Yet Another New Member...
 

Hello everyone. I'm glad to be here! I have allowed myself to be confused so badly. I have, like, four different bibles. One is The Evidence Bible. It's a "Comfort-able" KJV, according to them. Another is the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible. It's NKJV. Another is The Student Bible. It's KJV, but some stuff is changed. The last I have is an Old Scofield Bible my mom gave me one year for Christmas. The question is this. If one of these other KJV's changes some of the words, should it be used? For example, The Evidence Bible is supposedly KJV, but it changes thee's, thou's and what not. The NKJV of course, I've read enough on Brandon's page to realize not to use it. I don't know, it just seems like the Scofield one is...and I hate to put it this way, but...boring. Not to mention, The Evidence Bible is awesome as far as helping me share my faith. It's got stuff like scientific facts in the bible, how to witness to different faiths, Answering questions and objections...a lot of stuff. I don't know...what do you guys think? I've prayed a lot and I'm just still confused!

You should always stick with a real King James Bible. No words changes or stuff like that. The Bible says in Matthew 4:4 that we live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Now, if the tips help you, I don't see anything wrond with using them. But I wouldn't use any of their notes trying to explain scripture. 1) It's always best to avoid these because they are just some mans opinion, and man is flawed.2) The Holy Spirit will guide you in understanding the Bible. 1 John 2:27 says that we need not that any man teach us. The best way to read God's Word, is by simply reading God's Word, and try to keep man's word out of it.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having a Bible with notes, I'm just saying it's best to stay away from the notes, and certainly stay away from "updated" versions that claim to be King James but really aren't :)

Thompson Chain Reference,Old Scofield,Dake all good Bibles,Study Bibles.
Still mans opinion. New Scofield was revised in 1967 by a group of men,stay away from that one. I guess the KJ wasn't interesting enough,so people bought into the new versions,more flash and charisma.:confused:
This is probably the reason why we have Duct tape Bibles.
A Plain King James Bible would be a good base,all Bible and no fluff.:D
Find one, use it for your base,attend a good church and forget about all this other stuff.

Aloha buzzoff1031,

Of the four Bibles you mentioned you possess, the Old Scofield (boring or not) is the best "study" Bible. I personally do not recommend using "study" Bibles for reading or study.

Since 1970 I have used the best bound King James Bible I could find (with Large enough Print for comfort) without any notes or references - just the Holy words of God. When I study the Bible I have several letter sized Yellow Writing Pads along side, so that I can write down my thoughts or questions on the Scriptures I am studying.

If you are curious about what other people may "think" about a particular verse you might go to the Old Scofield, or a Thompson, or some other reputable King James "study" Bible. But you should not rely on men for the "interpretation" or understanding of God's words. {That's why I don't read or study a Bible with someone else's notes in it, or a Bible with references in it.)

If I want to know what other men "think" about a verse (or subject) in the Bible, I buy their books and read their "opinions". I personally don't like their "opinions" mixed in with the Holy words of God! And I certainly don't rely on other men for my understanding of Scripture.

Please check out a former Post that I made on this Forum last year if you want a further explanation of my position on this issue: http://av1611.com/forums/showpost.ph...39&postcount=1

May God bless you in your studies and give you not only knowledge - but discernment, understanding, and wisdom also. :)

1 Corinthians 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern

2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. both good and evil.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

I agree with Josh, you need to stick with the KJV and I think you need to set aside time to focus on the Word of God without the comments of men like Ray Comfort or Scofield or anyone else. The Holy Sprit is your greatest teacher, and He can teach brother.

Now please understand; I have several modern versions in my library, I also have some great commentaries and tools like Ruckman's series. I also have many crazy religious books people have given me over the years like the Quran, Book of Mormon and so forth. I keep them all for reference and I have used them as a teacher to show Bible students the problems in them. But I do not consider any of those to be Bibles. I love Bro Ruckman, I don't agree with everything he writes, but I still learn a lot from his material.

But there comes a time when you need to come apart from ALL OF THAT and simply study God's Word in the preserved text of the KJV, (yes, including all those wonderful thee's and thou's) and ask the Holy Spirit to guide and teach you, comparing scripture with scripture. The Bible is not boring, and it may help you avoid some of that confusion that is bothering you. (1 Corinthians 14:33) :nod:

Be advised, some have accused Comfort of teaching Lordship Salvation, so you may want to do some research into that. I can certainly see the use for scientific facts and witnessing tools, and I encourage you to learn as much about those as possible. Personally, I don't want to condemn the man's work entirely, because I am not familiar enough with it, and it appears he has done some good things for the cause of Christ over the years. But his "Evidence Bible" is no replacement for the KJV, and it never will be.

Study God's Word, and trust it. Before you know it, that old KJV will burn away the confusion and clear your mind, and you will be able to memorize it better than you thought possible. Although the enemy hates it, and modern scholarship has spent millions trying to replace it, the fact remains: THE KJV IS GOD'S PRESERVED WORD!
God bless you brother as you seek the Truth.

