These young adult Bible study recommendations are for personal and individual Bible study, not for a group. I have two reasons for choosing this level, the personal, individual level. The first is that I noticed that there is already a lot of literature on the study of the Bible at the group level, whether in Sunday school or in catechism classes or in other formal and informal groups, but there is very little at the personal and individual level. . My second reason is that, in my opinion, more benefits can be derived from an individual Bible study than at the group level. Many of those who attend a group Bible study do not really develop their Christian life. They just go and grow with the group. At least this has been my personal experience, both participating and leading Bible Study groups.
My Bible Study Experience
I started reading and studying the Bible on my own (without any human teacher or parent telling me to do so) when I was 8 years old, but it was only when I was 49 that I got the full benefit of studying the Bible. . I am now 65 years old.
If someone had correctly guided me as a young adult in my 20s to 40s on how to study the Bible, perhaps I would have gotten this full benefit from studying the Scriptures earlier and would have enjoyed this benefit for more years. I happen to have enjoyed this benefit for only 16 years from now, instead of the possible 45 years, losing about 29 years in which I could have enjoyed the full benefit of studying God's written Word.
When I was 26, I enrolled in a course on studying the Bible. But this was for the purpose of preaching. It was basically a course on how to get to the real meaning of a biblical passage to share with church members through preaching. I learned a lot in this course, but it did not bring me the full benefit of studying the Bible. Only 23 years later did I get the full benefit.
It is my fervent hope and desire that young adults who read these recommendations and put them into practice will reap the full benefit of studying the Bible while they are still young and strong, and thus enjoy this full benefit many, many years before they physically leave this planet Earth. It is understood and presumed that they have the motivation to study the Bible on their own. After knowing through this article what is the full benefit of studying the Bible, they can be encouraged to study the Bible on their own and not depend on a group leader or pastor or priest or catechist to teach them about the Word. of God.
One: Get a good translation of the Bible
In the English language the translation I recommend is the so-called King James or authorized version. I am a Catholic, and yet I recommend this translation for personal Bible study. I know that some of the words there are foreign to the current reader. They are called archaic words that belong to the English language in the 16th century, but are no longer used now. But there are copies of this version where at the end of the Bible there is a list of biblical words where these words have equivalents in our time. Get a copy of the King James Version Bible. Many Christian groups are giving this copy free. Take advantage of one.
The reason I recommend this translation of the Bible is because it is the one that I consider to be done by translators with the utmost reverence and therefore the anointing of the Spirit can be felt more in this translation than in other translations. In my opinion, it is the most pleasant version to pray. And it has produced more holy men and women than any of the other translations.
From an academic and readable point of view, there are other better translations. The New International Version Bible may be better from an academic point of view. The New Living Bible is much better from a readability point of view. But from the perspective of a genuine, reverent, loving study of the Bible, I recommend the King James Version. It is just a recommendation. You can use another version if you want.
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