Some Info On the Bible

The Bible is not really a book. It is actually a collection of "book"s. Among these "books" are letters, songs, poems, and stories of God's people. The Bible is divided into two sections. Christians call them the Old Testament and the New Testament. They are called "Testaments" because they witness to God's action in this world. Some call the Old Testament another name, the Hebrew Bible. It is called the Hebrew Bible because it is the scriptures of the Jewish people, and it is written in Hebrew. The Old Testament has 39 books and the New Testament has 27 books. Just as when you are reading anything, it is always important to figure out just what kind of "book" you are reading when you are reading the Bible. Are you reading a song? Are you reading a letter? Are you reading a theological interpretation of the happenings in the world? Are you reading an abstract picture of things that are beyond human comprehension? Are you reading a scientific or historical document? Because we were not there when these books were written, discerning exactly what we are reading is sometimes difficult or confusing. As we read the Old Testament together, keep this in mind, "What are we reading?"

How to post....continued

Thanks to Kristi for responding to my previous post, and so, here's her great instructions on how to join in on the blog....

If you click on "comments" under your post, it takes you to this page, to write your own comment. If you have a google account you can sign into that and post, otherwise it encourages you to sign up for a google account. When I signed up for a google name, then I could come here and post this. It asks for an email, a user name (what will show as your name when you post) and a password 8 characters long.

There you go.....so, just follow Kristi's directions and we'll all look forward to our posting community growing!

What Version of the Bible Should I Read?

Since the time of Martin Luther (1500's) the Bible has been translated into the language of the readers. Basically, there are two different types of translations: word for word, and phrase for phrase. The word for word translations try to take each Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) word and provide the English equivelant. This type of Bible is great for in depth study, but sometimes the ideas can get a bit fogged up in the peculiarity of the words and the sentence structure. Two good word for word translations are the NRSV and the NIV. The NRSV is the version from which we read at worship.

Phrase by phrase translations are meant to be a smoother read, but the thing one needs to be aware of is that the translation will take on the theological perspective of the translators. The TEV (Today's English Version) is a good paraphrase. Since this adventure of daily reading is meant to be more of a journey through the Bible and not a in depth study, I have decided to read a paraphrase called The Message.

Whatever version of the Bible you choose, the most important step is to choose one and read it!

How to post

As a posting rooking I have been learning as I go, and one thing that I have learned is that in order to post, you have to have a Google name and password as soon as I figure out how you can create a name and password, I'll post it....and if anyone knows how, leave a post. What an adventure!

What is the Bible?

People read the Bible from a variety of perspectives. Some read it as an interesting gathering of ancient literature. Others read it as words that God has given us through the hand and pen of humans, written as if the writer placed his pen on the paper, closed his eyes and mysteriously the ink flowed. I find myself reading the Bible at a place between these two extremes. I believe the Bible is the witness of the Christian faith, written by faithful people with whom God's Spirit had shaped their lives and inspired their words. It is what God wants us to know about himself.

It is true that we can discern some things about God as we live our daily lives and look at the world around us, but a far clearer picture of who God is and the way God works is found in God's Word, the Bible. And the clearest picture of God and the way God works is found in the one whose flesh carried the Word of God, Jesus the Christ.

As we read the Bible together, I believe that we will come to know God better and be shaped and molded as his Word takes hold of our lives. As the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known."

Welcome

Welcome to 1john3one

"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are."

It is my hope that this blog will be a vehicle of God's grace, drawing us together in our journey of life and faith.

Primarily, I will be using this blog as a way of providing a meeting space for individuals who will be joining me in the adventure of reading the Bible. Beginning October 1, 2007 I will be proposing a section of Scripture to read each week over which I will comment and invite the comments of others. Over the course of the year, we will read one half of the Old Testament. Reading the Bible five to ten minutes each day will be the small steps that we will take to reach our goal. I invite you to join me in discovering the one who has named us "Children", and that is what we are.

I am a rookie at blogging, so that makes this an adventure in and of itself......glad to have you along for the ride