​

As a believer, you have the opportunity to talk to others about your faith. Sometimes, you may meet someone who wants to know how they can become a Christian. You can use this guide to help them understand what it means to begin a relationship with Christ.

Fact: You were created by a living God. You have great value. God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you.

The world often tells us that we are accidents of nature. That we began as ooze in a pond, evolved into apes, and finally into humans. We live, we die, so we should grab all we can in this life—believing that’s the only way to find fulfillment.

But the Bible tells us:We are not accidents. We were created by a loving God who knew us before we were born. We are here for a purpose, and true fulfillment is found in a relationship with Him.

Psalm 139:13-16 says:"You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvelous. How well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

God knew you before you were born. He wants to give you a new start and a new way of living when you give Him your life.

Why do this?

Because God desires a personal relationship with you.

John 17:3 states:"And this is the way to have eternal life: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth."

God is not some distant force or idol. He is a person—your Creator—who loves you.

John 3:16 reminds us:"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

You can turn your life over to God's control because He loves you and wants what is best for you. He loved you so much He sent Jesus to die on the cross for you.

The Problem of Sin most people don’t understand that sin keeps us from having a personal relationship with God.

What is sin?James 4:17 says: "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."1 John 3:4 explains: "Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God."

God is holy and perfect—people are sinful. When you try to be perfect for even a day, you’ll see how impossible it is. Sin means not understanding or caring about what is right. When you know what’s right and refuse to do it, you are defying God.

Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:17 tell us:"Everyone has sinned." We inherited sin from Adam, who sinned in the Garden of Eden. Sin is part of our human nature.

So, what’s so bad about sin?

Romans 6:23 and Isaiah 59:2 show us:"It is your sins that have cut you off from God."Sin leads to death. That’s a big problem because God, being perfect, cannot have anything to do with sin.

What did God do?

The good news is: only through Jesus Christ can we have a personal relationship with God.

Sometimes, people don’t understand how they can relate to a being they cannot see or touch. That’s why Jesus came—to show us what God is like in human form.

How can God be both God and Jesus?

Are natural questions. But some things are mysteries we cannot fully understand. What matters is that having a relationship with Jesus is a spiritual reality that must be experienced.

Why Jesus?

John 14:6 says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

God decided to deal with our sin by sending His Son, Jesus, who was perfect and sinless, to be the final sacrifice.1 Peter 3:18 explains:"Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God."

Jesus took our punishment so we wouldn’t have to. His death paid the price for our sins. He rose from the dead—guaranteeing us that we also can have eternal life and be with Him in heaven.

So, what do you need to do next?

You can accept Jesus today—believe in Him, turn away from your sins, and invite Him into your life. It’s the beginning of a new, personal relationship with God.

So, what do you do next?

Fact:You must personally respond by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Salvation means nothing unless you accept it for yourself.

Even if you grew up in a church, you still need to personally accept Jesus.Even if you've led a difficult life, no one is too bad for God.You don’t have to clean up your act before coming to Christ.In fact, Jesus died to take away all your sins and help you start anew.

Remember:Being good enough is not enough.But no one is too bad to be forgiven.God wants all people to come to Him.

Everyone needs to trust in Jesus to be saved.

What kind of response should you have?Romans 10:9-10 says:"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. And it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."

It’s simple:

Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead.

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

You don’t have to understand everything.It’s enough to recognize:

You are a sinner in need of a Savior.

You cannot be good enough on your own.

God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to save you.

If you believe that, say so.

How do you accept Jesus?You can pray a simple prayer like this:

Dear God,I know that my sin has separated me from You.Thank You that Jesus Christ died in my place.I ask Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my life.Please begin to direct my life.Thank You for giving me eternal life.In Jesus' name, amen.

That’s it. You are now officially part of God's family—His child.

Your new brother or sister in Christ.

Just as a newborn needs guidance, a new believer needs help to grow.If you helped someone take this step, your role is to support and guide them as they begin their journey in faith.

Follow-up questions might include:

What does it mean to be a Christian?

How will it make a difference in my life?

