What are /r/Bible's favorite Products & Services?

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Hello! Former atheist here! When I decided to read the bible, I used this one:

Daily Bible

It will take you through the entire bible in a year, and is organized to make it easier to read. It changed my life!

Be careful.

If an author is not dedicated to the deity of Jesus as the one true Christ, then just ignore them.

This guy gets it. Yes they exist, yes they have many functions and yes they are here to help, but only so far as to what God the father allows.

Dr. Ron Horner

The Bible is a collection of books written by multiple authors over a huge stretch of history. Sometimes the same events get recorded multiple times, from different points of view. Jesus's story, for example, is told by four different writers. It's the same story, but each writer is paying attention to different details.

Reading the whole thing is a worthwhile undertaking. Chronologically isn't a bad way to go, but be aware of that occasional repetition that I just mentioned. Also, some times I've tried a full end-to-end reading, I've gotten bogged down around Numbers and Leviticus. Those books are more about ancient laws than they are about people or events. Good stuff to know for understanding, but it's laws, not stories. What I suggest is, don't be afraid to break a little bit away from chronological order if that helps you stick with it. You can always come back to it.

There are lots of good Bibles, study Bibles, and reading plans out there that can help you. In many places, your local bookstore may have many options. Lately I've been following this free Bible in a Year app. Each day I get a bit of the Old testament, a bit of the New, and a bit of something like Psalms or Proverbs. I also get some commentary around the day's reading, which helps make it relatable.

Good luck!

The Story is a pretty good resource, it essentially condenses the NIV translation of the Bible down into, well, a story.

Sure, I'd recommend reading the Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels which explains the cultural world and interpretation of such things like love and hatred. Examples in Scripture would be "a man hates his wife and divorces her" in Deuteronomy, or Amnon "hating Tamar more than he loved her, and sent her away," or the brothers of Joseph growing in hatred (disloyalty, no family attachment) and conspiring to kill/sell him as a result. The idea of separation, or a breaking of loyalty/devotion is present most clearly in passages like that.

I was just looking for the exact same thing and found the perfect Bible from Cambridge, who has been printing Bibles for over 400 years. It is a simple leather text Bible, double column, in dark font.

https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Text-Blue-Hardcover-KJ41R/dp/0521873835

Halley's Bible Handbook is A MUST OWN!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/031051939X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_JPMHQRVZ7MA15411FA5F

It goes book by book and explains archaeology that's been discovered.

For example, they mention a dig by Harvard University which found what is likely King Ahab's personal house. Inside this house were makeup boxes with paint still in them. 2 Kings 9:30 references that Jezebel painted her face/eyes. ...they have her makeup boxes. 😳😳😳

So many things like this that we are never told about as Christians.

I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NASP/nas-macarthur-study-bible#.Xhc-w4HWOD0.link

I found it hard to read the bible when I was younger for sure. There is other ways to access information though that might be easier. There is the bible app you can download. I love it, it has daily topics so you can learn along the way and work through things at your pace. The topics are pretty cool too like anxiety, anger, keeping calm etc which fit into daily life. I used this before reading the bible it also has the bible on there too so you can pick out verses. 😊 it also explains things in a more modern approach. The most important thing is your relationship with God above all. ❤🙏

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirma.mobile.bible.android

In his book "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants," Malcolm Gladwell says most people get this famous Biblical yarn all wrong because they misunderstand who really has the upper hand. It is because of, and not despite, David's size and unorthodox choice of weapon that he is able to slay the lumbering giant. In other words, Gladwell says, most people underestimate the importance of agility and speed.

First, David's sling is a devastating weapon. It's one of the most feared weapons in the ancient world. The stone that comes from his sling has the stopping power equivalent to a bullet from a .45 caliber pistol. It's a serious weapon. And second, there are many medical experts who believe that Goliath was suffering from acromegaly, which causes you to grow. Many giants have acromegaly, but it has a side effect which is, it causes restrictive sight. Goliath in the biblical story does, if you look closely, sounds like a guy who can't see.

So here we have a big, lumbering guy weighed down with armor, who can't see much more than a few feet in front of his face, up against a kid running at him with a devastating weapon and a rock traveling with the stopping power of a .45 caliber handgun. That's not a story of an underdog and a favorite. David has a ton of advantages in that battle, they're just not obvious. That's what gets the book rolling is this notion that we need to do a better job of looking at what an advantage is.

This is the one I have. When I was looking to purchase my first Bible a couple years ago, this is the one God led me to.

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-James-Version-Quatercentenary/dp/0199557608/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=1611+king+james+bible+with+apocrypha&qid=1624735521&sprefix=1611&sr=8-13

The "Left Behind" movies are terrible theology. Don't watch a movie; read the book. Why would you settle for filtering the Word of God through someone else's imagination?

If a comic book format works better, there is a graphic novel version of the Book of Revelation that has very nicely done illustrations, which strictly presents the text along with illustrations, rather than presenting a fictional notion of what will happen such as in the various movies people are suggesting. Don't settle for some person's imagination; read the text for yourself.

If you are interested in studying end-times prophecy (which is so much more than just Revelation, but also includes lots of prophecies from other books, including Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, etc. from the Old Testament, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and various sermons from the Gospels) I am in the process of posting a series of studies on various topics, with roughly 20 studies lined up to be posted in the coming months.

