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Post by withlove on Jul 25, 2014 16:01:20 GMT -5
Sorry if there are similar threads. If you have versions of the bible or other books that have helped you understand the bible better, can you post them? Or websites or whatever. I don't know where to start, having only read KJV and NKJV. Thanks in advance!!
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Post by BobWilliston on Jul 25, 2014 17:34:05 GMT -5
Zealot by Reza Aslan
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Post by ScholarGal on Jul 25, 2014 17:47:36 GMT -5
If you want a fun study bible, check out the Quest NIV study bible. The questions and answers definitely have an editorial slant, but it is a fascinating study bible.
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Post by xna on Jul 25, 2014 17:50:22 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2014 18:06:22 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2014 21:12:00 GMT -5
I have a NIV Quest Study Bible...it was the first resource I got when I wanted to start broadening my horizons beyond the KJV. I have really enjoyed it! I would recommend Bible Gateway also...it's a great website and they also have a free app you can download. It allows you to choose from all the different translations, even do side-by-side comparisons of different passages out of different translations. There are also several Bible commentaries on there you can read through. Check out Truth For Life (Alistair Begg), Insight for Living (Chuck Swindoll) and In Touch (Charles Stanley)...they're some good ministries I've enjoyed. They have free sermons you can download and listen to online, and lots of other great resources on their websites. There's a great book called Truth Matters as a nice contrast to the type of thinking you will find in Mr. Ehrman's books...
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Post by faune on Jul 25, 2014 21:19:05 GMT -5
I have a NIV Quest Study Bible...it was the first resource I got when I wanted to start broadening my horizons beyond the KJV. I have really enjoyed it! I would recommend Bible Gateway also...it's a great website and they also have a free app you can download. It allows you to choose from all the different translations, even do side-by-side comparisons of different passages out of different translations. There are also several Bible commentaries on there you can read through. Check out Truth For Life (Alistair Begg), Insight for Living (Chuck Swindoll) and In Touch (Charles Stanley)...they're some good ministries I've enjoyed. They have free sermons you can download and listen to online, and lots of other great resources on their websites. There's a great book called Truth Matters as a nice contrast to the type of thinking you will find in Mr. Ehrman's books... Beth ~ These are all great recommendations you presented here and Bible teachers. I especially enjoying using the Bible Gateway site myself and use it often when quoting a verse or for comparison purposes. It has a lot of neat features, including commentaries and Bible studies, as you brought out in your post.
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Post by snow on Jul 25, 2014 22:58:12 GMT -5
This guy has some interesting books and ideas. johnshelbyspong.com/Also agree with Bob about The Zealot.
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Post by dmmichgood on Jul 25, 2014 23:36:14 GMT -5
Sam Harris's book, Letter to a Christian-Nation, is one of the best for starters!
It is concise and it can be read in a short period of time. I first found it at my daughters and read it over night.
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Post by withlove on Jul 26, 2014 0:19:30 GMT -5
Thanks! Can't wait to get started. Keep 'em coming.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2014 14:43:51 GMT -5
Sorry if there are similar threads. If you have versions of the bible or other books that have helped you understand the bible better, can you post them? Or websites or whatever. I don't know where to start, having only read KJV and NKJV. Thanks in advance!! Personally, in addition to Young's works, I found a copy of "The Englisman's Greek New Testament" to be a very good place to start fifty years ago this very month. Best of wishes!
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Post by Gene on Jul 26, 2014 20:10:44 GMT -5
Cherie Kropp has recommended a bible study group in the past -- perhaps she will see this and provide the information again.
From what I recall, if I were ever to want to study the bible seriously, I would look into the group Cherie has written about.
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Post by emy on Jul 26, 2014 21:16:00 GMT -5
BSF ... Some professing people have attended. I am neither endorsing nor disapproving.
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Post by placid-void on Jul 27, 2014 8:44:19 GMT -5
One suggestion, not mentioned yet, would be the ancient concept (dating back to the Greeks) of “The Book of Nature”.
From a personal perspective, reflections and discourse on “The Book of Nature” have provided me with perspective, insight and boundless joy. I wish the same for you “withlove”.
