Curt Daniel's "Helpful Hints on Reading the Bible" (Part 5)

Today's post is Pastor Daniel's helpful hint #5 on reading the Bible. This one is even more applicable given the plethora of resources available online. You can google for "listen to Bible online" or just purchase one from Amazon (Purchase the NASB mp3 version here: http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bible-American-Standard-Version/dp/1598561200/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I14W39DE806SZE&colid=2RN6ZZ7GICE07). Anyway, here is today's post:

5. LISTEN TO THE BIBLE ON TAPE

"The Bible has been recorded on tape several times so that we can listen to it as well as read it. For example, we can listen to it in the car, while doing light work around the house, etc. You'd be surprised [sic] how much you can listen to at a time. In fact, some can listen to more than they can read. But of course, listening is no substitute for actual reading it yourself. Or maybe you can listen with the ear while reading with the eye. Think of those who cannot read but can listen. Perhaps you can share the Bible on tape with the elderly, the blind, those who do not know how to read, or even children. We should do all we can to distribute God's Word and encourage people to read it. The Bible has been recorded several times in different translations, such as the King James Version, the New International Version, the Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard. Sometimes only the New Testament is available. Some readers are better than others. Alexander Scourby's reading is the oldest and most well known. Some are better, some are worse. Bill Pierce, of "Night Sounds" Christian radio, is probably the best. Gregory Peck recorded a reading but is somewhat flat and dry. There have been parial [sic] readings by Sir Lawrence Olivier and Charlton Heston which are better and quite eloquent, but nothing could compete with a reader who truly believes that which he is reading. Ephrem Zimbalist Jr has also made a recording. Then there are 'dramatized' versions with many readers and actors, sound effects and musical background. Most of these tend to be melodramatic and sensationalist. Also, you may want to record your own reading of the Bible. Lastly, the Bible is available in Spanish, French, German and other languages on tape. These can be used to study another language or to give to a person who speaks another language."

Curt Daniel's "Helpful Hints on Reading the Bible" (Part 4)

Happy Lord's Day! Here is Curt Daniel's helpful hint #4 on reading the Bible:

4. USE DIFFERENT TRANSLATION

"While it can be confusing to some systems of Scripture memory, it can be a great help to Bible study to read the Bible from different translations. Some Christians read a different translation through each year. Or, compare them on the passage you're studying. Sometimes we get too comfortable with a certain translation, especially the King James. Thus, we fail to get the meaning because we only know the words. Another reputable translation can say the same thing in slightly different language, and so open it up to you in a brand new way. There have been over 100 translations of the Bible into English. Over 25 are still in print. Some are even printed side-by-side in "Parallel Bibles". It is best to use the more dependable ones, such as the King James Version, the New King James Version, the American Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version, the Revised Standard Version, and so on. Paraphrases such as the Living Bible or the Good News Bible can be useful as commentaries but frequently do more harm than good. The J.B. Phillips version is a better paraphrase. Then there is the Amplified Bible and Wuest's Expanded Version of the New Testament, which is especially useful with the tenses of the verbs. A good translation can be like a dictionary. Compare several translations and observe how they render a certain word differently. They are also like compact commentaries. Incidentally, you may also want to read the Bible in a second language you know, like Spanish or German. This helps you with that language and can help you learn the Bible. Some publishers publish Bibles with English and another language in parallel columns."

Curt Daniel's "Helpful Hints on Reading the Bible" (Part 3)

Here is Dr. Daniel's helpful hint #3 on reading the Bible (Note: no one is bound to read the whole Bible every year, so there is no need to feel unnecessary guilt if one does not. It is a practical and sensible goal, however):

