A Bible question

[mo2]

Let me preface this by saying that we are not Christian. However, I do feel that my kids need to learn about Christianity because of where we live and also because there are so many references to stories from the bible and scripture in our culture. So I have a copy of the Golden Children's Bible. Now, this is a pretty big book, and I'm not sure I want to read it cover to cover. Can anyone help me pick and choose which sections or stories from it I should make sure we don't miss?

[mo2]

Anyone? I'm basically wondering which bible stories are important for a non-Christian to know.

[albeto]

I'd say the first book, Genesis and Exodus are ones to read all the way through. In it you'll find those stories that are referenced throughout our culture: "Forbidden Fruit"; snakes = temptation; nakedness = embarrassing; Noah's Ark; Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac; Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors; Moses and the Ten Plagues; Leaving Egypt/Parting of the Red Sea; and others. Stuff with King David is good, the reference of a kid fighting and beating a giant enemy is good for cultural literacy. The gospels, maybe the book of Luke if you don't want to repeat yourself three times and wonder why John (the fourth) is different, the book of Acts because it explains the history of the church, the movement from a cult of Jesus in Jerusalem to a "world-wide" religion ("world-wide" being relative to that era).

 

I would also suggest leaving the book out and letting the kids look through it. Whatever pictures thy see that catch their attention will be a good place to pick up some info (they'll see a big whale swallow Jonah, Elijah and a chariot of fire, etc). We had that book, too, but my son shut it and never looked back after reading the story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter to keep a deal with God. So, do be careful of the morbid stories if your kids are sensitive.

[mo2]

I'd say the first book, Genesis and Exodus are ones to read all the way through. In it you'll find those stories that are referenced throughout our culture: "Forbidden Fruit"; snakes = temptation; nakedness = embarrassing; Noah's Ark; Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac; Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors; Moses and the Ten Plagues; Leaving Egypt/Parting of the Red Sea; and others. Stuff with King David is good, the reference of a kid fighting and beating a giant enemy is good for cultural literacy. The gospels, maybe the book of Luke if you don't want to repeat yourself three times and wonder why John (the fourth) is different, the book of Acts because it explains the history of the church, the movement from a cult of Jesus in Jerusalem to a "world-wide" religion ("world-wide" being relative to that era).

 

I would also suggest leaving the book out and letting the kids look through it. Whatever pictures thy see that catch their attention will be a good place to pick up some info (they'll see a big whale swallow Jonah, Elijah and a chariot of fire, etc). We had that book, too, but my son shut it and never looked back after reading the story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter to keep a deal with God. So, do be careful of the morbid stories if your kids are sensitive.

Thank you so very much for your input. I am making a list.

[lovemykids]

Here are my top picks- lol (general stories from any Bible story book)…Creation story, Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, the Flood, Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham and Isaac (sacrifice/ marriage) Jacob and Esau, Israel, Joseph’s Coat, Moses (birth, murder, burning bush), Ten Plagues/ God's deliverance of Israel, Crossing the Red Sea, Wandering in the Wilderness, The Ten Commandments, The Golden Calf , 12 Spies sent to Canaan, Water from the rock, City of Jericho, Samson and Delilah, Hannah and Samuel, David is Chosen by God, David and Goliath, David and Bathsheba, Solomon, Job’s stories, Daniel and the King’s food, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Jonah and the Big Fish

John the Baptist, Birth of Jesus Christ , Jesus at the Temple, Wedding Feast, Wilderness Temptation, Sermon on the Mount, Woman at the well, Jesus feeding the crowd, He Loves Children, The Good Samaritan story, (Of course, all the parables told by Jesus are very interesting as well and good for Biblical literacy.) Jesus walks on water, Transfiguration, Christ's entry into Jerusalem, Cleansing the Temple of money changers, The Last Supper, Crucifixion, Empty tomb/ appearances, Ascension, Saul to Paul/ conversion

 

Enjoy making your list!

