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Have You Read the Entire Christian Bible?


Have You Read Through the Entire Christian Bible?  

  1. 1. Have You Read Through the Entire Christian Bible?

    • Yes, directly through from Gen to Rev.
      128
    • Yes, over time, I have read the whole Bible in bits.
      53
    • I have read a significant amount of the Bible.
      46
    • I have read some of the Bible.
      23
    • I haven't read much of the Bible.
      11
    • I am not interested in reading any of the Bible.
      4
    • Other
      3


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Planning to do a poll here, and curious about how many people have read the entire Bible, either directly through as an enriching activity or through having read all parts of it separately at one point or another. Is this even a goal for you, either as a person of faith, or as a cultural study?

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I have read the whole thing through, cover to cover. When I was a teenager and going through a difficult time spiritually (a friends parents kept telling me I was going to burn in hell because I had converted from Christianity to Paganism, and then considered returning to the church) I read the whole thing. Every page. And when I got to the end, I thought, "That's it? I expected... more."

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Yes, several times starting at age 12, ending around age 18. Haven't had any desire for it since.

 

ETA: I read the Protestant Bible. Dh informs me the Catholic version is bigger. I haven't read the extra parts.

Edited by Audrey
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I am currently on day 94 of one of the year long studies on my Iphone (You Version Bible app.) It's much easier to be able to read it first thing in the morning when I wake up and I don't have to worry about actually having a physical Bible with me, I can read it when I'm waiting on a dr. or need to kill time, etc.

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I think I've read through the whole Bible bit by bit, throughout my high school and college days. However, since I'm not 100% sure I read the WHOLE thing ;), I put that I've read a significant amount! Ask me again on Dec. 31, 2011...I'm currently reading through the whole Bible in a year with a chronological version! :auto:

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I just finished reading the entire Bible for the second time. But I never read it straight through from Genesis to Revelation -- I tried several times and failed. So I decided to read through it in various other orders instead, which worked much better. ;)

 

I've actually read the entire NT at least 4 times and the OT twice.

 

I'm not actually sure how many of the Apocryphal books I've read in their entirety. I had to read at least one (Wisdom) for my Understanding the Bible class in college, but I can't remember which others I had to read. I know I've read the rest of Esther and Daniel, at least.

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I have read through the whole Protestant Bible straight through. I spend a lot more time digging through it in chunks, though, I have to admit. I tend to chase down everything I can find on a particular topic. But yes, I have also read straight through, and I've been thinking I should do that again here soon.

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I have read all of the Bible multiple times, but only undertook to read it straight through once. I did just to make sure I hadn't missed anything in my piecemeal approach, especially after my MIL commented that she hadn't read the entire Bible because she "didn't need to." Her pastor, apparently, will tell her anything she absolutely needs to know. :svengo:

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No, because my Bible was missing several books until this past year ;)

 

 

:iagree:So yes and no. Not sure how to answer the poll ;). I have read the protestant bible cover to cover a few times.

 

Now, I have a new bible. I really like the book of Judith!!!

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Yes, but the bigger question is Which Version? ;)

 

I read it all in Catholic school. Then, as an adult, I read it again, but a different version. I'm not sure if my maturity changed the meaning for a lot of it, or if the translations are that much different from one another. Probably both.

 

Either way...good book; sex, violence, politics, steam, anger, poetry and prose, a good message - what more can a reader ask? Highly recommended :thumbup1: .

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I've read it all, but not straight through. I used a reading plan one year to read some OT and some NT every day to get through the entire Bible in one year. I have read most of it many times, starting when I was a child.

 

I'm talking about the Protestant Bible here, as I am Protestant!

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To try to read the Bible in a year is a common New Year's Resolution in the churches I have attended in the past. They even sell Bibles that scramble it all up so that you're reading some of the Old Testament and some of the New Testament and a Psalm and a few verses in Proverbs every day. This can be a pleasant way to read it, because wading through Numbers can really get you down. I used to try to read it every year for a while there and never really got through it. But once I started reading in my own interest led, scattered way, I managed to read the whole thing. I got tired of reading Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy every year. I remember Jeremiah was my last book. Ouch.

 

Just my opinion here: I'm not sure it's actually worth reading in a short period of time (like a year) without any kind of cultural and contextual study to go along with it. I certainly never felt like it helped me or improved my understanding or closeness with God in any way. (If that's what your intention is.) But some people seem to think it's great. In churches I used to attend, you didn't really question the need to read your Bible every day. You didn't admit that it wasn't really fulfilling.

 

I downloaded a Catholic Bible on my app and am reading the extra books. Or missing books. However you want to look at it. :)

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I've read through 1x about 5 years ago. Based on some conversations with my dad I felt I needed to know what the whole thing said, from beginning to end. Since then, I just read here and there.

 

At some point I would like to read through it again in chronological order rather than the canonical order that's present in most bibles.

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:lol::lol:

 

This is adorable. I am a Methodist, I have read the entire protestant Bible but one of my goals this year is to read the remaining books. Your response really made me grin.

 

:D Many of my friends are Catholic, and they joke about my "abridged Bible."

