tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9682979.post1754399685357965067..comments2023-09-26T10:32:38.023-04:00Comments on the dumping ground: a narnia bible studymarauder34http://www.blogger.com/profile/00651154474169358422noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9682979.post-58213166785276432452013-05-17T15:01:57.745-04:002013-05-17T15:01:57.745-04:00Well, Acts is unmistakably the best place to get r...Well, Acts is unmistakably the best place to get raw biographical detail of Paul, although I would also add his epistles, since they give a window into his thought processes, and also include references to other biographical information.<br /><br />But if I wanted what we know about Paul distilled into a single form that I can understand in a straightforward manner, I would probably look elsewhere, since Acts and the Pauline epistles don't provide important cultural context that helps us to understand Paul better, or to give us a greater sense of what life may have been like for him as a Roman citizen, a member of the Sanhedrin, and so on.<br /><br />As to whether people are more interested in studying things about the Bible than the Bible itself, I'd have to say yes. The Bible can be boring as all get-out, bewildering beyond words, and it can be an intimidating book because it is the Bible. Books about the Bible or dramatizations of the Bible are much easier, because they tell us what we need to know and how to understand it, and that's much more appealing than studying the Bible itself.marauder34https://www.blogger.com/profile/00651154474169358422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9682979.post-3151199798487188072013-05-16T04:26:07.362-04:002013-05-16T04:26:07.362-04:00Do you think people in general are simply more int...Do you think people in general are simply more interested in studying things that are about the Bible than studying the Bible itself? <br /><br />Many years ago, I was having a discussion with a distant relative who had been a life-long Christian, but had recently become interested in becoming more deeply educated in religious matters. She said to me, "I've really become fascinated with Paul, since he wrote more Epistles than anyone else. Do you know of a good book that would tell me about his life?" <br /><br />I replied, "Well, Acts would probably be your best bet, I'd say." She did a bit of a double-take, having apparently never considered it. Really, though, is there any book outside of the New Testament that would have something as personal to say about him?Bruckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08445755788968924719noreply@blogger.com