By Thaddeus Williams, Missions and Community Engagement Pastor
Reading the Bible is an essential spiritual discipline to living a God-centered life. However, simply reading the Bible will not yield fruit in our lives. Scripture is rich and requires study and meditation. It is the inspired Word of God, after all. While it is simple enough for a child to understand, it is also profound and complex. Therefore, if we are to profit from its truth, we must equip ourselves to dive deeper into God’s Word and allow it to transform our lives.
When it comes to Bible study, there is no shortage of tools and resources at your disposal. Although there are a lot of great resources out there, not all are created equal. Here are five tools that will help you dive deeper into God’s Word:
1) Study Bible
A good study Bible is extremely helpful in providing a more complete picture of Scripture. They contain the original text along with study notes written by biblical scholars. These study notes help clarify and explain things such as the meaning of individual words and verses, biographies of the authors, the cultural context, and much more. Most study Bibles will also include maps, diagrams, and cross-references of key verses.
The question that most often arises is, “Which translation should I use?” Just as there are a variety of tools and resources available for Bible study, there are a lot of Bible translations to choose from. I would argue that some are better than others, but it is ultimately a matter of preference and comfortability. For example, although I love the beauty and poetry of the King James Version (KJV), I would not recommend it for study purposes as it can be difficult to comprehend given the style of writing.
An important thing to remember is that, while the Bible is the inspired Word of God, the study notes are not. Although they are written by very smart people, they are someone else’s interpretation of Scripture. The point of Bible study is for you to discover the truth of the text for yourself! You may not have the same level of education, but the follower of Christ does have the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
Suggested Resources:
- ESV Study Bible
- The Swindoll Study Bible (NLT)
- Quest Study Bible (NIV)
- Biblical Theology Study Bible (NIV)
- Rainbow Study Bible (NIV)
- The Tony Evans Study Bible (CSB)
2) Journal
“Keep a pad and pencil handy. I always read the Bible with something to write with because I’m expecting to receive something from God. If you’re expecting to hear from God, you should be ready to write it down. Don’t just say you’ll “remember it.” The weakest ink is better than the best memory. Pray over it, ponder it, then be ready for God to speak to you.” - Pastor Adrian Rogers
I cannot stress enough the value of journaling as you read, study, and meditate upon Scripture. Writing down your thoughts about a verse or passage really helps us think deeply about its meaning. It will force you to slow down as you read and wrestle with how God is speaking to you. Journaling also allows you to look back at God’s faithfulness and see how God spoke to you, convicted you, challenged you, and encouraged you.
Don’t be afraid to jot down notes, underline, and highlight things in your Bible! In fact, there are now even journaling bibles available that have space in the margins of the pages so you can make notes as you read.
3) Commentary
When you are ready to take your Bible study to the next level, it may be time to add Bible commentaries to your toolkit. Similar to study Bibles, commentaries offer a comprehensive understanding of Scripture. However, commentaries go much deeper into a specific book or of the Bible. They will provide a very detailed understanding of the overall structure of the book as well as a breakdown of text, usually verse by verse. Please note that some commentaries can really get down to the nitty-gritty, such as parsing words from the original texts (i.e. Hebrew or Greek). Before choosing a commentary, be sure that you are comfortable with the level of detail it contains.
Suggested Resources:
- The New American Commentary Series
- Christ-Centered Exposition Series
- New International Commentary Series
4) Concordance
A concordance will show you every single instance that a word appears in the Bible, which makes this tool valuable in cross-referencing Scripture and conducting word studies on a particular topic. It also offers deeper insight into the meaning of the text by allowing you to look up words and translations from the original languages. There are several instances when the same English translation is used (i.e. love) but a different word is used in Greek or Hebrew, which gives a different, more nuanced, meaning.
Suggested Resources:
- Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
5) Reading Plan
When we don’t plan, we plan to fail... this is especially true when it comes to reading and studying the Bible. It is easy for us to skip a session here and there as life happens. But before you know it, we have completely abandoned this vital spiritual discipline. A reading plan is essential for success and keeping you on track. There are several types of reading plans to choose from based on what you hope to accomplish. For example, some reading plans are structured by timeframe (reading the entire Bible in one year), while others are ordered by history (reading through the Bible chronologically). Do a quick search online and find the format that is right for you.
These basic Bible study tools will equip you to dive deeper into Scripture and draw closer to God. It’s important to recognize that while these tools will certainly help you better understand God’s Word, it is ultimately the Holy Spirit that illuminates Scripture for us. Never rely on what somebody else says about Scripture; discover the meaning for yourself!
