{"id":351,"date":"2015-06-09T02:25:30","date_gmt":"2015-06-09T07:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/?page_id=351"},"modified":"2023-12-14T14:44:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T20:44:00","slug":"online-bible-study-tool","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/online-bible-study-tool","title":{"rendered":"Bible Study Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>CHOOSE STUDY RESOURCES CAREFULLY<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen choosing which published resource to read when doing Bible study, it is critical to remember what <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+8:1-9\">God said about lying scribes<\/a>. The caution here is to always remember that religious teachers, even those who have titles and degrees and who have published books, including Bibles, always have religious biases that strongly influence what they write or preach.<\/p>\n<p>It is also good to remember that anyone who has authored or published something about religion has probably received income for their publication is almost surely engaged in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-commerce\">commercial religion<\/a>. And if they are engaged in commercial religion, that fact alone is enough to make their teachings suspect.<\/p>\n<p>Few, if any, publishers or authors give their products away. Thus, it is hard to imagine a publisher or author who will not advertise and promote their product. When they attach their name to a religious product, they promote themselves as religious experts and, in effect, make claims about their special relationship with God. The hope and expectation is that customers who find them to be qualified spokespersons for God will purchase the product. This is how business is done in the Old\/First Covenant religious environment. False prophets sell and religionists buy.<\/p>\n<p>Because this commercial pattern has been in place for thousands of years, no one doubts the practice of mixing religion and business. While this pattern is common among Old\/First Covenant religionists, New Covenant disciples will not participate in it for several reasons:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>It violates the principles of rest found in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\">Fourth Commandment<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>It violates <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\/2#prohibitedsabbathactivities\">prohibited Sabbath commands regarding buying and selling.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>It violates the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/fourth-commandment\/sabbath-fasting-rest\">Sabbath concept of resting<\/a> from religious work because work is required to write and publish a book or article.<\/li>\n<li>Public promotion of self as a religious expert violates <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=matthew+6:1-5;+matthew+6:16;+matthew+23:1-5;+luke+6:20-26;+john+12:37-43;+john+5:41-44;+romans+2:29\">warnings against displaying righteousness before men<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Students must be careful to distinguish between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/religion-is-the-kingdom-of-false-prophets\">False Prophets <\/a>who promote themselves, and their religious products, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\">True Prophets <\/a>who do not actively promote themselves as spokespersons for God<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\">. <\/a>They understand that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/john\/passage\/?q=john+5:30-44\">what they represent about themselves is not valid and they have no desire to receive glory, or money, from others for their work or their relationship with God<\/a>. Therefore, as much as possible, only choose to study what true prophets have written. However, since there is not much available that is written by a true prophet, readers will need to be very careful while studying the written works of false prophets<\/p>\n<p>Because we live in a very religious world, is nearly impossible to find a published resource, whether a book, magazine, online article, or Bible, that is free from bias. This may seem like a gross, blanket condemnation, but it is true because of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/jeremiah\/passage\/?q=jeremiah+8:1-9\">what God said about lying scribes.<\/a> This leaves students (i.e. disciples) with the challenge to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/#discernment\">use discernment <\/a>that enables them to know the difference between<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\/2\">\u00a0clean and unclean teaching and holy and profane teaching.<\/a> It also leaves them with the challenge of learning how to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-1\">interpret the Bible symbolically instead of literally.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>LISTENING WHILE READING<\/strong><br \/>\nThe ultimate goal of disciples is to hear God&#8217;s spoken voice. His voice may come from God directly or through <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/messiah\">anointed<\/a> True prophets. The only way to reliably recognize the truth in teaching and writing is to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/how-to-hear-gods-spoken-voice\">listen for God&#8217;s voice while reading the literal Bible<\/a>. But, this ability is not accessible for anyone who does not first <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\">reject the teachings of false prophets. <\/a>This means getting out of religion<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=ezekiel+14:1-11;+ezekiel+20:1-3;+ezekiel+20:31\">.