Okay. The other thread made me wonder what was typical. If some game show stops you on the street tommoroow and is going to give a big cash $$$ prize if you can quote from memory a certain number of New Testament bible verses, including naming where they are found in the Bible, how many could you do? One? Five? Ten? Fifty? The whole New Testament? Just wondering what is typical in Bible memorization for y'all. Assume they give you several hours to think and write them down. No cheating, but getting the verse very close counts, we won't grade off for minor mistakes as long as it is very recognizable and reasonably accurate.
I know "Jesus wept." but it sounds like you're not going to give me credit because I don't know where it came from.
I can quote about a half-dozen, but my favorite is this: Psalms 75:10 -- All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, but the Horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
I Corinthians 9:24 "All runners are in the race, run so as to win." What can I say I coach track too?
There's a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you." I been sayin' that **** for years. And if you ever heard it, it meant your ***. I never really questioned what it meant. I thought it was just a cold-blooded thing to say to a ************ 'fore you popped a cap in his ***. But I saw some **** this mornin' made me think twice. Now I'm thinkin', it could mean you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. .45 here, he's the shepherd protecting my righteous *** in the valley of darkness. Or is could by you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. I'd like that. But that **** ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd.
Honestly with the need to quote them I probably couldn't get but John 3:16. I could talk about the lilies of the field and what not, or what love is or putting on the spiritual armor but I have no idea what the sites are for any of those. The beatitudes I can tell you what they are about and all that stuff but I just couldn't quote anything line by line and I certainly couldn't site them. I think memorization probably didn't make it to my generation but that is just a guess. Older people I know 50's and 60's seem to have spent a lot more time memorizing. It's funny- I went through a reread of the bible about a year ago to see if there was stuff in there that I didn't know or recognize. I only made it through Isaiah but there wasn't anything I wasn't familiar with. I did gain a great respect for Eclesiasties. It became one of my favorite books in the bible. I know I know the entire new testament and have read/am familiar with it but not to the point I can quote. I can find a passage in under a couple minutes if I'm looking for it. I think that's good enough for me. I don't generally memorize anything, except probably movie quotes I've seen a bunch of times but that's not through trying it's osmosis.
Does the reference (book/chapter/verse) have to be accurate? Yes. I think they would require that. What about knowing a whole chapter but not knowing exactly where each verse in the chapter begins and ends? That would probably be okay as long as you knew the book and chapter. So say you knew Chapter 12 of Romans by heart, you wouldn't have to seperate individual verses. Yes, I know you were probably being sarcastic, but others may actually answer.
For a serious answer, like many people, the 23rd Psalm. We also memorized the Apostle's Creed and the Beatitudes for Methodist Sunday School lessons, but I don't know the book and verse off the top of my head.
At one point about 17 years ago, I had the entire books of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, Matthew, John, Acts, 1 Corinthians, and James completely memorized word for word. I could tell say Joshua, Judges, and Ruth back to back with no mistakes in less than 2 hours. If you gave me 10 minutes to freshen up, I could probably rip off James pretty quickly. In addition to that, I would say there were over 100 verses I could name book chapter verse. Maybe more.
Isa 43:18-19 18 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. In other words...It's all falling together, not falling apart
i could probably quote a few hundred verses from the new testament from memory and half of them i could tell you chapter and verse, the other half i could tell you the book, but may get the chapter and verse wrong......some i would know, but not know the book.
I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to the image of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Rom. 12:1-2 "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6 "Give diligence to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, handling aright the word of Truth." I Tim. 3:15 (?) Several others, but I usually forget the chapter and verse. Stupid inability to memorize....
I thought everyone would have said John 3:16 (remember the Rainbow Guy with the sign at sporting events?):"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." When I was a young lad I grew up in a strict Southern Baptist home that required me going to church a minimum of 3 times a week. If you'd like me to recite the books of the Bible I'd be happy to meet you at a local bar and do that for a pitcher of beer. Hook'em!!!
For we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let throw off everything that hinders and cast off the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God the Father almighty. Hebrews 11.
Currently have no problems with: Genesis 1:1 Deut 25:11-12 (Don't ask) Joshua 24:15 Psalm 23 Psalm 150 John 1:1 Romans 1:17-20 Romans 3:23 Romans 8:28 1 Corinthians 13 2 Timothy 3:16 1 John 3:16 Revelation 13:18 Used to be able to do these full passages, but stumble over portions now: Isaiah 53 Ezekiel 28:11-19 There's about 200 other verses that I can quote fairly well and give a book and chapter but stumble over the verse number.
