Bible study resources

When several job transfers necessitated a number of moves around the country, my family and I had the opportunity to become active members of many church denominations. In each, a sweet spirit, strong faith, and love for Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior quickly became apparent, and we also discovered excellent Bible study resources throughout the Body of Christ.

For instance, in a Southern Baptist Church, our pastor led a Bible study class with materials from the forerunner of the Explore the Bible Series now published by Lifeway Christian Resources.

In the Roman Catholic Church, we discovered the Little Rock Scripture Study series published in partnership with Liturgical Press that allowed round table discussions with video accompaniment.

When I began to lead Bible studies, I wanted to encourage lots of group discussion, so I found materials on all sorts of Bible topics in the LifeGuide ® Bible Studies produced by Intervarsity Press and various Bible Study Guides published by Abington.

I highly recommend all of those materials and now want to add to the list a new series of five books by Nancy Guthrie: Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, published by Crossway.

Lord willing, this summer I’ll be studying in depth two of the topics I need to absorb slowly: the wisdom books of the Bible and the biblical books of prophecy. But, for now, I’ll give you an idea of the first three books in this series, which cover the Pentateuch aka first five books of the Torah.

Looking through each of the books in this series, Nancy Guthrie consistently uses an engaging style, fresh insight, and a flexible format that can be adapted to your specific needs. For instance, if you want to study the Bible in-depth by yourself, this series makes an excellent choice. Or, if you want to do a Bible lecture class with material provided for you, this works very well for that too, with or without supplemental DVDs you can purchase from the publisher or Amazon. If you want a family study at home or a Bible study discussion group, the series will also accommodate those needs.

As you’ve surely surmised from the title, the purpose of this study is to help you see Jesus in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation and beyond. For example, when you think of the story of Noah and the ark, you’ll begin to see the ark as foreshadowing the grace and refuge found in Jesus Christ. You’ll also see how the reference to Noah in Matthew 24:39 shows that the next coming of Christ won’t necessarily cause believers to suddenly disappear as often thought but that unbelievers may be swept away, as they were in the days of Noah. Also, in book one, The Promised One, you’ll hear how God promised Abraham a great nation and a great name, but “he was not told to do something to earn this. God’s promise of blessing was a sheer gift of grace.”

In book 2, The Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy, the author’s relevant examples and personal style encourage study and clearly show what Jesus meant in John 5, when He said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” The Exodus from Egypt, the Passover, the sacrificial lamb, and even the Ten Commandments take on even more depth and meaning when seen in Christ.

For example, the commandment to have no graven images reflects new light when we see Jesus as the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15.) And, keeping the Sabbath holy “points us to Christ in whom we find ultimate and eternal rest.”

Similarly, book 3, The Son of David: Seeing Jesus in the Historical Books, shows that “The kingdom established in the Promised Land of Canaan has much to reveal to us in shadow form about the larger kingdom that God is bringing and the greater king who sits on its throne.” For example, “In Joshua, as we witness Moses’s successor lead the people of God into rest in the land that God gave to them, we’ll see how the greater Joshua, Jesus, leads his people into rest.”

How? “Jesus came telling us exactly how we should respond to his kingdom at hand.” And, as the historical books of the Bible remind us, “There is only one kingdom that proves true, one kingdom that will last forever, one kingdom with a King on the throne worthy of worship and able to reign over this world and to reign in our hearts in true righteousness.” That King, of course, is Jesus Christ to Whom the entire Bible points as this series beautifully shows.

© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer


The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis, paperback



The Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy, paperback



The Son of David: Seeing Jesus in the Historical Books, paperback




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Creeds, Councils, and Confessions in Christ and the church

In Know the Creeds and Councils published by Zondervan, author Justin S. Holcomb, a professor of theology and Episcopal priest, gives a concise, well-balanced overview of church creeds and councils that arose for various reasons over many centuries.

As explained in the Introduction, the “English word ‘creed’ comes from the Latin word credo, which means ‘I believe’,” with creeds "developed by early Christians to defend against subtle pagan influences and to establish key beliefs.” For example, the opening lines of the Nicene Creed, established in 325 A.D., clearly state:

I believe in God,
The Father Almighty
Maker of Heaven and Earth
Of all that is seen and unseen….