[cavscout96]

I'd say the first book, Genesis and Exodus are ones to read all the way through. In it you'll find those stories that are referenced throughout our culture: "Forbidden Fruit"; snakes = temptation; nakedness = embarrassing; Noah's Ark; Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac; Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors; Moses and the Ten Plagues; Leaving Egypt/Parting of the Red Sea; and others. Stuff with King David is good, the reference of a kid fighting and beating a giant enemy is good for cultural literacy. The gospels, maybe the book of Luke if you don't want to repeat yourself three times and wonder why John (the fourth) is different, the book of Acts because it explains the history of the church, the movement from a cult of Jesus in Jerusalem to a "world-wide" religion ("world-wide" being relative to that era).

 

I would also suggest leaving the book out and letting the kids look through it. Whatever pictures thy see that catch their attention will be a good place to pick up some info (they'll see a big whale swallow Jonah, Elijah and a chariot of fire, etc). We had that book, too, but my son shut it and never looked back after reading the story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter to keep a deal with God. So, do be careful of the morbid stories if your kids are sensitive.

 

 

I second everything in this suggestion, but would add St. Paul's letter to the Romans. This gives perspective on how Christianity spread from just the Jewish world, to the Greeks and Romans. Then you can get into Roman history to understand how the emperor's conversion further spread Christianity across the Roman Empire allowing you to tie it all together.

[cavscout96]

I'd say the first book, Genesis and Exodus are ones to read all the way through. In it you'll find those stories that are referenced throughout our culture: "Forbidden Fruit"; snakes = temptation; nakedness = embarrassing; Noah's Ark; Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac; Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors; Moses and the Ten Plagues; Leaving Egypt/Parting of the Red Sea; and others. Stuff with King David is good, the reference of a kid fighting and beating a giant enemy is good for cultural literacy. The gospels, maybe the book of Luke if you don't want to repeat yourself three times and wonder why John (the fourth) is different, the book of Acts because it explains the history of the church, the movement from a cult of Jesus in Jerusalem to a "world-wide" religion ("world-wide" being relative to that era).

 

I would also suggest leaving the book out and letting the kids look through it. Whatever pictures thy see that catch their attention will be a good place to pick up some info (they'll see a big whale swallow Jonah, Elijah and a chariot of fire, etc). We had that book, too, but my son shut it and never looked back after reading the story of Jephthah sacrificing his daughter to keep a deal with God. So, do be careful of the morbid stories if your kids are sensitive.

 

 

I second everything in this suggestion, but would add St. Paul's letter to the Romans. This gives perspective on how Christianity spread from just the Jewish world, to the Greeks and Romans. Then you can get into Roman history to understand how the emperor's conversion further spread Christianity across the Roman Empire allowing you to tie it all together.

[julikins]

I'll preface by saying that we are Christians and I have my degree in Biblical Studies from a well-known conservative seminary. Now, that does not mean I know it all. I would think if your purpose is to give your kids a good idea of what Biblical History is, what it's all about, etc., you cannot skip the beginning. I would say from Creation (Genesis 1) all the way to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, a little of their wanderings and the giving of the Law including the 10 Commandments. If this is in Story format (I'm not familiar with this exact story Bible) it should skip the genealogies and difficult city names, etc. You would after that want to give your children a flavor of the main stories, the well known ones, so the famous people like Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon. From that point it fits nicely with other civilizations like the Babylonians and Persians. Greece at its height happened during the Intertestamental Period (between the end of the Old Testament and the New Testament) and then comes Roman dominance throughout the New Testament. You can't skip any of the story of Jesus in order to understand what Christianity is all about. He's just amazing. And then the spread of "The Way" through the book of Acts is exciting as well. I'm not sure if that is what you're looking for, but that's a general overview of the contents of the Bible. The most important parts being Genesis and the Gospels. And maybe along the way you'll decide to read more. It's really the best book in the world.

