Have You Read the Entire Bible

China Cat Sunflower · 05-19-2006, 05:31 AM

Well, have you?

lunamoth · 05-19-2006, 05:49 AM

The entire NT several times. Did year-long study on the Pentateuch, year-long on Isaiah, the Psalms and of course some of them numerous times, self-study on Daniel and Revelation, Ruth. Passages from most others.

I read slowly and methodically, and do research as I go, when I decide to tackle a new part.

seattlegal · 05-19-2006, 06:11 AM

I love to read.

China Cat Sunflower · 05-19-2006, 06:12 AM

I've read the entire thing three times from G to R. Sometimes I just flip it open and follow whatever interests me. I like reading the Torah- especially Genesis. I also like comapring the Gospels, and as I've said I'm a big fan of the authentic Paul. Every time I read the Bible I find something new and interesting. There's a series of passages in Matthew that are parables about the nature of the Kingdom. I've been thinking about that for about a week. I talked to my JW friend and he had some interesting ideas. I never try to force a conclusion in my reading or thinking about the Bible. I'm on a quest, and it seems to be a good companion for that quest.

Chris

China Cat Sunflower · 05-19-2006, 06:18 AM

You know, maybe it's just me, but I don't think the Bible is a particularly hard book to read-especially not in a good contemporary translation. I think people are intimidated into thinking that you have to be some sort of scholar or super preacher to just read the thing. I guess it would be groovy to be able to read Greek and Hebrew, and it's certainly a plus for me to have the background in the Bible that I do thanks to my fundamentalist raising, but I just don't think it's that hard, or that you can go wrong by just reading it for what it says in English on the surface.

Chris

Vajradhara · 05-19-2006, 06:53 AM

Namaste all,

yes, i've read the Christian Holy Scriptures several times, it is hard to keep count of that sort of thing for me as i tend to cycle through the various religious texts that are in my library.

metta,

~v

wil · 05-19-2006, 01:52 PM

I did the bible in a year thing....about a dozen years ago...Old testament in the morning, New Testament readings at night...

I've been back and thru various passages since...but not completely again.

Love the parsha..

I read with a parallel bible allowing me to glance at various texts. I'd like to read the whole thing again with the Lamsa, and with the Message...as I seem to go to both of those versions a lot lately....But anytime I have a need to look at various versions the KJV is always one of them, and always sheds some light.

I, Brian · 05-19-2006, 02:12 PM

I've read everything except the Psalms - Monty Python put me off those.

It's not a hard book to read, but it is a very long book - the way I read it was to leave it in the bathroom, read a couple of chapters when I went to "cover my feet", and then make notes on the more memorable sections.

AletheiaRivers · 05-19-2006, 03:19 PM

I haven't read the entire Bible, every word, cover to cover. I almost have several times though. I've probably read about 90% of it. I've read certain books multiple times.

Tao_Equus · 05-19-2006, 03:38 PM

I have read bits of it, usually when called to do so through some idea, debate or other. The thought of trying to read it from cover to cover tho gathers my enthusiasim in just about the same way as if I was considering reading my telephone directory.

David

wil · 05-19-2006, 05:25 PM

Now David, tis much better than the phone directory and the reading is compelling...intrigue, war, sex, violence, love... It is an experience...not at all like a phone book...as you read you develop a better understanding of your life, and of other parts of the bible you read...and the stories you've heard...

It takes you to places you'd never thought you'd go, thoughts you'd never thought you'd thing, contempations....

Tao_Equus · 05-19-2006, 05:56 PM

Yes Wil, I appreciate what you say. my reference to the phonebook was perhaps glib. I have over the years probably read the greater part of it but doing a cover to cover reading of it has never been important to me.

Regards

david

Dor · 05-19-2006, 05:57 PM

Yep once or twice

.

Hmm Dallas must be boring cause our phone books are much more boring here

zx128k · 05-20-2006, 12:17 AM

I've skimmed it, but haven't completely read any particlar book.

Devadatta · 05-20-2006, 03:33 AM

Come on folks, tell me that when you get to that point in Exodus where the enumerations start, Hebrews dividing up the spoils, measuring their ark & temple, setting out the details of sacrifice – one-eyed chickens on Tuesday, three-horned goats on Thursday – that your eyes don’t glaze over? Particularly since this goes on through Leviticus, Numbers...? Deuteronomy picks up a bit since it reads like a summary, but then I get to chapter 12 when it’s going on about demolishing the sanctuaries, breaking the sacred pillars & burning the idols of the peoples the Hebrews have just conquered... I just have to put it aside, maybe for months.

But for me that’s the real difficulty in reading the Bible, particularly the Old Testament. It’s not that it’s too long or too difficult. It’s not even the long tedious stretches one can easily skim. It’s that fierce biblical ideology that made me, the first time I tried to read it, feel like I was inside a steel drum with some crazed prophet beating on the outside with a stick.

Naturally, I recognize the thundering monotheistic G!d as skilful means for the taming of ego, but my anti-authoritarian turn of mind makes me a poor candidate for these particular means. For someone less sensitive to the issue (or maybe more well-balanced!), it’s much less of a hindrance. And for someone actively seeking authority, the Old Testament is truly heaven on Earth.

At the same time, I recognize that there’s much more to the Bible, that it’s great literature; most importantly, that it’s the formative book of Western culture. As someone has already suggested, this is a very rich set of documents that reward close attention.

So for a Westerner the Bible can’t be escaped. If you don’t have some understanding of what’s in it, and what people have made of it, you can’t understand yourself.

So have I read the whole thing? I’ve gone through the Old Testament more or less systematically, reading the narrative and salient parts, skimming the rest. Genesis I’ve read a few times, as well as the book of Job. (I’ve recently started a new read-through, but stalled as I said above at that scene of rape & pillage.)

The New Testament is another story. I’ve read that straight through a few times, and I’ve marked all the passages of significance to me, which I return to now ever more frequently. The Gospel of Love for me is skilful means. The drama of guilt & redemption, the apocalypse & last judgement? Not so much.

(My apologies if I’ve offended. Just offering my honest reaction.)

Sincerely,
Devadatta