In the early church, “creeds were meant to be used by groups – not just a summary of what everyone in the room agrees upon but a promise made and kept as a group. Creeds were initially used in baptism, during which the baptismal candidate recited a formula or responded to questions, thereby publicly confessing belief in Jesus Christ." Eventually, easy-to-learn creeds gave converts the basic elements of the Christian faith and "were also used in church liturgies ... uniting the congregation in common confession. Far from being a device of the ivory tower, creeds were the way that ordinary” people “could learn about and pledge their lives to the God of the Bible.”

Confessions, however, differ in that they “often define a particular group’s belief in secondary issues such as infant baptism, the end times, predestination, the Lord’s Supper, and the order of salvation.” So, while creeds aimed to preserve the Christian faith for all peoples, places, and times, “confessions tried to apply the faith to the here and now.” Since this often came about because of a theological debate, “the issues emphasized in any particular confession may say more about cross-denominational arguments than anything else….”

Interestingly though, a study of confessions, creeds, catechisms, and councils can draw us closer together in the church Body of Christ as we begin to see and respect differing points of view and various possibilities for interpretation. Such approaches have biblical precedence too. For instance Acts 15 tells us of the first recorded church council, which occurred in Jerusalem to address the issue of “how Jewish and Gentile Christians would relate to one another on a daily basis.”

Even in modern times, “Councils bring together Christians from all over the world – not just the best and brightest thinkers, the flashiest preachers, or the most fervent activists but a cross section of informed Christian leaders. Ideally, the diversity that a council brings – both in the origins of the attendees and in their viewpoints – ensures that all viewpoints are fairly represented. Having asked the Spirit to guide their decisions, these Christians then try to work out a solution to the questions at hand that is best in line with Scripture.”

Although that ideal does not always go as hoped, each chapter of this book takes us through problems and purposes the church has addressed, giving us an informed approach to issues that concern us today. Or, as Dr. Holcomb puts it: “Learning how Christians through history have wrestled with the tough questions of our faith gives us a valuable perspective that deepens our understanding of the Christian faith, increases our dependence on God’s revelation in Jesus Christ and Holy Scriptures, fuels our worship of God, increases our love for each other, and motivates mission to the world.”

For those who believe in ecumenism and the need for church unity – not to make us uniformly alike, but to unite us as One in the One Body of Christ at work in the world today, this book comes highly recommended.

© 2014, Mary Harwell Sayler, reviewer


Know the Creeds and Councils, paperback



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The One Year Book of Psalms

As a Christian poet, I’m naturally (and, most likely, supernaturally) drawn to the biblical Psalms. Over the years I’ve collected a number of books that approach these prayer-poems from various angles, ranging from poetic retellings to lengthy discussions about as dry as parchment left out in the sun. However, The One Year Book of Psalms brings another perspective by placing a lively New Living Translation of each Psalm on one page with a related word or reading on the page adjacent.

Published by Tyndale House, this highly recommended book gives us entry into “exquisite poetry, crisp theology, and stirring history,” but, as the Preface goes on to say, Psalms “are far more than all that. Most of all, they are intensely personal. The Psalms meet us where we are, and they take us to where we ought to be. You don’t have to dress up for the Psalms. Come as you are.”

We’re free to bring our real selves to these biblical writings mainly because the Psalmists did! Their honest responses to life and their vulnerability in laying themselves open before God (and us too) give credibility to their faith whether they're expressing their fears, worries, laments, thanksgivings, or praise. We, too, have been there, working through our doubts and bouncing along our up and down emotions, so I felt stunned when I heard someone admit, “I don’t like reading Psalms! I just don’t get them.”

Frankly, this could mean low esteem of God or high expectations for ourselves, straining to “be good,” in which cases, the Psalms might seem shocking. For most of us though, Psalms can become remote whenever the customs, situations, or surroundings seem too distant from our own experiences or background for us to connect well. But, that’s where the readings accompanying each Psalm in this book come to our rescue!