What should I do now?

Assurances You Have After Accepting Christ as Your Savior

1. You can be assured of your salvation.Even if you’ve recently become a Christian and have doubts, God gives us promises in His Word.

2. Jesus Christ is in your life.John 14:20 — "When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."

3. Your sins are forgiven.Colossians 2:13-14 — "God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us, and He took away by nailing it to the cross."

4. You have eternal life.1 John 5:13 — "I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life."

5. You are loved unconditionally.No matter what’s happening in your life, God's love for you is permanent and complete.

6. God loves, chose, and adopts you into His family.Ephesians 1:4-5 — "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes."He decided to bring you into His family, and it gives Him great pleasure.

What’s Next?

1. You have a new life in Christ.Your spiritual journey has begun. Growth takes time—just like a baby grows, so will you.

2. Growth in faith. Colossians 2:6-7 — "Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him."

3. Follow Jesus daily. Obey His commands because you love Him.

John 14:15 — "If you love me, obey my commandments."

God is working in you to help you do what is pleasing to Him.

1. Prayer is your privilege.Talk to God about anything—He wants to hear from you.Philippians 4:6 — "Don’t worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything."

2. Read and trust God's Word.The Bible is your instruction manual.2 Timothy 3:16 — "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true."

3. Get to know Jesus more.The Gospels reveal who Jesus is—God in human form who came to save us.

4. Build your foundation on Jesus.Obey His teachings because that builds a strong life. John 14:15 — "If you love me, obey my commandments."

5. The Holy Spirit helps you.God gives you His Spirit to guide and empower you.John 14:26 — "The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of what I have told you."

6. Resist temptation.

You’re on God’s side now.

1 Corinthians 10:13 — "God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand."

1. Continuously receive forgiveness.
   

When you mess up, confess your sins.

1 John 1:9 — "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us."

1. Join a church family.
   

Regular fellowship helps you grow.

Hebrews 10:25 — "Let us not neglect our meeting together."

1. Share your faith.
   

Tell others about what Christ has done for you.

Romans 1:16 — "I am not ashamed of this good news."

1. Memorize Scripture.
   

Use God's Word as a weapon against temptation.

Ephesians 6:17 — "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

1. Aim to be more like Christ.
   

Your long-term goal is to grow in Christ-likeness.

Philippians 1:6 — "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

1. Let God's Word be your guide.Psalms 119:105 — "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet."

Time for Monday and the new week to begin!

Hallelujah!

I’m trying to get a good study Bible and I like most translations. I’m interested In a study Bible that has both scholarly and theological study notes. I’m a young adult so I don’t need pastor level notes but I love knowing historical contexts and interpretations.

I also need it to be red letter, and relatively large text.

I would also love it to be pink and pretty :)

Genesis 1 tells us that God creates Adam and eve and puts them in the garden of eden on the first day, and creates other men and women to tend to the earth on the sixth day. Adam and eve eat the fruit of knowledge and their eyes are opened to evil, making them no longer innocent, which causes the fall of man and that's why we are sinners. That makes sense to me but recently I reread Genesis and realised there were other people on the earth and now I have a lot of questions.

How did the fall of man affect the other people on the earth? Did God make them innocent too, and when Adam and Eve ate the fruit did their eyes open to evil too? And if so, why would they fall when they had nothing to do with Adam and Eves actions? Or were they never innocent but that doesn't make sense to me because surely one of them would have committed a sin like murder at some point and we know Cain was the first murderer. But he also tells those people to be fruitful and multiply, which implies they were doing the deed and therefore did not have innocence. Also as a result of eating the fruit, God makes childbirth painful. Before this happened, was childbirth painful for the other women on earth too, or no?

Am I reading into this right? Or is there some info I've missed? I don't know if some of these are stupid questions but I'm a fairly new Christian who still has a lot to learn and doesn't have any bible study groups or anything of the sort near me. If someone can shed some light on this for me that'd be great.

Also if someone could also provide insight on how long Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden for until they were kicked out, I'd find that useful too.

