My Dad loved tools. Most Saturdays I could find him tinkering in his garage. Our family’s two-car garage was filled with every kind of tool that you can imagine: table saws, drill presses, planers, hammers, screwdrivers, and handheld drills. You name it and my dad probably had it.
But I was thankful for Dad’s tools whenever I had a need. He could hang a picture. He could build me a bookshelf. He could fix my ceiling fan. He even repaired electrical wires when my light wouldn’t work. And after my husband and I bought our old 1950s brick ranch, I was even more thankful for Dad’s tools and his help with all our renovation projects.
The Right Tools for Bible Study
With Bible study, it is also helpful to have tools. Just like my dad’s garage had any tool for any project, we need to be prepared to study God’s Word. 2 Timothy 2:15 reminds us to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” It can sometimes be difficult to understand or know the historical context a passage is referring to. So instead of getting frustrated or giving up, we need to find the right tools to study our Bibles.
And with a few simple tools, you can be better equipped to study your Bible. These resources are not expensive and can be found on Amazon. In a matter of days, they can be shipped to your home and added to your family library. These resources are simple yet helpful tools that you can use to study your Bible.
Find a Study Bible
A Study Bible: This is the full text of a regular Bible, but with added resources. A study Bible will include articles, notes, comments, photos, illustrations, and maps added by scholars. These additional resources provide important and helpful background information, historical context, and content overviews. Most will also provide word studies, giving insights into the meanings of Hebrew/Greek words. All of these study notes are very helpful in increasing your understanding of Scripture and are included right there on the same page with the text of Holy Scripture. A great Study Bible, the NKJV Study Bible, can be found here: https://a.co/d/dRpCNWz
Use a Bible Dictionary
Next to my Study Bible, my Bible dictionary is my next favorite tool. This is a helpful resource when studying because it offers alphabetical, encyclopedic entries that give us a viewpoint into the unfamiliar world of biblical times. A dictionary will identify people, doctrines, animals, groups, weights, places, and plants. When looking up a place or a person or a concept, the Bible dictionary includes cross-references, articles, photographs, and maps. It helps you understand the subject better and is an invaluable resource. A great Bible Commentary, Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, can be found here: https://a.co/d/alzYAWD
A Bible Concordance
A concordance is a book with an alphabetical listing of thousands of words in Scripture. Each entry includes the citation of passages in the Bible from which the word is found. A concordance helps learners bridge the language translation (into English), while being faithful to do proper biblical interpretation. A concordance allows the reader to do word studies without knowing the Bible’s original languages, Hebrew and Greek. The Comfort Print Bible Concordance is a great beginner’s Bible Concordance and can be purchased here: https://a.co/d/fUMUJto.
Use a Commentary
This is an all-in-one resource for Christians. A commentary helps the reader understand the interpretation of the text. It walks verse by verse, giving explanation and translations, as well as historical research to each book of the Bible. There are entire commentary sets, with a different volume for each book of the Bible. But I love this compact, travel size one that you can take wherever you are, called the Nelson’s Compact Bible Commentary: https://a.co/d/aKKXBmD
Listen to an Audio Bible
Maybe you would prefer to listen to the Bible. Here is another great tool. Each book of the Bible is read by a famous actor, enhancing the Scripture and bringing a flexibility in daily rhythms. This Bible can be listened to on a drive to or from work or carpool. It can be listened to while folding laundry or taking a walk. The Word of Promise Audio Bible is narrated by some well-known voices and can be found here: https://a.co/d/erjphTl
Though not an exhaustive list of tools and resources for studying the Bible, I pray that this is helpful in getting your family’s library more adequately stocked. Because just like my dad’s tools in the garage, you just never know which one you will need when you are studying. So collect all the tools you can and be prepared to study your Bible!
Tara Dew
Tara Dew is a national speaker, author, Bible teacher, and President’s Wife at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). She has loved Jesus for as long as she can remember, trusting Him to be her Savior at the age of five years old at a Billy Graham Crusade. She felt called to ministry in the high school youth group, where she also met her husband, Jamie. They have been married for 25 years and have been blessed with two sets of twins: Natalie & Nathan and Samuel & Samantha. Her primary ministry is to her family, as many hours of each day are spent homeschooling their four children.
For more information on Tara Dew or the Women’s Initiative at NOBTS, please click here .
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