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Top 10 Posts of 2017—Written in 2017

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It’s that time of the year again, when all the coolest bloggers bring their Top 10 lists out of the woodwork. “Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after” (Eccl 1:10-11).

This post lists the top 10 viewed posts this year, from among the posts we wrote this year. Next week, we’ll list the top 10 viewed posts from the full KW archive. May these lists give you much to consider and delight in as the new year rolls off the horizon into your chosen time zone.

10. Exodus 15:1-21: I Will Sing to the Lord

Exodus 15 is the first major climax in the book, and this post represents my climactic attempt to explain what’s happening in the text. We must sing to Yahweh, for there is no other god who can cast down his enemies and raise up his people.

9. The Resurrection of Jesus According to Mark

We celebrated Easter this year with a short series explaining the unique main points of the gospel’s resurrection narratives. You did know each gospel has a unique point to make, right? According to Mark, the King has come, but he is not here; so everything must change.

8. You Can Read the Bible to Your Kids

I can’t believe I never realized before this year that I had permission to simply read the Bible to my kids. Family devotionals, children’s Bibles, workbooks, and curricula are all fine and good, but just not necessary. Only one thing is necessary: living bread for hungry souls. About an hour, once per week, isn’t so bad. It’s become a delightful part of our family’s routine. And I have to keep a promise to my daughter.

7. Exodus 3:1-4:17: The Making of a Mediator

The most viewed post thus far from my Exodus walk through. Perhaps we can all relate to Moses in his hesitation and excuses. And praise God for a better Moses who never hesitated.

6. Leading Women’s Bible Studies: Not Just for Women

It’s rare for one of my “check it out” posts to garner this much attention. But for good reason: When it comes to Bible study, Jen Wilkin knows what she’s talking about. And her wisdom is not just for women. Don’t discount it just because she works primarily with ladies.

5. The Resurrection of Jesus According to Matthew

Ryan Higginbottom kicked off our resurrection series with this gem. According to Matthew, the risen Jesus is the gracious king of the Jews, the Messiah. Great news!

4. The Resurrection of Jesus According to John

For John, the resurrection is not only the climax, but also the full substance, of his message. Jesus truly is the Son of God, the Messiah who makes all things new, the source and essence of life. You can trust him with your life

3. E-Sword: Bible Study Software for Everyone

This year was a year of many reviews, and two of them were among the top 3 viewed posts of the year. Ryan wrote this review of a free Bible software program to assist you in your handling of the Scripture.

2. CSB Study Bible: Great Translation, Fine Study Resource

This review was my first exposure to the new Christian Standard Bible published this year. And while I didn’t like the study Bible nearly as much as the reader’s Bible, I happily recommend the translation in any edition you find most helpful.

1. 4 Bible Studies for Advent

Views of this post were almost 3 times higher than the second-place post, even though this post published later in the year than any other on this list. I urge you to consider Ryan’s advice to offer your families Bible studies and not mere devotionals. Feed them God’s word, and not just what some author had to say about portions of God’s word.

 

 

 

The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible: A Beautiful Gospel Presentation for Preschoolers

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The Bible is for everyone, even the smallest and youngest among us. And children can usually handle more of the Bible than we’re ready to give them. The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible by Jared Kennedy, illustrated by Trish Mahoney, is a new storybook Bible for preschoolers that focuses on the promises of God, made in the Old Testament and kept in the New Testament. How does this resource do at introducing little ones to Christ in the Scripture?

Background

I can’t discuss The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible (BGSB) without first drawing attention to another title from the same publisher, The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski. Machowski’s work teaches 156 Bible stories (78 OT, 78 NT), which synchronize with the Gospel Story Curriculum, a 3-year plan for Sunday school classes through the elementary school years. My church uses the Gospel Story Bible with the corresponding curriculum, and we appreciate the consistency and clear focus on Jesus in every lesson. One criticism of the Gospel Story Bible, however, has been that it doesn’t suit preschoolers. There are too many words and not enough pictures to hold their attention for long, and preschool teachers have had to abridge the stories on the fly to match the prevailing attention span each week.

I was eager to receive a complimentary copy of the BGSB, in exchange for an honest review, to see if it would meet this need.

What it does well

I am always impressed by the production quality of children’s materials from New Growth Press, and the BGSB is no exception. It is sturdy, hefty, bright, colorful, and pleasing to the eye. It exemplifies the excellence I have come to expect.

It abridges the 156 stories from Machowski’s volume down to 52 stories. Each story takes 6-8 pages, with only a sentence or two per page. So the stories really move and make quick transitions from one illustration to the next.

