The REAL and FAKE Study
“Literacy and the WORD”
THE BIBLE IS
Literary Artistry
This article was inspired by the Gospel of Luke and by the Gospel of John.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
How Great is My god
Jesus is the eternal God incarnate, and He alone is the source of life; He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life and the Giver of eternal life. The Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John feel to me like two dynamic extremes – one describes the Son of MAN so low on Earth and one describes the Son of GOD so high in heaven – impossibly separate in proportion to one another and yet all together impossible to separate the human of Jesus from God.
When I look at images from ESA /Hubble, my stomach feels sick to the point of nausea because the more I contemplate how GREAT is my God, the more my insufficiency becomes apparent. The Earth is a small spec in God’s creation. How is it possible for lowly mankind to EVER relate to a God so great as this? “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
My nausea does not come from a place of doubt, hopelessness or frightful fear though, because I have God’s promise that nothing can separate me, a believer, from his love (Romans 8:38-39) and that he will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
My nausea comes from a place of righteous fear for the reverence of my very large, very powerful God. With overwhelming gratitude, I praise the Lord for offering this undeserving world His bleeding body hung on a tree, for showing Himself to me with merciful grace, and for washing my sins clean before the Maker.
NASA calls this Galaxy NGC 2525, and it is located nearly 70 million light-years from Earth. This image is taken from the inside of our own galaxy looking out. Consider how big is our universe that man is unable to capture a selfie of itself from the outside in. “We can only take pictures of the Milky Way from inside the galaxy, which means we don’t have an image of the Milky Way as a whole.” says The Imagine Team at NASA.
In the Gospel of John we get to see God the CREATOR through the gifts of an artistic painter of words. In the Gospel of Luke we get to see God the PHYSICIAN through the gifts of an educated doctor who narrates a history of Jesus, Son of Man, healing the sick and praying to His Father in heaven.
These two apostles highlight the dynamic interplay of God’s great depth of character, as do all 12 apostles and the 40+ authors of the Bible. Just like John and Luke, we relate to God best, and serve him best, through our GIFTEDNESS. I think of how God made me a Designer and therefore I best relate to him as one Designer to another. Maybe the apostle Matthew best related to God as Mathematician to Mathematician. Maybe the apostle Luke best related to God as Physician to Physician.
How do YOU best relate to God? Do you best relate to him, and honor him, through your giftedness?
The GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ as recorded by
John
Who tells of Jesus, the Son of GOD
The heavenly KING, Israel's promised Messiah,
who came as a SERVANT to ransom the slave.
the only MAN worthy to save every other,
Able to defeat death, He is GOD.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
John is the fourth and final Gospel of the Bible written after the overthrow of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70 and after all the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) were written. “The life and work of Jesus were well known at this time. The gospel had been preached: Peter and Paul had suffered martyrdom and all the apostles had died.” (Mears) John does not open at the manger in Bethlehem, but before all worlds were formed, similar in style to the opening of Genesis. No genealogy is recorded – neither His legal lineage through Joseph nor His personal descent through Mary – nor does John record Jesus’ boyhood, His temptation, His transfiguration, His appointing of disciples, His parables, the account of His Ascension, or the Great Commission. (these two paragraphs paraphrased by Mears pg 420)
Instead John focuses on Christ the Lord, the Creator, the only begotten of the Father, the Lamb of God, and the revelation of the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) Jesus is not merely one way among many ways to God; He is the only way. John writes to all people who will believe. The key word is …
“BELIEVE”
The Bible is Art
If we think of the Bible as Literary Art then the John shows us, in each book he authored, a disproportion in scale between lowly man and immeasurable God. In the Gospel of John, we see Jesus drawing people UP to himself (12:32). From the first 5 verses we are introduced to Jesus – the Word, the Life and the Light. How does one even fathom worthiness in front of a God whose footstool is the size of our Earth (Isaiah 66:1)?
This Principal of Design is called PROPORTION / SCALE.
District 833 Literacy Skill
"Look at ART to understand visual text."
THE BIBLE IS VISUALLY
God sculpting into shape the heavens and earth, the mountains and valleys, the people and places and spaces all giftedness shines.
Looking back to the Old Testament gives context to the fulfillment in Jesus whom John writes.
We see that Mount Sinai symbolized the mediation process which God chose to communicate with man. Visually understood, a mountain represents the Elements of SHAPE, FORM and SPACE. In the days of Moses, our mighty God would descend upon Earths highest structure, a mountain peak, while Moses would summit it’s form, an element that represented the highest point in the world a person was capable to climb at that time. This was the way God animated the Elements; through the Principals of SCALE, MOVEMENT and BALANCE we read Mount Sinai represents.
