About Christianity
Jesus’ Top Ten Teachings
Seems like everyone says,
“If only Christianity would just get back to the basic teachings of Jesus … ”
But how many people know what those are?
Here you go,
in order of how often he said them:
1. Give away your money
2. Give away your possessions
3. Feed people
4. Forgive others
5. Risk everything to do the right thing
6. Include everybody
7. Heal people
8. Do justice
9. Love your neighbor
10. Love God
What about the Bible?
What about the Bible?
Whatever you do, don’t pick up the Bible and resolve to read it from beginning to end. You won’t end up happy!
Instead, pick one book at a time to read. Mark is the earliest and shortest Gospel, tells the whole story of Jesus, and will give you a sense of accomplishment to read.
Choosing a Bible
What Bible you choose depends on how you plan to use it. Here are three good choices:
NRSV (New Revised Standard Version)
Best for academic study / reading aloud in church
The NRSV is the standard for public scripture reading, since much of the patriarchal language in it has been corrected. Among printings of the NRSV, The Oxford Study Bible has a brief summary of each book of the Bible at the beginning, giving its historical context, authorship and other sources of meaning.
Best for spiritual growth / devotional reading
Co-edited by Richard Foster and Dallas Willard, both giants in the field of the how-to’s of spiritual life, this Bible has sidebar reflection questions throughout, to help you apply the scripture to your own life, as well as occasional poems or prayers to deepen your faith as you read.
The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Best for devotional / literary reading
A Roman Catholic publication, this is arguably the most poetically beautiful version of the Bible. If you miss the old King James language but want a more modern Bible, this one’s for you.
Bible Study Tools
Here are some handy books to have on hand, for studying the Bible:
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary for the 21st Century
Pricey, yes, but the best all-in-one resource you can buy. Biblical commentaries go through the Bible in order, giving you notes verse by verse for the meaning of specific words and other ways of understanding a certain passage.
The Oxford Companion to the Bible
Another great all-in-one reference, but rather than going through verse by verse, this one is more like a dictionary or encyclopedia, where you can look up things by word or topic.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
Most of the Bible’s significant meanings are stated in repeating symbols and metaphors — king, vine, sheep, light. This book gives you a broad overview of these images, touching upon their appearance and nuanced differences in various places throughout the Bible.
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Timelines
Rose Publishing offers several different tools to help you remember where you are in history as you read the Bible.
Warning:
Almost all books which claim to summarize the Bible, give a condensed reading, or describe how to study it, come from sources which have a particular bias. That said, this one is a good one!
Christianity
is changing
Every other religion seems to be changing too.
They’re restless with their centuries-old tenets; they have a sense of urgency about meeting the social and planetary needs of the day. They’re becoming more global, more integrative, more actively compassionate, and more communicative and understanding among themselves.
Find out more here: