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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?

* * *

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!

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Choosing a Study Bible

Bible_paperOne of the first Bible study tools that many believers acquire is a Bible with added footnotes, cross-references, and explanatory articles—a study Bible. But choosing a study Bible can be difficult. There are dozens to choose from, and many factors affect the helpfulness of a study Bible—including its publication date, size, the makeup of its editorial staff, and of course, the note content.

Here’s your guide to choosing a study Bible.

The size dilemma

Generally the more help included in a study Bible, the more useful it becomes. But as content is added, the book itself grows and the print shrinks. Some modern study Bibles, like the ESV Study Bible, tip the scales at more than five pounds with tiny font throughout. A book that big—no matter how helpful its content—is cumbersome to transport and difficult to read.

When a study Bible becomes digital, however, the size dilemma evaporates. On my phone, even the most massive study Bible becomes pocket sized. That’s the biggest reason our own Faithlife Study Bible can boast about being the largest study Bible in the world. If printed, this book of nearly three million words wouldn’t fit neatly into anything. But the FSB app, which you can download for free from your app store of choice, weighs nothing.

Publication date

Behind physical size, publication date is the second most important factor to consider when choosing a study Bible. While the truths of Scripture never change, our use of English does evolve over time. From the moment a study Bible is released, it begins to slowly fade from relevance. Bible translations and study notes start to feel stuffy as the vocabulary and syntax ages.

For example, The Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909, was wildly popular through the mid twentieth century. While still a helpful study resource, it’s largely been replaced by more modern alternatives like the Believer’s Study Bible.

While the Faithlife Study Bible was released in 2012, it’s still growing and improving. We just added 58 new articles over the summer, and we plan to release even more. The Faithlife Study Bible will never fade from relevance because it’s constantly being updated with new content.

Editor & staff

Sometimes a study Bible assumes the name of the scholar or Christian leader who most heavily influenced its publication—The MacArthur Study Bible, for example. In other cases, a publishing house will assemble a team of scholars from various traditions to publish a balanced study Bible, like the Nelson Study Bible, or a study Bible with a more focused purpose, like the Apologetics Study Bible. When buying a study Bible, it’s wise to research the editorial team so you can read your study Bible with confidence.

To publish the Faithlife Study Bible, we assembled a team from the most trusted Bible scholars and Christian leaders. Timothy Keller, Randy Alcorn, Ed Stetzer, Lee Strobel, N. T. Wright, and Charles Stanley worked with our scholars in residence to construct the largest and most powerful study Bible ever conceived. You can review the entire editorial team at Faithlife Study Bible at FaithlifeBible.com/Contributors.

Price

While study Bibles can cost up to $75.00 in print, you’ll find them all for much less on Logos.com. And the Faithlife Study Bible, despite its massive size and groundbreaking format, is available for free!

Download the Faithlife Study Bible from your favorite app store today. And if you love it as much as we expect you will, leave us a review and rating so others can enjoy it too.

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Announcing: ESV Giveaway

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Through August 10, when you download the Faithlife Study Bible for iOS, Android, or Kindle Fire, you’ll get the ESV—free!

Thanks to a partnership with Crossway Books, the ESV will be included with all new downloads of the FSB between July 24 and August 10.

Now you can apply the FSB’s study power and convenience to one of the most universally loved modern English translations, free. Download the FSB right now to get started!

What if I already have the FSB?

Current FSB users can get the ESV, too. Just open your app sometime between July 24 and August 10 and it’ll be unlocked for you. (There may be a slight delay on downloading; we ask for your patience.) If you can’t download the ESV after more than 24 hours, give us a call. We don’t want you to miss out!

What if I already have the ESV?

If you own a Logos base package or you’ve purchased the ESV independently, you’ve already been enjoying this translation for some time now. So help your friends get their free copies! Use the share buttons at the top of this post to tell everyone you know about the ESV giveaway.

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3 Tools Every Serious Bible Scholar Should Have

The Faithlife Study Bible offers free mobile resources that help you understand the Bible, but if you want to do more detailed study, look no further than Logos 5.

Clause Search connects pronouns and phrases with the people and things they refer to. You can find what you’re looking for across translations and languages.

When you study the Bible in English alone, you inevitably miss some details. The original languages offer rich nuance that even the best translations fail to fully represent. Luckily, with the Exegetical Guide, you can read the Bible for its intended meaning—without learning Greek or Hebrew.

One of Logos 5’s most talked-about features gives you an overview of the entire biblical story. Understand context and accurately interpret Scripture with Timeline.

Get these three tools and many more when you upgrade to Logos 5. You’ll get your biggest discount when you upgrade using the Custom Upgrade Discount Calculator. Act now to take advantage of the best discounts of the year!