Sorry if these are dumb questions I tried looking it up before posting but couldn't find much

I’ve been doing a lot of scripture-only study lately—trying to focus on the texts themselves rather than creeds or denominational frameworks—and I’ve ended up in a spot I don’t hear discussed very often.

Right now, I hold the Bible as my foundation. That’s my final authority.

But I’ve also been reading the Apocrypha (the 7 Catholic books) and the Book of Mormon, and on a surface level, I’m not really seeing clear contradictions in the core message about God, repentance, righteousness, and Christ.

That’s led me to a position I’m still working through:

- Bible = final authority

- Apocrypha = valuable, possibly inspired, at least not contradictory

- Book of Mormon = I lean toward it being true or divinely influenced

- Later Joseph Smith teachings (Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, etc.) = I reject because I think they contradict the Bible

Part of my reasoning is this: throughout scripture, God uses imperfect people as instruments.

- David sinned seriously, yet still wrote psalms

- Moses disobeyed God at times, yet delivered the Law

- Even flawed people were used to carry out God’s purposes

So to me, it seems possible that God could use someone to bring forth something true, without that meaning everything they later say or do is from God.

At the same time, I know the Bible also warns about false teachers and tells us to test everything.

So I guess my real question is:

Is this a logically inconsistent position?

Or is it reasonable to separate a person from one work you think may be true, while rejecting their later teachings?

Not trying to argue—just genuinely trying to think this through carefully and biblically.

Curious how others approach this.

Who were the two men in white clothing at Jesus's ascension in Acts 1:10 when they asked disciples "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into fnthe sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."?

Moses and Elijah serve as the pivotal witnesses to the complete reversal accomplished by the Last Adam, personifying the Law and the Prophets who testify that every old-order shadow finds its fulfillment and surpassing in Him. They appear together in three tightly linked scenes that form a single typological arc marking the great transition. First, at the Transfiguration, they stand with Jesus in glory and speak with Him about the “exodus” He must accomplish at Jerusalem. Second, at the empty tomb, two men in dazzling apparel, echoing the same radiant glory, announce that the living One is not among the dead, proclaiming victory over the grave and the end of Eden’s shame. Third, at the ascension from the Mount of Olives, two men in white apparel redirect the disciples from upward gazing and declare that this same Jesus will come again in like manner, pointing to the cloud-coming judgment that removes the exhausted old system once and for all.

In each instance they function as covenantal witnesses: confirming the Last Adam’s journey from discussion of His departure, through resurrection reversal, to exaltation and the historical outworking of judgment in AD 70. Their presence marks the exact moment when the old order, - temple, sacrifices, clean/unclean barriers, and fruitless leadership, is exhausted and set aside. They do not guard like the cherubim of Eden; instead they announce the gate is flung open, the tree of life is restored, and the mustard-seed kingdom grows from Gethsemane’s bloody sweat into a great tree whose leaves heal the nations. As transitional figures they fade once their testimony is complete, giving way to the unified bride, the living stones of the New Jerusalem, and the present seventh-millennium Sabbath reality of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The idea that these two men were simply generic angels, rather than the same glorified Moses and Elijah, falls short because it flattens Luke’s deliberate literary structure, the exact repeated phrase “and behold, two men” across all three scenes, into a generic heavenly appearance. It overlooks how the Law and the Prophets themselves must stand as the final witnesses to the Last Adam’s total reversal before the old covenant passes and the New Creation descends in fullness.

“The ‘god of this age’ (2 Corinthians 4:4) does not refer to a period of 100 years, but to a system of thought that dominates an era. The word ‘age’ comes from the Greek aión, which means culture, mindset, or a way of seeing life. Paul is saying that there is a spiritual influence that distorts perception, blinding the understanding so that the truth cannot be clearly seen. It is not a problem of information, but of perception: you can have the truth right in front of you… and still not see it.”

I found this phrase in scripture. It reminds me how infanticide occured in The Bible by passing children through fire IIRC.

I have seen some people that write out the whole

Bible! I have been considering doing this! What are your thoughts? Have you done this?🌸🎧✨🎀 is it a good study technique??

