Categories
Bible Study

The Best Bible Study Tools on the Web

Updated August 31, 2006

Here are the Best Bible Study Tools I know about on the web. Still_life_with_bible

English Translations:

BibleGateway.com
BibleGateway.com is the best Bible search site.  It has almost all of the best English translations.  You can look at five versions of a passage at a time.  Here are some of the versions I would recommend checking out.  The descriptions below in quotes are from the publishers of the Bibles. 

  • Today’s New International Version (TNIV), 2005. "The Today’s New International Version (TNIV) is a thoroughly accurate, fully trustworthy Bible text built on the rich heritage of the New International Version (NIV). In fact, this contemporary language version incorporates the continuing work of the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), the translators of the NIV, since the NIV’s last update in 1984."  I really like this translation and would recommend you using it with the ESV.   It is well-known for being more gender-inclusive than the ESV.   
  • English Standard Version (ESV), 2001. "It seeks to be transparent to the original text,   letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of   the original."  Very popular in conservative reformed churches. 
  • New International Version (NIV), 1984.  The most popular English translation.  It is very popular with evangelicals.  I am hoping that more and more people begin to notice some of these newer translations. 
  • New American Standard Bible (NASB), 1995.  "The NASB update continues the NASB’s tradition of literal translation of the original Greek and Hebrew without compromise."  It is hard to read but helpful if you want to get word-for-word translation. 
  • Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), 2003. "to affirm the authority of the Scriptures as God’s inerrant word and to champion its absolutes against social or cultural agendas that would compromise its accuracy."  This is another new solid translation. 
  • New Living Translation, second edition, (NLT), 2004. "In the New Living Translation, this is accomplished by translating entire thoughts (rather than just words) into natural, everyday English."  This is another outstanding translation that has been updated since its original 1996 version.  It is more of a paraphrase but done by outstanding scholars. 
  • The Message (MSG), 2002. "There is a need in every generation to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandable—the way it was for its very first readers. That is what The Message seeks to accomplish for contemporary readers."  This paraphrase by Eugene Peterson reminds us that the Bible didn’t originally sound holy and religious but rather earthy and fresh. 
  • Contemporary English Version (CEV), 1995. "The text is easily read by grade schoolers, second language readers, and those who prefer the more contemporized form."  These last two translations are superb resources for English as a Second Language and young readers.  Children’s Sunday school teachers must start using these two versions!
  • New International Reader’s Version (NIrV), 1998. "The NIV is easy to understand and very clear. More people read the NIV than any other English Bible. We made the NIrV even easier to read and understand. Sometimes we used shorter words. We explained words that might be hard to understand. We made the sentences shorter."  This should be the first choice for all who work with children or in ESL.

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), 1989. It is typically used in Presbyterian USA churches among other places.  The NRSV is the one recent version that is not yet on Biblegateway.com but you can find it at:

NRSV

Commentary lists:

Ever wondered which commentaries, you should grab off the library shelf.  Well check out the recommend lists below.   
Gordon-Conwell Bibliography – Christian Resources
Denver Seminary Journal – 60101 – Annotated Old Testament Bibliography
Denver Seminary Journal – 60201 – New Testament Bibliography

I also recommend pointing students to the list at the end of the book of:

Fee, Gordon and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 3d ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

This is a much more comprehensive resource:

Glynn, John. Commentary and Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical and Theological Resources. 9th. ed. Kregel Academic & Professional, 2003.  It was reviewed positively in RBL and JETS  A new version is coming out in March 2007. 

Commentaries:
BibleGateway.com Commentaries
IVP NT Commentaries – not bad for free.  Thanks InterVarsity. 