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">AUTHOR&#8217;S NOTE: Although we strongly recommend against studying the works of false prophets, we will say that after a student has learned to discern the differences between Old\/First Covenant and New Covenant teaching, there is some value in reading the works of false prophets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">The value is in the ability to recognize Old\/First Covenant teaching that the reader would have previously accepted and valued. With this awareness, readers will be very grateful to God for having opened up their eyes so that they can discern between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/breadfood-and-wine\/2\">clean and unclean, holy and profane teaching. <\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">Another benefit of reading these materials is that it reminds readers that friends, neighbors, and maybe even family, who continue to read and study such materials are still <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-deception\">deceived<\/a> by it. This awareness should motivate New Covenant disciples to become <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/people\/true-prophets\/model-warriors\">warriors<\/a> for God in the battle to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-sin\/religion-is-idolatry\/4\">tear down and destroy religious high places and idols.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Having made the decision to stop listening to false prophets and only listening to God&#8217;s voice, however, there is still the challenge of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/passage\/?q=matthew+13:1-43\">identifying the truth in a field of lies<\/a>. In his wisdom, God has chosen to leave the biases and lies intact in all versions of the Bible and in the writings of false prophets. It is impossible to find a published Bible that does not contain them and other published religious materials abound in the world of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-commerce\">commercial religion<\/a>. These are individually and collectively Stumbling Blocks to Godly wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>That God would leave stumbling blocks in our way does not easily line up with man&#8217;s way of doing things. But God is not stressed about the possibility of people making mistakes interpreting the written word. He is not stressed because he knows that he is able to break through the lies and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-deception\">deceptions<\/a> by speaking to directly to New Covenant disciples who strain to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/isaiah\/passage\/?q=isaiah+29:1-18\">hear his voice while reading the Bible<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>God has given us the Bible as an introduction to his voice. But he has also provided other written resources that help us sift through Biblical texts to find the original texts that do not include the biased language that writer\/scribes have added to make difficult scripture more understandable to themselves and others, but which actually confuse and distort the spiritual meanings God wants us to discover.<\/p>\n<p>For people who have the internet, the best way to study is to use Bible study resources that highlight the original texts in Greek and Hebrew. People who do not have the internet would do well to find a Bible with a concordance that includes the definitions of Hebrew and Greek words.<\/p>\n<p>Strong&#8217;s Concordance is an excellent tool for learning Hebrew and Greek words. Unfortunately, this concordance is linked only to King James Version Bibles. That makes study harder, but it is not an insurmountable handicap.<\/p>\n<p>When we look online or use a resource like Strong&#8217;s we will find the following examples:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/genesis\/passage\/?q=genesis+1:1-2\">Genesis 1:1-2:<\/a> 1 <span class=\"verse-1\"> In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">2<\/span> <span class=\"verse-2\"> The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+1:1-2\">John 1:1-2:<\/a> 1 <span class=\"verse-1\"> In the <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 746\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=746\" number=\"746\">beginning<\/a> was the <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a>, and the <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a> was with God, and the <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a> was God. <\/span><span class=\"verse-number\">2<\/span> <span class=\"verse-2\"> He was in the <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 746\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=746\" number=\"746\">beginning<\/a> with God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In these verses, the highlighted words are the words recorded in the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The other words, those in black type, and the numbers, are editorial words and conventions inserted by scribes\/writers to make the idea complete, or understandable for readers and to make the text agree with their personal theological biases of what the text means.<\/p>\n<p>If we take out the words that are not linked (e.g. In the, was the, and they, was with, and the, was, etc.), verse numbers, and punctuation, here is what is left:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/genesis\/passage\/?q=genesis+1:1-2#\">Genesis 1:1-2:<\/a> <span class=\"verse-1\">beginning God created heavens earth <\/span><span class=\"verse-2\">earth formless void darkness over surface deep Spirit God moving over surface waters<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/john\/passage\/?q=john+1:1-2\">John 1:1-2<\/a>: <span class=\"verse-1\"><a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 746\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=746\" number=\"746\">beginning<\/a> <a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a>\u00a0<a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a> God\u00a0<a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 3056\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=3056\" number=\"3056\">Word<\/a> God <\/span><span class=\"verse-2\"><a class=\"strongs\" title=\"Strong&#039;s Number: 746\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/interlinear-bible\/strongs\/?t=nas&amp;ll=g&amp;sn=746\" number=\"746\">beginning<\/a> God<\/span><\/p>\n<p>These words are found in the original Hebrew and Greek texts. These words are all that Bible translators have to work with when they try to translate the original texts to English and other modern languages. So, to make the scripture understandable, they use their own language and their own words to fill in the blank spaces so that the scriptures will agree with their personal theologies. In doing this, they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+4:2;+deuteronomy+12:32;+revelation+22:18-19\">adding to, and subtracting from God&#8217;s word<\/a>. They are also creating <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/religion\/religion-is-not-faith\/religion-is-deception\">deceptions<\/a> that lead Bible readers astray.