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]

>>It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.<<

But, alas, Catholics insist that it IS the flesh contrary to Jesus words.

[CynicalBear]

>>I went into my degree studies a protestant,<<

Well, the Protestants are simply the daughters of the RCC aren’t they. I suppose if you’re starting with some error it’s pretty easy to just go with the full error and be done with it.

[Iscool]

No way Newman could have been a Christian?

That's not at all what I said...

[Iscool]

I don’t really think I have ever heard someone call a former Angelical Bishop, then a Roman Catholic Cardinal......not a Christian.

The height of anti-Catholic bigotry on FR boggles the mind.

I did not say he was not a Christian...What I said was because someone is a theologian, a bishop, an elder, a cardinal, a pastor, a priest or even a pope does not automatically make one a Christian...

And further, it takes a personal testimony for ME to acknowledge someone as a Christian...A personal testimony of a person being born again...

[Iscool]

Newman is hated by PROTESTants because he became Catholic.

I don't hate the guy...Don't even dislike him...

I don't know much about him other than he was very confused when it came to Catholic history and Christianity...

[Iscool]

But, alas, Catholics insist that it IS the flesh contrary to Jesus words.

The Catholic version:

It is the flesh that gives life, while the spirit is of no avail.

[CynicalBear]

>>Only in the RCC that exists in your fantasy world.<<

Give me a break Jvette. The Catechism of the RCC clearly states they don’t need to know Christ to be saved.

847 Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

They also claim Muslims will be saved since they do serve the same god as Catholics. Why there are lots who will be saved even though they don’t know Jesus as savior. You can read some of that here. http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News/FriarJack/fj061606.asp CCC references included.

That’s one double minded cult I can tell you.

[CynicalBear]

>>“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ “<<

Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts.

And it was Peter who said that!!!

[CynicalBear]

ROFLOL!!! Hey it wasn’t me who wanted to send you there. I just wanted to watch and wondered if you were up for it. Not sure they’d have a restroom for ya tho. Oh, and you’d have to put the lid down!

[CynicalBear]

>> Maybe there are some muzlims out there that we can get to pray to their moon god for us as well<<

Hey, the Muslims and the Catholics serve the same god. The RCC said so.

# 841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”[330]

[jodyel]

Thanks, CB.

I don’t even bother as they won’t pay attention anyway.

Glad you don’t give up or give in!

[CynicalBear]

>>This gets awfully wearisome going over and over again thread after thread after thread with the disagreement over the "real presence" of Christ in the "Eucharist", doesn't it?<<

What I find stunning is the outright denial of so much of what scripture clearly states. It’s as if those refutations of what the RCC teaches don’t even exist to them. If it doesn’t conform to what the RCC teaches the text is non existent or is explained away regardless if there is other scripture to support the text they want to dismiss. It’s eerie to say the least. It’s sad really.

[CynicalBear]

We were warned about those.

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

[BlueDragon]

That's not at all what I said...<

Yes, I see my mistake now. What you did say was (in part);

That in no way means he was a Christian...Have you got a testimony from him where he trusted in Jesus Christ for his salvation???

Which does leave it open, and falling shy of calling him "not a Christian".

It appears the "bigotry" you were accused of has no real foundation, in regards to what you did say, as you were misunderstood by myself and at least one other.

[Iscool]

Hey, the Muslims and the Catholics serve the same god. The RCC said so.

And I believe them...

[CynicalBear]

>> I don’t really think I have ever heard someone call a former Angelical Bishop, then a Roman Catholic Cardinal......not a Christian.<<

Anyone who does not think it absolutely necessary to know Christ to gain salvation is not by definition a Christian.

847 Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

Given that position stated in the RCC Catechism and believed by those who put their faith and trust in that organization it would be clear that they are not Christian.

[NKP_Vet]

Newman confused? OK, gotcha.

[NKP_Vet]

“Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation”.

You must be Catholic because that’s the Catholic Church’s position.

And the only men who can speak of Christ that actually knew him died some 2,000 years ago. The rest know him by what they found out in that Catholic document known as the Holy Bible. All protestants owe the Catholic Church a world of gratitude for bringing the Word of God to them.

[DungeonMaster]

Catholics hate the bible.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

—— Catholics hate the bible. -——

Where did Luther get his Bible?