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Bible translation / version


awkward-yet-sweet

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Which version or translation of the Bible do you use personally?  Is this the same as your faith community, or different?  What led you to your selection?  Do you believe one version is better or more accurate than another, and if so, why?

 

In the Bible Belt where I live, there are a large number of King-James-Only folks.  I prefer the NKJV myself, and my faith community leans strongly towards KJV/NKJV preferred.  I use it because that's what my family uses, although my husband has a bunch of different versions on the shelf for comparison.  

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I personally have a collection of about 18 Bibles and the Jewish Tanakh.  One Bible from 50 years ago has four side by side versions in in.  I have an RSV Bible with the first time the word Homosexual was actually used in a Bible in 1946.  The translators who compiled the RSV were quickly shown their Translation error. The New Revised Standard Version Bible which is preferred in the Episcopal Church for Sunday readings does not have the word Homosexual in it.  As a lay minister of the Word, I actually could (and have) read other versions on occasions with my priests permission.  For Bible Study any version is fine, and the library of my parish has over 20 versions that we can table up during Bible Study.  More fun that way.   The version of NRSV that we use has the books of the Apocrypha in them and we actually read them.

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Maybe I shouldn't be here, since I no longer consider myself as a christian.  But I did for a large part of my life.  So…

 

Growing up (Lutheran) we used the KJV, but this was in the 50's.  It kinda was The Bible.  Later, I acquired a collection of different versions.  I also had one of those parallel NT with 4 versions together.  Some were considered paraphrases instead of direct translations.

My personal carry bible was NKJ.  I actually wore that one out and rebound it myself.  (Bookbinding is interesting)

 

But like I said, my spiritual life has taken a turn, and although I still have a number of bibles around, I seldom crack one.  I suppose after all these years, I have a weird relationship with christianity.

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I've got a number of Bibles (no surprise given I'm ordained) that I've used through the years in different translations. These include The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)--computer version since I don't have room for all 120 odd books, A couple of KJV, a NKJV, several NIV, a Holcomb Standard Bible, a NOAB, an NIV Reformation study Bible (RSB), a NRSV and a couple of obscure versions, as well as a Greek New Testament and a Hebrew Torah.

 

I use them for different purposes. For example, I use the NJB for serious theological study and research, the RSB for daily study and reformation studies as it has a number of other things in it such as the Westminster Confession and the Canons of Dort, the KJV for the psalms and Luke 2 (I like the poetry), a pocket NIV that is in my glove compartment in the car, the NRSV for my nightly reading, etc. I find each is beautiful in itsfar too many people  own right, and all have value.

 

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when reading them and interpreting them that far too many people forget.

 

First, as my professor of Old Testament Theology used to say, "Never take a single verse in isolation. Always exegete the entire passage." For example, my late mother's favorite verse was Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O man what is good, and what doe the Lord require of thee save to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with thy Lord." A great rule to live by, right? BUT, when the entire passage is examined, it turns out that this particular verse is the conclusion of a rebuke of Israel for turning away from God. Viewed in this light, there is a wholly different context to the verse.

 

Second, it's a good idea to read the commentaries available as well as different translations. For example, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's work on Genesis changed my view of both sin and the fallen nature of the world. Similarly, his seminal work "The Cost of Discipleship" changed my view on what it means to be a Christian. Dramatically.

 

A final thought for this post--don't be afraid to engage in a respectful and open manner with other faiths. It only will affirm yours.

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@Marcie Jensen As always, I find your comments interesting, especially in relation to faith.  Since you mention the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Torah, have you studied the Biblical languages?  If so, how literal do you find translations such as KJV/NKJV to the original texts?  What do you think makes a version a "paraphrase?"  My husband firmly believes in literal texts, and actually describes NIV as being more like a paraphrase...

 

As for the languages, my husband has some knowledge of Greek and Hebrew from his college days, and has copies of the New and Old Testaments in original language, as well as "interlinear books."  Even though I grew up in a Greek family, my ability to read is extremely limited.  And from what I can tell, Koine Greek is to modern Greek as Shakespearean English is to our current language. 

 

I'll admit, I've tried to read some sections of commentary and that stuff makes only minimal sense to me.  I'm not a theologian, or even an intellectual sort.  I enjoy trying to learn, but I'm not very good at this stuff. 

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@awkward-yet-sweet Greek and Hebrew are denominational requirements for ordination. I learned Biblical (ancient/Koine) Greek in seminary and actually had to translate a New Testament passage from Greek to English as part of my ordination exams, and then develop a sermon outline from my translation. So, yes, I would have say that I've studied Biblical language. I've also read the Qu'ran in Arabic, but that was a very long time ago and I doubt I could do it again easily. An odd side effect of the Arabic is I understand a lot of Aramaic when I hear it--I discovered this when I watched Mel Gibson's "The Passion."

 

As far as the literal translations of any version version, one has to keep in mind the time frame of the translation and the linguistic nuances and idioms used. For example, English was a bit different in the early 17th century than it is now. For example, in the Lord's Prayer, the KJV uses the phrase "...forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," which later translations changed to, "forgive us our trespasses..." Both are solid translations; for the time period in which they are written. IMHO, the best translation available at present is the New Jerusalem Bible due to a number of factors including scholarship, idiomatic phrasing from the original texts, and many others. It also comes with in depth commentaries for each book which I find useful for both study and research. To express it a bit better, if I'm reading from the pulpit, say Psalms, the Nativity or Christ's Passion, I prefer the KJV, but for my dissertation research, I'm using the New Jerusalem Bible (as well as for sermon prep.)

