Questions and Answers with Dr. Bob Burrelli

I am interested in increasing my knowledge of the Bible. What’s the quickest way to do this?

We are used to getting things done quickly in our society. With a push of a button and the click of a mouse, we can amass a great amount of information from the internet in minutes. Sad to say, however, that there are no shortcuts when it comes to becoming a good Bible student. As with anything that is worth our while—learning a trade, getting a degree, parenting—knowing God’s Word is something that takes a lot of time and energy. That is, of course, assuming that your purpose for knowing the Bible is so that you can apply it. You don’t want knowledge alone, but wisdom. Here are a few suggestions for your plan of action:

  1. Make sure that your goal is right. You want to learn God’s Word because God’s commands you to know it (2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 3:15) and it will please Him when you obey (2 Corinthians 5:9).
  2. Make sure that you attitude is right. This is God’s Word from His very mouth (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and not just any body of literature. It is living and active. Approach it, therefore, with great humility and care, as your understanding of it will ultimately influence the way you behave, and you don’t want to misrepresent the Lord before the world.
  3. Make sure that you have the right Bible tools. The following is by no means and exhaustive list, but it will be enough to get you started if you are standing in square one.

· Concordance: One of the most basic and important Bible tools that you will ever have in your library is a concordance. Strong’s is the old standby, but it is limited to the King James’ Version. The New International Version has one of its own, if your preference is the NIV. We could add to this category other similar works, such as The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, which gives for each book of the Bible dates, a synopsis of its contents, an overview and outline, and a network of cross references for key words that you should study.

· Bible Encyclopedias. This will help you with terminology, both biblical and theological. The Zondervan Pictoral Encyclopedia of the Bible (5 vols.) is an excellent work.

· Bible Atlas. Identifying the geography, topography, miles from one destination to anther, and tracing routes of journeys traveled by the saints of old adds color to your study.

· Systematic Theology: A systematic theology is a compilation of all the major doctrines of the Bible. Each doctrine is defined and defended from the standpoint of the entire Bible. There are many out there, but Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, is balanced and provides you with an explanation of the different views on any particular doctrine, a selected bibliography on each doctrine at the end of his discussion, and some practical questions for application—somewhat unique for such a work.

· Commentaries. There is a wide variety of commentaries, each with different purposes and approaches, which makes it difficult to recommend any one commentary. There are commentaries on the entire Bible by one person, such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary, and there are commentaries on individual books of the Bible. You may want to start with the former and begin collecting individual commentaries as the scope of your study intensifies.

· Several Bible Versions. It is not good practice to restrict your Bible study to one version, since every version is really an interpretation of the original languages. While you may prefer one version over another, it is a good idea to see how another version has translated that portion of Scripture that you are studying. The three most popular versions today are the King James’ Version, the New American Standard Bible, and the New International Version. If you happen to know another language, it will enhance your Bible study greatly to check out Bible translations in other languages.

Resources that will help you build your library are not hard to find. CBD catalogue is helpful. Songtime’s Tool Box, which you will find on their website, exists to assist you. There you will find more suggested Bible tools, helps, and articles to assist your personal Bible study. The little booklet called, A Classic Bible Study Library for Today, and others like it, is an invaluable resource, providing an extensive collection of recommended commentaries by well—known and respected church leaders (Charles H. Spurgeon, Wilber M. Smith, Merrill C. Tenney, etc.). For those of you who do much of your work on the computer there is E-sword, a Bible software program with different versions, Bible study helps, and some commentary. It is well worth your while to own it. Thirty Days to Understanding the Bible, by Max Anders, is a superb reference work for those who know next to nothing about the Bible and need some basic orientation. Perhaps the best place to start with your plan of action is with your pastor, who is used to questions like these.