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Love Faithlife? Write a Review.

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The Faithlife Study Bible is all about community—Community Notes and reading plans are better when more people use them. That means that the more people find the FSB, the better it’ll be for you. And app stores like Google Play, iTunes, and Amazon give precedence to apps with positive reviews.

So if you love the Faithlife Study Bible, write a review to tell the world. Be specific, and be honest. If we can improve on something, we want to hear about it, but if you love the Faithlife Study Bible, help others discover it by writing a positive review.

Help more people find Faithlife—take a minute to go review the Faithlife Study Bible: Google Play | iTunes | Amazon

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The Case for Community

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It’s no accident that God’s interactions with mankind always involve a faith community. In the early parts of Genesis, we see God speaking into a family through Abraham, and later a nation through Moses. In the Gospels, we see Jesus himself call out an eclectic group of misfits to lead the early church. The same is true today. God desires to work through communities of faith, but our Western sense of independence can prevent us from experiencing many of the benefits of a faith community. If your faith has become isolated from the influence of others, here’s some of what you’re missing:

Safety: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 tells us there’s safety in numbers. Two believers encourage and motivate one another; should one fall, the other helps them back up. It will always be more convenient to fly solo, but isolation is dangerous. Little slips quickly become major falls without anyone to help you recover.

Fulfillment: God designed man to live in community. In the creation narrative, God expresses displeasure about his creation only once—when he creates Adam without a companion. He says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” While this verse has been used to underscore the virtue of marriage, Adam was more than single. He was alone. He lived in a community vacuum, and God knew he would not be truly fulfilled while he was alone.

Witness: Jesus explains in John 13:35 that Christians will be identifiable in a world of unbelievers by their unique love for one another. If you shy away from involvement with a faith community, preferring the convenience of isolationism, how will unbelievers know you’re a Christian? Isolated faith is invisible faith. John Wesley said, “Christianity is essentially a social religion . . . To turn it into a solitary religion, is indeed to destroy it.”

We built Faithlife to act as a digital home for your faith community. Collaborate around insights from your devotions, learn together with group reading plans, share prayer requests, and more—join the digital faith community at Faithlife.com.

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Quote of the Week: Augustine of Hippo

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Few things are more damaging than a grudge, and forgiveness is good for the soul. Release grudges. Breathe deep. Trust God to keep his promises to you.

“You have enemies. . . . Take heed to yourselves: love them. In no way can your enemy so hurt you by his violence, as you hurt yourself if you love him not.”

—Augustine of Hippo

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If you like this Quote of the Week, we have good news: there’s a lot more where that came from. 300 Quotations for Preachers will help you find precisely the right words for any occasion.

Visit Blog.Faithlife.com every Tuesday for an inspirational, thought-provoking quote from a Christian leader, historical figure, or scholar.

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Meditate on Scripture (without Being Weird)

meditateMany evangelicals shy away from the word “meditation” because of its association with eastern religions, but it should be noted that meditation is taught in several places throughout Scripture (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 119:148). While it would be strange to unroll a yoga mat and light some incense anytime we decided to open our Bibles, we would do well to redeem the practice of meditation rather than abandoning it. Deuteronomy 6:6–8 gives us some instructions about how meditation ought to work.

These verses impress upon us the depth and richness of Scripture. The point is clear: you can think about (meditate on) Scripture all day and still find new things to learn. It’s important to think about the things of God, because you become what you think about. (Click to tweet) Someone put it like this:

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

—author unknown

So what’s the difference between meditation and thinking?

Not much. Thinking carries the implication of a single possible conclusion, that some ultimate answer or idea is being sought after. Meditation has a different endgame. It’s a series of thoughts intended to affect the mind that holds them.

Meditation doesn’t really need any set-aside time or space, though you certainly could set aside time each day if you prefer. Meditation is mobile. It travels with you wherever you go, and slides into the spaces between your day’s major events. Look at all the times and places that God directs us to think about his words in Deuteronomy 6:7.

  • And you shall recite them to your children (with your family)
  • And you shall talk about them at the time of your living in your house (as you relax)
  • And at the time of your going on the road (on your commute)
  • And at the time of your lying down (as you get ready for bed)
  • And at the time of your rising up (as you get ready for work)

Thankfully, as you go about your day, Faithlife is always with you—the world’s largest study Bible, ready on your phone or tablet. If you need a verse to meditate on, may we recommend our Verse of the Day? And if you’d like to know more about what the verse means, the Faithlife Study Bible has three layers of study notes for you to go as deep as you’d like.

We’d like to know: How do you keep Scripture in the front of your mind each day?