How Does The Bible Affect My Life?

Life is not simple. The Bible is not simple. In trying to make sense of the Bible, there are many “easy read” versions. They are evidence that people really do want to understand its contents. I am one of those people. Using the easy-read paraphrased versions, while enjoyable, still gives me the impression that I am looking at someone else’s life experience, but not really my own. My questions are not so much about morality and how I should behave, but how was my whole being knit together from the beginning. Just as a baby’s nervous system is not complete at birth, so our psychological system is in its infancy as well.

In my exploration, I chose a scholarly version, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, which is one of the most accurate renditions using the oldest known manuscripts. Accuracy was the goal of the editors and the vast army of scholars working for them. There are copious footnotes to help explain obscurities and add to our knowledge of biblical times. There is helpful cross-referencing to note where else in the Bible certain things are repeated.

I am sure many have looked back upon their earlier experiences and asked, “Why did I do that? What was I thinking?” We were in a former stage of development, so our thinking corresponded to that stage. Research tells us that the adolescent brain is not configured the same as the adult brain. Teenagers will have different reasoning patterns at that time than they will have as their brain reconfigures into the adult. Is this in the Bible? Most assuredly. How do we find it? Allow me to show