The most sold book ever and the least read

Discussion in 'Faith and Religion' started by Minuteman, Feb 11, 2016.


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  1. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I have always said that every Christian should know exactly what they believe and why. Too many people go to church to be told what the bible says, told what they should believe. Paul exhorts us to have a "Berean" mind. The Bereans would listen to Paul, one of the greatest evangelists in history, but instead of believing what he told them they would "go home at night and search it out to see if it were true or not.".
    Paul tells us we should all be that way. But unfortunately too many people are content to be spoon fed their religion.
    I was completely blown away when I became a Christian and started to actually read the bible. So many things I had heard all my life that "the bible says", I found out were not in there at all.
    The bible is by far the most widely sold, most widely translated, most widely owned book in the history of the world. Yet it sits on most peoples coffee tables or gathering dust in a bookshelf. Maybe it gets taken out once a week to take to church. But it is seldom read. That is a shame. No wonder so many people get led astray by heretical doctrines.

    Bible.


    Why are so many Christians biblically illiterate? | Fox News
     
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  2. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Which Bible? My favorite is still the original Geneva Bible with its notes, but the King James and Strong's concordance come in a close second. They were not designed to be an easy read and are set up to make you think and that is not an easy task in this day and age. Most modern versions of the Bible are easier to read, but do not urge you too consider that the person translating it may have inserted his biases in its selections of some words.
     
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  3. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Absolutely true. I keep saying that if you want to talk about something you should have some idea what you are talking about, but that is just crazy talk anymore. Actually read something? Fact checking? Well Baron Von Munchhausen told me, I don't need to check! OK, even I get tripped up with a quote now and again off the top of my head, but the local library knows my voice when I call to check stuff and have my own key to the library I use it so much. "It ain't what a man knows that gets him in trouble, it's what a man knows that ain't so that gets him in trouble." And I am not going to say that is Mark Twain in case I am wrong!

    The King James was written in Elisabethen English, not what Jesus spoke. Translated from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to middle English to modern English, there are bound to be some problems. There are a few dozen words for love in Greek, one in English for example. I don't speak Elisabethen English now and some of the words have changed. For example the "F" word meant "to plant", as in "I'm going to F the wheat field". Go get an 1800 to about 1900 English language Bible and look at the changes in wording used. There are quite a few good translations and some truly horrible ones too, like the NIV.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2016
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  4. Geneva Exile

    Geneva Exile Monkey+

    A Bible I Think I May Live to see someday would be a STRONG'S
    King James Bible .

    Meaning of course , a King James Bible published by the editor's
    of the Strong's Concordance . I hope they do a good work of it .

    I've also noticed that 'The Companion' King James Bible is
    a good one, with Lots of explanatory commentaries .

    Furthermore , A Reprint of Webster's 1828 Dictionary might also
    have some useful definitions for folks who like to study the
    Old School Stuff ...
     
  5. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Any bible study should be conducted with a Strong's Concordance at hand. Man transliterated our modern English language bibles and anything man has his hand in has the chance to be corrupted. I reject the "perfect word of God" camp. God's word is perfect but man's rendition of it is often flawed. There are a lot of problems with the standard KJV. One is the word translated as "kill". The original Aramaic word means kill but it is more detailed than that. It means to kill on purpose, in other words to murder, a more correct translation. So there have been generations of pacifists who refused to go to war, or even in the extreme to defend themselves, because they were told that God said "Thu shalt not kill".
    The KJV and it's predecessors were transliterated, they are not a word for word translation. Transliteration meaning that the monks would read a verse in it's original language and then write down what they believed it was saying. A word for word translation is not possible, as many ancient language's words were ambiguous in their meanings. The correct interpretation depended heavily on the context they were being used in. A nuance that often eluded the scribes.
     
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  6. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    One controversial theory that I happen to subscribe to is the "Esther Heresy". The book of Esther is a completely unique book in the bible. The bible has a concise chronology and story line that remains unbroken from start to finish. This is one of the evidences of the authenticity of holy writ. But the book of Esther is completely our of sync with the story line. It is theorized that it is a creation that was included in the early translations by Zionists in an attempt to stem the anti-Jewish animosity of the early Christians and to justify their practice of Purim. Which if you see is a time in the year where they were free to kill all their enemies.
    Not only is the story unlike any other book of the bible, it is the only book that does not mention God. Not one single time!! There is nothing in the book to edify man or to glorify God. It is so glaringly out of character for a bible book that it should be suspect for that reason alone. It is a much more in-depth theory but that is the basic premise.
     
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  8. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    My mother's folks were followers of Zwingli and I joke with my Amish friends, that they are the back sliders who lost the true way, but the words "kill" and "adultery" and "graven image" are just a few that create real problems in translation. It is more common today to see it translated as "murder" than in the past.
    I agree, the word is always right, but it seems to be ever more common to translate not only the Bible, but many of our historical documents in such a way that it means something else. Usually under the guise that it is a "living" document and needs to change for our "modern" times.
    The important fact in my mind is that the problems in our daily lives have not changed in the last several thousand years and the advice given to a man herding sheep and living in a tent is still relevant to a man flying an aircraft and tending computers.
     