 

As to paraphrasing the Bible, well, I've never come across one. Different translations yes, but when the content is examined side by side the meaning of the text itself is virtually identical. I'm afraid your husband and I will have to respectfully agree to disagree about the NIV, et al. The majesty of the language in the KJV is beautiful, but for most people it's impractical for daily use due to the evolution of English between 1603 (when the KJV was translated) and 2023. 

 

Frankly, the only translation that has made me cringe is the Cotton Patch Bible, which takes the Gospels of Matthew and John and re-frames them to happen in modern day Georgia. I was once challenged to read it by a colleague and didn't make it all the way through. It made my skin crawl.

 

And, I agree with you about your comparison between Konie and modern Greek. I think the same comparison can be made between the KJV and any other more recent translation.

 

Hope this answers your questions.

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Out of curiosity, do you base your faith/theology solely on the Bible, or do you consider other sources like tradition?   What are your thoughts on writings that were contemporary to the New Testament, but not included in the canon?

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@Marcie Jensen  I don't find KJV to be unusable, as we still read Shakespeare in school with little difficulty.   Of course, people's English language skills vary, and I can definitely see it being an issue for recent immigrants who are not English-fluent.  NKJV seems to remove all the difficulties of the original KJV language.  Do you find that version to be accurate? 

 

As for basing faith solely on the Bible - that is a definite YES.  Some contemporary writings such as the books of the Apocrypha provide some cultural and historical context, but aren't regarded in my community as being divinely inspired.  I grew up Orthodox, and the books of the Apocrypha were included in the Orthodox Bible, but in my current faith community they are kept in a separate volume.  And things such as the "Gnostic Gospels" are entirely rejected, with some people seeing them as being misleading. 

 

My community tries to use the Bible very literally.  For example, qualifications for the ministry from 1 Timothy 3.  Some denominations accept women to the ministry, my community does not and has very rigid standards for elected spiritual elders.   But there's also flexibility for personal belief.  Most marriages among us look fairly modern.  But some women choose to be very conservative, wearing dresses instead of pants and choosing to stay home rather than work at a job.  It is an interesting balance. 

 

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2 hours ago, Ivy said:

Out of curiosity, do you base your faith/theology solely on the Bible, or do you consider other sources like tradition?   What are your thoughts on writings that were contemporary to the New Testament, but not included in the canon?

I'm a Calvinist, so i am an adherent of Sole Scriptorum--Scripture alone. As for non-canonical writings, well, that a lot more complex. I regard the Apocrypha as useful, but not canon and not Scripture. Other writings, such as the so called Gnostic gospels as utter bunk. I mean no offense to anyone by this, but there are too many issues with them for any credible Christian theologian to accept them; it starts with their name. In Konie Greek, Gnosis means "secret" which is where the term Gnostic derives from. The is, and never has been, anything secret about Christ's teachings. Additionally, other major issues arise with them that discredit them. For example, the so called Gospel of Judas contradicts all the canonical Gospels; bit of a problem there... Another major issue is in the so called Gospel of Mary where the apostles are sitting around getting secret knowledge from Jesus and Mary is present. Peter raises an objection saying words to the effect of "Master, Mary needs to leave because she's a woman, and women can't have this knowledge and get into heaven." Jesus responds to this by saying, "It's okay, Peter. I will make her a man and then she can receive this knowledge." All sorts of problems there... This is a Readers Digest version, and doesn't fully explain things. That is something for an in depth discussion its own right. Oh lest I forget, most of the Gnostic writings were written around 300 AD and a literary practice of the time was to use the name of a more famous person to gain credibility (aka: the Gospel of Peter).

 

As far as "tradition" goes, the first thing I think of is Tevye in Fiddler on the roof. But, you deserve a more serious reply despite my warped sense of humor. By tradition, I'm assuming you're talking about Roman Catholicism or Anglicanism. My response to that is that while I respect their beliefs, I don't subscribe to them. In fact, and again I mean no offense to anyone, I regard some practices of theirs, such as praying to saints, as skirting the edge of idolatry. I hope that clarifies things.

 

And, @awkward-yet-sweet, my apologies. I didn't men to say or imply that YOU have trouble with the KJV or NKJV. Rather, it was a generalization based on scholastic research by a number of clergy, lay people and theologians. Your point on women as clergy is interesting, and one I've not only heard before, but debated. I happen to subscribe to the view that in terms of Scripture, women have been ordained since the earliest of times. Without (literally) going into chapter and vers, here are a few example from both testaments. I would argue that Sarah, Miriam, Rebecca, Rachael, Rahab, and Esther were ordained as were Mary (Jesus' mother), Mary Clopas, Mary Salome, Mary Magdalene, Martha and Joanna. It's also important to remember that Jesus chose to reveal Himself after he was risen to these women. This detail carries considerable weight, as in Jesus' time, women were regarded as being so unreliable that they weren't allowed to testify in court, own property and a whole host of other things under Jewish law.  

 

As for whether or not I regard the KJV or NKJV as "accurate," I believe I've already addressed that and I'm not going to get into the debate on inerrancy v. infallibility v. literal interpretation etc. Sorry, but that's one minefield that I won't step into as there isn't an acceptable position among too many folks. 

