Bible....have you read it?

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Wow! I think I have read the Protestant Bible 3+ times and am
still working thru my first time thru the Catholic version of the
Bible (going thru Sirach and have still to read Baruch).
 
DebCWil said:
I don’t quote chapter and verse when it comes to Scripture.
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Neither did the Apostles and Fathers, who, of course, didn’t have chapters and verses. However, from them one does see a lot of “somewhere it is written”.

D
 
ConstantLearner said:
They leave out important parts, too.
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They also leave out passages that might be offensive to modern minds. For example, in the LOTH the Psalm that starts out “By the rivers of Babylon”, the verse about bashing Babylonian babies’ heads against the rocks is omitted.

D
 
Because I pray the LOTH, attend Mass, and read Scripture, I have a general idea where certain passages can found within the Bible. I have never been a person who memorizes.
Memorization, for me comes simply as a part of daily life. For example, for a long time I worked in shipping. I didn’t memorizes the particular weights of different products or the pallets that they needed to be on which they needed to be placed. It didn’t take long, however, to know that the Maytag shipments went on #44 pallets and how many would fit in a 48 foot trailer vs. a 53 foot trailer. The Chevy panels I strapped and loaded everyday weighed 57 pounds.
Most Catholics knows the 3 Basic Prayers, The Our Father, The Hail Mary, and the Doxology, from repetition. It is why the Holy Father, or any priest need only ask Catholics to pray those prayers with him, along with the Sign of the Cross.
Personal knowledge of Scripture makes it easier for me to proclaim the message when I read on Sundays, or any other day that I am given that privilege. I currently live in the Bible Belt. Since the RSV is the most commonly used translation among mainline denominations, when discussing Scripture with separated brothers and sisters, it is the translation I carry.
I don’t always need to look. I know the story of Mary’s Annunciation is in Luke, as is her Visitation to Elizabeth. Our Lord tells us in the Gospel of John about the need to “eat of the flesh of the Son of Man,” and the Eucharist is established at the Last Supper.
When I lived in the Middle East, those in the Lector ministry were required to attend monthly Faith Enrichment classes, as well as monthly meetings. There were no shortage of volunteers as there are in the states. The priest who held the Bible study class, which was also recommended, added additional historical and theological insight.
Each time a person reads the same thing, and hears the Word proclaimed with a listening ear, more than one time, he or she is going to gain more insight into what Scripture has to say.

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The Guide is a excellent source to use. I was just giving the 15 minutes/day as the amount of time a person needs to set aside in order to read the Bible in one year.
I remember reading Bible stories as part of 3rd grade catechism, the old brown book. I was given my own Catholic Children’s Bible which I read cover to cover. I was always a avid reader. In the back of military chapels, there were books of saints that made up much of my home library.
In High School, we had a unit on the Bible as literature. While everybody else was reading their King James Version, I was reading my Douay Rheims.
It was while I was in Active Duty for Support, as an Army Reservist, that I learned about reading the Bible in one year by setting aside 15 minutes a day. I would set aside my 15 minutes after work. By the time I reached the burning bush, I started taking off my shoes. I don’t wear my shoes when I pray at home.
After my second or third reading, I read about somebody else who was reading the translations approved by the Catholic Church. I did likewise.
I had already learned about the LOTH through an Easter retreat I took during my darkest days. That was also part of my life.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Grew up Evangelical. Reading and memorizing Scripture was important from childhood.

Kids would be recognized with some sort of award or prize when they read the Bible through the first time. This usually happened around middle school age. Frequent daily reading was simply part of life.

For many years my mom read the Bible cover to cover every 30 days.

That was a culture shock when I converted, I was astounded that 5th graders in RE class could not even locate the book of Matthew in a Bible!
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After you converted, did you inform your mother that she hadn’t yet read seven books of the Old Testament plus large portions of two other books of the Old Testament? Or did she include the deuterocanonical/apocryphal books of the Old Testament in her 30-day Bible reading cycle? 🙂
 
Actually, my mom often reads the deuterocanonicals. Protestant does not mean KJV-66 only.
 
That’s great that she does. They’re great books for everyone to read even if they’re not included in many Protestant bibles.
 
TheLittleLady said:
In the early Church, when scrolls were rare and expensive, memorization was the way that Christians preserved and knew and shared the Gospel. Remember, they did not have Amazon to just order a case of Bibles.
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In addition to the expensiveness of scrolls, a whole lot of people simply couldn’t read, so being taught verbally and memorizing it was the only way they could learn.
 
The way St. John of the Cross phrased it was, “The priest reads the Scriptures, and the people read the priest.”
 
To be honest, yes, I’ve read the Bible, but there are Books of the Bible that I tend to use more than the others. I use the Bible, which I usually refer to as the ‘word’ for my prayer meditation (my quiet time).

The Biblical passages of the mass readings ( both daily and Sundays), I have reflected on them for umpteen times. I probably could recite them by heart but alas my memories are not too good. I nevetheless know the gist or the thrust of each passage but may not remember some the verses. If I give a talk or teaching, for simplicity, I would quote the chapter and rephrase the verses.

I love the Bible and somehow easily get drawn to it. I think it is my gift - to being able to expreience it being alive. It will never has an indifferent effect on me but somehow, always inspire. Such is the power of God’s word in my life.

My knowledge of the Bible is not one of learned theologian or Bible scholar but rather, one that is moved by the Holy Spirit. It more as a tool to personally inspire me and perhaps to (name removed by moderator)sire others, when it is being shared.

God bless.
 
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To be honest, no. But I’ll have it read in 2-3 years, guaranteed! I’m only 17.
I’m finishing the Gospel though.
 
I have read the bible it in its entirety four times already, plus the deuterocanonicals. I have read the following bibles:
  1. Ignatius Press - Ignatius Catholic Holy Bible
  2. Saint Benedict Press - The Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner Revision With Annotations)
I like to use a commentary to go with my reading as well. I use:

Haydock, George Leo - Haydock’s Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 Edition

I’m beginning to get my hands on the Anchor Bible Commentary Series
 
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I have all of it, from cover to cover. I did have a little trouble trying to pronounce some of the names in Genises and others in the O.T. but I managed. If you are not up to reading the Bible go on line and get the audio version. Don’t you think more people read the Bible and actually understood the TEN COMMANMENTS there would be less violence, wars, poverty, and even school shootings? When people have no grounding chaos ensues. Peace.
 
I’ve read it cover-to-cover over the course of about a year. Though I only had access to the NIV.
 
Yup. I actually read the
NRSV w the deuterocanonical books . So I read the Bible and all of the books Catholics and Orthodox have in their Bibles .
 
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