Resources for your Bible Study

Many times we are asked, “What do you recommend that will help me with my Bible study? What are the best Bible study tools for me, a lay person?”

I recommend the following.

First, foremost, and forever, of course, is the Bible. The Bible stands alone—- everything else is commentary.

Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven. Psalms 119:89

What versions of the Bible do I recommend?

Two versions stand out for their accuracy, faithfulness to the original languages, and for the commitment of their translators to the inerrancy of God’s Word. The translation methodology for both was word-for-word literal translation. That is why I recommend both the King James Version (KJV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Some other versions can be very helpful, but stay away from most modern “versions.” These are not versions at all, but are man-made commentaries, stripping the Bible of its authenticity and power— for example The Message “bible.”

One helpful means of study is to lay 3 or 4 Bibles alongside each other. For example, if you are studying the classic Rapture passage— 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18— open the KJV and the NASB and another good version, such as the English Standard Version (or the NIV, as long as you understand that it is not a “word-for-word” translation, but rather an “idea-for-idea” version), and compare the readings.

The next step is to add a concordance— Strong’s or Young’s— and search out the deeper meanings to specific words. After that, proceed to a good verse-by-verse commentary. Make sure that it is by authors who trust in the inerrancy of Scripture and who are conservative and orthodox in their belief. Two I recommend highly are The Bible Knowledge Commentary from Dallas Theological Seminary (Walvoord and Zuck, ed.) and the Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald.

Also, use the notes in a good study Bible such as The MacArthur Study Bible or The Ryrie Study Bible. Be careful to remember, whether you are using a commentary, or study Bible notes, that these may be by some very good Bible teachers, but they are still the words of men. The words of God are in the Word Of God— your Bible. However, it is true that God has gifted his people with some very good teachers. (Col. 1:28; 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:10; 4:13 & 16)

Be careful in your reading material to look for authors with a high view of Scripture— strong Bible believers! In particular, when it comes to the study of Bible prophecy, insist on a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation view of the Second Coming of Jesus because that is what a literal reading of Scripture says.