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Ashamed to admit but. . .

A

aimee_747

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:oops: I've never read the Bible all the way through. Actually, I don't think I've read half of it. I've always just picked out certain chapters. Ones I know that I'd be able to understand. I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.

So with that said, does anyone know a really good study Bible or study aid that could help?

I know some people are going to suggest continuing to go to Bible Study and have group disscusions but with my time and schedule, those things aren't as easy to get to as I would like.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
 
I decided a while back to just read the bible slowly from the beginning to end, not getting in a hurry for the sake of "getting through it". In some cases I had to go back to check something and if I still didn't find what I needed I made a note of where I was and the issue I had. Once done I consulted the notes and found some that were answered in following chapters. These I "struck out" then concentrated on the rest.
That being done I again started from the beginning. Again not getting in a hurry and tried to understand what I was reading. Took me about 6 months to read it twice but the benefits were well worth the time. And if you can spend 15 to 20 minutes a day, every day, doing so you'll be surprised how easily the pages go by. But again, do not read simply for the sake of reading.

Something else that helped greatly was some info on the Jewish customs of that time. Though I didn't get a book about Jewish customs I did find quite a bit on the net. The marriage customs were a huge help to understand Jesus when he said He would go to prepare a place then return for his bride. Also a very important subject is the workings of the OT temple and the reason the high priests did what they did. The bible is a very jewish book and understanding the customs so different from ours is crucial to reading scripture.

And a good study bible is absolutely essential for this for there is insight given to the authorship, the principle message, to whom it was written and why.

It's quite a journey! :smt045
 
Never read the whole bible through. Dont think I ever will. I beleive I have what is necessary for salvation as it is, so if I have a question, I look it up. Other than that, I read the from the NT on occasion, rarely from the OT. Used to when I was a freshman at KU, but not so much anymore.
 
I am on my third year of reading the Bible in a year. You can read 2 chapters a day and manage this. I think you can red Psalms twice in this year. The upside for me is it has become a habit. I wake up early so I have the time to read it. It has become my devotional period in a day. It usually takes less than a half hour, to include prayer. The downside is some of the old Testament books are boring, and I fight to stay focused. Frankly. I don't think it is a great feat to read the Bible, I don't think it is necessary to read it over and over. It is of all my habits, the very best one, and even when the chapters test my concentration. It is still better use of time, than reading news articles from Drudge.
 
aimee_747 said:
I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.

So with that said, does anyone know a really good study Bible or study aid that could help?
Click to expand...
as far as the "who's who" and "what's goin on" it helps me to have outlines of each book of the bible that i can refer to quickly just to get the gist of what is going on and how it all fits into salvation history. of course, ideally you would want to read these books in their entirety, but until then these outlines are helpful:
--Outlines of the Holy Bible

bible timelines are really helpful too b/c you can get a birds-eye view of salvation history and where all these people and events fall w/in the history of mankind. here's a few:
--An Overview of Israelite, Jewish, and Early Christian History
--Biblical Chronology
--Bible History Timeline

i hope that helps

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic
 
belovedwolfofgod said:
Never read the whole bible through. Dont think I ever will. I beleive I have what is necessary for salvation as it is, so if I have a question, I look it up.
Click to expand...

Never read the whole Bible through? Is that good advise to someone who is openly admitting to not know much of what the Bible says? You say you have what is necessary for salvation, do you not have a daily battle with sin?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to know God and to know His Word is a great part of being a Christian. And by doing that is through prayer and reading the Bible. Do you have His Word memorized? If so, please tell me how I can achieve such a great task.
 
aimee_747 said:
belovedwolfofgod said:
Never read the whole bible through. Dont think I ever will. I beleive I have what is necessary for salvation as it is, so if I have a question, I look it up.
Click to expand...

Never read the whole Bible through? Is that good advise to someone who is openly admitting to not know much of what the Bible says? You say you have what is necessary for salvation, do you not have a daily battle with sin?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to know God and to know His Word is a great part of being a Christian. And by doing that is through prayer and reading the Bible. Do you have His Word memorized? If so, please tell me how I can achieve such a great task.
Click to expand...
my impression from his post was that he was not advising that a lack of having read the bible was a good thing, he was just being honest about being in the same position you are in, having not read the entire bible yourself. as for the salvation thing, since wolf and i are catholics, he was probably thinking that since he knows the message of the bible, and since we are saved by grace (not by how much of the bible we have read), he feels secure in his relationship with Jesus even tho he hasn't read every word of the bible yet. surely many men have been saved who have not read every word of the bible! (at least, i hope so). of course, we also believe that sin is a daily struggle.

that said, i do think it is important to read the bible and to be well-versed in Scripture.......and that wolf should read his bible more :smt023 i'm guessing he would agree. of course, wolf, if i misrepresented u, please correct me.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

ps: aimee, were my links helpful?
 
