Saturday, February 22, 2020

Enjoy Reading Your Bible


I want to give you a path into the Bible, to help you enjoy it for your first reading.  This will be especially helpful for you if English is not your first language. 

The Bible, as you may know, is not one book even thought it appears to be one.  It is not written like a novel.  It is instead sixty-six separate books.
  • 39 books in what is called the Old Testament,
  • 27 in what is called the New Testament 

It was written to share the Good News to the world from the beginning of all things.  It was also written by a variety of individuals and over vast amounts of time.

So where should you begin to read!?


When I got my first Bible, I just thought it was a book; I started reading it from the beginning.  It was a long and difficult slog for a nine-year-old.  Much of it did not make much sense and by the time I finished, the Old Testament, I was thoroughly mad at God for killing so many animals!

Should you ever manage to read all the Old Testament you will understand.  It is quite an important observation, but more about that another day.

You can start reading anywhere.  For someone just beginning to read it, I would recommend you begin in Mark. This is the second book in the New Testament section.  It is short, energetic and provides a good understanding of the reason and the way Jesus came to minister to this world.

Here is an overview of the Book of Mark 

by 'The Bible Project' to get you started



Click the picture above or
copy and paste this link into your browser:
Or search YouTube for ‘Overview:  Mark' by The Bible Project


To begin, you may want to read only one chapter a day, so you have time to think about what you have read.  Mark has only 16 chapters.

Progress Tool

A. Get an index card, a piece of paper or start a Bible reading notebook (more on this in another segment).  
B. Draw a table (see below) with 16 squares.  
C. Write the numbers 1 through 16 in each block.  
D. Cross off each chapter as you complete reading it.  

This is a great tool you can use to encourage you to keep reading.   


1

2
3
4
5
6
7
8

9

10
11
12
13
14
15
16

What Bible Version Is Helpful to Start With?


If you do not have a Bible, consider buying or borrowing a copy of The Life Application Bible (LAB).  It comes with many notes, illustrations and maps that make the geography, individuals and customs make sense, plus it offers some ideas of ways you can apply what you learn to your everyday life. 

Each book of the Bible in this annotated version comes with an introduction and various important features of each book.  These help you grasp what you are reading, such as key thoughts, keywords, characters and verses, etc.  

You can either read the introduction or simply dive right into the story.

What Translation? 

A good translation to begin with (especially if English is not your first language) is the New Living Translation.  There are many different translations (and I'm happy to explain them someday). 

This translation is easy to read.  It does not use old-fashioned, Elizabethan English (‘thee’ and ‘thou’, ‘didst’, ‘knowest’, etc.).  Finally, the NEW Living Translation is a true translation, accurate to the original manuscripts – so trustworthy to study.

Enough for now.  Please email me anytime with questions (darlenerichard@gmail.com ) and I will happily respond.

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