Where do you start??

[Snowy]

I have always wanted to read the Bible from start to finish...but have never been able to do it...exactly where do you start and how do you keep on it...thier are some things in the Bible that bores me..like when it starts talking about all these people that are born and how long they live and when they die...that really is boring to me and I can't read though it..and I can't even pronouce the names so I give up and stop reading...someone help please!!

What the difference in the different versions in the Bible..this has always confused me...I walk into any Christian book store and I see NIV KJV...Woman's version..Men's version...Child's version...teenager's version....

Please help me!...this really confuses me

 

[PuppyforChrist]

If it is the names and stuff that are giving you a hard time, I suggest using a teen or even a children's Bible to start off with. That's what I did. A Child's version for example has a lot of pictures and drawlings, and pernounciation in the book so you can pernounce the names and things correctly. A Teen Bible is a bit more harder with no pictures. What I have is a teen devotional Bible. Every few pages there is a short story that you read and then learn about how that story connects to God. That's called a devotional. If I were you, I would start with a teen Bible and if that is too hard, try a Children's Bible.

There are many different Bible versions. KJV stands for King James Version. NIV, I don't quite know this one.

Hope my advice helped a little!

 

[kimber1]

i personally use the NKJV (new king james version) b/c it doesnt' have all the thees and thous which i found really hard to understand. the Bible i have is also a study Bible which in the footnotes breaks down the meaning in a lot of the verses.

Have you ever heard of Our Daily Bread? it's a devotional that gives a daily lesson, scripture to read and also aids in reading through the Bible one day at a time.

 

[Running2Christ]

I use an NIV Bible. Its a study bible to. You should get a study bible they usually help you read through the biblegive you different forms of reading it etc. it would be a good i dea to get a study bible but it really doesnt matter how you read the bible because whatever God want you to take away from your time reading his word you will get.

 

[psycmajor]

I agree with kimber1. Get a devotional. It will help you discipline yourself to read just a bit of the Bible every day.

Here's an online one: http://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/journey/readme.htm?level=chronological

As far as Bible versions? Some Bibles are to help explain to you biblically in different ways what a scripture means (aka, teen Bibles, children's Bibles). Bible versions? Look here: http://www.zondervanbibles.com/home.asp


NIV is my fav. NKJV is my second fav.

 

[allieisme]

I use the New King James Version, as well.. So much less confusing to me, without all of the thee and thou.
When I first started to read the Bible, with a start to finish plan, I had this awesome outline..
Since it is 2 am here right now, I will look for it in the morning, and then add it to this thread or if you'd like I can pm you.. Let me know..

 

[highergrounds]

Hey hey baby..,
I am experiencing similar trials in trying to read the Good book from the scratch. I could not. Then I beame interested in reading the popular verses but found out that it was not helping me much. Now I have adopted a new formular by reading selected books first as a young growing christian.I am making progress by the grace of God.

LISTEN HERE THOUGH! Its not by might but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our helper and gives us the understanding and inspiration we need to read and study the bible. Always pray before you study the Bible for the enemy is a liar!

I will always recommend a translation you can easily understand. For me I'm now considering New Living Translation or NKJ 2002.

Be inspired by the Holy Spirit, the author of the Bible.

 

[Newchild]

Im new to Christ too, I use a NIV and I love it. I found it alot easier to understand and it has helped me alot.

 

[serendipity79]

I suggest purchassing a bible commentary to accompany your readings, i use the NIV study version, but i still find that a commentary is helpful

 

[Mr.Cheese]

For your purposes, I would recommend an NIV Study Bible, or a Life Application Study Bible in New Living Translation. I dont' recommend them because of the translation perse, but the information and layout in them is very useful and user friendly. They do their jobs really at being study bibles.

Now, genealogies and all the headcounting you run across is pretty dry. It's ok to skip a book and move on. For instance, I would not recommend reading all four gospels at once for your first time through. You're probably going to find Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy difficult. Those books are valuable, but difficult. If you want to pass over them and go on that's ok. But try to get through them a little here and there. The two bibles I mentioned should have notes to help guide you through the difficult parts.
ALl I can say is to discipline yourself to read some of it every night. At the least, if you are half dead and can't possible read, try to knock out a chapter.
But I would try to read a few pages or more at a time because one chapter at a time is going to take a while.

 

[rotorhead]

Babygirl, your confusion is understandable. As far as versions go, some are meant to be as true as posible to the actual text, which unfortunately means something is lost in the meaning. Some versions are as true as possible to the meaning, while being a little more liberal with exact textual translation. Personally, I have always found myself using the NIV.

I find it highly commendable to attempt reading the whole Bible. I was also 19 when I determined I would read the whole thing. I can't say there is any one specific game plan for reading it that would be the best. Since I didn't know, I just read cover to cover. Worked for me. Another time, I skipped around a bit, another I read some of the OT and some NT every day. In short, whatever works for you.

I was also aware that there are large sections that seem on the surface to have little use. But upon more in depth reading, I found that God really does speak through all of scripture. Some parts just take more work to figure out.

 

[erichmess_]

I think for most new Christians, try to read the book of John first. After that, I pretty much just read straight through the rest of the New T. I would suggest not getting into the Old T until you're petty secure in your faith, which is what I'm doing.

 

[SunLiteGrl]

Get a daily devotional journal. It will direct you to sections of the bible at a time, and when you read those you will be helped to understand different parts of the bible and what they and the areas around them mean. Are you a teen? The best journal I have ever done is "Seven Checkpoints For Teens" by Stuart Hall and Andy Stanley. I can gurantee it will teach you soooo much about Christianity and about being a better Christian...and you wil understand the bible more, too!