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Logos Bible Software: The Subscription Model Seems to be Working

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About a year ago, I reviewed some major changes undergone by Logos Bible Software in switching to a subscription model. The biggest complaints against Logos over the years have been 1) affordability and 2) the huge learning curve required. It appears that the subscription model is truly working to address that first issue. And the second issue is largely addressed by the huge library of tutorials and training videos accessible not only on the web but also through the software.

As a reminder: You can select which tier of access you want to the software, including the size of resource library you want access to. And the truth is that only full-time Bible scholars really need the highest tier. A bottom- or middle-tier plan is more than sufficient for the average Bible student.

Why I still love Logos

For years, I have used Logos every day. So it was a no-brainer for me to agree to write an honest review for you in exchange for another year’s complimentary subscription. Now in no particular order, here are the reasons why I love Logos:

  • Access to the Scriptures on laptop, tablet, and phone.
  • I can pull up a quick search or library resource on the fly to help during a conversation or discipleship time with someone.
  • I click on a word to automatically all instances where that word is repeated in the text.
  • The Sermon Builder is a wonderful word processor designed from the ground up with preaching and preachers in mind.
  • I preach and teach from the Logos app on my iPad.
  • I read church history and theology in Logos like an ebook reading app.
  • I regularly watch videos from courses in Logos mobile ed.
  • I mark up my text in a certain way, which Logos saves. I can turn those highlights on when I want to revisit my work, and I can turn them off when I want a clean text.
  • I make use of a lectionary and a prayer book in Logos for personal devotions.
  • The Sermon Manager enables me to maintain a database of everything I’ve ever taught, when and where I’ve taught it, and how many times (and in what scenarios) I’ve taught the same text.
  • I can check many English translations of the text I’m studying in a few instants.
  • I can search my entire digital library and my entire print library for anything. Topic? Text? Quotation? You name it. Logos will find it, and even give me the exact page number for a print resource sitting on my shelf so I can get to the right spot instantly.

What I don’t love about Logos

I’m frankly concerned with the extent to which Logos has incorporated AI into the software, without granting users a setting to opt out of it. As with most other software on the market, AI is being pushed on us whether we want it or not.

Some of the AI features are wonderful, such as Smart Search. To perform a robust search in Logos, I used to have to spend lots of time looking up the proper search syntax for what I was seeking. But AI now enables me to search for anything in plain language, and the search results come clearly footnoted with sources in my library, so I can click on any source to verify the AI is not hallucinating on me.

However, the AI incorporation into the Sermon Builder is nothing short of troubling. So far, I have been repulsed by handing my work in teaching and preaching over to AI, but it is only becoming easier for students and teachers of the Bible to do so, with few safeguards. It’s packaged in Logos as mere suggestions for outlines, discussion questions, or illustrations. But the amount of work Logos will allow you to delegate to AI.

With a few keystrokes, you can submit a Scripture text, audience demographic, and general theme you want to cover. Logos AI will then spit out a full sermon outline, with summaries of sections, suggested applications, teaching objectives, and a main point. All you’ve got to do is take that with you into a small group or class, and you don’t have to do much thinking on the text for yourself!

This is not good for humanity, especially for the church of Jesus Christ, and we need heartier speed bumps for such dangerous tech.

Conclusion

I don’t refuse to ever use AI in my life. It just requires self-discipline and thick boundaries. But if you want to give Logos a try, feel free to shop plans here and give it a try for free for 60 days. If you buy a subscription after clicking this link, our blog will receive a small commission, which enables us to cover the fees associated with maintaining the blog. Thank you!

How the OT Presumes Resurrection

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Bruce Henning asks a fascinating question: When defending the doctrine of resurrection against the Sadducees from the Old Testament, why does Jesus appeal to Exodus 3:6: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?

He casts doubt on common answers, such as the assertion that the Sadducees recognized only the books of Moses as authoritative. Then he offers an alternative from the Old Testament’s more basic logic of resurrection.

