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If You Use a Study Bible, Do it Well

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After taking a few posts to explain both the blessings and curses of study Bibles, I recently wrote about how to get the best out of your study Bible. I gave the following suggestions:

  1. Treat it as a reference work, not as your main Bible.
  2. Go heavy on overviews (book introductions) and historical background.
  3. Wrestle with the biblical text without your study Bible.
  4. Refer to the study notes when you have a specific, impenetrable question—then set them aside again.
  5. Read the articles and genre introductions.

Within a week, two other posts appeared on the internet saying very similar things. I want you to know I’m not the only one holding these opinions.

Exhibit A: Andy Naselli, Assistant Editor for the NIV Zondervan Study Bible. Writing at Desiring God, he gives these tips:

  1. Don’t use poor study Bibles.
  2. Use quality study Bibles.
  3. Don’t use the notes as a crutch or shortcut instead of wrestling with the text itself.
  4. Don’t combine the authority of the God-breathed text with the notes.
  5. Use a study Bible in the same way that you would responsibly use other resources that help you better understand and apply the Bible.

Exhibit B: Justin Taylor, Managing Editor for the ESV Study Bible. Writing at the Gospel Coalition, he makes these suggestions:

  1. Use your study Bible discerningly. (“The most important feature in a study Bible is the horizontal line that divides the biblical text from the biblical interpretation. Everything above the line is inerrant and infallible. Everything below the line is filled with good intentions but may not be true.”)
  2. Use your study Bible for more than just the notes. (“I am convinced that the most underutilized and yet important parts of a good study Bible are the introductions to each biblical book.”)
  3. Use more than one study Bible.
  4. Use your study Bible as an opportunity to interpret the Bible with the communion of saints. (“The best study Bibles don’t present startling new interpretations. They put you in dialogue with the best interpreters—teachers who are gifts of God to the church—to help us rightly handle His Word.”)

There you go. The point is not whether there should be 4 rules or 5, nor how exactly to state the rules. The point is that even the study Bible editors (who want to sell you their study Bibles) don’t want you to over-rely on their study Bibles.

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Top 10 Curses of Study Bibles

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I’m facing a parental dilemma. The young man renting our spare bedroom offered to take a few of my children to a shooting range to teach them to handle firearms. This fellow is training to be an officer in the United States Navy, and he’s responsible and trustworthy—but still!

Should I allow it or not? I’m no curmudgeon when it comes to risk; I practically taught my children to climb trees before they could walk. But might they still be a shade too young and immature for this responsibility? We already tend ample wounds from plastic swords, light sabers, and Nerf weaponry; can these children handle a Marlin .22 caliber rifle or a Sig Sauer Mosquito handgun?

Sig Sauer Mosquito HandgunI’m mildly consoled by the fact that our resident midshipman has no interest in a joyride. On his watch, nobody can touch a gun without memorizing four rules:

Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot.

Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Keep your gun on safety until you are ready to fire.

Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.

Regardless of where you stand on pacifism or gun control, I’m sure you’d agree that guns are dangerous and require extreme caution. In this way, guns are just like study Bibles. We should have rules about how to use them safely.

Last week, I wrote about the 10 blessings of study Bibles. I also consider it my duty to caution you about their 10 curses. Some of these curses are inherent in the “study Bible” genre; other curses are common but not insuperable weaknesses. Thus, some study Bibles avoid some of the curses.

Physical Size

1. They are big and bulky—Rarely will you catch somebody carrying one in a backpack. To be fair, though, the ESV Study Bible has a compact version and convenient online access. Others offer similar options.

They draw your attention away from the biblical text

2. Not much text per page—Especially in the New Testament, and especially in Paul’s epistles. When study notes abound, there’s less incentive to read passages in the context of the chapter, section, or book (one must do a lot of flipping).

3. Cross-references receive greater attention—Not only do you get the usual center-column cross-references, but every 2 or 3 study notes highlight even more cross-references. But cross-references are way overrated. Along with word studies and harmonization, they are one of the most common distractions from rich, contextual Bible study. You’ll do better to ignore them, at least until you understand the passage at hand. Get the main point; then correlate with other texts.

They can be strong at “what” but weak on “why”

4. Study notes that miss the mark—They usually have only enough space to do one of two things: 1) observe the text well but leave no room for interpretation, or 2) provide interpretation that rings hollow because it’s not supported through explicit observation.

5. Book introductions that answer questions you aren’t asking—Some book intros are superb; others get bogged down with too many details. Often the difference lies in whether the intro clearly presents the book’s logic (train of thought), or whether it delves into topics like the exact dating of Mark’s Gospel and whether Mark was written before or after Matthew.

6. Outlines that summarize but don’t explain—Most outlines focus on observation (summarizing content), not on interpretation or logic (following trains of thought). This helps you find certain episodes within a book, but it doesn’t do much to help you understand their placement. In addition, many study Bible outlines treat Bible books like stream-of-consciousness term papers: I, II, III.A., III.B., IV., etc. I just saw one that went from I to XVI with no further subdivisions! I always check out Dorsey’s Literary Structure of the Old Testament when I study an OT book. I wish there were a comparable volume for NT books.

7. Lack of clear main points—You’ll find pages of word analysis and historical background. And many study Bibles have summaries of content. But a summary is different from a main point. Only the most courageous editors take the risk of stating “the main point (or the main theme) of this book is ____________.” Even better is when they give you main points for not only each book, but also for each chapter.

They can hinder discovery

8. They train you to micro-analyze the text—Words often get more attention than sentences, which get more attention than paragraphs, which get more attention than chapters, etc. Study Bibles sometimes train our senses accordingly, like the young pastoral candidate I once interviewed who thought he’d attain maturity in his sermons when he could preach on a single verse.

9. They train you to observe (and observe small) but go no farther in the study process—This point follows from points 4-8 above. Some folks think they’ve studied the Bible because they’ve read the notes and looked up the cross-references. But have they learned to ask questions and answer them? Can they figure out (and fight for) the main points? Have they learned to apply the same truth to different groups of people?

10. They lead you to believe you can’t study the text on your own—If I locked you in a room with nothing but a pencil and a clean text (no study notes or cross-references), would you know what to do with it? Would you even think it possible you could know what to do with it?

Study Bibles deliver amazing blessings, but please use them with extreme caution.

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Top 10 Blessings of Study Bibles

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When I graduated from high school, my parents bought me an NIV Study Bible with a shiny blue protective cover. I knew I was in the big league with this thing. I could take my Bible and not merely read it; now I felt fully equipped to study it.

I still get excited by new study Bibles. When I first got my ESV Study Bible, I kept staying up late to read it. Now that I blog about Bible study, most publishers give me free copies for review. I just finished reviewing the Reformation Study Bible. In the last week, I acquired both the NIV Zondervan Study Bible and the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible (reviews will take a few weeks). Eventually I’d like to write a post comparing and contrasting these study Bibles (and more), recommending the ones that best promote OIA Bible study.

As I immerse myself in study Bibles, I’m reminded of the many blessings we have at our fingertips in the English-speaking world. Here are what I consider to be the top 10 blessings of study Bibles.

1. One-stop shop

Study Bibles collate the best pieces of a wide variety of resources. Unless you must dig exceptionally deep, there’s no need for a Bible atlas, Bible dictionary, dictionary of theology, library of commentaries, archaeological papers, exhaustive concordance, church histories, or systematic theologies. These are all good resources, and they come in handy for higher-level students. But for the average Christian, a good study Bible can replace a small library and still address the essentials.

2. Quick answers to straightforward questions

I’m studying Job, and I’m confused by Behemoth and Leviathan mentioned in chapters 40-41. I want to know the different ways interpreters have understood these two poetic figures. I open my study Bible, find the text, and get a quick survey of different answers.

3. Book introductions

I use study Bibles for this purpose more than any other. If I want to become familiar with the main point and themes of a book, I read the book 10-20 times. But if I want to understand all the historical things an original reader would already know about the situation in which the book was written, I read a concise book introduction in a study Bible. Who wrote 1 Chronicles? When was Galatians written relative to Paul’s other letters? What first-century situation did Revelation address?

4. Historical background

This point is similar to #3, but on the level of verses or chapters instead of books. Study Bible notes excel at placing key historical information in the right spots to help you get what’s going on. For example, how far was Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem? How long would it have taken? Why couldn’t they just stay in Nazareth for the census?

5. Maps

Unless you grew up in the Middle East, you need to look at maps when you study the Bible. My favorite study Bible maps are in full color, but the less expensive options do them in black and white.

6. Charts

Sometimes I like making my own charts; it helps me retain the information better. Once I created two timelines of the Kings of Israel and Judah—one from 1&2 Kings and another one from 1&2 Chronicles—and tried to understand the similarities and differences between them. But I’m no graphic artist, and others make such charts much more visually appealing.

7. Articles

Not every study Bible has articles in it, but those that do try to make them useful. Introduction to the Prophets. How to read the Bible. Key heresies from church history. Why different Bible manuscripts say different things. The challenge, however, is to remember that your study Bible has these articles in it. Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time searching  Google for something worthwhile on a topic that comes up.

8. Illustrations/Photos

Similar to maps and charts, good illustrations stimulate visual learners. What would Noah’s ark look like next to a football field? How was Moses’ tabernacle or Solomon’s temple laid out? And here’s a sneak peek of my reactions to the NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Photographs! Why haven’t I seen other study Bibles that put real photographs on the page? I can see a threshing sledge, a cedar of Lebanon, a dead sea scroll, a signet ring, and a view of Samaria from the north. This is genius.

9. Verbal clarification

Don’t miss out on untranslatable word plays. (Why do people keep laughing when they hear about baby Isaac?) Don’t get confused by Hebrew or Greek idioms. (Does a man sleep with his fathers because the Supreme Court legalized it?) Don’t get caught buying into common misunderstandings. (Because God knows the plans he has for you.) Study Bibles thrive on clarifying the meanings of words and short phrases.

10. Teams of editors

Usually, a commentary is written by a single scholar. Like it or not, you get a single perspective on the text. Granted, the commentator still has an editor, but the editor is most likely better at writing and grammar than at theology and interpretation. Study Bibles still have individuals working on particular sets of study notes, but teams of editors review the whole and create alignment among the parts. Such spreading out of responsibility usually makes the product more cogent.

Let’s praise God for these incredible blessings, while keeping them in perspective. Next week, I’ll list the top 10 curses of study Bibles.

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Disclaimer: While the blog post above was authored c.2015 CE, the Amazonian links had affiliations. Such links enabled inhabitants of the 21st century to provide patronage for the web logs they read, with nothing extra added to the cost of their purchases. It was common for internet writers to use such affiliations to cover the expenses of their hosting services.

Clear Book Overviews

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One of the most common errors in Bible study takes place when we parachute in to a certain passage, dig around a bit, secure the asset (a nugget of truth for the day), and then pursue extraction. In other words, we study Bible verses and Bible chapters, but not Bible books. But without a larger context, the passage often doesn’t make sense, and we give up in frustration, wondering whether Bible study is something best left to the experts.

The simplest solution usually lies in a good book overview. When you see the Bible as a collection of books, and you work to understand each book within its historical context (identifying the author, audience, occasion, and purpose for the book), smaller passages within the book come alive. For example, “Rejoice in the Lord” (Phil 4:4) takes on a new light when you see it’s one step in the reconciliation process between Euodia and Syntyche (Phil 4:2-9), which itself is a prime example of the joyful unity Paul seeks for the church (the main point of the letter of Philippians).

Without doubt, the best way to become at home within a Bible book is to read the book over and over. When I preach or teach a book, I usually read the entire book at least 5 times before the first session.

But sometimes we don’t have enough time for that much reading. And sometimes, we gain useful information from other sources gathered by others. So I’m always on the lookout for good articles and resources that present useful Bible book overviews.

I recently began following the blog of Jeffrey Kranz, who has given himself to creating clear and helpful overviews of every book of the Bible. I signed up for Jeffrey’s free course, where he sends a weekly email with an overview of one book of the Bible. The first one was on Psalms, and I must say I was impressed.

I thought, “Surely he’ll ignore the fact that the Psalms are organized into 5 books.” I mused, “I’ll check this out this first article, but if he missed the fact that Psalms 1 and 2 set the tone for the entire book, I’m not sure I can trust that he really understands the book.” I wondered, “Will he realize that the sons of Korah shouldn’t even have existed apart from God’s amazing grace (Num 26:11)?” (Okay, I generally try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I’ve just seen too many “Bible overview” articles that are not really very helpful.) But Jeffrey delightfully crossed my expectations on every count. Not only did he include details I expected (always pleasantly affirming); he also gave much information I hadn’t realized, which inspired me to jump back into the Psalms!

I can’t wait to see what he does with the other 65 books of the Bible. I’m happy to recommend this resource to you. If you’d like to receive Jeffrey’s emails, just sign up on his site here.

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Other resources I recommend regarding book overviews:

  • The book introductions found in the ESV Study Bible.
  • Articles at bible.org by Daniel Wallace on every New Testament book. I’ve found nobody better than Wallace at mapping out the occasion and flow of thought of a Bible book, and I consult him every time I study a NT book.

Check ’em out!

100th Post Giveaway

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We’ve now blogged 100 posts, and we decided to celebrate with a brand new website and a FREE ESV STUDY BIBLE (personal size).  This is the best study Bible I’ve come across.  Check out my Goodreads review if you don’t believe me.

We’re giving a way a free personal size ESV Study Bible

To enter the giveaway, you can place as many entries as you want, within the following guidelines.  You’ll get one entry for each of the following:

  • Going onto our Facebook page and Liking the post on our timeline that says, “We’re giving away a free ESV Study Bible.”
  • Adding Knowable Word into your Circles on Google+.
  • Following Knowable Word on Twitter.
  • Re-tweeting any of Knowable Word’s old tweets.  Each RT earns one entry.
  • Finding old posts you liked on the Knowable Word blog and commenting on them thoughtfully.  Note: your comments must be thoughtful, i.e. engaging with the post’s content.  Our panel of strict judges will not accept comments along the lines of “great post!” or “thanks for writing this one!”  Each comment, up to a maximum of one comment per post, gives you one entry, with one exception: A bonus entry will be given for each comment that employs both of the words “study” and “Bible.”
  • Leaving a comment on this post telling us what you think of the new site (such as how it looks, how easy it is to find stuff, etc).  Only one entry per person will be granted for commenting on this post, with one exception: A bonus entry will be given if your comment references a Scripture passage.

We are giving away one (1) free personal size ESV Study Bible.  The winner will be selected at random from all entries.  Entries will be accepted until 7:30pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 1, 2012.

The winner will be posted on this site by November 5, 2012.  The winner will have until November 19 to contact us with his or her shipping address for the free Bible.

We take no responsibility for any comments that fail to survive our spam filtering software.  Please make sure you don’t comment using an email address like KVUSGAVSYXP2@yahoo.com.

Thank you for helping us spread the word about how to study God’s Knowable Word!