No problem! You can read Foreman's whole summaries here, or buy the book here.

If your interested I’d like to recommend a great resource, one that I have leaned on heavily in conjunction with my studies of Revelation. While there are some views he presents that I don’t necessarily line up with 100% (in truth when it comes to Revelation your probably never going to find someone you line up with 100%) he has some incredible insights and a wealth of knowledge that helped me TREMENDOUSLY. https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Introduction-Commentary-Tyndale-Testament/dp/0830843000

I've read NIV, NRSV, and ESV, any of them are good. More important than translation, I reccomend the first read-through using a chronological plan, so you read the prophets, wisdom literature, and epistles in context with the historical books and Acts, and the parallel Gospel passages together. I used this one: https://www.amazon.com/One-Year-Chronological-Bible-NIV/dp/1414359934/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=esv+chronological+bible&qid=1610854786&sprefix=esv+ch&sr=8-3

My favorite is a bit odd. I love the story of Hosea.

You have to read between the lines quite a bit, but God calls Hosea, a holy prophet, to marry a prostitute. He's thinking, OK, God, but I'm gonna have to make sure it's you first...lol.

So he marries Gomer, and they have a couple of kids. The way the Hebrew reads, the first is probably his, but the second, there is no mention of his being involved.

Then they split up. She could not remain faithful to him. Time goes by. Eventually he's going to the market, and there he sees her: on the auction block being sold as a slave.

God tells him to "buy back" his wife, and command her to live with him and him only from that point on.

The whole scenario is an analogy of Israel's relationship with God, and deeper than that, our relationship with God. We are, and have been unfaithful to God, repeatedly, and sold into slavery to sin. But God, through Jesus, bought us back to be faithful to Him.

It's a wonderful love story, and a great Biblical lesson. I love it.

There is a fictional re-telling of it by Francine Rivers, called "Redeeming Love" available at Amazon. I have not been paid for this endorsement...:)

46 times. The only source needed is the bible itself. Here is the the full KJV text . Just hit CTRL-F or command-f to search for the term you need and see how many hits you get.

Keep your calculator out ...

<strong>The lifespans of the patriarchs: Schematic orderings in the chrono-genealogy</strong>

Abstract

>A remarkable numerical schema is revealed when the lifespan notices for the generations from Adam to Moses in the Masoretic version of the Pentateuch are added together—12,600 years. It is suggested that this schema has eschatological connotations that relates to the 1,260 days mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. The possibility that the lifespan notices developed from an earlier, progenitor chronology that originally tallied 12,000 years is also discussed, and the relationship between this schema, the surrounding patriarchal narratives and other Near East chronological traditions is examined in terms of the textual development of the Old Testament lifespan tradition.
>
>Northcote, J. (2007). The lifespans of the patriarchs: Schematic orderings in the chrono-genealogy. Vetus Testamentum, 57(2), 243-257.

https://repl.it/@thisgithubuser/JealousRubberyRhombus

this is what the part that interacts with reddit looks like. hidden underneath processComments is a 200 line function that disassembles a reddit post and removes pieces that look like bible citations and then determines how to read them by looking for where pieces are in relation to each other

then the function appends the relevant text iteratively onto reply_text and at the end that gets fed out into the reddit wrapper and posted here

(Sorry for bad grammar and spelling please forgive). I study the Life Application Study Bible NLT* Version in addition i read the + King James and the ASV Bible My reason for this is to Compare and to make sure that i get all the scripture as accurate as possible. This is important for me because everyone interprets the Bible in there way. My Goal is to learn the purest way and the Rawest way possible. The Life Application Bible has amazing commentary and history and Map Legends and Pages to get you ready for the next Chapter. I do love the Bible Project Video i been trying to watch only what i read because i like having the suspense of what i learn next and or what happens next. This is a website i read to understand the Maps of the old testament - http://www.bible-history.com/maps/old_testament.php I wish other people would not dismiss the old testament, because its so crucial to learn about how God loved us and his mercy and forgiveness and how many things from the old testament still apply in are life today. GOD allows us to equip yourself with his truths and for us to way the life he wants for us not the life we want.

Also I signed up for Audible Free Trial and i got the Old Testament and New Testament for FREE!(Then i cancelled) I have to tell you having the audio Version played out with Real Actors and Music and Background noise makes you feel like you are right there.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Spirituality/The-Word-of-Promise-Complete-Audio-Bible-NKJV-Audiobook/B003UC45I8?qid=1498151831&amp;sr=1-1

https://www.stepbible.org/ this is an incredible resource that my university encourages the Biblical studies students to use as part of our research when studying Scripture and writing Exegesis papers!

I would first read it cover-to-cover and just begin by knowing what it says (its broad narrative). And then go back and begin to learn systematic doctrine. The best Study bible, to me, by far is the MacArthur study bible. It will help you a lot doing both-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NASP/nas-macarthur-study-bible#.Xhc-w4HWOD0.link

I've always felt uncomfortable marking in my Bible for reasons but you can't study the Bible without taking notes and some highlighting. I found some clear post-it notes that work amazing for those like me.

https://www.amazon.com/Dramatized-Audio-Bible-International-Complete/dp/B0094BDLXO/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?dchild=1&amp;keywords=niv+audio+bible&amp;qid=1623697734&amp;sr=8-8

https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Bible-New-Testament-NLT-audiobook/dp/B07LC1127S/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&amp;keywords=breathe+audio+bible&amp;qid=1623697804&amp;sr=8-3

These are my go tos

InspiringPhilosophy has many videos on Genesis which collate and summarize some relevant Biblical scholarship on this issue. Check them out!