The covenant wasn’t about a bodiless existence in heaven but a physical one, living in the tangible land. And this land prophetically anticipates the entire world (Rom. 4:13). Since God promised the land personally to Abraham and he hasn’t received it, Jesus expects his audience to conclude he must be raised from the dead and receive his inheritance (see also Heb. 11:19).

If Henning is on to something, it’s worth considering how much of God’s old covenant promises similarly presume the fact of bodily resurrection.

Check it out!

How Exodus Confronts our Generation

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Crossway recently posted an excellent overview of the book of Exodus by Mark Dever, where Dever identifies three major themes that are directly counter-cultural in our generation:

  1. God works sovereignly
  2. God works sovereignly to save a special people
  3. God works sovereignly to save a special people for his own glory

How are such ideas counter-cultural? Here is one example:

In fact, Exodus directly challenges the idea that God does everything for humanity’s sake. Humans are not the ultimate purpose of creation. God’s own glory is!

Check it out!

How to Find Answers in Your Bible Without Leaving the Page

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This is a guest post by John Davison, the founder of Christian Wake-Up Call, a ministry dedicated to helping Christians develop biblical discernment. Having studied Scripture across multiple denominational contexts, he’s experienced how different interpretive approaches can lead to different conclusions about the same biblical texts. His systematic approach to Bible study emphasizes letting Scripture provide its own interpretive framework. You can read more about his commitment to biblical authority at Christian Wake-Up Call, where he explores why Scripture alone must serve as our ultimate authority for understanding God’s truth.

If you’d like to write a guest post for Knowable Word, please see the guidelines page.

I used to panic when I hit a confusing Bible verse. My instinct was to immediately grab a commentary or search online for explanations. But I discovered something liberating: most of the time, the Bible passage itself contains the clues I need to understand it.

back view of woman looking at the bulletin board
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The Bible was Written to Be Understood

Here’s an encouraging truth: biblical authors wrote to communicate, not to confuse. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians or when Luke recorded Jesus’ parables, they intended their original readers to understand their message. This means the clarity we need is often right there in the text itself.

The key is learning to slow down and look more carefully at what’s already on the page.

Start with What You Can See

When you encounter a difficult passage, resist the urge to immediately jump elsewhere. Instead, ask yourself: “What can I observe right here in this text?”

Look for the author’s own explanations. Biblical writers often define their terms or clarify their meaning within the same passage. For example, when Paul uses the word “flesh” in Romans 8, he explains what he means by contrasting it with “spirit” in the surrounding verses.

Notice repeated words and phrases. If an author uses the same word multiple times in a passage, that repetition is usually significant. The repeated word often carries the main theme or emphasizes what the author wants you to catch.

Pay attention to connecting words. Words like “therefore,” “because,” “but,” and “however” show you how the author’s thoughts flow together. These little words often unlock the logic of the entire passage.

Let the Immediate Context Guide You

The verses right before and after your difficult passage are your best friends. They provide the natural flow of thought that helps explain confusing statements.

When Jesus says something that seems puzzling, look at what prompted him to speak and how his listeners responded. When Paul makes a theological statement that’s hard to grasp, check if he provides examples or applications in the surrounding verses.

I remember struggling with Ephesians 2:8-9 about salvation by grace through faith, wondering exactly what “this” referred to in “this is not of yourselves.” Instead of immediately consulting a commentary, I read the entire paragraph. The flow of Paul’s argument in verses 1-10 made his meaning much clearer.

Ask Questions the Text Can Answer

Train yourself to ask questions that the passage itself might answer:

  • Who is speaking, and who is the audience?
  • What situation prompted these words?
  • How does this statement connect to what came before?
  • Does the author provide any examples or illustrations?
  • What is the main point the author seems to be making?

Often, reading just a few more verses will answer these questions without requiring any outside resources.

Use Your Bible’s Built-In Helps

Most Bibles include helpful features that keep you focused on the text itself:

Chapter and paragraph divisions might show you natural thought units. When you’re confused about a verse, read the entire paragraph it belongs to.

The author’s own cross-references matter most. When Paul says “as I wrote before” or when Jesus refers back to Old Testament passages, those internal connections are significant.

Headings in study Bibles can help you see the broader flow of thought, though remember these are added by editors, not the original authors.

The Joy of Discovery

When you learn to find answers within the text itself, Bible study becomes much more satisfying. Instead of fostering dependence on experts, you develop confidence that God’s Word is accessible to you as an ordinary reader.

Start small. Pick a familiar passage that has always puzzled you slightly, and spend 10 minutes just observing what’s actually written on the page. You might be surprised by what you discover when you slow down and look carefully at what God has already provided in His Word.

The Bible was written for ordinary people like us. With careful observation and a little patience, we can often find the answers we’re looking for right there in the text itself.

Take the Obvious Step

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steps

Mahkeo (2017), public domain

If you need refreshment or encouragement, schedule some time with a new Christian. The recently-reborn often have a clarity and passion lacking in those who are older in the faith.

A friend was recently telling me about a new Christian he knows. I was thrilled to hear the steps this young man was taking! He heard biblical teaching on stewardship and finances, and he asked for helping making a budget. He was convicted about church membership, so he looked for a local body to join. He read the Great Commission and began inviting his unbelieving friends to an evangelistic Bible study.

For this young man, there is great power in recognizing and submitting to Jesus as Lord. When the master’s commands are clear, there is no room to argue.

How We Mangle Application

As we study the Bible, we often come up short when it comes to application. This is both understandable and regrettable.

Our flesh is fiercely resistant to the Spirit, so it is natural to omit application. It’s the hardest step in the Bible study process precisely because it is the most personal. Application requires repentance and faith and change, all of which are hard.

But stopping short of application is also a great tragedy. In fact, many unbelievers would be comfortable observing and interpreting the Bible. We show and pursue the fruit of the Holy Spirit when we apply God’s truth personally and corporately.

Even those familiar with solid Bible study principles may wriggle out of applying God’s word. Seasoned Christians, tired of “read more, pray more” mantras, may dig and brainstorm instead. They end up distracted by a countryside hunt when the treasure was sitting on their doorstep.

Different Kinds of Application

In an effort to seem original or deep, our chase for applications can dodge the undeniable thrust of a passage of Scripture. We approach the gold mine with a shovel and end up buried under a pile of nuance.

It’s worth re-orienting ourselves. Peter has urged us to consider two directions (inward and outward) as well as three spheres of application (head, hands, and heart). Though this makes six total combinations (our worksheet can help), not every passage will land on every person or group in all six ways.

However, dividing possible applications into these categories may lead you away from actually applying the main point of a passage. Resist this temptation! Sometimes the next steps are obvious, and instead of spending time checking boxes, we should direct our prayer and planning toward the clear application.

There may be something obvious we should believe (head application).

There may be something obvious we should embrace or love (heart application).

There may be something obvious we should do (hands application).

A Recent Example

My small group is studying Luke, and at a recent meeting we read Luke 14:1–24. In part of this passage (verses 7–11), Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast. Jesus insists that his followers should not assume a place of honor but rather the “lowest place.” This way, if anyone is in the wrong chair, the public re-seating would be honoring instead of shameful. Jesus ends the parable with his main point: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

In our meeting, we talked about humbling ourselves. How can we remember our standing before God on a regular basis?

In the moment, I thought of an obvious application: confessing my sins. In remembering my sins and taking them to God, seeking and receiving his forgiveness because of Jesus’ work, I have a plain application of this passage. I have been trying to work this into my regular devotional life.

Find the Next Step

Not all passages have obvious applications, but some do. If you have been following Christ for many years, you may instinctively resist what seems easy and obvious. However, these applications are abundant in Scripture for a reason: We need to hear them. Often.

And, as always, remember Jesus as you apply his word. Walk toward that application in the Spirit’s power and with the understanding that—as a Christian—you are already loved and forgiven.

This was originally posted in 2019.

3 Essential Ingredients for Understanding the Bible

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bread dough

Nadya Spetnitskaya (2018), public domain

It’s not popular these days. So many people are counting carbs and dodging gluten. But it’s true: I love bread.

Bread is one of God’s great gifts—a gift so great that even someone with my paltry cooking skills can throw together a passable loaf.

While there are thousands of variations, the core bread recipe is remarkably simple: flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it.

Experts can punch up the flavor with add-ins and fancy baking techniques, but those four ingredients are essential. Without them, you might whip up something delicious, but you don’t have bread.

It’s the same way with understanding the Bible. There are a few essential elements that must be present if we’re to learn from God’s word.

The Bible

This may be obvious, but it must be said. In order to understand the Bible, we need to actually read the Bible!

We don’t need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars. God has been generous in providing plenty of quality English translations. And for most of us, these translations are easy to access.

But we do need the actual words of the Bible. Not study notes or a friendly devotional or a commentary. Not at first. We need time to read, hear, and meditate on the words of God.

The Bible is meant for Christians to read and understand. God is not trying to hide its meaning from you. You are smart enough to read and study the Bible.

Humility

If we aim to understand the Bible, we must approach it with humility.

What is true in our personal relationships is also true in our approach to the Scriptures—in order to learn, we must be convinced that we have things to learn! When we draw near to the Bible, we are submitting to an authority. We approach the bench in handcuffs, we do not bang the gavel. The posture of the Christian disciple must be one of open hands, bowed head, well-worn knees.

As we meet with God in his word, we acknowledge that we are naive and foolish. Ignorant and forgetful. Frail. Incomplete in our understanding.

But God is wise. He is experienced. All-knowing. Never forgetting. Strong. On top of all that, he loves to communicate about himself and his world through his word.

When we call the Bible “God’s word,” this is not just a synonym. This is a reassuring, bulls eye-accurate description. We must come humbly to the Bible because the God of the universe stands behind these words.

The Holy Spirit

Finally, we need help to understand the Bible. This is help that God loves to give, but we cannot understand the Bible on our own.

God helps us grasp the Bible by coming to us himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit’s work and power to give us both insight and the gift of repentance.

The Holy Spirit is described as our helper and teacher (John 14:26). Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of God “that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12), and that, because of the Spirit, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Pray and ask for his help as you read the Bible.

Closing

There is more to say about studying the Bible, of course. This website is devoted to saying more about studying the Bible! But this article is about the essentials.

Remember this the next time you seek out God in the Scriptures. Read the Bible. Approach with humility. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. And God will give you hearty, nourishing, sustaining food that will bring deep satisfaction to your soul.

This was originally published in 2019.

How Old and New Testaments View the First and Second Comings of Christ

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Tommy Keene summarizes the differences between how Old and New Testament authors viewed the first and second comings of Christ.

The idea that the Messiah Jesus would come twice was a surprise to his disciples. The Old Testament is clear that a Messiah would come, and it is also clear what the Messiah would do when he did. God’s servant-king would have mercy on the repentant (Mic. 7:18-20), save the oppressed, poor, and persecuted (Ps. 146:7-8), heal the sick (Isa. 35:5-6), preach and teach the righteous way (Dtr. 18:15-19), make atonement for his people (Isa. 53:4-6), and bring justice to the world (Isa. 11:1-5)—in sum, he would establish a perfect version of God’s kingdom, which would bring blessing to God’s people and against all His enemies (Ps. 2). When the Old Testament discusses theses things, it often looks like it happens all at once, but in fact a complete fulfillment would require two visits.

Check it out!

Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time

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bible glasses

Lilian Dibbern (2018), public domain

We’re good at learning our surroundings, aren’t we? After living in one place for many years, we know every last detail. We know which noises are normal and which drips and knocks require a phone call. We know the cold spots of each room, the number of stairs between floors, and which floorboards squeak the loudest. If necessary, we could find our bed in the deepest darkness, because we know our place. It’s home.

