1. I am doing pretty good on going through the Bible in a non-specific period of time. I usually make it through in a year, more or less.
So far so good.
2. Bible memory - I keep forgetting to include that in my daily routine. So, here I go again.
I think it’s very important to do. Just a little bit every day.
Okay, I posted this on some guy’s You Tube video. He claims to be Catholic. He’s gathering a group around himself and trying to be their fearless leader in all things religious and political. I’ll post the exchange here.
He said in his video that he wanted to compare older Bible translations with newer ones to find something about something.
I expect to be banned. We shall see.
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I said:
I fear that what you are trying to do with comparing Bible translations is show that the Bible has been changed. A better approach to Bible study is to actually study the Bible. If you want a good Catholic resource, Fr. Mike’s reading through the Bible podcast is excellent. If you want a good Protestant resource, then Bible Gateway is a great resource, as is the Bible app. Bible Gateway has all the translations you could imagine. Bible Gateway is good because you can line up several translations side by side and compare if you’re so inclined. There are also parallel Greek-English versions with literal translations as well. I think you’re missing the purpose of Bible study if your goal is to point out errors in translation and how eeeevil elitists are deliberately messing with the text. Meh. There was a big kerfuffle about Pope Francis changing the Lord’s Prayer! Horrors! Just like there is fake news about President Trump, there is a lot of fake news about the Pope. Many Catholics don’t like him. That’s fine, but he didn’t change the Lord’s Prayer. Then there’s the Mandela effect theory that the lion and lamb thing was changed to lion and wolf. Again. That’s nonsense. Then there are those who claim that the book of Enoch was banned! Nonsense. If it had been banned, why is it so easy to find and read? The Ethiopian Orthodox Church accepts it as inspired. The book has been around for a long time. One problem I see with it is that it’s all about judgment with little or no grace. It’s very different from the OT prophets.
[Here’s a better explanation of the place of the book of Enoch in Church history. I should have said Ethopian Coptic Church. https://evidenceforchristianity.org/what-is-the-banned-book-of-enoch/] Some have elaborate theories about the Nephelim and all that. Great for science fiction. Not so great for building one up in the faith. I have noticed that those who get into the Book of Enoch theories get farther and farther away from Jesus. It’s not edifying except as an interesting book of ancient literature that had some influence on the Jewish culture and therefore the NT. Anyway, be careful my beloved brother. There are many false prophets out there. Don’t get sucked in.
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He responded:
Tell you what. I'll decide for myself what my best resources will be. I will not consider your opinions to be of any value on any subject. Ok?
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My response:
Tell you what. The Bible is God’s Word, and your opinion does not matter, nor does mine. It is a matter of faith. I will continue to give out reliable resources on Scripture until and unless you ban me. If you are Catholic, then study the Catechism. Otherwise, quit saying you are Catholic. It is not a religion that you get to make up as you go along.
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This guy can make up whatever he wants. What he can’t do is call it Catholic. Same goes for anyone, including me, and including even the Pope.
The Catholic position on the Canon of Scripture is clearly stated in the documents of the Council of Trent. It’s not a matter of blind acceptance of what the Church declares. There is enough evidence supporting the Church’s position to fill an Amazon warehouse and maybe more.
Again, if someone claims to be Catholic, then try to know what that means. Otherwise go ahead and be a cult of one.
BTW, the same goes for any Protestant denomination. If someone wishes to claim membership in any of them, then know what that church teaches. All of them put out statements of faith and give membership classes so people will know what is being taught and try to faithfully represent that faith.
One of the dangerous things in Christianity is an anti-traditionalist, extreme libertarian view of the faith.
I think that a false dichotomy has been set up in the minds of many. The phrase “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion”is false.
Yes. Our faith is primarily about having a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Yes. We enter into a relationship with Him. That relationship is compared to marriage in Ephesians 5.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b]her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Our faith is also a religion.
I grew up in the Baptist religion - for which I am extremely grateful. There are many things I still love about that religion - and yes, it is a religion. We were never taught that it was okay to not be an active member of a local congregation. In fact, we were taught that church attendance was expected of all believers in Christ.
We just didn’t like the word “religion”, but it didn’t mean we didn’t practice our faith. It’s a question of semantics not meant to discourage church attendance or good works. Avoiding the word “religion” is part of the Baptist religion. No big deal, IMO. And my opinion is not an article of faith.
What about the Bible? Read it. Pick up whatever copy you have lying on your shelf and read. That’s what St. Augustine did after all.
Except the New World Translation, but even the JWs couldn’t mess the Bible up completely.
The Bible will lead you to Christ if you allow it to. Start with the Gospels.
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From St. Augustine: Confessions of Saint Augustine
So was I speaking and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo! I heard from a neighbouring house a voice, as of boy or girl, I know not, chanting, and oft repeating, “Take up and read; Take up and read. “ Instantly, my countenance altered, I began to think most intently whether children were wont in any kind of play to sing such words: nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So checking the torrent of my tears, I arose; interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book, and read the first chapter I should find. For I had heard of Antony, that coming in during the reading of the Gospel, he received the admonition, as if what was being read was spoken to him: Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me: and by such oracle he was forthwith converted unto Thee. Eagerly then I returned to the place where Alypius was sitting; for there had I laid the volume of the Apostle when I arose thence. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, in concupiscence. No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.
