By Beth Murphy
Bible study leaders, has this ever happened to you? You're hosting a Bible study in your home. The number of Bible study choices are kind of overwhelming so you decide to keep things simple and read through a book of the Bible together. It goes ok at first. But after a couple weeks, you start getting into the meat of one of Paul's letters and the questions start. Questions you don't feel equipped to answer as an unpaid, not-on-staff, never-went-to-seminary, volunteer Bible study leader.
We've all been there. Your pastor has even been there. There's so much to learn and study and unpack in Scripture, there's always more to learn, even after decades of study.
But the good news is, you, as a Bible study leader, can easily tap into the centuries of scholarship, word study, and real-life application of those who have come before us.
Bible commentaries, often relegated to pastor's bookshelves or a dusty bookcase in the back of your church's library, are an overlooked tool in the Bible study leader's toolbox. But they provide valuable insight for anyone studying a book of the Bible.
What is a commentary, anyway?
A Bible commentary is a book written by a scholar or group of scholars who have dedicated a significant portion of their career to studying a specific book or section of the Bible, the historical context, the original languages, and even other scholars' interpretations and thoughts on that book of the Bible. Reading a commentary is like getting a front-row seat to a seminary lecture on a specific Bible passage, but in summarized, easy-to-understand nuggets.
My top commentary recommendations for Bible study leaders are:
This one volume covers the entire Bible, so you don't have to dedicate an entire bookcase to collecting a bunch of volumes. Each passage is treated with three sections: Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts (to bring together the world of the Bible and the world of today), and Contemporary Significance.
This story-centric series explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible’s grand story, offering a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts.
Pictures! Brimming with photos and graphics, this series walks you through verse by verse. It’s like slipping on a set of glasses that lets you read the Bible through the eyes of a first-century reader! Things that seem mystifying, puzzling, or obscure will take on tremendous meaning when you view them in their ancient context.