I'm 15. I grew up in a Catholic/Born Again family, though I never really felt connected to my religion. For as long as I can remember, I've been agnostic. I bought a bible over a year ago in an attempt to bridge that gap, but I didn't really push through. I know that building a connection with God requires effort, and I want to do that since I want to find the meaning and purpose of my life but I don't know how to start or what to do. I feel quite ashamed trying to talk to my family about it, because they don't know that I haven't been a firm believer like they thought I was.

Someone left a note under my windshield with “Revelation 6:8”. I am unsure why someone would leave this on my car, and it was in a secluded parking lot. Any help understanding would be appreciated.

Potentially dumb question, but why in English do we call the two letters of Paul to the Church in Thessaloniki/Thessalonika the letters to the Thessalonians? Wouldn't Thessalonikans make more sense?

I also checked the Greek titling (ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΙΣ, thessalonikeis) and the Latin version (Thessalonicenses), and both of those should have hypothetically been Anglicized as "Thessalonikans" (or Thessalonicans).

So where did Thessalonians come from?

Hello! I'm new to the faith, and I'm looking for advice on which Bible translation to get.

Ideally, I'd like a “general-purpose” translation that I can use for daily reading, in-depth study, and long-term use. The reason is pretty simple: I just like owning one thing! 😂

I understand that comparing multiple translations can be helpful, but personally, I feel like owning several would be a little cluttered. I also travel a lot for work, sometimes to places with unreliable internet access, so I'd prefer to have a single physical Bible that I can rely on wherever I go.

I asked a youth pastor about this, and they recommended the NIV since I'm new to the faith and English isn't my first language. I checked it out briefly, and while it was certainly easy to understand, I found the writing a little simpler than what I personally prefer. It just didn't quite resonate with me.

So naturally, I may have overcorrected and checked out the KJV instead. 😭 I struggled to understand much of it and barely made it through a few chapters. It's a beautifully written translation, but it most certainly isn't for me. The NKJV wasn't quite what I was looking for, either.

Earlier today, I asked someone else at our church for recommendations, and she suggested either the CSB or the ESV, saying they might be right up my alley. I haven't had a chance to check either one out yet.

With all that in mind, what would you recommend as a “do-it-all” Bible translation? I'm looking for something that's readable without feeling oversimplified, suitable for serious study, and worth growing old with.

I’ve never been huge on religion but wanted to give it a fair shot so was curious which book is best to start with since I believe theres quite a few like the psalms, old testament etc (I could be wrong im no expert)

I am Fuad from Azerbaijan. I suffer from loss of emotions, loss of libido, shrinkage of genitals. I am suffering for some years and I want to heal. Maybe some of you have personal and real relationship with god so your prayer will heal me like Jesus himself healed sick.

What do make of Genesis and the creation of the universe? I know it is not to be taken literally but how do you interpret it? I mean everything in there is just wrong. The timescale, the order of events, the description of the galaxy, our solar system and earth and how life evolved.

I'm just curious how you read the first chapter of the bible so that it makes sense to you.

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 1 according to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

Seems like messianic verse talking about Jesus Christ who was also a prophet. Especially with the verse 19.

I'm at Exodus chapter 13:16 and I am like 😟. First the Lord is about to KILL Moses for not being circumcised, then after like 10 plagues, he kills the first born male everything in Egypt to urge Pharaoh to let his people go, now he wants all the Isrealites to sacrifice their first born male everything in remembrance or appreciation of him freeing them from Egypt..... why is he doing so much wheeling, dealing and killing in this book? Is he asking them to kill their firstborn son or just like sign over parental rights?????

The more I read the more lost I am as to what is/was happening

I found what I was missing; this verse sums it all up.

Hi everyone,
I recently been intrigued by religion for my own personal knowledge and I want to inform myself by reading the bible but I have questions. So my first language is French and I would prefer reading the bible in my first language but I also manage in English and I would want to know which version do you recommend because I made some research and as it appears the most complete or the version with the mosts books is the Ethiopian version but as far as my research goes each version is more inclined to be written in a more protestants/catholic/ ect so I discovered a version TOB (traduction oecunumerique de la bible) which as been written by various types of Christians and I think this version would be great because I want to have has much knowledge has possible and this one contains something like 82 books and different point of view
What do you think!
Thank you

Isaiah 9:6-7 has been on my heart:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder... Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end."

