A good place to start?

Matt_from_England · Oct 16, 2020

Hello, I have a lot of questions but wanted to give some background.

I'm someone who until very recently would describe themselves as an atheist, albeit an agnostic one. I couldn't prove there wasn't a God, but felt it unlikely, certainly as major religions described one. I didn't stop discussing or asking questions, but that was my position.

Anyway, recently that's begun to change. I'm not sure what I am. I put 'skeptic' down on the list when I joined, because that always seemed a rational place to start. I've probably lost the membership badge by now. I'm now looking at the world and seeing things happening which make more sense to me at least with the christian worldview from my childhood than the empiricist lens I've been looking through for many years.

I've discussed with a Christian friend and he suggested I read John, which I did and found it beautiful and uplifting. I then went to Genesis and found this much harder going.

I have prayed for the first time in many years. I found it difficult. I prayed for guidance and for my heart to be opened. I've not had any kind of answer other than the compulsion to keep looking and asking questions. Which brings me here. I'm wondering what the best way of going forward is?

Is there a 'good' route to navigate the Bible? In the past I've found passages from Leviticus or Exodus very difficult to reconcile with the loving God that I can see in John. However I don't want to get into those now.

I do have other questions, around aspects of theology and things I've read in different excerpts online etc. but I think I'd be getting ahead of myself trying to tackle those at the moment.

Thank you for reading and for any advice you care to offer.

Matt

plain jayne · Oct 16, 2020

There's no perfect way to read the Bible. The Old Testament points to the New Testament and the New Testament if the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

If you are not up for the first five books of the Bible - stick with the Old Testament and read Ruth.

The woman in question leaves her pagan nation and goes with her mother-in-law to Israel. She meets a man who becomes her "redeemer" so to speak. They fall in love and she become the great-grandmother of King David. I know I spoiled it, but read it nonetheless. It's just four short chapters and it's a picture of the church and Christ.

Also, try Colossians, Philippians, or 1/2 Thessalonians in the New Testament.

TzephanYahu · Oct 16, 2020

Hi @Matt_from_England

I'm also from the UK

You ask really worthy questions here. I was excited in my spirit in reading your words that a great journey lies before you. Praise Yahweh for opening your heart.

I found videos to be a great help for getting your head around the Bible book by book. These recommendations will help you understand the heart of each book, the key messages and the important topics.

This first series is great for a quick animated introduction to the book. Great before you start studying one or just something quick.

The Bible Project

This next series is done by one of the most blessed Christian teachers I've ever heard. Now, don't judge a book by it's cover. This video is old (70s I think) and it seems like it might be cheesy at first. But no, this series helped growth spurt my faith. Truly, you will not regret your time watching these! Our very own British hero David Pawson.

Unlocking the Bible

This final series is a good intermediate course on the Bible book by book. The guy is so relational and breaks down hard concepts into such easy to understand messages. This is from a Bible university course. Why ordinarily I would tell you to stay away from Bible Schools, this guy is absolutely on point with telling the truth and giving it to you as it is, not laden with man made theologies.

GCBI Bible Course

That's all for now my friend as I don't wanna bombard (if not already!)

Hey, if you have any questions about God the Bible or Christianity, feel free to ask away in here or DM me if you don't wanna ask it openly. My door is open. I was once where you were and anything I can do to help speed you through to where it gets good would be a privlege, Yahweh willing of course.

May the Most High and His Son bless you on your search for truth and give you peace.

Love & Shalom

Greengardener · Oct 16, 2020

Hi Matt. I too am excited that you are allowing yourself to question the veil. If you seek, you will find. Genesis is hard going, but it makes sense at its own point. I think any of the prior posts are helpful. Here are a few ideas that I can add, for what they might be worth to you.

Start with the premise that GOD IS. And that He will reward those who diligently seek him. (Yes, that's right from the Scriptures.)