Before the birth of Jesus Christ, only a chosen few (people) were allowed to step foot on the mountain. For instance, God elevated Noah during the flood and he elevated Moses up the mountain of Sinai, but God told Moses to build a fence around the base of the mountain so the people would not step foot on this symbol of mediation. God spoke to Moses and Moses spoke to the people. The people were NOT allowed to speak directly to God.
Interestingly, both events (the flood of Noah and the giving of the Law to Moses) happened during “wilderness” moments. Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God who now mediates between God and man. Even more interesting is that many of us still do not find Jesus until we are forced into a “wilderness” moment. Those who recognize their desperate need for the Father, must turn to his Son – the Light of the world – for salvation.
The Artist
If you are an Artist, you might relate personally with God The Artist. You might see colors come to life and speak in a language all God’s own. You might experience texture more tactfully and shape more symbolically.
The Bible seems very intentional about it’s use of color. Many nations and ages read this ancient text, and color must be understood universally. God has already shown it to the world through his creation. GREEN is the color God made trees that grow and fruits that multiply. RED is the color God made blood, the life of man. BLUE is the color God made the sky of Heaven. GOLD is the color God made the precious metal used for divine purposes. BLACK is the color God made death. WHITE is the color God made purity of color and light. It is the presence of all the light in the visible spectrum.
The world is a kaleidoscope of color to the eye! I can only imagine God’s delight in painting it!
- Gold
- Black
- Red
- Scarlet
- Blue
- Purple
- White
- Green
The Designer
If you are a Designer, you might relate personally with God The Designer. You might notice the way a line MOVES through space. You might appreciate the CONTRAST of opposites on the color wheel. You might HARMONIZE different pieces into one cohesive whole.
Consider the full moon shining down on your house at night. Consider what a scientific work of genius this must have taken for God to place the moon at just the right distance and orbit from earth in order that it may act as a giant reflector of sunlight in the sky … to lighten the surface of earth at night time, our darkest moment of orbital rotation.
The Sculptor
If you are a Sculptor of 3D objects (such as pottery, decor or textiles), you might relate personally with God the Sculptor.
... Behold, like the clay in the potter 's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
The Architect
If you are an Architect of spaces, you might relate personally with God the Architect.
God instructed Noah how to build the ark and preserve his good creation (Genesis 6:13-22). God instructed Moses how to build the Tabernacle to very specific commands using a pattern that resembled his heavenly Temple (Exodus 25-31). God provided detailed instructions to King David in the way his son, Solomon, should build the Temple (1Chronicles 28-29, 2Chronicles 1-7).
They [priests] serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”
The mathematical precision in which God instructed physical structures be built in the Old Testament is symbolic of God’s ultimate order in the world. Visually understood, a building represents a house, represents a person, represents a soul. The Architect’s blueprints represent all of the Elements and Principals -PATTERN, CONTRAST, EMPHASIS, BALANCE, SCALE, HARMONY, MOVEMENT.
The best part is, we can visualize our future in the REAL kingdom of heaven by studying the Architect’s earthly copies.
The GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ as recorded by
Luke
Who tells of Jesus, the Son of MAN
The Heavenly KING, Israel's Promised Messiah,
who came as a SERVANT to ransom the slave.
the only MAN worthy to save every other,
able to defeat death, he is GOD.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke is believed to have been a Greek gentile (from Syria) who wrote his Gospel for a Greek audience. Interestingly, this makes him the only Gentile writer of the New Testament books. Luke was an educated man whom Paul refers to as “doctor” in his letter to the Colossians (4:14). He presents Jesus as the ideal of perfect manliness to a wider culture (one he knew very well) that loved beauty, rhetoric and philosophy.
The God of creation sent his one and only Son to enter this world like any other person: as a baby born from the womb of His earthly mother who, as a boy, developed naturally (Luke 2:40,52) and was subject to Joseph and Mary (2:51). Henrietta Mears describes how there was no record of supernatural growth for the Son of man. “As a man He toiled with His hands; wept over the city; ‘kneeled in prayer,’ and ‘knew agony in suffering.’ All is strikingly human.” The key word of Luke’s ministry is …
“COMPASSION”
Why do you think the Son of God came down?
The Bible is Art
If we think of the Bible as Literary Art then in the gospel of Luke we see Christ going down to people’s needs. “He became man that He might bring man close to God.” (Mears) Jesus in the flesh was more reachable, more personal and more relatable for man to connect with than to One without a body.
The act of prayer, song and praise is MOVEMENT and RHYTHM upward, like Mount Sinai, and represents the Principals of Design called RHYTHM / MOVEMENT.
District 833 Literacy Skill
"Listen to MUSIC to hear poetry."
THE BIBLE IS AUDIBLY
God speaking the breath of life into men
like a musician breathing life
into his orchestra.
