It’s tempting to think that the study of literature—the discipline of hearing and understanding the written word—is more accessible than the so-called “hard sciences.” Our collective laziness bolsters this ill-conceived but commonly held view. Unlike Semitic languages, anyone can pronounce English words correctly without analyzing grammar or syntax. This basic fact enables an army of post-modern charlatans to ramble endlessly about “what the Bible means to them.” A written text in any language says what it says. In the Bible’s case, the text was written before us and existed without us for millennia. To the extent we factor ourselves into its meaning, we are incapable of hearing what the author presented to another audience long before we were born. Don’t be misled, Jesus warns. You can’t read the signs until the Bible rewrites you. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 24:4-8 Episode 371 Matthew 24:4-8; Music: Hitman by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3880-hitman License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license