Have you read the whole Bible?

[Windwalker]

What's Bible college? Seminary, a church program?

More a seminary for preparing young minds to go into the ministry, or some other church-related role. It covered the generals as well, of course, but it's emphasis was on the stuff you need to be a minister. I broke it off with them after graduation.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Having a masters degree in evolution, I read it in 5 weeks and became 'born again'....

This statement strikes me as weird on a couple levels.

-Did you mean evolutionary biology? Pretty sure a 'masters in evolution' isn't a thing.

- How does said masters in evolution lead to being born again? You phrased it as if one led directly to the other, which seems a little like a degree in astrophysics leading one to conclude the Earth is flat...wtf?

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

This statement strikes me as weird on a couple levels.

-Did you mean evolutionary biology? Pretty sure a 'masters in evolution' isn't a thing.

- How does said masters in evolution lead to being born again? You phrased it as if one led directly to the other, which seems a little like a degree in astrophysics leading one to conclude the Earth is flat...wtf?

Sorry for the unclear language. I have a MS in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. I read the bible as a challenge "How can you dismiss something you have not reviewed completely?" My being born again has not because, but in spite of, the degree. I felt that was an important contrast in my personal journey.

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

Sorry for the unclear language. I have a MS in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. I read the bible as a challenge "How can you dismiss something you have not reviewed completely?" My being born again has not because, but in spite of, the degree. I felt that was an important contrast in my personal journey.

Indeed..important..and a bit enlightening. That someone forearmed with the best knowledge that it's all bull**** speaks to the fact the trap isn't built of reason, logic or evidence..but something else.

Emotion? Desire? Whatever it is, it's not intellect-stuff.

This stands in support of the well tested and proven idea that intellect-stuff is useless for getting anything through to believers.

 

[Adamski]

I mean every page. And if you have, how long did it take for you to do that?

I have read the entire bible all 73 books minus maybe a couple small parts in the Old Testament

I read the New Testament at least five times once in one year and the Old Testament in bits and pieces over about 5 years

Also if you go to my church the Roman Catholic Church over a course of 7 years you will here the entire bible read in church

 

[Gmcbroom]

Adamski is correct though I think it is 3 years if you go daily that's why some catholic bibles have a reading index for year A,B,& C. To follow along at home.

 

[Susan Maneck]

I mean every page. And if you have, how long did it take for you to do that?

I've read it all, but not all at one time. I've read the New Testament many times, four times before I turned 15 and became a Baha'i. The Old Testament I didn't read until I was 18. I read it when I babysat in hotels during the summer. There are parts of it like Isaiah I've read many times but why would anyone read Numbers more than once?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

... why would anyone read Numbers more than once?

No doubt your single reading as a teenager reading it while babysitting in hotels was more than sufficient for someone with such a keen intellect.

 

[Christ's Prophet]

I mean every page. And if you have, how long did it take for you to do that?

I have read the Bible through from cover to cover, once per year since 1983, bar two years when I read devotions instead. I am still learning something new about the Bible every time I read it and it was the years that I didn’t read the Bible through where I went backwards spiritually. My advice is that you don’t rush through it, but take it in as you read, but at the same time be disciplined to a schedule. It is also good for prayer, where you can use God’s word to hold God to His promises. One other thing I have found, is that from time to time, you get people who say something about God, and the penny drops that something is wrong with what they have said. You know that because you have read the Bible through and you will know that when something isn’t right. Reading the Bible through will help guard you against the cults. Certainty for eternity.

 

[Christ's Prophet]

No. It's not necessary for us servants of God to read the entire Bible but God had me read the New Testament for about 33 months before he stopped me from reading it. He made sure that I understood that no reader of the Bible has the correct interpretations of what they read in it. Only us servants who testify to His knowledge called Christ will understand the prophecies in the Bible when we learn what the Truth is and how it was created.

God would never stop you from reading the Bible. God would never stop you from seeking Him and understanding Him. Certainty for eternity.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

Indeed..important..and a bit enlightening. That someone forearmed with the best knowledge that it's all bull**** speaks to the fact the trap isn't built of reason, logic or evidence..but something else.

Emotion? Desire? Whatever it is, it's not intellect-stuff.

This stands in support of the well tested and proven idea that intellect-stuff is useless for getting anything through to believers.

I believe it was the gospels that spoke to me. But by the seventh read there were too many inconsistencies and unreconcilable departures from reason. Before reading I was somewhat of an agnostic. By reading I became born again. By reading more and more and more I became firmly founded in positive atheism.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

... Before reading I was somewhat of an agnostic. By reading I became born again. By reading more and more and more I became firmly founded in positive atheism.

So an awareness that the Bible is a human-authored document is what motivated your "positive atheism" (whatever that might be)? That strikes me as very strange.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

So an awareness that the Bible is a human-authored document is what motivated your "positive atheism" (whatever that might be)? That strikes me as very strange.

Why do you put words in my mouth?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Why do you put words in my mouth?

That certainly wasn't my intent. How might I have misread your post?

 

[Jahudson]

I mean every page. And if you have, how long did it take for you to do that?

Yep, It took me about a year.

 

[eldios]

God would never stop you from reading the Bible. God would never stop you from seeking Him and understanding Him. Certainty for eternity.

I can easily see that you have never heard the voice of God or had to obey all His commands like all us servants are forced to do.

 

[12jtartar]

Yes, and it took me about a month or so. I had no internet at that time and I used to sit and read it by the fire pretty much all day.

Rival,
I don't remember just how long it took me to read the whole Bible, that was over 50 years ago. The one thing I have learned about reading the Bible straight through is, you do not learn very fast, because the subjects in the Bible are not put together in one place, so learning Doctrines is very hard to do that way.
From my experience, learning by Topics, is the best way to learn the truths of the Bible. You need to pick a Topic, and find all the places in the Bible where that topic is mentioned, then meditate on each Scripture, to make sure you understand each one, then put the Scriptures together, and meditate on what they all are teaching. Then form a theory about what you believe, from what you have read. Thein you must test your theory, by making sure that ALL the Scriptures you have found on your Topic agrees with your theory. If all Scriptures do not agree, your theory is wrong, you must form a theory that takes into account what every Scripture says. Remember this point: Scripture explains Scripture!!!
Another thing to remember is, it is not meant to be easy, to understand the Bible, we must search for truth as you would for hid treasure, and you will find it if you are sincere, and pray to God for His Holy Spirit to help you understand the deep things of God, Proverbs 2:1-12, 1Corinthians 2:10. Genesis 40:8, which says; Do not interpretations belong to God? All Scripture is related to all other Scripture, Intertexuality, and all Scripture tells the same story, Univocal, and is true, because the Almighty has promised to protect His word from every generation, Psalms 12:6,7, John 17:17, 1Peter 1:25.

 

[Rival]

Rival,
I don't remember just how long it took me to read the whole Bible, that was over 50 years ago. The one thing I have learned about reading the Bible straight through is, you do not learn very fast, because the subjects in the Bible are not put together in one place, so learning Doctrines is very hard to do that way.
From my experience, learning by Topics, is the best way to learn the truths of the Bible. You need to pick a Topic, and find all the places in the Bible where that topic is mentioned, then meditate on each Scripture, to make sure you understand each one, then put the Scriptures together, and meditate on what they all are teaching. Then form a theory about what you believe, from what you have read. Thein you must test your theory, by making sure that ALL the Scriptures you have found on your Topic agrees with your theory. If all Scriptures do not agree, your theory is wrong, you must form a theory that takes into account what every Scripture says. Remember this point: Scripture explains Scripture!!!
Another thing to remember is, it is not meant to be easy, to understand the Bible, we must search for truth as you would for hid treasure, and you will find it if you are sincere, and pray to God for His Holy Spirit to help you understand the deep things of God, Proverbs 2:1-12, 1Corinthians 2:10. Genesis 40:8, which says; Do not interpretations belong to God? All Scripture is related to all other Scripture, Intertexuality, and all Scripture tells the same story, Univocal, and is true, because the Almighty has promised to protect His word from every generation, Psalms 12:6,7, John 17:17, 1Peter 1:25.

Thanks but I'm not a Christian.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I mean every page. And if you have, how long did it take for you to do that?

I haven't. Parts of the Old Testament ended up being too long, tedious, and seemingly pointless.

Do you think the whole thing is worth reading? We're talking about a pretty substantial investment of time.

 

[sugnim]

I read the Oxford Study Bible, which has some great footnotes & additional information that puts the stories into historical and cultural context. It took me several months to read.

I don't believe in an actual, literal god, but I have to say the Bible is by far the best book I've ever read. It's entertaining, thought-provoking, and it sheds light on so many cultural references throughout history. I'd recommend the book to anyone.