Knowable Word - Bible study help

Easy Money Can’t Deliver on its Promises

January 31, 2025 By Peter Krol

Last week, we saw that easy money promises community and security. Don’t fall for it.

My son, do not walk in the way with them;
Hold back your foot from their paths,
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
For in vain is a net spread
In the sight of any bird,
But these men lie in wait for their own blood;
They set an ambush for their own lives. (Prov 1:15-18)

abandoned pink piano in a derelict building — Photo by Mike Norris on Pexels.com

Security

Where is the promised security? “But these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.” All the promises of an easier life with fewer worries are simply lies. If we murder an old lady for her credit cards, we’re likely to be imprisoned or executed. The authorities are not very forgiving with tax evaders. Buying more stuff puts us in more debt, which costs us more in the long run.

Even winning the lottery can be more trouble than it’s worth. For example, consider Canadian Gerald Muswagon who won $10 million in the lottery, spent it all in seven years, and then hanged himself in 2005. Or William “Bud” Post, who in 1988 pawned a ring to buy some lottery tickets, won $16.2 million, racked up $500,000 in debt within three months, and had to declare bankruptcy. He ended up with numerous homes full of unused junk and declared, “I was much happier when I was broke” (Source: Maclean’s Magazine).

Please note that Proverbs is not condemning all wealth. The warning is against the unjust acquisition of wealth (what I’m calling “easy money”), which happens whenever we trample on others to gain it. Proverbs expects that wise people will gain wealth: “Honor the Lord…[and] your barns will be filled with plenty” (Pro 3:9-10). However, the methods for acquiring wealth make all the difference:

Diligence in gainful employment: “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty” (Prov 28:19).
Inheritance from wise forebears: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous” (Prov 13:22).
Patient endurance over time: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it” (Prov 13:11).

In addition, the motivation for gaining wealth ought to be to serve others and not ourselves. God provides money and possessions to those who will share it with others: “Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor” (Prov 28:8).

From Prov 13:22 and Prov 28:8, quoted above, we see that you can’t keep your wealth; either you plan to give it away, or you have it taken from you. Is that your perspective on money? The critical point is that the wise person never finds his security in his wealth, but rather in the Lord. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination” (18:10-11).

Community

Not only does easy money fail to keep its promise of security; it also can’t deliver on community.

One hint of this failure to provide community comes in Prov 1:15: “My son, do not walk in the way with them.” When I trample on others to gain wealth, they’ll eventually withdraw to avoid my folly.

People will catch on to my selfishness and run away: “for in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird” (Prov 1:17). If I come to you with a proposition for easy money, and you have the wisdom to see through the empty promises, you will fly like a sparrow. I can lay the net out to catch you, but—unless you are blind to reality—I’ll never gain your confidence.

That last fact gets at the heart of the matter. How often am I willfully blind to reality? I hear the promises of easy money, and I want to believe them! Gaining wealth, by hard work over a long time, in order to serve others, doesn’t sound like much fun. It sure doesn’t give me much hope that my stress will go away. So I spend more money, get nicer things, go further into debt, and leave it to my next of kin to pick up the pieces. This plan of action does not build community with those I love the most!

Now, not only does easy money fail to deliver on its promises; it also is highly self-destructive (Prov 1:19). More on that next week.

This post was first published in 2012.

Share or follow:

Piper’s Advice on Commentaries

January 29, 2025 By Peter Krol

We don’t want you to become commentary junkies. And neither does John Piper. While there are certainly people out there in danger of arrogant isolation, refusing to consider the opinions of others recorded in Bible commentaries, Piper’s world is a bit different:

Now, in the world I live in — where I function at Bethlehem College and Seminary and Bethlehem Baptist Church and Desiring God — and the circles I go in, there aren’t many people who are falling off the horse on the first side, who say, “I never read commentaries. I never read books about the Bible. I just read my Bible, I pray, and that’s all I need.” I don’t know anybody like that in my sphere. That’s not the world I live in. I’m sure they exist; I just don’t have anything to do with them.

In my sphere, the error is almost always on the other side, the other direction. And therefore, I have devoted most of my life to encouraging people not to be dependent on commentaries and books about the Bible but to give assiduous attention to the biblical text directly — for themselves. When it comes to church leadership, I see more danger in becoming an inauthentic second-hander than in spending too much time assiduously thinking for yourself about what the Bible text is teaching.

My experience within my own circles has been similar to Piper’s. Which is why we want to help you learn how to study the Bible for yourself. By all means, don’t avoid commentaries altogether. The question is not whether but when.

And Piper can help you think that through further.

Check it out!

Share or follow:

Your Secret Weapon in Bible Study

January 27, 2025 By Ryan Higginbottom

Aaron Burden (2016), public domain

It’s still early in January, so many Christians are working hard on their Bible-related goals for 2025. Some may even be participating in our 90-day Bible reading challenge.

Some others may have recommitted to studying the Bible this year. If this describes you, you’ve come to the right place! This blog exists to help ordinary people learn how to study the Bible.

But there is a Bible study tool that many people neglect. This device is both accessible and inexpensive. It is a key ingredient in your spiritual growth. This secret weapon for studying the Bible is …

A simple pen.

The Difference Between Reading and Studying the Bible

The contrasts between reading and studying the Bible might be obvious. They typically take place at different speeds and with different levels of attention. We can summarize these distinctions as differences in engagement.

When we study the Bible, we must engage deeply with the text.

Instead of continuous reading, one verse to the next, we pause. We re-read. We live in the words of the Bible, walking among the divine sentences like massive trees in a forest. We consider their meaning, their order, their connections. We ponder the author’s main point and prayerfully consider what it means for us.

So, how does this participation happen physically? What should we do with our bodies to help our hearts and minds engage with the Bible?

The best way I know to engage with the Scriptures is through writing. Writing triggers our thinking in surprising and powerful ways. You might do this on a phone or computer, but I’ve found that using pen on paper is the most effective way to push my nose into God’s word.

There are many ways to use this secret weapon to your advantage, but here are three to get you started.

Take notes — Grab a Bible, a pen, and some paper. It doesn’t get any easier. Write out your observations, your questions, and your conclusions; think and process what you’re reading on the paper. (If you’re new to Bible study, take a look at some of the steps we recommend.) There’s no need to be picky or fussy—any pen or pencil with any notebook, journal, or loose paper will work. We also offer free printable worksheets if you prefer a more structured writing environment.
Use a markup Bible — Instead of keeping your notes separate from your Bible, make your notes in your Bible. Consider dedicating one Bible as your markup Bible, your space for thinking, underlining, highlighting, connecting, and recording your thoughts on the Biblical text.
Copy the text — Writing out the words of the Bible is a powerful, tangible way to meditate on the Scriptures. Grab a notebook or a blank piece of paper and slowly copy the passage you’re studying. This is a great way to start observing the text, and it can help with memorization too.

Engage With God’s Word

There’s nothing special about a pen, of course. But we grow in our relationship with God as we engage with the words of God. And using a pen—writing in any form, really—can help us immerse ourselves in the Bible.

And that is a great goal for 2025.

This post has been lightly edited since it was first published in 2018.

Share or follow:

Easy Money Makes Promises

January 24, 2025 By Peter Krol

Why is it the case that pursuing a quick buck, as the cost of serving others, will always keep us from being wise and ought to be rejected?

If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
Let us ambush the innocent without reason;
Like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
And whole, like those who go down to the pit;
We shall find all precious goods,
We shall fill our houses with plunder;
Throw in your lot among us;
We will all have one purse’ (Prov 1:11-14).

These verses are morbidly comical. When was the last time you ever had a total stranger approach you on the street and ask, “Hey, whadd’ya say we go find a defenseless old lady, beat her to death, and take her credit cards? We can share them; I promise.” It just doesn’t happen like that, and Solomon knows it. It’s not like the ancients were so much dumber than we are that they’d fall for such a thing.

man wearing sunglasses and leather jacket at the party — Photo by Wolrider YURTSEVEN on Pexels.com

Rather, Solomon is taking what is usually implicit, and he’s making it explicit by telling a story. He’s bringing to light what is really going on every time we give in to our desire for more stuff. We’re not innocent victims (Prov 1:10 implies that we consent to it), and we’re not making life any easier for ourselves. Instead, we love ourselves and ignore reality. We believe the world’s promises.

The first promise is that easy money will give me community. “Come with us… Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse.” Easy money promises me that I can be just like everyone else. I won’t be left behind, and I can’t be the butt of people’s jokes. I won’t be one of those weirdoes who is out of touch with his own generation. I will be normal, acceptable, informed, and relevant. I might even be envied and pursued by others who are normal, acceptable, informed, and relevant. I will have the community I’ve always longed for.

The second promise is that easy money will give me security. “We shall find all precious goods; we shall fill our houses with plunder.” Once I get all the precious stuff that normal people are supposed to have, my life will be easier. Communication will be easier. Managing my life will be easier. I’ll finally be able to relax on that ideal vacation. My clothes will be more comfortable, my work will be more productive, and my stress level will drop drastically. I can pay for the car, the house, college tuition, and weddings. I’ll be set up for retirement. Problems will disappear, and nothing will shake me. I will have security.

In the poem’s next stanza, we’ll see that easy money can’t keep such promises.

This post was first published in 2012.

Share or follow:

The Real Reasons Most Don’t Read the Bible

January 22, 2025 By Peter Krol

This thought-provoking piece by Ava Ligh warrants considerable reflection. In addressing the question “Why don’t we read the Bible more?” Ligh suggests that the most commonly-given answer — that we don’t have time — is not the real answer. (My co-blogger Ryan would agree.)

Instead, Ligh suggests that:

The real reasons we don’t read the Bible go unexamined because we consider them unacceptable. The Bible feels boring and like a waste of time. I’ve had this confirmed by the college students to whom I minister. It’s boring for those who have grown up in Sunday School and feel they already know all the stories and key verses and that there’s nothing new to learn. It feels like a waste of time for those who find the Bible difficult to understand.

Note: that doesn’t mean the Bible is a boring book but that we are bored readers. There is a difference. (Again, I suspect Ryan would agree.)

For that reason, Ligh explains three common misunderstandings of the Bible that tend to produce bored Bible readers.

The Bible is to be applied.
The Bible is a collection of isolated teachings.
The Bible should be instantly understandable.

Ligh corrects each misunderstanding with a thoughtful and cogent alternative that ought to spur us on to greater delight in this Book of books.

Check it out!

Share or follow:

Reject Easy Money

January 17, 2025 By Peter Krol

Financial impropriety will ruin your influence. Therefore, Solomon commands us straight-out to reject the enticement to easy money.

“My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent” (Prov 1:10)

It’s not all that complicated. “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” Just say no. Turn away from evil. Don’t even consider it.

Sinners entice us, and they entice us constantly. They entice us from within, and they entice us from without. In other words, sometimes the enticement comes from “out there” (peer pressure, advertisements, and cultural expectations), and sometimes it comes from “in here” (our own sinful nature that says “I want”). We can’t avoid the enticement. We can’t prevent it. Sweet promises of monetary delights are all around us. All we can do is either accept or reject it, so Solomon cuts through the deception and excuses with a simple command: “Do not consent.”

close up photography two brown cards — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Sometimes the enticement comes in the form of another credit card application. Sometimes it happens when a neighbor gets a new vehicle, and you want one, too. At other times, you look at the bills piling up, or at the out-of-date sound system, and you wish for something more. Perhaps you slack off on your job search because the unemployment compensation is both sufficient and convenient. Maybe you spend too much time at work, to the neglect of your family or spiritual development. Or, you‘d like to give money to your church, but so many other things just keep coming up. Whatever shape the enticement takes, do you consent to it? Are you a willing participant?

You might wonder why I’m focusing on money and possessions, when it’s obvious that there are all kinds of enticements to sin in our fallen world. Why not focus on alcoholism, cheating, illicit sex, or violence? The reason is that Solomon clearly explains what sort of enticement he is referring to when he concludes the current section in Prov 1:19: “Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain.” He is concerned with the unjust acquisition of wealth. In other words, the pursuit of a quick buck, at the cost of serving others, will always keep us from being wise.

This post was first published in 2012.

Share or follow:

The Psalms are Worth Enjoying

January 15, 2025 By Peter Krol

The Psalms are some of the most engaging and beautiful poems in the history of literature. In his piece, “How to Enjoy the Psalms Even More,” Jacques Nel gives five suggestions to help you delight in these songs of Zion.

Savor the imagery.
Pay attention to the arrangement of the book.
Look for structure.
Contemplate parallelism.
Sing the Psalms.

These are some great idea worth considering. Check it out!

Share or follow:

Big Bible Words: Righteousness

January 13, 2025 By Ryan Higginbottom

Silvia & Frank (2017), public domain

Righteousness is among the most important words in the Bible. It’s essential for understanding who God is, who he loves, and how we pursue and obey him.

“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:11)
“The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.” (Psalm 146:8)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

A Simple Definition

We can understand righteousness by way of contrast. The Scriptures consistently use “righteous” and “wicked” as opposites.

“…for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:6)
“Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)
“The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.” (Proverbs 3:33)
“The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.” (Proverbs 10:30)

The word righteousness contains the word “right,” and that’s no accident. The ideas of right-ness and justice are wrapped up in this big word.

Justice always has a standard in mind. Right—according to whom? Just—by what definition? The concept of justice immediately invokes a law.

So to be righteous is to be conformed to all the demands of the law. To have righteousness is to have right standing with respect to the law.

God is righteous because he meets his own standards. He is the chief example of fulfilling the demands of the law. And those who want to be blessed by God must also be righteous.

Righteousness From Another

The Bible often speaks of righteousness from another. A law-breaker receives righteousness from a law-keeper.

“And [Abram] believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness…” (Romans 4:3–5)
“For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” (Phil 3:8–9)

As we explore the meaning of righteousness, we dive to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ! God gives the righteousness he requires. He makes many righteous. Through faith, the righteousness of Jesus is given to God’s people.

For the Kids

Because the Bible is for all of God’s people, we should be able to explain every concept to the youngest in our churches and families. How should we explain righteousness?

Since children understand obedience and disobedience from their earliest years, I take this approach. Righteousness is when someone loves and obeys perfectly.

When we read the Bible with our children and talk about righteousness, the doors are open wide to talk about sin, substitution, and salvation.

(Note: I’m aware that many books have been written trying to define “righteousness” in the Bible. Meaning always depends on context, and I’m not trying to be comprehensive. I hope this brief post can serve as a starting point.)

This was originally published in 2017.

Share or follow:

Easy Money Will Keep You from Being Wise

January 10, 2025 By Peter Krol

In season one of the TV show 24, federal agent Jack Bauer suspects his supervisor George Mason to be withholding vital information from a criminal investigation. So Bauer shoots him with a tranquilizer gun. While Mason lies unconscious on the couch, Bauer sets his cronies to dig up anything that will give Bauer bargaining leverage with Mason. They discover that just a few years earlier, a substantial sum of money disappeared from government coffers and landed in an offshore account owned by none other than Supervisor Mason. Bauer gets his bargaining chip, and when Mason regains consciousness Bauer is able to extort the required information by revealing his newfound knowledge of Mason’s dark secret.

Even if you haven’t seen 24, you’ve probably heard the same story line played out a zillion times in television dramas, political campaigns, and news headlines. Money issues are often at the center when someone’s character is defamed by scandal. It could be theft, tax evasion, questionable accounting practices, or simply poor management. But whatever the specific instance, it is clear that a failure to handle money with integrity has the potential to disqualify a person from receiving our trust.

This fact was no less true in ancient Israel than it is today. As we’ll see in the next few Proverbs posts, Solomon warns his people of the dangers of money issues. First, he commands the one seeking wisdom to reject the enticement to easy money (Prov 1:10). Then he explains why: easy money makes promises (Prov 1:11-14), but it can’t keep them (Prov 1:15-18) and is ultimately self-destructive (Prov 1:19).

man in black t shirt sitting on chair — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

This post was first published in 2012.

Share or follow:

Why Mark Ends So Abruptly

January 8, 2025 By Peter Krol

Douglas Sean O’Donnell asks why Mark’s gospel ends without mention of Jesus’ resurrection. The “longer ending” of Mark appears to be a later addition, not original to Mark’s text. O’Donnell has a few theories: