Thirty-one weeks ago, I downloaded a 52 week Bible Reading Plan from the web and have been reading The Devotional Bible: Experiencing the Heart of Jesus edited by Max Lucado every day.

Bit of background:

Max Lucado is a prolific American Christian author and pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX. Oak Hills is affiliated with The Church of Christ.

My DSIL gave this study Bible to me a couple of years ago for Christmas. I know, I know shoulda read it sooner.

Uh hmmm

The Bible Reading Plan I am using is broken up into the following areas:

Sunday - Epistles

Monday - The Law

Tuesday - History

Wednesday - Psalms

Thursday - Poetry

Friday - Prophecy

Saturday - Gospels.

It isn't one of those massive "start with Genesis" and move forward deals.

So far, it has been a very interesting journey, however, I have found some jarring notes in this Bible. Some things I had never heard of before.

As with most folks my age, I was given a King James version of the Bible at my baptism/confirmation (I was not baptized as an infant but rather at the age of 10). So I am very familiar with that Bible.

I did some searching on the Internet and found some advice about using different study Bibles to get an overall view of Scripture.

Soooo, I just ordered The Wesley Study Bible and received it today. This Bible is a study Bible that was edited and authored in the John Wesley tradition by Methodist ministers.

I went back and re-read 1 Thes 1:1-7.

Max Lucado:



The Wesley Study Bible:



King James Version:



Sky and Ruts - what do you make of this?



Am I just making a mountain out of a mole hill here?

Can I add to your perspective??












Many ways to look at the translations - so if you are a true student - you compare or you go directly to the greek original scripts as captured by the authors and translate yourself (I use Google - sometimes...as it has odd meanings) and then you take council in prayer if you are uncertain.

My personal vote is - I read the NJB and the NWT side by side......

Thanks, Sky. That is exactly what I will do.

I read through all the selections, and what I see is the same message couched in various differences of language, but the essence of the meaning here does not differ from one passage to another.

I have questions myself about translation, but they are centered on trying to know exactly what Jesus said in certain instances - how can we know this? How can we discern his words from the translations written by the authors of the Gospels, never mind how the authors are translated, for we know that Jesus spoke mostly in Aramaic, though it is thought that he knew some Greek as it was the "universal language" of the area, and of course Hebrew from the Scrolls. He might even have spoken a little Latin.

Did all the authors of the Gospels speak Aramaic? Can we depend on their translation from Aramaic to Greek to be an accurate rendering of Jesus' words?

Then of course we have to be aware that some translations are given a certain "bent" depending on the beliefs of the translator(s) and the religion for which they are doing the translation... not in all cases and I have no examples, it is more a feeling than a fact and I'm sure you both know far more about that than I. Catholicism in the United States I believe fails its members in the paucity of opportunities for community study of the Scriptures, at least in the parishes with which I am familiar. This is not so in other countries, at least in Latin American countries Bible study groups are a staple of the faith life of the communities.

I'm not sure if I have even touched on your concern, Blue; in short I see no problem, no major differences in meaning of the various translations of the selection you used as an example.

I agree, Ruts. I think the message is the same just couched in differing religious viewpoints.

I spent more time today in my Wesley Study Bible. I must say that it is like being cuddled in a nice, warm afghan.

I realize now that what I was missing in the Lucado Bible is the Wesley emphasis on Grace. I find that in the Wesley Bible.

And isn't that really what Bible study is all about? Being comforted reading the Word?

Maybe I am completely wrong and I should read the other one simply because it does challenge my belief system.

But...

That warm, comforting afghan calls to me and I find myself wrapped in it and reading way more Scripture than what is "assigned" in today's reading.

Yes, Ruts, I know exactly what you mean about the Catholic church's failure to provide communal Bible study for its members. I see this in my step-children and I truly believe this is one of the reasons DD does not actively challenge her husband over his increasing Messianic beliefs.

On another note, I downloaded to my Kindle a very interesting (at least to me) book that I am currently reading. It is called Reading the Early Church Fathers by James L. Papandrea. I must admit that I am totally ignorant of the early Church. Here I think the Catholic church does a much better job than the Protestant churches. At least in my church, we focus more on Martin Luther and the Reformation along with the life of John and Charles Wesley than we do the early Church. It is interesting to read about the Apostolic Fathers like Clement of Rome and Polycarp of Smyrna. It is also interesting to read about The Apologists like Justin Martyr and Tatian. I've just started reading about The Theologians particularly Ireneaus of Lyons.

Fascinating! I had no idea all of this was going on in the First and Second Centuries.

Very interesting discussion ladies.

Ruts - if you have not read any of the Nag Hammadi scrolls - I recommend it - as therein lies a lot of the texts captured by the disciples during Jesus' teachings (he had asked them to record it). anfd I especially Love the Pistus Sophia text as it describes a process that is very well suppressed by the "Church Fathers". We have a book from the Academy written by Dr Hurtak and his wife that they annotated - and it brings tears to my eyes in many instances when I discover the things humanity were supposed to know - but don't!

Blue - I discovered a collection of texts written about the Apocryphal Authors all put together around 1840 - 1940 on Scribd. I am not sure if you find this kinda history and research a part of your journey, but I do and I am fascinated by the opinions of the learned writers of these documents and books - which I have down loaded a goodly sum to research and read for myself. If you do _ I shall share the link. The history of the establishment of the Word of God is an extremely interesting subject to me - and my dear mother who is a staunch Christian firmly fixed in Anti-New Age doctrines refuses to hear about my own reading/discovery and education into this history. The Gospels are full of intriguing dichotomies and statements when taken literally as history - can be very challenging to even make sense of - yet it is the known and "revealed" word.

I find it all an incredible journey of discovery - as it is part of our historical heritage and we should know more about it.