ga('set', 'userId', 'USER_ID'); // Set the user ID using signed-in user_id.

Friday 11 August 2006

Spiritual Formation Bible

In this major new Bible, the foremost names in Christian spirituality and biblical scholarship, including RICHARD FOSTER, EUGENE PETERSON, DALLAS WILLARD and WALTER BRUEGGEMANN, have combined to produce a unique Bible that rediscovers Scripture as living text.
The book includes:
* The full text of the NRSV Bible
* Introductions and notes for each book of the Bible
* Spiritual exercises incorporated throughout the text

Example Leviticus 5 v 5
Note at bottom of page

Responding
5.5 Confession

In 1-4 the Israelites were commanded to confess their sins when they were guilty of refusing to testify when they could have, touching unclean things, touching an uclean human or uttering a rash oath even if they were unaware of doing wrong.

Recall a time when you did something and only later became aware that it was wrong. Take a momment now to confess it to God. See also Spiritual Disciplines Index

* Profiles of key biblical characters
* 15 essays on living `The With-God Life`
* Spiritual Disciplines Index - a glossary and complete Bible references for all the spiritual disciplines.

HODDER & STOUGHTON, ISBN 0340909013 Price: £29.99

Can be bought from

Scottish Bible Society


I have mine -most pleased.



Look at pages dip in for your self....Here you are

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pray tell - what are "Spiritual exercises" that are incorporated throughout the text?

Brian Robertson said...

See note above incorporating example.
B

Anonymous said...

I assume you mean the bit referring to confession. I am sorry but I would not call that a spiritual exercise, or at least not a useful one. It is too facile.

"Recall a time when you did something and only later became aware that it was wrong. Take a momment now to confess it to God."

End of exercise. Should you not have confessed it as soon as you were convicted of the wrong behaviour?
Should there not be something about repentance, as well as confession? Something about seeing whether you could/should make restoration to the person you have wronged? Do you still do that wrong behaviour or was it a one-off (ie. do you need to make life changes, an attitude to correct or pray about, etc.)? It doesn't even mention asking for forgiveness, never mind seeing whether there is someone you need to forgive that may have treated you in a similar way.

And this confession can be done in "a moment"?

This seems more like something from a self-help book on how to stop feeling guilty, rather than something that would genuinely help someone to grow spiritually either behaviourally or in their understanding of God or christianity.

Brian Robertson said...

Then again one could say dont add to the book itself. It is dangerous to assume a literal meaning to the word in all text. eye offend pluck it out.

As for the SF Bible lets not take the context out I gave a quoted example. If you read the overview the point of the work is to grow with God not come to some scientific knowledge right or wrong about evaluating the text.

Too often the text is compared reviewed but not looked at in respect of what does that teach me what does it teach you.

How about we sat down and read after a prayer then rather than me saying this is what i think it is saying to me . , I ask you to tell me what you think it is saying to me! Now thtas fellowship
See LYFE site.....

Overall I think the book is a great step forward. It is the Nrsv version one i am not used to reading.

Time will tell. I am pleased.

Anonymous said...

"As for the SF Bible lets not take the context out I gave a quoted example. If you read the overview the point of the work is to grow with God not come to some scientific knowledge right or wrong about evaluating the text."

I was talking about growing with God in discussing the example exercise you gave. I don't see how giving someone the impression that they can make confession in a "moment" about something they have known was wrong for some time, can be said to help them to grow with God.

Confession without repentance is not a lot of use. God was always calling His people to repent and turn away from their sins, not just to confess them. To change, to grow, means doing something different, making progress, changing your heart and behaviour, not just saying (in a moment) something like "ooops, got it wrong, sorry God."


I don't see how you can possibly read my post and think I was talking about getting a scientific knowledge about evaluating text.

I'm not sure I understand your comment that ends with Now thats fellowship, are you suggesting we get together to discuss this? Or something else?

Brian Robertson said...

While all who come to God at present will receive forgiveness I agree there is a need for repentance and confession.

I wanted to get back to the fact that here is a Bible that promotes a reading of the word for personal growth not strict academic research. or dipping in for a mystic quick fix!!.

Somethingelse.

When we (one) asks some one else about what scripture means to them about me it takes it to a different area.

"How about If ONE sat down and read after a prayer then rather than me saying this is what I think it is saying to me . , I ask one to tell me what you think it is saying to me! Now thas fellowship"

IE two people, one asking the other what the text means not to the other but to them , the enquirer.

oh! Sorry



See LYFE site.....