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Have you read the whole Bible?

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Chris OConnor

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Have you read the whole Bible?

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Have you read the whole Bible from front to back?

If so how long did it take you to do so?

And what did you get from the experience?
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LanDroid

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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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No. I have tried several times since it is arguably the most important book, but I've never been able to complete even the book of Genesis for all the genocide, rape, and slavery. The Divine-Immorality is revolting. And I knew Deuteronomy was coming. :x I have read the Synoptic Gospels and Acts and just enough of Revelations to require Pepto-Bismol.

There are programs to read the Bible in one year, with an exact set of passages each day. I've met people who read the whole thing every year. They must have cast iron stomachs. Here ya go, something like this:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-re ... order.html
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But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
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Chris OConnor

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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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I've wanted to read the entire Bible too, but like you I have been a bit disgusted by what I've read. My main reason for not wanting to continue is that it is incredibly dry and boring and difficult to read because of the style of writing.
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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Most of the NT, maybe a quarter of the OT. I once thought I should read all of the Psalms, because they were said to be the most poetic. A few of them were, but overall I was disappointed. So many of them concerned the exiled psalmist looking forward to revenge against his enemies. I don't suppose that at this point I'll get much farther in the Bible.
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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Like others, I have tried, but failed to read the entire Bible. I have tried the "One Year Bible" method, but it jumps around so much I finally gave up. I tried starting with Genesis, but foundered somewhere (can't remember where). I figure that at my age (70+) I will probably never succeed.
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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Starhwe attempted to lead a discussion of the Bible here. I don't think it got very far and as I recall he was rather astonished at some of the comments here, had never encountered certain reactions to the text.

Perhaps there's a condensed reading of the Bible, something like "out of the 66 books read these 15 and you'll have a good handle on it." That might be worthwhile for general literacy...
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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I have read the whole bible but do not recall how long it took.

There is a lot of wisdom in it as well as a lot of moral guidance but to glean those aspects, one must read it the way Gnostic Christians are said to read it and that is how I read it.

“Both read the Bible day and night; but you read black where I read white.”
William Blake.

For instance, Eden is said by Christians to be where man fell from grace.

I read it as Eden being where man was elevated.

Another area is Noah's flood.

Christians read it as God being justified in using genocide, but I read it as God showing himself incompetent and immoral as he kills when he could take the moral high ground and cure.

These types of Gnostic Christian interpretations is what got us decimated by Christians who were simply not good thinkers, as exemplified by these quotes.

Isaiah 56:11) "They are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, each on to his unjust gain, to the last one" But do not despair, for the day of judgment is at hand, for the day of judgment and the day of the LORD occupy the same time frame. All the dross will be burned away. (Zech 13:9) & (Malachi 3:3). In that day, "you will distinguish between the righteous and the wicked" (Malachi 3:18)

Luke 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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I have read the entire Protestant Bible many times. How long did it take? I did it in my teens the first time...perhaps a year and a half.
It is my favorite book and I still read it regularly.
What have I gotten from this reading? It is a text full of useful and good teachings. I have found much good in it indeed.
I am a Christian and this is in part by way of reading the Bible.
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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I have read the Bible through, but I had to force myself through the prophets. They did not make sense to me, and I found them no more readable than Leviticus with all its strange commandments. If I recall correctly (it has been a long time) it took me about a year. Many sections made no impression except "why am I reading this?"

Now I read selectively. I have read through the NT many times, but mainly I only read the OT if I need it for teaching Sunday School or if some topic within it comes up in discussion. It is marvelous sometimes to re-read an old story of faithfulness, like Esther or Ruth, but it can also be scary to re-read some of the nasty stories.
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Re: Have you read the whole Bible?

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Mr. Marks, the prophets can be very good reading, but use of a commentary is often helpful.
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