We of course need to realize that Genesis is an ancient text, written by ancient prescientific people for prescientific people. If we think Genesis is teaching modern science, we are missing the point and missing what God is trying to show us through the text today. Biblical scholar John Walton's The Lost World of Genesis One should be required reading for Christians in my opinion and will also more than adequately answer your question.

This is what I use, its just Bible: https://www.amazon.com/Journal-Bible-Large-Hardcover-Letter/dp/0718090799 You cant have a study Bible without someones flair in it.

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2TIM2:15

Yeah, Old Testament Prophecy is one of the more difficult things in the Bible IMO, I’d highly recommend a study Bible if you want some good notes on it, I use this one ESV Study Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433502410/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Dwc0FbB6EKE0J

It's a Holman Self-Explanatory Bible https://www.amazon.com/Self-Explanatory-Containing-Testaments-Translated-Original/dp/B00B3997XI that's the Amazon link, you can even find the symbols if you click the "images" on the left.

There is a lot of American iconographies but also a couple "cultic" symbols, the all seeing eye and the compass. Both of which can be regarded as "American" or as Masonic, or as representing other things.

Go to the Apple store or Google Play Store and download Topical Bible. You can search for key words and it brings you all the Bible verses containing that word.

See here

You won't find any better than the New Oxford Annotated Bible. For just the Hebrew Bible you also won't go wrong with the Jewish Publication Society's translation of the Tanakh or Robert Alter's translation with commentary.

Don’t pay to much attention to the above comment this dudes obviously a kjv onlyist watch this video to see why it’s a myth and you should read this book that goes into the Greek of it all and compares all the objections to using modern translations and shows that the kjv and other translations are all reliable (there is some translations like the passion translation that added stuff that shouldn’t be there and it’s a terrible translation). Also remember there are an estimated 300+ words in the kjv that mean slightly different things now as stated in the video I linked.

You're looking for a Study Bible!

At the bottom of each page there will be a write up about what a certain cultural reference would mean, and at the beginning of each chapter it will say "This book was written by [person] sometime in the [x] century and it was written for the [people group]. "

Here is one I like, there are some used once for less than $15

There are many good daily Bible reading schedules out there. Some folks recommend starting with the Gospels, which isn't a bad idea. Cover to cover also works, but I've often gotten bogged down around Numbers and Leviticus, with all of the laws.

Currently I'm following the a Bible in One Year app that I have enjoyed. I get a bit of each Testament every day, along with some Psalms or Proverbs, and a bit of nice commentary.

Another option is the Revised Common Lectionary, which is a three-year cycle of readings that has gotten support from multiple denominations.

Aye and you might find it helpful to start with a gospel - the stories of Jesus' life.

People often recommend Mark as a good one to start with as it's not too long (shorter than a weekend newspaper these days!) and he arguably expects less Old Testament knowledge from his readers than the other gospel writers (Matthew, Luke, John).

Then after that you could read a couple of the shorter epistles, they'll give you a great flavour of some of the heart of the relationship that we have to Jesus and his place over all of creation now and the next creation to come. I recommend Colossians and Ephesians (see if you can spot similarities in the letters as you go!).

Then maybe tackle a couple of the longer books in the New Testament, you could try Romans or 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians especially speaks fairly directly to lots of hot issues today - sexual immorality, pride, being truly 'spiritual' (hint, it's about love!).

Then I most heartily recommend that you try to read some of the Old Testament - it's all there to help us understand Jesus better! You could read something like God's Big Picture(maybe try to find an e-version if shipping will be expensive) to help give you one kind of overview (there are different ways of tying the whole Bilbe story together) in order to help you orient yourself - it's very easy to feel lost in the Old Testament, especially when you're new!

Hello there! My 9 yo daughter really enjoys Super Book. Depending on how old yours are this might be a good one. They would need to be able to read.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.cbn.superbook.bible.app.android

It us in the App Store too.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Apocrypha-Collection-21-Deuterocanonical-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B0BC3R1GNL

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This one is only 99 cents on Kindle. Buy the Bible separately so you can get the exact Bible you want. Its hard to find a bundle. Consider the CSB Bible also, watch some Youtube videos about it. Its a great balance of accuracy while at the same time easy to read and understand. Strikes a good balance.

The scriptures version: https://isr-messianic.org/publications/the-scriptures.html

The complete Jewish Bible: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jewish-Study-Bible-Illuminating/dp/1619708671/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa

I think both these can be previewed on www.biblegateway.com

The author, Lee Strobel, makes no claim to being a scholar and, from what I have seen, The Case for Christ is not a scholarly book. The online extract of the book reads as a folksy series of anecdotes and discussions, and does not seek or present hard evidence, which means there are few, if any, arguments to defeat.

