We LOVE the Bible. Sort of a bunch of Bible nerds around here.
A couple things:
It is written in ancient languages. No part was brought to humanity via English. Ancient languages have many MANY fewer words...or different assignments of words. Translators do their educated best, but there is ALWAYS fluidity in the meaning of the words. If something seems strange, it could be a translation issue.
It is housed in the context of ancient cultures. We NEVER read or view Greek theater and expect it to conform to all our modern expectations of personal equality, social practices, etc. But for some reason we take the ancient cultures of the Bible, often brutal, and reject its lessons because they lived a wild and different lifestyle. That is just stupid. It is OK to reject their lifestyle without rejecting the God lessons they reveal.
It is not opposed to science. In fact, as a science student, I cannot imagine an ancient manuscript that is more mindful of the Big Bang or the lessons of modern physics. More coming on this later when I am bored.
It is rich. Like butter. You may have seasons of eating a lot of butter, and seasons of eating less. That is ok. The more you eat, the fatter you will get. Ok the analogy is breaking down a little. What I am trying to say is that Bible is really good for you, and you will want to give yourself permission to read it some, a little, a lot...whatever is nourishing you. I rarely plow through it, rather reading until I have found something I keep thinking about, and then I give myself permission to reflect. That is ok. Be flexible with yourself and it and allow it to change you.
Start with Mark. Spend a lot of time on John. Genesis is awesome. The Psalms are the lyrics to songs - they don't rhyme in English though. ;) Proverbs is like what your weird uncle is always telling you...really wise but a little strange. Revelation is a head trip, but cool. You will find your own favorites and why!
Oh - and expect to be shocked. Whoever made Christianity a system where everybody looks good all the time skipped over the Bible. People were CRAZY!!! Sleeping around, killin' folks, getting drunk. It is a wild scene. That is why it is so cool. God will work through ANYBODY. I love that.
A couple things:
It is written in ancient languages. No part was brought to humanity via English. Ancient languages have many MANY fewer words...or different assignments of words. Translators do their educated best, but there is ALWAYS fluidity in the meaning of the words. If something seems strange, it could be a translation issue.
It is housed in the context of ancient cultures. We NEVER read or view Greek theater and expect it to conform to all our modern expectations of personal equality, social practices, etc. But for some reason we take the ancient cultures of the Bible, often brutal, and reject its lessons because they lived a wild and different lifestyle. That is just stupid. It is OK to reject their lifestyle without rejecting the God lessons they reveal.
It is not opposed to science. In fact, as a science student, I cannot imagine an ancient manuscript that is more mindful of the Big Bang or the lessons of modern physics. More coming on this later when I am bored.
It is rich. Like butter. You may have seasons of eating a lot of butter, and seasons of eating less. That is ok. The more you eat, the fatter you will get. Ok the analogy is breaking down a little. What I am trying to say is that Bible is really good for you, and you will want to give yourself permission to read it some, a little, a lot...whatever is nourishing you. I rarely plow through it, rather reading until I have found something I keep thinking about, and then I give myself permission to reflect. That is ok. Be flexible with yourself and it and allow it to change you.
Start with Mark. Spend a lot of time on John. Genesis is awesome. The Psalms are the lyrics to songs - they don't rhyme in English though. ;) Proverbs is like what your weird uncle is always telling you...really wise but a little strange. Revelation is a head trip, but cool. You will find your own favorites and why!
Oh - and expect to be shocked. Whoever made Christianity a system where everybody looks good all the time skipped over the Bible. People were CRAZY!!! Sleeping around, killin' folks, getting drunk. It is a wild scene. That is why it is so cool. God will work through ANYBODY. I love that.