Bible Study Resources
We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word, given to us through the mouths and pens of real people in real time.
Because of this it has a twin nature – on one level it is God’s timeless Word to all of His Creation, whilst at the same time it is God’s specific word to individuals or to his people in specific contexts, facing specific circumstances and needing particular advice or encouragement from God.
Over the centuries huge mistakes have been made by people who either randomly pluck out verses of scripture from antiquity and apply them without thought to current circumstances, or by people who look at the age of the Bible and dismiss it as irrelevant to today.
What we believe is that God’s Word is as relevant today as it was when it was first given. We also believe that in order to avoid making silly mistakes, or reaching the wrong conclusion about its relevance or otherwise, we need to be careful about how we study God’s word.
There are books and books and books about this topic, ranging from simple ideas that are useful to follow right through to post-doctoral details on Hebrew exegesis. We will review some of these books from time to time. However here we want to give you some free resources to make your own study of the Bible better, more exciting and more easy to apply to today!
Bible Study - First Principles
13 Mar 2008 - 08:29 — by IFES Europe
- This book is God’s book. It is first and foremost His revelation of Himself to His world. Therefore when we read the Bible, although we want to see how it speaks to us about our lives, we have to first ask how it speaks to us about who God is!
How to Read!
14 Apr 2008 - 15:03 — by IFES Europe
Reading isn’t an automatic process – the further your text is away from you, the harder it will be to understand what the author wanted to do with! So expect reading to be work!
Understanding texts
Understanding a text is not automatic! We have to search for it.
Long time, many copies, little truth?
14 Apr 2008 - 13:08 — by IFES EuropeThe New Testament: A case of Chinese whisper?
There is a deep rooted prejudice against the New Testament and actually the whole of the Bible which goes like this:
“What you read in the Bible can’t be true, because there have been so many generations between the events and the accounts. When they passed their stories on, they got changed, distorted, embellished.”
How to read Old Testament Law
3 Apr 2008 - 12:21 — by IFES EuropeWhat is “The Law”?
Sometimes all of the 5 books of Moses or even all of the Old Testament are called “the Law”. But most often this expression refers to everything between Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 33, and especially to the approximatly 600 commandments in these 4 books.
How to read Revelation
2 Apr 2008 - 16:32 — by IFES EuropeThis last book of the Bible is sometimes difficult to understand!
Revelation is a letter: 1:4-7, 22:21 - Can you find the characteristics of a letter? (also read the short notes on how to read letters)
Revelation is a prophecy: 1:3, 22:18-19 – it is God’s word for the present situation of the first readers! (also read the short notes on how to read prophecy)