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1 hour ago, Hannah Renee said:

Somewhere I have a Bible ty the Anglichat is 100 years older than I am. KJV. The one I've used for the last 20+ years is the New Living Translation. 

I'm not surprised, Hannah. There have been multiple translations of the Bible that predate the KJV. What the KJV did was establish an "official" version in English for the nascent protestant denominations in what is now the UK. Before he was James I of England he was James VI of Scotland. An intriguing piece of trivia surrounding the KJV was that it was originally known as "the authorized version" and was intended to replace the "Bishops' Bible" then in use by the Church of England. (That or the Geneva Bible may have been the version you read.)

 

I've also got a copy of the NLT, which I really like. It was a gift, and one I've used to preach with.

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1 hour ago, Marcie Jensen said:

 it was originally known as "the authorized version"

Some think that still applies to it.  I mean, it says so, in the book itself!

 

Another book James was responsible for was "Daemonologie, In Forme of a Dialogue, Divided into three Books: By the High and Mighty Prince, James &c" which some credit with being instrumental in the witch hunts in Europe, and later New England.

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5 hours ago, Marcie Jensen said:

I'm not surprised, Hannah. There have been multiple translations of the Bible that predate the KJV. What the KJV did was establish an "official" version in English for the nascent protestant denominations in what is now the UK.

 

As I recall, the KJV was also intended to replace the Geneva Bible, and relied on it somewhat.  Not a ton of difference between the two, but apparently the king did not enjoy the comments printed in the margins which tended to be anti-monarchist.  The Geneva Bible was the version used by the early American colonists. 

 

My community doesn't use the word "Protestant" but the feel of our Scripture lessons and preaching tends to be a combination of Lutheran and Pentecostal, with a touch of LDS influence

 

I suppose we could have a whole new thread on the ministry, its qualifications, etc...  Like all things about faith, the discussion tree can end up with a lot of branches. 

 

Biblical inerrency/infallibility could be topic of its own.  I don't quite understand the difference between those two words, even when my husband explains it to me.  I'm kind of simple, and big words aren't my thing.  I brought it up at dinner this evening, and he said that the Bible is "absolutely and unquestionably inerrent, infallible, complete, pure, and beautiful."  He says that logically, if the Bible wasn't those things, then 2 Timothy 3:15-17 couldn't be true:

 

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

Makes sense to me, but I'm still learning.  I feel a bit silly when I don't always understand this stuff.  My husband talks about these things with his young kids and has them memorize scripture and explanations about certain topics.  My parents didn't do that with me, and I think our Orthodox beliefs were more culture and tradition than anything. 

 

 

 

 

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12 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

 

As I recall, the KJV was also intended to replace the Geneva Bible, and relied on it somewhat.  Not a ton of difference between the two, but apparently the king did not enjoy the comments printed in the margins which tended to be anti-monarchist.  The Geneva Bible was the version used by the early American colonists. 

 

My community doesn't use the word "Protestant" but the feel of our Scripture lessons and preaching tends to be a combination of Lutheran and Pentecostal, with a touch of LDS influence

The KJV has a lengthy history that is rich, diverse and convoluted. It met with resistance from the Puritans, the Scots (both Presbyterian and Church of Scotland--Anglicans in kilts) and the Church of England. And I can state categorically that it was used by the colonists. The Episcopal church I attended in MD when I was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground has a mis-printed KJV known as the "Vinegar Bible" due to a misspelling in the parable of the vineyard. This particular copy dates to the late 1600s and is kept in a sealed vault. It's huge and is only used in services at Easter. When I was stationed there in the early 1990s it was appraised at I believe about $3.2 million as an historical artifact.

 

Sorry about the use of protestant; I didn't mean to insult anyone's particular community of faith. Rather, when I use the term "protestant" it's in in its historical context, meaning those denominations that broke from Rome beginning with the Lutherans and followed by Calvinsts/Presbyterians/Dutch Reformed, Anabaptists, Charismatics, Congregationalists, Anglicans and so forth. If anyone has a more accurate term for the denominations that aren't Roman Catholic or Orthodox, please let me know.

 

I'm also happy to discuss things like inerrancy v. infallibility and ordination requirements individually by PM, but not in an open thread as these are still controversial within the church body and we don't need the dissension they often cause. The same holds true for the various LDS groups. During my time in the military, I had the honor of serving with a number of LDS soldiers and they have a diverse series of viewpoints--for some reason they are drawn to military intelligence. And they're good at it.

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@Marcie Jensen  Anglicans actually fit better with the Roman and Orthodox Churches.  The source of Anglicanism was King Henry Viii who cut political ties with the Bishop of Rome.  Henry as his father's second son was educated as a priest / theologian during his prince days.  Prince Henry rebutted Martin Luther's Theses and earned the title Defender Of The Faith, (which British kings still retain,) from the Pope of that time.  It was a successor Pope that King Henry broke with.

 

The Protestant Episcopal Church Of The United States Of America (TEC) which is a member of The World Wide Anglican Communion uses "Protestant" in its title as an adjective to signify that it is NOT governed by The Roman Catholic Church.    The fine tuning of the word Episcopal there to designate that TEC follows the tradition of Bishops in Apostolic Succession* along with sacramental and liturgical uses.  The Bishop Of Rome aka Pope is regarded as a single patriarch to be listened to, but who does not rule church doctrine or management.  The Archbishop of Canterbury is seen as equal to the Bishop Of Rome, but also does not rule church doctrine of TEC.    TEC's doctrines and canons are derived from Scripture, Tradition, and Prayerfully Discerned Human Reason by laity and clergy at triennial General Conventions.