In addition, the BGSB keeps the intense focus on Jesus. Every story mentions him explicitly, communicating rich theology in child-friendly language. Each story offers a moral or lesson that never feels moralistic, as we reach the lesson only after seeing the story through the lens of Jesus.

What could be better

Though I appreciate the general theme of promises made (OT)/promises kept (NT), I don’t sense much of a coherent flow from one story to another. The book feels like a series of episodes, connected only because they each speak in some way about Jesus. Perhaps Jesus should be enough of a thematic connection, but I think David Helm does a better job in The Big Picture Story Bible, where he traces the themes of the people of God under the rule of God in the place God gives. In Helm’s work, Jesus is presented more as the chief climax than as the content of every story.

Also, one of the greatest strengths of Machowski’s Gospel Story Bible is that he includes frequent quotes of Scripture in his storytelling. But unfortunately, Kennedy has dropped this practice in his adaptation for preschoolers in the BGSB. Each story header lists the Scripture reference(s) the story comes from, but, as far as I can tell, the actual words of Scripture are nowhere to be found within the stories. This makes the BGSB less of a story Bible and more of a story about the Bible. The distinction may be subtle, but I think it speaks volumes about how much we trust the Scriptures themselves to speak to the hearts of our little ones.

Conclusion

I’m glad we have a copy of The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, and I’m eager to read it to my 3-year-old and 1-year-old when we can. But I’ll be looking to give priority of time to other resources that keep the text of Scripture more center-stage. The Bible is for everyone, even the smallest and youngest among us. And children can usually handle more of the Bible than we’re ready to give them.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. People who click them will be carried on eagles’ wings to a land flowing with milk and honey, where Jesus is not always revered as King. But he died and rose so all could worship him without fear. And because of his lavish generosity, this blog will receive a small payment when you buy milk or honey from the people of Amazonia, at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for your support.

What Would Happen If You Read Nothing But the Bible for a Year?

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We just announced our 2018 Bible reading challenge, which lasts but a wimpy 90 days. How tough would you be if you kept going and read nothing but the Bible for an entire year?

You might be something like this guy. Jacob Via felt convicted because he spent loads more time in books about the Bible than in the Bible itself. So he declared a 12-month fast from all the other books to make time to feast on living bread.

Via’s blog post describes what exactly he did and how he did it. But my favorite part is his list of takeaways. Everything on that list is something you could find in a journal article or book on hermeneutics. But how many of those things drive your daily decisions? How many of them have so mastered your thought-life and your faith that they are your first reaction to suffering or unexpected circumstances? How many of us could say that “godliness is of value in every way” (1 Tim 4:8), such that we rest secure and confident in the truth of what was once spoken by the Majesty on high for the ages?

In other words, while these takeaways might be things you know, have they ever been things you’ve experienced?

Via’s conclusion:

Let me encourage you to spend a year in the Word. Read it a lot. Read large sections at a time. Don’t worry about the parts you don’t understand. Just keep reading, and it will become clearer and clearer. Allow Scripture to interpret scripture. It’s more than a good book. It’s more than a roadmap to life. It’s life-giving. It’s living and active. As you read it, it begins to read you. Rediscover the Father’s heart. Rediscover the movement Jesus started. Allow it to transform who you are. And allow it to direct what you do tomorrow.

Via’s blog post might not be the most polished or deeply-researched thing you’ve ever read. But don’t let that prevent you from seeing how spectacular it is.

Check it out!

HT: Andy Cimbala

Announcing Our 2018 90-Day Bible Reading Giveaway

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I believe in reading the entire Bible quickly, and I think the NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project is like reading the Bible in 4D. The CSB Reader’s Bible is also top-notch. So today we’re announcing a giveaway to encourage voluminous reading with promises of these Bibles designed for readers.

Due to the generosity of Zondervan and Holman Bible Publishers, we have a copy of each of these reader’s Bibles to give away. And we assure you: The odds of winning this drawing are not impossible. If you enter, you will not be up against hundreds or thousands of entries. Last year, we had 2 winners selected from 39 entries.

Rules:

  1. You must have a United States mailing address to win one of the reader’s Bibles. Residents of other countries will receive a $30 Amazon gift card via email.
  2. 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 I’m trusting you to be 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.
  3. You may not begin until January 1, 2018, and you have until March 31, 2018 to finish. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
  4. To enter the drawing, you must email me at peter.krol@knowableword.com (or contact me through the web form) with the date you finished 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.
  5. On or around April 1, 2018, I will randomly select 2 winners from those who have emailed me their entries. And there’s no April Fool’s joke here; I’m just giving everyone a fair 90 days to enter. I will email the winners to get valid shipping addresses.
  6. The first prize winner (if US) will get their choice of the NIV Sola Scripture Bible Project (4-volume set) or the CSB Reader’s Bible (one volume). The second prize winner (if US) will get whichever one the first prize winner didn’t choose. Any winner outside the US will receive a $30 Amazon gift card via email.
  7. Unfortunately, missionaries with DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the contest.

