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.
Our top recommendations for Bible study leaders are:
NIV Application Commentary: One-Volume Edition
The Story of God Bible Commentary series
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.
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary series
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.