Who has Read the Bible ?

[sunshineforJesus]

Wow! I would be very interested in that

Its on the youversion app.Just download the app and look up read the bible in 90 days.

 

[Heavenhome]

Its on the youversion app.Just download the app and look up read the bible in 90 days.

Thank you

 

[Resha Caner]

I don't deny the value of reading the Bible oneself, but American Christianity seems to fail to understand that is a very recent, very western approach to religion. God's Word survived millennia among people who couldn't read. Reading the Bible does not, in and of itself, make Christians. God makes Christians. And there are plenty of people who go astray because of reading the Bible in ignorance.

 

[Brotherly Spirit]

I've read the New Testament once and Old Testament some chapters. Think I've read the Gospels least twice, probably only Matthew and Mark. Major hindrances for me are when there's not enough time for quality reading and getting whelmed by too much information. Most days I try to read least a chapter, but some days I don't as I try to process and practice what I've read.

 

[Heavenhome]

I don't deny the value of reading the Bible oneself, but American Christianity seems to fail to understand that is a very recent, very western approach to religion. God's Word survived millennia among people who couldn't read. Reading the Bible does not, in and of itself, make Christians. God makes Christians. And there are plenty of people who go astray because of reading the Bible in ignorance.

I think there are a whole lot more people going astray because they DON'T read the Bible.
That was the reason God inspired those to write it:so we would know Him and His will and to avoid error.

 

[Resha Caner]

I think there are a whole lot more people going astray because they DON'T read the Bible.

Both are true. Both those who do and don't read the Bible go astray. My point is that American Christianity forgets half the story, and so gives an impression that the paper and ink are imbued with some mystical power to convert.

Any writing needs context, and the context of the Bible comes from the Church.

 

[Chinchilla]

Lots and lots of people profess to believe the bible and claim to have a belief in its words.

I think there are a lot of people that have not read it all the way thru and who read other books, watch tv, watch movies, play video games and do NOT actually read the bible ? Is this accurate ? How can we all do better ?

Many people did not read the Scriptures in Christ time because they could not read nor did they have the Scriptures .
They had to translate the Scriptures into greek because most Jews did not speak hebrew that's how LXX was born . That's why phariasies were surprised that Jesus knew the Scriptures being a carpender's son and not a priest . At least they had excuse we don't have any .

I confess that I did not read through from cover to cover . By read I mean understand . You can read Bible in 80 hours like a book or you can spend like 50 hours just in Genesis and understand it .

 

[Ancient of Days]

HereIStand, post: 72925603, member: 154604"]True. Many people have not read the Bible but have read other books. Reading the Bible is a great thing. As beneficial as it can be, knowledge of the Bible by itself though won't keep someone in faith.

I know someone who believes that St. Paul was basically a heretic. I'm sure that this person has read the Bible many times over, probably in more than one translation.

Wrong. It is written:
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

In fact the only thing you need to read in this life IS the word of God.

 

[roman2819]

Trying to read the Bible in one year means having to cover 6 chapters a day. which is too rush. Many Christians try but give up because it is too demanding. As well, you might not enjoy reading hastily. Hence some Bible reading track now recommend 1.5 years. But to me, it is not how fast you finish, it is about appreciating and enjoying it. In my book, "Understanding Prayer, Faith and God's Will" I suggest it doesn't matter whether you finish the Bible in 3 or even 5 years.

I also recommend that readers keep concise notes as they go along. Concise means a few words to say what the chapter or a few chapters are about, the notes should not be tedious, and it does NOT mean rewriting the bible again. For example

Matthew 1 = Genealogy of Jesus. Jewish lineage.
Matthew 2,3,4 = Birth and early life of Jesus.
Matthew 5,6,7= The Sermon of the Mount

EXODUS:

Exodus 2 = Moses killed an Egyptian, fled to Midian, married and lived there.
Exodus 3 == God called Moses.

[I cannot create a table format here, but a table form is easier to read. I will see if I can attach a PDF later]

Concise notes is useful for various reasons:

1. You will feel motivated when you see your notes accumulating. You remember what you read as you go over the notes now and then.

2. Concise notes enables you to keep going until you reach your goal. Even if you stop for two or five months. which is very common because of time schedule, traveling, fatiguebor even need to take a break -- the notes remind you to pick up again,. And
instead of going back to square one again [if you stop 5 years ago without any notes], you can continue from where you left off. Going over the notes again will refresh your memory about what you learn previously, and you continue from there.

4. Later, when you learn something more about a chapter{s} or character [eg Abraham or David] which you covered a few months or years ago, you can add or edit the notes. The notes actually become your personal Biblepaedia. Or after you found something useful from Christian book, commentaries, sermon, conversation with friends or something cross your mind, you can add to your notes. See the words in blue, which are examples of additional thoughts or comments you can add as time goes by, as you realize new stuff, or as you ask new questions. Example:


Exodus 2

Moses killed an Egyptian; fled to Midian; married and lived there for forty years. How was the change from luxury as a prince previously to a simple life now? Maybe happier to be away from the protocol, politics and plots that existed in the palace, less grand but more peace of mind?

From living in the desert, he learned about how to survive in the harsh conditions. This helped him to lead the Hebrews later.

When God called him again 40 years later, how did he feel ?


Exodus 3

God called Moses. If God has a designated will or plan, He will call or guide us.


Keep concise notes, keep reading and keep going. Way before you finish the entire Scriptures, you will see that the Biblepedia can stay with you always.

 

[straykat]

I've been blessed enough to have the convenience of reading it numerous times, but don't necessarily recommend a front to back reading. One should start with the Gospels, but should read it in patches afterwards.

That said, people don't need to read the whole Bible to understand Christ or the Church. It helps, but this is a recent development. The Church survived for a thousand years by only being taught it or hearing the Bible in liturgy and seen in visual depictions - and they still understood and loved Christ enough to sometimes get martyred. The same can be said for the thousands of Orthodox and Catholics who have been slaughtered just recently in Syria or the millions who died last century under Soviet rule. Not all of them were equipped with the convenience of bibles, and some weren't even literate to begin with, but they still knew the Word. And they still died and followed Christ's example. That's more that can be said about most people. There are scholars who know the Bible like the back of their hand, but they can't even endure the persecution of their fellow academics and immediately cave in to heresy, just to keep friends and "respectable" appearances. They're not even responsible with what little Christ expects of them. And they're certainly not going to endure torture. I pray that I myself don't fall over so little, and that I can be as worthy as those simpler folks who endured like champs. After all, it was Christ who said that the least will be the greatest, and that we must be like children.

Interestingly, I heard an amazing story about a teenage boy in Syria who was only a casual Catholic (at first), but faithful enough to not fear his ISIS captors. He knew little of the Bible, but when put under stress, the Spirit spoke through him and dumbfounded the terrorists. He started speaking random things about Christ and the Apostles that he himself didn't know - and in his words, the terrorists asked him, "Why do all of you Christians start speaking like that?". Apparently, they encountered it before, and recognized something "different" about it. They eventually let him go, and this boy told his story to a nun.

Point of the story though is that it is the Spirit who gives life, and who gives utterance. And for us humans, it is our simple faith that will count in the end. Not knowledge.