I want to start reading the bible but I'm not too sure where to start, any suggestions?
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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Where to start
- Thread starter Maddleyy
- Start date
Here is a good approach for daily reading:
1 Chapter of Proverbs (this will keep you humble)
3 Psalms a day (this will encourage you and give you many promises to lay hold of)
Then begin to work your way through the New Testament by reading 20 minutes a day. Start in Matthew, work your way through until you read Revelation.
You will also want to integrate the Old Testament books outside of the Psalms and Provbers so you read the OT at least once or twice a year.
Really, though, new believers should spend a lot of time in the New Testament as it pulls together insights into our New Covenant in Christ that won't be clear in the OT.
1 Chapter of Proverbs (this will keep you humble)
3 Psalms a day (this will encourage you and give you many promises to lay hold of)
Then begin to work your way through the New Testament by reading 20 minutes a day. Start in Matthew, work your way through until you read Revelation.
You will also want to integrate the Old Testament books outside of the Psalms and Provbers so you read the OT at least once or twice a year.
Really, though, new believers should spend a lot of time in the New Testament as it pulls together insights into our New Covenant in Christ that won't be clear in the OT.
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Dear Maddleyy. I love very much what Jesus tells the Lawyer in Matthew 22:
especially from 35-40. " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus points out this great fact:
" On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The Bible is full of gut advice, but by following those Commandments, we definitely
prove our Love to our Heavenly Father. All we say and all we do, let it be from Love and Compassion. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. A good way to start is by treating all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends, let us treat them as we would love to be treated. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and Bless us.
In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " ask and ye shall receive," let us ask for Love and Joy and thank God, and then share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all with all around us. People will treat us the same as we treat people, and Love is very catching. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour.
The Bible tells us to " Repent," and also to " Be Born Again." Let us change all selfish thoughts and wishes, let us become loving and caring, day after day after day. You can still read the Bible, a few pages at a time. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us, and with God on our side, who can be against us? We can become sign-posts to God, and show an imperfect world, and prove, how wonderful our Heavenly Father is.
Love God and love our fellow-men and fellow-women is what God wants from us, and we will find that Jesus is leading us in all we say and all we do.
It sounds too good to be true, Maddleyy, but why not try and find out for yourself.? I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.
especially from 35-40. " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus points out this great fact:
" On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The Bible is full of gut advice, but by following those Commandments, we definitely
prove our Love to our Heavenly Father. All we say and all we do, let it be from Love and Compassion. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters. A good way to start is by treating all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends, let us treat them as we would love to be treated. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and Bless us.
In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " ask and ye shall receive," let us ask for Love and Joy and thank God, and then share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all with all around us. People will treat us the same as we treat people, and Love is very catching. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour.
The Bible tells us to " Repent," and also to " Be Born Again." Let us change all selfish thoughts and wishes, let us become loving and caring, day after day after day. You can still read the Bible, a few pages at a time. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us, and with God on our side, who can be against us? We can become sign-posts to God, and show an imperfect world, and prove, how wonderful our Heavenly Father is.
Love God and love our fellow-men and fellow-women is what God wants from us, and we will find that Jesus is leading us in all we say and all we do.
It sounds too good to be true, Maddleyy, but why not try and find out for yourself.? I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.
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Harry3142
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Maddleyy-
Start with The Gospel of St. Mark. It's the shortest of the gospels, and will get you 'grounded' in what Jesus taught and did while here among us. From there go to Luke. It will give you a broader knowledge of Jesus, his environment, and his teachings. Then read Romans more than once. This is because Romans is considered by many scholars to be the perfect description of Christian theology.
Matthew is commonly accepted as written primarily for Jewish readers, due to its numerous referrals to the laws of Torah. So read it after you have the background of Mark, Luke and Romans already having been read (you might even read Deuteronomy in the Old Testament first so that you know the laws which Jesus refers to in his teaching). And The Gospel of St. John is considered as more advanced theologically, so read it as the last gospel. Also, when you read John realize that the primary purpose of that book is to emphasize the theology that Jesus taught, so events are used in order to more clearly teach this theology, rather than their being put in correct chronological order.
Start with The Gospel of St. Mark. It's the shortest of the gospels, and will get you 'grounded' in what Jesus taught and did while here among us. From there go to Luke. It will give you a broader knowledge of Jesus, his environment, and his teachings. Then read Romans more than once. This is because Romans is considered by many scholars to be the perfect description of Christian theology.
Matthew is commonly accepted as written primarily for Jewish readers, due to its numerous referrals to the laws of Torah. So read it after you have the background of Mark, Luke and Romans already having been read (you might even read Deuteronomy in the Old Testament first so that you know the laws which Jesus refers to in his teaching). And The Gospel of St. John is considered as more advanced theologically, so read it as the last gospel. Also, when you read John realize that the primary purpose of that book is to emphasize the theology that Jesus taught, so events are used in order to more clearly teach this theology, rather than their being put in correct chronological order.
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It's hard to say where to start, because God gets to us in different ways. Some might need more intellectual understanding. The Epistles might be good for them. Others might simply need to know more about what Jesus was like. For them, the Gospels.
And then there's the Old Testament: the Law is the "tutor that leads us to Christ", and the prophets and the writings (like the Psalms) reveal the heart of God and foretell Jesus's mission.
Go with what feeds you, and don't be afraid to skip around as you find interests. But the goal of the whole enterprise is to know Jesus, what He has done for you, and who you are in Him. Whatever helps that happen is good. Before and as you read, open your heart and ask God to show you what you need to know through the text.
And then there's the Old Testament: the Law is the "tutor that leads us to Christ", and the prophets and the writings (like the Psalms) reveal the heart of God and foretell Jesus's mission.
Go with what feeds you, and don't be afraid to skip around as you find interests. But the goal of the whole enterprise is to know Jesus, what He has done for you, and who you are in Him. Whatever helps that happen is good. Before and as you read, open your heart and ask God to show you what you need to know through the text.
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Hi,
The book of Romans is the foundation for all believers. You will be introduced to the revelation Christ gave the apostle Paul for the church. It is not found in the OC. You will eventually read the whole Bible. But please start in Romans.
Grace to you.
The book of Romans is the foundation for all believers. You will be introduced to the revelation Christ gave the apostle Paul for the church. It is not found in the OC. You will eventually read the whole Bible. But please start in Romans.
Grace to you.
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Peripatetic
Restless mind, peaceful soul.
I suggest Mark, Romans, and John. For the Old Testament, start with Genesis and Exodus, with chapters of Psalms and Proverbs in between here and there.
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seashale76
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Use a daily lectionary.
Various one-year bible reading plans:
One-year NRSV Bible Reading Plans
If you want to use a daily lectionary that goes along with the Church calendar (Orthodox), then here's one:
OCA - Monthly Lectionaries of Daily Readings
Various one-year bible reading plans:
One-year NRSV Bible Reading Plans
If you want to use a daily lectionary that goes along with the Church calendar (Orthodox), then here's one:
OCA - Monthly Lectionaries of Daily Readings
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ThomasMoore
Tommy
Thank you for making this thread. This was just what I was looking for. Thank you everyone for contributing 
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