Does the book change your understanding of the Bible?

Use this forum to discuss the August 2019 Book of the month, "I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation: Old Testament Stories" by Val D. Greenwood.
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eandjmccain
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Re: Does the book change your understanding of the Bible?

Post by eandjmccain »

No, I did enjoy the easy to understand wording this book offered. I did not agree with the creation story, but the rest was well worded and factual. I would recommend this book to others.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

grsaar wrote: 13 Aug 2019, 16:00 Some parts of the Bible can be confusing. This book increased my understanding of the Bible. I've always liked the book of Genesis, especially the story of Abel and Cain.
I agree that the author went above and beyond in his retelling of Cain and Abel. It is one example of how this book makes known Bible passages more understandable .
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

eandjmccain wrote: 13 Aug 2019, 20:26 No, I did enjoy the easy to understand wording this book offered. I did not agree with the creation story, but the rest was well worded and factual. I would recommend this book to others.
I've seen many people disagreeing with the author's interpretation of the story of Creation, but I am happy you found this book easier to read due to the wording and pros.
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Post by Joy Catap »

Before, reading the old testament was like solving a puzzle with many missing pieces. With the book, the puzzles seem to fit! It really makes understanding the old testament much easier. I love how the author gave me a new perspective on the story of Cain and Abel.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Joy Catap wrote: 14 Aug 2019, 07:51 Before, reading the old testament was like solving a puzzle with many missing pieces. With the book, the puzzles seem to fit! It really makes understanding the old testament much easier. I love how the author gave me a new perspective on the story of Cain and Abel.
I'm glad that you found the book more understandable and capable of deciphering the Old Testament. I also gained a lot of knowledge from the story of Cain and Abel.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Joy Catap wrote: 14 Aug 2019, 07:51 Before, reading the old testament was like solving a puzzle with many missing pieces. With the book, the puzzles seem to fit! It really makes understanding the old testament much easier. I love how the author gave me a new perspective on the story of Cain and Abel.
The Old Testament scripture is particularly hard to decipher and the author wrote a book aimed at making the passages more understandable. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the discussion.
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Post by Joy Catap »

Ferdinand_otieno wrote: 14 Aug 2019, 09:04
Joy Catap wrote: 14 Aug 2019, 07:51 Before, reading the old testament was like solving a puzzle with many missing pieces. With the book, the puzzles seem to fit! It really makes understanding the old testament much easier. I love how the author gave me a new perspective on the story of Cain and Abel.
I'm glad that you found the book more understandable and capable of deciphering the Old Testament. I also gained a lot of knowledge from the story of Cain and Abel.
I'm so thankful that the author take his time studying the Old testament, and sharing his findings to people like us.
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Post by NIRUPAMA JHA »

I think the author has just expanded and clarified the passages in the old testament. I don't feel my understanding is changing but its improved.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

NIRUPAMA JHA wrote: 15 Aug 2019, 09:12 I think the author has just expanded and clarified the passages in the old testament. I don't feel my understanding is changing but its improved.
I think that in a definition-standpoint, the fact that your understanding is improved signals that it has changed from its initial stand.
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Post by Wanjugush »

No, it doesn't. But it is thought provoking and helped me deepen my understanding of the Old Testament stories.
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Post by Erin »

The book provides a welcome refresher of the Old Testament stories. In particular, the story of the destruction of Sodom helped to clarify that event.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Wanjugush wrote: 15 Aug 2019, 13:09 No, it doesn't. But it is thought provoking and helped me deepen my understanding of the Old Testament stories.
I think you agree that by deepening your understanding of the Bible, the author's book changes previously known information on the passages.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

Erin wrote: 15 Aug 2019, 23:05 The book provides a welcome refresher of the Old Testament stories. In particular, the story of the destruction of Sodom helped to clarify that event.
The book does serve as a welcomed refresher on Old Testament passages, and it helps make the passages and the Old Testament scripture to be more understandable.
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Post by Samantha Simoneau »

I think works like these, while they should never replace reading the Bible yourself, are very helpful in understanding historical context and theological concepts, etc. They can enhance the reader's understanding and help him/her to decide what their opinions are regarding unclear possibilities. These types of books have a high value if, in the end, scripture feels less intimidating for the average person to read themselves. It's important, though, that these "study helps" don't overstep the boundaries, adding to or twisting the meaning of the biblical text.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

SamSim wrote: 16 Aug 2019, 12:43 I think works like these, while they should never replace reading the Bible yourself, are very helpful in understanding historical context and theological concepts, etc. They can enhance the reader's understanding and help him/her to decide what their opinions are regarding unclear possibilities. These types of books have a high value if, in the end, scripture feels less intimidating for the average person to read themselves. It's important, though, that these "study helps" don't overstep the boundaries, adding to or twisting the meaning of the biblical text.
I think that this book goes a long way in making the Bible passages more understandable and that it also promotes the average person to read the Bible. Your assessment about books of this kind is appreciated and I agree completley with it.
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