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Post by xna on Jul 27, 2014 18:32:21 GMT -5
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Post by sharingtheriches on Jul 28, 2014 17:05:02 GMT -5
About 15 yrs. ago, Lyle Schobar had advised us in Iowa to get the bible written for the deaf as they have a very short alphabet and the language in their bible is very simple and direct. The World Bible Translation Center, Inc. bought the right to reprint the bible....however, they told me that it is no long in print BUT their Holy Bible: East-to-Read Version is the very same translation. Actually as I recall the bible for the deaf comes in two books whereas the easy to read version is still one book. Their Address is:
World Bible Translation Center, Inc. P. O. Box 820648 Fort Worth, Texas 76182 1-888-542-4253
Lyle had mention that for the young folks that are professing and even for people having difficulty with parts of the bible that this should help them a lot. It sure did for me...sometimes I just read in it instead of my original KJV
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Post by sharingtheriches on Jul 28, 2014 17:08:18 GMT -5
Cherie Kropp has recommended a bible study group in the past -- perhaps she will see this and provide the information again. From what I recall, if I were ever to want to study the bible seriously, I would look into the group Cherie has written about. The Bible Study Fellowship: www.bsfinternational.org/One can look up a class closest to them!
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Post by ellie on Jul 30, 2014 5:55:37 GMT -5
Can anybody recommend anything along the lines of religious pluralism or syncretism, that's preferably not too heavy? Thanks
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Post by Johnny DeRaad on Jul 30, 2014 8:22:47 GMT -5
One suggestion, not mentioned yet, would be the ancient concept (dating back to the Greeks) of “The Book of Nature”. From a personal perspective, reflections and discourse on “The Book of Nature” have provided me with perspective, insight and boundless joy. I wish the same for you “withlove”. I've looked and looked. . amazon..ebay..book review.com ... googled it ...can't find it .. . .who's the author so I can find this book? ..
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Post by Johnny DeRaad on Jul 30, 2014 8:25:08 GMT -5
..and whatever version ya end up with..love. ..I'd recommend that it's a study bible ..it'll help tremendously with clarifying things ..
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Post by uker260702 on Jul 31, 2014 13:36:55 GMT -5
I saw a link today to these Open Yale courses,available for free to anyone and no registration required. Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew bible) oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145"This course examines the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) as an expression of the religious life and thought of ancient Israel, and a foundational document of Western civilization. A wide range of methodologies, including source criticism and the historical-critical school, tradition criticism, redaction criticism, and literary and canonical approaches are applied to the study and interpretation of the Bible. Special emphasis is placed on the Bible against the backdrop of its historical and cultural setting in the Ancient Near East." Introduction to the New Testament History and Literature oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-152"This course provides a historical study of the origins of Christianity by analyzing the literature of the earliest Christian movements in historical context, concentrating on the New Testament. Although theological themes will occupy much of our attention, the course does not attempt a theological appropriation of the New Testament as scripture. Rather, the importance of the New Testament and other early Christian documents as ancient literature and as sources for historical study will be emphasized. A central organizing theme of the course will focus on the differences within early Christianity (-ies)."
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Post by kencoolidge on Jul 31, 2014 19:54:16 GMT -5
The Secrets of the Vine- Wilkerson ken
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Post by kencoolidge on Jul 31, 2014 19:55:25 GMT -5
Pagan Christianity Barna&Viola
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Post by placid-void on Aug 2, 2014 9:20:22 GMT -5
One suggestion, not mentioned yet, would be the ancient concept (dating back to the Greeks) of “The Book of Nature”. From a personal perspective, reflections and discourse on “The Book of Nature” have provided me with perspective, insight and boundless joy. I wish the same for you “withlove”. I've looked and looked. . amazon..ebay..book review.com ... googled it ...can't find it .. . .who's the author so I can find this book? .. Johnny, I apologize. I fear that my reference was far too obtuse. My response was intended to express the belief that the best aid that we have available to understand the ancient texts (including the Bible) is simply to reflect on the mysteries all about us everyday, all of the mysteries that shape and define our existence. The idea has been around for a long time and was often expressed as the "Book of Nature" to be distinguished from "Scripture". This concept, itself, traces all the way back to ancient times. Aristotle might have been the first to capture the idea formally but I suspect that man has always attempted to understand the inexplicable using metaphors from the world they knew and understood. The concept of "The Book of Nature" became quite popular during the Middle Ages. It has lost much of its currency in modern times because of the awesome power of science to provide a rational analysis of much that had been inexplicable in the past. Although I appreciate the value and contribution of science to our comprehension of life, I find the hard edges of rationality unfulfilling when I wish to think about the purpose of life. Quietly reflecting on the enormity, complexity and beauty of "nature" provides me with a personal perspective that is unrivaled by most of the books I have read. I use Wikipedia quite a bit, so here is a link that might be of interest to you: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_NatureSorry to have sent you off on a "wild-goose chase"
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Post by Johnny DeRaad on Aug 2, 2014 10:13:03 GMT -5
Ha . .no problem. .my response was simply a poke back at ya on the "Author" of that book. . .I've always said nature is a reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence ..it works too perfectly to be random ..I totally agree with your statement of reflecting on how gigantic, complex, and beautiful this world around us is..
