It took
seven and a half years,
a chapter a day,
five days a week,
but I finally finished
reading the Bible.
My review:
keep most of the
red letters
where Jesus spoke,
interpret those
red letters
with the same
breadth and imagination
as an avant garde
filmmaker,
red-line everything else,
except Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes,
and James.
Ignore the Book of Revelation.
Got it Mosk, and I also ignore that part as it muddles up a lot of this-is-the-end-of-the-world scenario ~ Thanks for the review ~
ReplyDeleteJust trying to help. Thanks.
DeleteThere is a lot of wisdom to be found in the Bible; but I agree about Revelations.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight.
DeleteThe bible is so full of contradictions.. I guess we have the freedom to adopt it to what we might want.
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Everyone else does. Thanks.
DeleteThere are just not enough objective reviews of the Bible! Studying James at the moment...
ReplyDeleteThanks, and good luck on your study.
DeleteHah, an accurate review! :) I can't believe you had the stamina to make it through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, yes I had a reading partner and we forced each other to finish!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePeople often scoff..
ReplyDeletemore often totally
ignore me.. hehe..
when i tale
them i
write 13.6
bibles in
the length
of 57 months..
but yes..
online is
forever in
servers..
and i for
one can
prove
all
11
million
words
hehe..
and sure i am
inspired.. by
100's of thousands
of people.. who
knows perhaps
144K or so..
but never
the less
IT is
what
IT
is..
wInks..
perhaps
i am A
REAL BOOK
OF Eli..
hmm..
just
hmm..
(:movie
reference;)
always great
to ride a
GREAtESt
Meme..
and besides
the real man
Jesus before
Constantine promotes
him into a Sun GOD to
suit the Mithra religion
in his area at the time
already states
as clearLY AS THIS..
in new testament
ink sTILL that FolkS
will come to do much
greater than he does..
awe the green
monster
rises
his ugly
head when
words
of
Jesus
come true..
somethings
rarely change
he HE..
but
yes..
THEY
ALWAYS
DO..;)
Thanks. What's your take on the Revelation?
DeleteI'm amazed that you actually read it all too. Thanks for the review. I guess that's the least you could do if you really wanted to write a comprehensive review of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I really wanted to either give it a thumbs up or thumbs down, but even I couldn't do that.
DeleteWhat a spectacular review - i hear you ;) and if i could have figured out how to red line that i would have!
ReplyDeleteThanks - read on!
DeleteI am reading the Bible and studying it with my son. We are in Ezekiel and starting Matthew at the same time. I haven't read Revelation all the way through yet. But I enjoyed the prophets, as hard as they have been. There is a great deal of continuity
ReplyDeleteAmazing there is such continuity for a book that has a multitude of authors. Or is it that as believers, we are looking for this continuity? Either way, thanks and enjoy Matthew 25:40 as it is one of my favorite verses.
DeleteRight on as usual. Revelations is open to so much interpretation. I prefer to read the words that Jesus himself said.
ReplyDeleteThanks KooKoo - and while Revelation (single, not plural) is open to interpretation, the Jesus Seminar (a body of biblical scholars) calls some of what we know as Jesus' words into question as well. Look it up! Love ya!
DeleteGreat thoughts and delightful to read. Greetings!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThe Bible is a great book of tales and poetry with a few good suggestions for living in a community, do's and don'ts, quests, battles, martyrdom. Well worth a read but don't take it as gospel.
ReplyDelete;-)
I agree with your review as well. I have the most difficult time with fundamentalists who want to read it literally.
DeleteAn excellent review! (I tend to pick out the good bits as truth...)
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
We all cherry-pick the Bible... atheists do it the most. Thanks.
DeleteIt certainly isn't meant to be read the same way for each "book". Different reasons for writing each one, different audiences, different messages. And IMO, to truly understand the bible, a vast background of "education" needs to be a foundation. BUT there are two ways to read the bible - one as a scholar - and one with an open heart for one's own personal seeking. I like that you "grabbed a partner" and encouraged each other. Well done and enjoyed the poem.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree - so I think it's problematic when we are told to "read our Bibles" for anything other than devotionals. Even then, I'm a postmodern reader reading something "written" (ahem) for a pre-scientific audience, hence my advice to freely interpret. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
Delete...and did you know Thomas Jefferson "cut and pasted" his own bible? http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-thomas-jefferson-created-his-own-bible-5659505/
ReplyDelete... well, don't we all make a bible mixtape of our favorite parts? Mines include The Prodigal Son, the Woman Caught in Adultery and Solomon's pithy couplets. Thx!
DeleteHa! Definitely ignore that one, yes. In fact I think it is all excellent advice – only I would also keep Psalms and Song of Solomon. And I would specify the King James version, as the most poetic language.
ReplyDeleteIt's poetic in that most of the times, I can't understand it. Thanks.Mosk
Delete