The Author
If you are a story teller and Author of books, you might relate personally with God the Author. Consider C.S. Lewis and how inspired by Scripture this former atheist turned Christian writer and theologian became.
"Naturally, Lewis insisted on reading every part of the Bible according to its genre. Because the Bible is literature, it “cannot properly be read except as literature; and the different parts of it as the different sorts of literature they are.” There are even different kinds of narrative—and it would be illogical to read them all in the same way. One has to take the Bible for what it is, Lewis insisted, and it “demands incessantly to be taken on its own terms.” When it came to biblical history—especially the Gospels—Lewis insisted that it should be read precisely as history. In one essay he criticized Bible scholars who regarded the Gospel of John as a poetic, spiritual “romance” rather than as historical narrative. Lewis frankly doubted that such scholars knew very much about literature at all.
Major genres of Scripture
- Law
- History
- Narrative
- Poetry
- Wisdom
- Prophesy
- Gospels
- Epistles
- Apocalypse
The Poet and Prayer
If you are a Poet or Song Writer, you might relate personally with God the Poet and Prayer. Poetry and Song is an expression of prayer and praise. God spoke through the 40+ human authors of the Bible, and he hand picked every variety of instrument so as to bring them each into harmony under his Authorship.
Through Christ, the Son of man, all are invited into this personal relationship with God. With folded hands, we may look up in prayer. With voices high, we may raise our hands in the air. With open hearts and songs of praise, prayer and supplication, we may all worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is the expression of human dependence on God, and Luke speaks more of the Lord’s prayers than any other Gospel writer. (Mears)
The Musician
If you are a Musician, you might relate personally with God the Musician. Songs of praise, songs of lament, poems and hymns and prayer … The Bible is full of song.
Mary’s song of praise is sung during the Advent season, and it is called, Mary’s Magnificat, meaning “My soul magnifies the Lord” in Latin. Her words allude to passages found in Psalms 22, 44, 103 and many others. She also alludes to Hannah’s song found in 1 Samuel.
And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."
Jesus, the Love Song of God.
He is The Great I AM
Through this study, I have taken a significant dive into the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, very different people with very different gifts, and yet the four of their gifts together demonstrate the miraculous omnipotence and omnipresence of THE GREAT I AM.
K12 Education includes the study of Math, Science, History, Art, Reading & Writing. All these subjects find their origin story in the Bible, therefore Jesus is not just A PART of History … Jesus IS History.
JESUS IS Math
JESUS IS Science
JESUS IS Word
While Matthew, Mark and John write an ancient biography introducing Jesus in the very first sentence (1:1), Luke writes a historical narrative waiting 31 verses (1:31) to mention his main subject Jesus Christ. Luke’s Gospel holds credibility (ethos) among scholars today who might otherwise dismiss the Bible as pure mythology. This is what makes the layers of the Bible so incredibly powerful and complex. While the Bible calls on many different types and genres of texts, Luke not only narrates the story of Jesus ministry on Earth, he also places Jesus within a verifiable framework of time, place and people.
“All the maps of the world and all the calendars of time tell of Christ’s birthplace and birthday. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1), in the days of Herod the king. We know this place and this king. We don’t have to build the story out of the imagination. We are given names and dates. Christianity is a historical religion. The Gospel does not begin with, ‘Once upon a time,’ but starts with ‘Bethlehem in Judea.’ The town is there, so we can know the very place where Jesus was born.
The time is definite, ‘in the days of Herod the king.’ History knows Herod. There is nothing mythical about this monster of iniquity.
These statements are facts and no critic or unbeliever can doubt them. The Gospel narrative sets its record in the solid foundation of history. We are not building our faith on a myth, but substantial fact. This thing was not done in a corner, but in the broad daylight, and it is not afraid of the geographer’s map and the historian’s pen.“
– Written by Henrietta C. Mears, What The Bible Is All About (page 374-375).
Conclusion To
The Bible is Literary Artistry
As I watch and learn and read from my Bible, I see layer upon layer of God’s created masterpiece. I see form that follows function, means that build up to the end, and JESUS always at center. It is like a great symphony that can only be experienced through all five senses. The Bible’s literary structure is exquisite in it’s mastery over the seven Elements of Art to express the seven Principals of Design.
A Post-Summary of
The Principals of Design
PATTERN: In the detailed building instructions of the Tabernacle and the Temple.
CONTRAST: In the way Jesus instructs His followers through the Beatitudes is opposite the way the world looks.
EMPHASIS: In organizing the entire Bible around one central figure : Jesus Christ.
BALANCE: In the spoken Word and hidden message (Ramez) appearing side-by-side throughout the Bible.
SCALE: In the size of God next to the size of man.
HARMONY: In the diverse giftedness of the Body of Christ.