<\/p>\n<p>When we look at what Bible translators had to work with, we can see that it is impossible to accurately translate the original Hebrew and Greek texts into any language. But, thankfully, God supplies what man is unable to provide through his spoken voice.<\/p>\n<p>Human mistranslations exist throughout the Bible.\u00a0The story of creation in Genesis, however, is perhaps one of several that have had the most profound impact on Judaism and Christianity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See these links for understanding of how the creation story has been misinterpreted:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 13.7948%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 17.0257%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 69.1794%;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/godsvoice\/creation\/\">Creation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/literal-or-symbolic-interpretation-part-2\/3\">Creation Story<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\/signs-wonders-and-miracles\/4\">GOD DOES ONLY ONE KIND OF MIRACLE<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\/signs-wonders-and-miracles\/5\">THE MIRACLE OF CREATION: BORN AGAIN\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/symbols-signs-types-copies-shadows-and-patterns\/place-where-god-will-place-his-name\/5\">CREATED IN GOD\u2019S IMAGE<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\/the-law\/the-law-is-a-stumbling-block\/signs-wonders-and-miracles\/6\">HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE BORN AGAIN<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"verse font-helvetica\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p>Admittedly, it is nearly impossible to make sense of the highlighted words alone. That is why it is absolutely necessary to listen to God&#8217;s voice. God&#8217;s voice fills in the blank spaces of scripture and makes it all understandable. God&#8217;s voice also sifts out the words inserted by men who use only their intellect to make sense out of scripture. In doing this, however, they mislead and deceive as they insert words that, in their view, make the Hebrew and Greek words fit with their doctrines. They add nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs and other language tools that make the original Hebrew and Greek words make sense to them. Then they package it all up in a Bible which they say is God&#8217;s word.<\/p>\n<p>But, if we bother to click on each highlighted word so we can study the meanings of the original Hebrew and Greek words, we can begin to understand what God intended to communicate when he spoke to his true prophets who recorded the scripture. And, if we also bother to ask God to explain to us what he intended to communicate in that scripture, we will eventually move toward <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=1-corinthians+1:18-27;+1-corinthians+3:18-21;+2-corinthians+1:12;+james+3:13-18;+1-corinthians+2:1-14;+jeremiah+4:19-22;+isaiah+5:20-21;+isaiah+29:14;+isaiah+47:10;+jeremiah+8:9;+proverbs+3:1-7;+romans+1:22\">understanding that is not tainted by human wisdom and biases. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>The study challenge, therefore, has these steps:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>\n<ul>\n<li>Reject the proud notion that we know the meaning of scripture because we have read it many times before or because we have heard a sermon or read a book about it.<\/li>\n<li>Be mindful of the fact that Bible editors always insert biased editorial words that make the text agree with their theology.<\/li>\n<li>As much as possible, check out the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words.<\/li>\n<li>Recognize that the Bible is a collection of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/proverbs\/passage\/?q=proverbs+1:1-6\">parables, dark sayings, proverbs and riddles<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/proverbs\/passage\/?q=proverbs+1:1-6\">figures, words of the wise and riddles, <\/a><span class=\"verse-12\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/job\/passage\/?q=job+33:9-19\">dreams, enigmas and difficult problems, figurative language, dreams and visions, <\/a><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=colossians+2:13-22;+hebrews+8:1-10;+hebrews+10:1-18\">shadows, <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=romans+5:14;+hebrews+11:19\">types and patterns<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=genesis+9:12-17;+genesis+17:11;+exodus+13:16;+numbers+6:7;+deuteronomy+6:8;+deuteronomy+11:18;+joshua+4:1-6;+isaiah+8:18;+isaiah+19:20;+isaiah+20:3;+ezekiel+17:2;+ezekiel+24:3;+galatians+4:24;+hebrews+9:1-9;+hebrews+11:19;+1-peter+3:20-21;+revelation+11:1-8;+revelation+17:1-5\">symbols, signs and allegories<\/a> for which God will reveal spiritual meanings (i.e. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\">mysteries<\/a>) to those who <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/search\/?s=bibles&amp;q=hunger+and+thirst+for+righteousness&amp;t=nas&amp;c=all\">hunger and thirst for righteousness<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Listen for God to supply the words between the original Hebrew and Greek words instead of reading the literal words supplied by the editors of the written Bibles we choose to study.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>It is important to make clear that doing this takes time and effort. It make take years of study before <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+29:1-4;+isaiah+6:8-10;+ezekiel+12:2;+matthew+13:14;+acts+28:23-28\">eyes are opened and spiritual enlightenment comes.