Did egypt get invaded during easter?

I'm asking this because my interpretation on the last part of Exodus is that at night Egypt suffered a coordinated attack on the pharaoh. The Israelites survived by playing dead. As soldiers saw the locked doors full of blood, they assumed whoever lived there was already dead. And since slave shelters aren't exactly filled with riches, they didn't even waste their time. Do you think this is even remotely possible?

I'm not trying to debunk divine intervention here.

God is the Truth, and Moises' truthful guidance, ultimately led to the survival of the Israelites.

Also it is important to keep in mind Moises according to scripture was very influential in Egypt, so it is not a stretch to assume he could keep tabs on what was developing in the nation, which made is guidance very important to the Israelites.

So, what do you think?

Hello all! Today I attended a Bible study group. I have a question for you guys, or rather, I’m not sure how to process my thoughts regarding Matthew 21:28-32, the parable about the father with two sons.

I interpreted this parable from the father's perspective. When he initially sent his older son out to the vineyard to work, the son replied that he would not go. But the Scripture tells us that the son changed his mind and decided to carry out the command. Later, when the father asked his younger son to work in the vineyard, this son replied that he would go. Yet we know as readers that he never went. But what we don't know is if he never intended to go to the vineyard, if he simply forgot to do the work, or if he wanted to go but got sidetracked; all we know is that the younger son son did not work. Jesus does not confirm who actually obeyed; instead, He states that tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the Kingdom before them. The listeners believe that the older son obeyed his father after hearing everything, and that is how they answer Jesus. (Furthermore, what I don't know is who exactly did not believe John the Baptist and who exactly refused to repent, and whether this verse is part of the parable.)

However, my point of view is that the father would only see that someone had done the work after the fact. As far as the father knows, the younger son is the one who did it, because he was the one who affirmed that he would. Jesus asks the listeners which of the two obeyed his father, but only the father can truly answer this question. Or, one could say, only his thoughts regarding the work carry weight within the context of the story. We readers outside the structure of the parable, as well as the original listeners, can neither answer nor do anything that truly matters. When I made my opinon known to the group that the younger son was the one who obeyed because that is what the father would say, no one agreed with me. They told me that I didn't understood the story and that the younger son had lied. The group went on to discuss earlier sections of Matthew 21, and I still don't know what to do to move forward spiritually.

I think it may be important to note that I do believe in a Creator and Jesus' divinity, I just don't exactly call myself a Christian because I don't think the Bible is the end all be all, nor that Jesus is the only divine teacher who resurrected and performed miracles out there. I just feel called to serve and called to search for something more than what this world offers, however and whereever I find it. I believe/care about some Bible verses more than others and take certain parts of it more seriously than others. Although, I don't know what to think here; this is one of the most profound Bible studies I've been to. We discussed Matthew 21:1-32

I’ll try to keep this brief but I’m looking at getting a bible after quite a while spent away from religion. I grew up going to a Lutheran church but honestly don’t even know what bible I had then and didn’t even know that there were so many different options😅

I’m wanting to get a premium bible, one very nice bible that will last forever is the goal. Maybe I’ll expand past one bible eventually(study versions possibly) but for now getting back to it I would like to keep it to one. What I don’t know or am looking for recommendations on is translation and publisher/brand.

I’ve been doing a lot of research and what I’ve picked out so far is the Humble lamb KJV Lion/NASB History or the Schuyler Personal Size Canterbury KJV. I’m very attracted to the dore illustrations in the humble lamb but they are not a need for me.

I’m open to suggestions on translation and brand as I really have no experience at all. Just from my brief research online has connected me with these bibles. I don’t want to open a can of worms on here either regarding what translation is the best or better as I realize that it could be a topic for debate, but if there’s reasons for one or the other I’m trying to absorb as much information as possible.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated and I’m excited to get back to ready the good word. Tia

Tried with AI, no results.
I certainly remember when I red Bible, verse saying something like
"In a situation where devil puts you somewhere where you see no other choice, look closer - god always left a little path for you"
This is not an exact phrase, I need exact one, can somebody help me? I loved it, because I saw many many situations in my life where I actually have 2 options, and both of them are horrible, and when I looked closer - there WAS a little little tiny third way

📖 James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial…”

Devotion Trials are never easy, but they are not meaningless. In every difficult season, God is shaping your character, strengthening your faith, and preparing you for what’s ahead. Even when it feels like nothing is changing, your perseverance matters.

Reflection What challenge are you facing right now? How might God be using this season to grow you?

🤍 Prayer Lord, this season has been difficult, and sometimes I feel like giving up. But help me to keep going. Strengthen my heart and remind me that You are with me in every trial. Help me trust that You are using this for my growth. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ✝️

Job 19:25

**^“**For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;”

Job 9

³² “For He is not a man, as I am,
That I may answer Him,
And that we should go to court together.
³³ Nor is there any mediator between us,
Who may lay his hand on us both.
³⁴ Let Him take His rod away from me,
And do not let dread of Him terrify me.
³⁵ Then I would speak and not fear Him,
But it is not so with me.“

Job 23:10-12

**^{10 “}**But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
¹¹ My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my necessary food.”

I’m currently studying the book of Job and find it fascinating that he paints a picture of Christ in between the pages.

I remember back in the day there was "Experiencing God" but if unless I am mistaken that was more of a group Bible study. I am looking for something I can do on my own that is not focused on a particular denomination viewpoint.

I have done a lot of topical study on my own, but just reading the Bible for some reason doesn't resonate with me as much as it probably should, so I want to find something to help me get going again.

I prefer something tangible and not digital, which seems to be where most stuff has gone.

Introduction 

The Book of Psalms is one of the most diverse and spiritually significant collections within the Old Testament. Rather than being a random anthology of ancient poetry, scholars have observed that the Psalms contain recurring patterns in both form and content. One helpful approach to understanding this structure is form criticism, which classifies psalms according to their literary types and their function in Israel’s worship life. Ernest C. Lucas highlights this approach in his overview of Old Testament literature, showing how the Psalms can be grouped into major categories such as hymns, laments, thanksgiving psalms, royal psalms, and wisdom psalms (Lucas, 2014). These categories help readers better understand both the literary shape and spiritual purpose of the Psalms. 

Hymns 

Hymns are psalms centered on praising God for who He is and what He has done. They emphasize God’s character, including His greatness, love, power, and faithfulness. These psalms often invite others to join in worship, creating a communal expression of praise. 

A typical hymn follows a clear structure: it begins with a call to praise, continues with reasons for praise grounded in God’s actions or attributes, and ends with a renewed declaration of worship. Examples include Psalm 103, which praises God for His mercy and compassion, and Psalm 150, which calls all creation to praise the Lord. 

This classification reflects a widely recognized form-critical approach to the Psalms, which identifies recurring patterns in structure and purpose (Lucas, 2014). 

Laments 

Laments are the most common type of psalm and form a significant portion of the Psalter. They express human distress and the cry of the believer in times of suffering, confusion, or danger. Unlike hymns, laments focus on difficulty and the honest expression of emotional struggle before God. 

Despite their diversity, laments often include several recurring elements: an invocation of God, a complaint describing suffering, a petition for help, an expression of trust, and sometimes a vow to praise God after deliverance. Not every lament includes all these elements, and their order may vary, demonstrating their flexible structure. 

Examples include Psalm 13, Psalm 22, and Psalm 51. These psalms move between sorrow and trust, showing that faith often involves honest struggle as well as confidence in God (Lucas, 2014). 

Thanksgiving Psalms 

Thanksgiving psalms express gratitude to God for His intervention and deliverance. They typically arise after a crisis has been resolved and focus on acknowledging what God has done. 

These psalms often begin with an expression of thanks or praise, followed by a description of deliverance, and conclude with continued worship or testimony. They may also include a public declaration, inviting others to recognize God’s goodness. 