[blondchen]

The summary of the Bible contained in the last few chapters of Telling God's Story: A Parent's Guide to Teaching the Bible is wonderful. It provides a concise beginning-to-end overview of the Biblical story, highlighting the major themes, persons and events, and will give you a good idea about what to focus on in order to really understand the message of the Bible (whether or not you believe it's true). The book itself is inexpensive, and a quick and easy read. I highly recommend it.

[Spy Car]

The problem with reading "Children's Bibles" is they totally white-wash the horrific nature of some of these biblical tales. In Children's Bibles something like Noah's Ark might appear like some sweet story. When in reality it is about the extermination of the entire human race (save one family) and most of the animal life by a supernatural being with some serious anger management issues. It is genocide not sweetness, light, and a loving God.

 

If you are going to read Genesis (and you should) read the real deal. Prepare to be shocked.

 

Bill

[fluffybunny]

"Christianity" is not the Old Testament, but the New Testament. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realised this, and most sunday school teachings used to base their stories on the Old Testament. The Old Testament is Judaism. If you want to give your children a true flavour of Christianity, then read one of the gospels, Luke might be the best; but add Matthew's the Sermon on the Mount. Then read a story book about Paul's road to Damascus story where he is blinded by a light. Read some of Paul's letters, especially Galatians, 1Cor 13, and also 1John. These books are the foundation of Western Christian culture.

 

When reading OT stories, it is important to point out to children that it was written 200-800 years before Jesus even walked the earth, and that it makes the basis of Jewish scriputure. The context for writing the OT includes the insecurity and wars around Israel at the time. It is such a huge topic!

[julikins]

We forget that this is God we're talking about. He doesn't succumb to our standards, but us to His. I guess I'm not shocked when I see God dealing with sin ("And they did what was right in their own eyes" Cain murdering his brother only 1 generation after Eden). I'm shocked when I read Genesis, too. Not by God who acted within His rights as God, but by the people who so quickly turned away from their Creator and acted as they wanted to. I am saddened, yes, by the need to completely exterminate the race and most animals, except for a select few. But we must remember, God could have decided to just start all over again altogether. But He didn't, He chose to show mercy on those who still believed in Him, but the thing was, it was only one family. If there had been more, He would have preserved them alive.

If God was just some other being or didn't exist (you have the choice to believe or not), then He wouldn't have the right to do what He did. But since He is God, and He is sovereign, and He is completely Holy and Just, He had the right to act in judgment on them. That is what the Bible teaches and that is what I believe. Others don't see it that way and I have to respect that.

But God did show mercy then and still does today. And He acted in judgment then and He has the right to act in judgment now as well.

I agree with Bill that reading the original source is the best and if you skip the genealogies (though there are some hidden gems in there), it's not too hard a read. You can pre-read it and see if it's something you want your kids to read as well. It’s actually very interesting and show’s God’s relationship with sinful people and how even then they were supposed to live by faith.

I also agree with fluffybunny who says that to get the real flavor of Christianity you must read the Gospels. But I would counter that Jesus is the central point of the Bible, around which the whole revolves. The O.T. sets the stage for the need for Christ. The law was impossible to fulfill in every point. Only Jesus was able to live a perfect life, in complete fulfillment of the heart of the law. And that is why His last words on the cross were “It is finished (or concluded/fulfilled—based on the original language). He is the fulfillment of the law, deeming it done, not necessary any longer. The rest of the N.T. teaches us how we are now to live under this system of Grace, being new Creatures in Christ, having realized we are incapable of living perfectly ourselves, realizing our need for a Savior and accepting what He did on our behalf.

It is such a huge issue, and this may not be the place to have this discussion without it getting out of hand. I have no desire to offend, but to clarify what Christians believe based on Biblical teaching as a whole. Everyone has the right and the duty to make a decision, not based on bias but on information. You cannot make that decision without reading the information yourself. That is why it is important to read the Bible for yourself and not just read what others write about it, but the original message itself.