MOVEMENT: In the ascending and descending of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
This series, The Bible Is Literary Artistry, shows how the Holy Bible qualifies, and even surpasses, the criteria listed as District 833 Literacy Skills. The following is a list of skills, as defined by SoWashCo in January 2024, which I referenced throughout this 3-Part series.
Literacy is Everywhere
District 833 Letter to Parents
The Director of Teaching and Learning for secondary education in SoWashCo is asking parents to partner with the district in showing our children everyday literacy skills (Link to Letter HERE).
Previously, in the first article of this series, THE BIBLE IS: A Message For Us, I focused on the BEGINNING and the END of the Bible in Genesis and Revelation (district skills: Lists & Maps, Instruction and News).
Then, in the second article of this series, THE BIBLE IS: Thy Kingdom Com(ing), I focused on the CENTER of the Gospel in Matthew and Mark (district skills: Money & Contracts, Nutrition & Measurements).
Now, in the third article of this series, THE BIBLE IS: The Great I AM, I focus on the CENTER of the Gospel by comparing Luke to John and threading that back through the WHOLE of the Bible (district skills: ART & MUSIC).
Lists & Maps
Money & Contracts
Nutrition & Measurements
ART & MUSIC
Instruction & News
In list-form, the state-run district-defined literacy skills look an awful lot like biblical-defined literacy skills – LISTS & MAPS, MONEY & CONTRACTS, NUTRITION & MEASUREMENT, ART & MUSIC, INSTRUCTIONS & “NEWS” MESSAGING. Could it be these institutions of knowledge and learning are not as progressive as modern elites claim them to be? Could it be District 833’s literacy skills are actually quite ancient? These skills have been foundational to the Christian faith long before the state of Minnesota came into being.
The story of Jesus Christ begins with the LISTS of His family genealogy and MAPS of the Holy Land where His future kingdom will reign on earth. Jesus speaks of our TREASURE in heaven. His promise is an unbreakable CONTRACT. His body is the BREAD of Life and His provision is MEASURED out for the salvation of every believer. The Great I AM is ARTIST, Architect, MUSICIAN and Author of life. His Holy Temple resides in every believer and His Bible is our INSTRUCTION manual how to fix broken humanity. Through the Holy Spirit, WE are His messengers of Good NEWS to a dark world consumed by bad news.
In fact, the only thing novel about the state-run district list is it’s omission of REAL LITERATURE containing REAL WORDS holding REAL MEANING. We see this truth in the assigned books (of which I published studies on throughout 2024), and the over-priced curriculum (of which I hope to address more in 2025).
It is all too common for mankind to rebrand biblical principals and call them his own. This is a form of theft we need to be cognizant of. We not only need to recognize this in our schools, we need to recognize this in ourselves. The key to recognition is in the study of
What Is REAL.
Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Works Cited (in addition to links in-line):
The introduction to this article begins with our Milky Way Galaxy.
- The Imagine Team. Imagine the Universe! NASA. Published and Updated December 2015 and Accessed December 2024. https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/milkyway1.html
The idea I explored around Luke’s “Son of Man” and John’s “Son of God.”
- Mears Henrietta C. What The Bible is All About. Gospel Light, 2nd rev. ed.,Regal Books, 1997, Chap 30-31.
In The Author section about C.S. Lewis.
- Ryken, Philip. C.S. Lewis On Holy Scripture. C.S. Lewis Institute. Published on March 5, 2015, Accessed 2024. https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/c-s-lewis-on-holy-scripture/
Before the New Year, I hope to wrap up with one final article to summarize the 2024 REAL or FAKE Series and describe what I am working on for 2025. If this does not happen until January though, I wish you Hope, Peace, Joy and Love this Christmas Season while you celebrate the birth of Christ, and I wish you a Healthy New Year!
Blessings from my home to yours,
Jaime
The REAL or FAKE Series
The Real or Fake Series sets the stage for 2024 and will be the foundation for future articles. It builds off of the Christmas Gift poem written and published on December 15th, 2023 titled “The Maker IS”
Everything that “IS”, has been made, and all things made have a MAKER. Therefore, everything made has a purpose. This series distinguishes between the superficial and the substantive things we choose to surround ourselves with. Generation after generation passes by, and pretty soon fakeness become so embedded in a culture that reality is forgotten altogether.
The characteristic traits of REAL are defined here, and FAKE is called out for the counterfeit it is. Follow along as Jaime looks at all parts of the K-12 education system, from tangible to complex, literature to curriculum, public to non-public, and the real and fake players within the Minnesota election process.
REAL or FAKE
Beginning With Real
JOURNEY TO THE END
JOURNEY of Two Mountains
When You Vote Fake …
JOURNEY With Eyes That Don’t See
Literacy and The WORD
Game of Complimentary Opposites
THE BIBLE IS: A Message for us
