If you’re in the market for gifts to encourage Bible study, here are our top recommendations. We’ve reviewed most of these products on this site at many times and in many ways, but here they are in one place for you.
Bibles
You can’t beat a good Bible. Our top recommendation is to get yourself or someone you love one of the best editions of the Bible to hit the western world: the ESV Reader’s Bible, 6 Volume Set.
And while we use the ESV translation more than any other, we must mention that the 4-volume NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project has perhaps the most innovative layout and presentation of the Scriptures, which make it a sheer delight to read.
If 6 volumes seem too much to you, the single volume ESV Reader’s Bible is still well worth picking up.
And for something completely different, consider getting an entire book of the New Testament on a single page spread, with the ESV Panorama New Testament.
Chronological Bible
The ESV Chronological Bible is worth your attention. It’s not what you want for deep study, but it’s wonderful for extended reading or reference. Here is our review. Get it at Amazon | Westminster (TruTone) | Westminster (Hardback)
Study Bibles
There are so many options. See our buying guide for recommendations about which ones succeed at promoting OIA Bible study.
If you or a loved one like the idea of copying out the Scriptures by hand, you might want to consider a Journible.
Audio Bibles
The Dwell app for mobile devices is a remarkable tool designed completely for listening to the Bible. NIV Live is a terrific dramatized audio Bible.
Also, check out the forthcoming (Fall 2027) ESV Symphony of Scripture, with over 100 hours of original music, highlighting biblical themes with repeated background melodies.
For a little more explanation of the principles, see our free booklet.
To go even further, with lots of illustrations, examples to follow, and exercises to practice, see One-to-One Bible Readingor Peter’s book Knowable Word (now revised and expanded).
If you’re familiar with the OIA model, and you’d like to hone your skills to perfection, consider getting Methodical Bible Study by Robert Traina. This book is dry and doesn’t tell many stories. But it delves the depths of the model like nothing else.
Leading
If you’d like to grow as a Bible study leader see Peter’s book Sowable Word or Colin Marshall’s terrific book Growth Groups.
Commentaries
See our page with recommended commentaries that promote OIA Bible study skills. We don’t have recommendations for every Bible book yet, but we update this page as we come across helpful volumes.
Beginners
Great places for beginners to start in gaining familiarity with the Bible’s layout and message are The Beginner’s Guide to the Bible (see Peter’s review), The Visual Theology Guide to the Bible (see Ryan’s review), and The Visual Word (see Ryan’s review).
Software
Peter still happily recommends Logos Bible Software, as it has drastically improved the speed and quality of his Bible study. See his reviews of Logos 7,Logos 8, and Logos 9 for details. Logos is now more affordable than ever through subscriptions (see Peter’s review and second review of this latest development). Here is a link for a 60-day trial.
While Logos is remarkable with its reference libraries and powerful features, it’s not for everyone. If you are more interested in slimmer, free software, you may want to check out E-Sword or STEP Bible.
Children’s Resources
The best thing you and your church can do for your children is to buy them a Bible and teach them to use it. In my household, that means we buy ESV pew Bibles (the cheapest we can find) almost by the case. These things will get beat up and need to be replaced often, so there’s no use in getting the authentic-porpoise-leather-imported-from-Mars-heirloom-editions just yet.
When children are first learning to read, it may be helpful to give them the NIrV. This builds their confidence in reading the very words of God in their own language. Remember, the story Bibles are good, but God’s undiluted word is even better.
And before dipping into the supplemental resources below, perhaps you’d consider printing out a few simple devotional pages for your kids, so they can explore the Scriptures for themselves before hearing what others have to say about the Scriptures.
Ages 0-2
The Big Picture Story Bible – A marvelous overview of the Bible’s rich storyline: The people of God under the rule of God in the place God gives. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Read Aloud Bible Stories – Brief Bible stories that draw in young children, letting the children know these are their stories. Get it at Amazon.
