by Eric Bailey

Created on: March 11, 2011   Last Updated: March 12, 2011

Biblical study is essential for any Christian, and sometimes just a few basic Bible study tools are needed in order to turn studying the scriptures into a true blessing rather than the boring, tedious chore some may see it as, even those with hearts truly intending to follow after Christ. The Bible need not be some archaic tome in arcane language to be misunderstood, misinterpreted, neglected, or outright ignored; no, it can indeed still prove to be a relevant, insightful impact in any person's life, a vessel through which Jesus still speaks and wisdom can still be found for modern life.

Concordance

A concordance is a book that contains a directory of Biblical terms, whether common or obscure, then lists the places in the Bible at which that particular word or phrase occurs. Many Bibles even include a basic concordance in the back. This is one of the most useful Bible study tools for preparing a sermon or other ministry message, since it makes it easier to identify and discover passages with a common theme.

Commentary

There have been many knowledgeable and Christ-loving minds over the centuries, and some of them wrote their own thoughts and insights of the Bible. These commentaries may be lengthy expository treatments of a specific book, or an entire collection of comments that cover the entirety of both the Old Testament and New Testament. This is among the great Bible study tools because, as is true so often elsewhere in life, a second opinion is simply a very valuable commodity, and especially in Christianity where community should be emphasized and no son or daughter of God should have to walk their journey alone.

BibleGateway.com

This website, or another multi-version Bible available in app formats for mobile devices, is among the most powerful Bible study tools because it not only provides the narrative text wherever an Internet connection is found, but also provides the ability to search for terms and refer to different translations, which can grant even more insight into the passages.

Greek

Learning another language can be a daunting task for many people, but doing so can unlock one of the richest Bible study tools, that of being able to read and interpret the texts as they were originally written. Whether in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, there is a certain appeal in being able to digest the words in their original form, and thus make the study more personal, more intimate.

Discipline

It is more of an intangible concept than truly being among the concrete Bible

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