For example, Psalm 24 “may have been written in honor of the Ark coming at last to Mount Zion (I Chronicles 13:8), but that’s only part of the story…. As it approached the city, the gates were commanded to open. The Ark came in, and King David came in," then David’s call to “Open up, ancient gates” not only spoke to that present moment, but also prophetically to the coming of the King of Glory, Jesus Christ.

Many Psalms and, indeed, the whole Bible point to Jesus, so when we read Psalm 68 and see “The Psalmist’s View of the World” where “The kings of all the other nations are coming to pay tribute to the Lord in Jerusalem," we have hope for the future as peoples everywhere return to God.

Besides helping us to envision the situations, scenes, or prophetic possibilities in many Psalms, the adjacent readings in this book also give us a glimpse of some ways the Psalms have spoken to and through social reformers, historical and political leaders, hymn writers, and poets, each of whom brings new insights.

For example, Isaac “Watts had written his first hymn in his teenage years as a protest to his father, a minister. Watts had complained about singing from the old psalter that had been around for over a hundred years, and his father told him, ‘If you don’t like these hymns, write better ones.’ So he did.” Watts then “wrote metrical versions of all the Psalms” with his timeless rendering of Psalm 98 coming to us as “Joy to the World.” Later, George Frideric Handel, who was partially paralyzed and recovering from “bankruptcy after several musical failures,” produced the music for Watts’ poem in the gorgeous masterpiece known as Handel’s’ Messiah.

Lord willing, these blessed prayer-poems and the readings about them will continue to uplift, inspire, and empower us for the work we've been given to do in Jesus' Name.


© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer


The One Year Book of Psalms, paperback



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Essential Guide to Biblical Life and Times

Over the years I’ve acquired a number of hefty books on Bible times, peoples, and places with lots of color photographs and all sorts of information to refer to as I study for my Bible discussion group or write about a Bible topic. When the slender review copy of the Essential Guide to Biblical Life and Times arrived from Saint Mary’s Press, however, I just started reading and enjoying it as I would almost any interesting book.

With short articles ranging from Afterlife, Agriculture, and Anointing to Torah, War, and Women, the author Martin C. Albl reminds us that the Bible not only came to us in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, but people “lived in societies and cultures…very different from our modern American experiences.”

In “Approaching the Biblical Societies and Cultures,” the author defines society as “social structures of institutions...established by a particular people,” whereas “Culture refers to the basic values, beliefs, and practices...shared by a special group.”

With the subjects of society and cultures clearly in focus, the book covers these major areas:

• social and political institutions, including study of the family or kinship system and political structures

• social customs, including dance, music, and hair and dress styles

• general cultural beliefs and values, including beliefs about human nature, sexuality, sickness and healing, and beliefs about the structure of the universe(cosmology)

• religious beliefs and institutions, including beliefs about purity, sacrifices, sin, and spiritual powers, as well as the synagogue and Temple systems in which these beliefs functioned

• economic structures, including professions in agriculture, fishing, and shepherding, as well as a consideration of the money, tax, and debt systems within the context of patron-client structures

Reading the book will give you a good idea of how the apostles went fishing or how the women did their hair and how everyone celebrated certain feast and festivals.

On a more spiritual level, I read with interest the “Afterlife” section, which depicts heaven from a particular perspective that may be unfamiliar to some of us now. For example, the article “Heaven” explained: “Whereas modern Christians tend to think of heaven as a spiritual reality only, the biblical writers did not distinguish clearly between the physical reality of the sky and a spiritual heaven.”

Later, a section on “Human Nature” shows the “New Testament View: Body, Soul, and Spirit,” saying, “We see the holistic nature of the New Testament view most clearly in Paul’s description of the resurrection body. It is not only a person’s spirit that is raised from the dead; the body will be raised as well...” so “a person’s body is renewed and perfected by being made alive through the spirit.”