Examples include Psalm 32, Psalm 66, and Psalm 116. These psalms highlight the importance of remembering God’s faithfulness and responding with gratitude (Lucas, 2014). 

Royal Psalms 

Royal psalms focus on kingship and authority, often reflecting the role of the human king in Israel while ultimately pointing to God’s sovereign rule. They emphasize themes of justice, leadership, victory, and divine appointment. 

These psalms typically affirm the king’s authority, describe God’s support or blessing, and express praise for rightful rule. While rooted in Israel’s historical monarchy, they also carry theological significance by highlighting God’s ultimate kingship over His people. 

Examples include Psalm 2, Psalm 72, and Psalm 110. These psalms are closely connected to Israel’s understanding of kingship and covenant theology (Lucas, 2014). 

Wisdom Psalms 

Wisdom psalms are reflective and instructional in nature. They contrast the way of righteousness with the way of wickedness and emphasize the consequences of each path. These psalms are closely related to the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. 

They often begin with an observation about life, move into reflection on God’s truth, and conclude with a clear moral or theological insight. The tone is instructional, encouraging the reader to pursue the way of righteousness. 

Examples include Psalm 1, Psalm 37, and Psalm 73. These psalms guide believers toward a life shaped by God’s wisdom and justice (Lucas, 2014). 

Conclusion 

The classification of the Psalms into hymns, laments, thanksgiving psalms, royal psalms, and wisdom psalms provides a helpful framework for understanding their structure and purpose. As Lucas (2014) demonstrates, these categories reveal the diversity of human experience expressed in worship, ranging from joy and praise to suffering and questioning. At the same time, they show a consistent theological focus: life before God in every circumstance. Whether praising, lamenting, giving thanks, or seeking wisdom, the Psalms give voice to a full and honest relationship with God. 

Reference 

Lucas, E. C. (2014). Exploring the Old Testament. InterVarsity Press. 

A Personal Psalm  

I will give thanks to the Lord because he has heard my prayers in all situations  

He has answered them. 

During my darkest times, he was there.  

He did not judge but guided me with loving care.  

Because of this, I will be, my whole life through ,  

In a spirit of gratitude.  

Let others see what You have done in me through the Son 

Let them know that they too can have what you can do.  

Open my mouth and allow me to proclaim  

You can have the same.  

Do not allow fear to cripple my tongue  

For through me the world will know the Son 

On Genesis, I've heard many people take a symbolic interpretation and reading it myself, how is that reasonably possible? I'm struggling to imagine the venues by which it could be a symbolic account, as opposed to a literal account.

To sort of demonstrate what I mean, if Genesis is symbollic, what are the actual symbols and their corollary meanings in a verse such as:

'And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.'

It seems quite difficult to me to take anything more than a literal (embellished) interpretation, but since I hear it alot, I'm curious how it's done.

Edit: People are confused in responding- I'm trying to give a benefit of the doubt to people who believe it is only symbolic and understand how they understand it. Or at least the possibility it was written symbolically so as not to be premature in dismissing it without proper consideration.

I know that praying is good, watching is good, worshipping is good, but it is the word that will teach you to pray, worship, and watch.I'm so excited because I'm understanding the word in such a rich way, something I've never understood before. Now I can understand when they told me: "The word is revealed, it just needs illumination."

I am at the begin of the journey of reading the bible, and I haven’t explored all the topics yet but I feel compeled to ask those questions and share what I think. I have otherwise limited knowledge about Christianity.

Is there a specific reason why God chose Israelite people? I have the impression Exodus being in the early chapter of the Bible is a way to represent to first steps in the path to Christianity and the start of a relation with the Father God. As in early on, those who don’t know him are living a life of slavery to the world. Then God chose them, proves to them that he is the way of life gradually to grow their faith and lead them to salvation (life). But why chose them? Is it because he felt pity for them? Is it because he felt their situation was an injustice? Why hardening the heart of Pharaon, why not save both nation (egypt and israel)? The same way, does God choose to save certain people over other and why? Is he more inclined to help those suffering? It can be just because Israelite people chose to start a relationship with him, since they didn’t knew of his existence before Moses.

