Have you ever read the entire bible? (If not, join me starting November 1st)

[Saint Kevin]

I'd do a poll here, but I'm clueless on how to do one. I do have to ask, "Have you read the entire bible?"

I ask because I am about to read the bible on a one-year plan starting the week of November 1st. Take that New Year's resolutions - you're two months too late!

I'm going to use the following plan, and I'm inviting any of you that are interesting in joining with me:

http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html

If you guys are interested in joining me, just reply to this thread with an affirmative. If you want a weekly email reminder of the week's readings, just PM me your email address (which will be kept completely confidential), and you'll get a weekly email reminder including the week's readings.

I make no demands on you whatsoever, except to commit to reading along with me. We don't have to discuss the readings with other CAAers, but I would be open to the idea if enough people were interested. Maybe we could kidnap the chat periodically and discuss things pertinent to that week's readings (so long as everyone can play nice).

If you're interested in reading along with me, just reply to this thread positively, PM me, or email me at kkulpa(at)gmail.com.

Please consider reading along with a plan. If not now, then at some point. You WILL notice a big difference in your life when you read the word consistently, and you will hear God speaking to the questions in your life through his word.

[K. Ayato]

I've read it cover to cover, and I'm restarting it. Currently halfway through Ezekiel now .

[rii namuras]

[color="Red"](I have at least once, and am starting again. While I won't be following that particular plan, I will most certainly be reading through again.)[/color]

[Yokuo]

I also won't be following that plan, as I'd rather read at my own pace. But this is a very good goal, and I really need to read daily.

[rocklobster]

Yes, and I've also highlighted key passages. I strongly suggest you do so, Kevin.

[mitsuki lover]

Did it a couple times.Leviticus and parts of Ezekiel are a pain to read though.
Psalms and Jeremiah are about the best parts of the OT.

[uc pseudonym]

I think. In any case, I'm systematically reading through the part I'm most likely to have missed a section (the Pentateuch and OT history).

I'd do a poll here, but I'm clueless on how to do one.

What do you want the options to be? Anything other than yes/no?

[Danderson]

I think once I tried and got only as far as Numbers, then I decided to skip ahead to just reading the New Testament.....Not that I don't read any of the Old Testament, but I find it easier to read the New Testament.....Though I should probably spend equal time in both.....

[Yokuo]

@Danderson: The OT is most definitely much harder reading material, but it's full of God's law and wrath, which are necessary to know about to further appreciate His love, shown more in the NT. Both are equally important, and should be read. But if you're a newcomer... I'd suggest reading the first few chapters of Genesis (learn about the fall and Adam's sin, as well as the curse), then read the Gospels, to learn about Christ and the Trinity. (Not saying you're new, but I'm just throwing that out there as a generalization)

[minutz3]

Well, I read a verse every night before going to sleep, but no, I haven't finished the whole Bible yet.

[Yokuo]

Try stepping that up from a verse. Tomorrow night, read 2, then keep going up. Soon you'll be reading chapters at a time

[minutz3]

Try stepping that up from a verse. Tomorrow night, read 2, then keep going up. Soon you'll be reading chapters at a time

Well, the problem is, I have a lot of things to do in school, and most times I am too tired to read more than one verse, and I'm just happy to do one verse at all.
But when I feel that I am able of reading more, I usually do it :-)

[mitsuki lover]

Try reading a couple of verses in the Old Testament and then a couple in the New Testament.

[minutz3]

Oh, sorry, I was wrong, I am reading about 1 chapter every evening, not one verse :-P

I did remember it all wrong you see XD

[Blitzkrieg1701]

I've gone all the way through... two or three times, I'd say. I'd do anywhere between 1 to 3 chapters a day until finishing Revelation, then start over. I actually just recently stopped that approach (since, as I said, I'd done it for a while), but I'll probably go back to it again before too long.

[Yokuo]

Oh, sorry, I was wrong, I am reading about 1 chapter every evening, not one verse :-P

Good. I wanted to yell at you for only reading one verse and being proud of that XD

j/k, but seriously. One chapter is WAY better.

[jon_jinn]

an interesting topic. unfortunately, i don't think i have read the entire Bible from cover to cover. i usually jump from Bible book to Bible book, based on my dad's recommendations.

[termyt]

Reading the entire Bible is a must. Do not fool yourself into thinking some parts of the Bible are not relevant today.

