Men, it is great to have you back.
Hopefully, you had some time this last week to build more positive habits. If not, then get started. Starting is most of the work.
In this last session, we want to take one more step into Bible Study by pointing you to some resources that can aid your reading, study, and fuel your understanding.
I put this lesson at the end of this series because additional resources should always be a last resort. If we simply understand the previous four steps, we have enough for reading, studying and understanding the Bible. But since there are so many great resources, I would be amiss to not share them with you.
Today my goal is to give you a high-level understanding of the study tools and Bible resources on the market today, with the outcome of helping you find resources that will complement your personal reading.
When we look back over the history of the Bible, we begin to understand that many people gave their lives to preserving the book we so easily hold in our hands today. It is a powerful collection of historical events and stories laid out for us, taking us through thousands of years of God’s story.
The image at the top of the page is classic, and I have found it very helpful. It visually illustrates the order and layout of the Old and New Testaments books, which are a record of God’s covenant to us. You will notice the Bible contains 66 individual books. 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT.
OT books are ordered by:
Law
History
Poetry
Major
and then Minor Prophets.
New Testament books are ordered by:
The Gospels – which recount the life of Jesus
Acts – our book of History of the church
Paul’s Letters – which are his letter to churches he influenced
Hebrews – a book to Jewish Christians
Letters to Other Churches.
and finally, a book of Prophecy we know as Revelations.
I think this gives a nice outline of the Bible.
Now let’s turn to the next page of your handbook. It is entitled Bible Study Tools.
At this time, I want to walk you through a number of resources that can complement any Bible Study. On this page, you will see I have organized tools into six categories. Keep in mind that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of these on the market today. Which is the reason why I am giving you an overview. Often there are so many that a reader doesn’t know where to begin.
As I work down the list you see I have ordered them by the degree to which I find them helpful for the average reader. Commentaries, being the most helpful, at the top of the list.
So, let me walk you through them quickly.
First, we have the Commentary (Slide) These are books written by a theologian, that provide a quick explanation of a biblical text. They offer a deeper understanding of any Book of the Bible, and information on authorship, history, setting, and theme. They often “comment” verse by verse. One great version of this is the Study Bible, which is a Bible & Commentary combo platter. Now you can buy them individually, but there is nothing like the Study Bible for the regular reader.
Second, we have the Lexicon (Slide) Lexicons provide definitions and meaning of biblical words found in the original languages. People who love language and word studies usually have one of these. But remember they are going to have original languages in them.
Third, we have the Concordance (Slide) These are used for finding words and meanings in the original languages and offer deeper understandings of words and where they are found in the Bible.
Fourth, we have the Dictionary (Slide) You probably don’t need a lot of explanation here, but these are helpful tools. They usually combine definitions with verse references that help readers to define and analyze texts.
Fifth, we have the Encyclopedia (Slide) These contain articles and definitions of words and terms used in Scripture. Entries usually include full historical references such as date, religious environment, family life, customs, language, and literature.
Sixth, we have the Apocryphal Books (Slide). I have included this one since these texts are books included as part of the Septuagint (which is the Greek version of the Old Testament). The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include all of the Apocrypha (except the books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh) but refer to them as "deuterocanonical" books. Protestant Bibles do not include the Apocrypha, but all of them can be found online for your reading pleasure.
So, this is a brief overview.
But guess what, you really do not need to buy any of these – unless you want a study bible. Here is why there are plenty of online resources available today and for free. Check out the websites in your handbook.
Let’s next turn one more page in your handbook to the section entitled, “Bible Types.”
At this time, I want to walk you through another high-level overview of the Bible itself.
So far, we have discussed two items, the general structure of the Bible, and study helps. Last, I want to give you a quick understanding of the various translations of the Bible.
I think most are surprised to learn that there are dozens of English translations of the Bible. And while this may appear strange, we really shouldn’t be surprised by it, for when culture changes, so does the language.
For example, who every thought “selfie” would become a word? And when a culture makes a change like this, the language adapts and thus our translation evolves. This is why we have so many English variations.
But there is also another factor plays into this, and that is the methodology we use to translate the ancient text.
In your handbook, today you are going to see a diagram at the top of the page with variations of English translations on a spectrum.
They are WORD FOR WORD, THOUGHT FOR THOUGHT, and PARAPHRASE.
When a translator is translating the Bible, they have to choose to use a method. These are three methods to that task. I am going to describe in detail the first two because the third will describe itself.
First, you have the Word For Word (slide) – The technical name for this approach is the “Formal Equivalent” and it is a method that translates the Bible like it states - one word at a time. There are a few translations that use this approach. You will notice their acronyms on your spectrum. Versions like the NASB, ESV, RSV, and so on.
In your handbook, you will notice the strengths of this approach: Such as greater reliance on the original text, less interpretation by the translator, it’s good for in-depth study and more precision in translation.
But there are also weaknesses. Which means a Word for Word translation can read awkward at times, require more effort to interpret, be difficult for youth or new Christians to read and result in readers reaching the wrong conclusions which will impact their application.
Second, you have the Thought For Thought (slide) – The technical name for this approach is the “Functional Equivalent” and this is a method that translates the Bible usually a sentence or group of sentences at a time. There are a few translations of the Bible that use this approach. You will notice them on the spectrum above. They are the NIV or NLT.
The strengths of this approach are it is easier to read, it conveys meaning, it’s great for public reading, and trained scholars interpret the text for you.
The weaknesses are: it requires less study, it’s not as beneficial for word study, and often reads in longer sentences because of the need to explain a technical term using a phrase.
Third, you have the Paraphrase (slide) – which is simply that. While poetic it’s not helpful for study, and I would not recommend purchasing a paraphrase. Even though I do have a couple of copies on my shelf, I’ll let you know I never use them.
So, there you have it, three approaches to translating the Bible which leads us to numerous versions.
And just for fun, I gave you a text sampling on this page to demonstrate the radical differences between the method from the versions on the spectrum from a single verse in Colossians 2:9.
My reason for sharing this with you is that you will find a translation that gets you into the word.
My preference is for the ESV because I want to study the Bible on my own, but don’t worry about what someone else uses. Find the right Bible for you that gets you into it.
The best thing we can do is simply read the Bible.
