Category: Studying the Bible

Bible Study Plans: Best Bible Scholars Part 4

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

We’ve been taking a look at influential Bible scholars of the past. Here’s the last post in our series. Contact AToZMomm with questions!

INFLUENTIAL BIBLE SCHOLARS OF OUR TIMES

  • Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Perhaps best known as the priest who loved animals, Francis of Assisi was one of the primary influences of orders within the Catholic church. He is a saint who founded the Franciscan orders and is credited with setting up the first live nativity scene.
  • Jerome or Saint Jerome (347-420). Saint Jerome’s primary contribution to Christianity is translating the Bible into Latin (the version known as the Vulgate, which was the official Bible of the Catholic Church throughout the Middle Ages), and he wrote commentaries on the Bible.
  • Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Teresa of Avila was a nun who reformed the Carmelite Orders. She wrote extensively on Christian mysticism and meditation and was an apologist for Catholicism
  • Karl Barth (1886-1968). Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian who is most well known for his landmark The Epistle to the Romans and his five volume theological summa the Church Dogmatics. He is the father of “neo-orthodoxy” and influential in the movement to reject theological liberalism.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on Bible scholars as much as I have. Contact AToZMomm with questions!

Bible Study Plans: Best Bible Scholars Part 3

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

In our continuing blog series, we’ll take a look at more influential Bible scholars. Contact AToZMomm with questions!

MORE INFLUENTIAL BIBLE SCHOLARS

  • C.S. Lewis (1898-1963). C.S. Lewis is best known for his Chronicles of Narnia series, a children’s books series that uses another world and fantasy high-adventure story as a metaphor for God and man. However, he is widely regarded as the best Christian apologists of his time, which is someone who defends Christianity against objections.
  • Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). Jonathan Edwards was an American revivalist preacher, philosopher, and Congregationalist Protestant theologian. Edwards is widely regarded as one of the America’s most important and original philosophical theologians, focusing on determination and harmony. Best known for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he wrote many books and was responsible for revivals in the church. He was also the grandfather of Aaron Burr, America’s third Vice President.
  • John Milton (1608-1674). Best known for Paradise Lost, John Milton wrote poetry and polemic writings that have had a great deal of influence on theology. He served under Cromwell and spoke and wrote many  languages
  • John Knox (1513-1572). John Knox founded the Presbyterian Church in Scotland. He helped lead Scotland’s Protestant Reformation and contributed greatly to the Book of Common Prayer. He was King Edward VI’s royal chaplain until Mary I rose to the throne when Kind Edward died.

Just reading some of these men’s select writings is fascinating and worthy of your time. Contact me with questions!

Bible Study Plans: Best Bible Scholars Part 2

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

In our continuing look at the most influential Bible scholars of all time, AtoZMomm‘s blog will examine five more. Contact me with questions!

MORE INFLUENTIAL BIBLE SCHOLARS OF ALL TIME

  • John Wesley (1703-1791). One of the most practical theologians of all time, John Wesley is a controversial pick for an influential scholar mainly because most of his work is based on his life experiences as a deep lover of God and Christ. Responsible for the Methodist movement, John Wesley also penned amazing hymns that are still popular today, such as Christ, the Lord Has Risen Today and Depth of Mercy, Can it Be.
  • Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892).  One of my personal favorites was Charles Spurgeon. He was an English Baptist preacher. He published copious amounts of work, including his sermons. A powerful speaker, he held audiences spellbound and is responsible for untold number of converts. His Treasury of David commentary on the book of Psalms is unparalleled.
  • Carl Friedrich Keil (1807-1888).  Carl Keil, along with Franz Delitzsch, wrote one the most comprehensive commentaries on the Old Testament that is still used today. They explain the origin of sin versus free will beautifully.
  • Franz Delitzsch (1819-1890). Franz Delitzsch, along with Carl Keil, wrote one the most comprehensive commentaries on the Old Testament that is still used today. See their commentary for the origin of sin versus free will analysis.
  • Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981). A physician turned preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a great expository preacher and wrote an amazing commentary on the book of Romans.

These Bible scholars wrote amazing works that we all could use to further our study of the Bible. Contact me with questions!

Bible Study Plans: Best Bible Scholars Part 1

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

When you study the Bible, it’s helpful to read what God has revealed to others. Different ideas and perspectives can spur your own Bible study and take you deeper in God’s Word. In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the best Bible scholars you can use to aid your Bible study journey. Contact AtoZMomm with questions!

BEST BIBLE SCHOLARS

  • Athanasius of Alexandria (298-373). Most of  you have probably never heard of Athanasius of Alexandria before. However, without him, there might be many different beliefs about God. He was one of the first to argue for the Trinity, his writings inspired the monastic movement in the Middle Ages, he put together the 27 books of the New Testament, but most importantly, he was the primary author of the Nicene Creed, which put down in writing the beliefs that Jesus and the Apostles taught to eliminate questions of what was acceptable and was was not in the new Christian movement.
  • St Augustine of Hippo (354-430). It’s helpful when studying the Bible to look at the saints, as most made significant contributions to theology (the study of God and religious beliefs). St. Augustine of Hippo was one of the first Christians outside of the Apostles to help further the teachings of Jesus in a time when writings were few and far between. He converted to Christianity and made the most influence in his writings refuting the idea that man did not God to be saved and that man is inherently good. He was the first to advocate the idea of a just war and his theology formed the foundation of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). A philosopher as well as a theologian, Thomas Aquinas was one of the first to look for rational proofs of the existence of God. He believed that Faith and Reason led to truly knowing God, and he greatly influenced the idea of mortal and venial sins.
  • John Calvin (1509-1564). John Calvin taught that scripture must interpret scripture, that God is sovereign in salvation, and used the Covenant as the organizing principle of theology. Many churches and denominations, including Calvinism, use John Calvin as the chief expositor of their beliefs.
  • Matthew Henry (1662-1714). An English Presbyterian pastor, Matthew Henry is famous for his commentaries on the entire Bible (which we’ve discussed here), which cover every verse in detail. His commentaries are lauded for being insightful, thought-provoking, and practical in application. Those who have read all of his commentaries say they are life-changing.

These are just some of the many Bible scholars who have influenced many and helped countless others in their walk with God and Christ. Stay tuned for more Bible scholars who have left a major impact on theology. Contact me today!

Bible Study Plans: The Best Specific Bible Commentaries

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

In my last blog post, I discussed the best overview Bible Commentaries. Today, I’ll discuss the ones that are more specific to books. Contact me with questions!

THE BEST SPECIFIC BIBLE COMMENTARIES

Bible commentaries are indispensable for studying the Bible. Grab one today, and contact me with questions!

Bible Study Plans: The Best Bible Commentaries

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

I’ve been asked many, many times over the years what Bible Commentaries I use. A Bible Commentary is an explanation of what a passage in the Bible is saying, usually written by a Bible scholar. In this blog post, I’ll share. Contact me today with questions!

THE BEST BIBLE COMMENTARIES

These are my top recommendations for commentaries that cover the entire Bible. When I’m studying the Bible, I usually Google. It pulls up the exact references, quickly and easily. Let me know how I can help!

Bible Study Plans: What is the Bible Telling Me?

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

Studying the Bible is not easy. It’s a difficult book, written in many different styles by many different authors with events that happened thousands of years ago, which is hard for us to understand. After all, sacrificing of animals and the 10 plagues God sent down on Egypt as punishment for the sins against God’s people are hard for us to understand. In this blog post, we’ll review the two main lessons the Bible is trying to tell you. Contact AtoZMomm to learn more.

TWO MAIN LESSONS THE BIBLE IS TEACHING ME

  1. The Old Testament. The Old Testament basically says that God’s people have rebelled against him (since Adam and Eve), and thus deserve God’s wrath, judgment, and punishment.
  2. The New Testament. The New Testament tells us that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to save us from His just punishment from the Old Testament and that we can live forever in heaven with God through accepting Jesus as our Savior.

These two lessons are the crux of the Bible. Are these lessons that simple? Yes and no. Fundamentally, yes. But there’s so much more than this surface level, such as walking in the ways of Jesus and understanding our past in order to improve our future. Contact me if you have questions!

