Interesting approach to Bible Study

So I've always had a bit of trouble, when going to do Bible study, figuring out where to "begin" and what to read exactly. On a whim, I began at Genesis 1:1 and began reading. Every time another Bible verse was listed as reference, I went to that verse. Whatever references were here, I mapped out and read.

Below is a picture of the diagram I used, reading only the first 14 verses of the Bible and following out all of the references. It's gotten pretty exponential here at this point, in Genesis 1:14 as you can see from the diagram, and I've not finished "tree-ing" out all of the references here yet.

I'm not saying that this means anything special but it's quite interesting indeed, and a new and interesting approach to Bible study for me.

Obviously, when you start getting into the references, don't read only the verse listed, but the surrounding context as well.

reply to post by graphuto


Don't stop what you're doing, but keep in mind that the Bible has the POWER [within itself] to teach, instruct, rebuke, etc.

I find the best way is to first ask the question! What puzzles you the most? What are you most interested in? What question/s do you have? You will find you will receive the answers, sometimes in sources from outside of the Bible, but being confirmed by the Bible.

Believe what you're taught... because it won't agree with accepted doctrine.

reply to post by graphuto

I'm not saying that this means anything special but it's quite interesting indeed, and a new and interesting approach to Bible study for me.

There are a couple ways to deal with this.
Rather than writing it on paper, you can use a text file like Open Office, where you can hyperlink to different places in that file, or to other files as long as you keep track of their locations on your hard-drive.

The other way is to start a web site.
I am using blog.com, where they have standard formatted, ready to use web sites that all you have to do is put you name on it.
You can have a page for every verse in the Bible if you wanted to, and just keep making links between them.
My site is www.readingthebibleingreek.blog.com...

There is a data limit for the free version but you can't overrun it by just having so many pages, you would have to have videos and music and photos to go over the limit.
I have audio files but they don't really impact much.
I have clips that you can play with the Greek being read for the verse.
I am doing it gradually, but I could have every verse in the New Testament on the site and it would only take up a fraction of the space allotted.

reply to post by jmdewey60


Thanks for that, I see that at the way it's getting exponential here, it isn't going to fit on paper. I understand the idea behind what you're saying, but don't actually know how to implement it. Like, the physical steps needed to link between multiple pages like that. I have OpenOffice, but can't seem to find the ability to add "pages" within a document.

Sorry OP for being a lil off topic. Maybe this will help you.

reply to post by jmdewey60

readingthebibleingreek dot com is available for registering. You can register it for cheap and then host it for free on Heroku. Then setup Wordpress CMS on Heroku and bam you're set for creating a killer blog, with your own domain, with better performance. Just something to consider

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


Are you feeling ok, Lucid?

I feel like I should take your temperature or something... lol

reply to post by DeadSeraph


What do you mean?

I study religion myself. Particularly Christianity.

We just have different motives for doing so

I am currently watching a series of lectures on the Historical Jesus by Professor Bart D. Ehrman that is really informative. And plan on watching all these. You should check them out. They are top notch in their educational value. They can be *acquired.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy


Thanks for the suggestion, I will look into it. Btw, I'm just ribbing you. Although we differ on some issues I generally find you to be courteous in your approach to debate and quite bright. One might even say I sort of like you. Sort of.

edit to add: the series you mentioned looks fascinating! I would definitely like to watch it in its entirety.

reply to post by graphuto

I have OpenOffice, but can't seem to find the ability to add "pages" within a document.

You create "pages" by just adding more data to the file.
You make bookmarks at different points, and then you can make hyperlinks in the text to those bookmarks.
What I was getting at was that you can make a folder in windows File Explorer and put a bunch of files in that one place so you can find them to make the process easier to make links from one file to the other, like your own private internet.

But, to share all this work with others, you can do the same thing on a blog, and it is actually easier.

reply to post by jmdewey60


Ah I see what you mean. Like perhaps set them up as .HTML files or something along those lines?

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy

. . . and bam you're set for creating a killer blog

My original idea was to be able to give a link to a page with say a list of 200 verses, rather that trying to put them all on a forum post.
But I do find it interesting that I sometimes find my own site on Google when trying to look things up.

. . . with better performance.

The performance on the system I am using can be really slow, and sometimes completely non functional.

reply to post by graphuto

Ah I see what you mean. Like perhaps set them up as .HTML files or something along those lines?

It might work the same way but you don't have to do that if you have a program that does it for you.
I started doing that years ago with Microsoft Word, and then learned to do the same thing with Open Office.
Right now I have a file that's 37 pages full of names that I have run across and have links back and forth between different groups, to find them later when I am trying to remember something I had read earlier.