I noticed something I missed before.

The Kingdom of God is not something we build, or vote in, or work up to. It is GIVEN. A Child is born. A Son is given. The government is already on HIS shoulder, not mine.

And then verse 7 says "Of the increase of his government... there will be no end." That means His Kingdom doesn't shrink, it keeps increasing.

So where is it increasing?

Not just in history books. It increases: - In my heart, when His Wonderful Counselor replaces my confusion - In my home, when His Prince of Peace replaces my anxiety - In my choices, when His Mighty God replaces my weakness

The Child was born once in Bethlehem, but His government increases daily in us.

What does "the government shall be upon his shoulder" mean to you today in your daily battles?

Let's talk about it from Isaiah 9.

²⁷ And last of all the woman died also.

²⁸ Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

²⁹ Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

³¹ But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

³² I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

³³ And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

Matthew 22:27-33 KJV

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If by "in the resurrection" Jesus meant just at the point of resurrection (as the NIV communicates) Jesus is just saying here that there will be no marrying literally at the resurrection.

In Mark's gospel this is literally what the Sadducees are asking about, whose wife will she be when people are raised from the dead:

²³ In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

Which is to say it should be read the same way in Matthew, that they are asking about what happens at the point of resurrection, though it is popularly read as what will happen throughout the resurrection - since this is clearly the content of the Sadducees question in Mark.

With that in mind, Jesus might only talking about what happens at the resurrection, not throughout it. People will be like the angels at the resurrection, there will be no marrying at the resurrection - this still leaves the possibility of there being marriage after the resurrection.

It honestly reads to me like Jesus is correcting them (he says they err) because their Sadducean bias has led them to forget that marriage is over after death, and then he says there will be no marrying at the resurrection. They're making the assumption she will be someone's wife and Jesus says, you're in error, there's no marrying at the resurrection. In their want to disprove the resurrection they forgot that marriage is over after death and she wouldn't be anyone's wife.

This leaves only one thing, the crowd was astonished at what Jesus said. I admit it makes more sense for them to be astonished because he said there will be no more marriage and people will be like the angels, but if 1st century Jews would be astonished at someone proving the resurrection, then it's still possible he did not say that.

Besides Jesus's sacrifice?

Reading through Matthew this week and I keep seeing this phrase:

"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Matthew 4:17 ESV

Also Matthew 13 where Jesus gives so many parables of the Kingdom — like treasure hidden in a field, like a mustard seed.

It strikes me that the Kingdom is both present now and coming in fullness later. We are already in it if we are in Christ, but not yet seeing it fully.

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17 ESV

How do you understand the "at hand" nature of the Kingdom? What has helped you live more aware of His Kingdom day to day?

Would love to learn from your study.

Ezekiel 18:20–23
20 The person who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor shall the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous person shall be credited to that person, and the wickedness of the wicked person shall be charged against that person.
21 But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, that person shall surely live and shall not die.
22 None of the transgressions that person has committed shall be remembered against them. Because of the righteousness they have practiced, they shall live.
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares Yahuah. Is it not rather that the wicked should turn away from their ways and live?

Should I just start at Genesis, or read whatever convicts me?

A friend told me I should start reading the bible, I’ve always been iffy on god and haven’t had a lot of faith but I want to start working on my spiritual side and I want to learn more about god before I make any sort of decision. What’s the order that the bible should be read in?

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Test what you hear and remain firmly rooted in the truth.

Isn’t a “testament” either a “last will” or the court testimony of a witness?  An eBible search of “testimony” or “witness” gets a lot of hits, mostly people talking about what “happened.”  When God talks, it’s usually someone testifying about what they heard. 

So I’m wondering if, instead of God just “supernaturally” setting the whole thing up, the “testaments” got passed along to us because people believed the “eyewitnesses?”  If so, a lot of people must have had similar experiences and “testified” the same kinds of things.  

In a courtroom, the main question is always whether to believe the testimony given.  Is the Bible more about actually believing the testimony, as compared to just edifying reading?