3. READ THE WHOLE BIBLE EVERY YEAR

"Have you ever read through the entire Bible? You may be a new Christian or an older one, but it is good for all of us to read all of the Bible. Martin Luther read the whole Bible twice a year, and Arthur W. Pink did it three times a year. At the end of his life, George Mueller acknowledged that he had read the Bible 100 times. It is one of the few books that gets better and better each time we read it. Some new converts immerse themselves into the Bible immediately. It is not at all unusual for a new Christian to read the entire Bible once or twice even in the first 6 months of his Christian life. Unfortunately, later on we slack off. Instead of that insatiable hunger, we settle for a few tiny snacks from time to time, usually from our favourite portions. But reading the whole Bible once is not enough. We need to live off of it. Nor should we settle for snippets, such as the "Verse of the Day" daily devotionals. At that rate we wouldn't finish the Bible in an entire lifetime! Moreover, if we ate as little physical food as we do spiritual food, we'd die of malnutrition. So, we need to read it all, and do it daily. That means that just a little over 3 chapters a day would complete the entire Bible in a year. It is best to read a certain amount every day rather than read an accumulated portion once a week. Consecutive annual Bible reading is helpful and important. It keeps us balanced, else we stay in our favourite passages (which are usually the "nice" portions which comfort but do not challenge or convict us). Reading the whole Bible keeps us balanced. Also, remember that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16). Have you ever been reading a relatively obscure part of the Bible, and had a verse jump out and grab you? It arrests your attention, tells you something you never knew but now are glad that you read it. It may strike conviction, reveal something unknown about God, or bring a new promise. There are charts available. Some have 2 from the Old and I from the New for every day. Others divide Scripture up chronologically. Probably the simplest way is simply to go straight through from Genesis to Revelation."

Curt Daniel's "Helpful Hints on Reading the Bible" (Part 2)

Here is Pastor Curt Daniel's helpful hint #2 on reading the Bible. I have found that applying this method both reflectively and in a moderate pace helps with both content retainment and focus. Well, here it is::

2. READ THE BIBLE ALOUD

"Most of us read the Bible silently, but reading it aloud can be of immense help in Bible study and memorization. Try it sometime. Actually, did you know that in the early Church most Christians could not read the Bible? They had to listen to it in the Church meeting or in private. Moreover, they did not have their own copies. Some Christians can really read Scripture aloud in an excellent way. We all have heard preachers who could open up a passage to us simply by the way he read it before the sermon (in some cases, the reading is better than the sermon!). In fact, some Christians have a ministry of vocal Scripture reading. They are invited to churches to do nothing else than read Scripture interpretatively. Some are superb. Other Christians read the Bible aloud as another form of ministry, this one a private one. They read the Bible to the blind, the elderly, the illiterate, the bedridden, even to children. They really appreciate it. Have you ever read a Psalm to a friend in a hospital bed? Have you ever had someone read you a passage when you were too filled with grief to read it yourself? To get started, use a Bible with large print, if possible. Some have giant print. It is usually best to stand while reading aloud in order for your lungs to be better positioned. Also, try not to read aloud on a full stomach. Don't worry if anyone hears you; start by reading it aloud all by yourself. Or husbands and wives may read together. What really helps is reading Scripture "interpretatively", or according to the mood and meaning of the passage. This is like acting it out, but better to be dramatic than melodramatic. Don't overdo it, but neither should you read in a monotone. Vary your speed and volume. Change voices in dialogues. Imagine how the writer or original speaker would have spoken it. Pause and emphasis are especially useful. Check out Luke 4:16-22."

Curt Daniel's "Helpful Hints on Reading the Bible" (Part 1)

Curt Daniel is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Springfield, Ill., and a graduate of Central Bible College (B.A.), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and University of Edinburgh (Ph.D.). He is the author of The History and Theology of Calvinism (Purchase it here: http://faithbibleonline.net/histheo.htm), a book that has helped me grasp and love the Reformed doctrines of grace. What I appreciate most about him is that he has a "leave no stone unturned" approach to Scripture and "follow the Reformers in as much as they followed God, and follow the scriptures whenever they depart from scriptures" approach to teaching.

Here is Daniel's helpful hint #1 on reading the Bible:

