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Books to help my faith.

W

wiganer

Member
Hi there, newbie here looking for God/meaning/reasons. I went into a local book store looking to pick up some religious based books, I'm on a bit of a spiritual quest, however I was put off by the plethora of available titles, there seemed to be a wide variety of bibles available (King James etc) I don't know which to get.

I want to purchase a bible (I haven't owned one since I was a little boy) and some other theological texts that justify and verify the existence of the Christian faith, can anyone recommend any books or bible versions that would be a good start.
 
wiganer said:
Hi there, newbie here looking for God/meaning/reasons. I went into a local book store looking to pick up some religious based books, I'm on a bit of a spiritual quest, however I was put off by the plethora of available titles, there seemed to be a wide variety of bibles available (King James etc) I don't know which to get.

I want to purchase a bible (I haven't owned one since I was a little boy) and some other theological texts that justify and verify the existence of the Christian faith, can anyone recommend any books or bible versions that would be a good start.
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I love King James but for some the language is difficult. My generation grew up with it so it is natural for me, but I think it depends on you. If the language gets in your way of understanding, a Bible language scholar told my husband that ESV is the best representation of the original languages. But everyone has their favorite so I`m not going to argue. NIV is very popular. The Good News Bible (today`s English version) is a good first Bible because it is very easy to understand.

I recommend just starting out with a Bible before you get other books.
 
I will buy a good news bible at lunch, start basic I think. I can take it away this weekend for reading then; the only thing I am afraid of is getting lost in the language of the bible and not understanding.. that's why I'm after a 'bible studies for dummies' or such book to compliment it.
 
wiganer said:
I will buy a good news bible at lunch, start basic I think. I can take it away this weekend for reading then; the only thing I am afraid of is getting lost in the language of the bible and not understanding.. that's why I'm after a 'bible studies for dummies' or such book to compliment it.
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You won`t get lost in the language of the Good News/Today`s English version. It is very simple language that even a young child can understand, but it is not a "children`s Bible". It` for anyone that wants to read the Bible simply and fluidly in plain English.

I recommend if you get stuck somewhere in the Bible you can look at a free commentary online, but like books, commentaries are subject to people`s opinions so you can use them as a guide but not as the final authorative truth.

If you believe in prayer, I would just pray before opening the Bible for God to give me understanding and then read. As you grow you will begin connecting the dots in the Bible from the Old Testament all through the New. They all connect, nothing is "new".

You also might want to listen to online sermons based on the book in the Bible you are reading so as you read you can get more insight from the sermon.

Finally if you feel comfortable, I would recommend joining a Bible study where you can study the Bible with other people and ask your questions there. Of course, bring your questions to this forum as well, but you might really enjoy being with people. Stay away from the Jehovah Witnesses though, they tend to be cultish.
 
Thanks, just been to the local book shop and got a good news bible, I won't lie it was quiet difficult fighting against my ingrained doubt, but once I purchased it and could feel it in my pocket I began to feel happy and excited, as if I am starting something new and wonderful. Looking forward to starting to read it tonight :)
 
If you have any questions, feel free to post them on the forum! BTW..... you may not want to start in Genesis and read straight through. Different people will have differing opinions on this, so you don't have to take my opinion. I'd start with Psalms, then John, then Proverbs, and then Matthew. (A lot of people suggest starting with Psalms and John. I like Proverbs and Matthew also.) Then you can go back and read from the beginning if you like. LOL
 
wiganer said:
Hi there, newbie here looking for God/meaning/reasons. I went into a local book store looking to pick up some religious based books, I'm on a bit of a spiritual quest, however I was put off by the plethora of available titles, there seemed to be a wide variety of bibles available (King James etc) I don't know which to get.

I want to purchase a bible (I haven't owned one since I was a little boy) and some other theological texts that justify and verify the existence of the Christian faith, can anyone recommend any books or bible versions that would be a good start.
Click to expand...

I think a person should first read the entire Bible.
 
wiganer said:
Thanks, just been to the local book shop and got a good news bible, I won't lie it was quiet difficult fighting against my ingrained doubt, but once I purchased it and could feel it in my pocket I began to feel happy and excited, as if I am starting something new and wonderful. Looking forward to starting to read it tonight :)
Click to expand...

I`m excited for you!!! May God bless you and guide you as you read. Let us know how it goes and if you come to a difficult passage. We can try and help you through it!
 
started reading from the genesis, currently up to Noah's sons. There are an awful lot of names to remember, so I am not going to try for the moment! I'm going to read it from beginning to end so I get a flavour of the whole rather than as some memorizing excersise.
 
wiganer said:
started reading from the genesis, currently up to Noah's sons. There are an awful lot of names to remember, so I am not going to try for the moment! I'm going to read it from beginning to end so I get a flavour of the whole rather than as some memorizing excersise.
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I wouldn`t try to remember the names or places at this point either. They are important and each have a meaning and connection, but I agree that is for later and deeper study. I also began reading from Genesis all the way through the first time I read the Bible and I`m glad I did it that way. Genesis and Exodus are like a history so they are fairly easy to read through. Leviticus is where you will get into the Old Testament laws. I always enjoyed reading these even the first time through but other people find them difficult. The hardest thing for me to read for many years was the genealogies. They will probably seem meaningless and boring to you at this stage but someday if you stick with it, you will find them very interesting and realize they are there for a purpose, but for now just quickly get through them.
 
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