 

*Apostolic Succession is another element that causes controversy in church structure as well.

 

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1 hour ago, VickySGV said:

Henry as his father's second son was educated as a priest / theologian during his prince days.  Prince Henry rebutted Martin Luther's Theses and earned the title Defender Of The Faith

I knew he had rebutted Luther, but didn't know about his education… interesting.

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1 hour ago, VickySGV said:

@Marcie Jensen  Anglicans actually fit better with the Roman and Orthodox Churches.  The source of Anglicanism was King Henry Viii who cut political ties with the Bishop of Rome.  Henry as his father's second son was educated as a priest / theologian during his prince days.  Prince Henry rebutted Martin Luther's Theses and earned the title Defender Of The Faith, (which British kings still retain,) from the Pope of that time.  It was a successor Pope that King Henry broke with.

 

The Protestant Episcopal Church Of The United States Of America (TEC) which is a member of The World Wide Anglican Communion uses "Protestant" in its title as an adjective to signify that it is NOT governed by The Roman Catholic Church.    The fine tuning of the word Episcopal there to designate that TEC follows the tradition of Bishops in Apostolic Succession* along with sacramental and liturgical uses.  The Bishop Of Rome aka Pope is regarded as a single patriarch to be listened to, but who does not rule church doctrine or management.  The Archbishop of Canterbury is seen as equal to the Bishop Of Rome, but also does not rule church doctrine of TEC.    TEC's doctrines and canons are derived from Scripture, Tradition, and Prayerfully Discerned Human Reason by laity and clergy at triennial General Conventions.

 

*Apostolic Succession is another element that causes controversy in church structure as well.

 

Absolutely they do! I had a parish priest who jokingly referred to Anglicanism as "Catholic lite." I'm just not always sure just how much Reformation History to include without going off into the proverbial weeds. (My second bachelor's degree is in Reformation History as the period has always fascinated me.)  And, yes, the term "protestant" does only signify that a particular denomination is not governed by Rome and the pope. There are a number of episcopacies among Protestantism in general. In addition to the Anglican communion, Methodists and Lutherans also have bishops. Theirs are elected. I say this keeping in mind that all episcopacy means is "governed by bishops." This in contrast to Presbyterianism, which means "governed by presbyteries." (Humorous side note on presbyteries--Congress uses operating rules derived for the early Presbyterian church in the USA. We all have seen just how well that works.)

 

The TEC's governance and doctrine works well for its members, and speaking personally, I always enjoy an Episcopal service. I just happen to differ theologically with a number of TEC precepts in several areas that are only relevant in terms of scholarly theological debate. And, yes, Apostolic Succession is a controversial topic that crosses many denominational lines as well as within denominations themselves. It's one of those dividing elements that IMHO, causes more harm than good. I shan't get on my soapbox about how the church needs to quit concentrating on the things we differ on and start talking about how we are one body in Christ and how much the denominations have in common.

 

Vicky, your comments are always thoughtful, well reasoned and well worth reading. Thank you.

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14 hours ago, Marcie Jensen said:

Sorry about the use of protestant; I didn't mean to insult anyone's particular community of faith. Rather, when I use the term "protestant" it's in in its historical context, meaning those denominations that broke from Rome beginning with the Lutherans and followed by Calvinsts/Presbyterians/Dutch Reformed, Anabaptists, Charismatics, Congregationalists, Anglicans and so forth. If anyone has a more accurate term for the denominations that aren't Roman Catholic or Orthodox, please let me know.

 

I'm also happy to discuss things like inerrancy v. infallibility and ordination requirements individually by PM, but not in an open thread as these are still controversial within the church body and we don't need the dissension they often cause. The same holds true for the various LDS groups. During my time in the military, I had the honor of serving with a number of LDS soldiers and they have a diverse series of viewpoints--for some reason they are drawn to military intelligence. And they're good at it.

 

I don't think there's really another term available for "not Catholic."  Although I think some groups prefer not to use the word Protestant for different reasons.  I guess for some, it has a Calvinist association.  For others, perhaps they see themselves as the "real" church and thus not "protesting" anything.  Words are so tricky! 

 

I hadn't thought about inerrancy/infallibility/ministry as a point of major contention.  But if it wasn't, then people wouldn't say things like "don't talk about religion or politics at a family dinner or on a date."  😆 

 

For a lot of things in life, not just the Bible, I simply don't have much experience.  My husband is the head of the house, and he also has several degrees and qualifications.  I've mostly let him teach me the last few years, as he has a way of explaining things in a way that I get.  It is interesting to hear other viewpoints to compare, though. 

 

Has anybody tried reading a chronological Bible?  I just picked one up (NKJV), and I'm hoping to read through the whole thing....I've never figured out quite where to start with a normal Bible except at the beginning, and things stop making sense about midway through Leviticus 🙄 

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7 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

things stop making sense about midway through Leviticus

I understand

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8 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

 

I don't think there's really another term available for "not Catholic."  Although I think some groups prefer not to use the word Protestant for different reasons.  I guess for some, it has a Calvinist association.  For others, perhaps they see themselves as the "real" church and thus not "protesting" anything.  Words are so tricky! 

