StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
I feel like you're trying to tell me something lol!
I do kind of wish I was able to simply stick with 1 translation all the time.
Time for My Annual Bible-Reading Question
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I do kind of wish I was able to simply stick with 1 translation all the time.
Andres
Puritan Board Doctor
I personally would find that frustrating for Bible memorization.
javajedi23
Puritan Board Freshman
I did. what i do is use the Literal Bible app (ESV, but it also has the NASB, KJV and LSB). I use the the first 3 bookmarks to track my progress.
Daily; First bookmark is OT - 2 chapters, second bookmark is NT - 1 chapter, and third bookmark for wisdom (Job-Song of Solomon).
i used to use a plan but if I got off it was 'stressful' to get caught up. This way I do what I can each day, usually on track, but if not its OK. I just pick up where I left off.
I read Psalm 119 as 'sub-chapters'.
I also read the prophets in chronological order.
Now that I am retired I am doubling the number of chapters - should about read twice in a year.
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
True, it certainly could be! While I will occasionally change translation for my general reading (although, only ever a book or 2 a year) I still do all my memorising out of the 1 translation that I've been reading for nearly 20 years & do all my sermon & bible study prep from.
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
I have taken to reading a (relatively) large number of chapters per day. Currently reading the New English Bible's New Testament; I finished Luke's gospel this afternoon. I also recently read Joshua, Judges, and Ruth in the CSB; I took a break to read Daniel in the same translation and will start 1 Samuel tonight. Additionally, I have started reading Moises Silva's Phillippians commentary, so I read Acts 16 and the epistle in the NASB this morning.
Once I finish reading the New Testament in one translation, I plan to then read it in another; when I am finished with the NEB, I plan to read the Geneva Bible's NT, DV.
Once I finish reading the New Testament in one translation, I plan to then read it in another; when I am finished with the NEB, I plan to read the Geneva Bible's NT, DV.
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
I read through 1 Samuel in its entirety today. What previously put me off Bible reading plans was the tendency to read four chapters from different books. It works better for me when you sit down and read large portions from one OT book and one NT book. God-willing, I will start reading John's gospel in the NEB this evening.
John The Baptist
Puritan Board Sophomore
I’m glad this works for you. I have found I tend to be the opposite, that reading from many different places helps me read more with focus instead of my eyes just scanning the page. That is if I am going for high volume.
A classic!
Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
I finished John about 90 minutes ago. I like this plan that I have devised. In the last ten days, I have read about 60% of the NT while also getting through four lengthy OT historical books and Daniel's prophecy. I also recently read Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Isaiah, and the minor prophets. Next up is 2 Samuel and Acts, and I will probably reread Philippians in both the NASB and NIV for Moises Silva's commentary.
I have been musing on this for some time- if one reads through the Bible in a year it is not practical to meditate on every verse. On the other hand if one meditates on every verse that one reads, they probably will not get through the Bible in a year. How do you strike the balance?
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
I suppose we know that there will never be enough time to read and meditation on everything as much as we'd like. I've found it helpful to write as I read. I'll focus on a section of what I've read and think more deeply about it and because I've written down my reflections, the next year I can check what I did last time and then focus on something else this time. There are also reading plans that leave free days for the specific reason of going back and going deeper into passages.
I'm not sure if that's much of an answer! What do you currently do?
Roughly how long do you spend reading the bible each day with this plan? And do you go back to the start and repeat or vary your reading to slow down occasionally?
ZackF
Puritan Board Professor
That math is scary.
Rounding for convenience:
Arbitrarily assuming an average of five minutes to read and meditate on each verse. You end up with 31000 * 5 = 155000 minutes or 2583 hours.
This is an area I need to work at. I read through passages of scripture then look at passages I would like to ponder in some depth. As present I am pondering on the richness of Psalm 27.
I have read a little of the Puritan Nathaniel Ranew's "Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation". I think he makes an important point- do we spend our spare time thinking about worldly pursuits, or do we spend our spare time meditating on the Scriptures.
Ranew's work is probably the most in-depth work ever written on Biblical meditation.
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
I do struggle to know how much time to spend on any given passage. There is always more to learn and if I'm totally honest, lots of prayer needed seeking God's help to live what I'm reading. But at the same time, so much of the bible to ready, meditate on and prayer about. I never feel completely content.
I've never heard of this book, will have to see if I can get a digital copy and make it an year 2025 read.
davejonescue
Puritan Board Junior
You can get a copy here for no-cost for your eReader.
Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation (eBook) | Monergism
by Nathanael Ranewin ePub, .mobi & .pdf formatsThis text has been initially updated from EEBO-TCP by Project Puritas (Logan West, David Jonescue, Alex Sarrouf)
www.monergism.com
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
That's great! Thanks for sharing this with me.
The Ranew book is very insightful. Also the aptly named book "God's battle plan for the mind" by David Saxon, is a great summary of Biblical and Puritan meditation. It extensively references Puritan works on meditation, thus if you want to research what other Puritans have written you will find this book helpful.
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
Thanks for the recommendation. I think for me the issue is simply trying to find the right balance between bible reading and meditation. It can be so easy to do 1 or the other, but I never feel entirely happy with both at the same time.
Dietrich Bonnhoeffer has a useful book on meditation. His family did sequential readings of longer passages but in his personal time he'd take a short bit to meditate upon throughout a week, even as little as a phrase on a particular day. I am going to try to incorporate this principle. When I did so in the past, it really led to prayer.
As I noted earlier I have the same struggle. I would love to receive wisdom from other PB members on this.
I am cautious about Bonnhoeffer. This 5 part series by the Reformed Forum argues that Bonnhoeffer was more influenced by Kant than conservative evangelical theology
I have read a fair amount of his work. I am most concerned about his use of the dialectic. He does, however, appear to be a brother in Christ who lived out his faith to a very difficult end and has been helpful to me in his thoughts about faith in community and meditation.I am cautious about Bonnhoeffer. This 5 part series by the Reformed Forum argues that Bonnhoeffer was more influenced by Kant than conservative evangelical theology
Blood-Bought Pilgrim
Puritan Board Sophomore
It has been a bit of a struggle for me as well. What I've settled on for now is focusing a bit more on volume in my "reading plan", and simultaneously having one short passage that I memorize and meditate on for a week at a time. Every morning I review it, but then the idea is also to be constantly mentally returning to it throughout the day. I also try to make it the basis of my prayers at least a couple days of the week.
Frisian Gardener
Puritan Board Freshman
I ended up deciding to go just for cover to cover, 4 chapters a day. I used M'Cheyne in the past, but this year I just want bigger chunks of context.
StevieG
Puritan Board Freshman
Have you done your bible reading this way before? I'd be interested to hear what you think of simply reading through rather than in a few different places at a time.
Frisian Gardener
Puritan Board Freshman
I think I did this before in my first completed read-through after my conversion experience in 2011. I remember a little while after that trying one of the "chronological" plans and didn't get through the Psalms. I'll see how much I will be helped by greater maturity this time.
