Advice for a first time Bible reader.

During my adult life, i have always been on the side of the sceptics when it comes to the bible. This is just my own opinion based on the more well known snippets that are taught in this day and age.

However, i'm an open minded kind of guy so i'm thinking of taking a detailed look at the good book. I feel a bit odd putting my opinions across on a subject when i have'nt even fully read the bible in it's entirety.

I was after peoples opinions of how to go about starting a read such as this? I thought that it would be better if i read it without my sceptical conspiracy theorist head on, that way i could maybe get another view of it.

I think it's going to be hard though as i'm a guy who has always needed proof and science for the explanation of most things.

Lets just say i'm willing to take a look a see what it brings up.

Any versions particulary better than others? Where would you start?

Thanks for any advice.

CX.

Well my advice would be to start with a kids bible. I know it sounds silly but some pages of the bible are a pain to get trough and not very easy stuff to read. Next to that some pages are just lists full of people who are born "that are son to and die at and had this and this occupation". It's all very interesting maybe if you investigate the jewish tribes but not if you are interested in the story.

If you read a kids bible and want to know some more than you can look up the stories in the bible itself (your avarage king james would do). A good kids bible would have a listing of books telling you where to find the stories in an original bible.

Good luck with it!

Juliet

The Bible is a hard slog. It's really contradictory and in my honest opinion, it makes no real sense.

Good luck with your project, it's a difficult one.

There's more to biblical history than just the bible though,

The Apocrypha is online here. It contains the books that were excluded.

And here is a good site about the contradictions.

Good luck to you! I've read it once, and I'm not putting myself through THAT again.

Originally posted by MajorMalfunction
The Bible is a hard slog.

We completely agree about that. There's no easy way to go about this. Personally, I prefer the King James Bible, just because it's the one with which I'm most familiar. A Strong's Concordance is helpful, too. Here's an on-line version.

The Blue Letter Bible is another source I've found to be helpful. Thirteen different Bible versions, and searchable in a variety of ways .

*EDITORIAL COMMENT* Personally, I highly advocate the site Bible Truths for what IMHO is a truly inspired commentary on the Bible. The guy is NOT a formally trained theologian, and I don't necessarily agree with 100% of what he says, but I think if you read the Lake of Fire series on his site, it might provide you with a perspective you haven't considered.

And maybe not.

But I wish you the best in your search.



[Edit for typos]

[edit on 7/29/2007 by yeahright]

i recomend bracing yourself, some of the cruelty found in the writings of the bronze and iron ages can be shocking

and i'd recomend a different website for commentary on the bible
skepticsannotatedbible.com...

it has the full text of the bible with commentary to the side. it also has the koran and book of mormon, if you're interested in reading those with commentary.

Originally posted by CX
Any versions particulary better than others? Where would you start?

Thanks for any advice.

CX.

Here's what I did. I accepted Christ as my Savior at about age 8. I remember reading parts of KJV translation as an adolescent. I did not read it all the way through until I was 28 and at that time it was the NIV translation. The I returned to the KJV translation as my main one(because it's language leads to more answers to questions, I also use a concordance for deeper study of it. The NIV has some problems in that it omits some verses which are important like Acts 8:37). I have also read the Living Bible translation the NAS and you could also.

I would start out reading the NT and Psalms and Proverbs and Genesis. Then make an effort to read it through from beginning to end.

When you get to Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus I am not going to lie to you, it will be a test of your endurance. You will wonder what this stuff has to do with me. I cannot give you all the reasons why we need to read them because I don't know, but I can tell you that there are things in those books, some hidden, some not hidden, that will increase knowledge and faith.

An example of a hidden thing is Numbers chapter 2. In that chapter, God tells the Israelites how to set up camp in the wilderness and where the different tribes are to be situated. around the tabernacle. Sounds boring until you find a hidden thing there. The way they set up camp was 3 tribes to the east, 3 to the west, 3 to the north and 3 to the south from the tabernacle in the middle. The tribes(totaling millions of people)had different population sizes and were placed in a specific place resulting in their camp being in the shape of a cross. Imagine at night with campfires lit, there would be a HUGE cross blazing in the desert(proclaiming the future death of Jesus on the cross), lighting up the night sky. That is an awesome thought as a christian. It also reenforces that Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

I would also, when you have time, watch and listen to some true Bible scholars on TV and radio. Listen to David Jeremiah(his program is called Turning Point), Adrian Rogers(now deceased, but still on, and his is called Love Worth Finding), Charles Stanley(called In Touch), Beth Moore(not sure what her's is called), Kay Arthur(Precept ministry), Zola Levitt(now deceased but still on named Zola Levitt presents). There are some other true teachers but these are ones that you should be able to find on TV the easiest. There are alot of people to stay away from, stick with the ones listed above and you'll learn and grow.

Now at the beginning of the post I mentioned I was saved at age 8, so all my learning came with Christ already on the inside. If you have never accepted Christ(which I don't know one way or the other) then your experience may be different, as far as learning.

As you read remember one thing throughout Old Testament and NT, Jesus Christ is the main point of the Bible. You will find Him in the life of Joseph, Issac, Boaz(and others) even Noah's Ark, for learning purposes as to who He is and what He is doing for individuals then and today.

I would suggest, getting a KJV that has a bit of size, so the print isn't so small.
Next, set the book down on it's spine, close your eyes, open it, and point.

Start reading from that point on. You will find it is alive. It will speak to you.

Originally posted by stompk
I would suggest, getting a KJV that has a bit of size, so the print isn't so small.
Next, set the book down on it's spine, close your eyes, open it, and point.

Start reading from that point on. You will find it is alive. It will speak to you.

i completely disagree with using the KJV for a first time read, it's language is a bit too archaic. you should use the NIV if anything.

and i disagree with the randomly opening the book as if it will magically tell you something. i'd recomend reading it from the beginning or you'll never get through it.

[edit on 8/2/07 by madnessinmysoul]