For some people, this familiarity is comforting. They like the warmth and security that comes from knowing a place inside and out. But for others, the comfort makes them uneasy. It seems boring and dry, like a mouth full of uncooked oats. They start to look for something new.

Some might think of the Bible as predictable and stuffy, especially those who have been reading it for years. They know every beat of every story. There are no more surprises; the excitement is gone.

By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers.

Five Ways to Fight Bible Weariness

There are many ways to guard against the boredom that can come with age and familiarity. Here are five of the best.

Remember why you’re reading. The Bible is not boring because it has a grand, explosive, eternal purpose. We read the Bible in order to know the God of the universe! We wouldn’t know him, or know how to approach him, if he didn’t tell us. And because God is infinite, we cannot exhaust our understanding of him. So, while you might know all the stories in the Bible, you can always know and worship the God behind those stories better. And here’s a glorious follow-up: This is exactly what God wants!

Adjust your routine. There are lots of different ways to take in the Bible. If you’ve been reading a lot, try listening. Read through the Bible as quickly as you can. Or take six months, read one book as many times as possible, and let it sink into your bones. Study the Bible, memorize it, sing it. A different translation or a different physical Bible might offer the fresh perspective you need.

Teach the Bible. Most Bible teachers will tell you they learn far more during their teaching than any of their students. Most churches and ministries often need Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and volunteers at the local nursing home. Don’t shy away from children’s ministries either—you really have to know and believe the Bible to explain it to kids! If your Bible intake is not just for yourself, you may find it more challenging, comforting, and life-giving.

Apply the Bible. Though the Bible’s text and truths don’t change, we do. This means that the same accurate interpretation of a passage at age 25 has massively different implications when we’re 55. Application is the most difficult step of Bible study, so we often skip it, but application is precisely where we are forced to trust in God. Our faith grows the most when we take steps of obedience and witness God supporting our feet. To fight disinterest in the Bible, push your Bible study from observation and interpretation all the way to application.

Share the gospel. It’s tempting to think the Bible is dusty and anemic when we never witness the power of God through its words. In addition to applying the Bible to ourselves, we can see this power as we tell others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit most often uses the words of the Bible to awaken the dead and grant faith in Christ, and we can be a part of this! If you want to see just how powerful the Bible is, pray for opportunities to talk to others about Jesus, and then rejoice and obey when those opportunities arise. (God loves to answer this prayer!)

Ask and You Shall Receive

When we feel fatigue with the Bible, the problem is not with the book. The problem is with us.

But remember—God is a compassionate father who loves his children. At the bottom of every strategy given above is this encouragement: Talk honestly with God about your struggles. Confess your sin, your apathy, your lack of love. Ask him to be merciful, to change you from the inside out.

Don’t let your boredom with the Bible lead you away from God. Take it to him; he already knows and is eager and able to help.

This post was originally published in 2018.

Another Take on the Definition of “Vanity” in Ecclesiastes

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Ecclesiastes is a very difficult book to understand, yet it rewards great effort and careful thought. One of the major challenges, however, is to grasp even a bare definition of the book’s most important word. The main versions translate the word as vanity, futility, or meaninglessness. All of these options have real downsides.

From my analysis of the text’s own use of the word in chapter 1, I arrived at the following definition: “Unsatisfying, endless repetition of old things that nobody will remember; nothing you do will last, and at the end you die. And you can’t fix it.” The biggest problem with that definition is that it would never work as a translation. You can’t insert two sentences (with one of them being a run-on) into the text every time the word appears.

So I’ve appreciated Kevin Carson’s approach, to define the word as frustratingly enigmatic. If you want just one word for it, take your pick: Frustrating? Enigmatic?