One of Strobel’s anecdotes was an interview with Craig Blomberg, a Christian scholar whom he no doubt knew in advance would give him the answers he wanted. True to form, Blomberg said there was no doubt that at least three of the New Testament gospels were written by the persons whose names they now bear. This meant that he had at least one eyewitness account, in Matthew’s Gospel. He cited Papias in support of this statement, although conceding that Papias wrote this in about A.D. 125—an egregious error of logic, since there is no suggestion that Papias was an eyewitness to the apostle Matthew writing a gospel. If Papias was relying on hearsay, or even guesswork, then his testimony can be defeated. There is ample evidence that Matthew was really based on Mark’s Gospel, not eyewitness testimony.

Case for Christ is a good read for the already committed but does not seem really suited for a reader looking for serious answers.

This is another good example of the format, except it is the entire New Testament:

https://www.amazon.com/-/es/ESV-Bibles-Crossway/dp/143356713X

I look for a format like this, except not the entire New Testament. Just the standalone books.

Interestingly I just listened to a podcast that gave an overview o of this book that talks about how we got today's Bible. I haven't read it yet but the authors seem to take into account the messiness of the process. I'm looking forward to reading it and hope it may be of use to you. Keep searching my friend! https://www.amazon.com/Scribes-Scripture-Amazing-Story-Bible-ebook/dp/B0BG93WSDX?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1669153014&amp;sr=8-2&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=jorgegil0a-20&amp;linkId=1f8def3e877a0bd5cba53347c8f96fd2&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_t...

I started with this. There are a lot of sources quoted and referenced in it.

Here you go. These are the basis of most modern translations. This sub is full of religious opinions, sometimes you have to work your way through them to see the gold :)

First the Hebrew Bible (Biiblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) in Hebrew: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1619700301/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Next the Greek New Testament (Novum Testamentum Graece: Nestle-Aland): https://www.amazon.com/Biiblia-Hebraica-Stuttgartensia-BHS-Hardcover/dp/1683073525/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1F0SIMOXRJY7G&amp;keywords=biblica+hebraica&amp;qid=1668808966&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=biblica+%2Cstripbooks%2C721&amp;sr=1-3&amp;ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1...

I suggest reading scripture and pray for understanding and revelation beforehand.

The NKJV, ESV and NASB are mostly word for word English translations, so there is less chance the translator is interpreting the meaning.

BibleGateway.com lets you search scriptures and choose from most of the available translations. Also, there are free "interlinear" translation apps that give fuller explanations, providing the Hebrew or Greek along with clickable Strong's Concordance notes. Here's the one I use: HagiosTech Hebrew-Greek

I am glad I studied on my own in the beginning without reading or listening to others' interpretations of scripture.

Once I did start listening to bible teachers, I was careful to check everything they said against scripture -- that's so important! I can't tell you how many times I found verses taken out of context with completely wrong interpretations!

A good old bible study axiom that has served me well is: **Text without context is pretext.

There is a Bible Teacher I've listened to for many years and can wholeheartedly recommend. He has read through the bible probably hundreds of times and taught it for more than 30 years. And he always quotes the scriptures in great length.

DTBM

May your bible study yield much fruit! ✝️

Highly recommend reading "I suffer not a woman" by Richard Clark Kroeger. Good case for why this passage was specifically intended for Corinth and common beliefs that were held in the city that were in contradiction with biblical teaching on creation account. https://www.amazon.com/Suffer-Not-Woman-Rethinking-Evidence/dp/0801052505

Found this from what seems to be an updated(?) version of the ASV Bible. Not 100% what’s included as Apocrypha, but, given what I know of the ASV, it should at least include all those books found in the KJV Apocrypha (which usually means no 3-4 Maccabees), but I can’t say for sure. It’s also quite pricey, even on Amazon.

I prefer the NASB because it's a literal (word for word from original languages) translation, capitalizes the pronouns of God, and all caps Old Testament quotations.

Also, I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton ✔ -

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

The answer is absolutely! My personal favorites are Genesis 1 ("Let us make," coupled with the very Word of God being spoken, which invokes our memory of John 1, revealing that Christ is the Word made flesh. That's not "reverse engineering." That's the Revelation of God Himself!), Exodus 3 (most occasions when "the angel of the Lord" appears) and Daniel 3, but really, Christ is everywhere in the OT! If you're especially academically inclined, I recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/Angelomorphic-Christology-Antecedents-Evidence-Library/dp/1481307940

>What is your source for such? I

https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Writing-God-Why-Bibles-Authors/dp/B006QS02F8

What does "98% agreement of the NT manuscripts" mean?

And Jesus said you would know his true disciples by their love and the meek shall inherit the earth. Since the bible has been created - which country which claims to be Christian will get the prize for trying to create a meek world? England? America? Russia?

Which Christian leader obeys the commandments you know - loves everyone like jesus did, loves their enemies, doesnt engage in violence and lives in love and doesn't care about mammon? Trump? Putin? Biden? The Royal Family? etc.

You cannot claim that Paul personally said anything when you weren't there.

The man who FORGED the book of Timothy - pretending it was coming from Paul - written 200 years after Paul died in completely different handwriting and turn of phrase was the one who said that women werent allowed have a voice or power in church.

