A different concept....

[Willie T]

I know this bolded part will border upon Satanic heresy for some of you. But, that is a "given", considering the group we have here. So, as I usually do, I will ignore such a faction and address this to those of you I have come to respect as thinkers.

An interesting and often rewarding approach to the study of the Bible is to take a smaller book, like Ephesians or 1 John, and read it through each day for a month. More than any single effort, this will put the structure of the book into your mind. Read it without trying to fit it into established categories. Expect to hear new things in new ways. Keep a journal of your findings. In the course of these studies you will obviously want to make use of the best secondary aids available.

Anyone ever done anything like this?

 

[Triumph1300]

Good idea, Willie.
Been trying.
Can't do it every day, but most days!

 

[lforrest]

You mean like abandoning any presuppositions?

 

[Willie T]

You mean like abandoning any presuppositions?

You got it. A few need to be held, but I think many of us have three suitcases full of them.

 

[Willie T]

I know a lot of people may consider it blasphemous to ask yourself if a portion of Scripture (or even an entire chapter or book) may actually say something other that that which we have been taught, but I kind of think it is a bit foolish NOT to do that.

 

[Episkopos]

I know a lot of people may consider it blasphemous to ask yourself if a portion of Scripture (or even an entire chapter or book) may actually say something other that that which we have been taught, but I kind of think it is a bit foolish NOT to do that.

Including a concordance or interlinear to get at the obscure word structures that aren't always clear.

 

[Willie T]

Including a concordance or interlinear to get at the obscure word structures that aren't always clear.

True..... but even there, I would advise caution due to the reasoning that "context" seems to have such a powerful influence on the explicit meanings of both Hebrew and Greek words.
To see this in English, just look up the word "run" in a large, unabridged dictionary.

 

[Butterfly]

I haven't done it with Ephesians, but I have done it with psalms, taking one word from a sentence each day and considering what it is saying. Psalm 23 was really inspiring.
Never thought about reading one book over a month, hmmm, may try it with Ephesians X
Rita

 

[Willie T]

I haven't done it with Ephesians, but I have done it with psalms, taking one word from a sentence each day and considering what it is saying. Psalm 23 was really inspiring.
Never thought about reading one book over a month, hmmm, may try it with Ephesians X
Rita

I think that was one book, thirty times in a month. But, even one page is good.

 

[Helen]

You mean like abandoning any presuppositions?

That word abandoning we can say so quickly and easily...but my goodness...grooves have been worn in my belief system which cause me to think down 'that path' . Trying to read the scripture 'as if ' I have never read it before is such a discipline ..really..
Trying to come at it as 'fresh' is hard work...but like Willie says...can be very rewarding.

I think I will only be able to read Ephesians one line at a time.
It may take me three months lol

Thanks @Willie T Good thread....we need such challenges.

 

[Helen]

Including a concordance or interlinear to get at the obscure word structures that aren't always clear.

Ive given up on even trying to read anything other than the AKJV because when I do read something else, my mind flips it over into AKJV speak...so I am looking at the page...yet still 'reading' the AKJV!!!

 

[Willie T]

We often hear the statement, "It's right there in the Bible... READ IT FOR YOURSELF." Yet, if a person does "read it for themselves", and sees something other than what our traditional teaching has taught us, we just might savagely rip their leg off over that.

 

[Helen]

Yes @Willie T I do need this...and I will give it my best shot...looking forward to it. It is His Spirit which gives us the insight.

Bless you....H

 

[Willie T]

Ive given up on even trying to read anything other than the AKJV because when I do read something else, my mind flips it over into AKJV speak...so I am looking at the page...yet still 'reading' the AKJV!!!

And the world of compliments to you for recognizing that.

 

[lforrest]

How about a group bible study with no presuppositions. The rule for any discussion would be no outside references. You can only quote from what was already stated in the Bible study. Even quoting scriptures would be forbidden if it wasn't done yet in the study.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I know this bolded part will border upon Satanic heresy for some of you. But, that is a "given", considering the group we have here. So, as I usually do, I will ignore such a faction and address this to those of you I have come to respect as thinkers.

An interesting and often rewarding approach to the study of the Bible is to take a smaller book, like Ephesians or 1 John, and read it through each day for a month. More than any single effort, this will put the structure of the book into your mind. Read it without trying to fit it into established categories. Expect to hear new things in new ways. Keep a journal of your findings. In the course of these studies you will obviously want to make use of the best secondary aids available.

Anyone ever done anything like this?

I absolutely like this idea. Even taking individual Chapters of a book at a time this way might be helpful. I was just explaining to my wife yesterday how badly people don't understand Isaiah 58 yet tend to quote one passage of it to one another all the time (Isaiah 58:6-8) as if they know the meaning when they don't know the rest of the verses that surround it. Internal context is the primary means to accurate interpretation. Secondary to this is external context (such as statements made in other books, epistles, etc), but INTERNAL context should always take priority in interpreting anything.

 

[Willie T]

How about a group bible study with no presuppositions. The rule for any discussion would be no outside references. You can only quote from what was already stated in the Bible study. Even quoting scriptures would be forbidden if it wasn't done yet in the study.

Well, to be frank, I am not that smart. Almost EVERYTHING I know (or "think" I know) first usually came from someone else seeing something I missed.

 

[Helen]

How about a group bible study with no presuppositions. The rule for any discussion would be no outside references. You can only quote from what was already stated in the Bible study. Even quoting scriptures would be forbidden if it wasn't done yet in the study.

Now THAT would indeed be an interesting study indeed.
And also require breaking old habits!!

 

[Helen]

Well, to be frank, I am not that smart. Almost EVERYTHING I know (or "think" I know) first usually came from someone else seeing something I missed.

But that goes for every single one of us...
...anything any of us Knows..or thinks we know...has come via a friend, or a preacher, or a book...which then causes " the babe to leap within us" as our own inner-witness says " Amen".

 

[Willie T]

Have you noticed that we are at 20 posts in this thread, and everyone is still calmly behaving like a __________ ? …….. (I had a word in mind, but you fill in your own.)