A question on the bible

[Fiore teh Duck]

Hey.

I'm a non-christian gal looking for some in sight into the bible texts, and I'm trying to learn about Christianity. However...whenever I crack open the book...I get partway through Genesis and I get a bit bored. ><

I'm trying to educate myself about your faith but I get lost, it seems, because I'm not sure what to read.

What parts would you reccomend?

[ChristianKitsune]

I would start with Reading some of the more "exciting" parts of the Bible...(the old testament is really cool...but I think the New testament is more...'up to date?" The Old Testament is amazing, and its got LOTS of action, but its HUGE and it has a longer span of time than the New Testament...

Like we have the history of Jesus' life...his ministry, and his death and ressurection. (you can find these in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Then we have the very beginning of Christianity in Acts. And then in books like Romans, and on, we have the challenges and blessings and advice the new Christian Faith goes through...it's very interesting!

I would recommened reading John...(its the 4th book of the New testament) but I would also recommend, since this is a new thing for you and you don't want tos stuff your face full of knowledge all at once, that you read maybe a half a chapter to a chapter at the most a day... and reflect on it...really digest what the books are saying...don't just read it...THINK about it. ^_^

Good luck! I am sure others have some really great suggestions, I just found that John has a lot of great stuff in it! If you have any questions, I would be very willing to help ya!

[RedMage]

Kit's suggestion is good. Start reading the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

And just so you know, there'll be lots of us here praying for you.

[Fiore teh Duck]

Thank you so much for your help

[ChristianKitsune]

Thank you so much for your help

No PROBLEMA!!

[Fiore teh Duck]

reading it now on Bible Gateway actually... already seems more interesting xD;;

[ChristianKitsune]

BIBLE GATEWAY ROXXORS!! I use that site often.. *smile*

[Fiore teh Duck]

BIBLE GATEWAY ROXXORS!! I use that site often.. *smile*

It's very useful for someone like me... >> who doesn't really have a bible...

[Mave]

The Old Testament (OT) is deep and meaningful in its own way and there are many lessons we can draw from that section as well. Within the Old Testament, I found Esther, Daniel and Samuel easier to read but others are more than welcomed to share their thoughts on OT books. I also like Proverbs but that's if you like reading short blips of wise words rather than historical accounts.

In the New Testament, I echo Kit-chan that it's mostly likely best to start with reading the Gospels. The life of Jesus is fascinating in its own respects and you may find yourself relating to him and his followers.

I heavily use the Bible Gateway too, especially when I have difficulty recalling a certain verse. It's one of the best things created by men since sliced bread and the Internet. XD

[ChristianKitsune]

XDD I admit, that I really need to read the Old Testament A LOT more...:/ I know it's a very awesome part of the bible...but its..so..MASSIVE @.@

that, and I really really really love all the good and juicy stuff in the New Testament...^^;

[Mave]

[quote="ChristianKitsune"]XDD I admit, that I really need to read the Old Testament A LOT more...:/ I know it's a very awesome part of the bible...but its..so..MASSIVE @.@

that, and I really really really love all the good and juicy stuff in the New Testament...^^]
Have you ever read Philip Yancey's "The Bible Jesus read"? It focuses on the Old Testament and highlights its value. I grew to appreciate the OT more after reading this book.

I mean, if you think about it, the Old Testament was Jesus's Bible.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I think a big mistake everyone (Christians and non-christians alike) makes is trying to read it all the way through. Some people can do it, but not everyone. I sure as heck can't! I'm not so sure that's how it was meant to be read anyway, though. Some books within, maybe, but not the whole thing. It's better to find an isolated section and go from there. Not like a paragraph, or even a chapter, but a whole section of related texts within a book.

Still, bravo on the education thing. I was just talking with a guy the other day (A devout christian) who went through the book of mormon with some mormon missionaries, keeping an open mind about the whole thing. Explore other faiths. Get to know them. Learning what other people believe is actually a lot of fun.

[Fish and Chips]

The Old Testament is a fairly thick collection of pages, obviously informative, but usually a very, very slow read, depending on what book your browsing (the first five can be real killers). Not to mention confusing, given the need for some historical context for a lot of passages. Like everyone else, I'd suggest the Gospels first.

And I'm glad you've found Bible Gateway useful!

[Sheol777]

John is a good one to start on, fantastic!

Hey, if it makes it any easier for you to read the bible, try another translation. Like maybe the New International Version (NIV), or maybe the Living Bible.

