Read the Bible Through -- Can we? Finally?
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Do you have any specific examples of why I cannot fully understand Christ or his work if I will never in my life read Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, 2nd Paralipomenon, Obadiah, Zephaniah or when I will not read/remember all 150 psalms?
Do you have any specific examples of why I cannot fully understand Christ or his work if I will never in my life read Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, 2nd Paralipomenon, Obadiah, Zephaniah or when I will not read/remember all 150 psalms?
To start with, the Psalms are full of prophecies about Christ... I thought everyone knew that.
And since sin and redemption are issues addressed in EVERY BOOK, and Christ is addressed in some way in every book... then yes, you cannot help but have a MORE FULL understanding of Christ by studying ALL books of the bible.
If you want particulars, it couldn't take more than 5 seconds to google Old Testament prophecies about Christ.
You should start with that.
Trofimus,
If you want to take the position that YOU PERSONALLY prefer the NT,
or YOU PERSONALLY find it more edifying,
or YOU PERSONALLY like to read it more, or find it more fulfilling,
that's a tenable position.
But if you want to take the position the Old Testament has little real value to NT believers,
or that we don't increase SIGNIFICANTLY in wisdom and knowledge through study of the OT...
I don't think that is a tenable position.
I suggest that you might like the ESV.
I know that some psalms contain prophecies about Christ. But its like 15 out of 150.
Also, many books are not quoted at all, in the NT, I think its about 10. Also, many books are not prophetic at all, like Chronicles (sorry, I used the term "Paralipomenon" for them), Ester, Ruth etc.
What specifically (give me few examples, pls) I would lack in knowing Christ, reading only the NT?
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For myself, I am not looking for rewards.I, personally, came here specifically to learn about the Reformed doctrine. I learned some things at first but the threads seem more into fault-finding, vitriol, and repeating the same things over and over daily, so it has become more of a social thing. So I'm not here so much anymore; instead, I do more study, without the help.
Beez,
You can learn a lot here; but you can also waste a lot of time. If you are here to learn, you need to be selective. If something is not worth your time it is ok to stop reading and move on.
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Not looking for reward points. (Didn't know we got any. Do we? And, what do we get with how many points? Is this like S & H Green stamps? lol)
But, hey, this is my fellowship, and sometimes I'm able to encourage people, (or discourage, when discourage is needed.
)
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She's sneaky. (Not really, since she out-and-out said so), but she reads the posts about reformed just to find out what they're saying. Hard to see her, maybe, because she's neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She's honestly checking them out though.
If you have limited time, I agree that the NT is far more profitable than the old.
If you read Gen-Deut, the prophets, Psalms and Proverbs, you will have read the most quoted books and have a good context for understanding the NT more easily.
I have read English Bibles over 50 times. Twice in French, and some of the NT in Hebrew and most of the OT in Greek. I am also starting to read the Bible in German, but only a few chapters so far.
My suggestion is to get a plan and keep track! Whether it is an internet plan, or a piece of paper you check daily, or a plan on paper you check off as you read it, keep it close and do it!
I used to read 3 chapters of the OT a day, plus one of the NT. Then I added a Psalm a day. Now, I read 3 chapters of the NT in English, not counting a chapter a day in Greek (more or less! The really long chapters I divide up!)
But the 3 OT + 1 NT gets you through the whole Bible in a year. Another good plan my husband and I have followed (and he still uses) is Read the Bible for Life. It is in chronological order, which I found to be an interesting read. Here is a link:
Read the Bible for Life
One thing is to buy and read a book about the Bible. Something that explains genre and historical background. George Guthrie’s book “Read the Bible for Life” is a good simplistic introduction. “Read the Bible for All Its Worth” by Gordon Fee, is an excellent and slightly more advanced level of Bible introduction. I’ve literally never seen an introductory Bible course that didn’t recommend the second one.
The other thing I would recommend, is do not stop, because you are bogged down. Things like the begats in 1 Chronicles go on forever. A good study Bible (I am currently using HCSB, but ESV also had good footnotes), can help explain the reasons things go back and forth, and why the geneologies are so important. I understand in Hebrew, all the names mean something, and it does not come through in English.
A lot of people get bogged down in Leviticus. Well, keep reading, and remember that the laws were written to the Levitcal priests, and yes, God did have reasons for them. There are general principles you can pull out of Leviticus, but maybe a first time read through is not the time to do it?
Another thing that helps me is to underline passages that stand out. If something really speaks to me, I write it out in a journal, and explain what it means to me. Sometimes I memorize the passage. This helps just reading, become a devotional!
