# Looking for a Biblical guide approved by religious leaders **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606 "2026-04-27T22:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/41 "2026-04-28T17:11:28Z")
> [@Vlad\_Igor](#): > > I will echo @griffin1977’s point above that the Bible does not contain factual history. Parts of it were written as a theological interpretation of historical events, so asking “what parts are historical?” is not answerable. I think _Kings_ was intended to be historical, although it’s obviously meant to interpret that history, as well. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/42 "2026-04-28T17:18:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Was it wrong to even ask the question? It wasn’t, it’s just the thing you’re looking for doesn’t exist. There is no denomination I’m aware of, from Southern Baptists to Unitarian Universalists, that has a canonical list of books of the Bible divided in X that are historically accurate and Y that are purely allegorical (except the small minority that thinks either X or Y is zero). Let alone that kind of list that is accepted by a large subset of different denominations. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/43 "2026-04-28T17:21:09Z")
Then instead of berating me for asking a question I didn’t know the answer to in the first place, could you have just answered “no”? “No”, “yes”, “maybe”, “in a way” etc. are all acceptable answers. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/44 "2026-04-28T18:45:20Z")
A correction. I shoukd have put **New Revised Standard Bible.** ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/45 "2026-04-28T23:31:40Z")
Gack. NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/46 "2026-04-28T23:47:45Z")
I don’t see that anyone was berating you, least of all me. We were sharing our knowledge and asking for clarification based on that knowledge. Don’t stop asking questions. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/47 "2026-04-29T04:15:49Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Many, many Bible scholars all recommend the **[New Oxford Annotated Study Bible, Revised Standard Version.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Annotated_Bible)** > In 2001, a third edition was published, also using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Edited by [Michael D. Coogan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Coogan), it is considered to be yet more [ecumenical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenism) and [interfaith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interreligious_studies) in approach, Oh cool! I took a college course on the Bible taught by Koogan! He was terrific. I have an old version of that Bible, but i should update it. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/48 "2026-04-29T06:32:43Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Gack. NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION. Obligatory, at this point [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/l3fAcxcxoZ8/hqdefault.jpg "Emo Phillips - Golden Gate Bridge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3fAcxcxoZ8) TL;DR: Die, heretic! Delivered by a person who looks more ridiculous than I do, despite them having a full head of hair. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/49 "2026-04-29T21:17:29Z")
And the recent NRSVue, the “Updated Edition” which is planned as the basis for the next edition of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/50 "2026-04-29T22:37:24Z")
You know, I’ve heard of Emo Phillips (admittedly, mainly on this board), and I’ve read and enjoyed many of his quotes - but I’ve never seen or heard him before, so I had no idea he was that _annoying_. In fact, I had no idea ANYONE could be that annoying. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/51 "2026-04-29T23:28:13Z")
I’ve never heard of him before (or didn’t remember his name – i have a terrible memory for names) but I’ve read that joke. And i agree, he was amazingly annoying. He was funny. And also, i can’t imagine paying to listen to him. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/52 "2026-04-29T23:31:08Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > . I have an old version of that Bible, but i should update it. So, do you think it’s worth waiting for the 6th edition, coming soon? It should i just pick up a copy of the 5th? ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2026, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/53 "2026-04-30T03:42:25Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > In fact, I had no idea ANYONE could be that annoying. Wow. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > He was funny. And also, i can’t imagine paying to listen to him. Heheh, I think I heard about him when I was first in high school. A girl I knew described him as “This guy with a pageboy haircut and all of his inflections are backward. He’s a weird guy, but pretty funny.” She wasn’t wrong. I had to watch a few of his acts to stop fixating on the odd way he delivers _everything_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606.md?page=2)