Bravo for you having the courage to come here and learn of our faith

[Ashley]

I would be careful not to dismiss the Old Testament completely out of hand...I mean after all, it's in there for a reason! You can also learn a lot about the Jewish customs (for example, in the Gospels it talks about the Passover meal...which you read about in Exodus), or the book of Hebrews is chock full of Jewish culture that wouldn't make much sense if you couldn't read about it in some of the "boring" books like Leviticus.

However, for someone unaccustomed to the faith, I agree to start with the Gospels, especially John. John is written particularly for people like you, who are new to Christianity but want to learn.

[termyt]

It may not have been intended as a cover-to-cover read, but it is all supposed to be read.

My opinion on the best books to read first, though, are the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke. I think of John as the 102 course.

Romans is a good read and answers a lot of questions about Christianity.

In the old testament, so of my favorite stories to read are Esther and Ruth. Both stories center on women who through sacrifice achieve a degree of greatness.

The books of Samuel will bog down at times, but you are sure to recognize some of the stories in it – especially starting around 1 Samuel, chapter 16-17 and in 2 Sam 11-12.

And, if you are a fan of action, check out Judges. A bloodier book you will not find anywhere.

[mitsuki lover]

Are you more comfortable in reading English or do you perfer Italian?
This will make the choice of what translation you read important.If you
have trouble in understanding English then try a modern Italian translation or
paraphase if you can find any around.
Then I would suggest you read the following:
Old Testament:
Psalms,it's more devotional and you don't have to read it all or read in any particuliar order.
Proverbs
Ecclisiates aka The Preacher
Jeremiah
Isaiah
Hosea
Esther
Ruth
I and II Kings,mainly the stories of Elijah and Elisha
New Testament:
The Gospel of Mark,it's shorter and easier to understand than the others,plus it was the first Gospel written that we have in the Bible
Acts
Romans
Philippians
Ephesians
Colossians
Of the New Testament books I would advise against reading Revelation.
It can be too confusing even for life long Christians.
Good reading.

[rocklobster]

I would suggest the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version). But then, I'm biased because I happen to have it myself. Anyway, I will also recommend reading John's Gospel, but I would also add
Corinthinans
Romans
Daniel (read this before you read Revelation and it might be more helpful)
Revelation
Psalms
Proverbs
Sirach
Eccliastes
Ephesians
I'd also recommend that you get one of those "Study" or "Devotional" Bibles. They often have excellent articles that can help you to understand what you are reading.

[Dunedan]

If you're not a christian, then I would recommend Mark, John, and Ecclesiastes. Genesis is also extremely important as well... it's the reason for Mark, John, all the other gospels and the rest of the Bible. Ecclesiastes is almost like an atheist's guide to God, a skeptical look at life that seems almost contrary to the rest of the Bible... but can help you understand some of it without the background of the old testament. There is no denying the old testament's importance though... if you come to a long list of names or begats, just skip it if it's going to slow you down.

[Sheol777]

Ecclesiastes is almost like an atheist's guide to God, a skeptical look at life that seems almost contrary to the rest of the Bible...

Oooh, this is an unorthodox suggestion, I like the way you think.

[Fiore teh Duck]

Are you more comfortable in reading English or do you perfer Italian?
This will make the choice of what translation you read important.If you
have trouble in understanding English then try a modern Italian translation or
paraphase if you can find any around.
Then I would suggest you read the following:
Old Testament:
Psalms,it's more devotional and you don't have to read it all or read in any particuliar order.
Proverbs
Ecclisiates aka The Preacher
Jeremiah
Isaiah
Hosea
Esther
Ruth
I and II Kings,mainly the stories of Elijah and Elisha
New Testament:
The Gospel of Mark,it's shorter and easier to understand than the others,plus it was the first Gospel written that we have in the Bible
Acts
Romans
Philippians
Ephesians
Colossians
Of the New Testament books I would advise against reading Revelation.
It can be too confusing even for life long Christians.
Good reading.

^^ Thank you for those.
To answer you, I'm pretty much even with Italian and English, but because I spend most of my life in America, I feel more comfortable using English...just based upon experience.

I've heard that Psalms is something like a poem book or something?
of course, I'm probably totally mistaken.

[Technomancer]

Of the Old Testament books, you will probably find that the Book of Wisdom (aka Wisdom of Solomon) is closest to the kind of thought expressed in the Gospels.

