R. The best way to learn about the Bible is to read it. The Gospels are a good place to start. As narratives of Jesus’ life and ministry they tend to be more engaging. You can also use the Psalms as a daily devotional, just read one a day. There are also a number of things you can do to help you understand better.
- As you read, write down the questions you have. What do words mean? What is this place? Why do they do this? There are a number of resources that can be helpful in answering those questions. You could use a good study bible (this link is only to an electronic version of the notes for the Lutheran Study Bible, but you can get to the study bible itself through this).
- Read a different version. The website www.biblegateway.com is a good place to look at those different versions. These different translations can give you a better idea of where an author is going in the text.
- Read a commentary. There are a number of commentaries I have and would be glad to loan or recommend. I would suggest you be careful in the use of online resources. Many come from theological traditions that are not our own and have different ways of reading scripture. The New Interpreters Bible is a good general resource.
- Read an intro to the Bible text. I also have a number of these in my office.
Some of the OT has some very unbelievable stories (Noah, Babel, Jonah) Are we supposed to believe these stories as newspaper accounts of facts, or something else?
There is currently a Bible Study of Luke going on at the church and we will be studying the Gospel of Mark at Lent.
Let me know if you have further questions by contacting me.
God’s Blessings,
Pastor Brian
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