what the Bible actually does say is far greater than we previously imagined.