Aimee

I have a good friend who is dyslexic. He couldn't read anything. And then he thought he would try reading the bible just to see if that made a difference. And initially he found he could read the old testament but whenever he tried the new testament he got all muddled up - so he just kept on reading the old. So he read it over and over and over without reading the new. It wasn't that he didn't want to read the new testament. He couldn't read it. And then there came a time when he found he could read the new testament - and since he had good knowledge of the old, he discovered that it gave him insight into the new that he believes he would not otherwise have gained.

Sometimes I believe God uses our weaknesses to build the kind of strength that He desires. So don't despair if sometimes you don't understand the things you read. For the right reason and at the right time God has a way of making his word alive to us. It may be just a few words, a verse or a chapter that suddenly have new meaning. You may have read it over & over before when suddenly God shines his light on it like a beacon.

So take heart. Put aside a regular time - without distraction - and read in which ever way you believe God is enabling you.

Regards
 
Reading the whole bible through is an eye-opener. I've read it through many many times. You begin seeing things you didn't see before in scripture. Awesome. Reading it through is probably the most enlightening thing because you don't get someone else's spin from those who have read it all, but rather something you have discovered firsthand yourself and you begin to understand it more fully. It is about discovery. That's what happens as the Lord shows you His covenant.(Ps 25:14)
 
Adhering to God's Word is indeed what makes and keeps a TRUE Christian free, Aimee.

God bless ya. *(Warm hugs)* :angel:
 
antitox said:
Reading the whole bible through is an eye-opener. I've read it through many many times. You begin seeing things you didn't see before in scripture. Awesome. Reading it through is probably the most enlightening thing because you don't get someone else's spin from those who have read it all, but rather something you have discovered firsthand yourself and you begin to understand it more fully. It is about discovery. That's what happens as the Lord shows you His covenant.(Ps 25:14)
Click to expand...

I'll give a hardy Amen to that!! No matter how many times one reads even a given book...say Isaiah or I John, there is always something you will gleen from it if read again, I promise you that.

I had the pleaseure of listening to a black preacher from Philadelphia several years back (actually about the 2nd time I heard him again) named Bishop Johnny James and there's no one like him anywhere! This man came to the pulpit witout a bible and I'm wondering where his notes are as he never read from the bible or any notes. His mind was so unbellievable that he had actually memorized the bible from Genesis to Revelation as he quoted-verbatim, might I add, from every book he referrenced. I followed him as fast as I could turn to whatever scripture he was speaking of and could barely keep up. He knew the entire bible word for word...no paraphrasing but, word for word. Erasmus was probably the most intelligent man of his time and quite possible even until now, but; I don't think he could have done better than Johnny James. He was fantastic.
 
aimee_747 said:
:oops: I've never read the Bible all the way through. Actually, I don't think I've read half of it. I've always just picked out certain chapters. Ones I know that I'd be able to understand. I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.

quote]
Don't feel bad most Christians HAVE NOT. I have.Reading it through once is not going to do it for you if you want to find the truth. In fact I read it through several times before the inconsistancies, errors etc were pointed out to me. You will come across the obvious contradictions in no time but there are many many more which takes a whole lot of time and extra effort of which most people simply don't have the time. Actually most of the usual Sunday sermons are of certain popular verses or passages that are repeated so many time most Christians feel that this is all there is without questioning or rather knowing that many if not all of those verses are contradicted or just plain wrong elsewhere in the bible.Now you want to understand the bible but feel you need "helps" in order to do it. Do you think those that were reading the bible early on needed "helps" to understand it? Actually they were just like you and depended on others to do the leg work for them. If you do as you say and want to read and understand the bible, then you may not be as content as you are now.
Click to expand...
 
reznwerks said:
aimee_747 said:
:oops: I've never read the Bible all the way through. Actually, I don't think I've read half of it. I've always just picked out certain chapters. Ones I know that I'd be able to understand. I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.