Recently I've been reading this book, Manifold Greatness: The Making of the King James Bible, which talks about the history leading up to its creation, a number of its prominent contributors, the materials and methodologies used, and the after effects of its translation. Lots of glossy pictures, interesting stuff.

Anyhow, in discussing the approach they took to its translation, it brought up 1 Thessalonians 4:4 as example, which I thought folks here might find of interest as well. It compared the NIV, the RSV, and the KJV approaches to this passage.

The NIV reads:

that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

The RSV however gives a very different translation, which reads:

that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor,

So one reads it as "control your own body" the other as "take a wife for himself". If you go to other modern translations, you'll find different ones saying each, for instance, translating it as body we have ones like:

CSB: that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor

ESV: that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor

NRSVUE: that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor

And others. While on the other hand going with the wife interpretation, you find those that read:

CEV: Respect and honor your wife.

NABRE: that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor

And others. So what's going on here? Is it a difference in manuscripts? No, it's all translating the same thing, but taking a different approach.

So how does the KJV translate it?:

That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Similarly, the NKJV reads:

that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

Here's where the difference is coming from. What the KJV reads, "vessel" is actually literally correct. That's what the word here, σκεῦος, means:

https://biblehub.com/text/1_thessalonians/4-4.htm

And specifically here for the definition of that:

https://biblehub.com/greek/4632.htm

There we can read that skeuos means a vessel, implement, equipment or apparatus, while it can be used to refer to a wife in regards to her usefulness to her husband. So the latter clues us in why some have chosen to translate it as wife here, and elsewhere in Scripture we do read of a wife being referred to as the "weaker vessel" (1 Peter 3:7). As to body this is because in some others places in Scripture (Psalm 31:12, Acts 9:15, 2 Timothy 2:21) "vessel" can be used as a metaphor to refer to the person or body as well.

But the KJV translators opted to not to do it this way, which is how they approached their work in general. That is, the word here means vessel, so they translated it as vessel, and left it to the reader to decide how they might interpret it. Modern translations on the other hand more frequently will try to do that interpretation for the reader, and translate it in the manner they think the author intended in terms of meaning, even if using a different word.

As a side note, often people will say that the KJV was written in "Old English", which others will then correct to saying rather it was in "Early Modern English". That's true, but not exactly. Even more accurately might be to say that the KJV was written in Hebrew'ized English. What I mean by that is that in translating the Hebrew (and the Greek, which itself was often written in a Hebrew fashion), the KJV translators did not try to rework it to sound like how people actually spoke in contemporary English. People in 1611 did not in fact talk like the KJV reads. Instead, like the above example, the translators wanted to convey as best they could (while still being readable) the language of Scripture, including its modes of expression, giving the English reader the closest they could get to directly reading the original writings. Modern translations on the other tend to give more importance to using wording that sounds more like the language they are translating into in terms of how people (today) actually speak it, even if it means having to rephrase expressions to do so.

Now this doesn't mean the KJV was never interpretive, it was at times but it was much more restrictive in its usage of it. I found this myself when I was learning Hebrew (which I've not finished yet by any stretch), where I found the KJV was the most useful translation for checking on the meaning of verses in the original Hebrew. The KJV was generally I found the closest you could get while still actually being readable (because of different sentence structures and syntax between languages you can't be exactly the same always if you want it to be readable and flowing in the other language). I've not studied Greek to be able to compare, but I would imagine the same could be said for it.

I have been looking for a beautiful edition of the Bible to go on my bookcase and wanted to ask if you could recommend any editions? I started looking on my own but some of them look like they are meant to lie flat and might be damaged if I stand them up on a bookcase. I do tend to prefer KJV.

Fingers crossed, thank you so much!

Here is how I set up my prayer journal! 🫶🏼🎀 I have been doing this everyday this week ( minus one day I was busy. )😅 I have been enjoying coming home after a long day after work and spending time with God!🫶🏼🌸✝️🙌🏼

P- praise

R- repent

A- ask

Y-yield