The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible – like The Gospel Story Bible below, but for younger kids. See our review. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Ages 3-5
The Gospel Story Bible – Retellings of 156 Bible stories, synchronized with the Gospel Story for Kids curriculum, and devotionals Long Story Short and Old Story New. The best part of these stories are that much use is made in the retelling of the actual text of Scripture. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
God’s BIG Promises Bible Storybook – Traces 5 major promises through the Bible from beginning to end. Great to read aloud to preschoolers, or to have young elementary students read themselves. See our review. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
The Jesus Storybook Bible – Gripping gospel focus, though it sometimes seems to suggest that Bible stories are not meant to serve as examples (contrast with 1 Cor 10:6, 11, etc.). Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Ages 5-7
Mark’s Marvellous Book – I still hope this becomes more of a trend: A children’s story Bible that follows the shape and themes of a book of the Bible (rather than cherry-picking certain stories, ignoring the fact that they were written to an audience in a context). See my review. Get it at Amazon.
God’s Daring Dozen – Similar to Mark’s Marvellous Book, these short volumes each follow the shape and theme of a book of the Bible. These sets work through the twelve minor prophets, from Hosea to Malachi. And they are simply extraordinary. This past year, my 5-year-old son wanted me to read all 12 over and over and over and over again. See my review. Get box 1 (Amazon | Westminster), box 2 (Amazon | Westminster), or box 3 (Amazon | Westminster).
The Big Picture Story Bible – A marvelous overview of the Bible’s rich storyline: The people of God under the rule of God in the place God gives. Read this to your kids at ages 0-2; then have them read it to themselves at ages 5-7. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Ages 8-14
The Radical Book for Kids – This is the kind of gift you get for your kids, but it’s also, sort of, partly, perhaps, for you. You know, like Legos, football tickets, or family room surround sound systems. It’s an engaging and delightful handbook of the Christian faith. See my review. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
The Really Radical Book for Kids – Just as wonderfully radical as the first one, only really so. See my review. Get it at Amazon | Westminster. Or get a deal on both Radical books at Westminster.
Or perhaps you’d like to consider getting them their own beginner reader’s Bible.
Family Devotions
I highly recommend the series of devotionals by Marty Machowski. These volumes don’t merely communicate Christian truth, as important as that is; they train children to study the Bible and find that truth for themselves. In addition, the “daily” family devotions take only 5 days/week, and they truly take only 10 minutes per day. The payoff is high, but the price of entry is low. This makes it more likely you’ll be able to stay consistent with them. Every volume in this series has the same high quality; each also has the same basic structure for each day’s devotion. See my review.
Long Story Short – 78 weeks in the Old Testament. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Old Story New – 78 weeks in the New Testament. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Prepare Him Room – 4 weeks in Advent season. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Listen Up – 13 weeks in the parables of Jesus. Get it at Amazon | Westminster
Happy gift shopping!
Disclaimer: Links in this post to Amazon, Westminster, and Logos are affiliate links, which means this blog receives a small commission when you click those links. Doing this helps us to cover our costs, enabling us to continue recommending decent resources. Thank you.
How do you know when a Bible passage refers to another, earlier text? Sometimes the author signals a direct quotation with such phrases as “it is written” or “as in the Law of Moses.” But many times there is no such direct quotation but merely an allusion. For example, Jonah grabs a variety of psalms in his prayer in Jonah 2. And his flight toward Tarshish was motivated by his belief that Exodus 34:6 was true (see Jonah 4:2).
Recognizing such allusions often unlocks part of the author’s argument in a passage. Missing the allusions leaves you in the dark. So how do you learn to recognize them so you can make use of them?
Steve Bateman reviews a recent book by Matthew Swale called Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament. In the book, Swale does not offer a foolproof method for calculating the presence of legitimate allusions. Instead, he describes three instincts we can develop as readers to help us sense when a biblical author may truly be alluding to a prior text.
The three instincts:
Look for shared terminology between passages.
Look for common themes between passages.
Look for evidence of intention on the author’s part to bring about some sort of change in the audience through the reference.
Of course, all three instincts require us to simply be people of the word, who read, re-read, and re-read some more so we grasp the Bible’s big picture and so allusions start sounding familiar. Perhaps this is your year to join our annual 90-day Bible reading challenge, to help you grow in those areas.
But whether you participate in our challenge or not, you may find Swale’s book or Bateman’s review useful to you.
We believe one of the best ways to learn to study the Bible is to read it. A lot of it. Over and over again. That’s one way we seek the Lord, that perhaps we might be hidden on the day of the Lord’s anger (Zeph 2:3). We don’t follow cleverly devised myths, but pay attention to this prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet 1:16-19).
