Saint John's Church in Passaic - Anglican + Episcopal
Traditional Worship + Faithful Service
So Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31)
What Bible To Read?
There are many translations and editions of the Bible in English. The most famous and the one from which most English speakers have committed verses to memory is the King James Version (KJV), also known as the Authorized Version, having received royal approval in 1611. Its language is unmatched for poetic beauty and is very suited for liturgical use along with our Book of Common Prayer.
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For most of our services, however, we use the Revised Standard Version (RSV) an authorized revision published in 1952 of the American Standard Version, itself a revision of the Authorized Bible.
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If you would like to do some Bible study, you may want to try one of these:
Others that are good too:
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The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) – successor to the RSV
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The New International Version (NIV)
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The New American Bible (NAB)
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The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
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The Common English Bible (CEB)
You are welcome to borrow a copy of the various versions available from the parish library (in the Rector's Study) and try it. Use it for a week or two. Then borrow another. We also have them in various languages. There are even some available in original Hebrew or Greek texts with parallel English translations.
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How to find a passage in the Bible:
Book, Chapter : verse(s)
Example: Exodus 12:1-10, is the Book of Exodus, chapter 12, verses 1-10
Look up where each book is in the Table of Contents - in either the Old Testament or the New Testament - at the front of your Bible, and go from there.