I'm About to Finish Reading the Old Testament!

[Gabbanelli911]

I’ve read the entire New Testament, and I’m about to finish reading the entire Old Testament!!!

There’s a lot of stuff in the old testament which I do not understand or that by now I probably forgot, but I just wanted to review and then I will get more in depth with my Navarre Bible Collection. Although I may not understand as much as I would like, I feel that I understand the New Testament better, now that I have reviewed most of the Old Testament.

My question is this. I plan on reading the following books: Vatican II and the Catechism, which one should I read first? Does it matter? Or if I read Vatican II first will I understand the Catechism and all of Jesus teachings better? Maybe I should read the New Testament again now that I have the Old Testament reference in my mind?

I used to get bored reading the bible but now I just can’t stop, I feel like I’m understanding better God’s message!

 

[3DOCTORS]

I’ve read the entire New Testament, and I’m about to finish reading the entire Old Testament!!!

There’s a lot of stuff in the old testament which I do not understand or that by now I probably forgot, but I just wanted to review and then I will get more in depth with my Navarre Bible Collection. Although I may not understand as much as I would like, I feel that I understand the New Testament better, now that I have reviewed most of the Old Testament.

My question is this. I plan on reading the following books: Vatican II and the Catechism, which one should I read first? Does it matter? Or if I read Vatican II first will I understand the Catechism and all of Jesus teachings better? Maybe I should read the New Testament again now that I have the Old Testament reference in my mind?

I used to get bored reading the bible but now I just can’t stop, I feel like I’m understanding better God’s message!

Good for you! :clapping: Awhile back, I started from the beginning of the Bible - I’ve tried it before and not gotten as far as this time - I’m in the middle of Deuteronomy and that will finish the Pentateuch, then it’s on to Joshua! :coffeeread:

I had been thinking about this group I started way back when for reading the Bible and Catechism: forums.catholic-questions.org/group.php?groupid=775 I’ve been thinking of changing it a little, making the focus a bit broader - for any kind of Bible or Catechism reading - and Vatican II could be part of it too. What do you think? A place to post our experiences and reflections on reading the Scriptures, Catechism, and other major Church documents. :grouphug:

 

[COPLAND_3]

That’s very impressive! As how you should go about it, everybody is not the same, so find what works best for you and do what your attention span will allow. As for me, I have to treat reference material such as the Catechism as strictly reference, and look up topics as it relates to what im studying. But if it benefits you to read cover to cover then do what you are wired for. My attention span is like a puppy, so I lose focus quickly and have to study Scripture accordingly!

 

[TimothyH]

I used to get bored reading the bible but now I just can’t stop, I feel like I’m understanding better God’s message!

I’ve read it cover to cover four times and parts of it hundreds of times. I spent six months in the Book of Hebrews and must have read it back and forth twenty times. The Bible is a part of my life now and I can’t spend a day without it.

I recommend getting into the Bible Timeline study by*** Jeff Cavins/Great Adventure. ***This will make the Bible light up. You will walk away with an excellent understanding of the Bible as a whole, how the various books fit together, who the prophets are, their audience and message, and how it all fits together. I cannot recommend this study enough.

-Tim-

 

[hodgewyfe]

If you have never done so before, read the Catechism before reading the Documents of Vatican II. It will give you the background you need to understand more complex and specialized writings.

 

[catholicscot]

I found that it was very enlightening to re-read the NT after having read the OT. It adds a rich depth to your understanding of events. Also when you re-read the OT (or parts of it) after having re-read the NT then it becomes easier to understand some of the difficult parts. If all that doesn’t sound to complicated.

It might be best to read the Catechism before tackling the documents of Vatican II. This gives an essential insight into the hermeneutic of continuity, that is, you can see more clearly how the Council teachings fit into the understanding of the faith which the Church has held continuously.

 

[Auntie_A]

I agree about re-reading the NT and Jeff Cavins “The Great Adventure”. It is very enlightening.

Then read the catechism, then Vatican Ii.

 

[jbejon]

I’ve read the entire New Testament, and I’m about to finish reading the entire Old Testament!!!

There’s a lot of stuff in the old testament which I do not understand or that by now I probably forgot, but I just wanted to review and then I will get more in depth with my Navarre Bible Collection. Although I may not understand as much as I would like, I feel that I understand the New Testament better, now that I have reviewed most of the Old Testament.