I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you have as much fun with this sprint as I do, and may the Lord draw us all nearer to him through it!

Why Paragraphs Matter

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Some older editions of the Bible used to put every verse on a new line, communicating that each verse was an independent unit of thought. Thankfully, the practice is rare in modern Bibles, and Mark Ward demonstrates why it matters.

Often editors need to guess where the best paragraph divisions should go. And different translation committees will disagree. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try.

In his article “How Paragraph Breaks Can Help You Understand the Bible,” Ward gives two examples of how paragraph breaks in Matthew led him to ask interpretive questions he might not otherwise have thought of. In particular, the paragraphs caused him to ask, “Why does this sentence follow what came before? How does it fit with the flow of thought in this section?”

When we move away from reading Bible verses as isolated aphorisms, and we read them as building blocks in a larger argument, we are well on our way toward proper understanding.

Perhaps you can relate to Ward’s experience. Check it out!

Now is the Time to Plan Your 2018 Reading

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reading on bench

Laëtitia Buscaylet (2017), public domain

As we near the end of one year, it’s natural to think about our goals for the next. And whether it’s saving money, losing weight, building relationships, or learning a skill, we need plans to meet our goals.

You may not think of your reading list as goal-related. You may want planning as far away from your books as possible. But what we read has an enormous effect on our thoughts, our emotions, our worldview, and our souls.

In twelve months, you’ll be a different person than you are now. What you read between now and then will shape what kind of person you will be.

Connection to Bible Study

This might seem like a strange post to read on a blog all about Bible study. But these topics are vitally connected.

We have a finite amount of time, and without a plan we may not using our time well. When we’re tired or sad or frustrated, it’s easy to fall into bad patterns and spend time in unproductive or unrefreshing ways.

In particular, we don’t often drift into reading or studying the Bible. The Bible makes demands of us, and it’s much easier to camp out in a novel or on social media. But the word of God is our life! By it we see ourselves and everything around us accurately. We put ourselves in spiritual danger when we neglect the Bible.

Without making a plan, we won’t read much of the Bible. And planning to read the Bible means planning not to read anything else at the same time. As we set reading goals for 2018, let’s do so with the Bible as our highest priority.

Making Plans

We can break down our reading plans into at least five areas.

  1. Plan to read and study the Bible. For Christians, this is non-negotiable. Through the Bible we hear the truth from God that we so easily forget. We hear commands, we receive encouragement, we are equipped for battle against the evil around and within us. We need this book! Plan to read the Bible. Plan to study the Bible. If you read nothing else in 2018, read the Bible.
  2. Plan to read other Bible-based books. While the Bible is in a class by itself, there plenty of other books that teach biblical truth. Consider books in the categories of theology, biography, memoir, and Christian living, and find some trusted sources for recommendations. (Start with your pastor and elders and move on to friends and other trustworthy sources.)
  3. Plan to read for development. Whether you want to grow personally or professionally, there’s a book for that! Plan to read books related to skills you’d like to develop or topics you’d like to learn about.
  4. Plan to read for refreshment. God has made us to work and to rest, and we acknowledge and submit to our Creator when we plan times and activities for refreshment. If you are renewed and re-energized by reading fiction or comic books or graphic novels or humor, plan for it. We love God and our neighbors better when we have fuel in our tanks, and reading can fill us up.
  5. Plan other media consumption. Television, movies, video games, social media, and other internet-related activities—none of these are inherently bad. But they suck us in; we blink and 45 minutes later wonder what happened. Seek out these media with intention, mindful of your weaknesses and temptations.

Why Now?

December offers down time that January does not, so if possible, it’s best to make plans for the new year now.

Take some time in December to think and pray and lay your 2018 reading before the Lord. Talk to friends about the books and priorities on your list, and commit to praying for one another and following up.

Another advantage of planning your 2018 reading in December is the abundance of “best/favorites of 2017” lists that appear. Prayerfully consider the titles on some of these lists. I suggest balancing new books with older ones, but these lists can point you toward some of the best new books to read. Life is too short and too important to read bad books.

