Reading the Bible - where to start?

lburkey21 · September 2010

I've been thinking about starting to read the Bible. At least a little bit here and there but I'm at a loss of where to start. Do I just start at the beginning and work my way through? Do I read the Gospels first?

I just completed RCIA and was baptized in April and I think that reading the Bible will help to give me a better understanding.

Does anyone have any other recommendations for books to read?

ring_pop · September 2010

When I was younger, I used to have one of those little red Gideon bibles that outlined a reading every day for 2 years. It was only the New Testament though, but it's a start. Or you could just follow the lectionary for the daily masses/readings.

http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml

There's a thread from last week or so where a couple of people suggested a few great books:
http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_agapecarrie

mswood1977 · September 2010

Our parish puts a list of daily readings for the week in the bulletin each Sunday, we read from that. If your parish does something similar that may be a place to start.

agapecarrie · September 2010

There are several ways to approach reading scripture.

If you want to do it for more scholarly purposes, to understand the history and chronology of the story of salvation, there are 12 (I think ) book to read that tell the story (and all other books are off shoots of those). Starts with genesis and exodus, and ends with luke and acts. I don't remember the ones in between. Jeff Cavins has a dvd series that explains it.

If you want to do it to get to know Jesus better, read the gospels. Luke or Mark is a good place to start.

If you want to do it as a spiritual exercise, you can pick a small section (10 verses or so) and do lectio divina, which is a meditation exercise. You read it 4 times, pausing after each one to pray, imagine, and let the story settle.

You can also just reading the weekly Sunday readings and do a study on them (there are plenty of commentaries) or daily readings laid out by the lectionary. There is a little book called "magnificat" you can subscribe to which has every day's readings, the morning and evening liturgy of the hours, a commentary on the saint of that day.

Reading from cover to cover is not recommended. The off shoots from the history and different writing styles tend to be discouraging and frustrating.

You can always get bible reading aids that are companions to reading scripture and lay out a plan.

Lanatir · September 2010

I

LOVE reading Esther, Judith, and Ruth. Such strong women. Makes me feel A.) humbled because of all they acheived in a time when women were nothing, B.) amazed at God's awesome power and the ways that God doesn't call the equiped, but equips the called, and C.) What more can you want than reading about God AND Girl Power!

Not to lessen the wonders of any of the other books, but I LOVE to read those and they are the most read in my Bible, outside of John's Revelation.

Bec20 · September 2010

Thank you to everybody who gave suggestions, I'm sure they'll help me too. I have decided I should get to know my faith better, so I've been trying to figure out where to start. These suggestions were helpful.

[Deleted User] · September 2010

We try to read what is suggested in the church bulletin. When my husband started reading the Bible, he started with Genesis and then skipped around from there. I have heard the Gospels are a good place to start.

Thanks for this thread - I really need to get better about keeping up with the readings. With our lives so busy, it is really hard but sometimes you just have to make the time...lol

Jasmine&Rajah · September 2010

I'm SO excited for you! God's Word is such a blessing, and knowledge of the Scriptures is absolutely, completely crucial to the daily living of our faith.

You have many options, of course, but I agree that trying to read straight through might be difficult for you (though not impossible, of course, if you decide you want to!)

Perhaps, after reading the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, you could read Psalms and Proverbs, then go back to the New Testament and read all the books in order, then back to the Old Testament. And as others have mentioned, you could always purchase a "companion" book.

Did you already read the Catechism in RCIA?

mica178 · September 2010

One of my bible study aids recommended reading a bit of the OT, a bit of the NT, some Proverbs and some Psalms each time you read the Bible so you get a "little taste" of everything.

I listened to Chuck Misler's "The Bible in 24 Hours" to get started, and I have a study bible with historical and geographical notes. I am reading that cover to cover, and it's been rough (let me tell you, there are some not fun parts of Leviticus), but it's been really interesting.

lburkey21 · September 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions ladies!

I'm going to check out some of the recommended books and also look into gettin a study bible or a companion for the bible I do have. It's definitely intimidating but I've gotta just dive right in and start somewhere!

I did read the Catechism during class but I just feel like I still don't know a whole lot. I want to know more!

ootmother2 · September 2010

I started reading the bible about 10 years ago after listening to a sermon at a Jesuit church in my neighborhood. The priest, who was the pastor of the church, said that most Catholics had very knowledge of the bible other than the passages read during Sunday mass. I think he was right. I had Catholic education (Sunday School) from age 6 to 14

When I went to upper school, a Catholic school, I learned more religion but no bible!

I inherited the family bible but that was just used for a record of our family history, marriages, christenings, etc. so I went out and bought a small, more portable version.

Honestly, I believe starting at the beginning of the Old Testament and continuing through the New is the best way to give yourself a true picture of what religion is really about.

There will be times in the New Testament that you will wonder if all the apostles were male. I seriously doubt that as do most religious. Remember that until about the 15 century, women were not taught to read or write. Matthew, Mark, Luke & John? Perhaps there was a Mary or two in the midst. I certainly hope so.

It's very interesting reading and I hope you tackle it. Not quite for the weak of heart although it will give you a true understand of the prosess' ( I can't think of a better word) of our religion and the religion of others,

No religion is bad unless the leaders become so.

mica178 · September 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_reading-bible-start?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:f7671257-5b9d-4de2-a619-7ee0287359d8Post:8750994f-8766-4453-9dfb-2f9cbb8b8271">Re: Reading the Bible - where to start?</a>:
[QUOTE]I started reading the bible about 10 years ago after listening to a sermon at a Jesuit church in my neighborhood. The priest, who was the pastor of the church, said that most Catholics had very knowledge of the bible other than the passages read during Sunday mass. I think he was right.
Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

I know! I find this so disappointing that many Catholic's do not read the Bible on their own, that their knowledge of Scripture is based on the passages read during Mass. Especially since at most there is only one OT reading per week. There are so many beautiful passages in the OT! Having spent the last two years reading the OT (I hope to finish around the time I marry and spend the first year of marriage reading the NT), I am constantly feeling inspired by the glory of being a Christian, and I wish more people would take the time to do the same. We have inspired work that is available to us in every hotel room and every bookstore. How can we not take advantage of and try to peruse it?

Reading the Bible - where to start?

Re: Reading the Bible - where to start?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards