For quite a few years, I have been putting notes in the margin of my Bible.
I have two areas I would like to hear what folks thought.
1.
Is there anything wrong with it?
2.
Maybe this is for Pastors, but certain sections of Scripture are so clogged with notes I do not have room for anymore.
In other sections, especially the OT books like Song of Solomon, Leviticus, Numbers, and other OT books.
So my question is to you pastors, are there some parts of the Bible you never have a sermon over?
I don't think so, at all. I highlight, underline, circle, write, etc. My Bible looks like a text book belonging to a fourth-year biology student, and it a lot of ways, it is the ultimate text book I own.
All my notes are taken care of electronically, but I've known many Christians that highlight scriptures, and write notes.
I don't know if I've ever thought of it in terms of right or wrong, but if there's no scriptural basis to condemn it, then it's one of those things that could be right or wrong based on the person, and not the action.
May the Holy Spirit convict those who do so vainly.
As far as passages that pastors don't have sermons on...
I've never heard Deuteronomy 25:11-12 preached on, as a direct application to our lives.
However I have heard many other Old Testament passages preached on, with direct application to our lives.
Christians have been doing this for a long time now.
It is a good practice.
As for #2, the fragment aside and assuming you are saying you don't take many notes from those books, why would you not preach from them????
That is a sad commentary on the pastor who won't preach from certain texts, especially since they find little value (based on few notes) or simply a lack of understanding.
I've done it for years, when one Bible wears out I go through and copy the more important notes into the new one.
In recent years have only carried electronic Bible software and done notes that way.
Thank you for the pic.
On point 2, I see the same problem with Sunday School material on a weekly basis.
Sometimes, an entire lesson is on a few verses.
On other Sundays, they made decide to "cover" a good number of chapters of a certain book.
They skip over much material that is good, solid Scripture to learn lots of lessons, and then create a focal point that is much less applicable.
I used to then realized the futility. I have read through several translations and paraphrases, and don't use one copy primarily.
A few years back, a Matthew Henry Bible was printed that was annotated with some of his best comments. I've found I use that one primarily, and the only notes I've made were to divide the book into daily readings.
There just is no substitute for knowing one's Bible well, and actually living by it.
NOT a pastor, but have been a teacher and Elder...
Always have put word meanings next to selected underlined/circled english words, and started doing some prayer answers to specifi requests to God, as learned that from watching charles stanley,as he likes to write
down answers to prayers in margin of his bible!
Several years ago I started making copious notes in the margins of my NASB Study Bible.
After a couple of years I really had a lot of notes.
Then the pages started falling out and I had to get a new bible.
What now?
There are too many notes to transfer them so it sits on the shelf and occasionally I will refer back to my old notes but for the most part they are doing me no good at all.
I used to carry around a Thompson-Chain Reference with wide-margins. I'd take notes in the margins and used up a lot of the extra pages in the front and back. I'd underline and add Greek or Hebrew where appropriate.
Now, I've switched over to my iPad and use Accordance for my note taking. Since this is a great platform that will, likely, be around for a long time, I have confidence that I'll never lose my notes.
I don't have a problem with taking notes, highlighting and writing in one's Bible. It is a wise practice in my opinion and one we see that has been in use since the earliest days of Christianity. :)
My grandfather introduced me to it years ago. He used it for his entire ministry. I love it too.
Too many other study Bibles offer notes that aren't helpful. I prefer the referencing function of the Thompson and have also grown through the NET Bible and its plentiful (often translation) notes. :)
....let me say this, about that .... some of my greatest sermons are written down in the margins of my Bible. In fact, folks in my church have seen my Bible, and asked if I would leave it to them when I go back home, to heaven!
God caused the rpinter.puvlisher to leave a margin for a purpose IMHO, and I use it for his
good!
:wavey:
Actually it is more theologically neutral than any other study Bible. The first Thompson Chain Bible was published in 1908, before publication of Scofield Bible led people into dispensationalism.
Scofield should have found a text that he actually believed was translated properly, rather than publishing a reference system Bible that cast doubt on the text at every turn.
Darby's New Translation was available, and he was a fellow dispy.
I wore out my Thompson Chain, which I relished, due to all of the study guides after the text, indexes, charts, maps, archeological digs, and etc.