Brief history
Canon of the Old Testament was settled 70 years before Jesus Christ birth as man.
/lot of details here. Ill insert a link to an mp3 of the study. /
Tips:
Don't do:
Don't pull verses out at random.
Don't read verses out of context.
Don't start at Genesis.
In opinion, start at a Gospel and Acts of the Apostles.
If you want to start a prophetic book, read Jeremiah.
Don't let Chapters fool you, because a thought may flow from chapter to chapter.
Don't use Bibles with headings for chapters. They are merely there for copyrightability of the text.
To Do:
Pray before you read
Read whole books at a time. Read letters in whole once, without understanding most, then go and reread.
Don't try to look for hidden meanings.
Look for the plain sense of the text.
New King James version is good translation.
Good concordance. Can help teach meanings of words.
Good interlinear Bible, with Greek and Hebrew texts side by side.
Vines Expositary Dictionary of Biblical Words.
Word studies
Psalm 103.
Forgive - rooted in Hebrew word, which means the shedding If of blood.
Hebrew 53:4
Grief - sickness. He, Jesus, carries our sickness.
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