Maybe this is your year to read the entire Bible in 90 days. Though the day of wrath is on its way (Nahum 1:2-5), the Lord Jesus Christ has shown you how to find refuge for your eternal soul (Nahum 1:6-7, Luke 13:34, 1 John 2:1-2). You’ll only find it, though, if his words take up residence within you (John 15:3, 7).
But I digress and perhaps ought to get to the point.
The Challenge
I’m writing to announce our 2027 Bible reading challenge. The challenge is to read the entire Bible within 90 days. If you wish, you may begin today. Regardless of when you begin, your 90-day period must end no later than March 31, 2027. Once you complete your reading, you may submit an entry form (see below) to enter a prize drawing.
And why—you ask—would you embark on such a strange venture? (“Has the day finally come,” they inquire, “when the Lord has struck with madness the riders of this horse we call the blogosphere?” — Zech 12:4, my paraphrase.) I can think of at least three reasons.
Your grasp of the Bible’s big picture will surge like the number of the redeemed children of Israel (Hosea 1:10).
Your reward in the age to come will be great.
We’ve got a sweet set of prizes to urge you on in the present age.
This year’s prizes focus on increasing your access to listening to the Bible.
Grand Prize
One blessed winner will be awarded a year-long subscription to the Dwell Bible app. Many thanks to Dwell for providing this prize for our giveaway.
The Dwell app is available from either the Apple App Store of Google Play store. The app was designed completely with Bible listening in mind. It provides an astonishingly wide selection of translations, voices, and background options. You can listen, you can read, or you can sync it to both listen and read. You can find a huge variety of plans to follow. Or you can select a particular book or chapter to listen to. You can set pauses between verses to give you time for reflection, or you can speed things up and keep them moving.
I helped kickstart the app back in 2018, and I’ve used it every day for quite some time. I listen to a daily lectionary, and I also use it for repeated listening to books of the Bible. I’ve logged more than 860 hours over 1956 days, so I’m an enthusiastic power user. I reviewed it in 2018, yet it is so different now than it was then. Most of the drawbacks have been fixed (complete Bible, many translations, downloadable, customizable playlists, etc.). I am delighted to commend to you this wonderful app, and I’m thrilled we can give away a free year-long subscription to it.
Second Prize (aka Delayed Gratification)
But wait, there’s another audio adventure waiting in the wings! In addition to the grand prize, we will offer an additional prize of the ESV Symphony of Scripture to come in the Fall.
The ESV Symphony of Scripture is a new audio Bible project Crossway is working on, with world-class narration and sound design. They commissioned a composer to write over 100 hours of orchestral music, with recurring melodies to highlight major biblical themes. The website has some samples from the Gospel of John to give you a taste.
This prize will not deliver until the project is complete, projected in the Fall of 2027. We’re grateful for the generosity of Crossway in providing this prize for us to give away later in the year.
Third Prize
In addition, one more winner will get to choose one of the following options:
Please note: Physical prizes are limited to people with addresses in the United States. Winners in other parts of the world will receive a $25 Amazon gift card via email.
Help is Available
If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. You may make a copy and update the dates, if you plan to start on a date other than January 1.
Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan. You may also want to consider making a reading plan in the free version of the Dwell listening app if you prefer audio. And perhaps you’ll want to bookmark this post so you can find the entry form once you complete the reading.
You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.
Official Rules
Here are the rules:
You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but the Lord sees and knows when you are being honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
The last day of that 90-day period must be between November 9, 2026 and March 31, 2027. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or appear to be fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 9, 2026 and March 31, 2027, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it). God sees and knows what you are up to, and fake entries will be chucked to the place where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
In the first week of April 2027, we will randomly select 3 prize winners from those who have submitted the form.
We will email all winners requesting contact info to deliver their prize. If a winner does not respond to our request for information (such as a shipping address) within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
The grand-prize winner will receive a year-long subscription to the Dwell Bible app.
The second prize winner will receive a copy of the ESV Symphony of Scripture to be delivered when it hits the market (estimated in Fall 2027).
Third-prize winner (if in US) will select either a copy of both Knowable Word and Sowable Word or a one-volume reader’s Bible of their choice. (While these are not your only options, we have reviewed the following: ESV, CSB, NIV.)
First and second prize winners will have the option to decline their prize and receive the “third” prize instead. If either declines in this way, their prize (Dwell or Symphony of Scripture) will be given to the third-prize winner.
