Bible Reading

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 Utah Man wrote:

 Epignosis wrote:

Forget English.  Read it in Hebrew and Greek.  It's better that way.

Agree 100%, but how many have the tools, training, skills, & time to do so ?

.

It doesn't take much, really.  More importantly, though, I would stress the context of the Bible (especially the cultural context).

Learning about the socio-cultural context of the Bible has been one of the most rewarding and revealing studying I have ever done.  I fully recommend Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture by David deSilva.  I loaned my copy to a friend, and never got it back.  I plan on repurchasing it.

The author demonstrates that much, if not all, of the jargon of the Bible is not esoteric and mystical, but rather something the common man could understand.

Just to give you a taste, the author describes "grace" (charis) and "faith" (pistis) in terms of patronage.  For instance, if a farmer, whose family depended on the land, had a terrible harvest and ran the risk of starving to death, a wealthy patron might adopt that man as a client, supplying his needs (and perhaps more!).  In return, the client (who could not repay the patron) boasts about the generosity (the grace) of the patron to other people (this relates to evangelism).  

In this way, faith was understood not as blind belief, but as trust based on evidence; the client could have assurance that the patron would supply his needs.  The patron mainained his reputation in the community by continually caring for his clients, as well as acquiring new ones.  

So the Bible describes God as a loving patron and the Christian as a trusting client.  It's an amazing and eye-opening study, and helps guard against misinterpretation.

Poll Question: Ever read the Bible ?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
No, never read any of it at any time.	15	[22.73%]
Yes, but only sections here and there.	31	[46.97%]
Yes, all of it: Genesis to Revelation	17	[25.76%]
Yes, but only the New Testament	2	[3.03%]
Yes, but only the Old Testament	1	[1.52%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted