Let me begin by saying that this is not an attempt to sell books. My purpose is to just share a few tools and ideas I've picked up through the years from teachers and associates I respect.

Bible study is not an easy process. It has been my experience that many people think all one has to do is just pick up a Bible and start reading it and start picking up all the things written there. It's not that easy. This is not exactly like reading a newspaper.

Finding out what God wants us to do to be saved and how to live the Christian life IS easy. The plan of salvation is so simple a person would need help misunderstanding it. Anyone who has diligiently studied the examples of conversion in the New Testament would agree that it is rather simple to see that people in the 1st century believed the truth (Heb 11:6) , they repented of sin (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38), they confessed the name of Jesus (Romans 10:9, 10) and were baptized in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 10; Galatians 3:26ff).

When I talk about Bible study, I mean searching the scriptures the same way the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. The Bereans, the text said, "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

So, what kinds of helps should a person have to learn how to study the Bible?

First, my advice is to get a good, dependable translation of the Bible. Please understand, I'm talking about a translation of the text. Some books call themselves translations when they're no more than just an attempt of people to insert their own words instead of God's. I recommend the King James, American Standard, New King James and New American Standard versions of the Bible.

Yes, I know there are going to be some that will condemn my use of anything but the King James. There are some who believe it to be inspired, not understanding that the original autographs are inspired, not translations. I believe the ASV of 1901 is a good translation and the NKJV and NASB are the two best "modern English" translations. You may not think so. That's okay.

I would consider buying a good study Bible with some good maps. You're going to want to know where actions take place. You're going to want to use reference notes. The Dickson Analytical Study Bible is about the best, in my opinion.

Think about getting a Baker Bible Atlas and an Eerdman's Handbook of the Bible. Since you want to be a quality student of the word, these books may answer questions about who, what, when, where and how.

Good students of the Bible often get a good Bible dictionary, like Vine's. You don't have to have one, but you're going to find the way the Bible uses and defines words is not necessarily the way we do. For example, when the Old Testament uses the word "Apocrypha" it means "that which is hidden." But when the New Testament uses the word, "Apocalyptic," it means that which is revealed. I've seen teachers trip all over the difference because the words look similar, but they mean different things. You don't have to know Greek or Hebrew to use Vines' and it's a good book.

But on the subject of learning Greek or (gasp) Hebrew, why don't you find out if there are classes going on near you? In middle Tennessee, for example, there are classes in Greek being conducted at the Nashville School of Preaching that are FREE. You can also attend Greek classes at Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville. I'm sure there are others where you live. If you look, you can find good classes and you can learn the languages.

My Greek teacher, Bro. Ben Gore, used to tell us of the young boy in Scotland who loved the New Testament so much he wanted to learn to read it in the language it was written in. He found a book catalog with the Greek New Testament and saved up the money to bought it and when he got it, he studied for years, teaching it to himself.

My friend, if we love the Lord as much as we say we do, we can learn the Bible. We can learn every word and we can learn everything we can. IF WE WANT TO and IF WE LOVE HIM ENOUGH, we will.

Over the years, people have asked me about commentaries. Be careful around commentaries. There are some good ones out there, but none of them are 100 percent correct. I'd never tell anyone, "NO don't buy them." I will ask that you be careful using them. I have the same advise about lectureship books. Many of them are good, but some of them are not. Our faith is precious. We don't want it overthrown by the opinions of other men, do we?

That's it, for now. Any more and we'd begin discussing hermeneutics. Hope this helps. More later.

Excellent recommendations brother John.

I generally caution others about commentaries and lecture studies as well, although believe they can be very useful if used in the same way the Bereans practiced studying. After all, a preacher is a commentator... Phillip was a commentator to the Ethiopian in Acts 8. Unfortunately the majority of what is available is heavily biased in some way or another. A couple I would recommend is Bob Wenton and Harold Litrell (especially for his Greek definitions and references). I also recommend the Denton Lectures on CD.

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Hi Guys,
You know John, when I read you, I hear your voice in my head.....hahaha..You write like you speak.

BTW,
You guys need to hear John preach sometime.

Brother Littrell was a resident of my hometown, and I have an autographed copy of his English Study Bible, which I cherish.

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Forthright Magazine - Forthright Press - BrotherhoodNews.com - Cheer, Poetry, Essays

I really have enjoyed my ESB and his commentary. I know he started the OT commentary, but only supposedly got the first five books finished before he died. It is all on paper though and no one has put it in electronic form yet.

__________________
In Christ,
brother Sonnie

I heard that his family members were in the process of publishing his material. Don't remember where I heard it. Will ask a friend who might know.

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Forthright Magazine - Forthright Press - BrotherhoodNews.com - Cheer, Poetry, Essays

I don't know if this is the correct place to post this...
I have the Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible ( 1973 reprint), and Zondervan's The Analytical Greek Lexicon , seventh printing 1972. I use both of them frequently. I am wondering...are they good choices ? ( I had Strong's and Crudens and gave them both away.)

Your sister in Christ,
Marian

Online tools have come soooooooo far. They make study so much easier! Why, just the other day I was downloading a sermon....uh...I mean.......researching a sermon.... I gotta go...bye

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Don Gelles,
Preacher, Church of Christ in Hyde Park
Austin, Texas
www.hydeparkcoc.org

I can recall meeting old timers who learned to read solely from the KJV as their only reading material...no kidding.

I caution to be very selective about what you let into your mind. I still refuse to see the movie or read the book "The DaVinci Code" to prevent the possibility of contamination. Even though I can deal with most anything, the influence of that movie/book is very sinister. Garbage-In/Garbage-Out. That aside...reading the bible is in fact very simple...just read it.

I recommend new converts to stick with the NT... to keep them from trying to stone (OT)someone out of zealous passion for the Word. Start with Matthew through Acts, skip Paul's letters and read the epistles of Peter, John, Jude, and James...don't bother with Revelation. After that, then tackle Paul's letters and then Revelation. After going through those about a year, then you are ready to read from Genesis through Revelation.

Just read, don't worry about understanding all the details...just read...fill your mind with the Word. After a while, the Word sorts itself out and makes sense...the Word will interpret itself once you have enough of it in you. While doing all this reading, find a good group of mature brothers/sisters in Christ to guide you in your studies. Their example helps us see how to walk as the Word leads us on the straight and narrow.

A good bible dictionary, like Smith's, and a bible atlas to help you find you way around the lands covered in the biblical text. Strong's and Young's concordence. A subscription to the Gospel Advocate is good too. These will serve well for the first 5 years or so.

When I was 14, my grandpa took an old Strong's concordance and began to teach me Hebrew, Greek, and Chaldee. He used his old texts from the County Line Bible School. Now, my favorite study texts are fascimiles of the manuscripts from which our Bibles are translated from. I strongly encourage every christian to learn to read in the original languages of the bible. If the Jews of today can still learn Hebrew, required of every Jew, then why is it so difficult for members of the Lord's church to do likewise?

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your brother in Christ,

Charles Burgess