 

I read a Bible with an Apocrypha in college (read Genesis, Job, and John as part of a Great Books course, and decided to finish it :001_smile:,) and I have read a Catholic Bible (other books come up in conversations with friends, and I want to know what they are talking about.) As a Protestant, I have read the ESV, NKJV, and KJV Bibles many times. I've only read it straight through once, and in chronological order once. I try to make it through all the books at least once a year, but not usually in order.

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I've read the whole thing from Gen to Rev once. I'm working my way through again. I've read the NT a few times, three last year :p I'm really interested in those that say they have a chronological or 90 day plan...

I'm currently reading through the whole Bible in a year with a chronological version! :auto:

Is there a web site with the chronological order, or did you put that together yourself?

Right now I have the "Bible in 90 Days" but I got bogged down in Psalms several months ago. I picked it back up and now I'm almost done with OT. I'm interested in doing a chronological study too.

How is that even possible?!? :lol: Again, is there a web site with this info?

Either way...good book; sex, violence, politics, steam, anger, poetry and prose, a good message - what more can a reader ask? Highly recommended :thumbup1: .

:iagree:

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I've read the whole thing from Gen to Rev once. I'm working my way through again. I've read the NT a few times, three last year :p I'm really interested in those that say they have a chronological or 90 day plan...

Is there a web site with the chronological order, or did you put that together yourself?

 

How is that even possible?!? :lol: Again, is there a web site with this info?

 

:iagree:

 

 

When we were at Family Christian store a few weeks ago, they had paperback Chronological One-Year Bibles for under $10. I thought that would be an easy way to do it! This chart is a one-year chronological plan for the ESV. This page allows you to choose which translation you would like and get your daily portion emailed to you. :001_smile:

 

This is the site for the Bible in 90 Days.

 

The M'Cheyne plan is very popular, and you can also google for many other plans for one-year reading (straight through, OT and NT each day, etc.)

Edited by angela in ohio
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When we were at Family Christian store a few weeks ago, they had paperback Chronological One-Year Bibles for under $10. I thought that would be an easy way to do it! This chart is a one-year chronological plan for the ESV. This page allows you to choose which translation you would like and get your daily portion emailed to you. :001_smile:

Angela, do you ever have to stop yourself and say, "I am so awesome. Really, I rock"?

 

You should.

 

Because it's true :D

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I am also reading the Bible in 90 days, the 2nd time for me with this plan!

 

I have more info here on my blog if you are interested! I am also a mentor with a huge online team of readers, this time around there are over 1,000 reading with us!!

 

It generally takes me about an hour a day of reading with this plan. And honestly, this plan has worked better than longer ones for me because I am only in some of the harder books to read for 3 data or so. :)

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but I found Numbers and Leviticus mind numbing.

 

Yeah. They don't call it Numbers for nothing.

 

Angela, do you ever have to stop yourself and say, "I am so awesome. Really, I rock"?

 

You should.

 

Because it's true

 

:iagree: That's for true! All you "Bible in 90 Days" people - you seriously blow me down!

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I am currently on day 94 of one of the year long studies on my Iphone (You Version Bible app.) It's much easier to be able to read it first thing in the morning when I wake up and I don't have to worry about actually having a physical Bible with me, I can read it when I'm waiting on a dr. or need to kill time, etc.

 

 

I'm using a YouVersion app also! I'm officially on day 25, but I've read ahead and caught myself up many times. I actually only started about a week and a half ago and I'm on Exodus 16. I was actually inspired to read it again by a young adult fiction book I read.

 

This will be my second time reading the Bible from cover to cover, and of course I've read bits and pieces throughout the years. My first time was as a child. I found my grandmother's Bible when I was 9 and decided to read it.

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I got bogged down reading it through in order.

 

It is easy to read through with "My Utmost Devotional Bible," I love it! It has a daily reading from the Oswald Chambers tied to one of the readings for the day. Each day, you read from the OT, psalms, proverbs, and NT. I have never finished in a year, though, it generally takes me 1.25 years.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Utmost-Devotional-Bible-James-Version/dp/0785203877/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295847198&sr=8-1

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Yeah. They don't call it Numbers for nothing.

 

 

We just finished a Sunday School class on the book of Numbers. It was taught by a math professor! (and he actually made it interesting, believe it or not!)

 

Anyway, I've read it all in pieces. Right now, our church has just begun a study of the OT and we're in Genesis. I've been reading the assigned chapters (well, they're not assigned really, but they're posted in the bulletin for people to read and prepare for the sermon) as well as listening to The Listener's Bible, read by Max McLean. He can really make the OT come to life!

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I know it pretty well already (for a non religious person!) from reading and rereading it in bits and pieces over the years, but now I'm in the process of reading it right through in (canonical) order for the first time. I started at the end of November and I'm just finishing up Psalms, so probably 2/3 of the way through, considering that NT books are a faster read. I don't think I'll ever plow through it all again (some parts are not exactly riveting and really needed to be summarized on a spreadsheet, if only they had computers back then) but I've found it worthwhile to do once because it's so much easier to see how all the books fit together and complement each other. I'll probably read it in a different version next (I'm on KJV now) but leave out the repetitive bits. I would hate to read it in an email; I have to actually be holding the book to appreciate it properly.

Edited by Hotdrink
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