I like the plan referenced by the OP because it mixes old and new testaments. A lot of “cover to cover” attempts get bogged down in Leviticus or Numbers because those are very hard books to read. They tend to be a tad dry and we are no longer bound by the laws listed there-in, so it’s hard to find relevance in them. It is nice to mix the testaments up a bit so there’s some variety in reading.

The downside to one-year reading plans is it can be a lot of reading in one sitting. While I find that to be valuable, I also don’t think it’s a good method of studying scriptures. The best Bible study plan would be to do some good reading as outlined in a one or two year reading plan as well as some good study time (there are some good guides for this as well) the highlights a single passage. Having a regular study with other people to discuss scripture and what it means is wonderful as well.

[Jman]

I'm concentrating on psalms right now.


I read a few verses a night and than write reflections/prayers in this little journal I have. it's working out for me.

after i'm done Psalms i'll move on to Proverbs than move more into the new testemant.

i tried reading it cover to cover. but halfway through Genesis i got bored. =/

[mitsuki lover]

Also try using something like Henrietta Mears' classic What The Bible Is
All About,it discusses each section and book of the Bible in relation to how it reveals Jesus Christ and our relationship to him.
Note:Mears does discuss Revelation from the Classic Dispensationist View
so you will have to keep that in mind.
Another thing would be to use your church's Bible Litany if you belong to a denomination that uses one.
Our church actually prints the Scriptures that will be used for the following Sunday so that people can follow it at home.
But in short the best method of them all is the one that you will find the most comfortable pursuing,either one of these or one that you find on your own.

[uc pseudonym]

I may be getting too close to the no theological debate rule here, but if necessary I'll moderate myself. Meanwhile, I think a respectful discussion can't hurt anyone.

Do not fool yourself into thinking some parts of the Bible are not relevant today.
. . .
A lot of “]we are no longer bound by the laws listed there-in,[/i] so it’s hard to find relevance in them.

How do you define relevance? I finished Leviticus not too long ago and I can honestly say I got nothing out of the descriptions of the variety of sacrifices. It was information I already knew and has nothing to say about anything today. Having read it once, I doubt I'll return to that section.

[quote="termyt"]While I find that to be valuable, I also don’]
On the other hand, there's something to be said for reading some of the books as they were meant to be read: in a single sitting. That can be a pain for the major prophets, but it's very helpful for many of the epistles

[minutz3]

Good. I wanted to yell at you for only reading one verse and being proud of that XD

j/k, but seriously. One chapter is WAY better.

Heh, yes, well since my Bible is in Swedish I guess I mixed it up a bit, hehe

[termyt]

How do you define relevance? I finished Leviticus not too long ago and I can honestly say I got nothing out of the descriptions of the variety of sacrifices. It was information I already knew and has nothing to say about anything today. Having read it once, I doubt I'll return to that section.

Like you, I do not find a lot of relevance, but I do find some. I certainly do not read them to pick out anti-homosexual verses while ignoring the verses about boiling a kid (goat) in its mother's milk, a trend which seems all too common today.

1) As a young Christian who was well-known for being a Christian in high school, the question I was asked most frequently was "Have you read the entire Bible?" See, non-Christians and especially those who attend church but really have no interest in a relationship with Christ, can not imagine reading that entire book. It's like torture. But if you proclaim to be a Christian, then you should do at least that in the minds of many. If you can answer that question with a “Yes,” it shows commitment on your part and makes you a little bit more credible.

2) While I do not study the Books of Law much, reading them provides me with perspective. (I would say I’ve read through Numbers and Leviticus maybe twice all the way through.) The Law was written for a reason and that reason is very valid today. The Law was written to show the Israelites God’s expectations for them. Some of the laws are simple justice laws common to most societies at the time. The rest are there to set the Jews apart from their neighbors and define righteousness. In the end, the reader ought to come away with the a greater understanding of what it means to follow God and why we so desperately need to live by grace and not by some legalistic measure of one’s actions.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for reading some of the books as they were meant to be read: in a single sitting. That can be a pain for the major prophets, but it's very helpful for many of the epistles

I like reading the epistles in a single sitting. Most are designed with a single sitting in mind and are written as a single discussion thread. For example, Romans is cherry-picked a lot and tops the list of “favorite books” for many. It is, however, on very long singular debate thread written by Paul – and delivered orally on more than one occasion, I’d wager. You really only get a feel for that if you read the entire epistle all at once. You get the most out of them within the proper context if you read them all at once.

However, I would rather have someone take five nights to read Galatians than fail half way through and not pick it up again.