 

I hadn't thought about inerrancy/infallibility/ministry as a point of major contention.  But if it wasn't, then people wouldn't say things like "don't talk about religion or politics at a family dinner or on a date."  😆 

 

For a lot of things in life, not just the Bible, I simply don't have much experience.  My husband is the head of the house, and he also has several degrees and qualifications.  I've mostly let him teach me the last few years, as he has a way of explaining things in a way that I get.  It is interesting to hear other viewpoints to compare, though. 

 

Has anybody tried reading a chronological Bible?  I just picked one up (NKJV), and I'm hoping to read through the whole thing....I've never figured out quite where to start with a normal Bible except at the beginning, and things stop making sense about midway through Leviticus 🙄 

Protestant actually derives from Martin Luther's 95 theses, which predate Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion. In a piece of Calvin trivia, John Calvin (Jean Cauvin in French) was trained as a Catholic canon lawyer and wrote the Institutes for King Henry of France. For this, he was forced to flee to Switzerland, where he was free to preach and write. 

 

Frankly, I don't recommend a chronological Bible for a number of reasons. To begin, the Bible isn't arranged in specific chronological order. It's arranged categorically. The Old Testament is divided as follows: The first 5 books are Torah--written by Moses and are considered in Judaism as "The Law." Then come the Histories, followed by the major prophets, the books of wisdom and finally by the minor prophets. The New Testament begins with the Gospels ("Good News" in Greek) followed by the Epistles (Mostly Pauline works) and finally Revelation. Note: NOT "Revelations" as it's commonly known. The Apocrypha are the books of the Catholic Bible that Protestant theologians regard as "extra canonical," mostly because they were written in Greek rather than Hebrew and there is some debate as to when they were written.

 

If I were to recommend any particular order in which to begin "reading the Bible," I would suggest starting with The Gospel of John, using a good study Bible with cross references to Old Testament works. I would also use various commentaries as I read specific books for better insight. For example, Matthew Henry's commentaries are a pretty good source for most, although things such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer's writings on Genesis and Original Sin are still considered definitive after nearly 100 years. I would also suggest that getting into a Bible study group is important. As is finding theologians who are well respected and reading what they have to say; even if you don't happen to agree with them.

 

For example, I'm not a real big fan of Justo Gonzalez; a Cuban priest and theologian who somehow managed to graft, imho, the worst aspects of communism onto Catholic teaching. He is important, though, because it can be reasonably argued he is one of the founders of the social justice movement within the church. Therefore, his work has had significant impact on Christianity and is important.

 

It's stuff like the above that makes getting an MDIV a three year process on average and requires 90 hours or so of post graduate work. It's also enough to cause many a night of headaches, lol.

