Reading and studying the Bible is vital to all disciples of Jesus. The Bible is our “instruction manual” for living a life that will be pleasing to God. The Bible is a guide to everyday living and a standard by which we can measure the quality of our lives. It should be the goal of every Christian to become as familiar with its contents as possible. Here are a few tips that might help in gaining greater knowledge about God’s book.
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There are so many different kinds of Bibles, which one should I use? Which version is the best or most accurate? There probably isn’t one version of the Bible which is particularly better than the others. It generally makes more sense to use several good versions rather than relying on just one. Why is this so? The languages that the original Bible documents were written in were Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. So, unless you are fluent in all three of these ancient languages, you are going to rely upon a translation. Each Bible translation has its strengths and weaknesses. When you casually read the Bible, any well respected translation will do. When you need to intensely study some passage or topic, you will probably find it insightful to see how several different translations read.
Respected English Language Versions
The King James Version (KJV) — Translated in 1611 by 47 scholars. In spite of its age, this is still a very good Bible translation. For hundreds of years it was the version of choice in the English speaking world. The 1769 edition is the one popularly in use today. Its Elizabethan style Old English is difficult for modern readers. This is still a good translation for those who can handle the Old English.
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How can there be one Bible but so many different denominations? People who have given this question a lot of thought have also noted the problems that have arisen because of the existence of so many denominations. How all the different denominations came to be is an interesting topic, but perhaps it would be better to ask if creating denominations is something Jesus intended for His followers to do. Before we go further, lets make sure we understand what a denomination is.
What is a denomination?
The word “denomination” isn’t found in the Bible, therefore we can’t look to it to find out what a denomination is. As a matter of fact, the modern concept of a denomination is a notion completely foreign to the Bible. Here is the dictionary definition of a denomination.
de·nom·i·na·tion [di-nom-uh-ney-shuhn], n, 1. the act of naming. 2. a name. 3. a class or kind having a specific name or value: as coins of different denominations. 4. a religious sect.
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Misconceptions, we all have them about something. Sometimes new Christians get discouraged when a mental picture they had of something or someone is shattered. Replacing misconceptions with facts is something we’ll do our entire life as we learn more and more from the Bible.
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It is an unfortunate truth that as long as we live, we will continue to do things which are not pleasing to God. One of the biggest differences between a disciple of Jesus and those who are not is that disciples do not want to sin! Furthermore, when a Christian sins, he or she will feel remorse and sorrow at their spiritual failing and endeavor not to repeat it. What should a Christian do when he or she gives in to temptation?
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