<\/a> But it is time and effort that will eventually <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/2-timothy\/passage\/?q=2-timothy+3:13-17\">yield a harvest of righteousness<\/a> if we do not <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/passage\/?q=galatians+6:9;+romans+2:6-7;+2-thessalonians+3:10-13\">weary in the well-doing of knocking and seeking <\/a>in our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/matthew\/5-6.html\">hunger and thirst for righteousness. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>The last thing to say about this process is this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=hebrews+11:1-7;+romans+8:24;+2-corinthians+4:17-18;+2-corinthians+5:7;+hebrews+11:27\">faith is the conviction of things not seen<\/a>, then study in which we listen to hear God&#8217;s voice provide the meaning of the unseen words between the written words of the Bible is the essence of faith.<\/p>\n<p>The truth of this statement is affirmed in the fact that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nas\/passage\/?q=deuteronomy+8:1-3;+deuteronomy+30:15-20;+john+6:63-68;+matthew+4:1-4;+luke+4:1-4;+john+5:24;+deuteronomy+32:45-47;+1-peter+1:22-25;+hebrews+4:12;+1-john+1:1-3;+john+1:1-4\">man does not live by bread alone (i.e. the written words of the Bible) but by every spiritual word that proceeds from the mouth of God<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 150px;\">STUDY TIP: See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/mystery\/gods-written-word-and-gods-spoken-voice\">God\u2019s Written Word and God\u2019s Spoken Voice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><strong>ONLINE RESOURCES<\/strong><br \/>\nAnyone who has done any online Bible study knows that there are many to choose from. In this series of pages we reference several that we have found to be especially useful and easy to navigate. Including these particular sites does not mean that we find the others to be inferior, it just means that we have worked with these the most and find them to satisfy our needs for Bible study. Other students may find that other resources work better for them. This makes sense given that what really matters is what we hear &#8212; not what we read.<\/p>\n<p>Each resource has its own strengths. We strongly recommend that readers become familiar with several resources so that they can use them\u00a0 effectively when their preferred online resource does not seem to yield the desired answers to Biblical questions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>BIBLE STUDY TOOLS.COM<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are many useful online Bible study tools available. We have tried several of them and found that they all can help in basic research and study. There is one online tool, however, that is easy to use and comprehensive in how it assists study:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/genesis\/1-1.html\">BibleStudyTools.com. <\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In our experience,\u00a0 this tool satisfies all of our needs for Bible study. Here are some of the features that we especially appreciate:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\" border=\"1\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 4.41022%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5.33332%;\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 90.2564%;\">\n<ul>\n<li>It is possible to search by scripture citation, key words or absolute phrases. This is especially helpful for students who have difficulty remembering scripture citations.<\/li>\n<li>It is possible to search in any version or in all translations at one time. Searching by all translations is useful when you remember a key word or a phrase but cannot remember the version of the Bible in which it is found. This can happen when you search for a scripture using key words that you remember from one version that are not translated with the same word or words in another version. Just search for the key word or phrase in <em>All Versions<\/em> and then look for the version that includes the scripture for which you are looking. After finding the scripture for which you are looking, you can then go back to the Bible version or version you prefer.<\/li>\n<li>We typically use<em> KJV (King James Version)<\/em>, <em>NAS (New American Standard), NIV (New International Version)<\/em> and <em>RSV (Revised Standard Version)<\/em> because we have found them to be the most accurate translations and because they have study features that other versions do not have. Most often, however, we search in <em>NAS<\/em> and <em>RSV<\/em> because they are easier to understand than<em> KJV. NIV<\/em> is mainly useful when looking for <em>Cross References<\/em>. When trying to understand a particularly difficult scripture, we will often read in several versions before coming to a conclusion about the spiritual intent. In doing this, we sometimes find that no version has translated from the Hebrew or Greek correctly so we interpret it ourselves.<\/li>\n<li><em>KJV<\/em> and <em>NAS<\/em> allow the option to highlight the English words that are directly translated from the original Hebrew or Greek. (The filler words added by translators are not highlighted.) This is done by clicking on the <em>Strong&#8217;s Number<\/em> box.\u00a0 Clicks on an individual highlighted word generated in the scripture text that you want to study further takes you to a page that displays the definitions of the Hebrew or Greek word from which that English word was translated. This page also reports the many different ways in which that particular Hebrew or Greek word is translated into English in that version (<em>KJV<\/em> or <em>NAS<\/em>) of the Bible. The page with the definition also lists the books of the Bible in which that Hebrew or Greek word appears. Clicks on the book of the Bible generates a list of all scriptures in that book that include the Hebrew or Greek word. This kind of research is especially helpful to get a feel for the way or ways God intends that word to be understood while avoiding some of the errors in understanding that Old\/First Covenant biases contribute to the English translations. This is important since translators typically come out of one Old\/First Covenant religious tradition or another and their theological traditions are always reflected in their translations. The problem is, of course, that their theology and translations always miss the New Covenant perspective. In other words, they translate the literal word but are unable to translate the spiritual intent or meaning of the word.<\/li>\n<li><em>The <\/em><em>ESV (English Standard Version)<\/em> and <em>NAS (New American Standard)<\/em> have &#8220;cross referencing&#8221; features that link to other scriptures with related themes found in other scriptures. Clicking on the <em>Cross Reference<\/em> box generates highlighted numbers embedded in the text. Each of these highlighted numbers provides a link to one or more related scriptures that can be explored to aid in understanding of the theme or topic you are currently studying. Since the Bible is so mysterious and full of symbols and themes, it almost impossible to discover the scriptures that explain the mysteries and symbols without researching these related links. The explanations exist, but they are very hard to find. This cross referencing feature is very useful to that end.<\/li>\n<li>Another feature that is useful in serious study is the ability to collect many related scriptures in one page. For example, after a key word has been entered, a list of scriptures with that word can be generated. Some of them will apply to the current search topic and some will not apply. By copying the links of the scriptures that do apply and pasting them in the search box, all the applicable scripture references can be saved in one list. When doing this, however, do not click on the search box until all the scriptures to be saved are entered in the box. When all the scriptures to be saved are entered, a click on the search box will aggregate them into a new list that does not include the irrelevant scriptures.<\/li>\n<li>People who like to write in the margins of their Bibles or highlight them will find the <em>View In My Bible <\/em>feature useful. It appears above the Bible Translation drop-down box on every page with scriptures. It can be used to highlight text, bookmark scriptures, make notes and tag them according to some term that will help you find them again. Because we do not use this feature we can&#8217;t say much about it, but we encourage serious students to learn how to use it. It is probably necessary to register with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/genesis\/1-1.html\">BibleStudyTools.com<\/a> before using this feature.<\/li>\n<li>The ability to read a particular scripture in context is very important. A search for a key word will generally produce a citation with only one verse. This is usually not enough to allow full understanding. A click on the link that says <em>Read (chapter, verse) in context<\/em> which appears below the scripture goes to another page which includes the first scripture in the context of the paragraph or chapter in which it is found. It is also possible to read the entire chapter in which the verse is found by clicking on the <em>Read Book. <\/em><\/li>\n<li>Sometimes, because of the theological biases found in all versions of the Bible, it is useful to compare scriptures from two Bible versions side by side. Clicking on the <em>View in Parallel<\/em> link does this according to the translations that you choose to compare. Doing this helps readers decide which version best translates the God&#8217;s intended meaning. It is still best, however, to also use the word definitions found in<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/genesis\/1-1.html\">BibleStudyTools.com<\/a> has many other features that make it a very useful web site. Because the entire site reflects Old\/First Covenant theology, however, readers must be careful to use great discernment when reading anything other than Bible text. Beyond the Bible study tools mentioned above, the only other tool we use is, <a id=\"SubdirectoryLink-BED\" class=\"SubdirectoryLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/dictionaries\/bakers-evangelical-dictionary\/\">Baker&#8217;s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology<\/a>. Again, because this is written from an Old\/First Covenant theology perspective, it must be read with great discernment. It is useful, however, to help find Hebrew and Greek words.<\/li>\n<li>It may take some experimentation to get familiar with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/rsv\/genesis\/1-1.html\">BibleStudyTools.com<\/a>, but any time spent using it is worthwhile. It is an excellent resource for finding and studying scripture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Here are three other online resources which we recommend:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\" align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/\">Blue Letter Bible<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\" align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/studybible.info\/vines\/\">Vine&#8217;s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/biblehub.net\/search.php?q=gen\">Bible Hub<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-more-tag mce-wp-nextpage\" title=\"Next page\" data-wp-more=\"nextpage\" data-mce-placeholder=\"1\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CHOOSE STUDY RESOURCES CAREFULLY When choosing which published resource to read when doing Bible study, it is critical to remember what God said about lying scribes. The caution here is to always remember that religious teachers, even those who have <span class=\"excerpt-dots\">&hellip;<\/span> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/study\/online-bible-study-tool\"><span class=\"more-msg\">Continue reading &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":754,"menu_order":19,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-351","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12407,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/351\/revisions\/12407"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/religiondetoxnetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}