“The Bible and the Baha’i Faith: A Religious Duty, to be presented by Wade Fransson is a focused effort to assist Baha’is in fulfilling this religious duty, assigned to us by Abdu’l Baha, to know and understand the Bible, in a format that is welcoming and inspirational for Baha’is and friends of the faith alike. It is further intended to pursue Baha’u’llah’s repeated admonition to “consort freely with the followers of all religions” with specific focus on the Judeo Christian majority in the Western world. Participants will not only learn directly from the Word of God, but will gain valuable insights on how to apply what they are learning through the framework for action of the Baha’i Institute Process. This series was launched, with an introductory discussion on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, about which Abdu’l Baha said the following:
The Bible and the Gospels are most honored in the estimation of all Baha’is. One of the spiritual utterances of His Holiness Christ in his Sermon on the Mount is preferable to me to all the writings of the philosophers. It is the religious duty of every Baha’i to read and comprehend the meanings of the Old and New Testament. (Abdu’l-Baha, Star of the West, Vol. 14, p. 55)
Sessions 6–8: The Parabolic Heart of Matthew
For three sessions, we journey through the great final parables of Matthew—each a test, an opportunity, and a warning. We’ll explore:
- Readiness: The Ten Virgins—all slept; who awoke prepared?
- Stewardship: The Talents—what do we do with what we’re given?
- Compassion and Justice: The Sheep and the Goats—how are nations, and souls, weighed in the balance?
- Judgment and Fulfillment: Prophecy meets history: the founding of Israel, emergence of the United Nations, Isaiah’s “swords into plowshares,” and the echo from Numbers: “What hath God wrought?”
