Last year I got suddenly swept up into studying Christianity, but it is definitely not your garden-variety, Standard Sunday School Doctrine type of Christianity!
My Bible study buddy has taught me several principles:
1) Context is key. Who said the thing, who are they saying it to, where are they when they are saying it, what's around them when they are saying it? Job 38 is vastly different from Matthew 1 for this reason. A good study Bible is invaluable for this. I am using Zondervan's "Archaeological Study Bible", which is now out of print, but their "Cultural Study Bible" may do the same things and it's a more recent NIV translation.
2) Dig into the original language, the meaning of the original words (Hebrew, Koine Greek or Aramaic) to see what the verse >really< says. There are a few red pills in the Bible that make translators twitch, and they'll paper them over. (Try Psalm 82, Job 38:6-7 for starters.) To do this you want a good interlinear Bible. My favorite is: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ In the search field at top, type in the book, chapter and verse you want to look at and you are off to the races. (Hint: the Hebrew reads right to left.)
3) There are very few books >about< the Bible that are any good, and a lot of them will lead you right into the tall weeds. The Bible itself is plenty of material to keep you busy for a long while. A couple of "outside books" that are at least somewhat helpful are: - "The Unseen Realm" by Michael Heiser (h/t to the Ecosophian who put me onto him) - "Beyond Radical" by Gene Edwards
4) If your current god(dess)(es) are taking good care of you, then they are on the team of the good guys. Spoiler: Heiser makes the case that all the other gods are the children of YHWH. Some rebelled and so there's a war on. The others are working with YHWH. So ask your current god(dess)(es) what you should do-- if you should move to Team YHWH or stay with them.
FWIW a few weeks ago I had a brief vision of meeting Odin at an outdoor cafe' table. After expressing my awe and admiration at "gods who hang on trees to bring us gifts" (referring to both him and Jesus), he smiled and told me, "Continue your studies, little one". So he is OK with my Bible study.
Re: And now a new goddess
My Bible study buddy has taught me several principles:
1) Context is key. Who said the thing, who are they saying it to, where are they when they are saying it, what's around them when they are saying it? Job 38 is vastly different from Matthew 1 for this reason.
A good study Bible is invaluable for this. I am using Zondervan's "Archaeological Study Bible", which is now out of print, but their "Cultural Study Bible" may do the same things and it's a more recent NIV translation.
2) Dig into the original language, the meaning of the original words (Hebrew, Koine Greek or Aramaic) to see what the verse >really< says. There are a few red pills in the Bible that make translators twitch, and they'll paper them over. (Try Psalm 82, Job 38:6-7 for starters.)
To do this you want a good interlinear Bible.
My favorite is: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/
In the search field at top, type in the book, chapter and verse you want to look at and you are off to the races. (Hint: the Hebrew reads right to left.)
3) There are very few books >about< the Bible that are any good, and a lot of them will lead you right into the tall weeds. The Bible itself is plenty of material to keep you busy for a long while.
A couple of "outside books" that are at least somewhat helpful are:
- "The Unseen Realm" by Michael Heiser (h/t to the Ecosophian who put me onto him)
- "Beyond Radical" by Gene Edwards
4) If your current god(dess)(es) are taking good care of you, then they are on the team of the good guys. Spoiler: Heiser makes the case that all the other gods are the children of YHWH. Some rebelled and so there's a war on. The others are working with YHWH. So ask your current god(dess)(es) what you should do-- if you should move to Team YHWH or stay with them.
FWIW a few weeks ago I had a brief vision of meeting Odin at an outdoor cafe' table.
After expressing my awe and admiration at "gods who hang on trees to bring us gifts" (referring to both him and Jesus), he smiled and told me, "Continue your studies, little one". So he is OK with my Bible study.
Best of luck, wherever your path takes you.
- Cicada Grove