How do you study the Bible?

Question

What Bible version do you use? Do you cross-reference? Do you use downloadable materials? Have you gone new-age and started using E-Sword or downloadable Christian games? (if you have, tell me which games!)

What about with your family? Do you study with them? If so (or even if not) how do they prefer to study the Bible? What versions do they use?

Tell me as much or as little as you like about your relationship with the Bible :o)

Answer 1

You keep reading and reading and reading and reading and reading until you give in and start to believe what you`re reading .
Its sort of Chinese water torture .

Answer 2

The version I use the most is the Revised Standard Version (RSV). I grew up with the King James Version, and I have a great deal of respect for this landmark translation. The Revised Standard Version takes into account some recent trends in identifying the original text of the Old and New Testaments.

From my point of view and what worked for me, start with the narrative portions of the Old Testament. Genesis, early part of Exodus, Joshua through II Kings.

If you run into a boring part, skip it. I did read the Bible through once, but I do not recommend this for everyone. Do not forget the parts you skipped, but come back to them when you think you are ready. Personally, I find the prophets harder than even the legal stuff in Exodus through Deuteronomy.

I studied biblical Hebrew and Greek in college. But I am no linguist. This did prove useful for reading more or less technical commentaries. My person favorite commentary set is the Anchor Bible Commentaries. Not all of the volumes are equally useful from my point of view, however. My favorite volumes so far are the I and II Samuel volumes.

I use the Jerusalem Bible for study when I want a version with the apocrypha. But that is mostly because that is the one I have. Someday I should get an RSV with apocrypha.

Recently I have gotten interested in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and New Testament Apocrypha. But this is leading beyond what you probably wanted to know.

I like the New Testament, but found that a good grounding in the Old is very essential for getting the most out of the new. And this is not to say that I buy into any theology that teaches that the New fulfills the Old.

I find the following online Bible sources useful:

http://www.crosswalk.com/
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

Answer 3

I use a New King James version of the Bible, as well as New American Standard and sometimes, to help me understand better, the New Living Translation. But the NKJ is my fave. The one I use is published by Nelson and has cross-references on each page. I don't always look up the references, but find it helpful when I do.
The best method of study for me is to read through a book, line by line, precept on precept. Sometimes use commentaries, but keep in mind that the commentaries are not scripture, just someone else's educated opinion.
I attend church and a home Bible study weekly and so study with a group as well as personal study.
When my son lived at home we did not study together, but did read scripture together several times a week, and discuss what we had read. My daughter will not do this.

Have not gone high tech. I find it too tedious to read a lot on the computer, don't have a PDA and like the portability of the book.

Answer 4

The New American Standard, NAS, is supposed to be the most accurate version in English. I bought software from eBay with several translations for about $20. The most important part to understanding the Bible is to ask God to open your understanding. He promised He would and He does. Remember that the New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old. If you are just starting, I suggest you read the Gospel of John first.

Answer 5

Well got many different translations and use all of them. King James, New King James, Living Translation, Amplified Bible, Contemporary Translation, The Book and few more also use E-sword and Bible gateway. Read daily some times more. Do Bible study groups twice a week and Church once or twice a week. God will lead you according to His will. God Bless

Answer 6

I like the word usage of the Douay-Rheims. The Psalms are my favourite part. I don't often read the Bible though I tried reading it through once, but Kings 1 and 2, start to get a little monotonous. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word, but I don't like the idea of sola scriptura

Answer 7

I have several Holy Bibles one of which is the NIV which I am reading for the first time at the moment(New Testament) currently Ephesians. I also have a Catholic Bible, The Peshitta Bible-translated from Aramaic and The Life Application Bible. I carry a small NIV around so that I can read it at work on breaks. I have a Cruden's Concordance too.
I regard The Holy Bible as the word of God-The truth.
I am trying to adhere to it in my daily life but it isn't easy.

Answer 8

I have a Bible my mother, a Methodist Sunday school teacher, gave me. I refer to it when I need a quote now and again, or to make a point in answer to a Christian. But I do not in any sense study it. I read most of it years ago, and have occasionally read the Christmas story (to my Jewish husband, at his request), and once he read the first couple chapters of Genesis to me while I sat in meditation, as an exercise suggested by a Christian Science practitioner to cure a painful back. It worked.

It's a King James. I'm a witch.

Answer 9

First, I read the whole Bible from the begining to the end for six months. It was a personal scheduled quest and study for the Bible. Then I read the whole OT and then the NT with commentaries. I studied it alone as I was inspired to study it. It is so because I believe that sincere and honest people study the Bible from spiritual cause. And even members of the family may not be called for spirituality. The Bible is a living hope to me for the soon coming Kingdom of heaven and later in the kingdom of GOD. THANKS GOD; FEAR GOD; PRAISE GOD; GLORIFY GOD; HONOR GOD; LOVE GOD AND WORSHIP GOD. Pls visit my [e-mail]

Answer 10

That's a lot of questions! So I'll just go for the "little" option - I like to use the NIV mainly although my church uses Good News, and I read Daily Bread (Scripture Union) every evening to have a structure to my regular Bible Study. I believe this is available online although I still like my paper copy as I can read in bed!

Answer 11

I use the NIV Study Bible. It has footnotes and crossreferences as well. I am on a constant one year program to read the whole Bible. Every day I read one chapter from the OT, one from the NT and a Psalm. It works out to almost exactly a year. I have done this at least a dozen times now and each time I learn something new.