Guest AuthorIn this excerpt adapted from the November/December issue of Bible Study Magazine, Stephen G. Dempster, author of Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible, provides a big-picture overview of the story of the Old Testament.
Faithlife StaffWe see our pastors each week on-screen or up front. We typically recognize key ministry leaders. We know (and ask God to bless abundantly) our children’s nursery workers who graciously receive our crying babies each week with smiles on their faces...
Many of the 150 canonical psalms have superscriptions or titles, like: “Of David,” “For the choirmaster,” and “According to the lilies.” Are these superscriptions in the psalms original? Or were they added at a later time? In this excerpt adapted...
Christians pray for their enemies—but should they also pray against them? Consider two verses. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:44). But David says—of an enemy—“Let there be none who extend to him loyal...
Who was Paul’s audience in Romans? Paul’s writings and the book of Acts give us more data about him than they do about the Roman church. We know nothing about its origins and only a little about its history. Some have claimed that Peter...
If you want to interpret the Bible correctly, you’ll need to use the right tools, and use them rightly. This is surely true for Paul’s letter to the Romans, which is long, complex, and very important to Christian faith and doctrine. Let’s take a...
Mary JahnkeDo you love a great conversation about the Bible? Then today—National Podcast Day!—there’s one you need to give a listen: the Bible Study Magazine podcast. Join host Mark Ward (author of Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible) as he...
Hezekiah’s tunnel, where archaeologists found an inscription describing the completion of the tunnel (source: commons.wikimedia.org) The work of archaeologists often overlaps with places, people, and events we read about in the Bible. Some of...
In the Bible, dreams are sources of divine revelation that indicate what someone should do, reveal what is going to happen, or explain current events. The Bible uses different Hebrew and Greek words when it talks about dreams and visions. Hebrew...
Shiloh, an ancient city in Samaria, was the major Israelite place of worship before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem. By Scott Stripling The ruins of ancient Shiloh, first identified by the American explorer Edward Robinson in 1838, lie 18...
Image courtesy of Faithlife Media. From Timothy (2 Tim 1:5) to Augustine to John and Charles Wesley and many, many more, God has used mothers to bring people to faith—and to set them afire for the gospel. To that number, we’ll add Faithlife’s...
By Robert Kinney Though often passed over as short and insignificant, Paul’s letter to Philemon might actually be the perfect message for a moment in history consumed with questions of identity and self-realization, social justice, the assertion of...
In this post, excerpted from the March/April 2017 edition of Bible Study Magazine, John D. Barry discusses the prologue to the passion of Jesus—his anguish in the garden—by considering what the Gospels collectively say about it. By doing so, he...
By Todd R. Hains Things are not the way they’re supposed to be. We live in a world filled with suffering and injustice, where the wicked often prosper and the righteous often languish. Scripture assumes this basic truth. Yet it doesn’t provide a...
How does the story of the Bible shape our lives? That’s the topic of conversation on the Bible Study Magazine Podcast. In the first season, author and Bible Study Magazine writer—and now podcast host—Mark Ward explores why it’s important to really...
By Craig S. Keener In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus summons us to stake our hearts on the reality of God. Both Matthew and Luke report much of this sermon, and James is among New Testament writers who echo it. In Matthew’s version, Jesus offers...
Rick BrannanHilary of Poitiers (around AD 315–367/8) became bishop of Poitiers, in western France, in AD 350. Soon after, he was drawn into disputes over Arianism, the heretical teaching that Jesus was created by God the Father. Hilary was condemned in 356 and...
By Neal A. Huddleston The literary genius of the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—embodies the tangled strands of ancient history. The narrator weaves a vibrant tapestry beginning in Genesis with the journey of the first recorded human...
Ryan PembertonChris looked around the room full of pastors, ministry directors, and administrators, offered thanks and a winsome smile, and began to speak. He wore a t-shirt that read: “Dis·a·bled /ˌdisˈāb(ə)ld/ adjective: equally human.” A second-year seminary...
Mark WardThe following piece is a preview of my regular column in Bible Study Magazine. The tips here will come out in the next issue. If you’re not yet a subscriber to BSM, click here. Here’s a new skill you may not yet have, a tool you’ll want to stick in...
Karen Jones“I was a musician before I was a theologian,” says N. T. Wright. “When I look at a piece of music, my mind is making connections between harmonic shifts. I’m seeing the patterns in song. When I’m reading passages, I’m asking, ‘How do the themes...
John D. BarryNutritionists everywhere tell us that a well-balanced diet fuels our bodies, yet many of us continue to ignore their advice. The same is true for our Bible study habits. We know that nourishment for our souls lies in the pages of the Bible, but we...
Tayler BeedeThe November/December issue of Bible Study Magazine features Nabeel Qureshi—bestselling author of Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Qureshi was raised in a close-knit Pakistani-American family devoted to Islam—so when he became convinced of the truth of...
D. A. Carson is one of the most respected New Testament scholars in the world. But how does he study the Bible for his personal devotions? In this excerpt from Bible Study Magazine, Carson opens up on his prayer life, private study of...
Bible Study Magazine gives you the tools and insight you need to study the Bible and apply it in your life. No matter how you’re currently studying Scripture, BSM helps you get more out of your time in the Word. The September-October issue of Bible...
Naomi DevinyIn the new issue of Bible Study Magazine, we sat down with Mark Dever to learn how to put our churches on the road to spiritual health. But where to start? Read on to discover the first steps every church must take. You can read the whole interview...
Each issue of Bible Study Magazine features a “Bible Study with Logos 6” section, which shows you how Logos 6 can help you gain insight and understanding by tackling a complex Bible passage. Here’s an example from the current issue...
Leah ParkerWe’ve compiled a list of 2014’s top 50 best-selling Logos resources so you can see which ones are favorites among Logos users! These resources cover topics like theology and New Testament studies, and they range from large collections to single...
Now is the perfect time to transform your Bible study with Bible Study Magazine, and the March–April 2015 issue will help you do just that. Get encouraged by Beth Moore and a one-year subscription to Bible Study Magazine for only $19.95 when you...
Jake MailhotSince 2008, Bible Study Magazine has been shipping issues every two months, and we just shipped our 38th issue. And now, Lexham Press is proud to announce a nine-volume collection of Bible Study Magazine books, available today! There are over 200...