About this episode
In Part 3 of the How to Study the Bible series, Drew and Dillon move from motivation and methods to the practical tools that help believers dig deeper into Scripture. They discuss different types of Bibles, study tools like concordances and commentaries, and modern resources that make Bible study more accessible than ever. Along the way, they talk about why knowing the truth of Scripture helps expose error, how to approach commentaries wisely, and why studying the original languages can deepen your understanding of God's Word. Whether you're new to Bible study or looking to sharpen your approach, this episode offers practical guidance and recommended resources to help you grow in your understanding of Scripture.
Key takeaways
- This is part three of the series on how to study the Bible: after motivation and methods, this episode covers the means, the practical tools people can use.
- There are several different kinds of studies to choose from, including book studies, character studies, word studies, topical studies and location studies, and one English word often stands behind several Greek or Hebrew words, as with "worship."
- Before adding any other resource, consider which Bible you are using: a study Bible builds a dictionary, concordance and commentary into one volume for a newer believer, while the most advanced copy of scripture is the one with nothing in it, and it is fine to own several Bibles for different purposes.
- The goal is to know the truth so well that error and false teaching become obvious, illustrated by people who learn to spot counterfeit money by handling stacks of real bills.
- A concordance such as Strong's takes you back to the original Greek and Hebrew word, which is where the original intent is, and it opens up words like compassion or the different words translated love.
- A commentary is another man's comments on the word of God, so read and pray over the text first, then read several commentaries rather than one or two, since two compasses that disagree leave you with no way to tell which is right.
- Between free websites and apps, paid platforms and used-book sites, the tools are within reach, and the hosts argue Christians should be as willing to invest money and time in Bible study as in their other subscriptions.
From the conversation
"The most advanced copy of scripture is the one that has nothing in it, because you have to understand context, time, location, all these things."Drew Rogers
"You have to understand a commentary is just that. It's another man's comments on the word of God."Drew Rogers
"Against popular opinion, the Greek and Hebrew was the original text, and so that is the original intent, not the King James English. So we can't correct the Greek and Hebrew with the English; it goes the other way around."Dillon McCurdy
Scripture referenced
- Romans 1 — cited as an example of a word translated "worship," with "service" among the words used
- Romans 16:19 — quoted as "the end of Romans": "But yet, I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil" (paraphrased)
- 1 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Samuel together — cited as a book Drew taught through, where maps and topography clarified the battles
- Judges — the battle involving Deborah and Barak, where chariots got stuck in the mud after a storm (paraphrased)
- Ephesians — named as the book covered by a Wiersbe commentary on the shelf
- Joshua — named as the subject of a book mentioned near the end
Mentioned in this episode
- Thompson Chain Reference Bible — named as a common reference Bible
- Scofield Reference Bible — named as a common reference Bible and as the one they grew up around; noted that Scofield held the gap theory, which their movement would not subscribe to, and that his timelines run about three years off the majority of accepted dates
- Life Application Study Bible — described as massive, and as a dictionary, concordance and commentary compiled into one; suggested for a new believer
- Cross-reference Bibles — recommended because the Bible is its own best commentary
- Wide-margin note-taking Bible, and chronological Bibles — mentioned as other options worth owning
- Strong's Concordance — the first study tool Dillon started using; available as a physical copy and as an app
- Vine's New Testament dictionary — called a very good resource, and noted as built into Blue Letter Bible
- Merriam-Webster dictionary — useful for English definitions, with the caution that the Greek and Hebrew, not the English, carry the original meaning
- Matthew Henry commentary — one of Drew's, described as old and beat up, and as a commentary where you can end up reading more about the text than the text itself
- Warren Wiersbe commentaries — a more bite-size commentary, including one on Ephesians; he also has smaller books and whole New Testament and Old Testament sets
- Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary — named among the commentaries Drew reads
- Phillips commentary — named by last name only; used in Bible college classes, called very illustrated and very detailed in its outlines, and helpful for building outlines
- One more commentary author named among Drew's, rendered "David Gat" in the auto-captions — too garbled to identify, so left as-is
- Unger's Bible Handbook — called really good and very practical, "it puts a lot into a little" (the auto-captions render the name "Anger's")
- A handheld electronic concordance device Dillon's dad owned — screen you could type a word into and see how many times it appears; "an app before apps"
- Blue Letter Bible — called the best resource for concordance work; from a verse it gives the concordance entry, dictionary, root words, all usages, the English words used to translate it, and Vine's dictionary
- Precept Austin — a website with a lot of material, though not well put together the last time Dillon was on it
- e-Sword — named as another online study tool
- Logos — described as expensive but tiered, with people buying their whole libraries through it so everything is cross-referenceable
- ChatGPT — called helpful especially for historical background and word studies, with the caution to trust but verify, as with any source
- YouVersion Bible app — free, good for listening to the Bible and for reading plans with reminders and other people on the same plan; not considered a great study tool (rendered "Uver's" in the auto-captions)
- Olive Tree — app and desktop version; liked specifically because passages copy and paste cleanly into a document
- Bible Gateway — mentioned as an online Bible whose text can copy over with formatting problems
- Love Worth Finding — website and YouTube channel that turns Adrian Rogers's past messages into audio, video and deeper Bible study resources
- Adrian Rogers — the preacher whose teaching and preaching is behind Love Worth Finding
- BibleProject with Tim Mackie — recommended for book overviews with illustration, the "How to Read the Bible" videos on styles of literature in scripture, the podcast, and free recorded classes; the hosts say they do not agree with everything presented, describing him as a liberal theologian on points such as creation, two Isaiahs, and the gathering of the Old Testament, while calling the content roughly 90% good
- A Bible maps and charts volume — a gift from Drew's mom; includes topography for battles and charts such as all of Jesus's teachings organized by place
- Dr. Black — referenced as someone they talked with about word choice and repetition in translation
- Candace Owens — named in a joking aside about a conspiracy theory concerning the Scofield Reference Bible, which the hosts brush off as "a good conspiracy theory"
- ThriftBooks — where Dillon buys his books; used copies in decent condition for about $4 to $6, since marking usually stops after the first chapter or two
- Half Price Books — a used bookstore Drew shops at
- Amazon — named as the comparison point, where a new book runs about $20 to $30
- "The God Who Leads" — a book on Joshua priced at $5.99, mentioned as a shameless plug with more to come
- Episodes 1 and 2 of this series, on the motivation and the methods behind studying the Bible, and the podcast site inthemidstpod.com
Discussion questions
Take it further
- Which Bible do you actually study from, and does it have too much extra information in it, too little, or about right for where you are?
- Drew says the most advanced copy of scripture is the one with nothing in it. Where do notes and references help you, and where might they be doing your thinking for you?
- The hosts describe learning to spot counterfeit money by handling the real thing. How much of your time goes into knowing the truth versus studying what is wrong with other beliefs?
- Have you ever looked up the original Greek or Hebrew behind a familiar English word, like love or compassion? What changed when you did?
- If a commentary contradicts the Bible, the hosts say you go with the Bible. How would you know the difference, and whose comments do you tend to accept without checking?
- The hosts point out that we pay for streaming subscriptions without thinking but hesitate over a Bible app. What would it look like for you to invest money or time in study tools this month?
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