I read the Bible in Martin Luther’s German translation and, in parallel, in a modern (easier to understand but also sometimes unfamiliar) Einheitsübersetzung from the 1970s, which, if I understand correctly, is a translation done by Catholics but approved by the Protestant Church. This modern version included the Apocrypha, cross-references, maps and short commentaries. (I tried to ignore the commentaries, though, as they seemed a bit biased to me. For example, it tells me that the 1000 years that Satan will be bound after the coming of Jesus is not to be taken literally. - Says who?)
I also checked some passages in English translations, mostly the King James version.
In addition I read Asimov’s Guide to the Bible that I found extremely helpful. He confines himself mainly to historical and geographical commentary, but occasionally points out incidents that I would otherwise have missed.
The Bible is a very old book with many layers of meaning and very difficult for the layman to understand. It is a religious text and indeed for many a holy book containing divine truths. And it is arguably (not much of an argument there) the most important book in our Western civilisation for the impact it has had not only on religious views but also on culture and ethics and our understanding of man's place in the world.
The problems with the book begin, of course, with the translation. For example, linguists (at least) now agree that the concept of a virgin mother is due to a mistranslation. What was translated as virgin could have been rendered just as well or better as young woman. And I read recently that instead of a rip (of Adam) that was made into Eve, a better translation (and the one used everywhere else in the Bible) would have been side as in half. Which would alter the meaning (and also perhaps the history of feminism). And Eve was not so much a helper of Adam but a rescuer.
But of course the original meaning, if it differs from what we understand today, is irrelevant after more than 2000 years. We have not only the original texts, but 2000 years of translations, interpretations, adaptations and myths (for example, the names of the three wise men of Bethlehem).
I have tried to read the Bible with humility and respect, but also with an open mind. I did not intend (or expect) to find enlightenment or even inspiration, but neither did I intend to find inconsistencies and evidence of nonsense. And I would not (pretend to) expect an ahistorical condemnation of slavery, for example.
I just wanted to do my duty as a member of a society, deeply affected by Christian thought, in finally reading this important book. It was my intention to get a basic understanding and to get rid of some confusions. For example I never knew the difference between the exile in Egypt and in Babylonia or what exactly is meant with the lost tribes of Israel.
Of course, I was not entirely ignorant of the Bible. I was raised a Catholic, and many of the tales of the Bible had been known by me. But on the other hand, and this is the first conclusion I can draw, I found it remarkable how little of its content is actually used in readings and sermons. I knew for example of the feeding of the 5000, but never heard of the feeding of the 4000.
It is no accident that only a handful of the many, many psalms are ever quoted. Most of them are repetitive and not very good poetry either. The same is true of the Proverbs. Very few of the stories, once you get through Genesis and Exodus, are really exciting. No wonder that what is used from the life of David is his battle with Goliath. And his involvement with Bathsheba. And from Solomon, it is his famous judgement that stands out.
The next surprise is how little is actually taught about right and wrong. How to behave? There are the Ten Commandments (in various versions), but they seem to play a much less prominent role than I expected. Instead there is endless talk about what can and cannot be eaten. Even in the New Testament there is not much added except in the Sermon on the Mount. Since many people say that there could be no morality if it were not ultimately based on belief in God and his laws, I found this quite disturbing.
I have little to say about the actual content of the Bible. Just one or two remarks. When I was a child there were two things that seemed strange to me, one was that I could not believe that it would be possible to get two animals of every species into an ark, and the other was the story of Moses and his struggle with Pharaoh. At one point he turns his stick into a snake. But the Pharaoh’s magicians did the same. Only Moses’ snake was bigger. But if there was only one God, how could their gods perform miracles (lesser miracles, apparently, but still miracles)?
But when I actually read the story now, something else puzzled me. The Pharaoh does not want the Jews to leave the country and so God sends the seven plagues. But the Bible says that God will “harden Pharaoh’s heart”. (St Paul comes back to this: “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” Romans, 9.18) It seems then that God actively intervened to make the Pharaoh say no. It does not seem to have been the free will of Pharaoh to keep them in the land. And what sense does that make, except to add drama to the story. And free will is a theme that occurs again and again starting with Eve and the Tree of Knowledge. Why would God need to destroy the entire Human race with the flood? Could he not foresee that they would behave like they did and could he not stop them doing it? Or when he selects Saul to conquer foreign territory, could he be actually surprised and upset when Saul did not do what was expected of him? The sentence that seems to occur most in the Bible is: “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” But why?
So here I am, asking theological questions. Something I did not want to do. However, I cannot resist mentioning two other famous memes. One is the sacrifice of Isaac. I know it did not happen in the end, but no matter how many sermons I hear on the subject, I will never accept that it was anything other than pure evil. (And again, assuming God knew how Abraham would behave, why was it necessary to teach him this particular lesson?) The other thing I find even more appalling is Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” We are not supposed to look after ourself? This is incomprehensible. Especially when compared with Matthew 25:26.
From a literary point of view the best book in my opinion is Jonah. Not for the whale story but for his reason to escape. He does not want to give the people of Nineveh a chance to repent. He manages to save them and still wants them to perish. And I liked Judith.
Catholics are not encouraged to read the Bible. As I said, it is difficult for a layman to understand. This makes it all the more surprising that Protestants seem to be able to cope with the difficulties. But then they know that neither works nor faith have anything to do with a life in heaven. Only grace. I always thought that was something Luther and Calvin had invented. But it is right there in St Paul. And that is the most frustrating lesson I have learned from reading the Bible.