Rather than just repeating the nonsense lies your corrupt church tells you - why not sign up for a historical bible class so you don't continue to just repeat the lies of false prophets who create hell on earth for $$ rather than creating heaven.

https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Writing-God-Why-Bibles-Authors/dp/B006QS02F8

Jesus said what you judge in others is what you are most guilty of yourself. I am not a troll - I am a sincere christian trying to fight to end the corruption of Christianity.

Here is a great book on how 1/3 of the New Testament is forged.

In this day when we don't just have to believe whatever corrupt powerful men and institutions tell us - the onus is probably on churches to prove the bible wasnt corrupted
https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Writing-God-Why-Bibles-Authors/dp/B006QS02F8

https://www.amazon.com/G-T-Luscombe-Company-Inc-Highlighting/dp/B003AHIK7U these are great! I have the yellow one and I use it for all my books (Bibles, spiritual readings) that have delicate thin pages.

Colored pencil dry highlighters are what I use. The gel stuff is super waxy and you can't ever write on it after. The colored pencil type usually still take ink once it's down.

They make big ones that are pricy but last a while... you can get them in 5-6 color packs or, I know some people who literally just use a box of regular colored pencils from Walmart. You run through them faster but they're also a fraction of the cost.

6 colors

5 colors

Would anyone be interested in reading this enlightening ebook about Adam and Eve?

Life In A Garden

A good book for non-theologians, written by a highly respected Biblical scholar i F.F.Bruce The Canon of Scripture. The works of Bruce Metzger is also a good resource

I highly recommend a two volume set by Lee Martin McDonald: The Formation of the Biblical Canon

https://www.amazon.com/Formation-Biblical-Canon-Testament-Canonicity/dp/0567668762

Very comprehensive, and informative. Solid biblical scholarship from a well-respected author.

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>Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon --- the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes -- in sum more than double the length of his previous works -- McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute 'the bible' was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered 'canonical' that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils.

Textus Receptus based translations, such as our Dutch Statenvertaling or the English KJV, have a sentence about Jesus looking at the woman: he 'saw no one but the woman' in John 8:10. And then Jesus addresses her, asking her a question, and she answers. Sounds like this pastor embellished that moment. I wouldn't make too big a deal out of it, unless it was the basis for a sermon or an important point of the sermon.

Quite a few pastors won't preach from this passage at all, by the way, because much of current scholarship considers this story, the 'pericope adulterae', to be added to the Gospel of John at a later date. In modern translations, it is often marked as such or even missing completely. A few years ago I read a fascinating (though rather technical!) book on the matter: To Cast The First Stone, by Knust and Wasserman. They consider the story a genuine Jesus tradition (they think it did happen) that indeed got inserted into the Gospel of John after it was written. See: https://www.amazon.com/Cast-First-Stone-Transmission-Gospel/dp/0691169888 Like I said, it is quite technical, but if you are interested in textual variants, manuscripts and so on, this could be interesting.

I've started reading Daily Walk Bible https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Walk-Bible-NIV/dp/1414380623 . This one includes a page or two overview for each of the upcoming sections. I find it very helpful to get some idea of the topics to be looking for

I started reading the KJV 45 years ago. Today I typically read the NKJV or ESV or NASB. These are all literal translations. This means a translator isn't making an interpretation for you.

BibleGateway

I also like to use an Interlinear app that gives you the original Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek. It has the original words with links in the text So you can look at the word definitions.

HagiosTechInterlinear

I like the Holy Trinity Orthodox calendar app. It has the Epistle and Gospel readings (RSV I think) for the day according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar (new or old style), along with a summary of the saints that are commemorated on that particular day.

I have this thinline one. Really light and not the standard bible size. It has an imprint instead of gold lettering. They have plenty of options. I think some with flowers on them. It looks more like a journal and good for traveling.

https://www.amazon.com/Value-Thinline-Bible-Leathersoft-Comfort/dp/0310448476

https://www.amazon.com/NKJV-Economy-Bible-Paperback-Trustworthy/dp/0718091752/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?crid=2M4AA45L4O1HD&amp;keywords=nkjv+bible&amp;qid=1661620818&amp;sprefix=nkjv+bible%2Caps%2C125&amp;sr=8-16#

https://www.amazon.com/NKJV-Value-Outreach-Bible-Paperback/dp/0718097297/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?crid=2M4AA45L4O1HD&amp;keywords=nkjv+bible&amp;qid=1661621087&amp;sprefix=nkjv+bible%2Caps%2C125&amp;sr=8-7

https://www.amazon.com/Value-Thinline-Leathersoft-Letter-Comfort/dp/0718075587/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=TWSA9DEW5I8A&amp;keywords=nkjv+bible&amp;qid=1661453274&amp;sprefix=nkjv%2Caps%2C127&amp;sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/NKJV-Value-Outreach-Bible-Paperback/dp/0718097297/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=TWSA9DEW5I8A&amp;keywords=nkjv+bible&amp;qid=1661453274&amp;sprefix=nkjv%2Caps%2C127&amp;sr=8-8

I would first read it cover-to-cover and just begin by knowing what it says (its broad narrative). And then go back and begin to learn systematic doctrine. The best Study bible, to me, by far is the MacArthur study bible. It will help you a lot doing both-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

You can use any application browser to find a free Bible program and begin reading. Begin with the book of John You will learn of the story of Jesus and why He is important.

Apple Appstore - Bible
Google Play Store - Bible

🌱

I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Scripture-Proper-Names/dp/1614279896/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=1343603776589532&amp;hvadid=83975307290147&amp;hvbmt=be&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvlocphy=65440&amp;hvnetw=o&amp;hvqmt=e&amp;hvtargid=kwd-83975587669302%3Aloc-190&amp...

I think it's a great video! You have a personable way of sharing. It's a wonderful overview of how to approach God's word and an encouragement to get a study bible. I don't have any criticism because I thought it was good.

I think it would be good to do a separate video with more basic techniques to study the Bible for the beginner. Opening up a study Bible can be intimidating and overwhelming for some people. I think "Learn to Study the Bible," is a great help for beginners, and it teaches 40 different methods for study. I think you could share a few of those methods for people who don't know how to get started. https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Study-Bible-Andy-Deane-ebook/dp/B003EENK7E

>So, are these different sources known to have existed

They are known to have existed. Scholarship is virtually unified on this point. There is debate over things such as was ever any kind of complete "Elohist" source, if Genesis is better understood as a collection of (originally) independent folktales, did the original Exodus author know about the events recounted in Genesis, etc. These kinds of things.

You'll never get unanimous agreement, but the general concept, that different people wrote different parts of the Pentateuch, and that each author had different interests and desires that you can figure out by looking at the different passages, is agreed on by nearly all scholars today.

>can we study these proposed sources,

Within the Hebrew Bible...yes! Some scholars devout their entire life to such pursuits.

Joel Baden’s The Composition of the Pentateuch: Renewing the Documentary Hypothesis (2012) is an excellent contemporary application of the DH.

>or are they just postulated to have existed as part of the Documentary Hypothesis?

As I said, we have tons of scholarship supporting a multi-source hypothesis. Not to mention we have evidence of this among other ancient works. For example, the many versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh show that this composite work too underwent similar processes of redaction.

We also use similar concepts when evaluating the sources from the Synoptic Gospels.

We have Mark...Matthew...Luke...and a "sayings" source called "Q".

The author of Matthew used Mark + Q + the M source (Matthew)

The author of Luke used Mark + Q + the L source (Luke)

Similar concept.

I recommend reading the book, "Decision Making and the Will of God." It will make a huge difference and stop the stress you're feeling. https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Making-Will-God-Alternative/dp/1590522052

I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gty.macarthurstudybible

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

You keep saying "most" or "generally". Are you getting this information from Wikipedia? Even in Wikipedia, one of the references to the authorship states below.

> Collins, Raymond F. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. 2004. p. 4 ISBN 0-664-22247-1

>
>"By the end of the twentieth century New Testament scholarship was virtually unanimous in affirming that the Pastoral Epistles were written some time after Paul's death. ... As always some scholars dissent from the consensus view."

I will assume that when you say "people did not have copies of all the writings", you are referring to bishops. This concept of average Christians owning a Bible is a concept brought upon by the Reformation. Even if you go back to Marcion (heretic) 110-160 C.E., it's pretty clear that he had access to most of the books if not all. Tertullian's writing suggests that he had access to all. He considered some not to be canonical.

Sure, it is conceivable that not all bishops had full access to all books of the bible. However, well-known patristic fathers and Church fathers' writings indicate that they had full access and more since they wrote about canon issues.

Let's settle the canon issues. There has always been debate over canon. The NT was settled pretty quickly even before the 4th century. You will notice that Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, and Coptic all have 27 exact same books. The OT had continuous canon debates. There were no debates over 90% of the OT. The majority of debates were around deuterocanonical books which persist to this day.

Below book really helped me understand

https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Canon-Lists-Early-Christianity/dp/0198838891

The average believer back then did not have those teachings in book form, as you do. Various groups heard different stories about Jesus, and passed them along orally. Writings were being created, but no one had copies of all of them, nor were they looked at back then as "scripture".

Take a look at this really good book: https://www.amazon.com/Formation-Christian-Biblical-Canon/dp/1565630521/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3C85QXHX90LDX&amp;keywords=formation+of+the+biblical+canon&amp;qid=1658520951&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=formation+of+the+biblical+canon%2Cstripbooks%2C82&amp;sr=1-3

Lee McDonald does a great job summarizing how it all came to be put together into the format you have now, but it's very clear that it did not exist in a form useable by the average (probably mostly illiterate) believer.

Check out this book. It will really help you.

https://smile.amazon.com/Festival-Desert-Learning-Rejoice-Difficult/dp/1664206647/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=A9QPNU6K5IXC&amp;keywords=festival+in+the+desert&amp;qid=1657855618&amp;sprefix=festival+in+the+deaert%2Caps%2C215&amp;sr=8-1

I would first read it cover-to-cover and just begin by knowing what it says (its broad narrative). And then go back and begin to learn systematic doctrine. The best Study bible, to me, by far is the MacArthur study bible. It will help you a lot doing both-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.gracetoyou

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

You could also find a copy of the book “How to read the Bible for all its Worth” by Fee & Stewart. It’s a pretty easy read but a great introduction to studying the Bible!

