book to study the Bible?

Mark Barnes, mentioned a couple of books for me to look at in learning how to study the bible. One from IVP. I have seen it will be published over here in the states by crossway. Its name was Dig Deeper. I really thought that book would be really good. The names of the chapters seemed to tell me alot. like the translation tool, the historical tool, etc. There was one other book mentioned. I dont remember. I would like to know what books you'll might suggest and why. Thanks

William

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Paul Golder

My top three:

Methodical Bible Study
- Probably the most extensive guide / textbook on how to study an English Bible (Kay Arthur built her empire on this textbook)

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth - Logos Edition
- The best reference to help one learn the fact that "The Bible can never mean what it never meant". It clearly covers how the different genres, of the different books, effect Biblical interpretation.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition - Logos Edition
- The most import reference (besides a Bible) to study the Bible

Kevin Becker

The other book mentioned by Mark was Grasping God's Word (Zondervan). It's a good basic hermeneutics/Bible study book. It's as a good starting point. After giving basics of Bible study (understanding differences in culture, observation etc.) it has a chapter on each of the genres of scripture and how to go about interpreting each one.

The college I went to used this book for the freshman Bible class and I was a TA for that class for many years. I recommend it strongly.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69203#Comment_69203

I forgot to mention that Dr. Douglas Stuart has his course based on How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth available for free over at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary website.

Terry Poperszky

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69203#Comment_69203

Methodical Bible Study

Probably the most extensive guide / textbook on how to study an English Bible (Kay Arthur built her empire on this textbook)

Since her empire has been so successful [:D]

How to study your bible - Kay Arthur

This is a very good foundational methodology for studying the Bible.

Discover the Bible for yourself - Kay Arthur

This book gives you a short frame work to perform an inductive study on every book of the Bible.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69338#Comment_69338

Since her empire has been so successful

How to study your bible - Kay Arthur

This is a very good foundational methodology for studying the Bible.

Terry is correct, this is a really good primer on inductive study, Traina's book can be quite weighty and academic.

Another plus is that Logos has incorporated her text marking method into the the highlighting system of the program.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69338#Comment_69338

Discover the Bible for yourself - Kay Arthur

This book gives you a short frame work to perform an inductive study on every book of the Bible.

This volume makes an excellent companion to "How to Study Your Bible".

It is in essence her "Inductive Study Bible" without the Biblical text, allowing one to choose their own translation.

It would make an excellent Logos resource, although it has a "fill-in-the-blank" format, so I don't know if it would work within the program.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69212#Comment_69212

Grasping God's Word (Zondervan).

I've used this and would recommend it. However, I'm surprised that no one has suggested that you look at how Paul interpreted Scripture .. either

Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul or The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul As Interpreter of Israel's Scripture both by Richard Hays.

TCBlack

I would suggest Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks. It is part of the Moody Bible Study Collection (11 Vols.) now on prepub.

Terry Poperszky

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69387#Comment_69387

Discover the Bible for yourself - Kay Arthur

This book gives you a short frame work to perform an inductive study on every book of the Bible.

This volume makes an excellent companion to "How to Study Your Bible".

It is in essence her "Inductive Study Bible" without the Biblical text, allowing one to choose their own translation.

It would make an excellent Logos resource, although it has a "fill-in-the-blank" format, so I don't know if it would work within the program.

Paul, I seldom write in books of this nature, but will usually keep a separate word doc. Maybe using the notes function would be an option.

This brings up a question that I have though, Logos uses Arthur's endorsement of their product, they have built the inductive highlighting into their product, but they don't have any of her books. I am not a Kay Arthur groupie, but I do find her distillation of the inductive system to be well suited to a wide variety of different learning styles and Logos is ideal for implementing it. These two books and the bible study edition of L4 would be a winning combination IMHO.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69220#Comment_69220

I forgot to mention that Dr. Douglas Stuart has his course based on How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth available for free over at the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary website.

That's great news. I read Dr. Stuart's book Old Testament Exegesis and it was excellent. (It was the textbook for the OT half of my Exegesis class -- Gordon Fee's New Testament Exegesis was the accompanying text.) Also I'll second the recommendation for How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (which he co-wrote with Gordon Fee, a professor -- and friend -- of mine).

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69566#Comment_69566

Paul, I seldom write in books of this nature, but will usually keep a separate word doc. Maybe using the notes function would be an option.

This brings up a question that I have though, Logos uses Arthur's endorsement of their product, they have built the inductive highlighting into their product, but they don't have any of her books. I am not a Kay Arthur groupie, but I do find her distillation of the inductive system to be well suited to a wide variety of different learning styles and Logos is ideal for implementing it. These two books and the bible study edition of L4 would be a winning combination IMHO.

