Understanding the Bible: A Guide to Reading the Scriptures will inform your reading and enrich your understanding of the Bible from historical, literary, and faith perspectives. It is ideal for use regardless of your background, your beliefs, your questions, or the Bible translation you are reading. Inside are articles that explore the Bible in its faith, historical, and cultural contexts. The Bible is looked at as literature too--its genres and literary forms. There are articles introducing the Old and New Testaments, specifically the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Wisdom and Poetry Books, the Prophets, the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters, and Revelation. The history and differences of translations are discussed, and other tools to help you unlock the Bible are introduced. Additional aids include maps, charts, a timeline, and a glossary. Together these aids further investigate the Bible and the world in which it was written, as well as the progression of scholarship that helps us understand the Bible today.

SUMMARY OF WRITINGS All writings herein are resulting from an extensive search of the entire bible to determine if all things being taught about the Christian belief are factual. Along with considering those things being taught I have also considered the Bible is not in good order as far as prophesies are concerned. Many things God gave his writers of the scriptures were not of benefit for them at that time, but were intended for those living in the end times. In order to correctly determine the destination of the inhabitants of the earth as God has planned, I know it to be a fact that every prophesy has a fulfillment, and presented in these writings is what I have found that I believe to be those fulfillments. Many things that are found in the Old Testament are written as if they had already occurred, so this must be considered when reading those scriptures of prophesy. This is just another reason why some prophesies may seem to be out of order. In reading my findings most people of the Christian belief will come to realize they are in difference in their belief with what I have found. The churches claiming to be of the Christian belief have many different ideas about this belief, and by knowing about those different ideas that churches teach, I was determined to prove or disprove what I believe some of which to be misguided ideas. Those churches that maintain the idea that by the Bible being presented as New and Old Testament in dividing it, determining the Old Testament as history only, are making a grave mistake. In truth much of the Old Testament portion of the Bible contains prophesy yet to come about. This includes the very first prophesy of the Bible found at Genesis 3:15 which is only partially fulfilled, and contains Gods promise of eventually removing Satan from power. I have determined that God is allowing the earths population time to come to the realization only He can provide for what man needs to maintain a happy and enjoyable life on the earth. Had He not allowed this time that has passed since the failure of our original parents, those living today would not have had the potential for life. He did not create man to live on this planet without needing His direction. The great thing one must come to realize is the fact that God has plans for the earth to return it to what he intended from the very beginning of his putting man on it. He put man in the Garden of Eden for the purpose of populating the earth with his fleshly beings in which he created in his own image. He did not create the earth for it to then become non existent. Of those that find things that I have put in writing that do not agree, I ask that they at least study the scriptures provided to decide if what they have been taught might be in error. A great amount of mans doctrines have been incorporated many years ago in their teaching that leads those astray that truly want Bible truth. Those that use discernment will know those false teachings are leading them in the wrong direction. There truly are many mysteries contained in the Bible that can easily be misunderstood. Even those chosen by Christ that served with him while he was on the earth to help with his teaching did not totally understand the destination of the earth until they were told in private what to expect. Most of the false teachings that are found in the Christian belief today were initiated in the very first century after the death of those personally taught by Jesus Christ. In order to maintain those false doctrines being taught in the churches today, many scriptures that prove them in error must be omitted from the Bible in order to present those false beliefs. The greatest hindrance of these false teachings is to those that consider the Old Testament as history only. To those that refuse to accept the Old Testament as containing prophesy yet to be fulfilled might as well forget about reading any further. These will never come to a good understanding of the B

The Mission of God Study Bible encourages followers of Jesus Christ to see their everyday life from God’s perspective and have His heart for people. It’s a reminder that we live around people in desperate need of redemption and reconciliation with God, which can only be found in Jesus. The mission of God has never been just for specialists; it is for all believers to live out through their daily lives and by sharing the good news of what God has done through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Wherever you are, you are on mission. In The Mission of God Study Bible, readers will hear through more than 150 additional writings from today’s top thinkers, theologians, and leading voices in the church about what it means to live in the mission of God. Essay contributors include Matt Chandler, Tullian Tchividjian, Ed Stetzer, Linda Bergquist, Dave Ferguson, Christopher J.H. Wright, Matthew Barnett, and many others. Readers will also discover “Letters to the Church” from elder statesmen that speak to the grand narrative of God’s mission in Scripture. These words from Billy Graham, Jack Hayford, Erwin Lutzer, Calvin Miller, and R.C. Sproul will inspire you to live God’s mission daily.

