For all of you Bible buffs

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villaneweva

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How do I become like you? I’ve tried reading the Bible on my own, but I don’t understand it as deeply as many of you do. CCD didn’t do anything, neither did my almost non-religious parents.

btw, I’m 16 at the moment, perhaps true understanding of the Bible comes with time?
 
Hmm, let’s see. I think most people would suggest getting a St. Jerome’s NAB bible with the footnotes.

I am new to the bible studying thing, so most of what I learn is coming from Catholic sites. But for specifically bible study, I bought a Missal, before Mass I read and think about the Scripture for that day beforehand. Now I actually remember the Scripture that I’ve heard and I’m accumelating more and more Scripture to think about.

I do know that www.Catholicexchange.com had a bible study section that you can look up. I hear it is pretty good.

I wish you the best and want to let you know I understand how you feel. CCD, CYO for me didn’t help either, and it seems like my whole family is nominal.
 
peace be with you! well, i am certainly not one of the Bible buffs or people with great understanding of Scripture like many others here. i starting reading my Bible when i was 16 too! i am 20 now. i have learned more of the Scriptures through reading them in Adoration and through the Saints then through my own personal study and reading. when you read the word of God in the presence of the Word of God (Jesus in the Eucharist) it makes it much easier to listen to Him speak to me through Scripture. that has helped me most.
 
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MParedon:
Hmm, let’s see. I think most people would suggest getting a St. Jerome’s NAB bible with the footnotes.

I am new to the bible studying thing, so most of what I learn is coming from Catholic sites. But for specifically bible study, I bought a Missal, before Mass I read and think about the Scripture for that day beforehand. Now I actually remember the Scripture that I’ve heard and I’m accumelating more and more Scripture to think about.

I do know that www.Catholicexchange.com had a bible study section that you can look up. I hear it is pretty good.

I wish you the best and want to let you know I understand how you feel. CCD, CYO for me didn’t help either, and it seems like my whole family is nominal.
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No, no, no, stay away from the St. Jerome commentary! Portions of it do not jibe with Catholic teaching from what I am told.

I personally like the Navarre Bible, which uses the good RSV-CE (Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition) translation, and contains tons of commentary in the form of footnotes from saints, doctors of the Church, Church councils, the popes, etc. Highly recommended and very readable.
 
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villaneweva:
How do I become like you? I’ve tried reading the Bible on my own, but I don’t understand it as deeply as many of you do. CCD didn’t do anything, neither did my almost non-religious parents.

btw, I’m 16 at the moment, perhaps true understanding of the Bible comes with time?
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Hi V!

Just a few suggestions from my own personal experience.

(1) Try praying the Liturgy of the Hours if you can. It takes in Psalms, Bible readings, prayers, hymns and, if you do the full set, 😉 extra-Biblical writings. This will make you want to learn more.

(2) Get a Bartlett’s Quotations compendium. Look up Bible verses that you just know you’ve heard somewhere before. See where they are in the Bible. Read them in context. A sure-fire way to get into parts of the Bible that you never thought you would! (My favourite “found” verse so far is the first one I did, so many years ago–Jeremiah 1:5.)

(3) Engage a Protestant in (good-natured and respectful!) debate. Sadly, many of our Protestant friends are more familiar with the Bible itself than many Catholics. You will be forced to read and understand more that way…

and, finally, the “stock answer” for CA if ever there was one–

(4) Prayer! 😃

Cheers,
Fred
 
CatholicExchange does have extremely good Bible studies to offer, with content provided by well-respected writers and speakers such as Mark Shea and Scott Hahn!:clapping: They are intended for group study but each lesson is packed with so much information that it is well worthwhile to get them for yourself.
 
A good place to start is with the Sunday Mass readings each week. There is not enough time to due them justice in one homily. There are some very good studies that break down each of the Sunday readings. If you do your study before you attend mass, you will even more appreciate “The Word.”

Jesus is truely present in “'The Word” as well as the Eucharist!
 
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villaneweva:
btw, I’m 16 at the moment, perhaps true understanding of the Bible comes with time?
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Correct. My experience has shown that once you hit 18 you will know everything knowable.

Just kidding. I would recommend the New American Bible. Not because it is the most literal, because it is not and the footnotes are not very good. But it is a very readable translation and any Bible you read is a good Bible.

One more piece of advice. Start with the Gospels and on ly read as much as you can commit to on a daily basis, be that 5 minutes or 30.
 
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villaneweva:
How do I become like you? I’ve tried reading the Bible on my own, but I don’t understand it as deeply as many of you do. CCD didn’t do anything, neither did my almost non-religious parents.

btw, I’m 16 at the moment, perhaps true understanding of the Bible comes with time?
Click to expand...
I wish when I was 16, I had the desire to know the Lord and his word that you do! 👍 I’ve been on my spritial journey now for only four years and I come from a family that is almost non-religious as it gets.

I personally would have to recommend the RSV-Catholic Edition Study Bible because that is the version the Cathechism of the Catholic Church refers too (good thing to have). The RSV is also a version that many of our dear Protestant brothers and sisters use too. The study Bible that I use is great because it has so many references to related readings in the OT and NT, and has footnotes to help out further understanding. Also, Scott Hahns (The Lambs Supper, Home Sweet Rome, First Comes Love), Keal Keatings (Catholicism vs Fundamentalism), and David Currie’s (Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic) books have all been GREAT resources in my faith journey. Try reading Scott Hahns THE LAMBS SUPPER…what a great book for learning about the Mass complete with many many Bible verses!

If you lived around the Twin Cites area, I would recomend The Great Adventure Bible Timeline Seminar. I gained much more greater and deeper understanding of the Old Testament from the study.

I hopes this helps you out some…GOOD LUCK! Let me know if I can help you out more.

Peace, Lance
 
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