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study bible - 11/23/2008 2:18:26 PM
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mabolam
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Joined: 11/23/2008
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I started a daily Bible reading plan in March 08 through our church. I am new to this walk and I am taking it day by day and enjoying my like like He wanted us to. I have noticed various study Bibles in the bookstore and am curious if one is needed, if so which one. I believe I will retain more of my study if their is some follow-up after my reading. Any suggestions ?
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RE: study bible - 11/23/2008 2:58:52 PM
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etnlyHis
Posts: 59
Joined: 8/18/2006
From: Iowa
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ESV ( English Standard Version ) has a new study bible that is very good. There are also many different bible studies that can help you get more out of the different books of the bible.
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RE: study bible - 11/23/2008 9:16:01 PM
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Liveloved
Posts: 2080
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Before I would invest in a study Bible, I would invest the time in attending Bible Study Fellowship. They instruct you to NOT use a study Bible and to instead be taught and led by the Holy Spirit. It was the best counsel I was given. I have seen too many dependent on the thoughts and opinions of man rather than learning to hear from God Himself.
I gave up my study Bible when in BSF many years ago and have never gone back. I let the Lord speak and teach me instead of depending on what others have to say. It has been a wise decision.
Bless you for your desire to read God's word. He will honor your desire and if you listen, He will teach you.  LL
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RE: study bible - 11/23/2008 11:32:01 PM
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Prairiehiker
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I'm a firm believer in using a study bible because i want to know the context of the passage that i'm reading. I am lost without it. Also, most people uses the scripture incorrectly by plucking out one verse from here and there to justify their position. I don't believe that the scriptures are meant to be used like that.
There was a thread in the book section about study bibles. Look it up and get some ideas.
_____________________________
Wishing for a Steelers/Eagles superbowl.
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RE: study bible - 11/24/2008 11:34:19 AM
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pdvc19
Posts: 58
Joined: 12/10/2007
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I have the NIV study Bible, and just purchased the new ESV study Bible. I agree with Prariehiker that they serve a useful purpose in providing scriptural context. Plus, often times they don't just provide context for the scriptures, but for the events that were occuring at the time of the writings.
The introductions to the different books of the Bible are also very helpful to me.
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RE: study bible - 11/24/2008 11:52:32 AM
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Mark328
Posts: 202
Joined: 8/9/2008
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I have an NLT Life Application Study Bible and a Thomas Nelson NKJV Study Bible. I prefer the Thomas Nelson study notes because the Life Appplication notes are more opinion based and don't really explain passages, but I do love the NLT translation.
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RE: study bible - 11/24/2008 2:00:19 PM
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LifeisGalatians220
Posts: 51
Joined: 4/25/2006
From: Charleston, SC
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mabolam~
First of all, WOO HOO!!! You want to know the Living Word through the written Word. Kudos, that's more than most Christians will ever attempt.
You'll find our Lord will bless you beyond measure and you will be able to stand, no matter what, as you take this on. (Psalm 119 confirms that)
The best study bible is the one YOU actually study from, and write your own commentary in. All others are in actuality "commentary" bibles with the slant coming from whichever denomination the "commentator" comes from. Commentary isn't necessarily bad, but it's best to go straight to the source itself, the Word of God. Trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to teach you.
Get an International Inductive Study Bible from Precept Ministries and find a Precept Bible study class to attend. You will be taught HOW to study and know God's truth for yourself, by actually studying the books of the Bible, yourself. That way YOU know what the word says, then you will learn how to interpret and apply what you've read.
Blessings,
Melanie
_____________________________
Victory is not me overcoming sin
Victory is Jesus overcoming me!!!
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RE: study bible - 11/24/2008 3:47:32 PM
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Bluethread
Posts: 1668
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Liveloved
I have seen too many dependent on the thoughts and opinions of man rather than learning to hear from God Himself.
I agree with the only note that we are told to discuss the Scriptures with other. Since you are attending BSF you probably agree with that. I would say, if you can't interact with the author, you might want to consider "study helps" as a secondary or third level sources. With your own reading and discussion with others who are seriously searching the Scriptures as primary. This of course presumes communication with Adonai Himself.
_____________________________
"Show me wherein I have errored and I will hold my tongue." Iyov(Job)
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RE: study bible - 11/27/2008 3:53:42 PM
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mabolam
Posts: 5
Joined: 11/23/2008
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First off I want to thank, AbbyGrace, etnlyHis, Liveloved, Dorky4aWeek, pdvc19, Mark328, LifeisGalations220,and Bluethread for your time and giving me each of your opinions. I am going to try the NLT Life Application Study Bible. Thanks again and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Mark
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RE: study bible - 11/28/2008 10:31:42 PM
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kiwihawaii
Posts: 16
Joined: 7/4/2008
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mabolam
I started a daily Bible reading plan in March 08 through our church. I am new to this walk and I am taking it day by day and enjoying my like like He wanted us to. I have noticed various study Bibles in the bookstore and am curious if one is needed, if so which one. I believe I will retain more of my study if their is some follow-up after my reading. Any suggestions ?
