The
picture above is on the cover of my Composite Bible DVD. This work
was the culmination of many years of study and reflection. Although
the program only runs on Windows 7 and NT, still, much of the
reasoning behind it does not require a computer. Using three or more
progressively literal English Bibles together and studying the
differences between them is available to all. Also, (thanks
to Bruce Arnold) there
is an on-line adaption of The Composite Bible at Compositebible.com.
In
addition to this, there are several of my reading plans available on
the main page of my blog.
Below,
please find a description of
my
thoughts on Bible Study and the
computer programs I made (along with John Sammons help).
If
I can help you in any way, please feel free to e-mail me at
grose8@tampabay.rr.com.
What
follows are the introduction to the program completed in 2011 and
also a description of the four MS Access programs on the DVD.
Enjoy...
The
Composite Bible ©
is copyrighted (2018,
all rights reserved) By Gary D. Rose. It may not be distributed for
money or modified in any way (except by the addition of personal
notes) without my express permission. If you have questions,
comments or would like to modify the database, please contact me at
grose8@tampabay.rr.com.
The
Composite Bible
By
Gary D. Rose
Introduction
What
Bible should you read? Answer, the most literal one that you can
understand, that has personal meaning to you, and that you can apply
in everyday life. The first Bible I read through was the Living
Bible, followed by the New American Standard Bible (1977). Today, I
use the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (by J.P. Green) and The
King James Version as my primary Bibles but refer to all the Bibles
in this work.
The
Composite Bible:
What is it?
Several
things; first,
it is a reading
plan that
categorizes the Scriptures into Law, History, Literature and
prophecy, second,
it is a categorization
of Bibles into types (Text,
Comparative and Analyzed) and third,
it
is a database that encourages the gradual use of more literal
Bibles.
Each of these three concepts can be used separately or in
conjunction with one another. This allows great flexibility and
aids in realizing that we should be progressively heading towards an
understanding of the original languages. We naturally do this when
there are disagreement over a meaning of a text, so why not do it as
a part of our study design? This may sound a little strange at first,
but we normally go from the less to the more difficult; remember
reading the Dick and Jane books as a child? What do we read today?
The literalness categorization of Bibles in the database is my
opinion and if you disagree, that is OK; over time I may vary the
categorization slightly. Note the use of color in the database; it
will aid in reading the vertical arrangement of the Bibles, either in
a sequential (Composite) or a linear fashion (by one color). Also
note that there are many astronomy pictures in the database; this
emphasis is in reference to my own youthful search for God, which
began by considering the wonderful design and beauty of the heavens
and continues to this very day.
The
Composite Bible:
What does it mean?
We
have the choice of three Bible study methods that are systematic,
progressive, and flexible. Systematic in their approach as to what
to study, progressive in progression toward literacy, and flexible in
choice of Bible texts and reading plans. One could use just the
reading plan with their current Bible, use several Bibles of their
own choosing sequentially, use one or more Bibles from each category
of the Researcher plan or any of the combinations in the database.
This gives a lot of options! Whatever your choices are, realize that
the Bible is a work of God and therefore meant to be understood
spiritually and applied personally. So, when the text is read, ask
yourself the following questions: What does the text say? What does
it mean to me? How should I apply this to my Life? We are not
one-dimensional beings; we think, feel and act in a multi-faceted
way, so why not apply this concept to our study of the word of God.
The
Composite Bible:
What does it mean to you?
I
can't answer that question; only you can decide if this is a way you
want to study. I love the idea of a study plan based on a
progression from the less to the more literal and that addresses my
overall nature as a human being. I enjoy reading and reflecting on my
version of choice, then comparing it to a more literal version and
finally, when I study three or more versions at once, the message
becomes a composite in my mind and forces a comprehension of the text
into a condensation of thought that makes the text come alive. This
is something like the question: “Which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?” Also, as you emotionally consider the text and make a
life application of the meaning of the words and feelings it becomes
a very real part of you, transforming you every time you consider
what God has said for your life. I encourage you to know the word of
God, have it mean something to you at the very essence of your being
and apply it to your life.
Overview
- The Composite Bible- DVD 2.9
The
Composite Bible DVD Ed. 2.9 is copyrighted (2018, all rights
reserved). This program may not be modified in any manner without my
express written permission. There are no warranties or guarantees of
any kind associated with this work. Software can be modified by the
end user and therefore the author of this work will not be liable for
any damage or change to the users system.
Since
not all of us read the original languages of the Bible, finding a
translation that accurately presents the word of God in English is
very important. However, there is a problem: The easy ones to read
are not very accurate and the more literal ones are very difficult to
understand. My answer to this problem is to find a Bible that you
feel comfortable reading and then compare it to a more literal one.
When this is done twice, comparisons are made which force you to
think about the Bible in new ways. Please read the descriptions and
choose the one (or more)that applies to you.
CBS
This
program is for the person new to computers or to Bible Study. Its
focus is ease of use, simplicity and multimedia. Seven
English Bibles are available.
CBE
This
program is designed for the advanced student. It has more
capabilities, but is more involved. English,
Greek, Hebrew and Latin are used.
CBW
This
program is targeted towards those who have English as a second
language, or for the person who wants to study with a person who is
bilingual.
Like
CBE, it is more involved. Twenty-six
languages are use for comparison with Greek or Hebrew plus an easy
to read English version.
CBM
This
program emphasizes the three modified translations: Webster, Darby
and Young's. It is for those who are familiar with one of the first
three programs and have no need of extensive helps.
PDF
This
sub-directory contains various Bibles and Bible Charts in PDF format
for those who may not wish to install a program on their computer.
Simply copy the desired files from this DVD to a directory of your
choosing or run them from the disk by double clicking on them.
Please note that Adobe Acrobat is required to run them. I have
included the latest Adobe Acrobat software (for windows 7) for those
who do already have this installed.
The
Composite Bible
If
you would like to see what one of the programs (CBE) looks like
BEFORE YOU INSTALL IT, double click on this audio-visual file and
watch the movie (35 minutes long).
INSTALLATION:
When
the DVD is inserted into the drive a dialogue box will appear. I
recommend that you choose this read_me_first file because you will be
able to make a more informed choice as to the program that is best
for you. Print this file and decide which program you would like to
install. Choose open folder to view files and double click on your
desired program. The program will then install (or load, as in the
case of the PDF files or the movie). When finished, the program you
chose will appear on the start menu.
The
Composite Bible programs require Microsoft Access; if that is not
installed then access 2000 run-time must be installed first. Go into
the Access run-time directory and click setup; unarchive and install
the program.
I
RECOMMEND THAT YOU INSTALL CBS FIRST AND AFTER YOU HAVE MASTERED THAT
PROGRAM, THEN GO ON TO ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS!!!
Please Note:
This program will NOT run on MS Windows 10. To use it, Windows 7 or
NT must be installed!!!