RESOURCES FOR BIBLE STUDY:

Books are expensive, but these are some essentials for Bible study and the list is certainly not exhaustive.

Bibles:

There are many reliable translations available as well as many different kinds of study Bibles. Most Study Bibles are available in different translations. Always remember, study notes while enlightening and edifying are not Scripture. Some may in fact be biased towards a particular point of view. My translation preference is NAS.

Ryrie Study Bible

Life Application Bible

NIV Study Bible

International Inductive Study Bible

Concordance: Most major translations have their own concordance, you need one for the translation you use.

Commentaries:

Because of the cost a good single volume or two volume commentary is most cost effective.

Holman Concise Bible Commentary

Bible Knowledge Commentary, two-volume produced by faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary.

The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary

The Matthew Henry One-Volume Commentary - Is pretty reliable, but not very in-depth

Wycliffe One-Volume Commentary - Much like the Matthew Henry

The Expositors Bible Commentary - 12 volumes

The New American Commentary - Excellent multi-volume commentary by Broadman still in progress

Holman New Testament Commentary - good multi-volume work

Bible Hand Books: Good background information

Holman Bible Handbook

Halley’s Bible Handbook

Eerdman’s Bible Handbook

Unger’s Bible Handbook

Some are available in paperback editions

Bible Dictionaries: Good resource but not “necessary”

Holman Concise Bible Dictionary - inexpensive

Holman Bible Dictionary

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary

The Illustrated Bible Dictionary - 3 Vols inexpensive

Bible Atlas: Another good resource not absolutely necessary

Holman Concise Bible Atlas - inexpensive

Holman Bible Atlas

The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands

Atlas of the Bible Lands

Bible Encyclopedia: More in-depth but expensive

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Some other good resources include:

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

The Baker Theological dictionary of the Bible.

The Biblical Illustrator Magazine produced by LifeWay is an excellent resource for background information

Bible Software: Most Bible software is expensive, My personal preference is the PC Study Bible, I’ve used it for along time and there are lots of add ons resources.

However, The Word on Line Bible is available for ordering or free to download online with lots of add ons at http://www/ccel.org/olb/

Also Bible study resources are available at http://bible.christiansunite.com/ These are on line resources available for use.

From a conservative perspective books and individual commentaries published by Moody and most recent works by Broadman are dependable.

Some reliable authors of Bible study resource material and commentary include:

David Dockery; Millard Erickson; John MacArthur Jr.; John Stott; F. F. Bruce; Leon Morris; Walter Kaiser; D. A. Carson; Henry Blackaby; A. T. Robertson; Beth Moore; Kay Arthur; Charles Stanley; Adrian Rodgers; Max Lucado; David Jeremiah; Erwin Lutzer; Warren Wiersbe; Charles Swindoll; Chuck Colson; J. I. Packer; Billy Graham; Anne Graham Lotz; Phillip Yancy; Jerry Vines; R. C. Sproul; Phillip Keller; D. James Kennedy; T. W. Hunt; Gene; Getz; R. Kent Hughes. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but these are good conservative writers some devotional some technical. As with any writer you may not agree with every position on every issue.