Her Renewed Strength Podcast | Episode 99

Hey, sista friend! Are you wondering what you should use to study God’s Word? Is it a Study Bible, Devotional, or Commentary?

Those are questions I have been asked in the past, and I am digging into them today. I explain the difference between a study Bible, a devotional, and a commentary, as well as when and how you should use them. I also share some of my favorite resources.

May this bless you as you deepen your study of the Word of God and bring it to the next level.

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BEST pod for time management! “The Bible study episodes go deep and the time management episodes are so helpful because they speak directly to the anxious, overwhelmed woman. Soooo intentional and totally tactical/practical. Love the encouragement because the anxiety is real, lol A must-listen!”

– Little-i –

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

• Find out when and how to use these three tools to help you better understand God’s Word

• Decide what you should use to study God’s Word at the stage you are in

• Be encouraged to persevere in reading the Word daily

Listen To The Episode

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Check out these episode highlights:

In 2015, I committed to reading the entire Bible BUT I didn’t understand most of what I read then.

02:55 – The Bible app I used to read the Bible

3 Tools to Help Grow Your Understanding of God’s Word

04:08 – Tool #1: Study Bible
It is an actual bible that is “loaded with insights and commentary to help you dig deeper. They include maps, graphs, concordances, and charts that shed light on biblical times.” – lifeway.com

• I use the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible in the NIV Translation by Zondervan. The editors of this particular study bible say, “Every page of this NIV Bible is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of biblical times.”

• I have the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible. The goal of the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible is to demonstrate how all Christian doctrine arises from the pages of the Bible. It is created to help readers understand how Scripture forms the basis for our understanding of God, humanity, sin, salvation, and eternity. This study Bible features over 400 short in-text doctrinal summaries connecting Christian beliefs to specific Bible passages, 25 longer articles explaining important theological topics in greater depth, and introductions to each book of the Bible that highlight the unique ways each book contributes to the whole of Christian theology.

06:23 – Tool #2: Devotional
It is a specific piece of Christian reading for each day.

• It can be topical

• It can be a guided study through a particular book of the Bible

Ultimately, a devotional provides you with a set reading each day. What you do with it – beyond what that piece includes – is up to you.

I am currently doing a SOAP Study Devotional by Horacio Printing on REST

07:16 – Tool #3: Commentary
It is someone else sharing their comments, interpretations, etc. I caution against going to commentary because if you don’t understand or know a person’s theological stance in advance of reading their comments, then you might not understand how this person is influencing you and in what direction you are being taught to think.

If you are a new Christian and new to Bible study, I wouldn’t dig into commentaries just yet. It is best to start with the cultural background Study Bible to get a sense of what was going on at the time, or the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible so that you can better understand how doctrine arises from the pages of the Bible.

08:29 – A wrap-up of the 3 tools

• For the more advanced person starting to understand theology and where you stand on theological topics, the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible is a great resource

• The devotional is great if you are growing in your understanding of the Word, kind of just having your spiritual milk

• The commentaries will help you know someone else’s interpretation

Resource:

• Check out Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible in the NIV Translation by Zondervan

• Check out ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible

• Check out SOAP Study Devotional by Horacio Printing. Make sure to use code ERIKA15 to save some money. Disclaimer: I do earn a commission on your purchase, at no extra cost to you.

• Join the Facebook Group for the study of the book of Ruth next month

Thank you so much for listening! If you love today’s episode, the best way you can show love and support is to leave a 5-star rating & a written review on the podcast. This helps other Christian women who want the same support and valuable content find the show.