Travel side by side with our Lord Jesus by memorizing, one after the other, half a chapter week after week of any gospels. See our Lord in action, hear the Lord in direct… What a trip! You will never be the same! Start by the gospel of John.
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RE: study bible - 11/28/2008 10:45:10 PM
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colliefan
Posts: 3002
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From: Raleigh, NC
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There are times when a study bible can bring the cultural context of a verse that isn't clear from first reading. For example, when Paul speaks of pouring burning coals onto another's head, he doesn't mean to take the contents of a Webber grill and pour the contents on another's head.
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RE: study bible - 11/29/2008 11:52:08 AM
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FairviewBaptist
Posts: 247
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I use The Student Life Application Study Bible(NLT)
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RE: study bible - 11/29/2008 1:30:34 PM
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Mark328
Posts: 202
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mabolam
First off I want to thank, AbbyGrace, etnlyHis, Liveloved, Dorky4aWeek, pdvc19, Mark328, LifeisGalations220,and Bluethread for your time and giving me each of your opinions. I am going to try the NLT Life Application Study Bible. Thanks again and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Mark
You're welcome! It's a good study bible. It has a lot of great maps, charts and profiles of characters. The study notes are OK for the most part, but the publisher does have some opinionated study notes in there.
I will pair that bible up with another translation like NKJV or NASB (sometimes both, depending upon how many translations I want to read that day! LOL). You may want to try that also. I find that it does help with certain passages.
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RE: study bible - 12/5/2008 8:15:18 PM
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TheTruthForum
Posts: 9
Joined: 12/5/2008
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I have been a Bible teacher for about fifty years, and have taught college courses in Bible doctrine and theology to future pastors, and this is a commonly asked question I have answered hundreds of times.
There are at least three concerns when we try to decide about a study Bible.
The very first consideration is what translation would be best. The issue here is that some translations convey the meaning of the original manuscripts more accurately than others. At one end of the spectrum are translations that are so literal (word for word) that it is difficult to read and understand them. At the other end are those translations that try so hard to be understood that they are paraphrases- and paraphrases end up giving you the translator's opinions, beliefs, and prejudices, rather than the pure Word of God. This is why it is a good idea, over time and as finances permit, to get several good translations and compare them.
I recommend the English Standard Version (ESV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the New King James (NKJV). I think the NET (New English Translation) is probably also very good, but I have not yet completed my study of it. The ESV has a very good Study Bible. My personal favorite is any of the Key Word Study Bibles put out by AMG International (Spiros Zodhiates) After many years of studying this issue, my opinion of the NIV (New International Version) is that it is a fair translation, better than many, but inferior to those I just mentioned.
The second consideration is whether there is value in study Bibles, the notes and comment they contain- or should you just be taught by God out of His Word without consulting human teachers?
Many, many times I have been told by various people that they just rely on God and avoid what others have taught or written. But this is not what the Bible instructs us to do. Christ Himself commands us to teach each other to obey Scripture. See Matthew 28:20. See also Ephesians 4:11,12.
The Apostle Paul, who had been taught personally by Christ in the Arabian desert for three years (see Galatians 1:12), nevertheless, after fourteen years, went up to Jerusalem to be checked out by the other church leaders. See Galatians 2:1,2. (Note that, though some today claim to be apostles, the definition of an apostle is one who was taught personally, face to face, by Jesus Christ. Since God called Paul to be an apostle, of necessity he had to have this three-year class!)
Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and 3:6 says to hold to the traditions his readers had received. You can assume, I believe, that this would include holding to the traditional understanding of Scripture. Every cult founder, every false teacher claims new revelation, declares they have discovered new insights that no one else ever had before, and ignores and despises all that the Holy Spirit has taught the people of God down through the ages.
What did the apostles do? See Acts 4:2 ; 5:21; 11:26; 14:21; 20:20
Thirdly, the other side of the coin is that God can and does teach us directly (see 1 John 2:27), and if we rely on others, either teacher, pastors, or study Bible notes, to do all the Bible study for us we miss the wonderful guidance of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised us in John 16:13. As Dr. Radmacher has said, “The Holy Spirit was not given to make study needless; He was given to make study effective.”