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      They put her in a room with soft walls, low lighting, even a soft floor, for observation.  The bed was fastened to the wall and the blankets and sheets on the bottom and far side could not be pulled out.  There was a built in pillow.  There was a stainless steel toilet with a tank on the other side of the wall and a stainless steel sink where you had to put your hand under to start it. Lukewarm water.  Soap dispenser with the tank on the other side of the wall. Small black half-globe in the middle of the ceiling.  Soft grey walls.  If this did not drive someone crazy, nothing would.  No clock.  Just the ventilation constantly humming and no outside noises, no window, no clue as to the time of day.  She had a hospital gown on and paper underwear furnished by the hospital, lest, she supposed, she find a way to kill herself with her regular underwear.  That would be a sad way to go. "Please put my gi in cold water. I don't want the blood to set," she said to the camera, but there was no response. Act normal, she told herself. You want out of here.  This was the low-stimulation therapy chamber, supposed to calm people down. She had read about it. Nothing to read, nothing to look at.  Finally she looked at the bands on her wrist.  The bright orange one said UNIT 304.  She closed her eyes and thought about the map of the hospital in the ER room.  It had all three floors.  ER on one, operating rooms and stuff on two, maternity and an unnamed area on 3.  It might as well say PSYCH WARD she figured. Or LOONEY BIN.  If she was here much longer she would go nuts. She looked at the other band, a white band with black lettering. Arial font.  Nicely spaced borders around everything.  Text above and the UPC code or whatever below.  She thought maybe she had time to crack the code and be able to figure out what it read. She read the text.  JONES TAYLOR A.  Correct. DOB.  No periods, just the letters.  04-03-2000. That was correct. Nice they kept the zeros so these things would be consistent. F.  She stared at that.  F.   The next line was MICHAELS A.  That was her doctor.  The F could only be gender.  He was some kind of a specialist in the field of sex and he had called her F.  Her drivers' license and medical insurance and Social Security card and birth certificate, even her Voter ID, had M.  She went over and over it.  There was no M anyway that would indicate gender. Only F. She had plenty to think about.  Lunch was a tasteless hamburger served by an expressionless somebody who obviously had orders not to talk.  She also got grapes, somehow rendered tasteless and chips and a plastic glass of lemonade.  When she was done the somebody took them and exited a door that she had not noticed.  She searched the wall but could not find any hint of where the door was.  Well, in the future she would be able to understand what it means to be in a psych ward.   Dinner was similar.  There was a breakfast, too, and sometime later the door opened and a nurse smiled and called her out to the hall.  There was Dr. Michaels. "I see no reason to keep you, so I am sending you home.  My notes have been sent to your therapist and she will be talking to you soon. If not, call her." "Thank you.  Oh, my gi." She was given scrubs to wear home and a bucket of cold water that they had been soaking her gi in. "You need to wait for discharge, miss."  Miss.  Here's proof. The other documents would be easy to change. She waited in a waiting room.  They gave her lunch at noon, and at 2:00 the discharge papers finally arrived. "I will need some way to get home." "He's downstairs in the lobby.  You can meet him there." "Great." ----------------------------------------------------- "What are we going to do about Marketing?"  this was the Chairman of the Board.  He had been asking this for years. This Saturday afternoon the Board had dropped their golf game in light of the sudden drop in sales.  This was not quite an emergency, but close. There was debate.  They finally agreed that since Gibson had been given something that they now considered a raw deal, and turned it into a cash cow for the company anyway, he deserved promotion.  They needed to ramp up Marketing  and Sales because the traditional products were market laggers now and there was pressure to open up the forty acres of industrial facilities they had closed when the jobs went to China.  They needed to find a way to create jobs. Gibson would be moved from Marketing to be the new Vice President of Marketing and Sales. A key job would be identifying new markets they could enter and expanding product appeal. "So who gets his job?" Discussion. Obviously it needed a college graduate.  There was only one in Marketing, this Taylor person.  Should they promote a transgender?  HR spoke up and said that since she was the only one in Marketing with a degree, it would be almost a fatal flaw not to promote her if they could.  Policy was to always promote from within if possible. She was beginning to work on her Master's. Point in her favor.  She brought fresh, young blood to the company. Another point.  Everyone liked her. Quick learner. Sharp. Emotionally stable.  Positive. They had confidence in her, even if she was new to the company, that she could handle the job.  When could HR have the paperwork ready?  Good. This would be announced first thing Monday morning. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob found himself at a loss as to what to do with himself.  He made himself coffee with the new coffee maker and the new coffee, made a PBJ with the new bread, the new PB and the new jelly, and ate an apple, all at the new table.  It was almost like she was there.  He even did the dishes and put the clean ones in the dish rack and made his bed.   He threw himself into work that could have waited for Monday.  He worked on a financial projection and his personal budget and then went over to the hospital. No, he would not be allowed to see her.  She was fine. Don't worry.   He went for a walk this nice spring day.  He just happened to walk around the hospital, hoping she would be standing at a window somewhere. Nope.  He ate a TV dinner she had bought him and tinkered with his motorcycle and went to bed.   The next day he ate a breakfast that happened to be there from the stuff Taylor had bought, which made him miss her even more.  He went to the church they had visited Wednesday night, partly because he was curious, but mainly to sit next to the chair she had sat in Wednesday night, as if that would make her appear.   Worship was similar to Wednesday night and Brother Mike spoke.  Before he began he saw Bob and in surprise said, "Sir, I wanted to catch you Wednesday night but I didn't. Can  I ask you please to stay afterwards and come up here and talk to me?" That was fine with Bob.  They also had information no one in town had.   The sermon, altar call and closing song over, Bob made his way to the front. Brother Mike came over to him.  "Sir,I want to ask your forgiveness for want it must have seemed like to you Wednesday night.  And on behalf of my wife, for Tuesday. She had Taylor confused with someone else.  Will you forgive us?" Quite the start.  "Sure." "In 2015 I was the youth pastor at Hutton Church." [Hutton is a little village outside of Roosevelt, consisting of a church, half a dozen houses, a gas station and a Dollar General Store. The kids go to Roosevelt schools.] "Small world." "I remember there was a terrible assault on one of the youth at the high school, and there was a prayer campaign for that boy. He made a full recovery.  