Poll: Reading the Gospels

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Someone (I can’t remember who) said that an important first step in evangelizing is to read the Gospels. So, “How much of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) have you read?”

I realize that if you attend daily mass you will hear all the Gospels there. I’m wondering about reading the Gospels in addition to the readings at Mass.
 
I have read all of the gospels and have been through the Bible a couple of times, though it has been several years since I did that. What always amazes me about the Old Testament especially is the way God always welcomed His people back in spite of the way they rejected Him. In the New Testament I find great comfort in Jesus’s emphasis of God’s mercy and His love for all of creation. WIthout that I would be lost. Unlike many of my protestant brethren, I cannot quote chapter and verse, but I can usually find relevant verses when put to the test.

Chuck
 
While I have read the gospels and the New Testament alot, I have a hard time going in some of the OT books. All those begets and begots :crying:
 
I’ve only read Matthew and parts of the others, but I’m going to read through them all.

I started reading the NT starting with Acts during Lent; I’m at Revelation now. When I’m finished with that I’ll read the Gospels.
 
I try to make it a habit to read the New Testament at the beginning of each year. I fell behind this year, though, and am just finishing up.
 
The Gospels are primary. So many times, in areas of doctrinal dispute with non-Catholics, the empahsis is so much on Paul, that what Jesus had to say gets short shrift in comparison to Paul. But Paul must be interpreted in the light of the Gospels and what Jesus said in them, not the other way around. That is the key to a Catholic understanding of Scripture and the doctrine derived from it.
 
I voted all once or twice. It’s actually, all twice, some more than twice.

I read then a quarter of a century ago as an atheist kid, to convince myself that I was right about them just being stories. And then all as an agnostic on what turned out to be part of a journey towards faith.

John I’ve read more than twice. Luke I’ve read more than twice.
 
I’ve read the entire Bible at least twice, and the Gospels many more times than I can count (they are my favorite part of the :bible1: Bible).

Looking at the current results, over 75% of us have read them at least twice. What else would you expect in a forum like this one?

John
 
I cut my teeth on the Bible as a former Baptist, but it never really enterred my heart until I became a Catholic. Only in recent years the verses seem to jump right off the pages!
Blessed be God forever!🙂
 
:dancing:

Scott Hahn says that Catholics know more of the :bible1: than Protestants, they just don’t know it! 👍
 
I’ve read bits and pieces of The Bible through Sunday school, I really can’t say how much but probably around half of it. However, I purchased a “pocket Bible” from EWTN and I am currently at St. Luke Chapter 12. I usually read 10 pages a day to create a habbit of reading The Bible. I figure if I read too much or too little, I’d probably end up just giving up reading The Bible except for at Church.
 
I have read all 4…John being very lyrical and Matthew really showing how Jesus was the fullfillment of the OT…Luke lays out the details for Mary…and flows into Acts…Mark is my least for going back to read…poor Mark gets no love… 😦
 
I have found that the New Testament MEANS so much more than I ever knew before I began studying the Bible in depth at a Bible Study at our parish.

Understanding the images of the ancient Israelites, the division of the kingdom, the images God used to teach His people, and seeing how God painted His canvases with the history of the Jews makes the entire Mass a more deeply moving experience for me. I had never before completely realized how our Mass IS the todah celebration of the Exodus with Jesus as the Lamb, giving His Body and Blood for us to consume so that we might be with Him forevermore.

What started me off was reading through the OT with my children when we started homeschooling. It seemed that every day I would say, “OOOOH, doesn’t this remind you of Jesus, or some other NT event.” I wonder if the Church sees this, or are we like some Protestants who see much in the Bible, but misinterpret its meaning?

By God-incidence, Rosalind Moss came to speak at our Church just at this time, and opened up Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant to me, and how Jesus Himself with the disciples at Emmaus had first opened up the OT as foreshadowings of Him and the kingdom.

I was hooked, and four years later, am now attending our diocesan Formation Towards Christian Ministry so I can lead some groups in our parish, and helping to teach the confirmation classes my children attend. So, though I am rather newer to all this than many of you, I am so happy to have found this forum. 😃

In Christ’s peace and joy,

Robin L.
 
“To be ignorant of Scripture, is to be ignorant of Christ” …St. Jerome

While growing up, I was reminded of this frequently by my mother.🙂 Needless to say, reading Scripture has always been a part of my life. A practice I’ve picked up is during Advent and Lent is to pick a gospel and set time aside and read it all the way through. Normally I do this on Sunday’s. It’s not a tough as it would sound, and you gain a whole new perspective on the life of Christ. It will also help you when defending the faith. Most folks that I speak to, and question the teachings of the Church, very seldom have read the gospels throughly.

Example: I have yet to speak to an Evangelical Protestant that knows and understands John Chapter 6, the backbone of the Holy Euchurist. Most I talk to are surprised when I read the words of Christ to them, and frequently has lead to further discussions on the Church.

His Peace be with you! 🙂
 
I began reading the Bible with the Church last Advent and it is an eye-opener to see how the passages are arranged and chosen throughout the liturgical year ( I mark the daily readings in my NAB Catholic Youth Study Bible–which is an excellent one btw). I encourage everyone to do so. You can get the daily readings from many websites including the US Bishops site:
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Code: 
http://www.usccb.org/nab/index.htm
**

On the topic of NT readings, St. Augustine said it is better to have read the New Testament 12 times than the Old Testament once.
 
Scott Hahn says that Catholics know more of the :bible1: than Protestants, they just don’t know it! 👍
[/quote]

Unfortunately, If they don’t know it, it doesn’t do much good when religious discussions with their Protestant friends come up.

It’s important to know your faith well enough to explain it to others. If you can’t, they will be missing out on the most beautiful gift God has given us this side of heaven.
 
I’ve been through the entire NT from start to finish a number of times, but I’ve also read the daily Mass readings for about six years now, which pretty much cover the NT, Psalms, and much of the OT (in the three year cycle).
 
An excellent addition to reading the Gospels is Life of Christ by Bishop Fulton Sheen. He takes the Gospels and puts the story into chronological order for you.

God bless,
Hans
 
I’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover two times, and in process of doing a three-peat.

Catholics who do not read their Bibles are sitting ducks, vulnerable to any man-made sect that comes along to take them away from the Pillar and Bulwark of Truth.
 
I must read and study the gospels, for Scripture says: “Study to show yourself approved, a workman rightly divinining the Word of Truth.” (2 Tim 2:15) It is in the study of the Gospels that we meet Jesus who is the Word of Life. I have been blessed to be a faciliator in the Little Rock Scripture Study classes, and I find these classes to ve invaluable for continual study of the Gospels and other books of the New Testament. 1 Peter 3:15 also says; ‘…always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope’ This is why New Testament reading in really not an option. If you are not sure how to start, there are many good books out there, along with study courses given by many parishes. Good luck and get going!!!
 
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