Recommended Resources

When I started reading the Bible as a young teen more than 50 years ago, I used a kids Story Bible. To me it was AMAZING. That and a KJV were my only resources. If I didn't have that Story Bible given to me by a dear family member that my sisters, cousins, and I called "Nana", I never would have engaged the Bible then. I may have attempted to read the KJV. But, I seriously doubt that I would have really plugged in and engaged. That one resource made all the difference in the world to me. I am eternally grateful to Nana (now gone home) for that life shaping gift. The right resources can make all the difference in the world to you too. In fact, if you are a Christian and don't feel you're really "plugged in" and engaged in the study of the Bible, it's probably because you are unaware of the great resources available to help you understand and appreciate the greatest story ever written - the story of God and Humanity. I've listed and tried to explain a few of them below.

Study Bibles

Sorting out Bibles really can be bewildering. I will later add a page that compares and contrasts them. But for now, I recommend the Westminster Study Bible (NRSVue). However, I've recently learned that in August, 2026 the New Oxford Annotated Bible, Sixth Edition is due for general release. Both of these are updated to reflect, among other things, the latest scholarship. Additionally, for both of these, the National Council of Churches controls the translation. Therefore, among other things, they are more denominationally sensitive rather than being denominationally dogmatic. Also, the current New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) is said to be the standard study Bible in most academic settings. Its notes are scholarly, ecumenical, and honest about textual and historical questions. It is not written from an evangelical perspective, which makes it especially useful for readers who want scholarship rather than devotional commentary. The HarperCollins Study Bible is similar in approach. For readers who prefer an evangelical perspective alongside solid scholarship, the ESV Study Bible is well-produced and thorough, though its theological commitments are clearly Reformed. Reformed theology grows out of the 16th century Protestant Reformation (I will add a page explaining this a little later).

Introductions to the Bible

John Barton's A History of the Bible (2019) is the most readable and comprehensive single-volume introduction to how the Bible came to be - covering composition, canonization, translation, and interpretation across Jewish and Christian traditions. It is written by a distinguished Oxford scholar who is also an ordained Anglican priest. then there's also Bart Ehrman's The Bible: A Historical and Literary Introduction. Professor Ehrman is a world renowned Bible scholar who has authored numerous New York Time's Best Sellers. As of, I think Spring 2026, he is now a retired professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. However, Professor Ehrman is an evangelical turned Biblical skeptic. This very clear in his class room teachings, lectures, and writings. Some may find this disconcerting. Others have no problem distinguishing solid, fact based scholarship from personal faith beliefs. At any rate, his scholarship continues to be among the world's most respected. For the Old Testament specifically, John J. Collins's Introduction to the Hebrew Bible is the standard academic text and is more accessible than its title suggests.

Online Tools

BibleGateway.com allows you to read and compare dozens of English translations side by side on line for free. I often use this in our church Bible study. There is also Bible Hub (biblehub.com). It provides interlinear tools that let you see the Biblical Greek and Hebrew alongside English translations. This is very useful even without knowledge of the biblical languages. The Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org) offers similar tools with a more evangelical orientation. I've downloaded this as an app on my phone. For academic resources, the Society of Biblical Literature (sbl-site.org) publishes freely available materials including its own scholarly journal.Finally, by all means, check internet sources for university level free to the viewer classroom instruction from the comfort of your living room. Many world renown university professors put their classroom lectures, seminars, public lectures, etc. online. Harvard and Yale are among them. Also, Gordon-Conwell of Charlotte, NC. There is a gold mine of excellent material immediately available and free of charge. You will be surprised!

A Word of Caution

However, I must offer this word of caution. The internet contains an enormous amount of biblical commentary of widely varying quality. Distinguish scholarship from dogma, propaganda, ideology. Even calm, scholarly sounding pulpit deliveries are often more dogma and institutional ideology than solid scholarship. Consider the following as you listen or view. Is the material of the presenter (pastor, preacher, lecturer, teacher, etc.) rooted in an ideological agenda? If so, understand that you are getting only that particular ideological viewpoint. Does the person's academic credentials or other demonstrable expertise support the level of information being presented. Is the person in academia in teaching and/or research regarding the topic of the material being presented? Is the presenter "staying in a lane" of expertise? Experts always stay in their lane. Does the presenter of the material have respected publications. Remember, popular YouTube channels, devotional websites, and self-published commentaries are not always reliable guides to what the Biblical text actually says or what scholars have found.