I recall a number of  news articles even though the family requested privacy.  I remember a Bob being mentioned as a close friend of the assaulted.  You strongly resemble him, and I am puzzled by your companion. She looks like the boy a lot.  That is why I kept looking in your direction.  Not in accusation." "She was him." "Really." "This is the same Taylor people are talking about - who changed from male to female?" "I think she was never a male, actually." "Really.  Well, I didn't build this church by accusing anyone or making anyone feel bad, and I think both those things happened with you and - Taylor.  I want you to know you are welcome here.  If there is anything I can do to help, let me know.  Did you know that over half this church came forward Wednesday night with sexual issues of one sort or another?  You are not alone. Excuse me, that is presumptuous, that you have such issues. I have no right to pry.  But thank you for coming back."   Not bad, Bob thought. Not bad at all.    A quick fast food lunch and he was at the hospital.  Was she being discharged? He was her ride, so they were willing to tell him. He could wait. And he did.        
    • Adrianna Danielle
      Was excited today,my new toolbox has been shipped out,Snap On dealer told me this.It took this long since it was ordered to get it.My other co workers and I were right about the new employee that started yesterday,He was fired this afternoon.Was on his phone again and boss caught him do it.Plus he did call me an offensive word,the C word my boss hates.I did report that to my boss.My boss believes in treating women right
    • Sally Stone
      ss,   I can't say that my image in the mirror has helped me understand why I am bi-gender.  I'm pretty certain the reason I identify as bi-gender  has to do with how I feel inside.  About mirrors though, I do clearly see my inner woman when I look at myself in the mirror.  
    • MaeBe
    • Abigail Genevieve
      The tornado called Taylor ripped through Bob's apartment. After a trip to a laundromat, two trips to grocery stores for cleaning supplies and what Taylor opined were Basic Staples, everything was scrubbed within an inch of its life.  A new dish  drainer with a new hand towel and dish cloth were by the side of the scrubbed out sink; motorcycle parts were in a box under the newly made bed.  Floor, shower, toilet, sink had been hit in the bathroom and new towels hung there the way Taylor liked them. "I don't recognize the place/" "So move out." Taylor was sitting on one of the new kitchen chairs.  There were four of them around the little wooden table.  In the middle was a flower arrangement.  Bob had made his last trip to the dumpster.  Not a pizza box remained. A row of card board boxes with books had been replaced by shelves full of neatly arranged books. "Look at this." "I am not going to do this all the time.  You clean your own place from now on. I am bushed." "Many thanks, babe." "No problem, Big Guy." "Hey, I wanted to talk to you about exercise.  Karate in particular."  He pronounced it ka-ra-tay. "I am a second Dan black belt and there is a certain obligation there to teach other people." "Kara-tay? I don't know." "A friend of mine runs a dojo here and needs my help. He talked to me already.  Tuesday and Thursday night and Saturday mornings." "Oh.  So you will be there then." She looked disappointed. "I'm hoping you will be there." "Sounds dangerous.  But I could use the exercise." "And self-defense would be good. It might help." "It might. Huh.  Saturday morning?" "8 AM I need to be there. Classes run until noon. I don't need to be there the whole time." "Is there an intro class or anything?" "Yes. 10 to 11." "How about if I try that."  She was not very enthusiastic.  Punches and kicks and stuff.   Saturday morning they arrived together.  She wanted to watch the Green Belt class that met then just to see what she was in for. Sensei Mark came to the front of the room, before the big American and Japanese flags. Between them was a picture.  "I am honored to introduce to you Sensei Bob.  He is a second Dan black belt.  He has actually beaten me in tournaments.  I have known him through tournaments.  You will listen to him as you listen to me.   Sensei Bob, take the class. The two sensei bowed to each other.  Sensei Bob pointed out that Sensei Mark had beaten him, as well. Taylor was sort of standing against the back wall, scrunched up, a mouse in her crisp new beltless gi.  Her t-shirt was off white underneath it and she was hoping no one would notice. "I am Sensei Mark. You are Taylor." "Yes, sensei!" she stood at attention and shouted it. He laughed.  "This is not Cobra Kai and we are not in a Karate Kind movie.  You do that here only between bows.  Bob tells me you are a complete beginner." "That is an understatement." "Here, let me fix your gi."  She had it on a little incorrectly.  She drew back. "What's the matter?" "I am pretty touchy." "Okay.  Untie the straps in front and tie them the other way, like mine." "I don't have a belt." "There. That is right. You will get a belt after three months and passing tests on kata, kumite and karate knowledge." "I don't know what that is." "And we touch a lot here.  Not romantically. You see how Sensei Bob is going around and adjusting people's stances and arm locations." "Yes, I see that." No enthusiasm. "You are Sensei Bob's girl, right?" "Yes.  What is important to him is important to me, so here I am."  He wished her well and told her to go see Margie, who handled registration at the little table. "Hi, I heard about you." Margie began. "What does that mean?" "It means we treat everyone here with respect.  That was the wrong way to start." "I'll say. Try again." "Good morning. How can I help you?" "I want to register for the beginner class." "You are Taylor, right?" "Right." "Sensei Bob paid for your lesson today." He would. She gave name, address, age, height, weight, and they came to gender. Margie asked it twice. "Put down female." "The only other choice is male." "Then that is it." "Earlier I was thinking about tournaments, which are big here. The rules are that boys fight boys and girls fight girls - there are Men's and Women's Divisions.  I know you look like a woman, but they go by the birth certificate." This was awkward.  Really awkward.  Down at the other end of the room they were moving in unison when Bob said HAI!, turning, punching, kicking, etc. "I don't plan to go to tournaments.  One step at a time, shall we?" "Okay.  And I meant it when I said respect.  We bow to each other.  You will see. As a sign of honoring other people." Margie bowed slightly, sitting down.  Taylor returned the bow and smiled. The class moved into sparring, breaking into twos and practicing moves against each other.  Bob was moving among the pairs, adjusting positions of hands, hips, feet.  Taylor was unsure about someone touching her like that, her hips particularly.    The green belt class ended as new students came in for the beginners' class. Down at the other end the brown belt class began.  The room was large enough you could do two classes at the same time.   The other beginners, nervous, lined up at Margie's table.  People got into gis, the men in their big area and only woman in the little restroom that was for them.   