Power-Reading the Bible
an occasional blog by Gary D. Collier

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Bringing Revelation To Life Jan 28, 2025

How can we bring new energy, new understanding, new vigor to reading the book of Revelation?  How, in fact, can we bring Revelation to life?

The video above is excerpted from the first session of the...

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(10) 3-D Bible Reading May 04, 2024

If you want to get depressed, go look up the "Flat Bible Believers" Facebook page. Its very existence helps to demonstrate that people read the Bible every which way they can, and every which way that...

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(9) The Self and DBS Apr 20, 2024

In my previous post, I talked about self disciplines (or disciplines for the self) as specialty tools, and I noted that these tools are designed to do some things, but not other things. I especially n...

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(8) Specialty Tools Apr 13, 2024

"You just think everybody has to become a scholar to read the Bible!"  Occasionally, some feel uneasy with what I’m saying in the previous posts, and some even get offended by it, as if I don’t unders...

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(7) Methods for the Self Apr 06, 2024

We certainly need to read the Bible for personal and lofty reasons, in search of spiritual formation. As with textual interests, there are methods that are applied to the self.[1]   Back in post #4, I...

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(6) Text: Methods, Highs and Lows Mar 30, 2024

Frankly, the basics are pretty straightforward:  think of every biblical text as a friend, and then treat your friend the way you want to be treated. Start by listening to your friend and don't keep i...

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(5) Text: The Prime Directive Mar 23, 2024

“What does Bible study even mean?” Strange as that may sound, not everything that calls itself “Bible Study” is.

What It's Not

Unfortunately, this phrase gets attached to just about everything:  

    ...
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(4) Text: Initial Notes on Methods Mar 16, 2024

It is not in spite of, but because of our love for our ancient, precious biblical texts, that we, with energy, seek out how to read them. We respect methods developed over centuries, and they are not ...

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Is Revelation Poetry? Aug 18, 2023

Note:  this post is an early version of the introduction of a new translation of the Apocalypse now available only for private sale (by personal request), or as a promotional gift under the following ...

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Moving Mar 03, 2023

Like a timely chess move, during March 2023, the social media presence of IABC is moving off of Facebook and onto a platform called MeWe.  Those who sign up for a free account can access our new socia...

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The Bible and the Abortion Debate Oct 29, 2022

A very hot topic—abortion as a religious value—was brought into focus today on a short Fox Entertainment interview of two people: (1) a pastor [Shane Idleman] and (2) the president of Union Theologica...

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Could Adam and Eve Have Left? (5) May 13, 2022

By Gary D. Collier (Index:  1 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

I want to thank you, Alan, for kindly inviting us to look over your shoulder during a personal experiment in reading and exploration. It is my hope th...

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Could Adam and Eve Have Left? (4) May 11, 2022

Response by Alan Mudd  (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

I don't know how to respond to the list of questions you made. To me, they do the job of inferring or implying an infinite regress of irrelevant i...

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Could Adam and Eve Have Left? (3) May 11, 2022

Response by Gary D. Collier  (Index:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5  )

Being in near total agreement with your entire treatment of this subject, I want to recall your quasi-canonical use of Thomas Hobbes’ text w...

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Is it right to question inspiration? Nov 28, 2021

A reader has sent the following paragraph and granted the right to post it: 

Yet, I see the author(s) of the book of Revelation giving their interpretation and ideas of what is going on in their time...

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The Most Difficult Verse? Rev 18:20 Nov 18, 2021

By the time we get to Revelation 18:20, the beast-riding woman from chapter 17 is promised for swift destruction in a futile attempt at war against God.  And so we come to this: 

Rejoice over her, O ...

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Pop-Christianity & the Apocalypse Aug 11, 2021

One of the biggest problems when reading the Book of Revelation (the Apocalypse) is that Christians too often don't have any kind of historical sense about apocalyptic thinking or apocalyptic literatu...

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Inspiration of the Bible--Part 4 May 13, 2021

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

I say again: I believe in the inspiration of our scriptures!  But that is not the same thing as saying "only our scriptures are inspired." This is a knotty pro...

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Inspiration of the Bible--Part 3  May 13, 2021

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

I believe in the inspiration of our scriptures!  I believe it so strongly, that I feel the need to bring my very best thinking to the topic. I also believe in ...

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Inspiration of the Bible--Part 2 May 13, 2021

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Of course, many will regard what I wrote in Part 1 as incredibly "weak." I have a very dear preacher friend who feels I'm somehow leaving God out, and that I r...

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Inspiration of the Bible--Part 1  May 13, 2021

Part 1  /  Part 2  /  Part 3  /  Part 4

Q: Is "Biblical Inspiration" like Ulysses S. Grant Writing His Memoirs? 

A reader has asked this legitimate and quite serious question. I'll include his full ...

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Howling at the Moon Apr 04, 2020

Reading the Bible Is not Rocket Science.  Or Is It?

By now it is an old statement, but every once in a while, someone still makes it:  “You don’t have to be a scholar to read the Bible.”

Well, of co...

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Is Genesis History? Oct 14, 2017

In early 2017 (February 23), a new documentary film came out that asks:  Is Genesis History?  (Here is the main website.)  The answer it gives is a resounding “yes!” Genesis, it says, was originally w...

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A Friendly Open Letter to Neil deGrasse Tyson on Science, the Bible, & Creationism Sep 09, 2014

Dr. Tyson,

First of all, I’m a big fan of your work.  I enjoy watching, listening to, and considering everything I have found where you are speaking.  So I begin with a “thank you” and appreciation.

...
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