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Unpack Scripture with 3 Layers of Study Notes

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The Faithlife Study Bible integrates seamlessly with your favorite Bible translations, giving you a whole new lens through which to study Scripture. One of the great things about it is how, with three layers of study notes, it connects you to exactly the information you need:

So, three layers of notes—what does that mean for your Bible study?

Say you’re studying Genesis, and you get to Genesis 2:9. If you just want to get the basics of what’s going on, the first layer of study notes is at the ready, right alongside your Bible. This layer helps you identify the basics of each verse—people, places, things. In this case, it provides a brief paragraph discussing the “tree of life”:

The wider garden imagery in the ancient Near East helps in understanding the tree of life. The ‘tree of life’ refers to two concepts: one earthly and the other symbolic of divine life and cosmological wellness. The tree is described as being located in Eden, which is a garden with abundant water and lush vegetation, paradise for those living in agrarian or pastoral settings. In the ancient Near East, garden imagery was used to describe the abodes of deities, representing luxury and abundance. The divine abode also represented the place where heaven and earth met. The OT often connects trees with divine encounters and sacred geography (Genesis 21:33; 35:4; Joshua 24:26; Judges 4:5; 6:11, 19).

If you’re trying to cover a lot of ground, or you just want to scan a passage long enough to get a grasp of it, this first layer of notes helps you get your bearings.

However, if you want even more, the “+” sign means that—lo and behold—there’s another layer. Click it to keep learning: the second-level notes are tucked away when you don’t need them, and they appear on command. When you click the plus sign, it becomes a minus sign, so you can hide the second layer again if you’d prefer to keep moving.

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This second layer of notes continues the conversation, providing a deeper look at the concepts discussed in the first. In this case, the second layer digs into the ancient associations between trees and the divine, tying in relevant Scripture. Since this all happens within the Faithlife Study Bible, you can jump straight to these passages to take your study in a new direction, or simply hover over the verse to bring it up and stay focused on the task at hand. Either way, the FSB helps you see the connections throughout Scripture, and the second layer reveals even more about the particular verse you’re studying.

Sometimes, you’ll notice titles with an icon next to them:
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This is the third layer of study notes: links to articles related to the verse you’re studying, many of them written by prominent Bible scholars.

The third layer of study notes acts as a diving board—it’s waiting for you to jump into an even deeper Bible study. The note icon indicates that these articles were designed specifically for the FSB. You might notice that some of the links have abbreviations next to them in light gray text, with a book icon (as opposed to a “note” icon), like two of the links above. These links function much like the third layer of notes—they appear when the FSB is inviting you to take your studies even further—but they’re actually links to related resources. If you don’t own a resource, you’ll be able to access its articles right from the FSB when you add it to your library. (The Lexham Bible Dictionary is currently available for free with the FSB, and its links are included inline with the notes).

faithlife-study-bibleWhen you read the Bible with the Faithlife Study Bible, you get more out of your time in Scripture. When you have questions or you want to know more about a particular word, phrase, or person, the FSB lets you explore as deeply as you want. The Bible offers an ocean of knowledge: with the FSB, you’ll discover something new every time you dive in.

Don’t have the Faithlife Study Bible? Don’t worry—you can still get it for free! Download it today, and start your self-guided journey through Scripture.

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What God Meant: “Like Newborn Infants, Long for the Pure Spiritual Milk”

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Biblical writers use several different word pictures to help us understand the power and function of Scripture.

At different times, the Bible is compared to:

  • Light (Psalm 119:105)
  • A mirror (James 1:23)
  • Fire (Jeremiah 23:29)
  • A hammer (Jeremiah 23:29)
  • A sword (Hebrews 4:12)
  • Milk (1 Peter 2:2)
  • Food (1 Corinthians 3:2)

It’s those last two that can be a little confusing. In 1 Peter 2:2, the comparison to milk seems to be a favorable one. Peter’s admonition is for the readers (and us) to preserve a singular focus on and childlike enthusiasm for God’s Word.

Then Paul uses a similar word picture in 1 Corinthians 3:2, but seems to indicate that at some point, we ought to graduate away from the “milk” of the Word.

So which is it? Is the Word of God like milk or like food? And is that good or bad?

While it’s almost always a good idea to compare Scripture with Scripture, literary devices like metaphors or similes remain effective only in their original contexts. The same metaphor used in a different way can illustrate a different point, and that’s what’s going on here.

Peter uses the “milk” word picture to point out how eagerly we ought to consume the Word of God, just like an infant consumes milk.

Paul is addressing a different group of people all together about an all together different idea. The Corinthians who received Paul’s letter did not lack eagerness—they lacked perseverance. They were rehearsing the same fundamental truths constantly, never moving beyond the basics, and were thus missing the richness of other, heavier, more substantial Scripture passages.

Peter and Paul are not arguing. They are standing back to back, defending the same idea from different directions.

As we read the Word of God, it’s important for us to keep in mind that it was written over a span of more than 1,500 years by more than 40 different individuals from all walks of life. They address different subjects for different audiences, from different perspectives, and yet not a single contradiction or error appears in its 66 books. Remarkable, no?

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The Faithlife Study Bible links Scripture passages that address the same topic, so you can make connections with just a click. Download the Faithlife Study Bible for free from your favorite app store, and take your Bible study to the next level.

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Why I Love the NET Bible

the-net-bibleThe NET (or New English Translation) is a relatively new Bible version, but it has quickly become one of my favorites. It is completely unlike any other translation before it. Perhaps the word openness best describes what makes this Bible so special.

Open translation process

When the NET Bible was being translated, the drafts were put on the web for beta testing. Many people, from professors to junior high students, submitted suggestions. The translators (themselves highly qualified scholars) used that feedback to improve their translation. This resulted in a unique Bible version that is highly readable while remaining faithful to the original texts.

Open licensing model

Most Bible versions today have heavy copyright restrictions. This often makes it difficult to quote the Bible legally in a new publication. The NET Bible, however, operates on a “ministry first” model. The goal is to make it easy to secure the proper permissions by eliminating as many obstacles as possible. In most cases, authors can use the NET Bible in their books without having to pay any licensing fees.

Open translators’ notes

My favorite aspect of the NET Bible is the wonderful set of notes it comes with. The translators provided detailed explanations for every major decision they made, giving us an inside look at the translation process. The notes cover the text-critical issues surrounding any given text, including alternate readings. They discuss different meanings a word can convey, comparing their translation with other versions. And they explain what the idioms and figures of speech in the Bible would have meant to their original audience.

There are over 60,000 notes in total, and they are truly an invaluable resource. I would not want to be without them. The NET Bible notes are so helpful that they have actually been used by other Bible translators and editors:

The extensive and reliable notes in The NET Bible were a wonderful help to our translation team as we worked to prepare the English Standard Version.
—Wayne Grudem, member of translation oversight committee, ESV

The translators’ notes, study notes, and text-critical notes (over 60,000 notes altogether) alone are worth the price of the NET Bible. In our work on the fully revised NIV Study Bible of 2002, the TNIV, and the TNIV Study Bible, we consulted the NET Bible notes and were often helped by them. Kudos!
—Kenneth L. Barker, general editor, NIV Study Bible and TNIV Study Bible

What are you waiting for?

You can add the NET Bible—along with the incredible translators’ notes—to your Faithlife Study Bible for only $10. I don’t know of a better Bible study resource for that price!

Still not convinced? Here are just a few more endorsements the NET Bible has received:

There are many wonderful things I could say about The NET Bible, but the most important is this: the NET Bible is a Bible you can trust. The translation is clear, accurate, and powerful. And the notes, those wonderful notes! They bring to the layman scholarly insights and discussions that have up till now been accessible only to those trained in the biblical languages. If you are serious about studying Scripture, get a copy of The NET Bible.
—Chuck Swindoll, chancellor, Dallas Theological Seminary

The complaint I hear from many Christians is that some of the translations of the Bible are too wooden. They are grammatically correct, but don’t seem to convey the passion of the writer. On the flip side, some paraphrases and translations convey the passion of the writer at the cost of an accurate translation. The NET Bible is the best of both worlds. The notes are helpful to the scholar and the lay person alike. This is the Bible for the next millennium.
—Tony Evans, senior pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

This Bible is a triumph: a straightforward and accurate translation that is also elegant. The annotations are much fuller and more helpful than in other popular translations, and the production of a constantly-improving electronic text brings Bible reading and Bible study into the new millennium.
—Philip R. Davies, professor at the department of biblical studies of The University of Sheffield

Download your copy today!