Reading the Bible

[Tom Olson]

Thought you folks might be interested in this experience I've had.

Several years ago I decided that I ought to read the entire Bible,
straight through. I didn't keep good records; I can't remember if I
bought my nice NIV copy specifically for the purpose, but anyway, I
started to read. I don't know how long it's been (three years, five?
more? I bought that NIV as far back as 2002 or 2003 maybe).

Something like a week or two ago, I finished the Old Testament. Just,
all of a sudden, it was over. It's been a long, strange trip. So
much of what I was always taught was in there just wasn't, and much
that I found was unexpected, sometimes shockingly and disturbingly so.
I can see why some Christians worry when one of their siblings in the
faith decide to do this. Now I can also see why some Christian groups
prefer their flock *doesn't* read the Bible independently. It's a
challenging book, this founding document of our faith.

I've been looking forward to the New Testament for a long time. At
times I've found myself worn out by the OT, exhausted by the text,
whose signal-to-noise ratio was often pretty low. People complain
about the begats, but I think the prophets are really the tough part.
It's almost a test for people who try.

Now I'm in Matthew, somewhere around chapter 26 perhaps. It's kind of
a big deal to me, where I am, because Jesus is going to die soon, and
I will experience this for the first time with the full weight of
everything I've read.

-T

[Matthew Funke]

That's actually amazing.  And I agree with you fully.  A lot of what we've been taught is in there isn't, and a lot of what is in there is challenging and difficult (meaning that Scripture isn't the sort of crystal-clear document we've been taught that it is, either).

FWIW, I've also come to think that we Christians tend to chicken out in our understanding of the NT as well; we're nice and cozy in the way we do church, and we don't want it to change too much.  (I can't even count the number of times Jesus would say something challenging to our usual way of doing things socially, and the Bible study teacher would ask, "What do you think Jesus meant by that?" -- and, inevitably, the answer would be something to do with our hearts, never even the slightest suggestion that we should change our well-entrenched habits.)

But I don't want to ruin things for you or even cause you to expect that you'll see the same things I did.  I'm eager to hear where your pilgrimage leads you.

[Shane Bazer]

Good for you Tom.  My son is going through the Bible (he's doing in chronologically)  but he is having it read to him on the iPad and I often over hear it.  Some of the stuff in the Old Testament can certainly bring up a lot of discussion. 

- Shane  

On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 6:46 PM, Tom Olson <tom....@gmail.com> wrote:

[Matthew Funke]

On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 7:01 PM, Matthew Funke <go4...@gmail.com> wrote:

FWIW, I've also come to think that we Christians tend to chicken out in our understanding of the NT as well; we're nice and cozy in the way we do church, and we don't want it to change too much.  (I can't even count the number of times Jesus would say something challenging to our usual way of doing things socially, and the Bible study teacher would ask, "What do you think Jesus meant by that?" -- and, inevitably, the answer would be something to do with our hearts, never even the slightest suggestion that we should change our well-entrenched habits.)

Well, crap, that didn't come out right.

All I mean to say is that Christ's words are so challenging that we tend to erect defenses without even thinking about it -- myself included, perhaps foremost, because I can't help but think about what the nature of what Christ demands would mean to me and my family.

So when Christ says plainly in Luke 14:12-15, say, that we ought to invite people into our social circle who can't possibly pay us back for feeding them and such, I flinch.  I think to myself that it must mean something internal, something that would prevent me from having to change too much.

And based on Bible studies I've had with other Christians, I think that's common.  Christ's words and instructions are hard.

I don't think it's even intentional or a desire to deceive or a lack of desire to follow Christ.  It's not even conscious, necessarily, partly because it's just so radical and outside our habitual patterns of dealing with life.  It's just kind of outside our human experience.  Which is kind of the point, I guess, but it flies in the face of the kind of Christianity I grew up with that tended to assume it had things pretty well figured out.