Knowable Word - Bible study help

NIV Proclamation Bible: The Best Non-Study-Bible Study Bible I’ve Seen

June 5, 2015 By Peter Krol

The NIV Proclamation Bible does everything I want a study Bible to do and nothing I don’t want a study Bible to do. It gets the Bible student moving in the right direction, and then it gets out of the way. Perhaps that’s why the front cover boasts Timothy Keller’s polarizing endorsement: “There are many Study Bibles, but none better.” And for these reasons, this “Study Bible” won’t feel like a study Bible to typical users of study Bibles. In fact, I prefer not to call it a study Bible. The NIV Proclamation Bible is not much more than a Bible with helps, and therein lies the beauty of it.

It has a hardy cover and binding, along with two shiny ribbon bookmarks. The paper is slightly thicker than average for Bibles. It has the text laid out in two columns, with center-column cross-references, translation footnotes, and other typical apparatus. The back offers a decent concordance and 14 terrific maps. But there are no study notes beneath the biblical text, no inline maps or theological discussions, and no charts or tables of the kings of Israel or parables of Jesus. So why might someone shell out 30 or more bucks (US) for this volume?

Because of the essays. Seventy-seven of them, to be exact. Don’t be scared, though; most of them aren’t much more than a page long. Let me explain.

Ten essays stand at the front, averaging 5 pages each, on the following topics:

What is the Bible?
A Bible overview
The historical reliability of the Bible
Finding the “melodic line” [main point] of a book*
From text to doctrine: the Bible and theology
From text to life: applying the Old Testament
From text to life: applying the New Testament*
From text to sermon: preaching the Bible*
From text to study: small groups and one-to-ones*
Biblical interpretation: a short history*

The essays I’ve marked with a * are solid gold. The rest are okay, but not much different from what you can easily find on the Internet.

The other 67 essays are merely introductions to each book of the Bible, plus a few introductions to large sections of the Bible (Pentateuch, Histories, Poets, Prophets, Gospels, Epistles). Each of these essays is barely more than a page long. And while half of the introductory essays are solid gold, I consider most of these book intros more valuable than vibranium.

Each book intro follows the same formula:

A single-sentence main point for the book
A 2-4 paragraph walk-through of the book explaining or defending the stated main point
An outline of the book’s structure
A 2-4 paragraph summary of key points to consider when teaching or leading a Bible study on the book
A bibliography of three recommended commentaries for that book or section of the Bible

I haven’t kept perfect statistics, but I believe about half of the proposed main points hit the bulls-eye with a vengeance. For example:

Ecclesiastes: “Death and judgment are the only fixed realities in life, and everything else is uncertain and often subject to frustration and sorrow.”
John: “Believe that Jesus is the Son who came from the Father to reveal him, and has returned to the Father to open up the way to life for his people.”

The other half aren’t wrong but perhaps just slightly off-center. For example:

Genesis: “The Creator God is faithful to his covenant promises and redeems humanity through the promised line, despite their sin and rebellion.”
Proverbs: “Proverbs recognizes the difficulties of living in God’s complex world and offers wise words to live by.”

There are a few I thought were off-center, until the explanations convinced me that I was the one off-center. For example:

Ephesians: “You are one in Christ now, so be united and stand firm in him.”
Luke: “You can be confident that Jesus, in his life, death, resurrection and ascension, heralds the fulfillment of all God’s promises in the Old Testament.”

I don’t typically use the 2011 NIV translation for my study, so I probably won’t use this Bible much as a Bible. But I will refer to it often when I study a book and want concise, accessible help with a book overview. I won’t let this thing get far from my fingertips. I commend the NIV Proclamation Bible as a strong help with OIA Bible study.

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Disclaimer(s): I received a free copy of this Bible from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Now you know what I think. And while I might lend out my copy if I’m not using it at the time, I’m also happy to send you to Amazon to buy it. Should you choose to accept this mission, you’ll also support the blog at no extra cost to yourself. What a great way to steward God’s resources all around! I’d say it’s like an Acts 2:44 moment, except I’d possibly be missing the point of that book: “The ascended Lord Jesus continues to draw people from every nation to himself, growing his church through the preaching of the word and the ministry of his Spirit.”

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The Delicious, Undiluted Word

June 3, 2015 By Peter Krol

Tim Challies draws a comparison between drinking his coffee straight and hearing the Bible taught straight (section-by-section rather than jumping around verse to verse).

Then one day we visited another church in the area and an amazing thing happened: The pastor simply preached a text. He opened the Bible, he told us what it said, and he told us why it mattered. It was a tough text, but he did not water it down or run from it. He felt no need to add to it or adapt it. He just preached it. And it was amazing. Once we had tasted that undiluted Word, we realized how delicious it really was. We were ruined to anything less. We still are.

He’s absolutely right about how delicious the undiluted word is.

But he couldn’t be any more wrong about coffee, though. The foul stuff poisons no matter how one takes it.

Check it out!

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Ask These Questions When Joining a Small Group

June 1, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

Joe Shlabotnik (2008), Creative Commons License

Some choices in life are simple, like the choice between gloves and mittens. (Gloves, obviously.) Other decisions are far more difficult. Chocolate or mint chocolate chip ice cream?¹ And some choices can show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Easy or not, your choice of a small group Bible study is important. You will study the Bible, seek the Lord, and share your life with these people. It’s a big deal!

Some readers of this site may have no decision to make. Perhaps you know of only one small group in your area. Or maybe there aren’t any other Christians nearby who are committed to the Bible. Those of us living in communities with abundant opportunities and resources should remember our lonely or isolated brothers and sisters and pray for their strength and encouragement. Theirs is a difficult providence.

But a good percentage of readers have options: a small group offered by your church, a community fellowship, a parachurch ministry, or an informal troop of friends. Which gathering should you choose? Consider these three questions.

Where can I study the Bible?

Not all that glitters is gold, and not every “Bible study” group gives attention to the Good Book. Instead, some groups discuss a specific topic or read a best-selling Christian author. Such gatherings can be dynamite, but they aren’t what we mean by a Bible study. Simply put, Bible studies should study the Bible.

So, if you are thinking about joining a small group Bible study, here is your first task: determine whether or not they study the Bible. A few specific questions about the group meetings should do the trick.

Where can I serve?

In proposing this second question, I’m assuming you are not the small group leader. (Though we have many resources for Bible study leaders!) I maintain that, in every small group setting, you can both grow and help others grow. There are oodles of ways you can serve others in a small group.

Do you know of a small group with a young or inexperienced leader? Join and look for ways to pile on the encouragement.

Is there a local group in search of a meeting place? Offer to play the role of host/hostess.

How about a group with several new Christians? Step in and help with discipleship and training.

Have you heard of a group that is stagnant? Strengthen the group by attending and recruiting new members.

What about your friend who is sharing the Bible with unbelievers? Attend the group, help field questions, and introduce people to Jesus!

Even if you’re not filling one of these roles, just your participation in a small group can be a great service. As you contribute your Spirit-led observations, interpretations, and applications, God builds up his people. (Look for a longer discussion of this point in a future post.)

Where can I learn?

Serving in a Bible study group and learning in the group are not mutually exclusive. In fact, because the Bible is written by our infinite, perfect God, we can learn whenever we turn our attention to his knowable Word.

A small group offers a unique environment for learning from the Bible. In a small group, you can harness the power of interaction to sharpen one another and see Jesus more clearly. There are ways you can learn in a small group that cannot be replicated in private or in larger gatherings.

Consequently, you should ask about the format of any group you plan to join. Is it dominated by a leader’s lecture or by group discussion? There are times when instruction is helpful, but you lose one of the main benefits of the small group setting if teaching replaces dialogue.

Default to Your Local Church

There is no perfect small group, so please don’t let less-than-ideal answers to these questions keep you in isolation. Seek the Lord, consider the opportunities, and step out in faith.

Here is one final guiding principle. All other things being equal, give preference to the small group(s) offered through your local church. Your elders have responsibility to shepherd God’s people, so your church’s small groups should fit your leaders’ vision for building God’s kingdom. It may be that part of joining your local church involves participating in its small group ministry.

Trick question: the answer is “yes.” ↩

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What to Do When Relationships Blow Up

May 27, 2015 By Peter Krol

Yesterday, The Gospel Coalition published my article about “7 Steps to Conflict Resolution.” In the article, I walk through Philippians 4:2-9 to show that – far from being a random assortment of unrelated memory verses – this section provides concrete steps for navigating excruciating conflict.

Two prominent women—Euodia and Syntyche—had a disagreement so severe and public the entire church knew about it, and word reached the Apostle Paul (Phil 4:2). These women had once been ministry partners, but now they sat on opposite sides of the table. They couldn’t resolve their concerns on their own, so Paul employed a third party—his “true companion”—to lend aid (Phil 4:3).

Far from changing the subject, Paul coached his true companion over the next few verses on the process of mediation and reconciliation, providing steps to resolution.

Paul’s 7 steps are:

Rejoice in the Lord always
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone
Remember the Lord is at hand
Don’t be anxious about the conflict, but ask God to resolve it
Guard your heart and mind with the peace of God, even when it does not make sense to do so
Find something – anything – praiseworthy to focus on in your antagonists
Find good role models and continue practicing these things

Doug Smith also recently preached a sermon on this text examining these principles further.

If you’d like to see my full article, check it out!

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How to Know if You’re a Christian

May 20, 2015 By Peter Krol

Last week, Kevin DeYoung wrote a fabulous post explaining 3 evidences of true faith given to us in the book of 1 John.

Whenever counseling Christians looking for assurance of salvation, I take them to 1 John. This brief epistle is full of help for determining whether we are in the faith or not. In particular, there are three signs in 1 John given to us so we can answer the question “Do I have confidence or condemnation?”

DeYoung’s article models some important principles of good Bible study:

DeYoung shows why it’s important to understand the main point of not only passages but also books. Many people quote verses from 1 John but miss the thrust of John’s argument (“that you may know that you have eternal life” – 1 John 5:13). We ignore this main idea to our peril. We won’t know what to do with John’s extreme statements, such as “you have no need that anyone should teach you” (1 John 2:27) and “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” (1 John 3:9).
DeYoung models the value of a good book overview.
DeYoung masterfully shows how the hard work of getting the main point right enables you to make practical, specific, and penetrating application for people today.

I unpacked these same three tests from 1 John when I wrote about evaluating the success of your Bible study. DeYoung writes more briefly and with more personal application to those struggling with assurance.

Check it out!

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3 Benefits of Small Group Bible Study

May 18, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

Billy MetCalf Photography (2012), Creative Commons License

Give a skilled trumpeter his horn and a solo, and he can pin back your ears or prick your heart. He can draw out emotions you’d locked away or inspire grand thoughts of beauty and grace. There is power and clarity in his notes. Now put that same trumpeter in a jazz band and listen again. As the instruments swell and fall in concert, you’ll hear a richness and depth that a soloist cannot produce on his own. It isn’t that the music is better; both can be profound and beautiful.

Without hours alone in the practice room, the trumpeter misses out on technique, skill, and precision. Without a band, he won’t learn to listen, react, follow, or lead. He needs both settings.

So it is with Bible study. The majority of your Bible study will likely take place in private. This is the necessary foundation for a life of loving God and living faithfully in the world.

But if you study the Bible only by yourself, you’ll miss the concert. Work on your breathing, perfect those scales, and come join the band.

Bless and Be Blessed

Here at Knowable Word, we want to help people learn to study the Bible. In a good small group Bible study, you will mature and you’ll have the chance to help others grow. It’s the best sort of two-for-one.

If you’re not already in a small group Bible study, consider joining one. I can think of at least three reasons.

Small group Bible studies help you study the Bible. We all need as much time with the Bible as possible, and a small group gives you extra exposure every week or so. Within your group you can (hopefully) find good examples of Bible study; this will accelerate your development and strengthen your OIA muscles. A good leader will ask questions that lead your group through the observation–interpretation–application process and help you to advance in each area.
Small group Bible studies remind you that you need other people. God has made us as relational, social beings who thrive in community. Because of our sin, relationships can be difficult, but without other people we shrivel up and dry out. We need contact with others from different ages and life situations to appreciate God’s faithful and diverse working throughout the church. I love listening to older saints recount God’s consistent companionship, encouragement, and correction over the years.
Small group Bible studies remind you that you need other people to study the Bible. I’ve written before that we need community to apply the Bible. But this isn’t just true for application. Fellow Christians also help us observe the important aspects of a Bible passage and interpret correctly. We need others to help us see what is true in the Bible—to sharpen, clarify, and correct what we think.

In the same way that you need others, others also need you. Armed with solid Bible study principles, you can serve as an example or mentor for others in your small group.

Finally, Bible study within a small group has a dynamic you cannot reproduce on your own. As you participate in discussion and share ideas, you take advantage of interaction, one of the distinctives of the setting.

Note: This is the first in a short-ish series of posts on attending small group Bible studies. If you have any related questions, feel free to toss them into the comments on this post. (We’ve already published extensively about leading Bible studies.)

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The Most Popular Bible Verses of 2014

May 13, 2015 By Peter Krol

I know I’m a little late for a year-end round up, but I just came across this fascinating article about the most popular Bible verses of 2014. YouVersion, one of the most popular Bible apps for mobile devices, compiled data from over 164 million users to see which Bible verses were shared most frequently.

They discovered that the most popular verse – measured by the number of bookmarks, highlights, and shares it got – was Romans 12:2. This is good; people want to be transformed by renewing their minds according to God’s will.

Philippians 4:6, 4:7, and 4:8 all made the top 10. I wonder how many of the 164 million users have recognized the train of thought running through Philippians 4:2-9. Later this month, I may have an article on another website on that very topic. Stay tuned.

I find it interesting that the most popular verses of 2014 are almost completely different from the prior year’s list. Either we simply have clearer data with a larger sample size, or people are reading and profiting from different parts of Scripture over time. You decide.

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A Simple Question We Rarely Ask

May 6, 2015 By Peter Krol

Donald Whitney reminds us to ask this most basic question as often as possible: “What does the Bible say?”

Nothing will simplify our lives more than finding the will of God on a matter and doing it. And the best way to discover the will of God is to search the Word of God.

This habit will change everything.

Whitney’s short post is worth considering in full. Check it out!

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Boost Your Bible Study by Memorizing

May 4, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

Quick—what’s $8\times 12$ ? What’s the capital of Honduras? Did you answer without pulling out your phone?

You’ve probably memorized heaps of facts, numbers, and words in your life. Have you spent time memorizing the Bible? It’s an invaluable type of Bible intake, but it can be confusing to those who are new to the Christian faith or unfamiliar with the practice. Why should we memorize when we (in the West) have such easy access to the Bible? Can’t we just look up the passage in our favorite book or app?

Why to Memorize

Russ Allison Loar (2009), Creative Commons License

We memorize Bible passages to help us resist temptation (Ps 119:11; Matt 4:1–11). Bible memorization is one way to let the word of Christ dwell richly within us (Col 3:16). As we commit passages to memory, we equip ourselves to share the Word of God with those who are discouraged, suffering, or outside the faith. Jon Bloom at Desiring God says that memorizing large chunks of Scripture will be one of the best investments of your life.

Bible memorization can also be an aid in Bible study. You need not memorize every passage you plan to study. But when you memorize a chapter or book of the Bible, you head into the mine equipped with extra tools to bring out piles of gold.

Memorizing and Observation

When we begin to study a passage of Scripture, our greatest need is exposure to the text. We need to read it repeatedly both to get a good book overview and to jump-start observation. Nothing beats memorizing when it comes to repeated readings! Most memory systems build their structure on the foundation of regular repetition.

As you internalize the passage, you will naturally observe important features of the text. You’ll see the repeated words and the titles/names of characters. You’ll notice the author’s transitions between sections. You will have a better sense of the mood of the text and you will be able to pick up on the comparisons and contrasts the author employs.

Memorizing will also help you identify structure. Several years ago, I spent some time trying to memorize the book of 1 Peter. I had studied the book before, but it wasn’t until I tried to commit it to memory that I noticed the repeated theme of submission and suffering for the sake of love. I noticed the phrase “in the same way” in 1 Pet 3:1 and 1 Pet 3:7. This meant that the submission and love discussed in chapter 3 was introduced earlier. In chapter 2 I saw the command to submit to God-ordained authority (1 Pet 2:13–14), the call for servants to submit to their masters (1 Pet 2:18), and the example of Jesus submitting and suffering for his people (1 Pet 2:21–25). (This theme also shows up later in the book: see 1 Pet 3:14–18; 4:1–3, 12–19; 5:1, 5, 6, 10.) Perhaps I should have picked up on all of this earlier, but it wasn’t clear to me until I started my memory work.

Memorizing and Correlation

Finally, you will see the benefits of memorization when connecting passages of Scripture. (We call this process correlation.) By memorizing a portion of the Bible, you add it to the quick-access part of your brain. So when you are studying a different passage, your memorized verses stand at the ready to help and fill out meaning. If you’ve already done the hard work of understanding the (memorized) passage in its context, you are ready to connect the ideas between passages.

I commend the practice of Bible memorization to you. Through it, you just may gain insight on a book or passage that you wouldn’t get otherwise.

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Giveaway: Celebrating Knowable Word’s 500th Post

May 1, 2015 By Peter Krol

Knowable Word just had its 500th post, and I’m feeling a bit like the Egyptians giving all their stuff away to the fleeing Hebrew slaves. Except I don’t want you to leave. And I promise not to make you find your own straw. And I’m not hardening my heart against God’s promises to his people. And… Well, okay, it’s not a great analogy. I was just trying to come up with a biblical example of exuberant generosity.

Eric Angelo (2007), Creative Commons

The point is this: To celebrate the 500th post, I would like to give away a free Bible to someone who can use it. You can have your choice of an ESV Reader’s Bible or any one of the markup Bibles Ryan recommended.

In addition, four runners-up will each receive a free e-book of Knowable Word.

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is show us you’ll know how to use your new Bible. To that end, you’ll have to make observations of the text of Job chapter 14. I’m counting on the fact that you’ve never been in a Bible study on Job 14 and that you’ll come to the text without too much familiarity. Perhaps I’m just a sucker, though, and I presume too much, like the Jedi in that prequel episode everyone loves to hate.

Giveaway Rules

Use the form below (or click this link) to enter your observations.
You’ll get one entry in the drawing each time you submit the form, so please limit yourself to one observation per form. You may submit as many entries as you like.
The observations you submit must be on Job chapter 14, but you may use any English translation.
We reserve the right to reject any entry that doesn’t contain a legitimate observation of the passage.
Entries must be submitted by 12 noon (eastern daylight time) on Thursday, May 7, 2015.
Winners will be selected at random from eligible entries. One grand prize winner will choose either an ESV Reader’s Bible or one of our recommended markup Bibles. Four more winners will receive a free Knowable Word e-book (choice of kindle, epub, or pdf format).
To win the grand prize, you must have an eligible mailing address.
If the grand prize winner lives outside the United States, I’ll do my best to get you either the requested Bible or an Amazon gift card to buy your own Bible. If it’s not possible or reasonable to do either, I’ll give you a Knowable Word e-book instead and select another grand prize winner.
The winner agrees to make good use of the new Bible. If I catch you choking one of your debtors, I just might take it back (Matt 18:28).

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