My question is this. I plan on reading the following books: Vatican II and the Catechism, which one should I read first? Does it matter? Or if I read Vatican II first will I understand the Catechism and all of Jesus teachings better? Maybe I should read the New Testament again now that I have the Old Testament reference in my mind?

I used to get bored reading the bible but now I just can’t stop, I feel like I’m understanding better God’s message!

Good for you! A love of God’s Word is, I believe, a sign that someone is a true child of God. See, for instance, 1 Peter 2.2-3.

 

[TimothyH]

I wouldn’t read the Catechism cover to cover. It wasn’t meant to be read that way. It is a reference book and in order to use it properly we have to understand its structure. The Catechism has four sections, or “Pillars”.

Pillar 1 - The Profession of Faith (Creed): What we believe.

• Paragraphs 26 through 1065
• St. Augustine said that the creed is God’s plan of salvation in “Tightly wound form”.
• usccb.org/beliefs-and-tea…at-we-believe/
• This first pillar is based on Scripture. The other three pillars depend on knowing the plan for our salvation as laid out in scripture. Scripture tells us God’s plan for our salvation, and the Profession of Faith (creed) is a highy condensed summary of God’s plan for our salvation.

Pillar 2 - The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Sacraments and Liturgy): How we worship

• Paragraphs 1066 through 1698
• How we get into the story and how we take part in God’s plan through the sacraments, and how we fit in to God’s Kingdom on Earth, his Church.

Pillar 3 - Our Life in Christ: How we behave and interact with others

• Paragraphs 1691 through 2550
• Moral theology - how we live our lives as Christians.
• How we interact with Christians, non-Christians and all of God’s creation.
• How we live out God’s plan for our salvation and advance his Kingdom on Earth for the salvation of others.

Pillar 4 - Christian Prayer: How we meet God in prayer.

• Paragraphs 2558 through 2865
• Prayer is intimate communication with our Creator and the Lover of our Souls.
• Prayer ensures the first three pillars.
• Covers the most sublime and most perfect prayer, the “Our Father.”

Always have a Bible nearby when you read the Catechism. The Catechism was designed to be read with Scripture and in the context of Scripture. Scripture and the Catechism are inseperable.

-Tim-

 

[3DOCTORS]

I found that it was very enlightening to re-read the NT after having read the OT. It adds a rich depth to your understanding of events. Also when you re-read the OT (or parts of it) after having re-read the NT then it becomes easier to understand some of the difficult parts. If all that doesn’t sound to complicated.

It might be best to read the Catechism before tackling the documents of Vatican II. This gives an essential insight into the hermeneutic of continuity, that is, you can see more clearly how the Council teachings fit into the understanding of the faith which the Church has held continuously.

Yes, this. :yup: You get a good picture of salvation history.

As for the Catechism - as TimothyH points out, understanding its structure makes reading it go more smoothly - I think the writers did a fantastic job by using that structure.

The Early Church Fathers might be a good next step - and they’re referenced enough in the Catechism that some will be familiar - you can read books that summarize, by Mike Aquilina, or Pope Benedict XVI - or plunge in in depth with the original sources themselves - whatever works best for you.

Then on to Vatican II!

 

[healinghands99]

You must be feeling a lot wiser, I’m sure! What is your favorite part so far?

God Bless

 

[ProVobis]

I’ve read the entire New Testament, and I’m about to finish reading the entire Old Testament!!!

There’s a lot of stuff in the old testament which I do not understand or that by now I probably forgot, but I just wanted to review and then I will get more in depth with my Navarre Bible Collection. Although I may not understand as much as I would like, I feel that I understand the New Testament better, now that I have reviewed most of the Old Testament.

My question is this. I plan on reading the following books: Vatican II and the Catechism, which one should I read first? Does it matter? Or if I read Vatican II first will I understand the Catechism and all of Jesus teachings better? Maybe I should read the New Testament again now that I have the Old Testament reference in my mind?

I used to get bored reading the bible but now I just can’t stop, I feel like I’m understanding better God’s message!

If you still get bored, and I find a lot of English boring, you can always study some Hebrew and read the OT in its original language. Same with Latin and Vatican II documents. You may get even more out of them. I know I have (with the Latin documents).