Now here comes Bobby Jamieson with another fabulous option:

The fact that life’s goods are all fleeting is certainly part of their problem. But to say that hevel means “fleeting” doesn’t go far enough. It doesn’t fully capture Qohelet’s basic beef with life under the sun.

What does? “Absurd.”

This word names the disconnect between what we want and what the world gives, between what we deserve and what the world returns, between what we cry out for and the world’s indifferent silence.

Remember, the Bible’s original languages are not like a technical code to crack. So it’s not the case that there’s only one “right” way to translate this Hebrew word in Ecclesiastes. There are a number of options that could work well in English that do better justice to the book’s argument than “vanity” or “meaninglessness.”

So I encourage you to read Jamieson’s article to find out why “absurd” might be another simple way to capture the idea that took me two sentences to define.

Check it out!

Three Important Contexts for Bible Study

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newspaper

Jay Clark (2018), public domain

We use the word “context” a lot on this blog. However, we don’t always use the word in the same way.

There are at least three different contexts that are important when studying the Bible: the historical context, the literary context, and the personal context. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Historical Context

Each book of the Bible was written at a specific time, and that historical background is important. At minimum, we should recognize who wrote the book and what was happening in that part of the world at the time.

One of the main themes of the Bible is how God calls and saves his people and how they extend his kingly rule over the earth. Therefore, it is crucial to understand who is in power and the condition of God’s people.

The question of power is relevant both for God’s people and those nearby. When reading the Old Testament, we should learn about the leaders of Israel and the surrounding nations. How the king in Israel came to power and whether he was faithful to God will explain much about the mood of a passage and any warnings or commands contained therein.

God’s people have gone through long stretches of faithfulness and rebellion, punctuated by prophetic announcements. As we read the Old Testament, we need to discern whether Israel is turning toward or away from God at the time.

(The questions of power and faithfulness apply when reading the New Testament as well, but the span of time and the number of other nations involved are much larger in the Old Testament.)

The best place to find a short historical introduction to each book of the Bible is a good Study Bible. For more detailed information, a commentary is the place to turn.

Literary Context

The context to which we refer most frequently on this blog is the literary context of the passage in question. This is certainly true for our ongoing Context Matters series. In these posts we examine well-known verses or phrases from the Bible and show how they might mean something deeper or different that what we assume.

Literary context matters because the Bible is not a loose collection of inspirational stories or aphorisms. The biblical authors wrote works of literature, so where an author places a passage was a deliberate choice, and the meaning of that passage is framed by what comes before and after.

The immediate context refers to the sections directly before and after a passage. But the broader literary context matters too. One of the great values of a book overview is getting an outline of the author’s flow of thought and purpose in writing.

The best way to grasp the literary context of a passage is to read it yourself. Unlike historical context, where we mostly need to depend on experts, any ordinary person with a Bible can see the literary context. When studying a smaller passage of Scripture, it is a good practice to read the entire book which contains that passage on an ongoing basis.

Personal Context

The way we apply the Bible is personal, since obedience to the same command may look different for different people. The context of our lives matters.

Some commands in Scripture look much the same for all people. The eighth commandment (“You shall not steal”) has far-reaching and profound implications, but it always boils down to not taking what isn’t yours.

Other commands of God will look quite different for different people. God has called us to our particular places—married or single, urban or rural, healthy or ill, different countries of residence—and much of the difficulty of applying God’s word is discerning how his general principles should be worked out in those particular places.

For example, for me to love my neighbor I need to know my neighbor, care for my neighbor, and seek to do good for my neighbor, even at great cost to myself. But if my neighbors are not your neighbors, we will necessarily obey this command in slightly different ways.

God’s call to personal faith, repentance, and obedience means that we need to seek the Lord as individuals. However, God does not call us and leave us alone. He calls us into the church, and we need this community to apply the Bible faithfully.

All Contexts Matter

Because the Bible was written by people, about people, to people, and for people, all of these contexts matter. As we study the Bible we need to take all of these contexts into account as we observe, interpret, and apply God’s word.

This was originally posted in 2018.