i am a lutheran trying to understand the niv bible.?

Question

i have the student bible but some things just don' t make sense to me. can someone tell me how to understand the bible completly. before i start reading the bible further, i want to understand it. i am a lutheran by the way.

Answer 1

You want cliff notes for the bible? Looking for a shortcut? Good luck with that. Join a bible study. That's what their for. Good luck understanding something that's been re translated thousands of times. Pretty sure the original message is lost now.

Answer 2

understanding the Bible completely takes a lifetime. I doubt that there are very many people (scholars, priests, rabbis, reverends, ministers, lay people, etc.) who understand the Bible completely. Don't let that discourage you though.

Read it slowly. The Bible is usually it's own best commentary. Which is why cross references are very important. A concordance that lists every occurrence of every word in the Bible can be useful. Also a Bible dictionary can help you understand some of the ancient terms used in the Bible.

Start with prayer. Thank God for giving you His holy word and ask for understanding and insight into the passage you're reading. Talk it over with other people who have also read the passage.

When trying to understand the Bible, here are three steps to follow: 1. Observation 2. Interpreation 3. Application.
1. Observation-what are the actual words? This requires a careful reading of the text. Don't assume you know what's written on the page just because you've heard something quoted to you many times. Read and discover for yourself. You may be surprised.

2. Interpretation-what does it mean? This is usually the hardest part for most people. Is the passage to be read literally? allegorically? Is it history? parable? poetry? Commentaries can be helpful but it's best to come up with your own ideas first before relying on someone else telling you what they think the passage means. Common sense is a good tool.

3 Application-how do I use my understanding of what the passage says to better myself? What can I take from this passage and how can I apply it to my life?

God bless you in your study. Psalm 1

Answer 3

First of all let me complement you so many people just pickup the bible and read what the want. It's awesome that you want to read it and interpret it properly.

There are few things that can help

The first is to remember to take everything in context. This means

1. Make sure you know the purpose of the book you are reading.
Who it's about, who it was written by ( if that's known) and why it was written.

2. Be aware of the chapter of the book you are reading about, be prepared to back up a chapter if you're not clear as to where you are in the "story line".

3. Look for words like "So then", "therefore", or "because" this is usually a hint there's something mentioned previous that the verse is relating to.

4. Be aware of the culture and time frame this book was written for.

Some Helpful Resources.

Many student bibles have introductions to each book, if yours does read it.

Use Internet resources like Crosswalk.com. They have things like commentaries, which are books written by very smart people that explain the bible in more detail.

Also Crosswalk has something calls Strong's Numbers if you are Studying something in depth it provides the original Greek or Hebrew word ever every word in the bible, and then gives you a definition for it. This helps prevent confusion because of different translations.

Good Luck

Answer 4

First, get rid of your Nearly Inspired Version of the Bible. It's a translation of a very poor original manuscript (alexandrian). Get a Bible based on the Byzantine body of manuscripts like the Geneva, the Tyndale or the King James.

Then learn about the pattern that God has hidden throughout the Bible. I wrote a book about it, and it's on the web for free at http://thelastrump.com/default.aspx.

I thought the scholarly community would be overjoyed that I had discovered this pattern that has been hidden from the ages, but I got nothing but yawns. Go figure??

Stay close to God through prayer and obedience, and get to know Him through reading his Word.

You're in a Lutheran church, so remember Acts 17:11 when you listen to their sermons.

God bless you.

Answer 5

I do not know the student bible-it should have notes. The NIV is as close to a "thought for thought" translation that you can find that is still close to the original text. What problems are you having with the NIV. It should be easy enough. If you email me-I will be glad to help. I grew up Methodist, then later Baptist, now I attend a Calvary Chapel

Answer 6

I would recommend going to a Walk Thru the Bible Seminar, they are very helpful for people begining to read the Bible
http://www.walkthru.org/site/PageServer
I do not know your age, but they have programs for kids, teens and adults and there is probably one right for you.

is there a particular issue you have? definitely pray for wisdon
or definitely go to your youth worker or pastor
who might help you If you are teenage I think Skip Heitzig has good substance and is not difficult ot listen to he is at
http://www.connectiononline.org/ I see a series you might be able to download for personal use for frree called the bible form 30,000 feet... perhaps you could listen to a few and see if its helps? for a young person Skip Heitzig might be a good choice to listen to

I also see you can freely download alot of material form the library to read or listen to at http://www.desiringgod.org which has many things on many books

Answer 7

Brother, first go directly to God and ask for knowledge to understand him. Keep asking and never give up. I promise u he will show u who he is and guide u the right information about him, and be open to knowledge outside the box. Remember that God is interputed in many ways all over the world. Nowhere is it written that this religion is better than that. Instead he provides you with material that suites you understanding so you can have relations with him. I myself have left world religions and have developed a one on one relationship with him by praying directly with my own words from my heart. I have taken the confusion out of my life so I can have a clear one with him. I ask him to send me material/knowledge to help me deprogram so I reprogram myself with true knowledge. Try reading conversation with God. after you have read all four volumes, and understand it..i will show you the next material to true mastery...this is intense i still have difficulty because its so intense...

Answer 8

I prefer the NLT Life Application - it is a great bible to learn from, easy to read and understand.

Answer 9

Pray earnestly to God that He could send the Helper or the Spirit to you and join Bible study classes and ask other believers to help and pray for you.

Answer 10

Well I think it isn't that complicated. Read it first and then ask question of things that confuse you. Honestly, when you read it from to back it isn't that mysterious. If you want to talk to your Priest.