Musings of a Snickerdoodle

The Baker Compact Dictionary of Biblical Studies is a dictionary that seeks to provide definitions and explanations for words that you will find in many books and articles that delve into the study of the text of the Bible.   It gives definitions and brief overviews of places, scholarly terminology, prominent people whose works are mentioned in theological books. It was pretty interesting to just sit and read through a lot of the information in the book, to learn a lot of new things and even to glean some extra helpful information about events, people and places that I already knew a few things about.   If I came across something that I've already become acquainted with I felt sort of reluctant to read those parts, thinking something along the lines of, "this is just a dictionary, what more could it tell me about that?" But I was surprised at some of the extra information I gleaned.   For example,   I have done a bit of reading on the "Counsel of Jamnia...

A Commentary on the Manuscripts and Text of the New Testament, by Philip Wesley Comfort is an interesting and a potentially helpful resource in studying the NT.  I appreciate that summaries are given about the various manuscripts that are referred to in the commentary, including their symbols, which are what Comfort uses to refer to the different manuscripts as he comments on the different readings of any particular verse.  Most of the variants appear to be rather small and do not appear to change the meaning of a verse much, for instance some manuscripts saying 'Jesus Christ' in a certain variant and others reading simply "Christ",  whichever reading a Bible translator chooses to use doesn't make a major difference as either way we know to Whom it refers.   Comfort mentions a variant of Romans 8:28 which I found interesting, he translates the variant as, "God turns everything to good" which of course is different from "all things work togeth...

When first received my copy of the NIV Zondervan Study Bible in the mail, my first impression was amazement over its size and weight, it is HUGE!   It is quite impressive on the inside as well, the text of the   NIV is laid out in a one column format instead of the usual 2 columns.   The cross references are placed on the side of the column and study notes on the bottom.   I loved the charts throughout, especially in the OT which included charts summing up what was in certain sacrifices and offerings, and charts on the Lord's appointed festivals, census results, Levite Numbers and responsibilities…etc.   Very helpful.   There were many photographs of Biblical areas throughout, and also pictures of various archeological finds having to do with many biblical events and people.   Those are quite fascinating and interesting.    Many of the study notes seem quite intricate and useful and exegetical.   Several of the pages are quite pac...

If you're looking for a commentary on the book of Acts that is more of an overview but still exegetical, this commentary by Guy Prentiss Waters is a pretty good choice.   He hits at a high level on some controversial issues/textual debates where he deems it necessary, but it is still kept at a minimum and further reading for delving deeper is usually suggested in the comments.   I think that it is a nice commentary to have that you can start with in your studies, turning to it first to get the 'high-level' view and then after reading Waters on a text, turn to the ones that are more critical. Or you can just 'read it through' on its own, the author really helps you get your thoughts moving on a text, for instance, in the account of Pentecost, I had never considered that "Like wind, fire is a sign of God's presence with his people", which caused me to 'connect the dots' and remember the tabernacle in the wilderness and the cloud that had th...

The Evangelism Study Bible is intended to help with Evangelism.   It has a lot of footnotes, commenting on the relevance of many verses to evangelism.   It also contains various charts explaining/expounding on certain topics, like the fruit of the spirit, the whole armor of God…etc.   There are many 'commentary' boxes, discussing various evangelism related topics, that are inserted throughout the Bible as well.   One in particular I appreciated dealt with the question, "Do You Have to Know the Date You Were Saved?", and it deals with the source of our assurance of our salvation being Christ, " …when Scripture speaks of salvation, it goes back to a fact, not a date.   If you are trusting in Christ alone, you are saved, regardless of when the divine transaction took place…..The one who saved us gives us security, not the 'when' of our salvation." I also appreciate that many of the footnotes remind us that, though we are privileged to serve God by gi...

"God , after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways , in these last days has spoken to us in His Son , whom He appointed heir of all things , through whom also He made the world ." Hebrews 1:1-2 NASB Christ is the source of revealed Truth - This is in direct contrast to the competing, "would-be" points of greatest influence.   We are only truly informed as our source of information (what is the bias, the frame of reference, the limitations of our sources of   "truth"?)   Our sources of information have control/influence on our priorities, goals and ultimately become agenda-setters for our lives.   We are more what we "think" than what we eat.    Practically speaking, we are (act/live) the summation of our thoughts/thinking.   "For as he thinketh within himself, so is he:  Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee." Proverbs 23:7 ASV   As we ...