Maintain the respect for Him that is worthy for this One Who made it all and maintains it all. And take Him at His word that He saw what He made that it was indeed good. And that He told us how to live so that life would work. Critics seem to think God exists to swat at us, but I believe you are just at the tip of the journey that is going to show you an ever increasing love like you've never before known - God is love.

When you get into the histories and the prophecies, get a good commentary or other resources to tie them together - the prophecies were related to the history. If you do, you'll see that the heavy words God had for people at times related to the fact that their idolatry and way of life had deteriorated to the point that they offered people NO WAY BACK TO GOD IN TRUTH- which means no way to a better life. God didn't make a habit of patting people on the back when they lived right: He already had in place that life would work well for them. But when they got corrupted to the point of sacrificing their own children to idols and making sex slaves out of their own people and their own children, there were indeed some heavy words to describe what was going to happen, and most of the time thoe words were delivered along with an offer of hope if they would repent. Once you realize that the thread throughout the whole of the Bible is related to God's desire that His people seek Him for their own good, much of it will make sense.

Don't be afraid to walk in the right ways once you find them in the Bible. You might find yourself not following a crowd. You might find a lot of your premises changing. The gospel of John was indeed a good place to start: you get a lot of the words of Jesus there, and Jesus as the Son of God showed us what it meant to live like God wanted us to live. The religious leaders had previously had those same words of instructions for many generations and had diluted and corrupted them. Sadly, you'll likely stumble on the same realization in religious circles today. Don't be surprised - it's not new.

I do hope the best for you as you move through this process. God indeed gave you a huge number of brain cells, and while they will never exceed His own, they were designed by Him, and your curiosity and desire to know the truth is definitely a gift from Him. Keep us posted!

Tolworth John · Oct 17, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
Is there a 'good' route to navigate the Bible

Hey, another Limey !
No there is no ' good ' route to read the bible.
May I suggest. Few things.
Stay in the New Testament for now. If you have a good Bible it will cross reference quotes etc from the Old Testament and it will help you see where things come from if you can find and read those references.

Find a church to attend, either by going or through on line services. Do get in touch and let them know you are investigating Christianity in there online service.
If this is not possible check out the christianityexplored web site for a church running this course. Whether on line or in a hall/,room it is a chance to discuss aspects of Christianity with others both Christian and nonchristian.

Last suggestion get a commentary on a book of the Bible and read it with the Bible, the minister of the church you attend may lend you one.

Do pray about what you read, what you understand and don't understanderstand.

Matt_from_England · Oct 17, 2020

plain jayne said:
There's no perfect way to read the Bible. The Old Testament points to the New Testament and the New Testament if the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

If you are not up for the first five books of the Bible - stick with the Old Testament and read Ruth.

The woman in question leaves her pagan nation and goes with her mother-in-law to Israel. She meets a man who becomes her "redeemer" so to speak. They fall in love and she become the great-grandmother of King David. I know I spoiled it, but read it nonetheless. It's just four short chapters and it's a picture of the church and Christ.

Also, try Colossians, Philippians, or 1/2 Thessalonians in the New Testament.

Thank you.

It's ok you won't spoil it! I know some of Ruth from childhood and I've read bits and pieces of the Bible off and on over the years.

TzephanYahu said:
Hi @Matt_from_England

I'm also from the UK

You ask really worthy questions here. I was excited in my spirit in reading your words that a great journey lies before you. Praise Yahweh for opening your heart.

I found videos to be a great help for getting your head around the Bible book by book. These recommendations will help you understand the heart of each book, the key messages and the important topics.

This first series is great for a quick animated introduction to the book. Great before you start studying one or just something quick.

The Bible Project

This next series is done by one of the most blessed Christian teachers I've ever heard. Now, don't judge a book by it's cover. This video is old (70s I think) and it seems like it might be cheesy at first. But no, this series helped growth spurt my faith. Truly, you will not regret your time watching these! Our very own British hero David Pawson.

