Many of the classic commentaries are free online, but how do you know which one(s) to use? And where do you find them? Here’s a quick list and explanation
4 Classic Commentaries You Can Read Online for Free
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Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
07 Faithless People, Faithful God: What Nehemiah Teaches About Hope (Nehemiah 9)
If all the generations prior to you have been people who listened to God and eventually rejected him, what is the likelihood that your generation is going to be different?
06 Becoming People of the Book: What Nehemiah Teaches About Revival (Nehemiah 7-8)
In chapter 7 the wall is finished. The city is safe, but not yet “alive.” In chapter 8 the people long to know God so they ask Ezra the priest to teach them the Law.
Chronology of Paul
A timeline of the major events in the life of the Apostle Paul and the dating of his letters.
05 Money, Power, and Fear: How Nehemiah Stayed Faithful Under Pressure (Nehemiah 5-6)
In chapter 5, the problems Nehemiah and the Isrealites encounter are inflicted from within the community itself. In Chapter 6 Nehemiah is tested. Is he the kind of leader who fears God? Or is he the kind of leader who thinks too highly of himself and had been seduced by the power of leadership?
Philippians Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study Paul’s epistle to the Philippians.
04 Rebuilding: What Nehemiah Teaches About Christian Community (Nehemiah 3-4)
Chapter 3 paints a picture of community, including the main point that we should begin serving the body by working on “the broken wall in front of our own house.” Chapter 4 records the opposition they face and the leadership they need.
Peter’s Use of Old Testament
The New Testament is our divinely inspired commentary on the Old Testament. When studying a passage, it’s often helpful to see how other biblical authors understood it. Here is the Apostle Peter’s use of the Old Testament in his letters.
03 How God Prepares You for Critical Moments (Nehemiah 2:1-20)
Nehemiah faces three moments where he must rely on the word of God and speak out boldly.
02 How Nehemiah Teaches Us to Pray Through Hard Decisions (Nehemiah 1:4-11)
Nehemiah is caught in the tension of living between two worlds. He needs an answer from God as to how to resolve the dilemma.
Nehemiah Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Nehemiah
01 Why Nehemiah Matters for Christians in a Post-Christian Age (Nehemiah 1:1-3)
How do you introduce yourself? What things about you are the most important to tell someone first? Do people know about your prayer life before they get your business card? Do they know of your passion for God before they know your job title? For Nehemiah, being part of the people of God was his identity. His job was an afterthought.
Nehemiah: Restoration & Redemption
A 10-week Bible study on the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. The message of Nehemiah is restoration.
How to Use the 5Ws and H to Study the Bible
You may have been taught to create a list of questions, using the “5Ws and H” (who, what, when, where, why, how). If you need some help learning how to use the “5Ws and H”, here are some questions to get you started.
Why Context Is Key to Understanding the Bible
Discover why understanding the Bible requires context. Learn how to avoid common mistakes and read Scripture more clearly and faithfully.
Bible Study 101
Bible Study 101 teaches you how to study the Bible, where to find study tools and how to use them. Bookmark or pin this page, as I update it frequently.
How to do a word study
Word studies are one of the basic tools of Bible study. With today’s tools, you don’t have to know Greek and Hebrew to do a good word study. Here’s how.
Bible Study Procedure: A Step‑by‑Step Approach to Scripture
Wondering how to put all the tools and pieces of Bible study together so that you can tackle a specific passage of Scripture? Here’s the overall procedure.
How to Observe Scripture: The First Step in Bible Study
Learn how to observe scripture with purpose. Discover the first and most overlooked step to deeper Bible study and more meaningful insight.
Principal People in Colossians
Principal People in Colossians and where else they are mentioned in Scripture.
16 Will the Bad Guys Get What’s Coming to Them? (Jeremiah 50:1-20)
In Jeremiah 38, we talked about how doing the right thing sometimes leads to punishment. But what about the people doing the punishing? When Babylon destroys our city or we get thrown into a cistern of mud, what happens to the guys doing the destroying or throwing? Will the bad guys get what’s coming to them? And, is it okay to want that to happen?
Psalm 98 Make a Joyful Noise
Psalm 98 is a victory or coronation psalm. It has 3 stanzas: 1-3: praise the Lord as savior; 4-6: praise the Lord as King; 7-9: praise the Lord as judge.
Psalm 19 Divine Revelation
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
6 Online Bible Encyclopedias Every Student of Scripture Should Bookmark
Multi-volume encyclopedias used to be too expensive for home use and were confined to those with access to a large library system. However, they are becoming more widely available on computer software and online.
15 Why Do I Get Punished for Doing the Right Thing? (Jeremiah 38:1-13)
Sometimes we despair over our sinfulness and turn the Lord for mercy (Psalm 130). But other times, we do the right thing and are punished for it. That’s the situation we find in Jeremiah 38:1-13. Jeremiah has spoken the message that the Lord asked him to speak and others are seeking to kill him for it.
Psalm 130 Hope in the Lord
Psalm 130 is an individual lament and a repentance psalm.
Jeremiah Quoted in the New Testament
Quotations and allusions to the Old Testament book of Jeremiah found in the New Testament.
How to Discern “God’s Voice” Without Getting Misled
Learn a biblical method to discern God’s voice and avoid common spiritual pitfalls—without relying on feelings or impressions.
14 What’s so Special About the Bible? (Jeremiah 36:1-32)
You don’t pick up a cookbook looking for the same things you would find in history textbook or vice versa. You expect a different kind of experience from a “beach read” and a suspense-thriller or from a travel guide and a self-help book. What do you expect from the Bible? What kind of book do you think it is? What do you hope to gain from reading it? Jeremiah 36:1-32 records a story about Scripture and reveals part of the process of how it was written down. In looking at why God instructs Jeremiah to write down His words, we’re going to answer, “What’s so special about the Bible?”
What is Lent?
What is Lent? Is it an official Christian holiday? Was it instituted in the Bible? What — if anything — is required of believers during Lent?
Romans Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study Paul’s letter to the Romans.
13 Is Hope for Real? (Jeremiah 32:1-15)
With the Babylonian army threatening their border, Jerusalem was a place with little to no hope. How could that hope be for real? To teach His people that hope is real, the Lord told Jeremiah to do something crazy. In fact it was perhaps the most ridiculous move anyone could take – unless hope is true.
12 What Good is Faith? (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Jeremiah warns the people of Judah that God is about to let the Babylonians conquer Jerusalem and deport them because they have disobeyed God. That raises the question, “If God really is going to let our city be destroyed and send us into exile, what good is believing in Him? What good is faith?” In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God tells Jeremiah to reveal more about His plan and show His people where faith will eventually lead them.
Improve your Bible study in 20 minutes
Want to improve your bible study skills? Got 20 minutes? Listen to the Renewing Your Mind podcast. This week (February 2017) RC Sproul is podcasting from his series “Knowing Scripture”, which covers interpreting and applying Scripture properly. Each podcast lasts about 20 minutes, which is perfect for listening while you drive. Time well spent!
11 How Do I Live in Babylon? (Jeremiah 29:1-14)
Jeremiah 29:1-14 is addressed to people from Jerusalem who have already been deported to Babylon but before Jerusalem itself has been completely destroyed. These people want to escape. They want the exile to end and they want to get back home. Jeremiah writes the letter in this chapter to set them straight. Surprisingly, he doesn’t tell them how to escape; instead he tells them how to endure. What do we do while we await the not-yet? What’s there to do in Babylon?
10 Who Should We Listen To? Discerning God’s Voice in a World of Conflicting Prophets (Jeremiah 23:9–32)
We live in a world of a million conflicting voices today. You can be constantly updated with tweets, texts, alerts and notifications. Which voice has authority? Which voice can be trusted? In Jeremiah 23:9-33, God addresses this issue of these different voices, criticizing those prophets who claim to speak for Him, but really don’t. In 23:1-8, the Lord called out Judah ’s political leaders; in this section He calls out her spiritual leaders.