quote]
Don't feel bad most Christians HAVE NOT. I have.Reading it through once is not going to do it for you if you want to find the truth. In fact I read it through several times before the inconsistancies, errors etc were pointed out to me. You will come across the obvious contradictions in no time but there are many many more which takes a whole lot of time and extra effort of which most people simply don't have the time. Actually most of the usual Sunday sermons are of certain popular verses or passages that are repeated so many time most Christians feel that this is all there is without questioning or rather knowing that many if not all of those verses are contradicted or just plain wrong elsewhere in the bible.Now you want to understand the bible but feel you need "helps" in order to do it. Do you think those that were reading the bible early on needed "helps" to understand it? Actually they were just like you and depended on others to do the leg work for them. If you do as you say and want to read and understand the bible, then you may not be as content as you are now.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Wait a minute, the Bible does not contradict. Because I am a little tired tonight, I will just post a link for you to read, and you really should read it.
http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2174
 
reznwerks said:
aimee_747 said:
:oops: I've never read the Bible all the way through. Actually, I don't think I've read half of it. I've always just picked out certain chapters. Ones I know that I'd be able to understand. I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.
Click to expand...
Don't feel bad most Christians HAVE NOT. I have.Reading it through once is not going to do it for you if you want to find the truth. In fact I read it through several times before the inconsistancies, errors etc were pointed out to me. You will come across the obvious contradictions in no time but there are many many more which takes a whole lot of time and extra effort of which most people simply don't have the time. Actually most of the usual Sunday sermons are of certain popular verses or passages that are repeated so many time most Christians feel that this is all there is without questioning or rather knowing that many if not all of those verses are contradicted or just plain wrong elsewhere in the bible.Now you want to understand the bible but feel you need "helps" in order to do it. Do you think those that were reading the bible early on needed "helps" to understand it? Actually they were just like you and depended on others to do the leg work for them. If you do as you say and want to read and understand the bible, then you may not be as content as you are now.
Click to expand...

Aimee should be brought aware that unbelievers and those that are antiChrist have not received the holy Spirit to guide them into the truth of God's Word, but are operating solely on their fleshly makeup. No Spirit, No Understanding.

Jesus said:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove F31 the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:7-15


Without the holy Spirit one can not understand spiritual things. The atheist and antiChrist persons of this world are incapable of understanding spiritual things as it is nonsense to them, as indicated by the post of reznwerks. Since this is a Christian forum, reznwerks should abide by the rules of this forum and not attack Christianity or take up residency on another forum where attacking Christianity is allowed.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth F6 all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:9-15
 
Hey.

I've just joined a group that are going to read through the whole bible. I think it was on here i heard about it.

I'm sorry if someone's already posted it but i just thought i'd put it up just incase.

The links http://www.biblereaders.co.nr/

Be quick we're starting today...

GB x
 
Me too! :oops: I have been saved for a long time and never got very far into the Bible,and that includes Revelation ,which I'm sure will be the most interesting to me ,but just within the past week the Holy Spirit has lit a fire under me and I just HAVE to read. The way I see it ,I'm a HUGE reader, all the time in my life ,that I have devoted to reading all kinds of secular books.{horrer included},. isn't it worth my time and effort to read the one book that should mean the most to me ,If I had put all the time and energy into reading the Bible as I have every other book I've read in the past 2 years,..it probably would be the equilevant of reading the Bible 10 times over. And I'm surprised nobody mentioned the option of the dramatized audio Bibles? I'm going to get myself one as soon as I have some extra $$.
Holly :-D
 
aimee_747 said:
Never read the whole Bible through? Is that good advise to someone who is openly admitting to not know much of what the Bible says? You say you have what is necessary for salvation, do you not have a daily battle with sin?
Click to expand...

I believe he meant that he never read the whole Bible, not that we shoudn't.

I haven't read the entire Bible as of yet but I want to. It is a desire of mine. I'm really trying to get the Pauline Epistles down first, then the Gospels, and then I'll hit the OT hard.
 
I've never read the Bible all the way through. Actually, I don't think I've read half of it. I've always just picked out certain chapters. Ones I know that I'd be able to understand. I always get lost with who's who and what's going on.
Click to expand...

Its ok!

Half of the OT is nothing more than barbaric genocide and slavery topped off with degredation of women and the establishment of the Law.

Then you have Job.....

That guy really gets jacked!
 
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