jesuswordsonly/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book/269-ch5-how-not-to-study-the-bible.html

500 lines
24 KiB
HTML
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book/269-ch5-how-not-to-study-the-bible.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul, False Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="title" content="Ch.5 - How Not To Study The Bible" />
<meta name="author" content="coilone" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<meta name="generator" content="Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Management" />
<title>Ch.5 - How Not To Study The Bible</title>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
</head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: left;">"Paul [cannot be] both claimant and witness [for himself]." Tertullian<em>, Against Marcion </em>207 A.D<em>. <br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild active"><a href="/books.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/books/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/jesuswordsonly/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/books/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/jesuswordssalvation/jesus-word-on-salvation-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus/download-e-book.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus/background-material-did-calvin-murder-servetus.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus/purchase-from-amazoncom.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild active"><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/books/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/books/flawsofyoungearthscience/download-e-book.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/books/unintended-disservice.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/books/original-gospel-of-matthew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/media.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/reviews.html" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/reviews/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/reviews/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/topicindex.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li><li><a href="/aboutauthor.html"><span>About Author</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="index.php" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="15" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8636" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8636") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book/401-music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20?node=1&amp;page=2">What Did Jesus Say?</a> (2012) - 7 topics&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p>None above affiliated with me</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/books/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/books/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/books/didcalvinmurderservetus/download-e-book.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> <a href="/books.html" class="pathway">Books</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> <a href="/books/hownottosudythebible.html" class="pathway">How Not to Study the Bible</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Download e-Book</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h1>Chapter 5 --- Not By Piecemeal</h1>
<h2><strong>Simply Read The Bible Start to Finish</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">If you look on the Internet, typically you are given a wide selection of methods to study the Bible. There is the chapter study method, the biographical method, the topical method, the book background method, the book synthesis&nbsp;method, etc. (For an example, see this <a href="http://1. http//www.eachnewday.com/HowToStudyTheBible/ the_Bible_study_methods.htm">link</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">These are all methodologies built upon <strong><em>piecemeal analysis</em></strong>. It may have a place later. But for those wondering how to <strong><em>start to study </em></strong>the Bible, this is clearly the wrong starting point. It even causes you to overlook the greatest proofs of the Bibles inspiration, as explained below.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately, few, if any, how to authors ever insist strongly that you should study the Bible by initially <strong><em>reading it cover-to-cover</em></strong>. How would you read any other book? From sections at the end of the book? Or in the middle? If you would not do so with other books, why would you choose to do topical studies of the Bible that cut up snippets from disjointed topic-relevant verses? Or begin in the middle or at the end? If piecemeal analysis fails studying any other book, why would you ever think it will work here as a starting point for analysis of the Bible?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Learn from some secular wisdom (common sense) in this respect. When you wish to grasp any book of some complexity, what you do at minimum is<em><strong> skim from start to finish</strong></em> before going back over it with more care. Esther Lombardi explains in “<a href="http://classiclit.about.com/od/foryourreading/ht/aa_difficultboo.htm">How To Read a Difficult Book</a>,” at About.com:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Dont let the book discourage you. <strong><em>Read the entire book</em></strong>, so youll get a sense of what the book is about: who the characters are, what is&nbsp;happening, what some of the themes or contexts may be, etc. This technique is sometimes called <strong><em>skimming,</em></strong> but make sure you read as much as possible. The idea is to <strong><em>get a sense of what the book is about </em></strong>and what the author is trying to accomplish with the work; so when you <em><strong>go back and re-read the material</strong></em>, it&nbsp;wont be as difficult.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This is a skill I use as a lawyer too. Anytime I read a legal opinion of any difficulty, I skim it first quickly from start to finish. Then I bore in on difficult holdings and statements. I go back and re-read, making sure of the context, until I have a complete grasp of the legal holdings that I wish to cite in my clients case.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But if I start and take a quote out-of-context, I am liable to err. I have done that, and been burned. I have learned by experience that you never can do that. You cant study a decision in piece-meal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For the same reason, piecemeal methods of study are an improper grounding method to study the Bible.</span></p>
<h2>A Spiritual Benefit From A Full Overview First</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, let me share one spiritual benefit of this excercise of reading the entire Bible first. One of the <em><strong>amazing proofs of the Bibles validity as Gods word</strong></em> is that from the beginning all the way to Jesus, it sounds like it comes from<em><strong> one voice even though there are dozens of independent authors</strong></em>. The Torah, Prophets and Jesus words all weave together in a <em><strong>logical well-fitted tapestry.</strong></em> How could this be unless there was a divine origin? Thus, if you study the Bible piecemeal, you lose out on its greatest proof of its validity as Gods word.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, the flaw of the piecemeal approach is that it asks you to assume this is Gods word without any effort to convince you rationally that it indeed is Gods word. A cover-to-cover start is the best way to convince the rational mind that here indeed is the word of God.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But why then does the piecemeal approach dominate?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Perhaps because the ones teaching you down deep only have<strong><em> a faith</em></strong> it is Gods word, but<strong><em> do not truly believe</em></strong> it is Gods word. Many of those in the Christian church who teach think there is a way of accepting something as true — which they call <em><strong>faith</strong></em> — but which at the same time they freely admit the mind cannot give rational assent. They, however, have a flawed understanding of faith that the Bible intends to bring about.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The entire premise of God revealing Himself through <strong><em>written words</em></strong> is an<strong><em> appeal to reason</em></strong>. By giving us an amazing text whose validity as Gods word can be <strong><em>rationally proven</em></strong>, just like examining the stars reveals a (miraculous) origination point which science calls the Big Bang, the study of the Bible contains its own proof of a divine origin. Hence, if in the Bible we find truly Gods word, as I most sincerely believe is present, then we must allow God to convince us by reading His book in the order He revealed it. Indeed, that is its best proof for its divine origin: its cohesiveness despite the many different human contributors.</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 1164404<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>