[Violet Crown]

Sticking to the cultural/literary issues, I vote for getting children familiar with all the stories. To read, say, Paradise Lost in high school, you obviously can't even start without a thorough familiarity with the Genesis story of the Fall; but to get Milton's flood of biblical references (second Adam? jasper sky? "chariot of paternal Deity"?) and so understand the complexity of his thought, you have to know the Gospels, the histories, the prophets, Revelation, everything. (Not to mention a thorough familiarity with classical mythology, and a heaping helping of Jewish mystical tradition.)

 

I rather like the Golden Bible as a start, as it includes lots of the lesser-known stories, and preserves langugage that has had a cultural impact (e.g. the archaic phrase "gave up the ghost" in the crucifixion narrative). Of course the not-child-friendly aspects of the stories are omitted; but I don't find that inappropriate for familiarizing younger children with their cultural inheritance. Just like I have no objection to the D'Aulaires cleaning up Pasiphaë's tryst with the bull, or Enkidu's fling with Shamhat being toned down for young readers. I want my children to understand a reference to "a pillar of salt," but don't feel that entails their knowing about Lot's later relations with his daughters until they're older.

 

A really thorough knowledge of their cultural inheritance is why our family chose classical education for our children in the first place. And I think knowing all the Bible stories, on a level appropriate to their maturity level, is a significant part of that.

 

(For the record, Great Girl did get to college knowing all the parts that her children's Bible, children's Greek and Norse myths, children's Plutarch, and children's Gilgamesh glossed over.)

[albeto]

We forget that this is God we're talking about. He doesn't succumb to our standards, but us to His.

 

But this is a non Christian family we're talking about. These arguments simply aren't going to be persuasive to someone who has no more affection for Yahweh than for Zeus or Odin or Quetzalcoatl. Teaching a child the origins (or at least the Christian versions of the origins) of many of our cultural references, doesn't require this kind of affection.

 

I guess I'm not shocked when I see God dealing with sin ("And they did what was right in their own eyes" Cain murdering his brother only 1 generation after Eden). I'm shocked when I read Genesis, too. Not by God who acted within His rights as God, but by the people who so quickly turned away from their Creator and acted as they wanted to. I am saddened, yes, by the need to completely exterminate the race and most animals, except for a select few. But we must remember, God could have decided to just start all over again altogether. But He didn't, He chose to show mercy on those who still believed in Him, but the thing was, it was only one family. If there had been more, He would have preserved them alive.

 

Do you think this is a necessary view to have for the sake of cultural literacy? I agree with Bill and would encourage the OP to recognize those that deal with vengeance and honor-killing as is. They contribute to our very understanding of justice, and our public policies are inspired with this kind of belief in mind. Punishment for the sake of "righting an offense" is every bit as Godly as "creation." Heck, the entire Jesus story is built on this ideal.

 

If God was just some other being or didn't exist (you have the choice to believe or not), then He wouldn't have the right to do what He did. But since He is God, and He is sovereign, and He is completely Holy and Just, He had the right to act in judgment on them. That is what the Bible teaches and that is what I believe. Others don't see it that way and I have to respect that.

But God did show mercy then and still does today. And He acted in judgment then and He has the right to act in judgment now as well.

 

This is a good reference for cultural literacy, too, in my opinion. The idea that one has the "right" to act in [judeo-christian idealized] judgment on another, autonomous individual is profound in our culture. That's why stories like Noah's ark, the ten plagues culminating in the death of the oldest son, Yahweh sending bears to maul kids for teasing Elijah for his bald head, Jesus taking on the punishment so the individual doesn't have to suffer torturous pain and suffering for all eternity, are good references. It helps explain why we as a society still fund things like punishment in a vastly greater measure than the research to prevent those variables known to contribute to criminal behavior.