Leave Room for the Unplanned

While I suggest you plan reading for 2018, you shouldn’t feel locked in by your list. There will be other suggestions and opportunities that come up, and these may be worth your time! I usually plan about 75% of my annual reading and count on filling in the other 25% as the year develops.

As we tumble toward January, plan to read the Bible in the new year. And plan your other reading so that it glorifies God and helps you to walk faithfully as his disciple.

 

NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project: Reading the Bible in 4D

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There is a new style of movie theater, called 4D film, where moviegoers endure a complete sensory viewing experience. 3D picture, fog machines, strobe lights, sprays of water, and gusts of wind. Have you ever wondered what it might be like to read the Bible in 4D?

This Is It

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project is a new 4-volume reader’s edition of the Bible that does everything possible to improve the reading experience. All clutter—chapter and verse numbers, section headings, footnotes, and cross-references—is removed from the page. The paper is thick and bright, and the binding is sturdy. The font is beautiful. The margins are more than adequate. Spacing is just right. Headers and footers give enough information to enable basic navigation, but they otherwise remain discreet.

So much, so good. But how is this any different from the other reader’s Bibles on the market? How does the NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project stand out?

Imagine having the text organized by its internal literary divisions instead of traditional “chapter” divisions. This is it. Some study Bibles print book outlines in a separate introduction. But the Sola Scriptura set doesn’t need outlines. The outlines are visible on the page while you read. The major sections of a book are marked by a four-line break and a large capital letter. The next divisions have a three-line break. Further subdivisions have two- or one-line breaks. In other words, the text is presented to you in the structure that would be noticeable if read aloud. The structure intended by the author. This is remarkable.

Even further, imagine if book divisions were unaffected by ancient scroll-length limitations. You know, don’t you, that 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel were always meant to be a single book? But that it was too long to fit on one scroll? And that our Bibles have been forever stuck in printing this text as two books, even though modern printing technology doesn’t need to be limited by the length of ancient scrolls? And let me blow your mind even further: 1 Kings and 2 Kings are merely parts 3 and 4 of the same story. Now, in the Sola Scriptura set, you can read not only the book of Samuel as one book. You can read the complete epic of Samuel-Kings as one long and glorious tale of the rise and fall of the kingdom of Israel. Also, you get Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah as another epic tale of the rise, fall, and rebuilding of that same kingdom.

But wait; there’s more! Imagine if the books of the Bible were arranged in the best possible order to stimulate not only reading but also understanding. What would it be like to read Luke and Acts as two parts of one story, without being so drastically detoured by John, as in standard canonical order? And then picture going from Acts right into Paul’s epistles. But now they’re not put in order from longest to shortest (as in canonical order), but from earliest to latest so you can see the development of Paul’s thought over time. The rest of the New Testament is arranged here in a similar way, which is very similar to the way I’ve recommended would best promote deeper understanding.

In reading the New Testament, we see that the Bible of Jesus’ day consisted of three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms/Writings (Luke 24:44). What is that all about? If you were to study biblical Hebrew, you would buy yourself a Hebrew Bible and see this order to the books. Stick Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, and Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah with what we call the “Wisdom Books,” and you’ve got “The Writings.” The Law has Genesis through Deuteronomy. Now we see that “The Prophets” consists not only of Isaiah through Malachi (minus Lamentations and Daniel), but also Joshua through Samuel-Kings. This is a different way to read, but it is the way the Jews conceived of these books.

On top of that, let’s re-arrange our prophetic books by chronology instead of by length. This sets us up to walk ourselves through the late history of Israel to keep things in context. What was it like to live during the final days of the northern kingdom? Read Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Isaiah. What about those in the southern kingdom watching the fall of their northern cousins? Read Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. Want to go into exile (or watch the exiles go)? Read Jeremiah, Obadiah, and Ezekiel. Time to return and rebuild? Read Haggai, Zechariah, Joel, and Malachi. Each book makes a little more sense when read with the others addressing the same situation.

With other reader’s Bibles, I’ve had only three complaints. The paper is impossibly thin. The chapter numbers need to go along with the verse numbers (into the dust bin). And please, oh please, drop the stage cues in the Song of Solomon! Please let us enjoy the poetry and immerse ourselves in it without being told exactly who must be speaking!

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project is the only edition I’ve found that addresses these complaints. And it does so much more to address the complaints I never realized I could have.

What It Could Do Better

So what criticism can I offer about this marvelous edition? Some may not prefer the NIV translation, but I find it a delight to read at length.

Other than that, I could say that the four volumes fit very tightly into the slip case. It’s not easy to grab a volume from the set when I want to read it.

