Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible." (page 5)

NeonMadman

I read the Bible all the way through, every year. I have several editions of the One Year Bible and I rotate them, occasionally using other translations with the reading list (this year I'm reading the Holman Christian Standard Bible - in past years I have read the NIV, New Living Translation and ESV, sometimes in canonical order throughout the year, sometimes in chronological order). I keep the Bible I'm reading in the bathroom, and the first time I go in there for the day, I read that day's portion. I also keep other books in there for subsequent visits during the day. The system works like a charm, and I've been doing this for at least 10 years now, so that means I've read through the entire Bible at least 10 times.

Edited to add: However, I have NOT read all the way through the NWT.

James Brown

I read the bible cover to cover 7 times.

I wrote down the date on each page when I read it.

I read it cover to cover because I had left the witnesses which I was born in

and I did not want anyone else telling me what to believe.

Also during the first 6 times I read the bible I felt it very comforting.

By the 7th time I had so many notes and questions.

I do feel many people say they have read the bible but do not mean they have read the whole bible.

The first couple of time I read the bible, I went cover to cover

Genesis to Revelation.

The last few time I read the whole bible cover to cover but

I would read a few pages from the begining, the middle and the end every day.

That way I found I would find some inspiration every day.

For those who say they read the Bible (cover to cover) how many of you believe what you read?

Tell us how--after having done so--you can say it is "divine."

When I was reading the bible cover to cover times 1-5 that was all that I was reading

and it was easy to believe in and think it was divine.

When I started reading other peoples opinions and feelings it became easy to doubt the bible.

When I was reading the bible I never thought of the posiblity of there not being a God.

When I read the bible, I believed in miricles.

Today I would describe my mental state regarding the bible is I am 51% full of belief

and 49% full of doubt.

Which makes me double minded, not a good place to be according to the bible.

In my case reading the bible and studying it,

Leads to a measure of doubt.

One theme I found reading the bible over and over is predestination.

Some people are destined to believe and some are destined not to believe.

Not just belief but every thing about life is predestined.

That is what I got out of reading the bible.

Also I have never read through the NWT.

I have read the King James, the American standard

and the NIV bible.

jam

The ones here who have read the Bible several times, what

am I missing??? I assume it strengthen your faith, me it

made me an agnostic...Maybe my JW brother was right,

I don't have the right heart or mind to understand...

When I read the Bible I try not to find fault, but my damn

mind want let me...

James Brown

Jam my answer to your question is the theme of the bible is predestination,

and you are not destined to believe.

I'm not saying that is good or bad.

But that is how I make sense out of it.

People are saved in a biblical way by faith.

If you don't have any faith and you don't know how to get any faith.

Then that is the way it is.

Also from my experience if you figure out how to get faith.

I don't think you can get rid of it.

They say once saved always saved.

So watch what you wish for.

You have to figure out what being saved is and whether you want it or not

and figure out how to get faith.

But if your predestined not to have faith, you have to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

But it could turn out that at some point you are predestined to have faith.

cult classic

I was just trying to get through reading it cover to cover. I didn't think much about it. Although, I would jot down interesting/contradictory verses to do further research later.

I didn't think I was more righteous, knowledgeable, spiritual etc than anyone else. I just felt that a christian should have read the entire bible. At Bethel I read it b/c it was required of me as a newbie.

eta: I wasn't going to mention this but wth. For my junior year in high school we had to choose a difficult book to read for the year and write two reports (one for each semester). Guess what I chose? You got it. The bible...roflmao. I read and reported on the old testament only. My teacher was Jewish and I didn't want to risk a poor grade because of differing theological beliefs.

I was such a dork...

jam

JB: Thanks. But, raised a foot stumping Baptist and as

a adult a mud slinging JW. I had strong faith, but I didn't

know the Bible...I guess I had blind faith.

In other words I have been in the house of Lord for most of my

life.. Most people find faith in their twilight years I'm 67 and I

tell you friend, faith in the bible is no where to be found..

I really admire people that have that kind of faith. Me, I lost it

by reading the Bible...

Bungi Bill

I'm flattered!

Yes, as you might have gathered, I do take rather strong exception to being branded a liar!

Your remarks about just how beneficial such a bible reading is, though, are quite correct (certainly in my case, anyway). As previously stated, completion of that task felt very much like a let down.

Bill.

Terry

Yes, as you might have gathered, I do take rather strong exception to being branded a liar!

Try to think of it this way: other people are entitled to an opinion about everything . . . even things you have personal knowledge of.

If somebody holds a contrary opinion, and an opinion is a state of mind usually informed by reasoning; isn't it more productive to

persuade through reason than to strike out in violence?

The New Testament (which you tell me you have read) would endeavor to persuade you to absorb ill-treatment and return kindness

against evil. A motivated reading of the entire Bible would surely contain a willingness to accept its message. Or would it?

I think not. You've help persuade me of its ill effect.

Terry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG6EZNDtS0c

Clear, precise and informative lecture by Bart Ehrman on the perspective of history in the canon of the Bible.

Bungi Bill

Terry,

Are you trying to say that a person should only read the bible if they beforehand agree to believe what it says? I would have thought that the time to form an opinion about any piece of writing is afteryou have read it. That is what I always do, anyway!

Or are you trying to suggest that the mere act of reading the bible will automatically transform one into a believer? For many who have responded to this thread, a reading of the entire bible actually had the very opposite effect on them.

At no time did I ever claim to believethe bible (including its remarks about "turning the other cheek"). I only stated that - contrary to the claim made in the title of this thread - I have read the entire bible.

Bill.

Come on! Tell it like it is. People are LYING when they tell you, "I've read the Bible."

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