I must admit that I always thought Thomas L. Leishman’s writing style was a bit dry. I’ve changed my mind. His articles are thorough, succinct, and engaging.
I’ve gone back to the archives (of the Christian Science
periodicals) and discovered that he first started contributing in 1936 with a
brief article titled “The Greek of the New Testament”. Fourteen articles appeared over the next 8 years.
Here’s a list of those articles, written, perhaps not coincidentally, during the dictatorship
of Adolf Hitler in Germany, when surely millions of people were turning to their
Bibles for comfort, guidance and support –
1.
April 1936 – The Greek
of the New Testament
2.
October 1938 –
The Geographical Background of the Bible
3.
July 1940 – Preparation
for the Gospel in the Graeco-Roman World
4.
September 1941 –
Luke, and the book of Acts
5.
October 1941 –
Means of Travel in New Testament Times
6.
November
1941 – The Background of Paul’s Letters
7.
December
1941 – Paul’s Earliest Epistles
8.
January
1942 – Paul’s Letters to the Galatians and to the Romans
9.
March
1942 – Letters of Paul’s First Roman Captivity
10.
April
1942 – The Distribution and Grouping of Paul’s Letters
11.
May
1942 – Paul’s Pastoral Epistles
12.
December
1942 – Dress in New Testament Times
13.
June 1944 – Women who aided the Pauline
Ministry
From #1 I
learned that the Greek of the New Testament was not the style used by “such
classic authors as Euripides or Plato” but “was simply the … graphic, homely
speech of everyday life”.
#2 suggests
that “some knowledge of the physical features of the land of the Bible aids us
in appreciating the vividness of the teachings”.
#3 indicates
that Paul was well aware of the “elements of truth to be found in the religion
or philosophy of his audience” in Athens, citing Ephimenides, Aratus, Virgil
and Plato. Paul knew how to communicate to his listeners.
Of interest
in #4 is a explanation from Bible scholar Alexander Cruden (1699–1770),
who compiled the famous Cruden’s Concordance to the Bible, that “the beloved
physician” (Col. 4: 14) probably means that Luke was a “healer of the mind” a “comforter”.
#5 tells us
that most New Testament people walked a lot. In “the East walking is considered
no hardship”, says Mr. Leishman.
#6 is of
particular interest to us this month. Leishman explains that Paul’s writings “may
be justly regarded as representing the urgent correspondence of an exceedingly active
missionary”. [Note that more recent
scholarship indicates that the only writings considered to be authentic to Paul
are Romans, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, I Thessalonians,
and Philemon.]
#7 helps us
glimpse the situation on the ground with the church in Thessalonica. Leishman
says that the “letter … provides clear evidence of the dangerous situation
which prompted it”.
#8 explains
that “Paul’s letters to the Galatians and to the Romans … both deal with the
basic subject of the relation between Judaism and Christianity” and that “salvation
awaits all mankind”.
#9 reminds
us that Paul continued supporting his friends even while in semi-captivity,
awaiting trial. See Acts 28: 30.
In article #10,
Leishman quotes Eusebius, “that great Christian historian of the fourth century”
who wrote that “Paul … who surpassed them all in vigour of expression and in
richness of thought, committed to writing no more than the briefest epistles”. Here
we learn that Paul’s letters were undoubtedly copied and passed around.
#11 gives us
a picture of the early church, and in particular, of workers like Timothy and
Titus.
Who hasn’t
wondered what people were wearing in different periods of history. #12 gives a
vivid account of the garments worn by John the Baptist and Jesus. We learn here
about the difference between the “cloke” of Matthew 5: 40 (similar to a modern-day
coat) and “cloke” of II Timothy 4: 13 (a circular travelling cape).
In #13, we
are reminded of valuable early Christian women such as Lydia and Priscilla who
featured in Paul’s ministry.
Each of the articles
(all from The Christian Science Journal) are less than a page long! And
yet packed with information that will help us read the Bible more understandingly.
Finally, an article
title “Opportunity versus Time” was written for the July 13, 1940 issue of the
Christian Science Sentinel. It engages the reader at the outset with this
sentence:
“In our busy world, there is perhaps no cry more insistent,
no excuse more prevalent, than this, that the individual does not have
sufficient time for constructive thinking or activity.”
Readers will
be delighted to read on where Leishman shares Jesus’ parable of the labourers who
all wanted to work and leaped at the
opportunity to do so – and who all received a penny a day, no matter when and
how long they worked.
Thank you,
Mr. Leishman.
Julie Swannell