Bible Study Plans: The Three Questions to Ask Yourself Every Time You Study the Bible

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

When you study the Bible, there are three questions you should ask yourself every time you read the Bible and/or study the Bible. Contact AtoZMomm with questions

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN STUDYING THE BIBLE

  1. What is God showing me in this passage?
  2. What does this passage show me about myself?
  3. What is my response?

Ask yourself these three questions when you read the Bible in order to gain a deeper understanding and discover God’s timeless truths. Contact me with questions!

Bible Study Plans: More Tips to Go Deeper in the Bible

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

In our last blog post, we discussed ways on how to go deeper for your Bible study. In today’s post, we’ll go over a few more tips. Contact AtoZMomm today to learn more!

TIPS ON HOW TO GO DEEPER IN YOUR PERSONAL BIBLE STUDY

  • Define words. It’s hard to understand what you’re reading if you don’t know what the words mean. A good practice is to have Google up and running while you’re reading the Bible and look up any words you may be unfamiliar with. Often, a good Bible Dictionary is handy to have as well as it will give you not only the Biblical meaning, but also cross-references as to where this word can be found elsewhere in the Bible.
  • Use different translations. When studying the Bible, different translations can be extremely helpful, especially in extremely difficult parts of God’s word. There can be just slight differences, but those slight differences can be all you need for understanding. Just be careful you’re buying a different translation and not a paraphrase of the Bible.
  • Invest in a good commentary. Bible commentaries can be extremely helpful when trying to go deeper in God’s word. You can learn a lot from others, and from others who have built upon others’ work as well. Just be sure to try and read it on your own first, but then definitely use resources that are available to help you.
  • Don’t get frustrated. God’s word is hard because God Himself is hard to understand. It can be easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated with yourself when you just don’t get it. Stop. Pray. Breathe. Take a break. God’s not going anywhere. He’s waiting on you to find Him.
  • Have patience. Studying the Bible is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. The more you read and study, the more God will show up and reveal Himself. Knowing God and Jesus is a lifelong process; give it time.

Studying the Bible is like studying anything you want to know more about — except, in this case, there’s nothing more important you can be doing with your time than studying God’s word. It will take time and patience. I hope you find these Bible study tips useful. Contact me to learn more!

Bible Study Plans: 5 Ways on How to Go Deeper in the Bible

by atozmom, posted in Studying the Bible

Bible study can be daunting, especially if you’re a new Christian. However, studying the Bible is challenging for everyone, mainly because it points out point blank how we all deserve death, we’re all sinners, and we all need God. In this blog post, I’ll offer up tips on how to go deeper in the Bible. Contact me today with any questions!

5 WAYS TO GO DEEPER IN THE BIBLE

  1. View the Bible as a whole story. Many people make the mistake of tackling the Bible in pieces, reading stories here and there, and never putting it all together. Furthermore, many make the mistake of thinking the Old Testament is a completely separate part of the Bible and is completely opposite of the New Testament. However, the Bible is God’s story meant to be taken as a whole with an overarching theme — that of Jesus as Savior. Once you understand this basic fact, you’ll read the Bible in a whole new light.
  2. Understanding the genre of the books of the Bible. In your Bible study plans, it’s helpful to know what genre each book of the Bible falls into. This is important because not every sentence of the Bible is meant to teach you. Some are prayers to pray to God. Some are just part of a theme you can apply to your life. Understanding which books of the Bible are instructional versus narrative for example will help you to go deeper in God’s Word.
  3. Find God’s overarching truths. There are overarching truth’s in God’s word, such as Jesus is Savior, God is good, we are saved by God’s grace, and all believers go to heaven and await Jesus’ second coming. These principles tie God’s word together so you can go deeper in the Bible.
  4. Pray. When you ask God for help, He answers. Ask Him every time you sit down to read the Bible for a deeper understanding of His Word. He will answer.
  5. Don’t rush. Reading the Bible is not homework with a timeline to finish. You need to take your time to digest and ponder God’s word, and if you have to re-read a passage many times until you get it, do so.

These are just a few of some of my favorite tips to go deeper in God’s word. Stay tuned to AtoZMomm’s blog for part two to this series of how to go deeper in God’s word. Contact me to learn more!