Back to Basics - January 19 Notes
The integrity and trustworthiness of the scriptures has been maintained with the dedication and exacting methodology of those who were assigned to copy the scriptures. However, it has been the overseeing eye of God that has kept His word intact for us today.
Because of the sacrifices made, some even their own lives, we have the privilege of reading for ourselves, in our own language, the word of God. Its ours to study, test and truly know God and understand who we are to Him.
It is our desire that you start on a Biblical journey of your own. We hope that you can use a variety of tools at your disposal for study, but nothing is as good as just taking the Bible for what it is, reading and rereading it for yourself.
Should you need various tools for study, below is a list of various books and study aids that may help you in your “Journey”.
Websites: These are 2 websites designed to provide you with the latest and most widely held helps and tools available today. Along with the helps come over 50 different translations and versions of the Bible.
www.studylight.org
www.biblegateway.com
Books and references:
Concordance – This book compiles all the words of the Bible, and then lists them in the order and textual context in which they are found.
Lexicon – usually used for looking up various word meanings and root words.
Commentary – Usually a scholarly “editorial” of a verse, passage, chapter, or book of the Bible. Whole Bible commentaries, though quite exhaustive, can be a very helpful tool in understanding scripture.
Parallel Bible – These are useful in comparing various wordings and thought with different versions of the Bible being printed along side of each other on the page. Some Parallel’s have as many as eight different translations side by side. The most common has four.
Please see any of the teachers if you have any questions as to how you can use or obtain any of the tools listed above.