Classic Bible Commentaries (Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Spurgeon)

Plea to commentary writers and publishers:

There are so many outstanding commentaries that are written and published.  I am waiting for some publisher or author to make their commentaries available online for free. It would do a tremendous amount of good to widely circulate solid biblical commentaries.  Too many people use the ancient Matthew Henry Commentary (1811!) because it is the only thing available online for free.   Don’t commentary writers want their works to be read and used?  I realize they work like crazy on these things and want some compensation and that commentaries are the best money-makers for publishers . . . but still . . . I will say it again . . . don’t they want their works to be read and used?!  What about those of F.F. Bruce for a start?  Gordon Fee and James Dunn, will you put it in your will that all your works be published online for free when you’re gone?  Why wait? 

Bible Software:

For the record, I recommend one of the better Bible software packages as opposed to cobbling together free stuff from the internet. The better Bible softward packages include: Logos (what I have which is ok), Accordance (which Rikk Watts and Phil Long – Regent College professors have), BibleWorks, or Gramcord (D.A. Carson president).

Greek
New Testament Greek
Greek New Testament, Read by Marilyn Phemister
Greek-Latin New Testament Audio Readings
http://www.zhubert.com

Photos for Use in PowerPoint
Holy Land Photos
Free for use by professors and students

BiblePlaces.com – Photos of Israel from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands
Sells Bible Places photos but lets students use the ones on the websites for free.

Audio

See also my list of the very best audio lectures and sermons on the web here.

Categories
Audio Bible Study Megachurches Preaching Seminaries

Favorite Audio Sermons and Lectures

This post was updated on August 30, 2006.

Below I have placed links to lots of free audio of good teachers and speakers on the internet.

See also my list of favorite podcasts for church leaders here

30GoodMinutes.org including Frederick Buechner, Richard Foster, Thomas Groome, Calvin Miller, Lewis Smedes, Jim Wallis, Walter Wangerin, Will Willimon, Philip Yancey

Allelon – NT Wright, Brian McLaren, Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard

American Rhetoric including Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Bono

Andy Stanley – North Point Community Church

Andy Stanley – Practically Speaking – Seven Practices of Effective Ministry Series

BibleGateway.com Audio Bibles

Billy Graham and Franklin Graham – The Hour of Decision Past Broadcasts

Bob Russell – OnePlace.com – Broadcast Archives

Brenda Salter McNeil – Urban Youth Workers Institute – "Elevate" –  2004

Brenda Salter McNeil – New Community (Chicago) – "Racial Reconciliation" – 11/20/2005

Brian McLaren – Cedar Ridge Community Church including series on Emerging Church in Sept-Oct 2005.

Brian McLaren Q&A with Canadian Church Leaders "Resonate" in April 2006.

Brian McLaren – Grand Rapids Theological Seminary – What is Emerging?

Catalyst Conference Podcast Interviews with Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, Donald Miller, Tim Sanders, Eugene Peterson. Rob Bell, Mike Foster and Louie Giglio.

Cornel West at Whitman College

Covenant Theological Seminary’s "Covenant Worldwide" – free seminary courses.

Craig Barnes and John Perkins – Shadyside Presbyterian Church Recent Sermons

Da Vinci Code – New Testament scholars Richard Hays and Bart Ehrman Debate – April 2006

Dallas Willard Audio

Darrell Johnson, Ken Shigematsu, Larry Crabb, John Stackhouse – Tenth Avenue Church

David Dark – The Message in the Matrix – 25 minute interview

Durham NT Seminar Audio Archives including NT Wright, James Dunn, Walter Moberly, Francis Watson, John Barclay

Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger Lecture on Emerging Churches at Fuller Seminary

Emergent Village Podcasts including LeRon Shults, Miroslav Volf, Stanley Hauerwas, and Scot McKnight.

Erwin McManus – Mosaic Podcast

European Leadership Forum – Resources for European evangelical leaders – Amy Orr-Ewing, Don Carson, Ravi Zacharias, Bruce Winter, Darrell Bock, Henri Blocher, and William Lane Craig.

