Welcome to the 10 Minute Bible Hour Podcast.

Right now we're going through the entire Bible to understand it is one big cohesive story.

We're covering one book each day, and this one is about 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy is the last letter we're aware of that Paul ever wrote and it reads like it.

It's heavy, it's weighty, it's human, it's emotional.

There's a passing of the baton, and also there's a piece to it.

Paul feels good about what he used his life on.

He still doesn't think, even as he's sitting in this freezing cold Roman prison.

He still doesn't think that there's anything better he could have used his time on.

And he's exhorting the recipient of the letter, young Timothy, his protege, to see

it the same way and to follow suit.

The guy who taught me the Old Testament and first introduced me deeply to the idea that

the Bible was rooted in history and said in history, real people, real places, real times.

The first time that history and academics really overlapped with the Bible for me was in

this guy's classes and my undergraduate education.

His name was Samir Masu, the Lebanese dude.

He was phenomenal in terms of his abilities, in terms of his talent for communication,

and in terms of his personal conduct, how he treated people.

I deeply, profoundly respected this guy.

And just a couple of years back, I called him with some questions about the Bible for

things you and I talk about here.

And I could sense in his voice that he was not doing well.

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