Bible Study Tools
Reading the Bible has been a daily habit of mine for many years, but studying the scriptures is a practice that I began to apply several years after coming to faith in Jesus. This was due to a lack of proper discipleship during the early period of my Christian faith.
The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to comprehend what we are reading as we journey through the scriptures. Still, I have come to recognize that He often does so through various available Bible study tools.
In this post, I’ll list a few resources that have enhanced my understanding of Bible scripture. I believe that you will find them beneficial also.
Bible
The first resource in studying the Bible is the Bible itself. There are three categories of Bibles, word-for-word, thought-for-thought, and paraphrase.
Word-For-Word:
Word-for-word translations of the Bible (from Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic) aim to stay as close to the original language as possible in words, phrases, and context, but of course, it is impossible to be exact when translating from one language to another, because a perfect match between a word in the original language and the language it is being translated into is not possible sometimes. Word-for-word translations do however reduce the chance of error during translation.
Versions of this type of translation include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Version (ESV), the Authorized (King James) Version (KJV), and the New King James Version (NKJV).
Scholars typically agree that the New American Standard Bible is the most literal translation of the Bible. I read the NASB, but I preach sermons a few times per year in my local church, and when I do so, I preach using the ESV.
Thought-For-Thought:
Thought-for-thought translations of the Bible are not literal translations but seek to convey the intended meaning of the original text in modern language.
A few examples of thought-for-thought Bible translations are the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the New International Version (NIV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB). I have only engaged two of these, the CSB and NIV.
I attended a church in the past which used the CSB and I read it while being a member of that church and the two times that I preached there, I did so from the CSB.
After being members of that church for a couple of years, the Lord led my wife and I to attend a church closer to where we lived, and that transition led to our introduction to the ESV which as I stated previously, I currently preach from.
I used a few verses from the NIV in my book. I would like to go back and change this, but the book is already published, and it didn’t have any negative impact. I just have a translation preference now, (thought-for-thought).
Paraphrase:
A paraphrase is not a translation of the original text but gives commentary to explain what the scriptures mean. The writer is paraphrasing the passages of scripture.
Versions of Paraphrases include The Message (MSG), Living Bible (LB), and Philips Translation (Phillips) to name a few.
I have never read a paraphrased version before. I have purposely avoided them. I have done so because I believe they present the greatest opportunity to take scripture out of the intended context.
To do this is a dreadful thing, consider the warning in Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV), “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Considering this warning can you see the horror of tampering with or loosely paraphrasing Bible scripture? Also consider Deuteronomy 4:2, and Proverbs 30:5-6.
Enduring Word
Enduring Word is a ministry led by David Guzik and its most prominent resource is his Bible commentary which I use daily as I journey through the scriptures. The commentary is available on the ministry website, an app and you can get it in print, (books).
David incorporates not only his deep knowledge of scripture within the commentary, but commentary from other scholars, and theologians as well.
In addition, the ministry extends commentary on the scriptures through its social media platforms, especially David’s YouTube channel.
This organization offers much more than Bible commentary, so I suggest visiting the Enduring Word website to see all that is offered.
Insight for Living
Insight for Living is the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Chuck Swindoll. This ministry has a vast number of resources, but I will mention the two that I use frequently.
On the website or app, you will find Insights on the Bible under the resources tab. The insights provide an excellent introduction to each book of the Bible such as, who wrote the book, where we are in history/Biblical timeline, why the book is important, what’s the big idea, and how to apply what is mentioned in each book.
Reading the insights before beginning to read a book of the Bible has helped me tremendously. Each insight comes with an overview chart which further increases your understanding.
The second resource I use from this ministry is the Bible Maps. I have never been to most of the places mentioned in the Bible so having these maps are priceless. I have seen many Bible maps before, and the maps in this resource are some of the best that I have found.
As I have stated the available resources provided by Insight for Living are many, so while on the ministry website, I’m sure you will discover other great tools that will help aid you in your study of the Bible.
Got Questions.org
If you are like me, various questions come to mind as you read and study the scriptures. When I have questions, I have often been able to find answers at Got Questions.org.
This ministry has answered thousands of questions that Bible readers have had, and they continue to answer more questions daily.
So far, I haven’t had a question in which I couldn’t find an answer through this ministry. As you study scripture, this ministry will be a great tool to help you understand scripture better by answering the questions that arise.
Conclusion
There are many other great resources available to help us as we seek to grow in our understanding of Bible scripture. I have come across numerous others, but the ones that I have listed are the resources that I use most often. I would also recommend checking out Blue Letter Bible, BibleRef, Bible Gateway, Logos, YouVersion, and the Bible Project.