[SarahW]

"Christianity" is not the Old Testament, but the New Testament. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realised this, and most sunday school teachings used to base their stories on the Old Testament. The Old Testament is Judaism. If you want to give your children a true flavour of Christianity, then read one of the gospels, Luke might be the best; but add Matthew's the Sermon on the Mount. Then read a story book about Paul's road to Damascus story where he is blinded by a light. Read some of Paul's letters, especially Galatians, 1Cor 13, and also 1John. These books are the foundation of Western Christian culture.

 

When reading OT stories, it is important to point out to children that it was written 200-800 years before Jesus even walked the earth, and that it makes the basis of Jewish scriputure. The context for writing the OT includes the insecurity and wars around Israel at the time. It is such a huge topic!

 

:huh:

 

The Old Testament that Christians use and Jewish Scriptures are separate things. Related, yes, but separate.

 

You can't understand the NT without the OT.

[cavscout96]

 

:huh:

 

The Old Testament that Christians use and Jewish Scriptures are separate things. Related, yes, but separate.

 

You can't understand the NT without the OT.

 

 

Hey.... a topic upon which we completely agree! :)

[fluffybunny]

I also want to add that it is so important to point out that the NT supercedes the OT. By that I mean that if it says, for example: "an eye for an eye" in the OT, and "turn the other cheek" in the NT, then the NT teaching supercedes the former.

 

I really think this is foundational teaching if anyone is to understand Christianity, because so many people who did not learn basic theology are confused about it. For example, how many times have you read comments to news articles from people sending the most inhumane verses from Leviticus to support the idea that 'Christianity is violent'? And then you get groups who don't understand the Christian message, like this one: http://www.splcenter...entity-movement who simply reinforce the idea that Christianity is somehow based on teachings that you should use violence or ostracism, which confirms to the uneducated, who don't understand logical fallacies, and those who are already prejudiced, that Jesus taught this sort of thing!

 

I ran a program in sunday school for a few years, and we used the Telling God's Story text which focuses on the gospels are central. The author writes an introduction about why he starts with the gospels. If you ask anyone who went to sunday school 30 years ago, what they learnt, they will tell you they only learnt stories from the OT! There was a survey I once came across, and most Christians don't even know who Paul was, or that he wrote most of the NT!

 

My 2c :)

[SarahW]

I also want to add that it is so important to point out that the NT supercedes the OT. By that I mean that if it says, for example: "an eye for an eye" in the OT, and "turn the other cheek" in the NT, then the NT teaching supercedes the former.

 

I really think this is foundational teaching if anyone is to understand Christianity, because so many people who did not learn basic theology are confused about it. For example, how many times have you read comments to news articles from people sending the most inhumane verses from Leviticus to support the idea that 'Christianity is violent'? And then you get groups who don't understand the Christian message, like this one: http://www.splcenter...entity-movement who simply reinforce the idea that Christianity is somehow based on teachings that you should use violence or ostracism, which confirms to the uneducated, who don't understand logical fallacies, and those who are already prejudiced, that Jesus taught this sort of thing!

 

I ran a program in sunday school for a few years, and we used the Telling God's Story text which focuses on the gospels are central. The author writes an introduction about why he starts with the gospels. If you ask anyone who went to sunday school 30 years ago, what they learnt, they will tell you they only learnt stories from the OT! There was a survey I once came across, and most Christians don't even know who Paul was, or that he wrote most of the NT!

 

My 2c :)

 

 

Okay, I agree that the Bible should be interpreted through the Gospel. I tend to follow Origen of Alexandria's outline for that. But that's an issue of exegesis, which is quite a bit different from the issue of Bible as Literature that the OP is asking about.

 

I think the problem you're describing is that people usually fail to get Bible teaching beyond children's Sunday School and beyond children's level teaching. The OT has more neat stories. David and Goliath, Esther, Daniel in the Lion's Den - all narratives that kids can latch on to. It's a lot harder to teach Romans at that level, kwim? This is why when it comes to Sunday School curriculum for kids I prefer a theology-based program over a chronological-Bible program.

