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If I were going to read the bible, what's a good place to start? I've read the start of OT and NT, I just want somewhere I can jump into. Is that a retarded way to see the bible lol?
I know the "right" answer is to point you toward books such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, so this might sound strange to other Christians, but I felt better today after listening to the book of Ecclesiastes. It basically makes the point that everything we strife for in this world is pointless. God and his wisdom alone are worthwhile pursuing.
The French philosopher Voltaire once said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.”
Even though I disagree with Voltaire on many, many issues, he is exposing something fundamentally true about humans. God created us and planted within each of us an understanding of right and wrong, which is governed by His universal truth. In other words, even atheists are obsessed with justice and desire some sort of higher force to define or justify it. Saying humans can just define their own truth just feels wrong no matter how much you want it to be true.
Now, with that said, The Bible is like a very long history book about how we screwed everything up, but God created a way for us to rejoin Him through His Son Jesus... who is like a perfect template for us to follow when we live in world filled with corruption. I’m not sure if any of this makes sense or not, but it is late, and I am drinking scotch. So… God be with you and Amen!
The beginning. A good place to start reading a book is at the beginning. The NT doesn't really make sense until you understand what happened in the beginning and how God's plan progressed from there.
Yeah, that's what I thought but I don't have the right frame of reference to digest it. When I start reading it's just coming at me as words and events and not giving me any significance to them internally. It's almost like I'm reading and gaining nothing, which will make it easier for another readthrough, but I feel whatever there is to learn or be gained from reading it is going over my head
Pray, read, study with others who have been in it longer than you. There are many great daily broadcasts from ministries around the world you can find on the internet. Just make sure it is verse-by-verse. Context is key in every chapter.
Hmm, the Gospel of John might be a good place to start.
If you are interested in the problem of morals, a good book I'd recommend is
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. Kinda philosphy-ish but written in accessible language, not BS.
Thanks, I enjoy philosophy and in fact that's where my reintroduction to religion came from so I think this will be something I can throw my head into.
Yeah, I enjoy him. I want to get an audiobook that goes through the bible but also then sort've breaks down some expressions based around historicity, etymology and what they most likely actually meant at the time not just someone's opinion (though I'm sure they're not mutually exclusive). Sometimes I read a bit and get lost because they style of writing is not familiar to me so it's hard to understand
That's understandable. I know there are simplified versions out there. My parents have one of our family Bibles from the 1880s, which only uses words if three syllables or less, which I think is cool. Would've been very handy when people weren't as literate.
We have our hope in Christ and not any mortal man.. Please read this book The Rational Faith - Truth loses nothing by being closely examined.
In this thought-provoking apologetic, international lawyer Jason Crook reviews the evidence for Christianity from a variety of scientific, historical, and logical perspectives—making the case that it is not only rational, but true. Written for both sceptics and Christians who want a deeper understanding of—and confidence in—their faith, it examines in detail key questions like:
Is there a God?
Is the Bible credible?
Can we establish that what Christianity teaches is true?
Beginning with an overview of how the West rejected Christianity and why a book of this kind is necessary, its arguments build upon one another to support the conclusion that Christianity is the one true religion. It examines key scientific and logical grounds for the existence of God before testing other major religions to show why they cannot also be true. With Judaism and Christianity the sole survivors of these tests, it then focuses on the Bible to distinguish between them. Using a variety of evidentiary approaches, it examines how the Bible was created, how has it been transmitted over the ages, and how we can know it to be accurate. It then explores what the Bible teaches about man’s fall into sin and need of a redeemer—examining in detail the prophecies about this redeemer and how Jesus is the sole individual to fulfil them.
Drawing upon over five years of research and more than 1,200 source citations, The Rational Faith should not be ignored by any tough-minded inquirer.
Read the Book of John. There is a website called Bible gateway and you can read it easily in the NIV New International version instead of the king James.
Jesus said it, "No one is good but God alone."
If I were going to read the bible, what's a good place to start? I've read the start of OT and NT, I just want somewhere I can jump into. Is that a retarded way to see the bible lol?
I know the "right" answer is to point you toward books such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, so this might sound strange to other Christians, but I felt better today after listening to the book of Ecclesiastes. It basically makes the point that everything we strife for in this world is pointless. God and his wisdom alone are worthwhile pursuing.
https://www.biblestudytools.com/audio-bible/esv/ecclesiastes/
Wow, sounds good thanks. Second rec for ecclesiastes
The French philosopher Voltaire once said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.”
