Anyone interested in doing a bible study? Current book: Joshua

[Rajah]

Where we pick a book (I'm doing Daniel independantly at home right now, just started a couple of days ago), read and discuss it, answer the 5 "W" and an H (who, what, when, where, why, how). And maybe tie in what we can find on the 'net regarding archaeology and resources about the cultures involved in that book, etc.

Any interest?

If there is any interest, which book? I'd suggest something other than the "Law" books (first 5) since they're hard to get through and are probably the most open to debate (ie: Genesis and the Creation story)

Also, THERE IS TO BE NO BASHING OR CRITISIZING OF OTHERS INTERPRETATIONS.

If we can get multiple people involved, we'd need to all stay open minded and recognize that some people find every word in the bible literal truth, and others consider it to be pure fiction, and most of us rest somewhere between those two extremes. Discussion of differences of belief is okay as long as there is no getting into "I'm right, you're wrong" or "how can you possibly believe that?"

What do y'all think? Can it be done?

Any takers?

 

[WDWMom]

I'm in. Your ideas sound great. I have no idea where to start though.

 

[serenity1991]

I would be interested if you had the books of the TORAH in the discussion....I LOVE those books....all I've "truly" studied over the last year. Gotta be careful with the word "law" so many mis-interpret it....but I guess that was your point.

IMHO...the only book "hard" to get through for me anyway was Numbers...however the other 4...LOVED THEM...especially Genesis and Leviticus!

HEY...it's YOUR study, let me know what you decide!

Serenity!

 

[Rajah]

Cool! Yay!

Well, first question: Old testament, or New?

 

[Rajah]

Serenity -- that's what I meant The first 5 books are sometimes also referred to as the "law".

And another part of the reason I'm interested in jumping over those is because that's where most people start, so I'd think more people are familiar with the first 5 books than with the rest of the OT (I'll use that abbreviation from now on for Old Testament, and NT for New Testament). For example, how many of us have actually studied the book of Ruth? I know I haven't. I haven't ever gotten past Exodus in my studies of the OT.

 

[live4christp1]

Sign me up - I think Daniel would be an excellent study, or maybe The life of David, but that covers many books. Another interesting but overlooked book is Hosea. Really it doesn't matter to me, someone pick a book.

 

[serenity1991]

Serenity -- that's what I meant The first 5 books are sometimes also referred to as the "law".

And another part of the reason I'm interested in jumping over those is because that's where most people start, so I'd think more people are familiar with the first 5 books than with the rest of the OT (I'll use that abbreviation from now on for Old Testament, and NT for New Testament). For example, how many of us have actually studied the book of Ruth? I know I haven't. I haven't ever gotten past Exodus in my studies of the OT.

OKAY! OKAY!

I have a "good" feeling about this! Let's do it! I vote OT first. Rajah, I have an interesting fact for you....have you ever seen The Matrix? Answer that first then I let you know about a bible scripture that "appeared" in the movie! It was AWESOME!

 

[Rajah]

OKAY! OKAY!

I have a "good" feeling about this! Let's do it! I vote OT first. Rajah, I have an interesting fact for you....have you ever seen The Matrix? Answer that first then I let you know about a bible scripture that "appeared" in the movie! It was AWESOME!

Sure have And you sure have my curiosity up...

---

Okay, so we have several of us in, and so far most seem pointing to OT.

We have suggestions for:

Daniel
Life of David (is that as in "and Goliath", live4?)
Hosea
Ruth
And I'd like to throw in Solomon

 

[MickeysMommy]

I'm in. I just finished part one of our bible study here at my church. The pastor said that by the time we were done we would have read 75% of the bible. I have read the book of Ruth but just out of curiosity. I do think, my opion only, that starting in the OT is best.

 

[serenity1991]

Sure have And you sure have my curiosity up...

---

Well alrighty then...in the 2nd one when Neo and everyone are in the building deciding on what they were going to do about the Oracle at the beginning of the movie Smith drives up in a car...did you spot what it said on his license plate?

 

[devotedchristian]

Yes, count me in.

 

[Buckalew11]

I have a question. If we study a book, say Daniel, how much scripture are you going to cover at a time? A chapter? Or less? Or more? I'd love to do this but I'm not sure if I could keep up!

 

[Rajah]

Well alrighty then...in the 2nd one when Neo and everyone are in the building deciding on what they were going to do about the Oracle at the beginning of the movie Smith drives up in a car...did you spot what it said on his license plate?

Nope...

---

Another few things I'd like to do with this:

1) When we pick our book or story, can someone familiar with the history leading up to it provide a brief summary of what's brought the Jews to this point?

2) I think it would be interesting during the course of reading to compare some of the various translations, including a "literal" translation if we can find one, and see how if at all the meaning of anything changes with the translation. ie: King James Version vs NIV vs Living Bible, or something.

 

[Rajah]

I have a question. If we study a book, say Daniel, how much scripture are you going to cover at a time? A chapter? Or less? Or more? I'd love to do this but I'm not sure if I could keep up!

Bucky -- I'd say probably no more than 2-3 chapters at a time, usually 1 or less.

Though I might say at some point "Okay, can we all skim chapters 5-10 to get a feel for the whole story, then the next time we'll study chapter 5 in detail" or something like that.

My intention is to provide a forum (or thread, as the case may be. LOL!) where we can work together to read and understand a book or life, in 10-15 minutes or less of reading every few days (unless you *want* to dig deeper with other translations and cross references and stuff), then however much discussion you feel like doing on the thread.

 

[MickeysMommy]

I agree Tammi. Also, I have the New Living Translation and it is so much easier to read.

How long are we going to have to read whatever we decide to read...did you get that?

Some books are incredibly LONG...maybe we can divide those into certain chapters that we will read at one time?

Are we going to be "meeting" weekly to discuss or daily on what we read the night before?

 

[MickeysMommy]

Sorry, didn't realize you answered most of my questions in your latest post

 

[serenity1991]

Nope...

On his license plate was IS5416. Later on, about 3 months or so after the movie came out DH figured it was scripture....he looked it up just out of curiousity. It's from Isaiah 54:16 and scripture says:

"See it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for it's work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;"
(NIV)

Notice the word blacksmith that I bolded! What was Neo's adversary's name....SMITH!! Isn't that incredible? The brother's who wrote the Matrix were Jews and they were brillant I think.

 

[Buckalew11]

I'm in. I *think* it will be interesting! Just let me know what book. I don't care which one.

 

[Rajah]

Are we going to be "meeting" weekly to discuss or daily on what we read the night before?

How about we do this:

1 "story" per week, with discussions throughout the week regarding the story. A story is whatever logical break exists, most often a chapter break. But you know how things like the story of Noah takes 2 or 3 chapters or something? And in Daniel, the background takes 1 chapter, then Nebu's first dream takes another chapter.

So we focus in-depth on a story per week? Hitting the 5W&H on it, plus translations, plus other relavant links (like cross references to other books/verses, links to archaeological sites that relate, links to the cultures involved, etc)? Think that's about right?

 

[Rajah]

On his license plate was IS5416. Later on, about 3 months or so after the movie came out DH figured it was scripture....he looked it up just out of curiousity. It's from Isaiah 54:16 and scripture says:

"See it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for it's work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;"
(NIV)

Notice the word blacksmith that I bolded! What was Neo's adversary's name....SMITH!! Isn't that incredible? The brother's who wrote the Matrix were Jews and they were brillant I think.

LOL! Cool Serenity!!