How to Read the Bible – A Three Step Plan (written for Catholics - valid for all)

taylormarshall.com ^ | September 30, 2013 | Dr. Taylor Marshall

[NYer]

How do you read the Bible? Today is the feast day of Saint Jerome, who once quipped, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – Saint Jerome

It’s a running joke that if you want to find a Bible verse, you ought to ask a Protestant and not a Catholic. Protestants read the Bible. Catholics not so much.

This raises the question:

Why Don’t More Catholics Read the Bible?

I think the answer lies in the fact that we Catholics go to Mass. The Holy Mass has at least two Bible readings every time. If you pray the Breviary or Liturgy of Hours, multiply that several times.

Joe Catholic says to himself, “Why should I study the Bible? I go to Mass. I hear it there. Check and check.”

There is something beautiful in this. For Catholics, Bible reading is liturgical. Hence, Bible reading remains chiefly a community experience.

Three Step Plan to Kick It Up a Notch

It’s good to listen to the readings from the Bible at Holy Mass. However, we also need a personal (even private) encounter with God in the pages of Sacred Scripture. All of the saints breathed Sacred Scripture. Scripture served as the grammar for their souls. They couldn’t communicate without it.

Here are some basic spiritual needs that you have every single day of your life:

1. Praise – Voicing your delight in God and His provision for your life. Gratitude destroys discouragement.
2. Wisdom – You need practical advice to navigate the complexities of life.
3. Challenge – You need to be lifted higher. You need to grow in your faith. You need to be inspired. You must be an intentional Christian.

So when you wake up tomorrow, do the following:

1. Read a Psalm. Start with Psalm 1. Make it your anthem of praise for that day.
2. Read at least one Proverb. Proverbs are the wisdom morsels of your day. There are 31 chapters. Why not read one chapter every day during the month. Oct 1 is Provers 1. October 31 is Proverbs 31. You get the idea.
3. Read a chapter of the one of the Gospels. This is your challenge. Your Savior challenges you in the four Gospels. He calls you to be not merely a nominal Catholic but a disciple. You cannot seriously read the Gospels and stay lukewarm. Christ speaks in a way that cannot be ignored.

“But I’m so busy. I don’t have the time!”

What? You’re too busy. Sorry, you just got served a yellow card:

That’s a yellow card. You’ve been warned…

Doing these three readings will take you only 3-5 minutes. That’s the time of a commercial break. It will change your life for good. I promise. It takes 21 days to make a habit, so give it 21 days and see if you aren’t hooked. Put the Bible on your night stand and read it in the mornings. Start fresh.

“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – Saint Jerome, Doctor of the Church

[CynicalBear]

And then as we have seen it’s not really the text of scripture but most often just a list of the Book, chapter, and verse with text made up by the RCC.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

placemarker to encourage everyone to read the Scriptures.

[CynicalBear]

Nice rant and attempt at obfuscation but it doesn’t work with Holy Spirit filled believers.

>> Are we to understand that Christ had just commanded his disciples to eat his flesh, then said their doing so would be pointless?<<

Not sure why you bring that in other than the afore mentioned obfuscation. Jesus words about the flesh propheteth nothing comes at the end of the conversation about “eating His flesh” and was His explanation that He wasn’t talking about the carnal flesh which was to be eaten. He said His words were spirit and that it was the spiritual words which were to be eaten just as in other parts of scripture we are told to “eat the word”. So run your rant of obfuscation by someone who may fall for it. Holy Spirit filled believers will not.

[verga]

You didn’t answer the question: WHERE does it say you must be born again? Are you admitting the Bible doesn’t say that?

[CynicalBear]

>> Thank you for confirming that the Catholic understanding is spot on and admitting your error.<<

If you thought that was “confirming” then I will leave you to your delusion. Have a great day.

[verga]

Jesus to Nicodemus...ya know that passage.Seen the passage never saw it saying "born again." Are you sure it says that?

[verga]

If you thought that was “confirming” then I will leave you to your delusion. Have a great day.

Where is it that you studied Greek again? You see in the definition YOU posted My definition was the PRIMARY definition, yours was a secondary definition in use much later.

[CynicalBear]

>>Where does it say you need to be born again?<<

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (font color=blue>anóthen).

anóthen
Short Definition: from above, from the beginning, again
Definition: (a) from above, from heaven, (b) from the beginning, from their origin (source), from of old, (c) again, anew.
[http://biblesuite.com/strongs/greek/509.htm]

Then there is the response to these words of Jesus that indicate the listener clearly understood the words to mean again or anew.

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

[editor-surveyor]

Until you learn to read the entire context, you will trip yourself up on such irrelevent evidence of poor translation.

The full thought is present in John 6 if you read it all, otherwise the misunderstandings of a translator lacking in knowledge of the cultural vernacular of the Jews will lead you into confusion as you seize on a single verse that fits your twisted theology.

[CynicalBear]

>>You see in the definition YOU posted My definition was the PRIMARY definition, yours was a secondary definition in use much later.<<

Of course you did verga. Don’t pay any attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit used that word to refer to the Holy Scriptures that Paul commended the Bereans for studying or the other times the Holy Spirit used the same word to clearly indicate Holy Scripture. If Catholics say it doesn’t they surely must trump what the Holy Spirit had them write. Correct?

[jodyel]

Perhaps if you spent more time actually praying about it and less time in trying to find Gotchas, the Spirit might be able to come in. As long as all you want is to defend the Catholic religion, you are already defeated.

However, if you ever truly desire to know truth, there is hope. You are not yet born again of the Spirit. This is what is lacking...spiritual things must be discerned with the Spirit of God living in one.

Honestly, verga, we can argue Scripture from now till the cows come home but it is God that opens your eyes. And that may be next week, or next year. It is up to Him to decide when you are ready. Till that time, the rest of us who are born again keep proclaiming the message in the hope all who hear will be born again.

John 3
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”

4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]

[editor-surveyor]

Sure, we can do it at my house or yours. All you need is a loaf of bread, some wine and the recital of the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24-27, as Yeshua did it at the last supper.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Documentation please.” <<

.
Have you ever read Reggie White, or Keith Johnson?

The NFL has a strong core that follows The Way, not catholic/protestant Churchianity.

[editor-surveyor]

They really think we have short memories, don’t they!

[editor-surveyor]

>> “ I am “reborn” at baptism, and “reborn” at the end of every Mass when I partake in the Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” <<

.
Lost!

The Mikva doesn’t bring ‘rebirth,’ it is a symbolic washing of your past sinful life. And there is not a shred of ‘rebirth’ in the symbology of the Lord’s supper.

If you are not already his, baptism and communion are empty observances that can seal your rejection of Yeshua.

[Iscool]

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?

How do you participate in the blood??? Or is that like participating in the plane??? Or participating in the dog???

[editor-surveyor]

>> “They say this means that eating real flesh is a waste. But does this make sense?” <<

.
Spiritually a waste!

There is nothing in any flesh that can save you. It is the Bread of Life that leads to faith, through hearing, and faith to salvation.

[NYer]

They always leave out the part where Jesus explains that He was speaking spiritually and not about the actual carnal flesh.

Which verse are you referring to?

[CynicalBear]

Read the chapter NYer, read the chapter.

[editor-surveyor]

Is John 6:63 not in your Bible?