Resources
There are many wonderful resources available to you, though not all of them are as authoritative and accurate as others. An increasingly common trend in recent decades is that since we all have the Holy Spirit within us, that's all we need to find what the Word means to us. This is a subjective view where meaning is relative to the reader. This is not what God has in mind for His Word. His Word was written for a particular audience at a particular time with an objective view and His meaning is conveyed within a rich context. It is now our job to learn that original context and meaning so that only then can we responsibly take it and appropriately apply it within our own context.
SOME RECOMMENDED BIBLE STUDY RESOURCES:
http://net.bible.org - A web-based tool with the NET translation (very similar to NIV as it is also a functional translation) that includes up to date study notes/commentary, translator notes if there are any questions on translations from the original language, and much more.
http://www.studylight.org - A web-based repository of various commentaries and study tools.
https://www.theopedia.com/ - A web-based encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity.
https://thebibleproject.com/ - The Bible Project is a non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. They create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible’s unified story.
Anybody can find scholarly resources, including journal articles, by using tools such as https://scholar.google.com/ and going through your library's reference department for access to academic level journal articles and other resources.
Some things to keep in mind when studying the Word of God:
1. You can always trust the narrator, God, as He is faithful and true, and has no hidden agendas regardless of the human writers He employs.
2. When consulting commentaries and other resources, always read the introductions to learn about the author(s) and their point of view before consulting their views on a particular passage.
3. When consulting commentaries, always consult 2 or 3 different ones for the same passage to
note agreements and especially any disagreements on interpretations.
4. Seek to learn the literary genre of book you are studying and how that may impact its
interpretation. (You can find this in the commentaries! Usually at the beginning of each Bible book.)
5. Seek out New Testament references to Old Testament Scripture for God’s intended
interpretation of those Old Testament passages. (Most commentaries use footnotes to indicate references.)
6. When you see something repeated, ask “Where have I seen this before?” Pay attention to things that are repeated, they always highlight something significant.
Last updated: Jan 8, 2018
SOME RECOMMENDED BIBLE STUDY RESOURCES:
http://net.bible.org - A web-based tool with the NET translation (very similar to NIV as it is also a functional translation) that includes up to date study notes/commentary, translator notes if there are any questions on translations from the original language, and much more.
http://www.studylight.org - A web-based repository of various commentaries and study tools.
https://www.theopedia.com/ - A web-based encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity.
https://thebibleproject.com/ - The Bible Project is a non-profit animation studio that produces short-form, fully animated videos to make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. They create videos, podcasts, and study guides that explore the Bible’s unified story.
Anybody can find scholarly resources, including journal articles, by using tools such as https://scholar.google.com/ and going through your library's reference department for access to academic level journal articles and other resources.
Some things to keep in mind when studying the Word of God:
1. You can always trust the narrator, God, as He is faithful and true, and has no hidden agendas regardless of the human writers He employs.
2. When consulting commentaries and other resources, always read the introductions to learn about the author(s) and their point of view before consulting their views on a particular passage.
3. When consulting commentaries, always consult 2 or 3 different ones for the same passage to
note agreements and especially any disagreements on interpretations.
4. Seek to learn the literary genre of book you are studying and how that may impact its
interpretation. (You can find this in the commentaries! Usually at the beginning of each Bible book.)
5. Seek out New Testament references to Old Testament Scripture for God’s intended
interpretation of those Old Testament passages. (Most commentaries use footnotes to indicate references.)
6. When you see something repeated, ask “Where have I seen this before?” Pay attention to things that are repeated, they always highlight something significant.
Last updated: Jan 8, 2018