Bible Study 101: Online Resources

I often get questions regarding what Bible I use and how I go about studying the Bible. 

I decided to do a couple of blog posts regarding this topic so 

when someone asks, I can easily reference this list and send them a link.

Previous posts on the topic are listed below: 

BIBLE STUDY 101: STUDY AND READING SUPPLIES

Today I am going to share a little detail about the online resources that I use and LOVE!
Now these are not the only resources out there, 
there are TONS of resources out there online that are fabulous- 
these just happen to be my favorite! 

Two quick things regarding Bible study and tools: 

1. We should never rely solely on other's knowledge of the Bible. 
We MUST read it ourselves! 
Bible studies and commentaries are great 
but we need to learn God's word firsthand, not secondhand!

2. We need to be sure not to read verses in isolation. 
For context, reading the whole chapter 
(sometimes the whole book) is so important
in order to truly understand it.


Resource #1: Bible Gateway

Bible Gateway is a site I use all the time for reading different

 translations as well as reading commentaries. 

They also have some fabulous devotionals and reading plans! 

I use Bible Gateway to read various translations when I don't have my Bible handy 
and when I'm working on a scripture writing plan. 

Here's how that works: 
When you search for and find a verse in one translation, click on the Add Parallel icon (looks like two pieces of paper siting side by side) at the right side of the passage. 

Doing so adds a second translation that you can select from the drop down menu

and you can see the translations side by side!

If you click the icon again, you'll see a third translation. 

You can also click on the listen to icon (speaker icon) to have the scripture read to you. 

There are lots of other great things to check out on the site, 

especially those under the Study tab. 

There's also a great  Bible Gateway app that you can use- 

although I usually just use it in the browser, even on my phone. 

Resource #2: Blue Letter Bible

Blue Letter Bible has some incredible resources including some of my favorite commentaries.

Just like Bible Gateway, you can search and read any Bible verse/chapter. 

But what I love to use is the text commentary feature. 

Search for the verse and click Go. 

To the right of the verse click the Tools icon to reveal a bunch of options. 

My favorites are Interlinear and Commentaries with Cross Refs as a close third. 

Interlinear is the first tab and is a list of all the words from the scripture in Greek and Hebrew. 

(The definition of Interlinear is written or printed between the lines of a text)

You can even click on the icon on the right to listen to the pronunciation. 

Learn more about how to use Interlinear  HERE. 

Cross-Refs lists words that are in the scripture and used in other places in the Bible. 

Commentaries lists audio, video and text commentaries. 

Commentaries are a series of comments, background, 

historical details, etc by biblical scholars. 

I typically use the Text Commentaries. There are lots of great ones

 but my favorites are Matthew Henry and David Guzik.

Clicking on one takes you to the commentary for that verse. 

Each is set up like an outline. 

It starts with a short summary and is followed by the text in dark red. 

Below that are thoughts, details, and historical facts related to the scripture. 

I like to think of reading a commentary as sitting down with a Biblical scholar 

who is explaining the scriptures and giving me additional background. 

If you are ever struggling to understand a scripture or 

want more information or context, 

a commentary is for you!

I will warn you that reading commentaries is a little addicting. 

The more I read them the more I want to read them and learn more!

Learn more about reading commentaries on BLB  HERE. 

The Dictionaries tab shows different words from the scripture 

and their definitions in different dictionaries. 

Learn more about the Dictionaries HERE. 

There is a ton more to learn about on BLB and you can check out their 

Help section HERE or check out their awesome video tutorials  HERE. 

Bible Study 101: Study and Reading Supplies

I often get questions regarding what Bible I use and how I go about studying the Bible. 

I decided to do a couple of blog posts regarding this topic so 

when someone asks, I can easily reference this list and send them a link.

Today I am going to share the supplies I use when doing Bible study. 

There are tons of products out there for Bible study (and I've bought my fair share of them!) 

but what I have found works best for me are simple, basic supplies. 

When doing a Bible study I use all or most of the following:

My Bible

I have lots of different bibles but my preference is a dual NIV and the Message Bible. 

I love this Bible because it has both translations on the same page. 

I used to use two separate Bible but love this so much more. 

Mine came from Amazon and you can find it HERE. 

A notebook

 Although there are tons of options for Bible study journals and notebooks out there, 

I use a good old-fashioned spiral notebook when doing a Bible study. 

I usually grab mine at Target or Walmart- just looking for one that 

is cute and college ruled. This is the one I am currently using. 

A binder

When I am doing verse study, I use a simple three ring binder with dividers. 

Instead of regular notebook paper, I buy loose leaf graph paper 

from Walmart but notebook paper would work just great too.

Pen

My favorite is the G2 black pen.

Bible highlighters

I have several sets and my two favorite are below.

THESE from Amazon and I love them because there are two of each color in the set. 

I have one set in my purse and the other with my Bible study stuff in a bag.

I also have THESE from The Daily Grace Co and love them. 

They don't bleed through the page and they are precious!

 (While you are there, check out all of their things- 

so many cute products and GREAT Bible studies!) 

Sticky Notes

I use sticky notes to write notes and place in my Bible. 

Usually just to jot down something I don't want to forget. 

Online Commentaries & Study Guides

My favorites are Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible. 

I'll explain more about how I use these sites in an upcoming post, 

but below are some basics about them. 

Bible Gateway is a site I use all the time for reading different

 translations as well as reading commentaries. 

They also have some fabulous devotionals and reading plans! 

I love that I can check out different versions side by side. 

Blue Letter Bible has some incredible resources including some of my favorite commentaries.

I'll follow up in a few days with another post showing HOW I use these items! 

Stay tuned!