Any edition of a reader’s Bible will not serve you if you need to flip constantly and find particular sentences. And a four-volume set isn’t something to carry around with you wherever you go. You’ll need something else if you need an on-the-go Bible.

But that’s about all the criticism I can muster.

Conclusion

The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible Project solves every complaint I’ve had with other reader’s Bibles. And it solves all the other complaints I didn’t realize I could have had. If you like to read, and you want to get into reading the Bible, this set is for you. Every production decision was made with the reader in mind. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, you will feed our addiction to extended Bible reading at no extra cost to yourself.

Why Would Chronicles Whitewash David’s Sins?

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Logos has a short article from Michael Heiser in which Heiser wonders, “Did the Write of Chronicles Try to Scrub Away David’s Dirty Past?” In his brief article, Heiser does a great job showing how to compare parallel stories (such as Chronicles and Samuel) to understand the author’s agenda. Heiser also explains the historical circumstances for the audience of 1-2 Chronicles, which circumstances warranted a high, though not deceptive, view of King David.

I’m not going to answer the question from my title. As you compare the passages and consider the background Heiser explains, see if you can figure it out for yourself.

Check it out!

NIV Reader’s Bible: For Readers or Not?

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Paul charged the church in Thessalonica to “have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters” (1 Thess 5:27, NIV). When was the last time your church read one of Paul’s letters in full during a worship service? He expected his letters to be read and taught in this way, but we’ve grown accustomed to dealing with only a few verses at a time.

Now I’m not saying it’s wrong to read or teach the Bible a few verses at a time. But I would suggest this practice shapes us to think of the Bible only a few verses at a time. And we should at least be aware this is not the only (nor perhaps the best) way to read.

Which is why the recent flood of reader’s Bibles is such a delightful turn of events. I recently received a review copy of the NIV Reader’s Bible from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review. How does it hold up?

What It Does Well

As with other reader’s Bibles, the NIV Reader’s Bible gets most of the man-made clutter off the page. There are no verse numbers, cross-references, study notes, or section headings. Chapter numbers are moved out of the text block and into the margin, in a discreet light blue font.

The text presents in a single column, just like the novels and books of poetry we’re used to reading. Scenes with dialogue give a new paragraph to each character that speaks, just like the other narratives we read in our day. This is quite welcome.

Line breaks are placed carefully, being sensitive to the literary flow of the text. This Bible’s editors laudably show no special concern for traditional chapter divisions. They put the line breaks where the text warrants them. For example, in reading Judges, we get a solid block of text from Judges 1:1 all the way to Judges 2:5. Along the way, we wave to an unobtrusive little “2” in the margin that marks the coming and going of Judges 2:1. But we don’t stop to make the acquaintance of that little 2. We drive right by it until we park where the text itself parks, at Judges 2:5. Then we calmly sip our tea, take a breath, and move to the next phase of the story, beginning with Judges 2:6. But we don’t really know it’s verse 6; all we know is that the next round of literary glory awaits us.

And so on, through poetry, prophecy, genealogy, inventory, and letter. This Bible does just fine presenting a clean text that expects to be read and not mutilated.

What Could Be Better

Unfortunately, a few features substantially distract the eager reader.

  1. The margins are too small. With 1/2″ margins all around, the page simply looks like it has too many words on it. There is no buffer, no rest for the eye. When I try to read this Bible for more than a few minutes, I just can’t do it without my eyes bugging out. And I usually have to use my finger to keep my place on the page.
  2. End notes. I do not understand why there are end notes in this Bible. The end note markers either tease or annoy, depending on the reader’s mindset. But either way, they distract from the simplicity of reading. The notes themselves are placed at the end of each Bible book, creating a feeling that you haven’t really read the book unless you’ve spent the time flipping pages back and forth to read them all.
  3. The book is fat and sharp. It has a shorter page height and a wider page width than some other reader’s Bibles. This both adds to the feel of too many words on a page and increases the page count, making the physical book quite fat. In addition, the corners of the spine are sharp, giving the book a distinct rectangular look when sitting on the table. Most books we read have rounded corners to the spine. The fatness and sharpness combine to make this book difficult to hold for extended periods of time. (In its favor, the book lays very flat on a table. But how often do you lose yourself in a book you’re reading on a table?)

Also, this Bible comes with a slip case made from card stock. It’s not really a case, but just a promotional carton for shipping. So if this Bible gets significant use, it will deteriorate quickly.

Conclusion

The NIV is a great translation for extended reading. But unfortunately, the NIV Reader’s Bible does more to distract from the reading experience than to encourage it. This one’s not for me.

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