Any winner who does not qualify for a physical prize will receive a US $25 Amazon gift card via email.
Unfortunately, though they are among the most courageous and competent people on the planet, staff members of DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.
What does it mean that “[God’s] power is made perfect in weakness,” and how can we get in on more of that? Kenneth Berding addresses such questions as he studies 2 Corinthians 12:9 in light of Paul’s argument. Berding models interpretive curiosity, making use of the context, following an author’s train of thought, focusing on the main idea, and getting concrete in application.
Berding highlights the fact that not every weak person gains access to God’s power. But by taking to heart what Paul says, you can. And in the process, you’ll enlarge your view of Christ.
I’ve argued that the context of Scripture is so important that ignoring it is dangerous. One might conclude that I want people to share the Bible less often.
Nothing could be further from the truth! I want the Bible in the hearts and on the tongues of all people from pole to pole, and that won’t happen unless Christians share God’s word with others.
I don’t want the Bible to be shared less. I want it to be shared better.
Reminder: Context Matters
On this blog we have produced many arguments and examples of why context matters. We will not grasp the intended meaning of a Bible passage if we don’t understand how it fits into the larger picture.
Respecting context is particularly important when we talk about the Bible with others. In these situations we are not only communicating the meaning of the Bible but also the proper use of the Bible.
If we fling around solitary verses, this teaches others to do the same. And many, many bad theologies and heresies have resulted from this practice. (Stay tuned for more on this in my next post.)
Our Top Priority
When we talk about the Bible with our friends, we should labor to communicate what is true. So the first step in sharing Scripture with our friends is to study the Bible passage until we understand it.
Here’s our first example. If I had a friend who was burdened by the weight of his sins, I might want him to understand that salvation means we no longer fear punishment and hell. I would suggest he read 1 John 4:13–21 and pay special attention to verses 17 and 18. Instead of sending along a verse or two, I’d suggest those verses within their context, all of which my friend should be able to read in one sitting.
Suggestion #2: Summarize the Context
If it is not practical to share the entire context of a Bible passage, another approach is to summarize the context of the passage.
Here’s a second example. If I wanted to encourage a friend with the compassion and grace of Jesus, I might consider his conversation with the thief on the cross. Many people are familiar with Jesus’s final words to him: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In context, this is less a treatise on what happens to the soul upon death than an example of Jesus offering forgiveness to broken sinners who come to him.
To grasp the context, a person should understand the way Jesus loved and identified with the mocked and scorned throughout his ministry. When Jesus was at the height of his own humiliation, he embraced others who were hated and cast out. And in his final act, he took the place of those he loved—he became ridiculed for the ridiculed.
If I wanted to share this passage with a friend, I would not just quote the punchline verse. I would offer a few words (as in the paragraph above) about Jesus’s ministry and companions in Luke. I would also suggest that my friend read Luke 23:32–43.
In this situation, it isn’t reasonable to ask my friend to read all of Luke. But a short introduction and then the Bible text itself can work as a substitute.
Respecting Every Context
Most of the discussion above uses “context” to refer to the literary context of a passage—the author’s flow of thought and how the passage fits with what precedes and follows it. But we must recognize historical context (the occasion, author, and audience) and biblical context (how other Biblical authors refer or allude to it) as well.
This may result in different practices when sharing portions of the Psalms and Proverbs, for example.
Loving Those with Whom You Share
The way we share the Bible with a friend will depend on that friend’s background. Our communication will differ from a Christian to a non-Christian, from a new believer to a seasoned saint. All of this takes wisdom.
One of the most loving things we can do for our friends is to connect them with God’s word. As we pray for opportunities to do this, let’s work hard to share the Bible in context.
In April 2009, a frumpy, middle-aged, and socially awkward Scotswoman marched on the stage of the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. Susan Boyle flouted her spunky attitude and wish to be a professional singer, while judges and audience members alike snickered and visibly mocked her. But they gave her a chance.
You’ve got to watch the video to understand fully what happened that day. Simon Cowell—the world’s most cynical and scathing judge of performance talent—shows little mercy to this nervous woman, but his bewildered expression after her first few notes is priceless. Boyle’s performance gives new meaning to the song “I Dreamed a Dream.”
