Christian Armour, and the Nature of the War
Sunday - July 28, 2002 (Northern California)
Bullinger's Figures of Speech used in the Bible is a rare reference work on the Bible in that it goes to the foundation and illuminates real building blocks untainted by opinion or anything else that, however well-meaning, Biblical reference works are tainted with.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (An encyclopedic exploration of the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors, figures of speech and literary patterns of the Bible) is also a very good reference work. It is very, very extensive and in depth. The ISBN is 0830814515.
NEEDED:
1. Knowledge and experience with literature (high and low) and types of literature.
2. Read the Bible thru continually - once, 3 times, 7 times, 12 times.
3. Find a teacher. Use secondary helps.
4. Find a 'school' that imparts the esoteric WORKS of the Bible.
5. Read, read, read the Bible; with fear and reverence and diligence.
6. Study the Bible with effort to increase in understanding and will and memory.
7. Become 'mighty in the word' with due humility and common-sense and remembrance of your limitations.
Eat the roll (Book) like Ezekiel was told to do (and did) in the end of the 2nd chapter and beginning of the 3rd of the Biblical book of his name. He was told to eat it and take it into his - in the KJV - 'bowels' (heart, mind). The whole book. Isaiah was told the same somewhere in a different way.
The table below shows the progress of my reading of the 12 minor prophets. I read each book 7 different times using five different translations. My example is classical music. I have to listen to a symphony several times in a row to begin getting it into memory and clear in my mind. The same with the books of the Bible. I still have to consult secondary reference works on each book, and various esoteric sources and whatever else I can come across, but you simply have to read the Bible to get an understanding of it and to begin to see it as a whole, or, to see each part in relation to the whole. Now I can think of each of the minor prophets and be able to recall each individual book's personality and contents to mind. (I'll do similar projects with the Epistles and the Wisdom Books and on and on. Complete reading Genesis through Revelation is fundamental and necessary, but then repeated reading like below is very necessary after that.
| 8888 |
KJV |
ESV |
NLT |
Moff |
nasb |
KJV |
1611 |
| HOS |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| JOE |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| OBA |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| JON |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| NAH |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| HAB |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| ZEP |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| HAG |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
| MAL |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
done |
Monday - July 29, 2002 (Northern California)
I just aquired William Gurnall's The Christian In Complete Armour. Spiritual warfare is what esoteric Christianity leads to. The knowledge and practices of esoteric Christianity puts you on spiritual ground where the forces of light and the forces of darkness meet and where the stakes become increasingly high. The Christian In Complete Armour is a 17th century Puritan work and a classic. Here it is on the internet.
For a good, inexpensive Bible commentary I've found the NIV Compact Bible Commentary by John H. Sailhamer to be helpful. It is obviously mainstream theology, but for a discerning reader it can be used to clear up confusions in various books or to get an overall picture now and then. Nothing replaces actual effort in reading the Bible though.