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Post by dmmichgood on Aug 2, 2014 13:38:25 GMT -5
Ha . .no problem. .my response was simply a poke back at ya on the "Author" of that book. .
I've always said nature is a reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence ..it works too perfectly to be random ..I totally agree with your statement of reflecting on how gigantic, complex, and beautiful this world around us is.. How about the many incidents when nature has not worked so perfectly?
Do you also think that when nature has not worked so perfectly that it is still a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
example: Sunsets views are so beautiful at times. Is that is a reflection of God's perfection?
Tornadoes are NOT so beautiful. Is that also a reflection of God's perfection? What about all the species of life that has been simply disappeared through out history? If they were so perfect why did that happen if they were a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
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Post by placid-void on Aug 2, 2014 20:29:33 GMT -5
Ha . .no problem. .my response was simply a poke back at ya on the "Author" of that book. .
I've always said nature is a reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence ..it works too perfectly to be random ..I totally agree with your statement of reflecting on how gigantic, complex, and beautiful this world around us is.. How about the many incidents when nature has not worked so perfectly?
Do you also think that when nature has not worked so perfectly that it is still a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
example: Sunsets views are so beautiful at times. Is that is a reflection of God's perfection?
Tornadoes are NOT so beautiful. Is that also a reflection of God's perfection? What about all the species of life that has been simply disappeared through out history? If they were so perfect why did that happen if they were a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
As you are aware DMG, my perspective differs significantly from your own. I perceive man to be a part of a whole. I do not perceive man to be the arbiter of that which is or is not "perfect". From the perspective of a lodgepole pine, a lightening strike that initiates a forest fire is not an ideal outcome. From the perspective of the lodgepole pine seed that can germinate once exposed to high temperature there is no more ideal situation. Death and destruction is as much a part of nature as is birth and renewal. In thermodynamics, one might think of equilibrium. Whatever one's perspective, there is always room for an appreciation for the intrinsic balance of the whole.
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Post by dmmichgood on Aug 2, 2014 20:59:21 GMT -5
How about the many incidents when nature has not worked so perfectly?
Do you also think that when nature has not worked so perfectly that it is still a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
example: Sunsets views are so beautiful at times. Is that is a reflection of God's perfection?
Tornadoes are NOT so beautiful. Is that also a reflection of God's perfection? What about all the species of life that has been simply disappeared through out history? If they were so perfect why did that happen if they were a "reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence? "
As you are aware DMG, my perspective differs significantly from your own. I perceive man to be a part of a whole. I do not perceive man to be the arbiter of that which is or is not "perfect". From the perspective of a lodgepole pine, a lightening strike that initiates a forest fire is not an ideal outcome. From the perspective of the lodgepole pine seed that can germinate once exposed to high temperature there is no more ideal situation. Death and destruction is as much a part of nature as is birth and renewal. In thermodynamics, one might think of equilibrium. Whatever one's perspective, there is always room for an appreciation for the intrinsic balance of the whole. Ah, but Johnny DeRaad said: "I've always said nature is a reflection of God's hand at work and evidence of His presence ..it works too perfectly to be random ."
Johnny DeRaad made the judgement that God's "works are too perfect to be random ."
That was the post about which I commented, -that I don't see "God's" works as too perfect to be random ."
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