 

But for the OP's purposes, all of those OT Bible stories is what she's looking for. But the question is how deep do you want to delve in something like this. You can read Jonah to kids fine, but how do you explain "jeremiad" and "Ahab" as used in recent literature in a simple manner? I would say that it's not simple, and to get the full texture of how these references are used you need to do more than read a few stories from the OT. I know that there are college-level textbooks that are specifically for the topic of Bible as Literature, but I can't think of anything for younger kids right now. A chronological-history study is the closest I can think of, such as MP's, but I have no idea how much exegesis and theology they have in the program.

[KarenNC]

In part, it depends on the ages of your children. Just as with Classical mythology, there are plenty of parts in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures that I wouldn't teach to a young child, including some that I consider important culturally. All sacred literature regardless of culture deals with human beings, and human beings can do some pretty awful things to each other, as well as tell stories about their deities doing pretty awful things to humans.

 

We're also not Christian, and I'm planning to use "The Bible and Its Influence" to help my daughter gain a basic literacy in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Bible as a basis for understanding referents in literature, architecture, the arts, etc. It's from the Bible Literacy Project http://www.bibleliteracy.org/site/. I'm planning to start as soon as we finish with our current Classical mythology studies, as I want both of these covered in reasonable depth prior to high school lit and art history, so basically for 8th grade (we school year-round). This is a high school level curriculum, so probably won't work as well if your kids are in the elementary grades. The text is used in conjunction with reading the Scriptures, and we have several from which to choose in the house (KJV, NIV, Tanakh, Vulgate, Oxford Annotated Study Bible which I believe is the RSV, etc). From what I can tell without actually having the text in hand yet, it covers the differences between the Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Scriptures as well as the differences in the Bibles used by Catholics, Anglicans, and Protestants. In case you aren't aware, there is material that is considered canon---equally part of sacred Scripture--- by Catholics and thus just part of the regular Catholic Bible; not canon but useful for teaching by Anglicans, so included as a separate section between the Old and New Testaments; and left completely out of most Protestant Bibles. It's often called the Apocrypha by non-Catholics.

.

For you, I'd also recommend watching Dr. Amy Jill Levine's lecture here http://www.ucsd.tv/s...x?showID=5577 ---- "Reassessing Jewish-Christian Relations." She touches on some of the differences between the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Old Testament. I'd love to get her lectures from the Great Courses. She's a professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and a practicing Conservative Jew. Excellent lecturer. I'm planning to have my daughter watch it in conjunction with the above studies.

 

When we covered comparative religion in the younger grades, I used the DK Illustrated Children's Bible (I liked the contextual information) and A Faith Like Mine (along with other similar DK books). The BBC Schools website has a basic comparative religions website that includes Christianity http://www.bbc.co.uk.../christianity/.

[mo2]

Wow. I've been gone for a few days and certainly didn't expect to see all this when I logged on today. Thank you for all the thoughtful responses and I will be back later to respond more. I should have mentioned, though, that I was intending to read the Golden Children's Bible aloud to my 11, 6, and 4 yos. So, I don't really mind if it is a bit "whitewashed" because we will cover it again more in depth when we use The Bible and Its Influence later on. While I agree that they will eventually need to read the original, I'm okay with putting that off for a few years. Sort of like how we read Mary Pope Osborne's The Odyssey and Rosemary Sutcliffe's Iliad before we read the original.

[lovemykids]

I agree but I have also found from personal experience that the Bible is a little different; we read both the whitewashed version and then the whole thing out of the Bible. When my ADHD daughter was very young, the Bible was the only read aloud that would actually catch her attention. I think children can be exposed to it without detriment. Just my opinion...

[Marylou]

The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy has a whole chapter about the Bible.

[JDoe]

Suggest you get the "original" Koine greek version and just let them read whatever they want. :lurk5: