I am reading the Bible for the first time, what are some useful compan

[GoldenEagle]

A good Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary/commentary would be a good idea.

 

Are there any you suggest?

 

There are several out there that are good. Are you looking for online resources or do you have a budget to purchase various items for your research?

 

I personally have a Halley's Bible Handbook. (Bible Dictionary/Commentary)

There are probably some good resources already suggested to you by others from what I can tell.

I like the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance online. It is primarily for the KJV and NASB.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/

My favorite versions of the Bible are the ESV, NKJV, and NASB. The NIV is good as well particularly for those who are studying this stuff for the first time.

Hope this helps.

God bless,

GE

[OneLight]

I was raised Unitarian but currently have no religious belief.  Depending on who you ask, that makes me either an atheist, an agnostic or an agnostic atheist.  You can just call me Justin though

Was that Unitarian Universalism?

Interesting that you would say atheist and/or agnostic. There is a big difference. Do you believe there is no such thing as a God or are you more inline with believing that there must be a God, but not sure Who He is?

[justinithewriterguy]

 

A good Bible concordance and a Bible dictionary/commentary would be a good idea.

 

Are there any you suggest?

 

There are several out there that are good. Are you looking for online resources or do you have a budget to purchase various items for your research?

 

I personally have a Halley's Bible Handbook. (Bible Dictionary/Commentary)

There are probably some good resources already suggested to you by others from what I can tell.

I like the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance online. It is primarily for the KJV and NASB.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/

My favorite versions of the Bible are the ESV, NKJV, and NASB. The NIV is good as well particularly for those who are studying this stuff for the first time.

Hope this helps.

God bless,

GE

 

 

I will primarily be using online tools, but if there is a particularly good offline resource, I am able and willing to purchase it.  Thank you for the link and suggestions!

[justinithewriterguy]

 

I was raised Unitarian but currently have no religious belief.  Depending on who you ask, that makes me either an atheist, an agnostic or an agnostic atheist.  You can just call me Justin though

Was that Unitarian Universalism?

Interesting that you would say atheist and/or agnostic. There is a big difference. Do you believe there is no such thing as a God or are you more inline with believing that there must be a God, but not sure Who He is?

 

 

I could be mistaken, but I believe we went to a Unitarian church weekly until I was about 7, but then moved to a Unitarian Universalist church that we only went to occasionally.

 

My religious beliefs start and end at "I don't know".

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Writer,

     I look forward to it,anytime.......God bless you & Happy New Year............yes,we are very friendly here ,its the real deal(Jesus in us)

   I praise God that you can see that...we truly care about you& I am sure my Brothers & Sisters dont mind me saying!

                                                                                                                             With love,in Christ-Kwik

 

 

I love your sincerity.......I believe you shall keep an open heart & mind(You are in my prayers)

[OneLight]

I was raised Unitarian but currently have no religious belief.  Depending on who you ask, that makes me either an atheist, an agnostic or an agnostic atheist.  You can just call me Justin though

Was that Unitarian Universalism?

Interesting that you would say atheist and/or agnostic. There is a big difference. Do you believe there is no such thing as a God or are you more inline with believing that there must be a God, but not sure Who He is?

 

I could be mistaken, but I believe we went to a Unitarian church weekly until I was about 7, but then moved to a Unitarian Universalist church that we only went to occasionally.

 

My religious beliefs start and end at "I don't know".

Thanks for your honesty!

[Guest Butero]

I'm doing research for a book, and as part of this I am reading the Bible. It is my goal to understand the message as fully as possible. In pursuit of that goal, I am reaching out to a number of communities to ask about potential resources to help me in that understanding.

I purchased the NIRV Bible, but will probably pick up a KJV as well to get the full picture.

What resources do you suggest?

I hope this is the right subforum for this question.  Thank you very much for your time.

I use a King James Version Bible, and the only resource I would suggest to go with it is an Abington-Strongs Exhaustive Concordance that includes a Greek and Hebrew Dictionary. 

[JohnD]

Justin was asked:

 

May I inquire as to which religious background you come from?

 

Justin replied:

 

I was raised Unitarian but currently have no religious belief.  Depending on who you ask, that makes me either an atheist, an agnostic or an agnostic atheist.  You can just call me Justin though

 

================================

 

See, here's the problem. Much to the bewilderment of unbelievers, the Bible has withstood the test of time and antagonism.

 

It has and does and will do the job of being the standard for truth to all generations. Even for the unbelieving masses (who haven't a clue as to what to base facts and morals on**).

 

**This argument has to include despotic regimes (like the Nazis or Communism which were responsible for over 90 million deaths) and such social orders as the cannibals (who eat human flesh) and the Eskimos (who share their wives with others)  and now the acceptance of homosexual marriage and who knows what is next... all proving that truth without the absolute of scripture is purely relativistic.

 

Jesus of Nazareth told Pontius Pilate he came to bear witness to THE truth.

 

John 17:17 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

 

John 14:6 (KJV)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

To usher the truth into this evil world in two forms (the written word and the Truth personified) is why the Jewish people were called apart from the rest of humanity.

 

Pontius Pilate staring Truth in the face cynically replied... What is truth?

 

You are stating (essentially) that you are coming from the aspect of Pontius Pilate looking the written truth in the face (so to speak) hoping to find answers that you are blind to.

 

Many atheists have come to faith in God in Christ Jesus, but only when they were truly seeking the truth no matter what truth actually is. And that is a hard thing for humans to do. Even believers have a hard time embracing the whole truth (which is why there is so much division in Christianity). If we who believe in God and that the Bible IS truth would only set aside our personal beliefs which hinder us and the traditions of mere men... and got back to the Bible Basis... there would be much more unity and effectiveness of showing humanity the truth.

 

1. You much grant the premise that there is a God.

 

Without this, you are simply searching to disprove the truth to ease your own conscious or to bolster support among your own fellow unbelievers.

 

2. You must seek truth (which goes back to point 1.).

 

God demonstrates with infallible proofs he is real he is truth and the Bible is his word... but he does it in reverse order that humanity does. Seeing is believing according to man. According to God, believing is seeing. 

 

This does not mean to open your mind and throw out your brain (reasoning). The Bible (unlike and so-called holy books) not only recommends we test / verify its authenticity, it actually commands us to.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:21 (KJV)
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

And it even goes so far as to say test God (or the spirit you suspect or believe is God) to see if it is actually God you are encountering or not:

 

1 John 4:1 (KJV)
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

 

Allah does not make that requirement nor do any other religious beliefs (including atheism which is a blind faith that there is no God)... footnote: no atheist sets out to prove atheism wrong...

 

3. Accept no tradition of Church or men when it comes to scriptural interpretation... this is a very big reason there is so much division...***

 

*** this does not mean the Church is wrong about everything, rather it means what the Church has correct is because of the truth of scripture it adheres to NOT the misplaced authority placed on the traditions of men.

 

2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

Dr. Chuck Missler did an fascinating sermon series on studying the Bible in which he used the example of a hologram. If illuminated by the same laser light the photo  was created with you have a 3D image which you can see in three dimensions... for example if he held a Bible up where you could not see his tie, you could never see the tie in a regular 2D photo, but with a hologram you can move the image to see behind the Bible to see the tie. 

 

This is how the Holy Spirit (who wrote the Bible through the prophets) illuminates scripture. Without him you just have the fuzzy out-of-focus 2D image a holographic negative would have without the laser light it was created with illuminating it.

 

I am not sure what direction the book you are writing is headed in, nor of the realistic goal to understand the message of the Bible as fully as possible (the as possible I presume means in your unbelief)...

 

But I sincerely hope you discover the truth. It'll certainly change your unbelief.

[justinithewriterguy]

My goal here is to understand what you believe, and eventually, how you are misunderstood and misrepresented.  If you believe my capacity for understanding Christianity is limited in my current mindset, I will speak honestly to that.  I do not think I am trying to disprove anything, but if that is your view, I will speak honestly to that as well.

 

I can see that my approach may be frustrating, and I welcome your criticism in this regard.  While I believe my intentions are to gain what worldly understanding I am capable of, as many of you might say, "God works in mysterious ways".  I would feel dishonest and cynical if I did not come to you with an open heart and mind.  Perhaps I do not realize that my mind is not truly open, I am open to that possibility as well.  All I can promise is that I truly feel I am coming to you with an open heart and mind.

 

I begin my reading tomorrow.  I will post from time to time in this thread to let you know where I am at, to share any verses I find particularly compelling or interesting, or to share any interesting stories or experiences.

 

In the future, I will likely have specific questions which I will post outside of this thread.

 

I thank you all for your assistance, your guidance and your prayers.

 

Happy new year!

[ayin jade]

Justin, if I can ask you a question here. 

 

Matthew 16

26 For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

 

 

You seek to learn about our beliefs so that you can write about them. Thats fine. But in your studying and writing, ask yourself, what should you do about what you are learning? What should your response be to the gospel message? What good will it do you to gain anything on earth yet lose your soul? 

 

My Lord is real. What should your response be to the Lord? 

 

Romans 10

9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."