Following Christ 2002-2003 – InterVarsity Plenary Session Speakers – Marva Dawn, Miroslav Volf, Dallas Willard

For Sale – Regent Bookstore Online MP3 CDs

For Sale – Willow Creek Conference Resources

For Sale – Youth Specialties 2005 National Youth Workers Convention – San Diego, California

For Sale Youth Specialties 2004 National Youth Workers Convention – San Diego, California

For Sale Youth Specialties Pastor’s Conference 2003

Grand Rapids Theological Seminary Chapel: Rodney Clapp, Robert Webber, Brian McLaren, Scot McKnight, DA Carson

Gordon-Conwell’s Dimensions of the Faith free online theological education program. Listen to full Church History, Systematic Theology, and Biblical Studies courses.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Audio

J.I. Packer – St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church

John Ortberg – Menlo Park Presbyterian Church – Menlo Park, CA – Sermons Online

John Piper – Audio Sermons

John Stott, Alister McGrath, Philip Yancey – All Souls Church, Langham Place

John Stott "A Call to Christian Maturity" Mariner’s Church, Calif. Nov 2005

Larry Crabb – New Way Ministries

Leadership Network resources – mission statement: to identify, connect and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact.

Leith Anderson – Weekly Sermons

Marva Dawn interview. It is excellent.  From WBCL – a Christian radio station in Fort Wayne, IN.  March 24, 2006.  You can only listen to it online. 

Max Lucado – UpWords

N.T. Wright Page

New Perspective on Paul Opponents- Theopedia – DA Carson

Off-The-Map – Brian McLaren on Evangelism

Parker Palmer Lecture

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Audio including Ken Bailey

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Audio including Emerging Church Discussions with John Franke

Preaching Today Audio – They ususally have one free under "Media"

Princeton Theological Seminary Emerging Church Theological Education Caucus with Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Kenda Dean, and Doug Pagitt

Princeton Theological Seminary Institute for Youth Ministry – Cloud of Witnesses: An Audio Journal on Youth, Church and Culture including Eugene Peterson and Darrell Guder

Regent College Radio

Resurgence Podcasts including Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, John Piper, Chris Seay

Rob Bell – Mars Hill

Stuart and Jill Briscoe – Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin

Taylor University Chapel Archives 2005-2006 – Jay Kesler, Dan Allender

Tony Jones talks with Alan Hartung – March 2006

The Veritas Forum – Donald Miller, Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig

Tim Keller – Redeemer Presbyterian Church

Tim Keller – free archive

Tony Campolo’s Messages

Wheaton College Chapel – now free!

Willow Creek’s most recent mid-week "New Community" sermons

Basics of listening to MP3’s:

In the olden days, I would listen to tapes. Now I usually listen to MP3’s. If you are technologically fearful and don’t want to deal with the hassle of MP3’s, you can always pay for CD’s and tapes. Almost all the sites above have places where you can order CD’s or tapes. But if you want to listen to free stuff, this is the ticket!

MP3’s are computer files. So you can listen to them on any computer and on most new CD players and DVD players and of course portable MP3 players. Your computer will likely play them in Windows Media Player, or on the basic Real Player (which is free to download here) or in ITunes (which you can download for free here). Basically, you just click on the sites above and you click on the sermon you want to listen to and it will pop up and begin playing. Make sure you have your volume up on your computer (Control Panel . . . Sounds and Audio Devices . . . )

Some of the audio are only available when you are connected to the internet. Usually they play in Real Player only or some other player. But most are MP3’s that you can download and listen to later. If you want to save a copy to your computer to listen to later, you can often right click the link and click "Save Target as . . ." and save the MP3 to a folder of your choice on your computer. For example, you can do this with the Veritas files. (These are big files (20-50 MB) so you don’t want to do this with Dial Up.)

Once you have it on your computer, you can burn it to a CD and play it in your CD player or DVD player or MP3 player. Or just listen to it from your computer like I do. I hook my laptop up to my stereo by having a cord that goes from my laptop headphone jack into my stereo.

See my description here of my listening habits.

Categories
Bible Study Books Commentaries Preaching Seminaries Women in Ministry

Bibliography of Key Biblical Commentaries for Women in Ministry Issues

1 Timothy, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians and Genesis are the location for the main "problem passages" for women in ministry. Here are some of the most important commentaries on those books. 1 Timothy 2 Complementarian The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by George W. Knight Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (August 1, 1992)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 46, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (mounce) (Hardcover)by William D. Mounce
Nelson Reference (May 1, 2000)

The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus: God’s Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today) (Paperback)by John R. W. Stott
InterVarsity Press (June 1, 2001)

The First and Second Letters to Timothy : A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Bible) (Hardcover)by Luke Timothy Johnson
Anchor Bible; 1st ed edition (March 20, 2001)

Egalitarian

The Pastoral Epistles: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary (International Critical Commentary Series) (Paperback)by I. Howard Marshall
T. & T. Clark Publishers, Ltd. (July 22, 2004)

1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (Hardcover)by Walter L. Liefeld
Zondervan (August 1, 1999)

First and Second Timothy and Titus: Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Thomas C. Oden
J. Knox Press (November 1, 1989)

1-2 Timothy & Titus (IVP New Testament Commentary Series) (Hardcover)by Philip H. Towner
InterVarsity Press (May 1, 1994)

1 and 2 Timothy, Titus (Paperback)by Gordon D. Fee
Hendrickson Publishers (April 1, 1989)

1 Corinthians 11; 14:34-35

Complementarian

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (New International Greek Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by Anthony C. Thiselton
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (December 1, 2000)

1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by David E. Garland
Baker Academic (November 1, 2003)

1 Corinthians (Hardcover)by Craig L. Blomberg
Zondervan (April 10, 1995)

Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12-14 (Paperback)by D. A. Carson
Baker Academic (October 1, 1987)
Egalitarian

The First Epistle to the Corinthians (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by Gordon Fee
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (July 1, 1987)

1-2 Corinthians (New Cambridge Bible Commentary) (Hardcover)by Craig S. Keener
Cambridge University Press (June 13, 2005)

First Corinthians (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Richard B. Hays
Westminster John Knox Press (September 1, 1997)

Ephesians 5:21-33

Complementarian

Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by Harold W. Hoehner
Baker Academic (January 1, 2003)

Egalitarian

The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)by F. F. Bruce
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1, 1984)

Ephesians (IVP New Testament Commentary Series) (Hardcover)by Walter L. Liefeld
InterVarsity Press (March 1, 1997)

Ephesians (Hardcover)by Mr. Klyne Snodgrass
Zondervan (July 7, 1996)

Not Sure whether egalitarian or complementarian

The Letter to the Ephesians (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Hardcover)by Peter T. O’Brien Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 1, 1999)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 42, Ephesians (Hardcover)by Andrew T. Lincoln
Nelson Reference (November 6, 1990)

Ephesians: Translation and Commentary on Chapters 4-6 : Anchor Bible 34A (Anchor Bible) (Paperback)by Markus Barth
Anchor Bible (September 3, 1998)

Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Ralph P. Martin
Westminster John Knox Press (February 1, 1992)

Genesis 1-3

Genesis (Hardcover)by Bruce K. Waltke, Cathi J. Fredricks
Zondervan (August 1, 2001)

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 1 Genesis 1-15 (wenham) 406pp (Hardcover)by Gordon J. Wenham
Nelson Reference (October 9, 1987)

Genesis: Interpretation : A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching) (Hardcover)by Walter Brueggemann
Westminster John Knox Press (March 1, 1982)

Genesis 1-11: A Continental Commentary (Hardcover)by Claus Westermann
Augsburg Fortress Publishers; 1st Fortress Press ed edition (May 1, 1994)

The Book of Genesis (New International Commentary on the Old Testament Series) 1-17 (Hardcover)by Victor P. Hamilton
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (November 1, 1990)

The New American Commentary: Genesis 1-11:26 (New American Commentary) (Hardcover)by Kenneth A. Mathews
Broadman & Holman Publishers (January 1, 1996)

Genesis (Hardcover)by Dr. John H. Walton
Zondervan (October 1, 2001)