Thoughts on Bible Study Part 3

Here is Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. This next installment is a little more practical and a little less inspirational than the first 2.

I don’t like complicated things. I hate long-winded speeches. Just give me the facts and let me process them on my own, please. And I HATE, HATE, HATE when intelligent people try to intimidate others by throwing around complicated terminology. The sad thing is that there are a lot of Bible study resources that, in my humble opinion, intimidate and put off the very people who most need their help. In contrast, here are a few resources I’ve found that were truly helpful in my Bible study. Short on big words, long on meaningful help. If you too get frustrated by study helps that actually make things more complicated rather than less, you may find the things on this list a better fit for you.

1) The Reformation Study Bible

I’ve had my share of study Bibles over the years. Consistently, the notes in each would be about things I didn’t care about, while they would say nothing on the verses that I had real questions. The Reformation Study Bible is a pleasant change. It answers the questions I have. It answers a bunch I don’t have too, but I LOVE that it seems to understand my personal roadblocks in my pursuit of Scripture. It has helpful introductions to each book and great doctrinal side items. It’s just a stellar resource all around.

By the way, I’ve heard similarly good stuff about the ESV Study Bible. It looks like a really good source as well, but I haven’t had the time in it that I have with my Reformation Study Bible.

2) ESV Journaling Bible

This is a tidy little Bible with room to journal on the sides. And yet, somehow, they manage to pack in basic cross-references and translation items. There are no commentary type notes, but I find the little notes it does have very helpful in understanding the translation better. The only part that I don't like is that the print and room to write is TINY. However, I found a fine point pen that worked well, which has helped me get past my bias against the print size and enjoy the journaling feature.

3) NIV One Year Chronological Bible

This is a NEAT study that arranges the books of the Bible in the order they actually took place. Did you know that pieces of Ezra, Daniel, and Nehemiah take place simultaneously? It’s fascinating to link David’s psalms with the events of his life that prompted each or to read Lamentations in light of the kings who invited God’s judgment. Warning: don’t feel bad if you can’t get through it in a year.

4) Anything written by John Stott

My first exposure to John Stott was Baptism and Fullness of the Holy Spirit. What subject in Scripture is more complicated to figure out than that?! But when I read Stott, I really understood it. He’s great at communicating deep truths in simple, effective ways. Read anything you can find by him.

5) Bible Gateway

In my first installment on Bible study, I suggested reading through the Gospels, Romans, and Hebrews with an eye for their links to the Old Testament. If you want to do a thorough job of that, Bible Gateway is a particularly helpful resource. If you look up your Bible reading using the New American Standard or English Standard Versions, you’ll find tons of links to any other Scripture that references a particular verse. Then just click on the link, and there you have the Old Testament counterpart.

Hope these are as helpful to you as they have been to me.