Boyle’s audition was the most viewed YouTube video in 2009. She went on to take second place in that season of Britain’s Got Talent, but it was enough to secure her a record deal with Sony Music. Her first album sold more copies than any other album released in 2009, even though it released only 6 weeks before the end of the year. She’s since gone on to record 6 more albums. Two Grammy nominations and 22 million pounds later, she’s performed in Windsor Castle and had a musical written about her. She’s become an icon of success, a contemporary rags-to-riches tale.
Wisdom is like that.
I don’t mean that wisdom will earn you millions of pounds or pageviews. Nor do I mean that wisdom grants your wishes to become famous or successful. I mean simply this: Wisdom turns nobodies into somebodies.
We’re drawing near the end of Proverbs 1-9. Over the next few weeks, I’ll work through chapter 8 in these Proverbs posts, and I’ll show how this chapter summarizes Solomon’s entire model of wisdom. Before we get to the closing vision of chapter 9—which launches the reader into the body of the book—Solomon will remind us of all that came before. Solomon assembles the pieces of wisdom’s instruction into a few long poems placed on Wisdom’s own lips.
In Proverbs 8:1-11, wisdom is available to those who hear. The simple and the foolish can both become wise if they will but humble themselves and realign their desires. Wisdom’s words are like God’s words, more precious than gold and jewels.
In Proverbs 8:12-21, wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and bears fruit beyond imagining. Satisfaction, justice, effective leadership, and enduring righteousness depend on the acquisition of godly wisdom. You won’t want to miss it.
In Proverbs 8:22-31, wisdom is intimately acquainted with the Lord himself and woven into the fabric of creation. You can’t delight in wisdom without delighting in Yahweh, Lord of heaven and earth. And because of what God has done in Christ, this wisdom now delights in you.
In Proverbs 8:32-36, wisdom promises divine blessing on those who listen and keep her ways. Those who find her find life, God’s favor. Those who miss her love death and end up harming themselves. This should be a no-brainer.
You and I might be nobodies. But God in his grace wants to make us into somebodies. His favor and life are stored up, ready for immediate disbursement to those who love his Son, Jesus Christ. If you grasp Christ, your wisdom from God, your life will never be the same again.
Have you heard of the Prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4? Or at least the famous book about it that treated the passage as a template for prosperity theology?
Wyatt Graham presents a study of the passage that gives careful attention to the literary, biblical, and historical context of the book of Chronicles. By considering Jabez’s prayer in light of God’s promises to Israel, Graham explains how we pray similarly to Jabez whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
It is an irony then that the prayer of Jabez has become so associated with prosperity theology. Far from enriching himself, Jabez prayed for God to bless him as part of Israel, in line with God’s promises. This would be equivalent to us today praying for God’s kingdom to come. In both cases, it is good and right to pray for these things.
Sexual immorality follows this pattern: words, path, trap, death.
We hear and believe seductive words.
We follow immorality’s path of action.
We fall into the trap.
We find only death.
Last week, I showed this pattern from Proverbs 7:21-27, the final section in Solomon’s miniseries on wise sexuality. This week, I’ll cap the series with one last round of application.
Normally we don’t think anything’s wrong until we begin to experience death. “Death” in this sense refers to anything that does not advance our well-being (“life”). So we feel guilty. Or we experience the consequences of some stupid choice. Or we get caught, and we lose trust with the people we love. Or memories haunt us, or satisfaction eludes us.
Jaci Lopes dos Santos (2010), Creative Commons
If you know immorality’s pattern, you’ll know how God goes about breaking it. With the help of his Holy Spirit, you can undo the pattern and work backwards through it.
From Death to Trap
When you feel the weight of sin’s consequences, thank God for his mercy. In his love, he’s chosen to discipline you and not destroy you. He’s brought the consequences to bear so he might get your attention and turn you from your destructive choices.
But you won’t turn unless you feel desperate.
You must understand that you are well and truly trapped. You’re like a deer caught in the hunter’s snare. You cannot escape the trap on your own, and you need someone to rescue you.
From Trap to Path
If you feel trapped, you may sober up enough to see the path that led you to it. You’ll see that it wasn’t a single event, a single choice, that got you in trouble. It was a whole series of choices that led through the darkness.