https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Bible-All-Worth-ebook/dp/B00GS084YA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=27X1786GMULZT&amp;keywords=how+to+study+the+bible+for+all+its+worth&amp;qid=1657479198&amp;sprefix=how+to+study+the+bible+for+%2Caps%2C129&amp;sr=8-3

Iirc, Dr. David Scaer's Sermon on the Mount and Discourses in Matthew spend some time on these structures (https://www.amazon.com/Sermon-Mount-Churchs-Statement-Gospel/dp/0570052548)

Dr. Arthur Just also does a lot of this in his commentary on Luke. He focuses a lot on the chiastic structures in Luke: (https://www.amazon.com/Luke-1-50-Concordia-Commentary/dp/0570042542)

I own the Archeology Study Bible, New International Version (NIV), from Zondervan publishers. Much like Norton Anthology literature books (fellow English majors will be familiar), study Bibles have introductions before each section (book) giving details such as the author, genre, historical context, literary features, etc. The Archeology Study Bible is nice because it also has short featured articles throughout connecting portions of the text to archeological finds and ancient texts.

As an example, in the pages of Psalm 35, the editors added a blurb titled "ANCIENT TEXTS AND ARTIFACTS: The Warrior Creed in the Akkadian Epic of Erra and Ishum," and "ANCIENT VOICES," which provides a sample of the epic in question. The former compares and contrasts the psalm to its contemporary literary counterpart.

https://www.amazon.com/NIV-Archaeological-Study-Bible-Hardcover/

He has a translation of the bible with commentary.

https://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-Bible-Translation-Commentary-Three/dp/0393292495?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_dls&amp;dplnkId=c627581a-2e96-4d3a-8e2c-21981d11a679

There's several books about the possible influence of psychedelics on the Bible. One of the more well researched is called "The Immortality Key"

https://www.amazon.com/Immortality-Key-Uncovering-History-Religion/dp/1250207142&amp;ved=2ahUKEwip-Lqdjcb4AhUMKkQIHamhC6QQFnoECBMQAQ&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZW3tjV_CXBQmnCLxykQow

Daniel. Predicts future events to the day hundreds of years prior. Also predicts events at the end of days, now if the former came to pass, what does that say about what is about to come... A great book that goes over all the historical evidence for it is The Coming Prince by Sir Robert Anderson

I really appreciate reading it in chronological order.

And if you find it boring, perhaps a study Bible will show you the history, cross-references, and modern applications of the boring parts.

I highly recommend a book by Hugh Ross, who is an astrophysicist, a Christian and an old earth Creationist: Navigating Genesis: A Scientists's Journey through Genesis 1-11 >> https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Genesis-Scientists-Journey-through/dp/1886653860/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=1S7Z91HKT3RRU&amp;keywords=hugh+ross+navigating+genesis&amp;qid=1654821276&amp;sprefix=hugh+ross+%2Caps%2C148&amp;sr=8-1

Try this: https://www.amazon.com/NIV-Cultural-Backgrounds-Study-Bible/dp/0310431581/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2W9037OGB12JV&amp;keywords=john+walton+culture+bible&amp;qid=1654548565&amp;sprefix=john+walton+culture+bible%2Caps%2C106&amp;sr=8-8

Cultural Anthropology(particular in religion) is one of my guilty pleasures too. I love seeing how influence is never one way and therefore the author is very much influenced by his environment, mainly the culture and state.

This Bible does an excellent job of showing different cultural influences throughout the Scriptures

My usual copypasta:

I argue that Christian ethics are not rule-based, but are instead virtue-based; our goal is not to check the boxes, but to build a Christ-like character. We build that character by virtuous acts. So the question "is this action sinful" could be rephrased as "does this action tear down or build up Christian virtues in me?"

What are the Christian virtues? There are a number of lists, in the Bible and outside of it. But the ones in the Bible are impressively consistent. These are the virtues I can identify from scripture.

• Humility before God: Serve God, and see that his ways are higher than your ways
• Drive for righteousness and restorative justice: Make your life and the world more in line with God's will; mourn sin and repent
• Embrace of knowledge, wisdom, and truth: Learn true things, reject false things, and spread that learning
• Love and respect: Place others before yourself
• Joy, satisfaction, contentment, gratitude: Recognize the good God has given you
• Forgive and build peace, covenant, and relationship: Give up revenge, and encourage reconciliation
• Patience and hope: Remember that God will act, and that He rules all things
• Kindness, mercy, and generosity: Do good for people, especially those in need
• Integrity and self-control: Be one thing, all the time; subdue bodily impulses
• Faithfulness and endurance: Keep your covenants, carry on in the face of all adversity

[Work shown here: https://airtable.com/shrUeWRc4gUj6JDXG]

The purpose of Torah was always to build these virtues in us. So do we keep Torah? Yes, by becoming virtuous people, who act in a virtuous fashion.

It’s easy God’s plan for your life is this: That you love God and love your neighbor. What ways do you have in front of you today that you can do those things?

There’s not just one possible plan that you have to figure out in order to live God‘s plan for your life. God‘s not playing a game with you, as if you have to guess what he’s thinking. Live a life of selfless love. That can take many forms, any of which can be inside of Gods will.

