I have a quick question (and these usually lead to fighting): I was at a preaching "tournament" (disgusting idea if you ask me but I digress). One of the requirements is that you had to read from a Bible. As in you could not copy your passage onto paper to read it but had to actually had to read from a Bible. What are your thoughts on this?

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Joseph F Scibbe
Chaplain Assistant
Chapel of Wings Ft Rucker Al
Ephesians 1:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Romans 12:1-2
Titus 2:2 - But you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

http://twitter.com/just_joe_scibbe

Usually when you are reading Scripture in public, reading from a Bible is necessary. I have no problem with reading from a Bible. It lets the congregation know where you are getting your text from and from what I have seen gives them a sense of comfort. But also, if you have the text in your manuscript or outline, I see no problem with it. It is really a matter of preference.

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Kenneth Kneip
Member @ New St. Peter's PC (PCA), Dallas TX
Pastoral Intern @ New Covenant PC (PCA), Dallas TX
M. Div. student @ Redeemer Seminary, Dallas TX

it really doesn't matter. If the tournament required preaching from an actual bible, then all who were participating should be ready to abide by those rules. If you are talking about in a church or other setting, as long as it is God's Word being preached, then I see no problem with the actual verses/passage being printed on a paper. The power and life are in the scriptures themselves, not the paper they are printed on.

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Andrew S.
Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Abilene,TX

I agree. The very idea of a preaching tournament is disgusting.

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Curt Lovelace
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church (CBA)
Acton, Maine
Director, Lifework Forum
Sermons at SermonAudio.com/CBCActon
Blogging at Coffee with Curt

Kinda defeats the purpose of preaching and goes against 1 Corinthians 1.

[QUOTE=Unashamed 116;694757]I was at a preaching "tournament"...QUOTE]

I've never heard of such a thing. Why would anyone do such a thing?

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Ivan R. Schoen, B.A., M.A., M.L.I.S.
Pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church (SBC)
Poplar Grove, IL, USA
http://maranatha-sbc.org

Do you not usually read from a bible?

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Zach Whitson
Clarksburg Baptist
Tipton, MO

I'd prefer to see the pastor read from the Bible and not his manuscript, unless he's quoting from a paraphrase or a dynamic-equivalent translation (which hopefully isn't the Bible he's preaching from).

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Christopher Taylor
Ruling Elder: Village Seven (PCA)
Colorado Springs, CO

All the pastors I know read directly from the Bible. But I see nothing wrong with reading from a paper if it is written down.

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John Komenda
Symphony Bible Church
Conservative Baptist
Buffalo, New York

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Is.65:24 ESV