Adultery is far more than a single act of intercourse. Intercourse, after all, follows foreplay. Foreplay follows the first kiss. That kiss only came after the first touch. The first touch resulted from that flirting, that testing of the waters to see if there could be “something more.” Looking for that “something more” followed the decision that you needed something “more,” which itself followed the belief that you didn’t have enough.
Whatever your struggle, trace your path. If you see how you got there, you’ll see how to get out. Small choices precede big ones, both for good or for evil.
From Path to Words
With the path illuminated before you, find the first step. What did you believe that got you into this situation? And what truth should replace that lie?
For example, if your path began with the belief that you didn’t have “enough” (romance, satisfaction, respect, love, etc.), you may find help in 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Or in Ephesians 3:14-19, where Paul prays that we might “comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.”
If your path began with the need to escape from a difficult life and feel in control again, you may want to meditate on or memorize John 6, where Jesus claims that “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).
If your path began with the simple belief that it would be fun and exciting and pleasurable, you may simply need to remind yourself that those who commit sexual immorality “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:19-21).
Ultimately, you can remember that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). Jesus died so you could have life. When he visited his fearful, denying, doubting, cowering disciples, his resurrected lips carried a message of peace (John 20:19, 21, 26). His resurrection brings the same message to you and me.
The trick is to get that message to sink in and direct our paths.
I appreciate Douglas Allison’s continued reflections on leading small groups, including this post on why small group leaders don’t need to have all the answers.
Allison gives practical suggestions for what to do when a question arises that you don’t know the answer to. Perhaps you can promise a follow up, or commit to finding out, or refer them to a person or place where an answer may be found.
But the best part is Allison’s reason for why leaders shouldn’t even presume they need all the answers themselves.
Leaders, then, should expect to need to grow in their knowledge and maturity for their entire lives. It is no failure for a leader not to know everything. It is rather a failure for leaders not to be seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, omniscience is not a prerequisite to being a small group leader.
Perhaps you’ve read a postortwo on this blog stressing the importance of Biblical context. You may have seen a whole catalog of articles showing how familiar verses and phrases may not carry the meanings intended by those who splash them on coffee cups and t-shirts.
Yes, context matters. We won’t tire of repeating this key to interpreting the Bible because ignoring context is not just misguided, it is dangerous.
We Miss the Truth
The obvious danger of neglecting context is that we lose the truth. But we dare not forget how devastating a loss this is. What do we have if we don’t have Biblical truth? We are a parched, dusty land with no hope of rain.
Context drives interpretation. So when we pluck out individual verses we have no chance of arriving at a proper understanding.
In the best situations, this leads to a true teaching through a bad process. (See here for an example.) In the worst cases, we end up with damnable heresy.
We Disrespect God
Imagine writing a letter to a dear friend. You haven’t been in touch for months, so your words stretch into the thousands. You write about children and parents, work and health, joys and sorrows.
Later you learn that your friend lifted one sentence from this letter and posted it on social media. Your friend gave you credit, and the quote didn’t make you look bad, but the meaning is gone. How would this make you feel?
Despite our best intentions, misusing someone’s words always disrespects the author.
God gave us his word to read as 66 books under one cover. When we discount Biblical context, we not only disrespect the original authors, we put ourselves above the Scriptures, insisting we know better how to present it than God himself.
Though perhaps distasteful, we need to name this error accurately. It is arrogance. And God does not think highly of the arrogant (see James 4:1–10, especially James 4:6).
We Mislead Our Neighbors
As Christians we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and part of this calling is pointing our neighbors toward God through Jesus Christ.
Whenever we rip verses from their Biblical context and slap them on hats or bumper stickers or (gulp!) church signs, we’re telling our neighbors that this is a proper way to handle God’s word. We’re encouraging them to pick and choose what seems good or inspirational from the Bible.
This misleads our neighbors about the nature of both the Bible and God himself, and it may encourage them in error.
The Bible in Context
Now that I’ve shown how delightful a companion I’d be on your next trip to a Christian bookstore, let me reassure you.
I’m not saying we need to quote the whole Bible or nothing. There are plenty of ways to share powerful, helpful passages of Scripture with a friend or neighbor while still respecting the context of those passages. (I will share some of my suggestions on this in my next post.) I am urging, however, that we must be careful.
God’s word brings us joy and encouragement and comfort. But it is a serious, weighty, and holy matter to have and communicate the very words of God.
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
