On Biblegateway I can look up a scripture on more than 20 translations. I still read but I try to avoid the NWT except when I do the WT Review.
Blondie
Does Anybody Read The Bible Here Anymore???
by minimus 37 Replies latest jw friends
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DJK
Looked up two scriptures recently. That's all in 33 years since I left the org.
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Terry
I use to read my way through the bible twice a year! Oh God: DEUTERONOMY!!!
But, not any more.
My favorite translation is THE MESSEGE. It gives me goose bumps it is so beautifully expressed. I get the tingles!
Just read the 23rd Psalm and you'll see how instantly refreshing it becomes and how it articulates wonderfully the essential mindset of a person talking rather than a committee of royal experts crafting pseudo-Shakespeare.
Psalm 23 (The Message)
Psalm 23
A David Psalm
1-3 God , my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.Translation taken from The Message
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blondie
Terry, The Message is my favorite too.
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TheCoolerKing
Ironically, yes, I've been reading it alot lately, but for research purposes. I hadn't picked up a Bible in years till recently. I'm also reading the "God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins mentions parts of the Bible that people use as proof of God's existence. I've been reading the four gospels about Jesus.
It's funny, but did any of us actually read the Bible when we were witnesses? I seem to recall that the primary function of the Bible was to look up a scripture that appeared in the Watchtower or one of the WTS books. But rarely did we ever read the surrounding context of the scriptures. I seem to recall that the Society instructed us not to read just the Bible, because we wouldn't understand it.
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jgnat
I do, but I'm picky. Wild horses can't drag me back to Leviticus. I use online search engines most, like www.blueletterbible.org and http://www.biblegateway.com/ to help find the scriptures I remember. For searching, funny, I remember antique words from the KJV best, other times, the NIV translation. These days, to get fresh understanding, I've been favoring RSV and the Jewish interpretation. For example,
http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Gen&chapter=3&verse=3&version=KJV#3
Various ways of interpreting the bible:
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Hortensia
I have been out of the org. a long time, but I remember the society calculated how many chapters a day you would have to read to finish the bible in a year. I tried, did read it all the way through, I seem to remember trying more than once, but it was sooooooo boring, just another reason for guilt - couldn't stand to keep reading it.
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Arthur
Yes, I have a few translations and I have even kept my NWT Reference Bible. Despite the NWT's flaws, the reference Bible is still a valuable resource for cross-referencing verses and for it's large index in the back.
My favorite Bible book is Paul's Letter to the Galatians. I love his blunt rebuke of the Judaizers, his warnings about new gospels, and his admonishion not to become slaves of men.
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minimus
I liked the Letter of James. Franz' commentary was excellent.
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Purza
Nope. I might have a NWT in the garage somewhere. We have a bible somewhere around here that was from my husband's first marriage. The only time I might pick it up is to confirm a Jeopardy question. LOL
Purza