Once a believer, always a believer?
Can I resist the working of God’s grace in my life to the point where I am no longer saved?
Do I choose God or does God choose me?
You may never have thought this question through. You may be inconsistent in how you live it out. But how you answer some basic theological questions makes a world of difference in daily life.
Bible Study Tools #6: Commentaries
Commentaries can kick-start your thinking when you hit a dead end but should not be a substitute for your own work. Here’s my two rules of thumb.
Are congregations a means to an end or a flock to shepherd? 3 examples
What happens when pastors start looking at their congregation as a means to an end instead of a flock to shepherd? Consider these real-life examples of the ways 3 different churches went about seeking volunteers.
Bible Study Tools #5: Multi-volume Encyclopedias
Multi-volume encyclopedias are good sources for historical and biblical themes. But background information does not impose meaning.
Bible Study Tools #4: Lexicons & Dictionaries
Lexicons & dictionaries can reveal what might be “lost in translation” but they also tempt us to fall into the trap of “I learned a fact about a word and I must use it.”
NT Wright and Eleanor Bramwell
Are we to believe NT Wright, like Dr. Bramwell, is the first to get it right? Should we so easily brush away “centuries of theological tradition”? Chronological snobbery cuts both ways.
Bible Study Tools #3: Concordances
A concordance is an organized list of all the biblical texts which contain a given word. Concordances allow you to broaden your understanding of how a word is used and its range of meanings.
30 Tips to Improve your Bible Study
Did you make a resolution to improve your Bible study? Here are 30 tips to help you keep that promise.
Prayer and rain: Does God answer prayer?
Why should I have confidence that God answers my prayers? According to James, I have confidence that my prayers will be answered because of who is answering my prayer, not because my prayer is perfect, powerful or articulate.
Bible Study Tools #2: Good maps
Bible Maps. Access to geographical information about the ancient near east will improve your Bible Study. Here’s where to find good maps.
Bible Study Tools #1: Translations
Translations of the Bible: Bibles fall on an interpretation scale. It will improve your study if you know the difference and have one of each type.
About the Author
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.