The picture above is on the cover of my Composite Bible DVD. This work was the culmination of many years of study and reflection. Although the program only runs on Windows 7 and NT, still, much of the reasoning behind it does not require a computer. Using three or more progressively literal English Bibles together and studying the differences between them is available to all. Also, (thanks to Bruce Arnold) there is an on-line adaption of The Composite Bible at Compositebible.com. In addition to this, there are several of my reading plans available on the main page of my blog.
Below, please find a description of my thoughts on Bible Study and the computer programs I made (along with John Sammons help).
If I can help you in any way, please feel free to e-mail me at grose8@tampabay.rr.com.
What follows are the introduction to the program completed in 2011 and also a description of the four MS Access programs on the DVD.
Enjoy...
The Composite Bible © is copyrighted (2018, all rights reserved) By Gary D. Rose. It may not be distributed for money or modified in any way (except by the addition of personal notes) without my express permission. If you have questions, comments or would like to modify the database, please contact me atgrose8@tampabay.rr.com.
The Composite Bible
By
Gary D. Rose
Introduction
What Bible should you read? Answer, the most literal one that you can understand, that has personal meaning to you, and that you can apply in everyday life. The first Bible I read through was the Living Bible, followed by the New American Standard Bible (1977). Today, I use the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (by J.P. Green) and The King James Version as my primary Bibles but refer to all the Bibles in this work.
The Composite Bible: What is it?
Several things; first, it is a reading plan that categorizes the Scriptures into Law, History, Literature and prophecy, second, it is a categorization of Bibles into types (Text, Comparative and Analyzed) and third, it is a database that encourages the gradual use of more literal Bibles. Each of these three concepts can be used separately or in conjunction with one another. This allows great flexibility and aids in realizing that we should be progressively heading towards an understanding of the original languages. We naturally do this when there are disagreement over a meaning of a text, so why not do it as a part of our study design? This may sound a little strange at first, but we normally go from the less to the more difficult; remember reading the Dick and Jane books as a child? What do we read today? The literalness categorization of Bibles in the database is my opinion and if you disagree, that is OK; over time I may vary the categorization slightly. Note the use of color in the database; it will aid in reading the vertical arrangement of the Bibles, either in a sequential (Composite) or a linear fashion (by one color). Also note that there are many astronomy pictures in the database; this emphasis is in reference to my own youthful search for God, which began by considering the wonderful design and beauty of the heavens and continues to this very day.
The Composite Bible: What does it mean?
We have the choice of three Bible study methods that are systematic, progressive, and flexible. Systematic in their approach as to what to study, progressive in progression toward literacy, and flexible in choice of Bible texts and reading plans. One could use just the reading plan with their current Bible, use several Bibles of their own choosing sequentially, use one or more Bibles from each category of the Researcher plan or any of the combinations in the database. This gives a lot of options! Whatever your choices are, realize that the Bible is a work of God and therefore meant to be understood spiritually and applied personally. So, when the text is read, ask yourself the following questions: What does the text say? What does it mean to me? How should I apply this to my Life? We are not one-dimensional beings; we think, feel and act in a multi-faceted way, so why not apply this concept to our study of the word of God.
The Composite Bible: What does it mean to you?
I can't answer that question; only you can decide if this is a way you want to study. I love the idea of a study plan based on a progression from the less to the more literal and that addresses my overall nature as a human being. I enjoy reading and reflecting on my version of choice, then comparing it to a more literal version and finally, when I study three or more versions at once, the message becomes a composite in my mind and forces a comprehension of the text into a condensation of thought that makes the text come alive. This is something like the question: “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Also, as you emotionally consider the text and make a life application of the meaning of the words and feelings it becomes a very real part of you, transforming you every time you consider what God has said for your life. I encourage you to know the word of God, have it mean something to you at the very essence of your being and apply it to your life.
Overview - The Composite Bible- DVD 2.9
The Composite Bible DVD Ed. 2.9 is copyrighted (2018, all rights reserved). This program may not be modified in any manner without my express written permission. There are no warranties or guarantees of any kind associated with this work. Software can be modified by the end user and therefore the author of this work will not be liable for any damage or change to the users system.
Since not all of us read the original languages of the Bible, finding a translation that accurately presents the word of God in English is very important. However, there is a problem: The easy ones to read are not very accurate and the more literal ones are very difficult to understand. My answer to this problem is to find a Bible that you feel comfortable reading and then compare it to a more literal one. When this is done twice, comparisons are made which force you to think about the Bible in new ways. Please read the descriptions and choose the one (or more)that applies to you.
CBS
This program is for the person new to computers or to Bible Study. Its focus is ease of use, simplicity and multimedia. Seven English Bibles are available.
CBE
This program is designed for the advanced student. It has more capabilities, but is more involved. English, Greek, Hebrew and Latin are used.
CBW
This program is targeted towards those who have English as a second language, or for the person who wants to study with a person who is bilingual.
Like CBE, it is more involved. Twenty-six languages are use for comparison with Greek or Hebrew plus an easy to read English version.
CBM
This program emphasizes the three modified translations: Webster, Darby and Young's. It is for those who are familiar with one of the first three programs and have no need of extensive helps.
PDF
This sub-directory contains various Bibles and Bible Charts in PDF format for those who may not wish to install a program on their computer. Simply copy the desired files from this DVD to a directory of your choosing or run them from the disk by double clicking on them. Please note that Adobe Acrobat is required to run them. I have included the latest Adobe Acrobat software (for windows 7) for those who do already have this installed.
The Composite Bible
If you would like to see what one of the programs (CBE) looks like BEFORE YOU INSTALL IT, double click on this audio-visual file and watch the movie (35 minutes long).
INSTALLATION:
When the DVD is inserted into the drive a dialogue box will appear. I recommend that you choose this read_me_first file because you will be able to make a more informed choice as to the program that is best for you. Print this file and decide which program you would like to install. Choose open folder to view files and double click on your desired program. The program will then install (or load, as in the case of the PDF files or the movie). When finished, the program you chose will appear on the start menu.
The Composite Bible programs require Microsoft Access; if that is not installed then access 2000 run-time must be installed first. Go into the Access run-time directory and click setup; unarchive and install the program.
I RECOMMEND THAT YOU INSTALL CBS FIRST AND AFTER YOU HAVE MASTERED THAT PROGRAM, THEN GO ON TO ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS!!!
Please Note:
This program will NOT run on MS Windows 10. To use it, Windows 7 or NT must be installed!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment