new testament Archives - Faithlife Blog

June 19, 2015 By Ryan Nelson | 7 Comments

Outsiders: Reading the Bible Out of Context

The Bible was written thousands of years ago. The languages it was written in bear little resemblance to English. The people who wrote it saw the world differently than we do. The culture the Bible emerged from was radically different than the cultural context we read it in today.

When it comes to reading the Bible, Dr. John Walton says, “The message transcends the culture, but the form is culture bound.”

Take your place in the Bible’s audience

Being separated by culture or language barriers doesn’t mean that the Bible has no meaning for us today. It means we need to read it through a different lens to grasp it’s meaning.

Walton says, “If we are going to get the full focus of God’s revelation to us and get the full force of its authority, we have to try to take our place in that audience, and try to hear as that audience would have heard it.”

The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). We don’t study the Bible’s to dissect it like an entomologist examines a dead bug. We study the Bible to apply it to our lives—today. The more we know about what the Bible was saying to its original audience, the more clearly we can understand what it is saying to us.

Read the Old Testament in context

Dr. Walton is a firm believer that our understanding of Near Eastern literature and cultural context can transform the way we understand and interpret the Bible—ultimately leaving us with a clearer picture of what God says today. That’s why he teaches a course on Old Testament genres—to provide a strong interpretive framework for his students to grapple with the Old Testament. To see how Scripture fits together, Dr. Walton encourages its readers to ask broader questions about the overall purpose of the Old Testament and God’s revelations through it.

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September 1, 2014 By Ryan Nelson | Leave a Comment

Labor Day Sale! 20 Bible Study Resources for 30% Off!

For just two more days, you can save 30% on 20 Bible study resources. Learn more about Paul, Jesus, the New Testament, or take some time to focus on your Bible study. Check out all 20 deals!

If you’ve downloaded your copy of the free Faithlife Study Bible, you already have a great start on deeper Bible study. But did you know the FSB connects directly to other Logos resources in your library, too? If you have another book that focuses on a particular passage, you can read the FSB notes right alongside it.

A great example is The Expanded Bible: New Testament—it’s the perfect supplement to your FSB. In each line, The Expanded Bible: New Testament incorporates the information you’d find in significant Bible reference works, so you can read the Bible and see alternate interpretations of words, phrases, or idioms right in the text.

John Ortberg says, “This project makes the best of biblical scholarship more available to any interested reader of the Bible.”

Christian Monthly Standard calls it “A very useful resource. The Expanded Bible gives its readers quick access to the nuances and deeper meanings in the Scriptures.”

You’ve probably heard about Logos, but if you’re the kind of person who prefers to test the water first, adding The Expanded Bible: New Testament to your Faithlife Study Bible is like dipping your toe in—it shows you how incredible the pool is. For just two more days, The Expanded Bible: New Testament can be yours for just $11.95.

Ready to jump in?

The John MacArthur Study Library gets you 24 books, study Bibles, and Bible studies by one of America’s best-known pastors—for less than $2 per book. This library combines MacArthur’s bestselling Bible study books into one powerful collection.

For over 30 years, John MacArthur has studied the Bible for 30 hours or more per week. That’s over 46,000 hours of Bible study. Who better to study the Word with? For just two more days, you can get all 24 volumes for $34.95.

You can also snag these great titles to learn more about Paul, Jesus, or the New Testament:

Check out all Labor Day sales now.

Of course, to get the most out of your Logos library, you’ll want a Logos base package. The latest edition—Logos 5—can perform hundreds of hours of Bible study in seconds, accessing hundreds (or even thousands) of resources at once to pull out all the information available on a topic or passage. There are even base packages designed to fit your theological background. Pick a base package today!

August 28, 2014 By Ryan Nelson | Leave a Comment

Last Chance to Save Big on Bible Study Tools

Take your biblical education to the next level with Back to School deals on Bible study tools. Sale ends Friday, September 12.

In the information age, education is always at our finger tips. When we don’t know something, we can find multiple answers in an instant. We live in a constant state of education—we’re always learning something.

The problem is, we have to choose where we get our answers. Anyone can put their thoughts on the internet, and sometimes it’s hard to determine whether or not a source can be trusted.

Not everyone can afford the time and money it takes to get a biblical education at seminary. But you can get the same textbooks Bible colleges use all over the world. Right now, many of these textbooks are on sale for up to 55% off. Whether you’re in school, or you just want to learn, now is the time to grab the world’s best Bible texts.

Maybe you’ve always wished you knew more about the Old Testament. You can get the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms for over 25% off! Or, get the Handbook on the Old Testament Series for 20% off.

Reading your Bible is great, but context is key to understanding what the biblical writers really meant. Few authors have had as much influence on our understanding of the New Testament world as the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus. His works offer an unparalleled depiction of the historical context in which Jesus and the Apostles lived and died. During Logos’ Back to School sale, you can save $90 on one of the most referenced historical works in biblical studies. Get it now.

There are hundreds of great Bible study tools on sale.

You can save 49% on the commentary set Walter Bureggemann calls “the benchmark and reference point for all future work.”

Or save 25% on the Zondervan Biblical Languages Collection and start studying Scripture in a whole new way.

If you’re a Bible scholar, this is a sale you can’t afford to miss. If you’re not a scholar, this is the perfect time to become a better student of the Word. This sale ends on Friday, September 12. Don’t miss out—get your books now!