how to/do you read?(the bible)

[xounstaer]

i was wondering how a reader chould read the bible. i mean you can start at the beginning ofcourse an then work youself all the way till the bottomup side.

i know how i have red the bible so far ad i havent yet from the sirst word till the last.
however i have this theory, that it was expected not to be red in exact follow order as it is anyway...

but how do you start reading the bible or what way do you look into it?

 

[Guap]

i was wondering how a reader chould read the bible. i mean you can start at the beginning ofcourse an then work youself all the way till the bottomup side.

i know how i have red the bible so far ad i havent yet from the sirst word till the last.
however i have this theory, that it was expected not to be red in exact follow order as it is anyway...

but how do you start reading the bible or what way do you look into it?

The Hebrew Bible (OT) has a different order of books to the English Bible. So I don't think the order of books is a big issue.

I do think it is helpful to read books, as books, not piecemeal.

I also think it is helpful to first be familiar with the gospels, acts then the letters.

 

[Alabaster]

I use a two-year bible reading plan. You can download bible reading plans from the internet.

 

[warhorse]

i was wondering how a reader chould read the bible. i mean you can start at the beginning ofcourse an then work youself all the way till the bottomup side.

i know how i have red the bible so far ad i havent yet from the sirst word till the last.
however i have this theory, that it was expected not to be red in exact follow order as it is anyway...

but how do you start reading the bible or what way do you look into it?

Well for General purposes, i start from Mathew thru the NT and then Genesis thru the OT. I helps to build up a good pattern before trying the OT it can be very hard reading from leviticus till proverbs. For topical study i due relivent word searches, then read several chapters around the verses to ensure context.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Pretty much everyone who is a believer will tell you that the entire Bible should be read and then reread. But, as you seemed to imply, going cover to cover can be a daunting task. For me, I found that it helped me better understand the overall narrative of scripture when I developed a plan. My plan included reading Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, & Ezra from the OT, then starting in the NT with Luke, Acts, Hebrews, and then Revelation. After reading through the books in the above order I was able to better get the "big picture" in scripture, then of I went back and read the other books as well before starting the process over again.

 

[Mike S]

The Hebrew Bible (OT) has a different order of books to the English Bible. So I don't think the order of books is a big issue.

I do think it is helpful to read books, as books, not piecemeal.

I also think it is helpful to first be familiar with the gospels, acts then the letters.

I agree with guap here, read the books as books, not piecemeal. If you're going to read the Bible alone, I suggest when you read the New Testament you read the Gospels first, then the epistles, and save Romans for last. Romans is Paul's masterpiece of Christian theology and sums up what you've read through the epistles.

I think the Old Testament can just be read through in the order the books appear.

It is always a better idea to read the Bible in a group study program, particulary with at least one seminary trained clergy. It's amazing how much more you understand when you get a chance to hear how others pick up details you've missed.

The study program I've found most useful is "Disciple: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study" I found it particularly useful to, in the first series of studies, to read quickly thorugh the Bible to identify the grand themes, and then go back to study individual books and themes.

 

[Godmanseed]

The Bible is a compilation of 66 books that were found in three different continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe). Some of the books were written hundreds of years apart from one another and by 40 different authors and written in different languages. King James decided (after many martyrs) that the Books should be translated into one language and published to the public. The books were then put in an order that would reveal Christ from the Old to the New Testament. So even though Genesis is the first Book in the Bible, the book of Job is the oldest, and Job wasn't even Jewish but still wrote that book. I read from Old testament to New because you find Jesus all throughout the old testament, but you wont know how unless you read from front to back. Even the Ritual sacrifices and blood atonements pointed to Christ.

 

[Asyncritus]

If you're beginning to read the Bible, it might be a good idea to read the narratives first, because you can get a great deal of material into your mind because the story thread holds it all together in your head as you go.

That'll take you a while!

As you go along, follow up some marginal references by the side of words or phrases that interest you, and in that way you'll begin to broaden your acquaintance with the other parts of the Bible.

Stay away from the more difficult parts while you are beginning - like the Epistles, Leviticus, Job, Revelation. Come to them later on, and as you use the marginal references. When they lead you to a particular piece, pause there and read round that bit, to see why they sent you there.

Remember that in the times of the NT, they didn't have the whole Bible as we do, so they had to pay very concentrated attention to the bits they did have.

I think that is an excellent plan - sticking to one bit till you've squeezed all the juice out of it that you personally can get.

I am personally doing that most of the time, and benefiting enormously from doing so. It is truly astonishing what 10 or 15 verses can hold.

Also. and I think this is the most important piece of advice I can give you:

ASSUME THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PASSAGE YOU'RE GOING TO READ.
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Come to it with your eyes wide open, your brain and imagination in top gear, and don't let anybody tell you anything about it until you've worked it and yourself to a frazzle.

Only when you can't POSSIBLY answer your own questions, only then do you go elsewhere, like to the commentaries.

Until then, avoid them like the plague.

When you do go to them, you'll find an interesting thing happens. If you've asked an intelligent question, you won't get an answer.

You'll get a whole load of blah, because they've either never thought of the question, or if they have, they probably don't have an answer, and so avoid it like the plague! It wouldn't do their reputations any good if they went round saying I dunno, I dunno!

So go to it with a will. Have fun reading it. It's a very serious Book, but if you were a father writing some instructions to his son, you wouldn't write in gobbledygook, now would you? You'd write it so your son would enjoy and understand what you wrote.

That's what God did, and I hope you benefit from His writings.

 

[xounstaer]

i've red most answers but the last.

what does anyone think of first reading revelations and genesis multiple times one more then the other..from different bibles is a good knowledge to have that might come to look later in case it wasnt known.. (like a jehova bible has 10 plagues in egypt..in exodus)

then reading by yourself after biblestudys and so too so years later reading the bible yourself'

then work a way through johns witness and maths and throughly go through the chapters which are mentioned in these and some letter.

then at the very and after years of reading front till back but not totally, severall times, and making sure you got all of the new testimony red to in the very end end with psalms and proverbs?

wether with intention(s) or not it was my way, which i also found back in soem of yours..

however i do believe it's good food for thought if you want to read for example revelations honestly and other parts.. then you have the choose wether you also take it on that way or not exactly, by saying it all.

however i do sinceraly believe if you miss the a or multiple personal means(or issues) that one might just as well not read the bible.

 

[Johnny916]

This is not an easy answer to address to someone. The reason is that with religious books there will arise some controversy. Say, you just became a Christian and you purchased a NIV brand bible. While there are websites dedicated to proving that certain bibles are wrong for whatever reason. I would say to that person study with whatever you can get your hands on. Look online, read books, watch videos, and so on. This is how I study everything.

 

[xounstaer]

yes i guess that is also a very good way to exoand beyond the bible 2. however a lot of sites are scaremongering, like when you search for 666.

otherwise ofcourse online bible reading, and indeed any (Bible difference is a pre) online bible is the future, specially since if you have a right site all relations'are shown which is learnfull or revealing, i prefer.