[Yeshua-Knight]

psalms is like a crossed between poetry and songs, when the psalms were originally written they were meant as religious songs (you might not think so to read some of them, they can get kinda emo) but now they're more along the lines of poetry, but that's just because most people don't sing in biblical hebrew or to ancient pieces or music. something that you might want to keep in mind when reading the psalms is that a lot of them are not that long, and the book itself is broken up into 3 portions, so you don't have to think of it as one big book.

[Fiore teh Duck]

psalms is like a crossed between poetry and songs, when the psalms were originally written they were meant as religious songs (you might not think so to read some of them, they can get kinda emo) but now they're more along the lines of poetry, but that's just because most people don't sing in biblical hebrew or to ancient pieces or music. something that you might want to keep in mind when reading the psalms is that a lot of them are not that long, and the book itself is broken up into 3 portions, so you don't have to think of it as one big book.

Thanks for clearing that up. I was just on Bible Gateway...and I saw Psalms....AND IT WAS HUGE XD;

[ChristianKitsune]

Longest book in the Bible, Chica.. ^^; 150 or so one page or so chapters xD

[Dunedan]

Oooh, this is an unorthodox suggestion, I like the way you think.

Ecclesiastes is the book in the Bible that has made me question my faith the most, and that also firmly convicts me of it. Would you even expect something in the bible to start off by saying:

"Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"

[rocklobster]

Yes, but along with the Proverbs and the book of Wisdom, it is the most simplistic book for explaining our faith. That's why I recommended them. I should also point out that some versions of the Bible omit certain books. I forget all the ones that are omitted, but I know some of them are:
Maccabees 1 and 2
Sirach
The Song of Songs (aka Song of Solomon)--I think this is one
If anyone has any additions or corrections, let me know.

[Mithrandir]

I'm not sure what you're talking about, RL. Song of Songs has been in the bible as long as I know. I'm guessing you're refering to the Apocrypha, but that's not considered canonical scripture - not to mention you're going to confuse this poor girl by even bringing it up.

As long as you did, though, the general idea goes something like this:

Before there was a "The Bible" there were a lot of books/scrolls/letters floating around. Since many of them were clearly fake (but were being preached as true - thus poluting people's views), Augustine tried to lay down a group of clearly "devinely inspired" texts. Later, the Council of Trent approved this collection of writings as the canon, or books inspired by God. Most often, stuff that was left out was considered Gnostic, and therefore questionable.

There are too texts to mention by name, but Maccabees was one of them.

For someone trying to read the bible to get a better understanding of Christiananity, stick to the standard bible.

Now then, let's not digress into this disussion.

[Technomancer]

I'm not sure what you're talking about, RL. Song of Songs has been in the bible as long as I know. I'm guessing you're refering to the Apocrypha, but that's not considered canonical scripture - not to mention you're going to confuse this poor girl by even bringing it up.

As long as you did, though, the general idea goes something like this:

Before there was a "The Bible" there were a lot of books/scrolls/letters floating around. Since many of them were clearly fake (but were being preached as true - thus poluting people's views), Augustine tried to lay down a group of clearly "devinely inspired" texts. Later, the Council of Trent approved this collection of writings as the canon, or books inspired by God. Most often, stuff that was left out was considered Gnostic, and therefore questionable.

There are too texts to mention by name, but Maccabees was one of them.

For someone trying to read the bible to get a better understanding of Christiananity, stick to the standard bible.

Now then, let's not digress into this disussion.

Maccabees, Wisdom, etc are very much are in the "standard" Bible. Since Fifi mentioned her father was Catholic, it would not be out of keeping for her to have known of these books.

PS. The books of the deuterocanon, the ones that we have mentioned, were accepted into the bible long before Trent. Also, they are nowhere near to being Gnostic.

Anyways, Fif, you might also be interested in reading books on Christianity as well, which help to explain the meaning and context of what you are reading in Scripture.

From a smattering of viewpoints:


"The Gifts of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill
"The Desire of the Everlasting Hills" by Thomas Cahill
"The New Jerome Biblical Commentary" by Raymond Brown (ed.)
"Historical Theology" by Alister McGrath
"Catholicism" by Richard McBrien

As far as bibles go, if you don't have one already, I'd also recommend the New American Bible. It's a good translation and has many very useful notes and explanations.

[RedMage]

No Bible omits Song of Solomon that I know of.

Sirach and Maccabees are books "omitted" from most Bibles because they're considered apocryphal by Protestant Christianity but used by the Catholic and Orthodox churches as canonical Scripture. (Rocklobster is catholic, in case anybody's forgetting).