Biblical Study

Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It’s meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your 21st-century life.

Covering everything from translational concerns to different genres of biblical writing, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is used worldwide. In clear, simple language, it helps you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible—their meaning for ancient audiences and their implications for you today—so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God’s Word.

The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels bridges the gap between scholars and those pastors, teachers, students and lay people desiring in-depth treatment of select topics in an accessible and summary format. The topics range from themes (such as faith, law, Sabbath) to methods of interpretation to each of the four Gospels as a whole. Some articles–such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic traditions and revolutionary movements at the time of Jesus–provide significant background information to the Gospels.

The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels presents the fruit of evangelical New Testament scholarship at the end of the twentieth century–committed to the authority of Scripture, utilizing the best of critical methods, and maintaining dialog with contemporary scholarship and challenges facing the church.

The narratives, genealogies, laws, poetry, proverbs  and prophecies of the Old Testament are deeply rooted in history.  This unique commentary joins The IVP Bible Background Commentary New Testament in giving historical, social, and cultural background for each Old Testament passage. From Genesis through Malachi it gathers and condenses an abundance of specialized knowledge and makes it available to ordinary readers of the Old Testament.

Written in a clear, non-technical language, this invaluable aid includes a glossary of historical terms, ancient peoples, texts, and inscriptions; maps and charts of important historical resources; expanded explanations of significant background issues; introductory essays on the background of each book.

For 40 years, the New Bible Commentary has set the standard for works of its kind.  This readable and accessible volume brings together many of the finest scholars of our day to meet the needs of students, teachers and Bible readers. The 21st-century edition offers 66 solid, concise, evangelical commentaries—one on each book of the Bible. These detailed (passage-by-passage or verse-by-verse) commentaries, based on the NIV text, are accompanied by introductory material on date, authorship, purpose, key themes, outlines and discussions of recent developments in biblical scholarship, along with numerous maps, diagrams, and tables.

The Holman Bible Atlas offers a visual feast through which the reader can explore the world of the Bible. Utilizing 140 full color maps key to biblical events and 140 full color photographs illustrating the land, sites, and archaeology of the biblical world, the Atlas draws the reader into the biblical story. The Holman Bible Atlas begins with an introduction to the geography of the biblical world emphasizing the major physical features of the Ancient Near East with special attention given to the geographical regions of Palestine. Information about daily life and the role of archaeology in recovering ancient cultures are discussed.

“I’ve tried to read the Bible but I’ve never made it all the way through.”

“I’ve never read the Bible but I’d be interested to find out what’s in it.”

“I love reading the Bible but I need help to understand how it applies to my life.”

The Bible is the most influential book ever published, and yet it can be difficult or just plain confusing to read. The Essential Bible Guide takes you through the Old and New Testaments in 100 carefully selected readings–The Essential 100–so you’ll see the big picture of the Bible. Each reading includes insightful reflections written in a warm and inviting style to help you reflect on what the Bible has to say to you today.