I've decided to read the Bible this year - taking notes. So far I am nearly
finished with Exodus. I find this revealing - the stories I've known since
childhood but with additional points of which I was unaware. (Pharaoh did
not respond because the Lord "hardened his heart" what is that all about?)
I'm reading the King James Version but I do find it a little
tough going and have been tempted to change to the New International Version
or the Revised Standard Edition. Which of these versions do you think I
would be wise to devote my time to? Thank you.
P. S. I have heard you speak twice. As a "Christian Alumnus" I
didn't feel anything could rekindle my interest in religion. But you give
hope to a world desperate for mature guidance.
I think that the more people who actually read the Bible, the
less people will be fundamentalists. But, you are right, it is hard
sledding. Most people who decide to read the bible from cover to cover stop
somewhere after Exodus 20. That is the chapter in which the stories stop
and the recitation of the laws governing worship and life begin. If you get
through that then Leviticus awaits you, where narratives cease and religious
rules abut how to worship, what to eat and how to act follow in concentrated
doses. If you make it through the entire Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy), you might make it. Though other tough places will
be Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and some parts of the prophets. Revelation is
also tough but if you get that far, the fact that it is the last book of the
Bible and you can see the finish line, usually provides the energy to
finish.
You ask about the various versions of the Bible. The King James
Version is beautiful but Elizabethan English is quite difficult to read for
words and styles have changed dramatically since 1611.
My favorite is the Revised Standard Version because it was the
work of a community of scholars who challenged each other constantly and
kept most personal agenda out of the translation. Bible translations are so
often in the service of the ones translating. For example, the Jerusalem
Bible goes to great lengths to protect Roman Catholic doctrine, particularly
in regard to the Virgin Mary but on other issues as well. The New
International Version (NIV) is the favorite of the Protestant Evangelicals
and fundamentalists because it goes to great lengths to protect traditional
ideas. It is also NOT given the time of day in academic circles. One can
be folksy and accurate. However, the NIV does not manage to accomplish
that.
I would love to hear from you when your journey through the
Bible is over. Tell me what was really new, what surprised you and what you
found unbelievable. My readers might like to share your learning.
John Shelby Spong
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