Similarly, in the section on “Sickness and Health,” we read in “Healing and Salvation” that “Jesus’ healings in this world were a sign of the ultimate healing brought about by the Kingdom of God, inaugurated with the coming of Christ….”

Whether you’re just curious or ready to research a Bible-based saga, I highly recommend this book as a reader-friendly way to immerse yourself in the environment, envision Bible stories, and catch those little nuances that might be missed if we only “translate” what we read from our own lives and culture.


© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer

Essential Guide to Biblical Life and Times, paperback, Saint Mary’s Press



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Anselm Academic Study Bible

Before presenting the full text and footnotes to the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), the Anselm Academic Study Bible provides a series of articles such as “The Formation of the Bible,” “Geography, Archaeology, and the Scriptures,” “Social Context of the Bible,” and “The Distinctiveness of Jesus,” where each article (and more!) contain highly interesting and helpful information.

For example, the article on geography lets us know the “territory controlled by the ancient Israelite kingdoms was relatively small – about the size of New Jersey.” And, in “Social Context,” we realize that “All of the cultures of the ancient Near East, along with Greek and Roman cultures, were honor cultures” where that status could “be earned or achieved,” which explains why King Saul, who had been victorious over thousands, became paranoid over David, who was honored for conquering “tens of thousands.”

In “The Formation of the Bible,” we discover that the Septuagint or Greek Bible was widely read during Jesus’ time and, therefore, provided over 90 percent of the Old Testament verses quoted in the New Testament. Although Catholic Bibles follow that translation, others do not, making the Apocrypha a source of confusion among various denominations. However, the article on “Deuterocanonical and Noncanonical Scriptures” not only explains this well but mentions various books written during Bible times that were not canonized but became a source of folktales and thought-provoking information not found in scripture.

Equally interesting, the article on “Jewish Biblical Interpretation” gives insight into common methods of study, biblical analysis, and interpretative thinking such as allegory, numeric value, and typology where something on earth represents a type of reality found in heaven. In addition, “Jewish and non-Jewish interpreters familiar with earlier Jewish commentary draw on rabbinic/ midrashic interpretation, with its attention to multiple meanings, plays on words, and intertextual conversations, to enhance literary-critical approaches.”

Understanding Jesus’ Jewish heritage helps us to recognize “The Many Faces of Jesus” as seen by early Christians and Gospel writers who “came to understand the person and mission of Jesus as the new Adam, the new Son of David, the new Passover, and the New Covenant that the Hebrew Scriptures foretold.” With this foundation, we’re better equipped to approach “A Brief History and Practice of Biblical Criticism” with its methods of studying the Bible through history, textual comparisons, translations, forms, sources, intent, and/or unifying themes.

As the article on “Contextual and Transformative Interpretation” explains, “different types of meaning within biblical texts” might focus on “The messianic meaning,” “The canonical meaning,” or “The communal meaning," but “One can read the Bible primarily for information, that is, to be intellectually enlightened, or for transformation, that is, to be personally changed.” Regarding the latter, “This integration of the meaning of the text and the world of the reader is the ultimate goal of interpretation.” With “meditative prayer or communal worship, the biblical texts become more personal and immediate,” for example, through Lectio Divina.

A subheading on “The Tradition of Lectio Divina” offers these bullet points for us to consider and live out:

• Lectio – Reading the Text with a Listening Ear.
• Meditatio – Reflecting on the Meaning and Message of the Text.
• Oratio – Praying in Response to Scripture.
• Contemplatio – Quietly Resting in God.
• Operatio – Faithful witness in Daily Life.


© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer


Anselm Academic Study Bible, paperback



Anselm Academic Study Bible, hardcover



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The Catholic Youth Bible

The Catholic Youth Bible from Saint Mary’s Press encourages young people to “Pray It,” “Study It,” and “Live It” as they read the Bible and apply scriptures to their lives. As the first page says, “This book can change your life.”