Rather than telling you “what” to think, author and expert, Ivan Lane, teaches you how to define biblical words and cross reference scripture to interpret biblical truth for yourself. Mr. Lane helps to make readable sense of the Bible by helping you learn how to understand biblical language and symbolic words. He does this by using a very unique method of interpreting the Bible that he calls, “The Definitive Method.” You will learn what books to use and how to use them in order to interpret any verse in the Bible in the context in which it was written. This book appeals to beginners and advanced students alike because it is written in laymen terms with basic and advanced techniques of interpreting the Bible. Mr. Lane takes you deep into symbolism, so that you can understand the spiritual aspect of the Bible for your edification and spiritual growth. Every technique is shown with easy step-by-step examples for your understanding.

An effective method for learning God's Word is to use a systematic strategy that involves seven consecutive steps. A good way to remember the order in which these seven steps should be taken is by referring to the acrostic PRIME AT. When you PRIME AT God's Word, you are preparing to better understand and use God's Word. The seven steps outlined in the acrostic are: Pray; Read, Interpret, Meditate, Explore, Apply, and Teach. You should:Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your learning of God's Word,Read-different versions of the Bible,Interpret-scripture in your own words,Meditate-on the meaning and purpose of the scripture,Explore-commentaries, study guides, and other biblical references,Apply-God's Word to your life,Teach-others what you have learned.An effective way to teach God's Word is to engage people in active learning. This is best done by designing a pedagogical method that addresses the following questions:What do you want people to be able to do when they have finished the lesson?What will they need to know in order to do what should be done?How can you facilitate their learning? How do you assess learning?Establishing a set of learning outcomes is required to answer the first question. To answer the second question, one must identify the body of knowledge that must be acquired to accomplish the learning outcomes. This requires identifying a set of learning objectives that must be achieved. The best way to facilitate learning is to provide guided learning materials that address both learning outcomes and learning objectives and ask probing questions. And finally, some type of quiz or test needs to be developed in order to properly assess learning.

Discover new dimensions of insight with a behind-the-scenes tour of the ancient world You’ve heard many Bible stories hundreds of times, but how many details are you missing? Sometimes a little context is all you need to discover the rich meaning behind even the most familiar stories of Scripture. That’s what the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. Every page of this NIV Bible is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of biblical times. These fascinating explanations will serve to clarify your study of the Scriptures, reinforcing your confidence and bringing difficult passages of Scripture into sharp focus. The Bible was originally written to an ancient people removed from us by thousands of years and thousands of miles. The Scriptures include subtle culturally based nuances, undertones, and references to ancient events, literature and customs that were intuitively understood by those who first heard the texts read. For us to truly understand the Scriptures as they did, we need a window into their world and language. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings the ancient world of Scripture to life for modern readers. Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) 2017 ECPA Bible of the Year Recipient Targeted book introductions explain the context in which each book of the Bible was written Insightful and informative verse-by-verse study notes reveal new dimensions of insight to even the most familiar passages Key Old Testament (Hebrew) and New Testament terms are explained and expanded upon in two helpful reference features Over 300 in-depth articles on key contextual topics 375 full-color photos, illustrations, and images from around the world Dozens of charts, maps, and diagrams in vivid color Words of Jesus in red Cross references, a concordance, indexes and other helps for Bible study

Since his water baptism as a teenager, Edmund Berkeley Hammond (known by the nickname of "Berk") has always tried to be a good Christian. However, his work as a Christian truly began in 1972 when he received a supernatural message from God, calling him to be an interpreter of the prophetic scriptures of the Bible. Since receiving this call, he has written more than 20 short papers on controversial prophetic topics under Gods direction. Twelve of these papers are presented as chapters in this book.

Does reading the Bible sometimes leave you confused? Do you have difficulty seeing the relevance of the Bible to modern concerns or to important issues in your life? Do you believe Bible reading and intellectual inquiry are mutually exclusive? This book explores how the Bible can serve as a resource for discovering truth. It provides a method that accepts and incorporates the knowledge gained from modern scholarship while also recognizing that truth-discovery is a personal, multifaceted journey. It honors the integrity of Scripture while remaining open to insight from additional truth-sources. In exploring what we mean when we speak of the Bible's authority, it is honest about the challenges presented to modern readers by the cultural chasm separating the biblical writers from today's world. How to Read the Bible Without Losing Your Mind shows how the Bible can be read with full engagement of both mind and heart.

The CSB Worldview Study Bible features extensive worldview study notes and articles by notable Christian scholars to help Christians better understand the grand narrative and flow of Scripture within the biblical framework from which we are called to view reality and make sense of life and the world. Guided by general editors David S. Dockery and Trevin K. Wax, this Bible is an invaluable resource and study tool that will help you to discuss, defend, and clearly share with others the truth, hope, and practical compatibility of Christianity in everyday life.