FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
WHAT VERSION OF THE BIBLE DO I USE?
I primarily use the King James Version (KJV) originally published in 1611.
The project took seven years and involved six committees totaling 47 scholars specializing in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
My edition is 66 books, 1,200 pages and approximately 783,137 words.
The prose is majestic, dense, poetic, and sometimes difficult.
WHAT BIBLE VERSION DO I RECOMMEND IF YOU'RE JUST BEGINNING YOUR JOURNEY?
The New International Version (NIV) - 1984 edition.
The language is contemporary while overall meaning is maintained.
DOES THE BIBLE HAVE QUESTIONS?
Yes.
• Frequently cited figures range from 3,248 (NIV) to 3,326 (KJV) questions
• Jesus asked over 300 questions in the Gospels
• While others asked Jesus over 180 questions
WHAT IS MY RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND?
Born, baptized, raised, and schooled a Catholic. Stopped going to church / mass the day I left my parent’s home for college at the age of 18.
Being from a Catholic family, I thought I was “saved” by default.
I came to learn I was wrong.
WHAT IS MY DAILY ROUTINE?
I rise at 4:30am. Feed the dog. Make coffee. Pray for guidance and the capacity to absorb even a modicum of God’s divine wisdom, then begin reading.
I always read every chapter at least 3 times. The first pass to get a broad understanding of the structure and content. The second to get closer to the message. And the third, hopefully to start to parse out meaning and understanding.
I will then use a variety of Bible commentaries and sometimes AI to get a clearer perspective of what it is I just read.
The Bible is so rich, poetic, mysterious, interconnected, dynamic, and just downright magical, that it almost escapes comprehension, if you let it.
I usually complete my study around 7:00am.
Then I pray for 15 to 25 minutes.
HOW DO I PRAY?
Changes all the time. There truly is no one way to pray.
I try to resist the practice of reciting memorized prayer.
I cover the following within each morning prayer: Honor my creator, give thanks for all He has provided, acknowledge my imperfections and failures and sins, ask for forgiveness, petition His grace, and ask for perseverance, patience, guidance, strength, and wisdom.
Some days, I just sit in silence and listen.
Although, when you feel stuck, the Lord’s Prayer works quite well.
SHOULD YOU USE BIBLE COMMENTARY WHEN STUDYING THE BIBLE?
Yes. Thousands of years and many thousands of minds more capable than mine have spent entire careers and lifetimes trying to understand the great mystery that is God and His Word.
They always have something interesting to add.
But a word of warning: Find those who stay close to what the Bible actually says. Many offer warm words that sound good but offer little spiritual nutrition or veer off into speculation.
Try to find both historical and contemporary Biblical scholars. A variety will serve you well as you weave together your understanding of the rich tapestry of the Bible.
WHO HAVE BEEN MY BIGGEST INFLUENCES RELATED TO STUDYING THE BIBLE?
Charles Spurgeon
CS Lewis
Matthew Henry
David Guzik
Tim Keller
Chad Bird
NT Wright
Jonathan Edwards
Paul the Apostle
The Holy Spirit
Suffering (The greatest teacher of all.)
WHAT IS THE BIBLE TO ME?
The Bible is the inspired Word of God.
It is a book of divine wisdom gifted to humankind to guide us toward salvation – an eternal existence of profound joy and abundance spent with God the Creator, maker of all that is seen and unseen.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”
– 2 Timothy 3:16
The path to knowing God is to study His Word. His Word is exquisitely mysterious and poetically complex.
But God does not make knowing Him easy. He wants us to strive to come to know Him. A striving that results in the most joyous of human experiences – requited love.
The Bible should be consumed daily. The divine wisdom contained therein is too fluid and profound to try to hold within human consciousness for long. Consciousness must be constantly refreshed and revived.
And thankfully this divine wisdom has been preserved in a transportable, readable, format. Its presence and profundity are undeniable and unmatched.
The Bible is the only Truth ever told.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ THE BIBLE?
I am guessing 4-5 times.
The first time I read straight through from Genesis to Revelation. However, I soon realized I hadn’t learned a thing. It was a vanity project allowing me to support my empty faith with the pathetic claim: “I have read the Bible.”
The Bible is not a book to read. It is a divine masterpiece to study deeply.
The Bible is the book you never finish.
WHAT IS ETERNITY TO YOU?
Start counting and never stop.
Whether eternity as a follow-on to salvation exists, I can only speculate. But I believe that it does.
HOW it will be, I can only guess.
But, if it is indeed forever, I would prefer that it be as pleasant as possible. All that matters to me is that I live forever in the glory and presence of God.
WHY DO YOU CAPITALIZE THE "B" IN BIBLE?
The Bible is God’s Word. His Word.
No word deserves a capital letter more.
HOW DO I BEGIN TO STUDY THE BIBLE?
First, know how YOU plan to begin. Are you skeptical? A cynic?
Are you totally open or going in resisting the Bible as fiction or a fool’s guide to the universe?
Or do you hunger to learn as much as God will reveal.
Begin where you are. The Holy Spirit will guide you from there.
“…a still small voice.”
- 1 Kings 19:12 (KJV)
SHOULD I JUST BEGIN IN GENESIS AND READ IT STRAIGHT THROUGH?
There is no one method. However, it has been said that the entire Bible is told in Genesis and then just repeats the story throughout. So I would recommend beginning there.
But one important thing to remember, every word in the Bible is there for a reason. You may not know it when you begin, but it will become more apparent as you dive deeper.
HOW HAS THE BIBLE CHANGED ME?
The Bible has transformed how I see.
I once saw the world and my existence one way.
Now, every experience is processed through a lens and filter I did not possess prior.
DO I USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
Yes. It is a powerful research and editing tool.
I mainly use it for insight and brainstorming about concepts as well as final editing.
Only the BoBQ infographics are AI generated. All other content is original and of human origin.