Sensei Mark greeted them and showed them where to stand: on the little x's on the floor. He explained the School Code.  They would recite it at the beginning of class and they needed to memorize it for the white belt test, at which time they would, of course, receive a white belt. He explained some terms.    They warmed up with some basic, easy stretches.   They learned a kata called Taikyoku Shodan, involving blocks, punches and some movements. This was not bad.   She was now paired off with Judy.  Things were going well and this was not too bad. Judy was sixty years old and had been told to exercise by her doctor.  Taylor said her boyfriend was teaching the other class, which was impressive, and he wanted her involved.   "You remember the gedan barai - downward block?"  They did. Everyone showed him and he went around and made sure everyone had it down. "And the lunge punch?"  They did. "Now we are going to put them together. One of you will punch and the other block it. Okay?"   Taylor squared off against Judy.  Her heart was pounding.  She practiced her gedan barai as Judy practiced her lower lunge punch.  Then they faced each other. "Okay, first partner, lunge punch.  Second partner, lower block.  Slowly.  Go!" Taylor saw the punch coming at her, but instead of blocking it her eyes welled up with tears and she dropped to the floor, weeping uncontrollably. "Oh God, Oh, God, Oh God, make it stop, make it stop" she shouted to parties unseen. Fetal position, rocking back and forth. Crying hysterically. "I didn't go near her," Judy said, bewildered. "Taylor?"  this was Sensei Bob.  Both classes had stopped and were looking at her. She kept crying. "I am here, "Bob told her, not touching.  "Oh Bob you need a wife who can be a real woman to you. I am making you into a monk or something." And she continued crying at full volume. "You need someone better than me, someone who can give you kids." Everyone could hear this.  They were turning away, trying to pretend they could not hear this. "I need to get her out of here and take her." Bob said, and he and Mark bowed to each other. He scooped her up and she bawled into his shoulder.  She clung to him.  First hug ever. Death grip, more like it. "Judy, would you get her things?" "I did nothing," Judy said, and moved towards the restroom, stunned.  "Nothing." "I know what she was wearing," Margie said, and got them. "I've got a gym bag. It 's red and it says Roosters on it. Can you get it? Mark got it.  He accompanied them to the car.  Taylor was non-stop crying deeply, clinging to him for dear life. Mark unlocked the car and together they managed to pry Taylor off of him, even though it took both of them to do it.  She was in the car seat and they managed to buckle her in it. "I am going to take you to your apartment," he said. "No. Emergency room," she said. "Maybe the psych ward."  He didn't doubt it. She calmed down in a few minutes on the way. "Well, that was embarrassing." "Everyone remembers their first day of karate class." "Bob, what I love about you is your sense of humor." "I love everything about you." "Even this?" "Yes. Even this." She managed to walk into the ER.  They were both still in gis. "Karate accident?" "No. I am Taylor and I am a nut. I wear a gi all the time. I make my boyfriend wear one, too." "She had a triggered event.  She's had some difficult times." "I see. Do you you know are bleeding?" "No."  Her crotch was wet with blood and the blood was seeping down both legs. She was wheeled away. "Sir, please wait here." He did.  He had no legal right to see her right now. After a while a nurse came out and said he could come on  back. There she was in a hospital gown.  "Seems like old times." "yeah.  We gotta stop meeting like this." The nurse buzzed around and left them. "They are running tests." "I bet they are." "I got an MRI. On a Saturday morning, too."  First ever. "You rate.  But why?" "They figure some of the old scar tissue - you know, from the- from the past - ripped open and they need to see what is going on." "We know what is going on,"said a doctor, stepping in. He looked at her. "I am Doctor Michaels.  They called me in.  I just happened to be in the building and they wanted me to see this and take the case.  My specialty is Disorders of Sexual Development. But what I am seeing is little in the way of disorder.  Look at this." They looked at the image. "This is a perfectly ordinary uterus." "Uterus?" "Yes, your uterus." "What?" "That is not all.  This is a cervix, and this is a vagina." "It's blocked up." "Yes.  It looks like you had surgery to do exactly that when you were an infant.  They used to do that." "This is me?" "You." "Really?" "I imagine this takes some getting used to. "Can it be undone?" "Absolutely. I mean, I cannot guarantee it, but it is more than likely. I would like to run some tests." "And the bleeding?" "It looks like the hormones you have been taking have kicked of a regular monthly cycle. Then you did a whole bunch of exercise.  Not surprising." "What?" "I want you to come to my office next week for follow-up.  Have you ever had a genetic test of any sort?" "No." "Well, your testes - one looks at first glance more like an ovary." "Ovary. Can I have kids?" "Too soon to tell.  You look happy." She did.  "Bob, you look stunned." "I am." "Given what happened earlier today we want to keep you overnight for observation.  I understand you are a trauma victim and something triggered it." "I got a punch thrown at me in kara-tay class, is all. I am a wimp." "Well, I will let you two talk for a minute and they will come and get you shortly.  No bad news here." "They are coming to take me away, hah-hah, they are coming to take me away," Taylor chanted. "Bob, I am not done with kara-tay.  I want to at least finish a first class. I mean, you paid for it and I want you to get your money's worth." "I think I got that." "Kiss me, you fool,"  she said, and he did, with energy.        
    • April Marie
      These arrived in yesterday's mail. I'm out working in the yard today so just old clothes. I'm looking forward to wearing this t-shirt dress when the weather warms up a bit more.  
    • missyjo
      Ashley I've known busty girls who wore b nice bras tl work n such then like a sift sports bra to lounge or sleep in hugs
    • missyjo
      your nails b hair came wonderful  congratulations  enjoy
    • Willow
      The one thing about this position, if you want more hours just wait and be flexible.  I’m now working until 7:30 pm instead of 4:30.  
    • Ashley0616
      I hope your head cold goes away soon! Sorry you have to cut grass with that.   Love the new t-shirt   I love that one.    What Jeep would you want to get? That is awesome about your wife getting better!
    • Ashley0616
      Welcome Mattie! I would recommend the first step is finding a gender therapist and see if you are or aren't. Then one of the biggest steps if you are do you want to start hormone replacement therapy. The decision should be thought long and hard. There are irreversible effects. Looking forward to your next post! Take care!
    • Ashley0616
      Congratulations on being able to pick up a cancellation! I hope to hear more updates about your transition. 
    • Ashley0616
    • Ashley0616
      Getting a dog maybe next month
    • Ashley0616
      Spending time with my kids and eventually will be adopting a dog next month. 
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