If you’re looking for a fellowship focused on Christ, but your sick of traditional religion, please keep reading. I am looking forward to doing something different and maybe this is it.
I am looking to start a fellowship that takes an academic approach to studying the scriptures. Instead of piling in, and sitting there to be talked to, we could do something like a bible study. Individuals would read the bible on their own time for that week, and then when we come together, we would discuss the bible, allowing for asking questions, sharing insight, and simply teach and learn together. No preaching, just a chance to grow spiritually.
One of the things that would separate this fellowship from others is the fact we would be also reading the Apocrypha books. These books are found in even one of the oldest known bibles (the Codex), which is as old as the 4th century (300-400 AD). It was not until the Luther reformation (the 1500s) that the books were moved to the center of the bible to separate the new and Old Testament and then gradually removed from the bible all together. The 1800s is when the Apocrypha are seen removed from just about, if not all, protestant bibles.
A little about the Apocrypha is that they are not necessarily accepted as divine scripture but are very relevant to the bible. They give insight to the scripture and cover the period between Malachi (the last prophet of the Old Testament) and John (the last prophet who proclaimed the coming of Christ). They fill in the time between the old and New Testament and therefore all called the intertestamental period.
Interestingly, some of the Apocrypha, or hidden books, are found in the Catholic and Orthodox bibles. The Ethiopian bible, believed to be the oldest and most complete bible canon, does include these books and more. The Ethiopian bible, however, is written in Ge’ez, and therefore, is not yet fully translated into English.
My hope is we will meet at least once a month or bi-weekly, although this can be discussed. We could also use zoom. The bible I use is the NSRVue with Apocrypha by Zondervan. Other bibles can be used as well for cross reference. I would happily type out and share the "reading" for those who do not yet have a bible with Apocrypha.
If you’re interested in a fellowship focused as such above, please reach out and we can come together to build this fellowship.
(Possible meeting location would be zoom AND the Library in Eau Claire WI)