To all aspie christains

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My Meeting has a bible study every week, so people get together and talk about what the symbolism could mean. One of the people there has studied the original language, too, and can come up with interesting ideas about it. That helps any trouble I have with literalism, although I find at least some of the symbolism straightforward.

I used to find the bible really difficult to understand. After awhile I gave up and drifted away from the church. A few years ago I found the NIV version of the bible. I believe the KJV that I had gotten as a kid was written in such old english that it was mostly meaningless to me. This version written in updated and easily understandable english is a blessing to me and I have rediscovered both the Gospel and my faith. Please don't give up, people read and reread this ancient work and each time new meanings and subtle points of faith are revealed. I am constantly amazed how the verses and chapters I am reading in sunday school or home are exactly what I need to make it through another day or deal with a particular problem. Faith in Jesus is hard and not popular in many circles but the rewards and blessings are many. YIC, Kenorri

I got a new translation a few weeks ago that's about as close to an aspie translation as one could get...Holman Christian Standard. I highly reccomend it to anyone and everyone. Here is the website http://hcsb.broadmanholman.com/crossmain.asp

Sean,
I enjoy the prophesy stuff too. I think it's difficult to interpret the bible, however, as many have mentioned a good study bible helps a lot!! I think it also helps if you study some of the actual background of what was going on when it was written. I had a class on Joel in college and it really opened my eyes to the importance of studying the history, you can make better application to recent times or recent experience.

Mellow

Anyone ever wonder where existentualism started? It's right there in Ecclesiastes, the most optomistic book of the Bible.

This may have been mentioned before, but just in case it has not...

For those of you interested in finding a Bible version particularly suited to your reading styles, you can go here:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

When you do a search, by word it will first pull up all the verses with that word in it. Select a verse, click the "V" icon, and it will pull up 11 different translations of the Bible and show you eleven different translations of the verse. You can then click on the translation you want and read the verse, as well as the chapter and book the verse is from in that same translation.

I find much of the symbolism easy, escpecially now that I've picked up the (much easier) NLT version. The Bible should not be scientifically, or literally interpreted, just read for jist (being scientically, and literally minded, I had to learn this the hard way). I enjoy reading my Bible, and get something new everytime. Though whoever said that God caused the people to sin in the old testament SERIOUSLY needs to read it again...

I love the King James Version but I grew up with it and heard the ministers explain what the old english terms and phrases meant so I could instantly translate them in my mind while reading it. I found it to be the most rythmic and poetic translation. Also, for the longest time all of the concordances and study helps were keyed to the KJV.
I hold to a literal interpretation unless it is clearly impossible. I also pull out several commentaries young and old and different translations of the Bible and compare when I am studying.
I also compare scripture with scripture: look up everything that the Bible has to offer on a particular word or concept.
I also ask myself questions like, "Who said it?" "To whom did he say it?" "How would the people of that time and place have understood it?" "What was the situation or problem being addressed?"

If I can't find the answers to those questions I crack open my commentaries and see what my betters have to say but that doesn't mean I'll just take their word for it. I've seen inaccurate commentaries, especially new ones! Almost every televangelist has his own study bible or commentary out now and many of these are very cheap and unintelligent.

The Bible is a fairly lengthy book with alot of information in it. It takes years to study it and learn a bit from it. My theological beliefs have shifted from when I first began to study the Bible. I have also given up in frustration at times and put it away for time.

Another Bible translation that's likely to be easier for Aspies to read, understand and digest is The Message. From what I've seen of it it's written in contemporary, almost chatty language (which was indeed the writer Eugene Peterson's idea) and it's also not a direct word-for-word translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It's more a sense-by-sense translation if you like, getting across the gist and the meaning of each message, but written differently in easy to understand, modern day language.

I read from an NIV version, which is easy enough for me to understand. If anything, the symbolism and the historical and cultural references have enhanced my enjoyment of the Bible and made it more intriguing. It's made me interested in the culture of the times over which the Bible was written, and reading it makes me feel absorbed in the Hebrew culture in which the Bible is set. I really enjoy sermons and Bible studies where the symbolisms and culture is explained.

And of course, it's all relevant today and has always been relevant.

Keeno wrote: And of course, it's all relevant today and has always been relevant.


Well said.

Yeah, I agree that the Bible is relevant today. Don't you?


It is frustrating trying to debate these pagans. If you don't have a good handle on apologetics and science in relation to the Bible, the debate slows to a crawl. I have read all of the arguments and I understand them but to succinctly pull them from my memory is somewhat difficult since my life consists of so much more than chatting on WrongPlanet. My energies have to be conserved. But I will say that it stimulates thought and that leads to research and everytime this happens, I am even more confirmed. So it's a good thing in the end. (Yes, Kevv729 has had quite an influence on me)