“Bible Tools”

Monday, November 11, 2019

     What things besides the Bible (e.g. a knowledge of history, culture, languages, etc.) are prerequisites to understanding the Bible?  How can our plea be "Bible only" if so much additional knowledge is needed just to understand the Bible itself?

Sincerely,
No Theologian

Dear No Theologian,

The Bible is the only thing we use as our guide, and anything that we can use to help better understand and appreciate the Bible is useful… but it all comes back to God’s Book.  If someone doesn’t know how to read, they can still study their Bible by having others read it to them… but literacy sure makes them more effective students!  You don’t need to know world history, Jewish culture, or Koiné Greek to learn the Bible, but they each offer things that can enhance your studies and give you a deeper knowledge of God’s Word.  All of these are simply tools to help us be better Bible students… but in the end, knowing Bible is the goal and at the heart of all we do (Rom 1:16).

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