The “Welcome!” section explains “What Makes this Youth Bible CATHOLIC?” by saying, “For starters, its introductions and articles reflect Catholic interpretation of the Bible and make connections to Catholic beliefs and traditions. In addition, this Bible contains all seventy-three books and letters that form a complete Catholic Bible, seven more than most other Bibles…. Does this mean that other Christians cannot use The Catholic Youth Bible? Not at all. When it comes to the Scriptures, Christians from all cultures and denominations have more in common than they have differences.”

"Catholic" generally refers to the Roman Catholic Church, but the word also means "universal." To give you an idea of the type of insights you might expect, a “Catholic Social Teaching” sidebar on “The Cycle of Violence” explains, “Cain was a murderer. Some might say that he deserved the death penalty. But in Genesis 4:15, God marks Cain so that he is protected from being killed. God seeks to stop the cycle of violence."

As an example of a "Cultural Connection,” the sidebar for 1 Kings 5:10 tells readers, “The first Book of Kings says, ‘Solomon’s wisdom surpasses that of all the peoples of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.' ...Ancient southern Egypt included the country of modern Ethiopia. The people in these countries must have been well known for their wisdom in order for the biblical author to use them in a comparison with Solomon.”

Also regarding wisdom, an “Introduction to the Wisdom and Poetry Books” of the Bible says “In general, the wisdom writings have these characteristics,” which include “a search for harmony and the meaning of life” and “a fundamental belief that good and wise living is rewarded, whereas evil and foolish ways lead to ruin.”

Other features insert notes on “Praying with the Bible,” which help readers to “discover that God’s story is our story. God’s life is intimately connected with our lives.” Therefore, this section also provides “Tips for Praying with the Bible” and information about Lectio Divina, “a very ancient art for praying with the Bible… a prayer technique for reading the Bible slowly and contemplatively, allowing God’s word to shed insights on your life.”

Another series of page inserts concern “Living Biblical Principles” where readers are encouraged to:

• See God in Everything
• Trust in God Always
• Stand Up for the Poor and Vulnerable
• Be Courageous
• Serve Humbly
• Share the Faith

A section of photographs of biblical images will help young people to envision various items and places in the Holy Lands, but more importantly, lists of “The Names of God in the Old Testament” and the “Titles of Jesus of Nazareth” can help readers to deepen their faith and get to know the nature and character of our loving God.

© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer


The Catholic Youth Bible, paperback


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Break Through!

In this well-done edition, Saint Mary’s Press presents Break Through! The Bible for Young Catholics in the contemporary Good News Translation that appeals to readers of all ages.

The beginning pages include a “Salvation History Time Line” that shows the sequence in which the books of the Bible occurred as God breaks through to people, and people break through to God in the unique, ongoing relationship we, too, can be blessed to enjoy.

To encourage interaction with God’s Word, this edition includes sidebars throughout the text to show readers how to “Study It!” but also “Pray It!” and “Live It!” too. In the opening pages, for example, “Study It!” begins by explaining that “The main purpose of the Study It articles is to help you understand what the original author of the story was trying to get across.”

Then, “Pray It!” sidebars focus on “Talking with God,” wondering, for example, “Am I Like Cain?” before praying “Please help me to let go of the anger and jealousy that’s in my heart. Replace it with kindness, fairness, and the ability to see myself as you see me.”

Similarly, the sidebars for “Live It!” encourage young readers to keep on “Following God in Everyday Life,” wisely showing how to go about this. In Romans 12, for example, “Live It!” lets children know, “Sometimes certain messages in our world try to teach us things that are not what God wants for us. In chapter 12 Paul gives us a list of rules for living the life that God intended. Notice how different that list is from some of the things you see or hear every day.”

Other excellent features of this edition include “Break Through!” sections that present Bible stories as interesting conversations and interviews with Bible people. The back matter then has an index to those lively stories followed by an index of the articles for “Pray It! Study It! Live It! and Catholic Connections.”

A user-friendly glossary and a series of time-tested, traditional prayers have also been included in the back matter to aid spiritual growth. In addition, a set of clearly drawn maps will help children to picture Bible journeys but also see the geographical placement of “The Holy Lands in Modern Times.”

© 2014, Mary Sayler, reviewer


Break Through! The Bible for Young Catholics, paperback



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