Poll: Reading the Gospels

[cmom]

I am on my third time thru, but this time I am using the Navarre Bible so its taking much longer. There are so many footnotes however, that I actually enjoyed Leviticus this time.
There is so much Catholic stuff in the OT, its just amazing.

 

[Charash]

The Navarre Bible is excellent choice, albeit tedious to get through the footnotes. It is enriching to discover how Catholic all the books of the Bible are, but not surprising. Our Lord hid the Catholic Church in the Old Testament until it was time to reveal it in its fullness in the New Testament. (Wait till you read Numbers and see the Catholic Priesthhod foreshadowed!) All the clues are there (much like they are in JK Rowling’s books) if we take the time to seek them out, we will find them.

It grieves me to see how many people out there–especially non-Catholics–misread the Scriptures. But faith is always a test, a test of obedience, love and trust. That is what I love about our Faith and wish all non-Catholics could come to understand it the way I do. That is why the Eucharist is what it is to Catholics and is what it is not to non-Catholics. If you can believe in the truth of the Eucharist, you are on the path to glory. Whenever Jesus taught us about the Eucharist, His teaching was always hedged with a test, and sadly, a betrayal. See for yourself in John 6, Matthew 26 and other parallel passages.

 

[Praise_Singer]

I too have read the gospels many times, and the entire Bible twice through. Time to start again. I’ve left it on the bedside for too long.

Thanks for the reminder!

 

[BakerBob]

This may be a little late with (name removed by moderator)ut to this thread. S_Corda brought up the point of hearing the various books of the bible being read every day at mass, but how many of us make the connection between the readings. I know I didn’t until I started to lead a scripture study group. The statment that Jesus made about not coming to do away with the O.T., but to fulfill it came to life and scripture took on a more beautifil meaning.

 

[S_Corda]

The responses here are very encouraging, at least to me, and have motivated me to start spending more time reading the Bible. Every Catholic should especially know the Gospels.

Emmaus:

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 have noticed that too, that some non-Catholics really do seem to focus on Paul much more than the rest of the New Testament.

Emmaus:

…But Paul must be interpreted in the light of the Gospels and what Jesus said in them …

Emmaus, I’m so glad you wrote that. You have provided a much better way to talk about this to non-Catholics.

 

[Ellen_Marie]

MariaG:

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:

People might jump all over me for this, but if your goal is not to be a scholar but to be personally familiar with the Bible then here is my advice: When you get to a portion of the Bible that you can’t really apply to your current knowledge or needs, such as the dimensions of the ark or how to build a temple or everyone’s family history, skip over it. The idea is to hear and internalize the Word, not to get so frustrated that Satan can discourage you and lead you astray. Also, after you have read the first few books of the OT, consider reading Scott Hahn’s A Father Who Keeps His Promises, God’s Covenant Love in Scripture. It gave me a whole new understanding of the Old Testament. That said, I love reading through the Gospels. They not only help with apologetics, they remind me how to live!

Ellen

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

Gospels in a nutshell:

Matthew- Jesus the teacher
Mark- Jesus the recluse (Many times went alone to pray)
Luke - Social Jesus-mention of woman in parables as well as men.
John- Jesus is love.

The Gospels can be summed up one word- The Eternal Word-Jesus

 

[Salena]

MariaG
I have the new Catholic Rainbow Bible and there are no begets or begots in it. Proverbs is actually funny because of the way it’s written in our modern language
Gina

 

[Smack_Daddy]

I think that most Catholics on this forum have deleted out/blacked out or just torn out the pages containing the Sermon on The Mount. Why with all this it’s OK to kill people as long as they are bad guys talk that goes on.

 

[amal95]

Hans A.:

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/QUOTE

I have that book and just started it, but haven’t finished it yet; I tend to do that with a lot of books, hehe

I’ve read the gospels though, but need to do that again. I agree with the many posters on the sometimes short thrift the Gospels get in comparison to Paul’s writings because of the emphasis on them in apologetics with Protestant Christians who emphasize the epistles. I think it’s because of the dispensationalist thinking in some protestant denoms.

 

[bonica]

Annunciata:

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!

I was also a Baptist (independant fundamentalist) and have had the same experience as you. I cannot believe how much more alive the Bible is now. Verses do seem to jump right off the pages. It’s great! Praise God!

 

[copland]

I personally think that every believer should make it a priority to learn their faith as well as possible. You should become a professional of your faith. And that would mean to learn what the Scriptures say. Read it! Study it! Learn what the Church teaches about it!

I hear some people say things like, “I read the Bible once.” So! They say it like they “did their time.” We in America have gotten spoiled. We have the freedom to study our faith unlike anybody at any point in history. We need to absorb God’s Word and His ways.