Reading/Studying the Bible

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silverwings

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I am not sure if this is the right forum for this but I think this isthe best choice at the moment. So my situation…I would like to read the Bible, all of it, but it is like I am always overwhelmed by the amount to read. I can always start but I never get very far. I have only been to one Bible study group a few months ago and did not return. I distinctly felt like an outsider to the group, and I am not very outgoing with people I do not know very well anyway. How should I go about reading/studying the Bible. I was raised Catholic to the point where I recieved my First Communion in second grade (11 years ago), then all religious influence in my life stopped, except for Christmas Mass every year. I remember very little from Sunday School but I am interested in learning now. I have found a small Catholic Church that I can attend to during the school year but that is not enough. Can anyone give me advice on how to continue on? Thanks
~K~
 
silverwings - it is important to remember that you do not have to read the bible in the same manner as most other books. it is not intended to be read linerally. In reality it is a collection of books that have been place together (other threads on this forum deal with how this came about). If you are just starting I would suggest starting with one of the Gospels, this will give you an overview of the life of Jesus. Then I would suggest reading the epistles (the collection of letters near the end of the bible starting with Romans and continuing through Jude), most of these are short and easy to read.

Above all else pray.
 
What I have done in regards to Bible study is that whenever a passage of Scripture is referenced to certain beliefs in the Catholic church, I go ahead and look it up and read it in order to get a deeper understanding of the text and how it relates to the belief.

I’ve also started doing the suggested daily reading as outlined in my parish bulletin. They usually focus on a book from the OT, then something from the NT or one of the Gospels. It only takes a couple of minutes a day, and it is also a wonderful way to reflect not only on the teachings from these text, but reinforces the passages heard so many times at Mass during the Liturgy of the Word.

Like my priest told me earlier this year, take your faith in “baby-steps!”

🙂
 
 
Lot of good advice posted here.

Sounds like you’re in the same boat as most of us.

I would suggest that you somewhat align your reading of scripture with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There are aids available to show you what scripture verses are quoted in the CCC so you can see how it uses that scripture. (But, CCC is surely not a commentary on the Bible.) So, if you’re reading Peter’s First Epistle, then you can look up where the CCC references it. If you happen to get hooked on radio broadcast bible studies, like from Family Radio (which isn’t Catholic, it’s sort of anti-Catholic), you all the more need to stay in the CCC to stay close to Catholic viewpoints.

Study groups are very different from one another, and there is that element of group dynamics where you might not feel that you fit in with a single group. Look at this way, that you’re shopping for a bible study group.

I would suggest that you try to find a study group where they actually read the scripture while they are discussing it. Some popular group studies are like a “class” and the reading is done outside of class, and you just sit down and discuss questions and answers.

Some study groups, using the Little Rock study material, not only are just like I described, but they survey scripture rather quickly, such that, you may read a couple chapters for each weekly meeting. Maybe that’s just right for you, or maybe, like for me, that’s way too fast.

You are in the driver’s seat as far as selecting the best bible study for your needs. I guess you’re in the Bible Belt so the Catholic viewpoints may be harder to come by. Keep at it and don’t give up.
 
RyanL mentioned it above (thanks Ryan! 🙂 ) but I thought I’d throw it out here again. I’ve set up a webpage specifically for fellow Catholics who want to get started reading the Scriptures with the heart of the Church. It features a Bible study for the Sunday readings (updated weekly), plus other links to other resources and sites of interest.I humbly invite you to visit at the link below.
 
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silverwings:
I am not sure if this is the right forum for this but I think this isthe best choice at the moment. So my situation…I would like to read the Bible, all of it, but it is like I am always overwhelmed by the amount to read. I can always start but I never get very far. I have only been to one Bible study group a few months ago and did not return. I distinctly felt like an outsider to the group, and I am not very outgoing with people I do not know very well anyway. How should I go about reading/studying the Bible. I was raised Catholic to the point where I recieved my First Communion in second grade (11 years ago), then all religious influence in my life stopped, except for Christmas Mass every year. I remember very little from Sunday School but I am interested in learning now. I have found a small Catholic Church that I can attend to during the school year but that is not enough. Can anyone give me advice on how to continue on? Thanks
~K~
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I think that “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” by Scott Hahn is an excellent place to learn the gist of the Bible from a Catholic viewpoint.
Love in Christ,
FlowerMan
 
Silverwinges, I have a natural inclinations when studying the Scriptures towards a more historical approach that is the back ground from which the 72 books of the Bible developed.

With that in mind, I would recommend reading Jaroslav Pelikan’s “Whose Bible Is IT?” (Viking). It may help you understand questions on the Septugint, why we Catholics and Orthodox except it as Inspired book but the Orthodox Jews and Protestants do not and other questions that come up often in bible discussions.

As for me, this book and others of a similar gerne, gives me I feel, a richer background to the scriptures that helps me appreciate them more.
 
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FlowerMan:
I think that “A Father Who Keeps His Promises” by Scott Hahn is an excellent place to learn the gist of the Bible from a Catholic viewpoint.
Love in Christ,
FlowerMan
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On second thought, this is great advice! I would recommend this book because it really helps to give you a “big picture” of the bible before you hit the “xx begat yy, and yy begat…” section. Once you see the whole, then you can appreciate the parts. Read this book, then check out Fidelis’ website. After that, you should be good to go!

God Bless,
RyanL
 
I will find this book by Scott Hahn and chack out those websites. I have not heard of a Bible Study from the local Catholic Church, but I will ask when I return to the town next week. I may be better off with out the study group for now, at least until I have abetter understanding of what I read. The few friends that I have talked to mistook my interest in learning more of the Bible as a wish to convert away from the Catholic Church and that is not what I want. Thank you all for the advice.
~K~
 
If you can find a group of Benedictine monks, they have Lectio Divina groups every week. (I don’t know how close you are to one of their monastaries but the Vocations Office at the Diocese should be able to help you find out.) Lectio is how the Church has read the bible since at least the time of St. Benedict. Here is a link to the OSB resource page on Lectio if you are intrested.

osb.org/lectio/about.html
 
I think I have a very good suggestion. First check out Scott Hahn’s website salvationhistory.com There you will find very basic and understandable beginning, intermediate, and advanced Bible studies.
A better way, download or listen online to the Jeff Cavin’s and Scott Hahn’s EWTN series “Our Father’s Plan” at ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-306548622&T1=scott+hahn This begins at Genesis and takes you through Revelation. It is a 13-hour series and will get you to an elementary-intermediate level of Bible understanding. You can following this up with Scott Hahn tapes on various books of the Bible-- from St. Joseph’s Communication at saintjoe.com/p/home.pl
 
There are no monastaries near my college, unfortunately, but thanks for the suggestion. And Thank You all for your advice. Now I have a solid place to start learning more about the Bible and about my Catholic background.
~K~
 
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silverwings:
There are no monastaries near my college, unfortunately, but thanks for the suggestion. And Thank You all for your advice. Now I have a solid place to start learning more about the Bible and about my Catholic background.
~K~
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If you can stand one more suggestion, here is a link ofr a one-year reading plan for the Bible and the Catechism.
 
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