Click here for an index of suggested online resources.
Begin with a good translation
The original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek of the Bible have been translated into English. Many translations are available in generally two categories: literal and paraphrase. Use the literal translation for careful Bible study (the best include the English Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, and the Holman Christian Standard Version) and use the paraphrase for casual, devotional reading or to help sort-out a confusing paragraph (the New Living Translation is the unrivaled best paraphrase). Dozens of good translations are available in English; John Piper and Mark Driscoll explain why their churches, like Cornerstone, use primarily the ESV. Most evangelicals today use the New International Version.
All translations can be purchased in a dizzying array of formats. Once you select your preferred translation, you might want to visit the publisher’s website to orient yourself to all the possible formats. For example, the ESV is published by Crossway and they list their formats here.
I’ll categorize formats in two ways: the bare text and the study Bible. The “bare text” does not include any marginal notes. The “study Bible” contains notes from scholars and pastors. A third category is targeted at various demographics and needs, like the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible, the HCSB Firefighter’s Bible, or the Celebrate Recovery Bible, but I won’t be reviewing those here because they’re usually silly.
An example of a bare text is the ESV Classic Reference Edition which contains a 14,500 entry concordance (concordances work like an index) and 76,000 center column cross-references (cross-references refer you to similar passages throughout the Bible). This is usually what I use on Sunday mornings. The same format is available in over a dozen bindings, from cardboard to leather. Other examples of bare text include the small “Thinline” Bibles like this and the trendy “TruTone” Bibles like this. These last two formats do not include cross-references, their concordances contain only 12,000 entries, and they are written in 6.2 type instead of 9.5. Ideal for a purse, these small Bibles do not lay well on a desk.
While the bare text is nice for travel, a thicker study Bible is important for regular use. Study Bibles include notes from scholars and pastors to help explain difficult phrases, along with maps, book introductions, and topical side-bars. In spite of their popularity, avoid study Bibles written by single authors (Ryrie, MacArthur); no one person can master the entire Bible. Instead, go for a study Bible that was developed by a team. Three great study Bibles are on the market today including the impressive ESV Study Bible, the Reformation Study Bible, and the Literary Study Bible, each with different strengths. (All of these Bibles are available in cardboard for around $30 or all the way to calfskin for several hundred.)
The NLT paraphrase is also available in a good study Bible here. The New King James has a good study Bible here. The NET Bible (online) isn’t eloquent (it doesn’t try to be), but the translation is very literal and the online study notes are uniquely insightful into translation decisions.
Now that you have a Bible, what do you do with it? As we read, we often stumble on words and sections that don’t make much sense. This is why God gives the spiritual gifts of preaching and teaching to His church. Many preachers and teachers have made their stuff available in print and we are wise to surround ourselves with the very best available. Instead of avoiding the difficult sections of the Bible, go there with great teachers and references.
Carson’s New Bible Commentary is a single volume that contains very readable commentary from leading scholars. It is intended for non-scholars. As you read through the book of Mark, for instance, you can also read the corresponding sections of this commentary in order to find insights and explanations that we would otherwise miss. I strongly encourage everyone in our church to own one of these. You can also access the classic Calvin Commentaries free online which is much more helpful and down-to-earth than you might expect from a control-freak dead guy.
You will also want a good Bible dictionary; this is another affordable must-have. Any of these dictionaries will serve you well: the New Bible Commentary, the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, and the expensive multi-volume set from IVP, including this volume (also available on DVD-ROM). These dictionaries will clarify familiar Bible words like “love,” “peace” and “wrath” and they will introduce you to less familiar words like “propitiation” and “Assyria.” These dictionaries also give brief introductions to the major people of the Bible and they give introductions to each book, explaining its overarching themes and structure.
When you begin studying a book of the Bible, you’ll want to know why the book was written, to whom, etc. These two very readable books (An Introduction to the Old Testament and An Introduction to the New Testament) introduce each book of the Bible and explain the author, original audience, cultural backgrounds and major themes. These books are meant to be skimmed; get what you need, then get out.
The way we interpret the Psalms is very different from the way we interpret Paul’s letters. These guides will help you understand the various genre. For beginners, read A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible or How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. If you want to go academically deeper (or if you teach the Bible) try Goldsworthy and Greidanus.
As you read the Bible, difficult questions will arise (“What is baptism?” “How do I know if I’m saved?” “What are the spiritual gifts?” “What is justification?” “What is the Trinity?”). For these we are thankful for systematic theologies. Small group leaders, parents, and everyone else who occasionally fields the impossible questions should have at least one of these handy. Grudem’s Systematic Theology and Culver’s Systematic Theology are excellent, Erickson and Packer are good, and Berkhof is the old classic. Don’t feel obligated to read these cover to cover, but master the Tables of Contents so you know what you’ve got when you need it.
Now that you have resources for jumping into any section of of the Bible, you might decide to study a section of Scripture in depth. Dozens – sometimes hundreds – of commentaries have been written for every book of the Bible. How to choose? Don’t rely on whatever is popular. It is almost universally true that popular Christian books stink. Find a respected Christian friend or a commentary survey to find the commentaries designed for you (this website can help). Don’t be afraid of commentaries! Admittedly the bad ones are insomnia cures or filled with errors, but the best commentaries will give rich insight and spiritual nourishment. Cornerstone’s Library is stocked with excellent commentaries covering most books of the Bible.
A few commentaries that I love:
Genesis by Waltke
Romans by Moo
1 Corinthians by Thiselton
Gospel of John by Carson
Acts by Pao
Sermon on the Mount by Lloyd-Jones
Old Testament Prophets by VanGemeren
I know this summary is too long, but I hope you find it helpful in discovering new ways to go “further up and further in.” Bible study reminds me of the way C.S. Lewis ends his classic book, The Last Battle. Everyone stood outside the golden gates, “and for a moment none of them was bold enough to try if the gates would open. They all felt just as they had felt about the fruit – ‘Dare we? Is it right? Can it be meant for us?’ But while they were standing thus a great horn, wonderfully loud and sweet, blew from somewhere inside that walled garden and the gates swung open.”
God is always calling us closer and deeper. May God bless you and your study of His precious Word.
Soli Deo Gloria
