Recommended Bible Passages

Palladio

Palladio

25+ Posts
I was not religious in my upbringing, and am not religious now. However, I have recently picked up my Bible (given by my grandmother), mostly as an opportunity to learn more and hopefully grow. It's an area I've not explored for some time, and would like to change that.

Right now, I do not have time to read the entire book. So I ask you, HornFans readers, which passages do you recommend? Which bring you comfort? Which help you get through difficult times? What areas should I focus on to get the greatest impact? Do you have any suggested orders of reading? Or other strategies for better understanding?

I sincerely appreciate your responses.
 
I would start with the first four books of the New Testament (The Gospels). All of the Old Testament points to these books, and the rest of the New Testament expands on them.

These books provide the basic tenets of the Christian faith, which I would characterize in my own insignificant words as forgiveness (of ourselves and others) and compassion.

The Gospels also provide the context for our relationship with Christ, and more specifically, how we can depend on Him when we are going through difficult times. These words and passages are very reassuring.
 
E man made a great suggestion.

If you want something even shorter, I would recommnend you start with the book of John. Just reading John will give you some great insights.
 
As someone who always found it annoying that the Gospels, Paul's letters, Pslams, and Proverbs seem to comprise 99% of Biblical quotations, I'd recommend Judges, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, or 1st John.
 
ecclesiastes gets my interest quite often. IMO it ties in well to the post on here 'rich people dont reply' or w/e.
 
Avoid Judges 19 if you're looking for something uplifting.
 
"This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

"The Lord Himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you." Deuteronomy 31:8

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. --Romans 5:3-4

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, give us all things? --Romans 8:32

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. --Philippians 2:14-16

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2, 3).

At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. --Romans 5:6-8

As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. --1 Corinthians 2:9

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9

He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.
--Job 23:10-11

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
--Galatians 2:20

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me.....the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
 
I like the ones where God is smiting the crap out of people.

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I have not read the bible in a while, but Genesis, for its immense power of story telling is my favorite book.

Revelation will make you second guess the weird guy on the street corner but it does give you a hint on how the whole thing ends.

The rest is just filler.
 
Really depends on what you want to learn about. If you want to learn about Jesus, about his mission, the book of John is great, but all the gospel accounts are good in this area.

If you want to learn about the establishment of the church, and gain insight into how the gospel was spread initially, the book of Acts is good. If you want to understand the relationship between the old testament and the new testament, read Hebrews and Galatians. If you want to get a strong understanding of how we're saved through Christ, Romans is great. For practical Christianity topics, Ephesians, Philippians and James are great for that.

Obviously from a historical standpoint, the old testament has a lot to offer as well, just not as much direct application.

As Reverend Lovejoy once said "Ohhhh, it's alll gooood...."
biggrin.gif
 
Thomas Jefferson created his own Bible by junking the entire Old Testament and all the works in the New Testament that were not descriptions of things Jesus said or did.

Jefferson's Bible also does away with all things supernatural (miracles, prophesies, resurrection, virgin birth) and synthesizes the four gospels into chronological order.

You can read it here:

The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
 
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst."

I Timothy 1:15
 
I would recommed the book of Romans. It is a well reasoned letter detailing the basis of the Christian faith.

It is a long book. If it the length is intimidating, focus on the first 4 chapters. It is the essence of Christianity.

Second, I would read the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5-7, to hear Jesus direct teaching on many subjects.
 
John is a great book. I always enjoy flipping through Proverbs or picking a random Psalm when I want to read a quick passage. Psalm 1 is a great one to memorize to help keep you grounded.
 
Hebrews is a great book too.......it explains the way that Jesus fulfills Old Testament demands of righteousness. Of course, I typically suggest John as a good book to read first, but that's been highlighted several times.
 
If you are first time reading it. I'd recommend a Max Lucado book (like Grip Of Grace) or some other commentary... Just to get an overall view. i would NOT recommend the King James Version for a first time lurker. There are some contemporary versions like the message that are really good. (bad for bible study, but good to get an idea of the overall message)

example below.

Romans 3:9-31

So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:

There's nobody living right, not even one,
nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.
They've all taken the wrong turn;
they've all wandered down blind alleys.
No one's living right;
I can't find a single one.
Their throats are gaping graves,
their tongues slick as mudslides.
Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
They open their mouths and pollute the air.
They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,
litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
Don't know the first thing about living with others.
They never give God the time of day.

This makes it clear, doesn't it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it's clear enough, isn't it, that we're sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God's revelation doesn't put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else's sin.

But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counter-claims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.

And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.

But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don't we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.

THE MESSAGE.
 
Read the first few books of the Old Testament, especially Genesis. It establishes a powerful set of moral standards from which so much of western law, literature, and teaching is derived.
 
Matthew 6:

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.


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