The Logos Bible Software Blog
Image: Moses and Aaron with the 10 Commandments, Aron de Chaves (1674)
One of the most enduring elements of the Bible and the Judaeo-Christian worldview within Western culture is the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Even if one can’t recite them all, most people have seen the fiery finger of God etch the commandments into two stone tablets as Moses—for many of us, Charlton Heston—watches in awe.
Now that Bible software is a standard tool for ministry and for academic biblical studies, Bible software training has become a necessary part of the seminary curriculum. Major seminaries across the country and the world, such as Dallas, Moody, and Ridley (Australia), have made Logos Bible Software an integral part of the training they offer.
The brand new Logos Academic Training Bundle (4 courses) is a concise but thorough program for teaching anyone in biblical studies how to use Logos. Students, professors, and practitioners will all benefit.
For years, skeptical scholars claimed that the gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial could not be trusted. Why? For one, claimed the skeptics, Roman authorities would never allow a victim of crucifixion to receive the honorific burial described by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Instead, crucifixion victims were literally thrown to the dogs, their bodies tossed into mass graves where wild animals scavenged.
Even though we’re well into the digital and e-book age, I often still hear Logos users comment they prefer reading from print volumes when covering a large number of pages. I certainly can identity. There’s just something about the feel of the printed page.
I have discovered, however, I can quickly and effectively cover a lot of ground in a resource, right from the computer screen (I’m not referring to the mobile app here). Here are some tips I’ve found helpful when reading Logos resources:
Throughout May, we’re featuring Faithlife’s very own publishing imprint, Lexham Press. Our roots are in creating innovative resources designed for and integrated into the Logos Bible Software platform. You can get great deals on many of these digital-native resources like the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, the Lexham Bible Guides, and much more!
Here are three collections that you won’t want to miss:
You’re reading along in Philippians and your eyes traverse Paul’s famous phrase, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Your job, Bible student or teacher, is to understand this metaphor well enough to explain it to others. But at first, it may not feel like a metaphor. It’s so commonplace among Christians that Paul’s fresh imagery may have been covered with a patina of familiarity—a familiarity which has bred, not contempt, but mental dullness.
That’s why it’s so helpful that Logos has now tagged all the metaphors in the New Testament through our newly complete Figurative Language dataset.
John Calvin loved the book of Hebrews. “There is indeed, no book in Holy Scripture which . . . so fully explains that Christ is the end of the Law,” said the great Reformer. But it’s that very connection to the Old Testament that makes the epistle so perplexing to the modern Christian. The only New Testament book to quote the Old Testament more is the Gospel of Matthew; its many references to Old Testament prophecies and commandments can be difficult enough to untangle. But Hebrews’ focus on the complex rituals of priesthood and tabernacle present an even greater challenge.
Combine this with the letter’s ambiguous authorship and warnings of apostasy, and we’re left with an intimidating interpretive puzzle. To learn how to put those pieces together, I spoke with New Testament scholar Dr. David de Silva, whose new Mobile Ed course, Exegetical Study: Letter to the Hebrews, is currently available on Community Pricing.
Have you ever been listening to a preacher who is using a Bible translation different from the one in your lap? Generally, the wording is similar enough to avoid confusion; in fact those differences often provide little insights. But occasionally the differences are so striking that you get distracted.
When Bible translations differ greatly, what’s going on?
A short while ago I blogged about a couple of ways to hear Bible names pronounced. Then recently while working with the leadership at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN, my good friend Dr. Michael Easley reminded me of the resource That’s Easy for You to Say which also helps with pronunciation.
Stream the new film that gives you an inside look at one of the most important figures in church history. Stephen McCaskell’s original documentary combines beautiful animation, powerful storytelling, and riveting interviews with scholars and pastors to explore the life and legacy of the great Reformer Martin Luther.