Oh one more thing: welcome to the forum, Buzzoff!
LOL, okay that sounds like a contradiction, but welcome anyway! :rolleyes:

Thanks for the advice so far. It seems as though the general consensus is that I should use the KJV that I have available in my Old Scofield, but only for the actual text, not for the notes. I can't afford a new bible now, so I'm good with Scofield right?

Aloha brother,

Right on :cool: for now. Whenever you can afford to get a new King James Bible, check out some of the Posts on this Forum in regards to the "best" Publishers, etc. (the general consensus seems to Cambridge).

My wife and I have had 2 identical King James Bibles (Publisher = Cambridge) since the middle of the 1980's and they are still in great shape today.

Yes. Read with all confidence that you've got God's perfect word and your final authority open right in front of you. If you do read Scofield's notes, which are not too distracting since they are clearly offset on the page (I have an Old Scofield too), just remember not to let him come between you and the Holy Spirit in understanding Scripture.

Hi Buzzoff! I've used Ryrie's Study Bible, Thompson's Study Bible, the Old Scofield Reference Bible and a couple of others in the past eleven years since I've been saved and I have to say that the best bet is to find a straight text KJV with no notes for your Bible reading.

I also highlight and underline in my Bible as I feel led but I use my study Bibles more as commentaries and stick with the straight text for reading (as opposed to study) so I'm not distracted from the Holy Spirit's illumination by man's notes.

Hello Buzzoff,

Welcome from another newbie!

Each year I buy an inexpensive Pew Bible (KJV) that I can read without distraction, underline, write notes in, etc. I enjoy looking through these Bibles to see what I wrote or what insights I had that particular year. Here is the Bible I have purchased the past couple of years:

http://www.amazon.com/Boldtext-Pew-B...1021695&sr=8-1

It is from National Publishing Co., 1978 (less than $9)

I also use the Bible Pathway devotional guide to keep me on track for reading through the Bible in a year. This will be my 23rd time thru the Bible:

http://biblepathway.org/

I have several nice study Bibles, but this method for my private devotional reading works well for me. I agree with the others that commentaries and references can be distracting when you just want to hear from God through His Word each day.

Shalom,

Tandi

Welcome and remember this...

If it ain't broken, don't fix it! (Look at the fruit of the KJB)

Stick with the King James Bible, God preserved word.

:welcome:

The good news?

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

He will put order in your heart and mind.

I also use the Cambridge King James Bible with no footnotes. And yes, in time you will discover that the Holy Spirit will specifically teach YOU more and more through the written word of God. That does not mean He does not and will not use others, but our final source of authority is His written word preserved in the KJB.

You can trust God the Holy Spirit to speak to you directly through the written word of God. You should also delight in the fact that as a believer the incarnate Word is in you. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Therefore, you should, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" (Philippians 2:5).

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The word of God is "spiritual" and is taught to us by the Holy Spirit. That puts us all on equal ground. You have the word of God. The incarnate Word (Jesus) is in you. And you have the Holy Spirit.

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

We certainly have men who teach, but we do not need man's teachings in order to know the truth. Trust God for spiritual understanding and wisdom.

For me reading comfort depends more on the type of font than the size. I've seen Bibles in which the words were large or "extra" large print, but they appeared "fuzzy" or "blurry" (most Nelson Bibles are like this). The best readable font for me is the Ryrie (I pretty much ignore the notes) plus it has good cross references in the margin and room for notes. I also use a Cambridge.

Well, since everyone is telling what Bible they like, I'll recommend the Thompson Chain Reference Bible :)

Ok. So stick with the Scofield. Now the next question is, how do I go about reading and studying the Bible? And how much time per day or week to spend in each?

That's good advice for you, BUZZ.

I would recommend reading and studying the notes in your Old Scofield Bible. Run the references that are linked together, for it is a good start to getting a "handle" on the Book. The Scofield Study System is actually a great starter for those interested in getting into the Bible and having the Bible get into them! You'd be surprised at how many men of God started out with that particular study Bible. (It's true!)

I won't suggest that you ONLY use this means of reading/studying, but it surely is a tremendous source for learning. As you learn, you'll graduate to more than what Scofield has to offer, and rightfully so, for the man missed plenty (as the "learned" men on the site here fully know). I'd say that you can trust him about 95% of the time, but it would benefit you to cross out any remarks contrary to the printed text of the King James Bible.

Having said that, get into the Book. Read until you're "full". Study what sparks your interest, or search out any questions that arise from your reading. Go at your own pace, and stay in touch with the forum for help and encouragement.

P.S. The King James Bible is inexhaustable and supernatural! You won't get it all, but it can "get" you. One month before I left for Bible school, an alumni of the school said to me, "That Book will really clean you up." (I smiled but did not fully understand what he meant.) He was right!

I agree to read and study at your own pace(just don't let the Devil trick you into being lazy in your reading "at your own pace"... he's sneaaky like that).