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  9. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Well said! I like that.
     
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  10. Legion489

    Legion489 Rev. 2:19 Banned

    Yes, what man touches can be corrupted. Words that are not exactly right now: Bastard - originally "mix race". Kill - "murder". Witch - "poisoner". Corn - corn was a new world plant, NOT known in Biblical times!
     
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  11. Geneva Exile

    Geneva Exile Monkey+

    ... Living in the country on a farm, I am often doing one chore or another,
    and something about the nature around here, will remind me of one of the parables
    of Christ or something Paul said or something from the old testament ...
    Separating the wheat from the Tares ... Winnowing ... Sowing the seed ...
     
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  12. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I feel closer to God when I am in nature than I ever have in any church.
     
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  13. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I can agree with that. ;)
     
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  14. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    It is very hard to believe that everything has been put in place by chance, when you see the love a mare has for a new born foal and how she treats them.
     
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  15. Geneva Exile

    Geneva Exile Monkey+

  16. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

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  17. Geneva Exile

    Geneva Exile Monkey+

    Blessed & Beloved Ganado ;

    When You Have Some Extra Time,
    Pick Out A Verse That You Like
    & Show It To Us Please ...

    Greetings unto Our
    Blessed & Beloved Ganado !

    .. All Is Well Friend ..

    I found An Online Version of
    Your Blessed & Beloved Lamsa Bible ...

    John 3:16 ;
    For God so loved the world that he even gave his only begotten Son,
    so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
    John (LAMSA) - Chapter 3

    God Be Praised !
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2016
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  18. Withak

    Withak Monkey

    Greetings folks. I'm new to the site and my eye was drawn to the faith and religion section. I typically avoid the topic in online settings since it's such a hot-button issue. But it appears it's an allowable discussion in this context, so I'll probably pop my head in from time to time.

    To address the OP's statement, I would agree, many Christians know very little about what is actually in their Bible. Regardless of translation, most just can't seem to be bothered to read the book itself. I don't read it as much as I should/need, but I have managed to read it cover to cover, by my estimation, about 9-10 times over the years. I keep an electronic version on my computer, complete with many references such as Strong's, dictionaries, historical documents, commentaries, etc. In addition, I have an electronic version on my iPhone which has several translations and even reading programs/calendars.

    It does surprise me how few Christians can have any kind of in-depth discussion on what I would say are basic, core components of their faith. They seem content to simply attend church, hear the scripture quote of the week, then go about their days. Many hardly know a thing about the Old Testament, save for Genesis, Abraham, Moses and David. It makes me wonder how much more fulfilling their faith would be if they really had the full picture of everything in the Bible.

    Over the years, I've served as a youth group leader, a Bible study teacher (I especially like teaching new converts and 'milk' Christians) and served as an Elder for 6 years. I always felt it was my duty to be well-informed in my beliefs if I was going to take on such positions.

    As to translations, I've read: KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, RSV, CEV, ESV and parts of others. I originally came to Christ in a 'KJV only' church, so for a while, the only Bible I knew was a Scoffield Reference KJV. They treated the KJV as if God himself had penned that particular translation. I came to find value in other translations after leaving that particular church. I have a hard time selecting a 'favorite', but I do enjoy comparing translations and looking back to the older texts to try and get the most accurate meaning of a given passage.
     
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  19. plumberroy

    plumberroy Monkey+

    When Christ was tempted by the devil. Everytime his response began with " it is written" if you don't know what is written in God's word you are unarmed. I have worn out one Thompson chain reference my second is starting to break down in the binding. I read English Standard Version , King James Version and Amplified. I have other translations some are gifts some I have bought for reference or just to have incase someone tells me the don't read the bible because they don't have one. I fix that issue. It is up to us to encourage the young disciples to read and prove or disprove what they are taught
    I am excited, I just ordered a new KJV so I can retire my old chain reference
     
  20. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    My 3 favorite are the Dakes annotated reference Bible and the strong's exhaustive concordance, and the Englishmans greek new testament.
    But most importantly, Jesus said Matthw 5; Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. It is not knowing what scriptures say so much as knowing the author. Jesus provided the Holy Spirit to teach in His place, and that is what he will do when He sees Jesus Lordship in one's life and asks for it. Hunger and thirst, denote desperation, and this of God, not of men.
    Academics are a distraction, What you think you know from advanced teaching of men can lead you independent from God's influence. Adam's failure was doing what was right in his own eyes. Isreal failed doing what was right in their own eyes. The same follows in our time as well.
    Jesus example , He said, "I only do what my Father tells me."
    Luke 11; 10,-13, ASK
    If you are afraid to ask, it is not God you believe, but people you fear.
     
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