Finally, remember that the Bible study notes (or the teachings, opinions, sermons, statements, etc.) of others, no matter how godly those people may be, are made by human beings and therefore subject to error. (See Galatians 2:11. Paul had to correct the Apostle Peter, the same guy who had preached that sermon on the Day of Pentecost and led all those people, three thousand, to Christ! See Acts 2:14-41.)
Remember this: the text is inspired by God; the notes are not!
So what do you do? You use the notes, the study Bibles, the commentaries, you listen to the sermons, you pay attention to Bible teachers- but then you constantly go back to the Scripture itself to check out what you've heard or read. Follow the example described in Acts 17:11 and pray the prayer of Psalm 119:18.
< Message edited by TheTruthForum -- 12/5/2008 8:47:09 PM >
_____________________________
Truth... because ideas always have consequences!
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RE: study bible - 12/5/2008 8:35:10 PM
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TheTruthForum
Posts: 9
Joined: 12/5/2008
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Three other thoughts:
First, pick up a copy of Living by the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Dr, Howard Hendricks. It is an excellent guide for learning how to study the Bible for yourself. It is written in clear language, avoiding terms that only doctors of theology would understand.
Second, get yourself a notebook and record what God is teaching you. As God reveals Himself to you, the notebook becomes a record of that revelation- and will be a blessing to you the rest of your life, every time you read through it.
Third, kiwihawaii makes an excellent suggestion: memorize Scripture! Read through Psalm 119 frequently. Look at verse 11: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." A simple way is to get small cards, anything form the size of a business card to a 3" x 5". Write the verse on one side, the reference on the other. Carry them with you and study them whenever you have a minute. kiwihawaii is wise in suggesting also that you memorize whole passages. Too many times, the context of a verse is ignored, resulting in a wrong understanding. (Remember, there were no chapter or verse divisions in the original manuscripts.)
By the way, an excellent way to start a conversation about spiritual matters is to ask, "I'm trying to memorize some verses. Could you help me for a minute?" Hand them the card you're trying to learn and ask them to listen while you try to say it from memory. If God is stirring up an interest in spiritual things in their hearts, you'll likely see some signs of it. They'll start asking you questions, and you can give them your testimony of how you came to know Jesus Christ.
< Message edited by TheTruthForum -- 12/5/2008 9:08:32 PM >
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RE: study bible - 12/6/2008 2:56:32 PM
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benelchi
Posts: 3632
Joined: 9/14/2007
From: California
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TheTruthForum
I have been a Bible teacher for about fifty years, and have taught college courses in Bible doctrine and theology to future pastors, and this is a commonly asked question I have answered hundreds of times.
There are at least three concerns when we try to decide about a study Bible.
The very first consideration is what translation would be best. The issue here is that some translations convey the meaning of the original manuscripts more accurately than others. At one end of the spectrum are translations that are so literal (word for word) that it is difficult to read and understand them. At the other end are those translations that try so hard to be understood that they are paraphrases- and paraphrases end up giving you the translator's opinions, beliefs, and prejudices, rather than the pure Word of God. This is why it is a good idea, over time and as finances permit, to get several good translations and compare them.
I recommend the English Standard Version (ESV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the New King James (NKJV). I think the NET (New English Translation) is probably also very good, but I have not yet completed my study of it. The ESV has a very good Study Bible. My personal favorite is any of the Key Word Study Bibles put out by AMG International (Spiros Zodhiates) After many years of studying this issue, my opinion of the NIV (New International Version) is that it is a fair translation, better than many, but inferior to those I just mentioned.
This link was given in another thread in regard to the ESV. It is well written, and Mark Strauss is a well respected biblical scholar. It is well worth taking a look at. Additionally, although in many passages it is far more literal than the NIV, I have found that in many passages the ESV is actually less literally translated than the NIV. It seems that the methodology employed in the translation of different books varies to a greater extant in the ESV than it does in other versions. This is not necessarily bad, but something that one should be aware of when making a comparison between different versions.
quote:
The second consideration is whether there is value in study Bibles, the notes and comment they contain- or should you just be taught by God out of His Word without consulting human teachers?
Many, many times I have been told by various people that they just rely on God and avoid what others have taught or written. But this is not what the Bible instructs us to do. Christ Himself commands us to teach each other to obey Scripture. See Matthew 28:20. See also Ephesians 4:11,12.
The Apostle Paul, who had been taught personally by Christ in the Arabian desert for three years (see Galatians 1:12), nevertheless, after fourteen years, went up to Jerusalem to be checked out by the other church leaders. See Galatians 2:1,2. (Note that, though some today claim to be apostles, the definition of an apostle is one who was taught personally, face to face, by Jesus Christ. Since God called Paul to be an apostle, of necessity he had to have this three-year class!)
Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and 3:6 says to hold to the traditions his readers had received. You can assume, I believe, that this would include holding to the traditional understanding of Scripture. Every cult founder, every false teacher claims new revelation, declares they have discovered new insights that no one else ever had before, and ignores and despises all that the Holy Spirit has taught the people of God down through the ages.
What did the apostles do? See Acts 4:2 ; 5:21; 11:26; 14:21; 20:20
One other consideration is whether to choose a bible that includes the study material in it, or to choose a bible without it and then rely on separate study materials. I personally prefer the latter because too often I have seen people treat the study material in their bibles as if it were as inspired as the word of God itself, and that is always a mistake (as you noted below). Additionally, study material contained in a bible must be far more concise because there is not enough room tp make a reasonable sized bible and include a whole lot of additional information.
quote:
Thirdly, the other side of the coin is that God can and does teach us directly (see 1 John 2:27), and if we rely on others, either teacher, pastors, or study Bible notes, to do all the Bible study for us we miss the wonderful guidance of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised us in John 16:13. As Dr. Radmacher has said, “The Holy Spirit was not given to make study needless; He was given to make study effective.”
Finally, remember that the Bible study notes (or the teachings, opinions, sermons, statements, etc.) of others, no matter how godly those people may be, are made by human beings and therefore subject to error. (See Galatians 2:11. Paul had to correct the Apostle Peter, the same guy who had preached that sermon on the Day of Pentecost and led all those people, three thousand, to Christ! See Acts 2:14-41.)
Remember this: the text is inspired by God; the notes are not!
So what do you do? You use the notes, the study Bibles, the commentaries, you listen to the sermons, you pay attention to Bible teachers- but then you constantly go back to the Scripture itself to check out what you've heard or read. Follow the example described in Acts 17:11 and pray the prayer of Psalm 119:18.
Overall, I enjoyed your post. Well said.
< Message edited by benelchi -- 12/6/2008 3:08:41 PM >
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RE: study bible - 12/6/2008 4:14:40 PM
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jimr1
Posts: 29
Joined: 12/2/2008
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I believe the innerant word of the original manuscripts. The problem I encounter is that over the span of time , the meaning of words can change from one generation to the next. I.E. when I grew up in the 50's. The word gay, has a totally different connotation today. I wish I had a copy of the original, and could understand its connotations. It would clear up some of the seemingly contradictory statements I encounter when reading tho bible. God is not the author of confusion it lies within myself.
_____________________________
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. I thank the Lord that one day I too will be changed. I will shed this body of corruption and put on a new incorruptable body.
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RE: study bible - 12/6/2008 4:23:00 PM
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benelchi
Posts: 3632
Joined: 9/14/2007
From: California
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jimr1
I believe the innerant word of the original manuscripts. The problem I encounter is that over the span of time , the meaning of words can change from one generation to the next. I.E. when I grew up in the 50's. The word gay, has a totally different connotation today. I wish I had a copy of the original, and could understand its connotations. It would clear up some of the seemingly contradictory statements I encounter when reading tho bible. God is not the author of confusion it lies within myself.
The goal of every good translation of the bible is to convery the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek into our modern language, and because language continues to change, that is the reason why we will always need new translations. Even without studying the Hebrew or Greek, you really can get a good picture about what the original says by looking at our modern bibles. And it helps to read about the period of history in which the bible was written and the commentaries written by those who helped translate our modern versions to understand why they made the translation choices they did.
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RE: study bible - 12/13/2008 11:17:18 AM
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jimr1
Posts: 29
Joined: 12/2/2008
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I guess the best bible translation, would be the one that you will study.
_____________________________
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul. I thank the Lord that one day I too will be changed. I will shed this body of corruption and put on a new incorruptable body.
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RE: study bible - 12/13/2008 10:04:57 PM
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anicecupofcoffee
Posts: 104
Joined: 11/27/2008
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I too have the NIV Life Application Study Bible like Abby Grace and others. I like it because it not only helps me understand the verses but it explains how to apply them to my life. And the NIV is reliable, easy to understand and apply.
I've also begun a quiet-time study (http://www.quiettime.org) from Catherine Martin and this has helped me not only dig deeper, but retain much more of my study because I'm journaling as well.
_____________________________
James 1:18
God chose to give us new birth through the message of truth. He wanted us to be the first and best of everything he created.
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RE: study bible - 12/13/2008 10:14:10 PM
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LCannon
Posts: 1224
Joined: 2/22/2007
From: Lebanon, OR
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jimr1
I guess the best bible translation, would be the one that you will study.
Bingo!
_____________________________
"It may be that when the angels go about their task of praising God they play
only Bach. I am sure, however, that when they are together en famille they
play Mozart and then too our dear Lord listens with special pleasure."(Karl Barth)
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