Anyway, I'm constantly making links on my web site that go around and round from page to page whenever there is something that connects then, something in common.
And then I am constantly adding new pages and will immediately will link it to three other pages.

Just for fun, I looked up all of the verses here for Genesis 1:1. In my copy of the 1611 KJV Bible, a reference to Psalms 8.3 is listed at the end of the verse. Turn to Psalms 8.3, and Psalms 111.2 is listed at the end of the verse. So I follow on in that fashion, according to the chart above. I've not done any sort of manipulation, simply followed the references at the end of each verse, and listed them here in the order that I found / wrote them. Whether coincidence or not, I find it interesting that we're pointing to Jesus.

Also, as a further disclaimer, I'm not positive that the references listed at the end of each verse in my specific 1611 KJV Bible would be the same as the references listed at the end of each verse in OTHER printings of the 1611 KJV Bible.

Here are the verses :

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

Psalms 8:3
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psalms 111:2
The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

Psalms 143:5
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

Psalms 77:5
I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

Revelations 15:3
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Isaiah 28:29
This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Jeremiah 32:19
Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

Luke 2:7
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Matthew 1:25
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Maigret
reply to post by graphuto

 

Don't stop what you're doing, but keep in mind that the Bible has the POWER [within itself] to teach, instruct, rebuke, etc.

I find the best way is to first ask the question! What puzzles you the most? What are you most interested in? What question/s do you have? You will find you will receive the answers, sometimes in sources from outside of the Bible, but being confirmed by the Bible.

Believe what you're taught... because it won't agree with accepted doctrine.

Seeking with synchronicity . Op be careful. You might not be ready for the information you will get and the change of perspective. Especially if you go far down the rabbit whole and meet god. The seeker will find all.

reply to post by graphuto


Thank you for the reading. .

Seem like I should read a little Jeremiah since that verse was really standing out for me.

Here are Genesis 1:2 and 1:3 and their tree of verses, respectively.

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Isaiah 40:13
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

Romans 11:34
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Genesis 1:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Psalms 33:6
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalms 33:9
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalms 148:5
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.

Genesis 1:6
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Genesis 1:7
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

2 Peter 3:5
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Job 37:18
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

Proverbs 8:27-29
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

Job 38:8-11
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,
And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Psalms 148:4
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.



Psalms 104:6-9
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

Jeremiah 5:22
Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Job 26:10
He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

Psalms 33:7
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Psalms 68:33
To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

Psalms 115:16
The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Psalms 38:8
I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

LittleByLittle

Maigret
reply to post by graphuto

 

Don't stop what you're doing, but keep in mind that the Bible has the POWER [within itself] to teach, instruct, rebuke, etc.

I find the best way is to first ask the question! What puzzles you the most? What are you most interested in? What question/s do you have? You will find you will receive the answers, sometimes in sources from outside of the Bible, but being confirmed by the Bible.

Believe what you're taught... because it won't agree with accepted doctrine.

Seeking with synchronicity

. Op be careful. You might not be ready for the information you will get and the change of perspective. Especially if you go far down the rabbit whole and meet god. The seeker will find all.

*L* It's nothing to do with synchronicity... For example, you'd have to go outside the Bible to find the real meaning of the word 'gospel' as used in Matthew 24:14, because the common understanding of 'good news' does not tie in with Verse 9, so you get thrown off track of what is actually meant. Also our current Bible is only part of many religious writings and leaves out many 'books', most of which you can find - 'outside the Bible' - at wesley.nnu.edu...

reply to post by graphuto


Hi brother/sister ...I started out like you and would go off in tangents that reveled so much more then I had in mind when I would start .I did have to get a Strongs because of the less then complete definitions in our English dictionaries .One tool I have that you can down load for free and is great is e-Sword . www.e-sword.net... once you have it downloaded you can add many Bible versions ,dictionaries ,commentaries,maps etc. It also has a journal as well as other nifty functions .All the best in Him ...peace

reply to post by the2ofusr1


Thanks much!

Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by DeadSeraph

 

What do you mean?

I study religion myself. Particularly Christianity.

We just have different motives for doing so

I am currently watching a series of lectures on the Historical Jesus by Professor Bart D. Ehrman that is really informative. And plan on watching all these. You should check them out. They are top notch in their educational value. They can be *acquired.

I know that Ehrman attacks the Bibles accuracy to original a lot, so if the study interest you From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible by Norman Geisler is definitely worth the read.