I would highly recommend staying out of other people's notes however. The Bible is the Word of God, the notes are the words of men. Reading notes and allowing them to affect how I understood certain passages really had me confused on the verge of being led astray from what the Holy Spirit was teaching for a while.

The Scofield Bible is fine, but I would use it for it's references, not its notes :)

Re: " Yet Another New Member..."
 

Aloha Buzz,

I notice that you are getting what appears to be some "conflicting advise". My advise to you in my Post #4 (this Thread) still stands, but both pbiwolski and Josh are right (if you take a moment to consider:

I believe that pbiwolski is right - that the Scofield Reference Bible is probably the best Reference Bible out there. And most of Scofield's comments are Biblically sound (ignore the few places where he "corrects" our Holy Bible though).

Scofield can be of some help in rightly dividing the word of God - BUT do not depend on men for your understanding of Scripture!

And this is where brother Josh is also right. You must be extremely careful with all notes and comments in these kinds of Bibles (Scofield's, Thompson's, etc.). That is why I do not use Reference Bibles for reading and study (their OK for REFERENCE purposes only - but not to be relied on for spiritual understanding). The first 15-20 years of my Christian life I used to use them for reference - I no longer use them at all.

I have written a very short study on: "How To Study The Bible" (which is an "outline" on some of the things to look for and be aware of in studying the Bible). You can find the study on my web site at: http://www.thywordistruthkjv.com/HOW...E%20-%20WP.htm if you care to check it out.

I do not make any claims that the study is "perfect" or that I am "infallible", but there are some very basic things that every Christian should be aware of when they study the Scriptures, and I have tried to include most of the things that I have learned about studying the Bible after 50 years of being a Christian.

Whatever you do - don't get discouraged in your studies. Setting times (minimum time to read) or amounts (number of pages to read) is artificial and can lead to hurried reading (with little understanding); or discouragement; and possibly even boredom.

The Bible is unlike any other book on earth! It is a "spiritual" Book, and as such, it takes "spiritual understanding" - which only the Holy Spirit can give. Remember: "Bible" Schools, Commentaries, and Reference Bibles can give you Bible "knowledge", but only God can give you Scriptural "discernment", "understanding", and "wisdom".

I don't care to defend Scofield (in particular) or any study Bible, but reading and studying the notes found in a study Bible is not so different than sitting and studying under your pastor in Sunday School.

Both are men attempting to teach you from the word of God. Neither claim perfection. In either case, your education should always be pre-empted by the position that the words of God as they stand in the King James Bible hold final authority.

If you don't mind, Josh, I'm curious as to what/who's notes led you astray?

Scofield's. He has some good notes, but seeing as he's a Presbyterian, he's quite off track. His references are good from what I've seen though.

This is why I like the Thompson Chain. Yes, Thompson was a Methodist. But, since his reference Bible has no notes, and the references are mostly topical, it's pretty much influence free.

Now, if you already understand what a particular passage means and won't be confused or taken off track, you should be fine. But I don't recommend reading any notes on something that you are unsure on, unless you can take it with a grain of salt, and not let it lead you, instead of the Spirit.

Avoid turning your time in the word into a religious exercise. Nothing burns me out faster than feeling like I have to stick to some prescribed regimen when reading the Bible.

But there must be balance: your flesh won't want to read the Book, so you still have to whip it into submission on occasion and start doing it even if you don't want to. (Yes, I know this seems like conflicting advice, but I hope you can understand the point about balance I am trying to make).

Understanding the word is all about the spirit, and you just can't force it. My suggestion is to make yourself start reading, and then read until you feel full. You will never exhaust all that the Book has to offer.

Maybe start reading in the book of John. If a verse perks your interest, run Scofield's cross-references and see what else the Book says. Use a Bible program (I'll leave it to others to suggest which one) to search words and phrases that interest your spirit at the moment. Need some help studying a topic? Post in the doctrine forum with specific questions.

Hope this helps.

Hi Buzzoff! You have been given good advice. I also use the Old Scofield and rarely even look at the references, but use it because I have so many of my own notes written in it as well as underlined scripture and stuff. My grandpa preached from an Old Scofield for years, so it's good enough for me.

Yeah, as I said in another topic, I'll probably go with Scofield. I like the Evidence Bible, but there are a lot of things put in the text itself which really distracts from the Holy Word. So, I guess my next question is--What's the difference in reading and study and how much time should one spend in each?

The Evidence Bible is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it is really good with it's information and Q&A portions. But on the other hand, if you read the notes too much, you'll get a skewed view of God as one who only gives out eternal life if man is willing to be good and stop sinning and reform his life (Lordship Salvation). Ray Comfort is a dangerous teacher I believe. He has no clear statement of faith (from what I can find) regarding things like Eternal Security etc. He appears on TV with Word of Faith preachers (Joyce Meyer), and seems to be very ecumenical in nature. This is no surprise. His "Repentance" focused gospel is another gospel which is not another. It's Roman Catholicism in disguise.