Looking For Bible Study Resources

[Username3000]

Im looking for recommendations for good Bible study resources for a layman.

I don’t know Greek, and I already have some general stuff such as:

Kittel’s TDNT
Nave’s Topical Bible
BDAG
Halley’s Bible Handbook
OT Survey - Walton (any good?)
Vine’s Expository Dictionary
Matthew Henry Commentary
Free version of Logos app

I’m looking for resources that help me dig into the text personally, and not commentaries.

Thank you.

 

[W.C. Dean]

For most books of the Bible, Rev. Todd Ruddell has about a twenty-thirty minute look at every chapter. If you go to Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church's sermon audio page, just click on sermon series, and then what book you're studying. It'll say Reading:Galatians, or whatever book. I really like them.

 

[TheInquirer]

For language resources, I like Logos quite a bit. Hard to beat software for convenience and speed.

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDNTTE - Silva's update to Colin Brown) has been very good in every entry I have read so far and has become my go to word study tool over TDNT (which has some issues). Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament has also been good. I would put it between NIDNTTE and TDNT (which I actually do in my Logos word study priority).

You already have BDAG so no need for any more lexicons in my opinion (which I haven't found all that useful if you have a good theological dictionary).

For encyclopedias, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia is a must. It puts the 1 volume works to shame though if you want another 1 volume New Bible Dictionary (2nd Edition) I used for awhile and liked it. ISBE will usually give you much more than you wanted to know and the 1 volumes often give you less (unless you want concise over comprehensive).

For a survey of NT Theology, I have heard good things about Beale's but haven't read much in it to provide feedback.

For surveys in seminary, we had to read Intro to the OT (Longman) and Intro to the NT (Carson and Moo) and I thought both were extremely dry and not that much more helpful than a good study bible (sometimes less so as they interact quite a bit with critical scholarship which I don't have much interest in).

Some books on hermeneutics and interpretation might be helpful. I remember liking the small paperback "Dig Deeper" for lay level training. An overview of hermeneutics such as Berkhof's "Principles of Biblical Interpretation" might be the first place to start. "Preaching Christ from the Old Testament" by Greidanus is good on recognizing the Christ-centered nature of the OT but may not always be balanced in its approach.

 

[GulfCoast Presbyterian]

Get a good harmony of the Gospels.

 

[Username3000]

Nice. Thank you.