Even though I disagree with Voltaire on many, many issues, he is exposing something fundamentally true about humans. God created us and planted within each of us an understanding of right and wrong, which is governed by His universal truth. In other words, even atheists are obsessed with justice and desire some sort of higher force to define or justify it. Saying humans can just define their own truth just feels wrong no matter how much you want it to be true.
Now, with that said, The Bible is like a very long history book about how we screwed everything up, but God created a way for us to rejoin Him through His Son Jesus... who is like a perfect template for us to follow when we live in world filled with corruption. I’m not sure if any of this makes sense or not, but it is late, and I am drinking scotch. So… God be with you and Amen!
P.S. I will also pray for you etc...
The beginning. A good place to start reading a book is at the beginning. The NT doesn't really make sense until you understand what happened in the beginning and how God's plan progressed from there.
Yeah, that's what I thought but I don't have the right frame of reference to digest it. When I start reading it's just coming at me as words and events and not giving me any significance to them internally. It's almost like I'm reading and gaining nothing, which will make it easier for another readthrough, but I feel whatever there is to learn or be gained from reading it is going over my head
Pray, read, study with others who have been in it longer than you. There are many great daily broadcasts from ministries around the world you can find on the internet. Just make sure it is verse-by-verse. Context is key in every chapter.
Hmm, the Gospel of John might be a good place to start. If you are interested in the problem of morals, a good book I'd recommend is The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis. Kinda philosphy-ish but written in accessible language, not BS.
Thanks, I enjoy philosophy and in fact that's where my reintroduction to religion came from so I think this will be something I can throw my head into.
Also check out the author Edward Feser, who gives pretty good walkthroughs of Thomas Aquinas's arguments for the existence of God.
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes for wisdom on life might interest you.
Or maybe Daniel as a man who stood against the evil of his age.
Obviously the gospels with the wisdom and teachings of Christ is fantastic as well.
The Psalms might be good. There are a lot of helpful phrases and prayers in there. But that's just my two cents.
Thanks
Sure thing. Jesus is the light and the way.
Watch some Jordan Peterson, too lol
Yeah, I enjoy him. I want to get an audiobook that goes through the bible but also then sort've breaks down some expressions based around historicity, etymology and what they most likely actually meant at the time not just someone's opinion (though I'm sure they're not mutually exclusive). Sometimes I read a bit and get lost because they style of writing is not familiar to me so it's hard to understand
That's understandable. I know there are simplified versions out there. My parents have one of our family Bibles from the 1880s, which only uses words if three syllables or less, which I think is cool. Would've been very handy when people weren't as literate.
Same here my man
We have our hope in Christ and not any mortal man.. Please read this book The Rational Faith - Truth loses nothing by being closely examined.
In this thought-provoking apologetic, international lawyer Jason Crook reviews the evidence for Christianity from a variety of scientific, historical, and logical perspectives—making the case that it is not only rational, but true. Written for both sceptics and Christians who want a deeper understanding of—and confidence in—their faith, it examines in detail key questions like:
Is there a God? Is the Bible credible? Can we establish that what Christianity teaches is true? Beginning with an overview of how the West rejected Christianity and why a book of this kind is necessary, its arguments build upon one another to support the conclusion that Christianity is the one true religion. It examines key scientific and logical grounds for the existence of God before testing other major religions to show why they cannot also be true. With Judaism and Christianity the sole survivors of these tests, it then focuses on the Bible to distinguish between them. Using a variety of evidentiary approaches, it examines how the Bible was created, how has it been transmitted over the ages, and how we can know it to be accurate. It then explores what the Bible teaches about man’s fall into sin and need of a redeemer—examining in detail the prophecies about this redeemer and how Jesus is the sole individual to fulfil them.
Drawing upon over five years of research and more than 1,200 source citations, The Rational Faith should not be ignored by any tough-minded inquirer.
If a Christian is the Pence Judas, many say "no thank you". We look to God, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, not Christianity alone!
Thats exactly how Ive been feelin =/
There’s a lot of truth in this. It’s more the lack of faith in anything at all that scares me.
Read the Book of John. There is a website called Bible gateway and you can read it easily in the NIV New International version instead of the king James.
Too late.
Christianity has been gutted to the point that only a total collapse of the West will allow it to rise again.
But this will mean the end of the United States and the West as we know it.