Read the Bible in modern English! Then, you will not get bogged down in trying to figure out the meanings of the words in an archaic form of English! ESV, NIV, HCSB, NET are some good, more formal translations. (Some may not want to include, NIV, I realize!) Read in a language you understand, instead of something flowery, that doesn’t make as much sense!
I was going to start something like this, glad you did first!
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I am from time to time returning to Genesis, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Isaiah, Daniel and few Psalms (not 150, but lets say 20).
I am reading the rest only when I look for something in it, like some quotation used in the NT or because of some specific topic...
I am not saying I have never read them, I am just not returning to them.
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You're 33 years old! What's with this time stuff? Are you planning on dying before the ripe old age of 35? If you have an average-life-expectancy life, you have more years to read it then you've lived yet. You have time!
And important stuff? If the whole thing is about God, (and it is), why skip two-thirds of what God wanted to tell us about him? Kind of like calling myself a fan of the Beatles, but only sticking to their number 1 hits. Way too much good stuff that never made it to number 1.
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Wait! I didn't get that saying from an old pastor? Augustine said it first? The stuff I learn. (And I thought old pastor was just that good. lol)
Yeah, I have load myself with too many things, I know that and I am trying to clean and to simplify my life, it will take few months to end all my commitments. And when I have a time, I have no energy left for a long reading.
But!
Do you have any specific example what will I miss when I will read the New Testament only?
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A covenant is a legal contract. Wills are covenant. Deeds are covenants. TOS (terms-of-service) online are covenants. Two sides agreeing to a contract. That's a covenant.I would say "because its after Christ's resurrection, its about the current covenant that applies to me, directly. Not to Israel 3000 years ago (which can have some shadows and prophecies useful for me, but not in the same way as the reality is useful to me).
Sure, I am just discussing, not making any "you must do as I do" statements
So who are the two sides to the OT and NT covenant? One side is obvious -- God. So who was he contracting with?
OT was a contract between Man and God. The second someone breaks the contract, the contract can be voided. It doesn't have to be. Either one side can choose to or choose not to. OT was between God and Man. Man broke the contract. Man broke the contract over and over again, and God kept right on finding relatives of the contract-guy to keep that covenant going. (First Adam, then Abel, then Noah, then Abraham, etc.) Time and time again, Man proved incapable of keeping the contract. But God being God (loving, and yet just, patience and long-suffering, but knowing when something is never going to happen, etc.), he kept right on working with Man until we could see he tried everything to go along with Man. Everything. By the time Jesus came along, there was no other way for Man to break that covenant. Man broke it every possible way it could be broken.
Does that mean the covenant stunk? Of course not, since God is God, thus perfect, thus made the perfect contract. He NEVER changed the contract. He changed the two who would agree to the contract.
Instead of God and Man, it went to The Father and Son; i.e. God and God! And through that it became the ultimate covenant. One that would never be broken.
You seem to think there are two completely separate contracts. They aren't. So, if you want to learn what the terms of the contract where, you need to read it in the OT. If you want to see it fulfilled, you need to read how that happened in the NT. Same contract! Just different end-users.
How can you not want to learn the terms of the contract? Most perfectest contract ever! And the fulfilling part is way cool too.
For myself, I am not looking for rewards.
I think there are some wonderful Reformed people on here, who have explained a lot to me. But, someone recommended I read “What is Reformed Theology” by RC Sproule. It is not a hard book, and it does answer a lot of questions.
I have also read a few of his other boooks, James Boice and AW Pink. Probably best to study Reformed theology in a book format first. Then it is easier to see where the discussions are going.
I will confess, that book by Sproule was the final step for me becoming Reformed. So be wary, it might change you!
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Not into the apocrypha, so let's skip the Para-whoever.Do you have any specific examples of why I cannot fully understand Christ or his work if I will never in my life read Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, 2nd Paralipomenon, Obadiah, Zephaniah or when I will not read/remember all 150 psalms?
But Ruth? Ruth is a no-brainer. There's a woman born of other-than-God's-people, who was so taken by how her MIL was, that she followed her even after she was, technically, not her MIL anymore. How do you go from the ways you were raised in to being one of the Father's adopted kids? Seriously is mind-boggling. It would be equal to you landing in Wildwood, New Jersey and being told, "Okay dokey. Here's your new life. See ya."
Would you have any idea how to live that new life? Bet you don't even get words like "salt water taffy" and "wad of tickets for the pier."
But Ruth gives us some clue how to survive this new life in the Lord. Not just survive, but thrive, and all in short order.