There have been lots of modern translations, many with extensive notes to explain difficult parts for the “scripturally impaired.” And in most churches the homily is intended to unfold the scriptures for the people today.
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The hardest part is not understanding what God is like, or what God seeks from us. As G.K.Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; rather it has been found difficult and left untried.”
@Nabuquduriuzhur, that’s why I wanted to learn Greek and/or Hebrew, but I couldn’t find a university in my price range where I could get a chemistry degree that thought such languages. (40 some years ago)When I feel like I really need to get beyond the 8th grade vocabulary (or Shakespearean English) I turn to my Amplified Bible. (from Zonderman press), my high school graduation present from my folks, so it’s 40+ years out of date. I suspect there is a newer addition that has info from newly found old texts.
@aircraft-engineer , ah…. dogma. You DO recognize that the basic Message is not the same as all the conventions, doctrines, hogwash and poppycock that have been tacked on in the last 2000 years, don’t you?About 99% of the people I know who say they are against “religion” or “Christianity” are really against the pomp & ceremony, or the stringent and/or irrational rules, or all the corruption of church leaders. Things that aren’t really what Christianity is all about. Read the Gospel of John, (try to find a good translation, or 2 or 3) with an open mind, forgetting about all the ills of organized religion. The whole Message is there, all the rest is just window dressing
bmonk almost 13 years ago
There have been lots of modern translations, many with extensive notes to explain difficult parts for the “scripturally impaired.” And in most churches the homily is intended to unfold the scriptures for the people today.
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The hardest part is not understanding what God is like, or what God seeks from us. As G.K.Chesterton once said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; rather it has been found difficult and left untried.”
Ooops! Premium Member almost 13 years ago
Scripturely Impaired? How rude! ‘The Christian Ideal’, ummm… Not entirely sure what it is but I have determined it to be impossible to achieve.
(Blows Raspberry!)Dewsolo over 12 years ago
@Nabuquduriuzhur, that’s why I wanted to learn Greek and/or Hebrew, but I couldn’t find a university in my price range where I could get a chemistry degree that thought such languages. (40 some years ago)When I feel like I really need to get beyond the 8th grade vocabulary (or Shakespearean English) I turn to my Amplified Bible. (from Zonderman press), my high school graduation present from my folks, so it’s 40+ years out of date. I suspect there is a newer addition that has info from newly found old texts.
@aircraft-engineer , ah…. dogma. You DO recognize that the basic Message is not the same as all the conventions, doctrines, hogwash and poppycock that have been tacked on in the last 2000 years, don’t you?About 99% of the people I know who say they are against “religion” or “Christianity” are really against the pomp & ceremony, or the stringent and/or irrational rules, or all the corruption of church leaders. Things that aren’t really what Christianity is all about. Read the Gospel of John, (try to find a good translation, or 2 or 3) with an open mind, forgetting about all the ills of organized religion. The whole Message is there, all the rest is just window dressing