New Church Foundation

The Bible has been called "the book of heresies" because it seems as if people can prove anything they want from the Bible. The challenge is to be open to the Lord communicating with us through the Bible. We need certain principles to shed light on obscure or contradictory passages. One principle is that God is love. Another is that everything in the Bible relates to the love of God and the love of other people.

Readings

Since we all live forever after death, then, and are assigned places either in heaven or in hell depending on how we have lived, and since both heaven and hell are necessarily in a form that causes them to act as unities... and since none of us can be assigned to any place in that form except our own, it follows that the human race throughout the whole world is under the Lord’s supervision, and that each one of us is being led by Him in the slightest details, from infancy to the end of life, with a particular place foreseen and provided for... We see nothing of this universal providence, and if we did see it, it would look to our sight like the scattered piles and random heaps that passers-by see when a house is being built. The Lord, though, sees a magnificent palace constantly under construction and constantly being enlarged. (Divine Providence 203)

The doctrine of genuine truth can also be drawn in full from the sense of the letter of the Word, because in this sense the Word is like a person clothed whose face and hands are bare. All things that concern people’s life, and consequently their salvation, are bare; but the rest are clothed. In many places also where they are clothed they shine through their clothing, like a face through a thin veil of silk. The truths of the Word also appear and shine through their clothing more and more clearly in proportion as they are multiplied by a love for them, and are ranged in order by this love. But this also is by means of doctrine. (Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture 55)

7 Keys to Reading the Bible

By Brian Smith

1. Find the time and length of reading that works well for you.
2. The Word is designed by the Lord to teach us about subtle and powerful aspects of ourselves, our relationships with Him and with other people. As you read, strive to see these applications in life.
3. Pray for desire and inspiration to read. The Lord enlightens our minds to the extent that we realize all wisdom comes from Him.
4. Mark passages which are important to you. Write down your thoughts, questions and favorite quotes.
5. Find ideal circumstances. What time of day and type of environment nurture your focus?
6. Follow your interests. What stories or questions are you most interested in? Make a plan so that you can enjoy a sense of progress.
7. Building any new habit is difficult. You may have to give up other things to make time and energy for reading. You may need to compel yourself at first. It may be useful to form a reading group.

Reflection

When you see a contradiction in the Bible and take time to pray and look to the Lord, what result do you experience?

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