David Powlison at CCEF recently wrote a blog post prizing wise application of Scripture. It is easy to “proof-text,” which involves pulling passages out of their context to make them say things they weren’t intended to say.
Check it out!
A two-part 3 John study on fundraising
I’m doing a two-part study on the book of 3 John over at my other blog, Gospel Fundraising. In it I use a number of the principles of observation, interpretation and application that we’ve learned about here at KnowableWord. The first part posted today.
Check it out!
Observations about Women in Proverbs 31
On Saturday, the Huffington Post ran a Religion article about what Proverbs 31 says (and doesn’t say) about women. The journalist makes some excellent observations from the text.
The unfortunate thing is that he concludes that a woman’s value ought to be found in her character and accomplishments, when the Bible claims that one’s value derives from Christ and not self (Col 3:1-4).
Check it out!
Bible Gateway’s Bible Study Tips
Bible Gateway, one of the best Bible search engines online, posted on their blog a basic introduction on how to study the Bible. It looks like they should have some good posts with more practical tips over the next few days.
Check it out!
How can the Bible be true if we know snakes and donkeys don’t talk?
Robin Schumacher at the Christian Post just posted a great article entitled “Talking Snakes, Donkeys, and Believing the Bible.”
In his article, he discusses how to read the Bible as literature. Then he goes on to discuss the implications on stories like talking snakes (Genesis 3) and talking donkeys (Numbers 22-24). Can the Bible be true when we know such animals don’t talk in real life?
Check it out!
The Importance of the Pastoral, “I don’t know”
The Gospel Coalition recently posted a short article on the benefits of Pastors saying, “I don’t know.” We posted some similar thoughts here on Knowable Word a few months back. Since we can never be reminded enough to humble ourselves, this was worth highlighting again.
Two Guys Talking About Bible Study
Here is a recent video of two pastors discussing some basics about Bible reading: when to do it, how to do it, why it’s worth it. I appreciate being reminded of some important ideas. Check it out!
How Many People Study the Bible?
LifeWay Research just posted statistics about how many Christians claim to study the Bible on their own outside of church meetings. Here’s what they found:
- 19% read the Bible every day
- 26% read it a few times per week
- 14% read it once per week
- 22% read it at least once per month
- 18% read it rarely or never
Which category are you in?
Interestingly, they found that the following six things were found to be connected to one’s likelihood to read the Bible more often:
- Confessing wrongdoings to God and asking forgiveness.
- Believing in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven, and persevering in this belief over time.
- Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing to do so might be costly.
- Praying for the spiritual status of people they know are not professing Christians.
- Reading a book about increasing their spiritual growth.
- Having been discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian.
You can check out the full article here.
Also, for your viewing pleasure, here’s a new Spoken Word video from Zondervan about the Rock Solid Bible. The artist speaks about the power and sufficiency of God’s Knowable Word. As I haven’t read the study Bible being advertised, I’m not necessarily recommending it. But the video is very well done.
Why Does Paul Mention Muzzling Oxen?
Justin Taylor at The Gospel Coalition recently posted a great article on the New Testament use of the Old Testament. He examines how Paul quotes Deut 25:4 in both 1 Cor 9:9 and 1 Tim 5:18. Moses commanded Israel not to muzzle their oxen while threshing. Paul wants people to pay their pastor. How does the first support the second?
From Paul’s use of Deut 25:4, Taylor argues two key principles to keep in mind when a New Testament author quotes an Old Testament passage:
- Never ignore the original Old Testament context
- Be slow to assume that the New Testament writers are quoting things out of context
These are great principles for Bible study, and Taylor ably demonstrates them from this example. Check it out.
Why We Study the Bible, Revisited
Not long ago, I posted a number of reasons for why we study the Bible. They came down basically to the fact that understanding the Bible accurately enables us to know Christ better and find life in him.
Desiring God just posted a short video interview with D. A. Carson, where he covers similar ground.
You read it here. Now go listen to the man who’s been doing it faithfully for many decades. Learn from his example and draw near to God as you study his knowable word.