Here is an awesome book recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Prudence-Choose-Confidently-Live-Boldly/dp/1681927322

Here’s a good podcast interview with father Gregory about this subject: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0DtLkLkU7hyBQSIsOoz1Nk?si=z_m_oOY5RXSr8LR5PYty6Q

J. Edward Wright's The Early History of Heaven is right up your alley, addressing the origins, influences, and evolution of ancient Hebrew cosmology. Scholarly but accessible. Wright is the director of Jewish studies at the University of Arizona, specializing in Hebrew and early Judaism.

https://www.amazon.com/Early-History-Heaven-Edward-Wright/dp/0195152301

He doesn't want you to know the future. He wants you to trust him in the present. If you're wondering where your life is headed, you can start thinking about your goals, dreams, and desires and pray about what path he wants you to go down. A good book to check out is "Decision Making and the Will of God." https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Making-Will-God-Alternative/dp/1590522052

I used to have something like this which was interesting to read. It shuffles around the Biblical text to put it in a kind of chronological order, either from when the text is dated or when the events happened that are referred to in the text. Obligatory disclaimer, that scholarship isn't always unified on the dating of certain texts. But it was interesting to read, for example, the prophecies of Isaiah right next to the events that they relate to, or the Synoptic parallel passages all right next to each other.

I highly recommend this - it will be perfect for studying with your 12 year old son:

The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New https://www.amazon.com/dp/194257228X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G666KSSX92WEVPFSQDAY

Then I highly recommend getting a good study Bible as it will have helpful notes in it that explain the harder verses or just add awesome insight.

Are you in a solid church? Your pastor might have more recommendations or even have good bibles studies you can do with other people.

YouTube can be helpful - Bible project does great Bible overviews. My personal favorite YouTuber is Joeensley- he answers a lot of questions so super helpful for new believers and his sermons are great for any level of believer. What I like most about him is he explains everything in a very easy to understand way.

I would first read it cover-to-cover and just begin by knowing what it says (its broad narrative). And then go back and begin to learn systematic doctrine. The best Study bible, to me, by far is the MacArthur study bible. It will help you a lot doing both-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.gracetoyou

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

Coloured 'lenses' sometimes help as well for dyslexia, https://www.amazon.co.uk/A4-Coloured-Overlays-Dyslexia-Reading/dp/B07CSPW6PM these are from Amazon UK, but you could cut one to size for his bible to be able to help! I second the book mark as well

The short answer is that the Apocrypha is not written in Hebrew like The Old Testament, and the Apocrypha books are younger than the OT. Therefore, Jews and Protestant Christian do not regard them as on level with the Old Testament. So, it is is not a political decision behind it

What you are looking for is something about "canon of scripture", like this book https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Scripture-F-Bruce/dp/0830852123/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=PJZ3ZJGFS8GX&amp;keywords=canon+bruce&amp;qid=1651547599&amp;sprefix=canon+brace%2Caps%2C364&amp;sr=8-1#

I love this ESV Bible! It’s beautiful and provides more context to better connect to the biblical writers of that time period.

ESV Study Bible (Cowhide, Deep Brown) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433521784/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TJTZP4P6WG27HEP4WRXD?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

I would get a MacArthur Study bible 📖. It helped me a ton✔-

Free App-

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.gracetoyou

$20 paper version-

https://www.gty.org/store/bibles/44NAS2P/nas-macarthur-study-bible-second-edition#.Ygrm_67TtNc.link

After using it for over twenty years this is still my go to recommendation.

NASB, MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition, Leathersoft, Black, Comfort Print: Unleashing God's Truth One Verse at a Time https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785230335/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_PZ8TJ6FFSNYRTZGEWWPT

Nothing else comes close in my opinion.

the best thing to do is get a bible that has commentary. Many bibles today have a commentary at the bottom of the page.

For instance, a good starter bible is the life application study bible It is worth the investment and has the potential to transform your life. PM me if you want some more tips. I have struggled with it myself. Some parts are more clear than others.

Overall, the bible is like eating a plate of meat such as fish. Some parts will be fish, other parts will be bone that are hard to digest/undigestible.

Another good book that gives motivation as to why we should read the bible is pleasure and profit in bible study

https://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Profit-Bible-Classic-Reprint/dp/133374868X

https://www.amazon.com/Application-Study-Letter-LeatherLike-Mahogany-dp-1496439473/dp/1496439473/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

If you get stuck, pray about a way to find a way thru it. If you read it from cover to cover like I did at first w/o commentary it will be a confusing book with little practical revelation or insight for today.

However, if you learn to read it with the commentary and think about the lessons, it really becomes a gold mine for wisdom for your daily life today and will greatly strengthen your inner man and you realationship with the Almighty will deepen and become more robust.

I had this set as a kid. Well written and quite lovely illustrations. Haven't read them since I was 10 or so, so I can't really say how theologically correct they are, but they definitely edit out some of the more difficult bits.

I think what you might be looking for is The Story. It is however, not just the first five books but the whole Bible - written to read like a full story.

Maybe this would work? It's really beautiful: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ESV-Illuminated-Bible-Art-Journaling/dp/1433558319/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1TFUY7MTAIL8J&amp;keywords=illuminated+esv+bible&amp;qid=1649868737&amp;sprefix=illuminated+esv%2Caps%2C1018&amp;sr=8-3