My favorite single chapter is the eighth chapter of Romans, and it’s conclusion, about how nothing at all can seperate us from the love of God. I like to use that to counter people who think sexual orientation is relevant to whether or not God loves us or “hates” us. And besides, knowing we are loved no matter what is a real upper when we’ve done something bad.
Next up would be the parts of the Gospels where Jesus does things everyone is surprised, or indignant at, like not condemning the adulteress, or eating and associating with social outcasts.
Although I’m not a literalist I love the spectacle of the first chapter of Genesis, trying to imagine a picture of the world being created. It’s cooler than the second story in the next chapter.
I like the tales of Judith and Susanna, from the Apocrypha. Damn, Judith was tough. If I’d had a daughter I’d like to have named her Judith.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is
better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as
ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into
his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents
of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked
upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where
thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by
the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in
Pharaoh’s chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains
of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth
the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all
night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards
of Engedi. Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast
doves’ eyes. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed
is green. The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
I like the parts of Genesis dealing with all the family intrigue. I also like the first part of Exodus dealing with the enslavement in Egypt, the plagues, and all that.
I like the book of Ruth. I also like Esther, but that may be because of the association with Purim.
The part in Numbers where people get swallowed by the earth (Numbers 16:30-33) is pretty cool.
Dunno about the others in this thread, but I’m Jewish.
I’m not a Christian now, but I was raised one. When I was a kid, I tried (and failed) to read the Bible straight through. As a teenager, I’d read the Bible during church to avoid the deadly dullness of the sermon.
Sure, Ecclesiasties is cranky-profound, The Song of Solomon is sexy, and the Book of Job is gloomy-subversive.
But for sheer drama, you can’t beat the story of the reigns of David and Solomon in 2 Samuel - 1 Kings; it is like an iron age version of The Godfather, complete with the ordering of “hits” by a dying David. And who can beat Rehoboham’s immortal line: “my father chastised you with whips; I shall chastise you with scorpions!”
Atheists often are more familiar with the Bible than many theists. Mine is in my SF collection. (filed under God - house pseudonym.)
As for the OP - Chronicles is boring. Bleah. I like Genesis, since more good stuff is packed in there per page than in just about any other part. I’m fond of Malachi, but that was because it was my Haftorah portion for my bar mitzvah, and was nice and short.
<Movies that never happened thread>
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Can’t say I ever heard of them Everyone knows the Bible ends with Malachi.
</thread>
I like the part, I think it’s in Exodus, or Numbers, or one of the other early books, where God commands his holy chosen folks to kill all the people of Midian, except for the little girls, who are forced into slavery. That’s a laugh riot, that bit.
Ecclesiates is the only thing that really floats my boat. I think we all could use a little more of a get-over-yourself attitude.
I don’t much like Genesis. It’s got some ripping yarns, but a handful of verses have been used so badly in the wrong hands that it ruins the whole thing for me.
Actually, I liked the bits about building the tabernacle when I was a kid. A long-time fascination with weaving. There’s a bit somewhere in the middle where craftmanship is counted among the gifts of the Spirit, which I think is really cool.
I also almost sob when I read the bit in Ezekiel where God tells him that He’s going to make his life a sign by the death of his wife.
*15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners .”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded. *
I’m a Christian.
The same theme comes up in 1 Samuel, when Samuel rebukes Saul for raiding the Amalekites for booty, instead of exterminating them all as God commanded.
Disfunctional family after disfunctional family after disfunctional family. And they’re the patriarchs.
Favorite sections? Most have already been listed - Song of Songs, the Psalms (especially the ones that start off pissed at God & the world and end in hope - you are allowed to rail at God). Lamentations, which is not only pretty, but also a word game (sadly, I don’t know Hebrew, so I can’t truly appreciate it. But I’ve been assured that it’s there).
Least favorite - some of the minor prophets get a wee bit redundant. Especially if read one after another.
My favorite books include, in no particular order,
[ul]
[li]Genesis[/li][li]Job[/li][li]Ruth[/li][li]John[/li][li]Acts[/li][li]Proverbs[/li][li]Song of Solomon[/li][/ul]
I’m Catholic, but that’s only part of the reason I read the Bible. There are gobs and gobs of great literature out there that reference the Bible, build scenarios from it, or even offer alternate view points. To have a decent understanding of those works, I believe one needs to have a decent of at least the parts of the Bible that they reference. Like it or not Western Civilization has a lot of culture rooted in the Bible.
I like Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Samuel I and II, the Gospels, and Revelations. You’ve got the stories of the patriarchs, Moses and Egypt, great wisdom, sexy poetry, more wisdom, King David, Jesus, and the end of the world. I don’t believe in it, but the Bible is a great piece of literature.
And who can beat Rehoboham’s immortal line: “my father chastised you with whips; I shall chastise you with scorpions!” 