The main point of Discover the Bible for Yourself is to divide Biblical books into logical sections and create your own pericope titles based on the main subject of the passage studied. It almost seems somewhat superfluous with the capabilities of Logos.

What would be really cool is if Logos had the ability for users to create their own "in text" pericope titles . That combined with one of the mentioned inductive study volumes, would make a excellent combination.

Mike Childs

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69203#Comment_69203

Paul,

You are so right about Methodical Bible Study by Traina. Dr. Traina was my New Testament professor at Asbury in the 1970's. That man changed my life with his inductive Bible Study. I spoke with a young man now attending Dallas Theological recently, and they are still using Methodical Bible Study there.

Traina is the godfather of inductive Bible study, and no one has surpassed him. MBS is a must for serious students of scripture.

Wouldn't Methodical Bible Study make a great Logos book?

Mike Childs

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69383#Comment_69383

Traina's book can be quite weighty and academic.

I must respectfully disagree - I'd consider it an appropriate textbook from junior in highschool through sophmore in college and for adults with similar levels of education. It is a nice, solid introduction. Not to be disagreeable, simply to encourage looking at Traina.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70519#Comment_70519

Traina's book can be quite weighty and academic.

I must respectfully disagree - I'd consider it an appropriate textbook from junior in highschool through sophmore in college and for adults with similar levels of education. It is a nice, solid introduction. Not to be disagreeable, simply to encourage looking at Traina.

Hi MJ,

Don't get me wrong, I stand by my original post and do recommend
Traina's book as the first, best resource. I do not know if I can agree with
your assessment of the grade level though. There is a reason that his
book is used mostly at the seminary level, it is a very complete and
exacting work. Although I could see it being used at a private high
school, with a classical education curriculum, or in an concentrated home
school environment.

Even Traina knew that his book was not for everyone, he writes
“Remember that this book attempts to present a comprehensive view
of hermeneutics and is primarily
designed for those who are training for a Christian profession.”
and he continues “An average layman must have a simpler version if
he is to study the Bible for himself”

He then notes that he was preparing a simpler version, but that did not come to
fruition until 1981 when his protégé David L. Thompson penned a
simplified edition titled “Bible Study That Works”. Also a very good guide, but it feels somewhat lacking after reading Traina.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70641#Comment_70641

There is a reason that his
book is used mostly at the seminary level, it is a very complete and
exacting work. Although I could see it being used at a private high
school,

You may be correct. My experience for my children's education was a Catholic high school and in the Dominican tradition (my parish of 40 years), seminary is graduate school. Not to mention that my parish contains a major research university. So my view may be skewed. On the other hand, my grandmothers (born 1875-1885) had a 4th grade education and a Master's degree in Biology and I would recommend Traina to both of them were they still alive. [:)]

Mike Childs

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70641#Comment_70641

I didn't know David Thompson wrote a book about Bible Study. I bet it is good, too. I have fond memories of his classes, too.

Long, long ago in a place far, far away - Wilmore!

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70667#Comment_70667

So my view may be skewed. On the other hand, my grandmothers (born 1875-1885) had a 4th grade education and a Master's degree in Biology and I would recommend Traina to both of them were they still alive.

This I can believe. You do seem to be more widely read than most. [:)]

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70674#Comment_70674

I didn't know David Thompson wrote a book about Bible Study. I bet it is good, too.

It is a good book, and it is used in a lot of universities as an introductory text on Bible study.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/69496#Comment_69496

I would suggest Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks. It is part of the Moody Bible Study Collection (11 Vols.) now on prepub.

This too is an great book. As a somewhat a contemporary of Traina, he follows the inductive method they both gleaned at the Biblical Seminary. But it's written in Hendricks' "down to earth", comfortably style that has made him a favored professor at DTS for many years.

If someone was looking for a book on Bible study for a small group, or Sunday School class, this is the one I would recommend.

Paul Golder

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70857#Comment_70857

I would suggest Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks. It is part of the Moody Bible Study Collection (11 Vols.) now on prepub.

This too is an great book. As a somewhat a contemporary of Traina, he follows the inductive method they both gleaned at the Biblical Seminary. But it's written in Hendricks' "down to earth", comfortably style that has made him a favored professor at DTS for many years.

If someone was looking for a book on Bible study for a small group, or Sunday School class, this is the one I would recommend.

Also, you can watch his series of video lectures that go with the book at the DTS website, under the title of "Global Pastors Network: Bible Study Methods"

Gary O'Neal

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70871#Comment_70871

Also, you can watch his series of video lectures that go with the book at the DTS website, under the title of "Global Pastors Network: Bible Study Methods"

Thanks for that link. I've used his books through the years and absolutely love his style of presentation. Looking forward to going through these videos.

Praiser

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/70871#Comment_70871

Good information here. Thanks.