Our new free eBook, THE BIBLE IN FIVE VERSES: KEY SCRIPTURES ON 36 BIBLICAL TOPICSby R. Herbert, is now online and ready for download from our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org.
This eBook is a basic introduction to Christianity and was designed for personal study or missionary use. It explains thirty-six “key” Christian beliefs and principles of living in a straightforward, easy to understand manner, with introductory text and five key verses for each subject.
The book also includes a question for personal reflection on each topic and can be used to review key scriptures, for sermon and Bible Study preparation, or for inspirational reading.
As is the case with all our eBooks, THE BIBLE IN FIVE VERSES is completely free and you can download a copy for yourself without any kind of registration or hassle. Just download the book in the format you preferhere.
It doesn’t take long for most Christians to discover that a marked Bible can be a whole lot more useful than an unmarked one. Not only does Bible marking make important verses stand out, but also it enables us to add notes and symbols that help us remember, review, and teach from the word of God.
But Bible marking can end up as a mass of blotches, corrections and changes if it is not planned carefully, and it can become a drain on our valuable study time if it becomes overly complicated. Our new article, uploaded today, shares some guidelines that can help you get the most out of effective Bible marking and highlighting – of printed, digital, and online Bibles. You can read “Mark His Words” here.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
Here, in the space of a single verse, Luke shows us that the three most important aspects of successful study of God’s word are not – as we today might sometimes think – the latest translation, commentary, and Bible dictionary or other Bible “help.” Luke shows us, instead, that effective, meaningful study is based on much simpler and ultimately more important things.
Desire: First, Luke tells us that the Bereans “welcomed the message” as some translations put it, but this means much more than simple open-minded acceptance. Although it certainly includes that, it is also much more. The NIV “with great eagerness” is a better translation of the Greek word (a form of prothumos ) which means “willingness,” “eagerness,” or even “zeal.” The Bereans were not only more open minded than their neighbors at Thessalonica; they also had a strong desire for the message. The attitude we must have in approaching God’s word is a realization that if we approach it correctly, there will always be more to learn, new insights to grasp, new understanding from which we can profit. Real desire to study is based on a deep desire to grow, and if we are growing we will want to study.
Consistency: Occasional study is not growth-oriented study. Surveys show that many who feel they are Christians only study God’s word once a week or less, and some only study it “in church.” The Bereans not only heard Paul preach in their synagogue on the Sabbath day, but searched the Scriptures daily. There is something about consistent, ongoing study that helps us better grasp the Bible’s message. The more often we study, the more we realize we still have to learn, and we find that new insights come more often. One thing grasped helps us to better understand another. It is also amazing how, when we study daily, we find verses which seem to fit our present situation, verses which encourage and guide us. Perhaps the Bereans understood that our “daily bread” needs to be more than just physical.
Engagement: The last thing Luke tells us about the Bereans is that they studied to “see if these things [that they had heard] were true” – they compared Paul’s message with what they read in the Scriptures. This principle of engagement goes beyond simply “proving” whether a doctrine we have been taught is biblical or not. It may include that, but in the wider application it also includes seeing how we can relate the message to our lives, seeing how we can incorporate what we learn in our understanding and in the way we follow and serve. As Paul himself taught, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), so it is not surprising that as a result of his teaching and the Berean’s diligent study, “many of them believed” (Acts 17:12). That is the ultimate “engagement” with the word of God – and it is one which can, and should, be ongoing.
Our new FREE eBOOK Lessons in Christian Living from the Early Church is now available for download.
This book looks at lessons we can learn and apply in our own lives from the history of the early Church as recorded in the Book of Acts. Although not a commentary in the usual sense, The Early Church explains the background to many of the personalities, events, and situations described in Acts, while drawing practical lessons from the story that you can use today.
As with all our eBooks, The Early Church is free and free from advertising or the need to register to download – simply choose the format you would like and start reading!
Many of us study the Bible every day. If we’re not, we should be. But why do we study the Word of God? Many of us frankly enjoy learning more “things” about scripture: more data, a fascinating Hebrew word picture, the meaning in the original Greek or Hebrew, some historical tie-in to what we’re reading, and so on. I do, too. But here’s where I caution us as well.
Many of you love the scripture, as I do, that prompts us to “grow in grace and knowledge…” (2 Peter 3:18). Some use the verse that says “Study to show yourself approved unto God…” (2 Timothy 2:15). Actually the word “study” in the King James Version of 2 Tim 2:15 is an old English word meaning “be diligent”. The Greek word there actually has nothing to do with Bible Study directly. But as you’ll see, we must study and we must know why we study. It’s far more than just gaining more knowledge.
Our modern learning system comes from Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – – the Academy, where students were expected to just have new information funneled into their brains while one speaks and everyone else listens. But the learning system in Jesus’ day was far different. Disciples didn’t just learn the words their rabbi was teaching – they watched their actions and copied their reactions to everyday situations. They learned by doing and watching a life. It wasn’t enough to pore over the scrolls by themselves. Their teachers were like a parent running alongside a young child learning to ride his bike for the first time without training wheels. They were in the thick of learning by doing and watching – not just studying documents. The goal was to create a bond between teacher and student. The goal was a deep relationship.
What am I getting at? The goal of Bible study goes far beyond knowing what’s in the Book. It’s about coming to know the Author of the book. Not just coming to know about Him, but to know HIM, directly and personally. Holy Scripture is Yeshua (Jesus) in writing. When we read it, we should be hearing his voice. Everything you read, study or hear should be helping us have a closer walk with our Beloved Savior. To know him, and help as many as possible to come to really know Him, is my overriding mission in life, as Paul teaches us in Philippians 3:
“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-11).
Notice also these words in the Gospel of John: “And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. [then He tells us the point of searching scriptures] But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:37-40).
Knowledge – in the Biblical sense – should not be knowledge for knowledge sake, but to transform us. We should focus on the transformation, not just on the information. Information is to help in the transformation. Sure, 2 Peter 3:18 says we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge”, but of what? Finish the verse: “Of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” – 2 Peter 3:18.
ALL knowledge from Bible study should result in knowing Him more than ever before. It also should result in having a closer relationship with him and with all those made in his image. That’s ultimately what the two greatest commandments are: to love God with all your being and heart and soul – and to love fellow mankind as your own self. all our learning should be pointing to that goal: greater love, a closer relationship with our Maker and fellow humans – no matter where they live, no matter their nationality or skin color, no matter what they’ve been in the past. If they are a believer, or a potential believer, we are to love them as we love one another and our Maker. When you’re thrilled with new information, ask yourself: how is this helping me draw closer to my Maker and to my fellow humans?
Study to come to Christ. Study to know Him better. Study to love God and mankind better. And so remember: the reason we do Bible study is to come to know Him (Philippians 3:9-11). It is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). We study the book to come to know its author better. So we search the scripture, for there’s life there, and He is our Life. We study to find Him, to come to Him, to learn about Him and to be like Him as He comes into our lives and lives again in us.
*Condensed, with permission, from the Blog posting of October 26, 2013 on lightontherock.org
Do you particularly enjoy the parables of Jesus – or do you wish you understood them better? Either way our new book is for you!
This new book is a practical but carefully researched commentary on all the parables. It gives many insights into the stories and their meanings through historical facts and other information that can enrich and transform your understanding of them. But this book is not just a commentary – it focuses on the living lessons of the parables themselves.
The City on a Hill is available on our sister-site in different formats (including PDF so you can read it on any electronic device).
The book is written from a nondenominational perspective, is completely free and free of advertising. You do not need to give an email address or any other information to download the book (just click on the download link on the LivingWithFaith.org “Downloads” page and enjoy). And if you enjoy the book and find it profitable, please feel free to make a copy of the file and pass it, or the URL, along to your friends and others you know who may find the book helpful.
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