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The cwald/jwald house has decided that since the church is studying the NT this year, and we are having “issues” with the BoM right now, that we are going to spend our study time in the NT. We are going to substitute our family BoM reading with the NT – and set a goal to read seven chapters a week. I think the church NT SS manual is atrocious (and I know because I have taught GC for two straight cycles now). It just seems like the church waters down the manual so much to make it fit the Mormon doctrine, that we often miss many of the great truths and beauties of the NT. (example – the first week’s lesson cites a few NT scriptures and spends most of the lesson discussing how Jesus is the god of the Old Testament. – Why?????? The story of John the Baptist is okay.)
So anyway, we are going to go through it. I think it would be fantastic for my kids to understand it better, especially living out in the mission field, and I would like to have a fresh perspective as well. I haven’t read the NT cover to cover since 1991. I’m hoping that perhaps some/many of you StayLDSers will join me in this quest, so we can have some lively discussion, different perspectives etc, to help prepare lessons and participate in church throughout the year.
What a great thing. I have always like Talmage and the background provided to the NT to understand that better. I’m sure there are other great resources too…including other versions of the NT that help shed some light on meanings. I can see this being a great thing for your kids as well.
:clap: This is a great idea! When I was starting to struggle with things I actually decided to read the NT so that I could gain and retain a testimony of Christ. A refresher will be great.
In our family, we have alternated the Book of Mormon and the New Testament for a few years now. I’d love to discuss things you study and want to post here. JWald and CWald, that sounds like a great idea. Are you simply planning to read the NT cover to cover, or are you looking for outside resources to supplement your understanding? I’ve been doing that, more or less, for the past several months. I am amazed at times how the NT comes alive for me whereas it never seemed to before. It might be kind of cool to have some kind of coordinated effort going on. I decided I needed a break from the BoM. Hopefully sometime in the not-too-distant future I’ll be ready to give it another chance. I’m in!!! I’ve been feeling a pull to read the NT as well. I’m in the process of reading “The Bible A Biography” by Karen Armstrong and Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony by Richard Bauckham to give me a historical background. I’d love to participate in a discussion. Go for it cwald!!! CG
Just a comment on the “why” of how come they are spending time on God of the Old Testament thing…I think because of the possibility that many new members may not understand the LDS teaching on that particular subject. It’s the only reason I can really think of. This is a good year to for me to study the life of the Savior and to really gain a testimony that he lives. It’s actually a scripture from D&C that I find most powerful on the subject. D&C 76:22-23. It tied in well with the first NT lesson yesterday.
mormonheretic wrote:JWald and CWald, that sounds like a great idea. Are you simply planning to read the NT cover to cover, or are you looking for outside resources to supplement your understanding?
We decided to just go cover to cover with the reading — don’t want to burn out the kids and make it more cumbersome than we need to.
I will fill in many of the details and additional commentary and such in youth sunday school since I have my two oldest in there with me.
This week at church, I never even got the manual opened. Won’t next week either. I spent the entire time talking about the history of Alexander the Great, the Macadeneas (spelling), and the Roman empire/state government setup. Next week I’m going to go over the Jewish civilization and really cover Jewish traditions, as well as a thorough overview of the Pharisees and the Saddecees (spelling again) culture. Also I’m going to cover to the four gospel writers, who they were, there occupations, and who their primary audiences were for each gospel.
observant wrote:Just a comment on the “why” of how come they are spending time on God of the Old Testament thing…I think because of the possibility that many new members may not understand the LDS teaching on that particular subject. It’s the only reason I can really think of.
Yep, that’s what I think to, but is it REALLY that important to spend an entire lesson focused on that? That is my beef with the NT manual — it loads up on so much LDS doctrines, at the expense of some of the basic NT treasures that I would like to learn about.
I really like the approach you presented, cwald. It’s critical to understand the culture of that time to understand the NT. If you haven’t read it already, I recommend “Jesus Before Christianity” by Albert Nolan. Fascinating book.
Quote:I spent the entire time talking about the history of Alexander the Great, the Macadeneas (spelling), and the Roman empire/state government setup.
Next week I’m going to go over the Jewish civilization and really cover Jewish traditions, as well as a thorough overview of the Pharisees and the Saddecees (spelling again) culture. Also I’m going to cover to the four gospel writers, who they were, there occupations, and who their primary audiences were for each gospel.
That doesn’t sound like a simple cover-to-cover read to me, it sounds like biblical scholarship!
😆 I don’t know if you have covered the Intertestamental period (time between Malachi and Christ: 400 BC to 1 AD), but the stories of the Maccabeans is really cool, IMO. What the Bible never tells you is that a man by the name of Judas Maccabeus led a revolt against the Greeks, and Israel gained independence for about 100 years. The Protestant Bible completely misses this Inter-testamental period (but the Catholic Bible has it with 1 and 2 Maccabees). The Hanakkuh holiday is about this independence with Judas Maccabeus. This post describes the history a bit:
http://www.mormonheretic.org/2008/12/21/the-story-of-hanukkah/ Thanks for the link. Clarification. We are reading the bible cover to cover as a fam. I’m going through the history and cultural details at church in youth sunday school,
Well, we’ve made it to Matt. chapter 7. Interesting comment from my son today. “Well Dad, I’m glad you don’t expect us to believe in the scriptures “literally” or we would be in big trouble.” (as he mimics cutting off his arm.)
I would guess that AT BEST, 90% of the the first 7 chapters of Matthew are SUPPOSE TO BE parable, symbolic and analogical writings to teach spiritual truths. One thing that I find already, is that ANY LDS members who
believes and expects others to believesthe bible to be interpreted “literally” probably isn’t very familiar with it at all, and certainly doesn’t understand it.
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