1. MEMORIZE THE BIBLE

"Have you ever known someone who really can quote Scripture from memory? The ancient rabbis were required to memorize huge sections of the Old Testament. The writers of the New Testament give every indication of knowing much Scripture from memory. And doubtlessly the Lord Jesus knew a lot of the Bible by heart. Jack Van Impe, a Baptist evangelist, has memorized about half of the Bible by topics. Ask for a topic and he can recite hundreds of verses. They call him the "Walking Bible" (maybe "Walking Concordance" would be better!). Then there is Jerry Lucas, former basketball great, who had a photographic memory. He once memorized the first 200 pages of the New York City telephone directory. He applied his principles to Bible memory, wrote a couple of books on the subject, and is well into memorizing the Bible. Perhaps the day will come one day when someone will actually memorize the entire Bible word for word. One report says Hyman Appelman did just that. A few years ago, an English actor memorized the Gospel of Mark and recited it verbatim for about 2 hours to soldout theater crowds for over a year. He used no props other than a table, no costumes or other actors, and he wasn't even a Christian. The Guiness book of Records says that a Moslem memorized 6,666 verses of the Koran. Why is it that we have so much trouble remembering Scripture? Too often we can remember worldly songs, dirty jokes or useless trivia better than God's Word. One reason is that it is a matter of priorities. We need to give our minds to God and pray that He help us know more Scripture. How much Scripture do you know by heart? Have you ever tested yourself? If you learned a verse a day, you would know 365 verses at the end of a year, and over 1,000 in 3 years. Now, this is not to measure one's spirituality by how many verses he knows. One may know much and grow little. Even non-Christians may know much of the Bible. On the other hand, you will not find a truly mature Christian who does not know much Scripture. It can be one of the most beneficial of all enterprises. Memorizing Scripture has many uses. For example, it is useful to be able to quote the right verse when speaking with an unbeliever about Christ. It is very useful when defending the faith against cults and critics. Knowing Scripture is important to prayer as you remember God's promises. Scripture memory is also useful in solving problems or giving advice, especially in emergencies. And it is especially beneficial in resisting temptation. Jesus quoted Scripture to the Devil when He was tempted (Matt. 4). He had no bag of scrolls with Him, so He must have quoted from memory. "Thy Word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against Thee" (Psa. 119:11). If you were imprisoned for your faith and had no Bible, how much of it could you remember? That happens in the world today. Persecution increases both the love and the memorization of Scripture. A visiting American preacher asked some believers in Czechoslovakia to recite their favourite verses, to which they replied, "Do you mean our favourite verses or chapters?" Do you know bits and pieces or whole chunks? In the book Farenheit 451, all books were being destroyed, so a group of people decided to memorize the great books ("Hi, I'm Great Expectations."). Would you be prepared to memorize the Bible? ("Hi, I'm The Bible.") Groups such as the Navigators give special emphasis to Scripture memory, and have produced some excellent materials that help learn God's Word. Here are a few brief principles and tips that will help. First, it is best to stick with one translation, preferably the one you use the most in personal Bible study. It is also most useful to use the more well-known and dependable ones. Since hearing Scripture will help, it is best to use ones in the King James Version tradition since the wording is so familiar. This includes the New King James Version, the American Standard Version, the Revised Standard Version, and the New American Standard Bible. Their wording and cadences are very similar, unlike the NIV, etc. Next, decide whether you want to memorize whole books or sections of the Bible at a time, or whether you prefer selected verses or topics. For example, you may want to memorize Ephesians. If choosing a book, start small, like one of the epistles. Learning a whole book can help because you catch the flow and context. Or, you can memorize selected verses. This is especially useful for evangelism. You might prepare by first reading the whole Bible, marking those verses which you plan to commit to memory. Then go back and write them out on cards. The Navigators emphasize the use of cards. Carry some with you and use them when you get spare moments. Also, write these verses over and over again. Repetition is a key to memorization (remember when you had to write something 100 times on a school blackboard?). Further, it helps to have that book on a cassette tape to listen to over and over. You may even want to record your own, especially if you choose selections. By the way, it is usually a good idea to also memorize the book, chapter and verse reference. Test yourself to see how much you have learned. You can do this aloud, in writing, with a friend, or whatever. Reading Scripture aloud is one of the best ways to memorize it. Lastly, pray for God to burn Scripture into your heart and memory. In the end, whether you use a certain system or not, the best way to learn Scripture is to love it and spend time in it. We always remember that which is most important to us."=

In Light of Resurrection Sunday

The Apostle Paul on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:12-20, NASB):

"Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."

The great reformer John Calvin on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.13):

"Without this what we have said so far would be incomplete. For since only weakness appears in the cross, death, and burial of Christ, faith must leap over all these things to attain its full strength. We have in his death the complete fulfillment of salvation, for through it we are reconciled to God, his righteous judgment is satisfied, the curse is removed, and the penalty paid in full. Nevertheless, we are said to “have been born anew to a living hope” not through his death but “through his resurrection” [I Peter 1:3p.]. For as he, in rising again, came forth victor over death, so the victory of our faith over death lies in his resurrection alone. Paul’s words better express its nature: “He was put to death for our sins, and raised for our justification” [Rom. 4:25]. This is as if he had said: “Sin was taken away by his death; righteousness was revived and restored by his resurrection.” For how could he by dying have freed us from death if he had himself succumbed to death? How could he have acquired victory for us if he had failed in the struggle?"

New Blog!

Hello to all! This is my new blog. Enjoy!