Unlocking the Bible

This final series is a good intermediate course on the Bible book by book. The guy is so relational and breaks down hard concepts into such easy to understand messages. This is from a Bible university course. Why ordinarily I would tell you to stay away from Bible Schools, this guy is absolutely on point with telling the truth and giving it to you as it is, not laden with man made theologies.

GCBI Bible Course

That's all for now my friend as I don't wanna bombard (if not already!)

Hey, if you have any questions about God the Bible or Christianity, feel free to ask away in here or DM me if you don't wanna ask it openly. My door is open. I was once where you were and anything I can do to help speed you through to where it gets good would be a privlege, Yahweh willing of course.

May the Most High and His Son bless you on your search for truth and give you peace.

Love & Shalom

Thank you for these links and the kind words and offer of help. It's appreciated.

Greengardener said:
Start with the premise that GOD IS. And that He will reward those who diligently seek him. (Yes, that's right from the Scriptures.)

Maintain the respect for Him that is worthy for this One Who made it all and maintains it all. And take Him at His word that He saw what He made that it was indeed good. And that He told us how to live so that life would work. Critics seem to think God exists to swat at us, but I believe you are just at the tip of the journey that is going to show you an ever increasing love like you've never before known - God is love.

This is helpful. You are quite right in the sense that I've needed to reassess the premises that I come to this with. I am trained as it were to deconstruct things and approach them critically. I think much depends on those initial assumptions.

Once you realize that the thread throughout the whole of the Bible is related to God's desire that His people seek Him for their own good, much of it will make sense.

and this.

I didn't say above, but I've come to this point by starting to see some of what I'd previously put down to human incompetence or selfishness, may actually be better described as evil. That sent me looking at the prophecies, Revelation, Daniel and also Baruch and Enoch and that's a rabbit hole in itself. It's helpful in one sense because if the bad stuff is true then it helps prove that the good news is as well, but I also found myself feeling very low. Perhaps because I don't have the faith, spiritual armour etc that I see people talking about.

Tolworth John said:
If you have a good Bible

Actually a good Bible was another question that cropped up. Online there's the choice of lots of different versions. I tend to go for the KJV but I don't know if there's any one that's considered better than another?

Thanks again everyone for your kind response to my question.

Greengardener · Oct 17, 2020

There's an online source called eSword that would allow you to have an electronic (free, but you can donate to the creator) copy of a multitude of translations, commentary, concordance. I've found it helpful. It's been my joy to collect several translations to compare, which seems the safest option in studying something as important as impacting my whole life.

It was pivotal for me to realize that God told us what we could believe about Him - His own testimony of Who He is - Jeremiah 9.24 - Let him who glories, glory in this, that he knows and understands ME, that I am Jehovah, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says Jehovah. Realizing He created mankind in His image and then gave us instructions of what would make life work for us showed me a degree of love that changed everything for me. I guess I had never realized that "if God be for us, who can be against us? He who spared not His own Son..." (Romans 8.31) defined how God wants us to relate to Him. What great love!

Matt_from_England · Oct 17, 2020

Greengardener said:
There's an online source called eSword that would allow you to have an electronic (free, but you can donate to the creator) copy of a multitude of translations, commentary, concordance. I've found it helpful. It's been my joy to collect several translations to compare, which seems the safest option in studying something as important as impacting my whole life.

It was pivotal for me to realize that God told us what we could believe about Him - His own testimony of Who He is - Jeremiah 9.24 - Let him who glories, glory in this, that he knows and understands ME, that I am Jehovah, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these I delight, says Jehovah. Realizing He created mankind in His image and then gave us instructions of what would make life work for us showed me a degree of love that changed everything for me. I guess I had never realized that "if God be for us, who can be against us? He who spared not His own Son..." (Romans 8.31) defined how God wants us to relate to Him. What great love!

Thanks for the recommendation. It looks like a great resource. Although I'm still looking to get a nice paper version partly because I spend too much time looking at screens, but also because I know that when online I'm likely to be moving from one thing to another, looking stuff up etc and getting distracted!
I read John the old fashioned way and it kept me more focussed on the text.

One thing which has stuck in my head is the quote from Jesus saying 'Do not be deceived' and that's something I'm starting to see as very relevant to the world we live in. There's all kinds of debate over what's the right version, translation, interpretation etc and that can be quite difficult to get your head round. I'm trying for now not to focus on all that as it just gets me nowhere!

Anthony2019 · Oct 17, 2020

Hello Matt-from-England
Welcome to the forums. Hope you will feel very much at home here and enjoy the discussions and fellowship.
As your friend suggested the Book of John, I thought I would mention that there is a film called the Gospel of John which is extremely well produced with an excellent cast. All throughout the film, the words spoken are taken word-by-word from the Good News Translation of the Bible. It's available for purchase, or if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, it is currently free to stream.

com7fy8 · Oct 17, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
I then went to Genesis and found this much harder going.

How about Genesis 37-50?

TzephanYahu · Oct 18, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
Actually a good Bible was another question that cropped up. Online there's the choice of lots of different versions. I tend to go for the KJV but I don't know if there's any one that's considered better than another?

The KJV can be quite a hard slog because of the language. People tend to boast about its accuracy but there are a number of flaws with it. Such as terms like Holy Ghost, instead of Holy Spirit, and Hell instead of Sheol.

If you're keen on accuracy, go for NKJV or the NASB. If you want something easy to read and yet still accurate, go ESV (my current go to).

But stay away from NIV and NLT if possible. They are very easy to read but they have some inaccuracies which could impact your faith indirectly. Don't get me wrong, they aren't super dangerous or anything but just have some "hiccups" who should steer clear of ideally.

ESV seems like the best choice for you to start with, so check out samples online and see if it fits.

Love & Shalom

Tom 1 · Oct 18, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
Hello, I have a lot of questions but wanted to give some background.

I'm someone who until very recently would describe themselves as an atheist, albeit an agnostic one. I couldn't prove there wasn't a God, but felt it unlikely, certainly as major religions described one. I didn't stop discussing or asking questions, but that was my position.

Anyway, recently that's begun to change. I'm not sure what I am. I put 'skeptic' down on the list when I joined, because that always seemed a rational place to start. I've probably lost the membership badge by now. I'm now looking at the world and seeing things happening which make more sense to me at least with the christian worldview from my childhood than the empiricist lens I've been looking through for many years.

I've discussed with a Christian friend and he suggested I read John, which I did and found it beautiful and uplifting. I then went to Genesis and found this much harder going.

I have prayed for the first time in many years. I found it difficult. I prayed for guidance and for my heart to be opened. I've not had any kind of answer other than the compulsion to keep looking and asking questions. Which brings me here. I'm wondering what the best way of going forward is?

Is there a 'good' route to navigate the Bible? In the past I've found passages from Leviticus or Exodus very difficult to reconcile with the loving God that I can see in John. However I don't want to get into those now.

I do have other questions, around aspects of theology and things I've read in different excerpts online etc. but I think I'd be getting ahead of myself trying to tackle those at the moment.

Thank you for reading and for any advice you care to offer.

Matt

I had the same problem with Genesis when I first read it, years ago. As literature it first needs to be approached from an understanding of the original context, Genesis is often read as if it were written recently in the style of a direct narrative account, which leads to confused interpretations that miss much of the original meaning. 'The Lost World of Genesis One' by John H Walton rounds up a lot of the relevant research on the context of Genesis, more generally Auerbach's comparison between parts of Genesis and the Odyssey in Mimesis is interesting for getting a wider sense of what the narratives were intended to convey, and David Rosenberg's 'Literary Bible' provides a way into understanding the particularly Hebrew modes of expression and the preoccupations and concerns behind these.

Francis Drake · Oct 18, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
I have prayed for the first time in many years. I found it difficult. I prayed for guidance and for my heart to be opened. I've not had any kind of answer other than the compulsion to keep looking and asking questions. Which brings me here. I'm wondering what the best way of going forward is?

You are already on the right path, and have obviously been so for years, and the starting point for all wisdom and understanding has to be God himself.-
James1v5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Read and digest the above slowly.
Wisdom is very different to knowledge. Knowledge is just facts, information, as you would find in a book or at school.
In contrast, wisdom is alive.
There are millions of people out there filled with knowledge but totally devoid of wisdom.
So ask God daily for wisdom, but don't expect your head to be filled with facts, it won't happen. However, when you do come across facts, you will find the wisdom of God enabling you to better understand the application of those facts, and that's the only way to make sense of the bible story, or anything else in life!

I can guarantee you from decades of experience that God delights to give wisdom to his children!
Happy hunting

Matt_from_England · Oct 18, 2020

com7fy8 said:
How about Genesis 37-50?

I've probably expressed myself badly above. I think the reason I found Genesis difficult was because there seemed such a massive contrast between John, which I think had a very simple direct and uplifting message and Old Testament Genesis with its lists, recounting of genealogy etc. I'm not blaming the book, it's maybe the way I've approached it. One of the things which put me off the Bible over the years are the passages from Exodus, Leviticus etc. often quoted by non Christians in relation to slavery, battles etc. I'm not here to go through all those I am trying to take a step back from my traditional critical mindset and approach this afresh with a more open mind? I wanted to go straight to the word itself rather than relying on interpretations and intermediaries so plunged in and got a bit dispirited. That said, reading that part again just now with the benefit of the commentary alongside in the esword version was helpful.

TzephanYahu said:
The KJV can be quite a hard slog because of the language. People tend to boast about its accuracy but there are a number of flaws with it. Such as terms like Holy Ghost, instead of Holy Spirit, and Hell instead of Sheol.

If you're keen on accuracy, go for NKJV or the NASB. If you want something easy to read and yet still accurate, go ESV (my current go to).

But stay away from NIV and NLT if possible. They are very easy to read but they have some inaccuracies which could impact your faith indirectly. Don't get me wrong, they aren't super dangerous or anything but just have some "hiccups" who should steer clear of ideally.

ESV seems like the best choice for you to start with, so check out samples online and see if it fits.

Love & Shalom

Thank you. Very helpful response which is appreciated.

I quite like the archaic language of the KJV as I have a liking for literature and its permeated our culture over the years. That said, the NKJV looks like a good compromise between the language and making it more accessible for everyday use. On the whole I'd put accuracy over readability every time. I don't mind putting the work in to look for meanings.

Matt_from_England · Oct 18, 2020

Tom 1 said:
I had the same problem with Genesis when I first read it, years ago. As literature it first needs to be approached from an understanding of the original context, Genesis is often read as if it were written recently in the style of a direct narrative account, which leads to confused interpretations that miss much of the original meaning. 'The Lost World of Genesis One' by John H Walton rounds up a lot of the relevant research on the context of Genesis, more generally Auerbach's comparison between parts of Genesis and the Odyssey in Mimesis is interesting for getting a wider sense of what the narratives were intended to convey, and David Rosenberg's 'Literary Bible' provides a way into understanding the particularly Hebrew modes of expression and the preoccupations and concerns behind these.

Thank you for these suggestions.

Francis Drake said:
You are already on the right path, and have obviously been so for years, and the starting point for all wisdom and understanding has to be God himself.-
James1v5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Read and digest the above slowly.
Wisdom is very different to knowledge. Knowledge is just facts, information, as you would find in a book or at school.
In contrast, wisdom is alive.
There are millions of people out there filled with knowledge but totally devoid of wisdom.
So ask God daily for wisdom, but don't expect your head to be filled with facts, it won't happen. However, when you do come across facts, you will find the wisdom of God enabling you to better understand the application of those facts, and that's the only way to make sense of the bible story, or anything else in life!

I can guarantee you from decades of experience that God delights to give wisdom to his children!
Happy hunting

Thank you also. I agree completely about the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

I think one of the problems is that to someone without the faith or belief, sometimes it feels like a vicious circle. I can choose to try to understand, I can ask for guidance but if faith is a prerequisite then I'm struggling. I have a brain that's trained to question, to doubt, to seek evidence on which to base belief rather than to believe first. I don't see belief as a choice, it's either there or its not. Maybe faith is slightly different, being the confidence you place in something.

With that mindset I don't get too far in the Old Testament before I read something which jars to my modern expectations. I'm trying now to put those attitudes aside, to be humble, open minded and the prayers are in that direction primarily.

The belief dilemma is a bit like 'what came first, the chicken or the egg.' The proceeding on the basis that 'God Is' however may be a path through this....

I very much appreciate everyone that's taken the time to reply. Thanks all.

com7fy8 · Oct 18, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
Old Testament Genesis with its lists, recounting of genealogy etc.

Matt_from_England said:
One of the things which put me off the Bible over the years are the passages from Exodus, Leviticus etc. often quoted by non Christians in relation to slavery, battles etc.

Any scripture can be used to help me find out how to love, and to appreciate who and how God really is.

RBPerry · Oct 23, 2020

Matt, I was raised in Christian schools including Christian college (Loma Linda) and rejected the whole thing for many years. I could never come to grips with the Old Testament and the contrast in the New Testament.
The problem is we try to get our head around spiritual concepts in a physical world and that can be very problematic. What brought me back to Christianity was the study of near death experiences, people that have been clinically dead, some even brain dead with a flat line EEG and were resuscitated or just returned to life. The first thing I come to learn is that we must study the bible from a spiritual perspective not a physical one. So what do I mean by that? Look for what God is trying to teach you instead of the controversial issues.
I came away from the Old Testament as an example of what God's chosen people were doing wrong, and Jesus came to show us a way to live that is pleasing to God. Read Mathew 5, Jesus outlines what God is looking for in His people.
Jesus was asked, what are the most important commandments, he said "to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself."
Focus on what Jesus taught, love, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience to God the Father.
The fact that you are searching for truth shows that the Holy Spirit is trying to draw close to you, don't focus on the problems, focus on the spiritual results in your life.

Matt_from_England · Oct 24, 2020

RBPerry said:
Matt, I was raised in Christian schools including Christian college (Loma Linda) and rejected the whole thing for many years. I could never come to grips with the Old Testament and the contrast in the New Testament.
The problem is we try to get our head around spiritual concepts in a physical world and that can be very problematic. What brought me back to Christianity was the study of near death experiences, people that have been clinically dead, some even brain dead with a flat line EEG and were resuscitated or just returned to life. The first thing I come to learn is that we must study the bible from a spiritual perspective not a physical one. So what do I mean by that? Look for what God is trying to teach you instead of the controversial issues.
I came away from the Old Testament as an example of what God's chosen people were doing wrong, and Jesus came to show us a way to live that is pleasing to God. Read Mathew 5, Jesus outlines what God is looking for in His people.
Jesus was asked, what are the most important commandments, he said "to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself."
Focus on what Jesus taught, love, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience to God the Father.
The fact that you are searching for truth shows that the Holy Spirit is trying to draw close to you, don't focus on the problems, focus on the spiritual results in your life.

Thank you, this was really helpful.

I've been doing a lot of reading, watching some online videos etc and it gets overwhelming, particularly when it gets to working out answers to questions which still divide people after many hundreds of years.

Even the idea of a spiritual perspective is one that until recently I didn't really understand, so although I'm well into my forties I've really gone back to basics in some ways.

Anyway, I found your post very helpful, both in your own story and your advice.

Thanks!

Lukaris · Oct 24, 2020

I have found reading Ecclesiastes helpful & then reading the New Testament. Ecclesiastes concludes with fear God & keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). Perhaps then backtrack to Deuteronomy 5, Deuteronomy 6, Psalms 15, Ezekiel 18:4-9, then all Ezekiel 18, Ezekiel 33, Isaiah 58, Ezekiel 34. I think from these we find that while we must follow the commandments & do good works, we still need grace ( then check Ephesians 2:8-10). I think Ezekiel 34 prepares us in that while we need priests or pastors ( depending on your church), we have to realize that they are just human & some are virtuous & others not. This is where the Lord as the good shepherd comes in ( John 10).

I also think the moral code of the OT is consistent with the Gospel. The thing is that forgiveness replaces cruel punishments for sinning in our earthly society. For ex. Leviticus 18, Leviticus 19, Leviticus 20 etc. are consistent with what St. Paul preaches in Romans 1 but St. Paul is preaching in conformity to the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5, Matthew 6, Matthew 7 ). Then we meditate on the Lord’s commandments ( Matthew 22:36-40, Luke 19:25-37, Romans 13:8-10 etc.)

Of course, there is much more to know but I have found these to be of help.

Sketcher · Oct 25, 2020

Matt_from_England said:
Is there a 'good' route to navigate the Bible? In the past I've found passages from Leviticus or Exodus very difficult to reconcile with the loving God that I can see in John. However I don't want to get into those now.

There's no single, best order in which to read the books. I will tell you to keep in mind:

The Bible is about God, and man's relationship to God. This includes God's will for us, and what he has done for his people, and why. This will also include its teaching about man's nature.
Context is very important. Consider the culture of the people that the book of the Bible you are reading was first written to. The inductive study method emphasizes this.
Everything about a certain subject is rarely all found within one passage of Scripture. The thematic study method can be a good way to get a balanced view of what Scripture teaches on a general topic (i.e. prayer, salvation, etc) if you are unfamiliar.
God is the biggest being out there. This means that one book of the Bible won't reveal all of who he is. A common and major mistake people make is thinking he changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Since Psalm 103 is in the Old Testament, and Acts 5:1-11 is in the New Testament, no one should believe that he changed. God has always loved his people very much, yet he still judges. Both manifestations of action come from the same heart. Because he is righteous, he judges. Because he is righteous, he gives mercy. Because of his supremacy, he is in a position where he has the ability to do either.

There's a lot to understand, and over a lifetime's worth of growth in understanding and in application for every Christian. Therefore, be patient with it, and if you hit a snag, know that there is probably more to it than what you're struggling over. Many deceptions about God and Christianity contain a kernel of truth, but not the whole truth.

Matt_from_England said:
I quite like the archaic language of the KJV as I have a liking for literature and its permeated our culture over the years. That said, the NKJV looks like a good compromise between the language and making it more accessible for everyday use. On the whole I'd put accuracy over readability every time. I don't mind putting the work in to look for meanings.

I generally recommend 1) Finding a healthy church that emphasizes following the Bible as its chief authority for doctrine and practice, and 2) using the translation that they use, since it's easier to follow along that way. If you like the KJV, that's fine, I use it too sometimes, it's not the only one I use. Read another translation alongside it. My church uses the ESV, so I can recommend that. NASB and NKJV are also good. If you can get your hands on a 1984 NIV rather than a 2011 NIV, that's another good one.

A good place to start?

Member

Active Member

Active Member

for love is of God

Well-Known Member

Member

for love is of God

Member

Pax et bonum!

Well-Known Member

Active Member

Optimistic sceptic

Returning adventurer.

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Christian Baby Boomer

Member

Orthodox Christian

Born Imperishable

Similar threads