iLife: Study, part 2

ilife3 iLife: Study, part 2 As promised, here’s a (somewhat) quick run-down of how to go about doing a Bible study using internet resources. In the past, doing a study like this would have meant gathering numerous books, costing several hundreds of dollars.

With the current availability of said resources for free on the internet, we Christ-followers have even less excuse for really getting into the word and wringing everything out of it we possibly can.

Some basic resources for Bible study might include:

A study Bible
An exhaustive concordance
A topical Bible
A Bible dictionary
A Bible handbook
Commentaries
A Bible Encyclopedia

All of these can be found for free on the internet, and I will highlight some of the best resources for finding such material at the end of this post.

Let’s say you’ve been reading your Bible, and you come across the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree in Matthew 21. You want to know more. Why was Jesus so angry at fig trees? What’s the deal? What’s the point? What was He trying to teach His followers (and us) by doing such a thing?

Where to start?

Let’s go to biblegateway.com. You probably have seen the basic search functions on the home page, but we want to go a little more in-depth here.

Click on the “Passage Lookup” link in the left-hand menu.
Under “Enter passage(s),” type in “Matthew 21:18-22″ but don’t click enter yet.
Under “Select version(s),” click the “Lookup passage(s) in multiple versions” link.
Using the additional drop down menus, choose up to five different Bible translations to look up the passage and click “Lookup Passage.” (Don’t choose any of the “Hide” options, as we will use those resources.)
Once the next page has loaded, choose to view the passage in either rows or columns and then read the passage in each of the Bible translations you’ve chosen. Observe what the text says and note any differences in the translations.
Notice that at the bottom of select translations, you will find cross references. For the purpose of our study, click the “Mark 11:12-14, 20-24″ and “Luke 13:6-9″ links. In Mark you will find the parallel passage of the story, and in Luke you will find a parable about a similar fig tree. What do those verses say and how do they relate to the text? You should also discover references related to prayer, and discover more about the relationship between faith and power.
Go back to the Matthew 21 page with the multiple translations, scroll to the top of any of the individual translations, and click the “View commentary related to this passage” link. Bible Gateway defaults to the concise version of Matthew Henry’s Commentary. Read Matthew Henry’s gleanings, and take note of any insights you’ve gained. As you read commentaries, you will discover cultural, historical, archaeological, sociological insights (among others) you probably did not already know. What was readily apparent to 1st century Jewish culture might not make any sense in 21st century Western (American) culture.
Now, for a more modern commentary, click the “Commentaries” link near the top of the page. (This is sandwiched in the middle of the “Resources >> Commentaries >> Matthew >> Chapter 21 .. exegesis” line.) On the following page, you will find the “IVP New Testament Commentaries” already selected. Click the “Matthew” link. On the next page, scroll down to Matthew 21, and for the purposes of our study, click the “Faith to Accomplish the Impossible” link. As before, read this commentary, noting any new insights.
For even more information, let’s click the “Additional Resources” link in the left-hand menu. Maybe you want to research a particular word. Scroll down to “Dictionaries” and click “Use Dictionaries.”
On the following page, you find a search function with a drop-down menu for three different Bible dictionaries. For our study, choose “Smith’s Bible Names Dictionary,” enter “fig tree” in the search box, and click the search button. The next page brings up a list of relevant entries. For our study, choose the second entry “Fig, Fig Tree.” Again, take note of new insights that help boost your understanding of the Matthew passage.
Let’s go back to the “Additional Resources” page, and scroll down to “Study Tools” and click “Use Study Tools.” On the next page, scroll down to “Classic Bible Commentaries” and click “Use Classic Bible Commentaries.” On the next page, scroll down to Matthew and click the link for “21.” Now you will see links to all of the available commentaries which deal with Matthew chapter 21. Here again, this site defaults to Matthew Henry’s concise, so choose which ever commentary you wish to read. By now you know the drill.
After you’ve read and studied through these resources, draw a conclusion about what the passage means and then apply the truth of the passage to your life. (i.e. “What difference does it make now that I understand this passage.”)

Hopefully, this is a concise resource for you. Once you’ve become familiar with this type of study, you will find yourself branching out to even more in-depth study drawn from a multitude of resources. Keep in mind, there is a reason that the stuff that is free on the internet is free. You may want to visit a local book store an determine what books would be of most benefit to you as an addition to your Bible study library.

Here is a listing of additional valuable resources available on the web:

bible.gateway.com: Offers another searchable Bible in multiple translations, along with interlinear and parallel Bibles. Also available are further selections of commentaries, dictionaries, and encyclopedias.
youversion.com: An online searchable Bible with a community focus. Add your own private journal as you read and study, or view contributions from the community including videos of sermons from selected passages.
studylight.org: Another great set of Bible study tools. The hidden treasure of this site: The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
blueletterbible.org: Yet another online searchable Bible with additional study tools such as charts and Bible outlines, along with encyclopedias and dictionaries. Also available are Bible timelines, maps, and studies on various cults.
e-sword.net: Free Bible study software you may download to your PC or PDA.
ccel.org: Read some of the great classics of Christians literature. My personal favorites, The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence, and The Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross.
apologetics.org: Christian apologetics resources and training made available to help remove intellectual impediments to the Christian faith, and to enhance a believer’s confidence in their faith.