Read the Bible for Yourself

Reading the Bible for yourself will bring you closer to God and give you a better understanding of Him. Perhaps when people (myself included) quote the Bible you get the wrong idea about God or Christianity. Some may even misquote the Bible or take things out of context. That's why I encourage you to read The Word of God for youself. That way you can get a better understanding of what God wants you to see. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead you to see what God wants you to see from the Bible. There are some things you just have to investigate yourself.

God's a lousy writer. I've started to read the Bible a few times and got bored out of my mind after a couple paragraphs. I think a huge part of His failings is that He let old texts get lost so now all we have is antiquated writing that is a pain to read.

First of all, God never fails at anything. Secondly, what do you mean, He let old texts get lost? We have many texts of the Bible available to us in many different languages and translations. [img]smile.gif[/img]

The Bible can be interesting or not depending on what you read in it and where your heart is when you read it. It is not primarily meant to entertain you, however.

Personally, I think many of the OT stories are interesting. Noah and the flood, Jacob and Esau (ahhh, sibling rivalry), King David's story (the same one who killed Goliath). [img]smile.gif[/img]

I guess if you read it as fiction it might not be as interesting as if you read it as Truth. I mean, think of the God of the Universe giving up all His power in Heaven to become human because He loves us so much. Suffering pain...and not just the pain that humans normally suffer, but even more than usual. It's an amazing thought and not boring at all. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Where's the Bible translation in modern American English?

Many original texts are gone, we only have translations. That's the reason I've been given as to why there are no newer versions of the Bible. If the Bible was as easy to read as it was for people living 500 years ago, or whenever it was last translated, I'm sure a lot more people would read it.

I'm not a big fan of any sort of non-fiction. (While most AG fans rave about the Looking Back sections in the books, I don't enjoy reading them nearly as much as the stories.) And anything that contains "because... loves... so much" sounds a tad nausiating. (Not a fan of romance, either.)

The New International Version is modern English...so are a lot of other versions. KJV is not the only English version...

This hits different honestly. I spent years forming opinions about Christianity based on what other people told me the Bible said — second-hand faith is a real thing and it's kind of hollow when you think about it.
A friend once told me she avoided the Bible because every quote she'd seen online felt judgmental. Then one slow weekend she just... opened it herself. Said it felt completely different from what she expected. That personal encounter changed her whole perspective.
There's something about reading it with your own eyes that no sermon or tweet can replicate. The Holy Spirit angle you mention is real — context and personal timing matter enormously.
For anyone wanting a community that actually encourages that independent exploration rather than just telling you what to think, Bible-based church near me gave me that vibe. Worth a look.

The second-hand part is the real problem. You can make one line out of Romans say almost anything, but read the whole chapter and you see what sits on either side of it.
Anyone who wants to start read the KJV online, a chapter at a time. Pick a book instead of a verse and the tone changes fast.