Every so often someone will ask me to recommend a resource that will help them understand the Bible. This gets into the area of study Bibles, commentaries, reference works, etc. The problem with these resources is that the bad ones cost as much as the good ones. So, I thought I’d use today’s post to name some good ones.
Before I begin, though, let me offer a few qualifying remarks. First, I believe the books of the Bible, as they were originally written by men who were inspired by God, were perfect, infallible, and authoritative. They were nothing less than God’s written words to the human race. Second, I believe the copying process that left us with a great number of copies (copies of copies of copies of copies, etc.) of those original books was faithful enough and meticulous enough to give us a Bible we can still trust in this 21st century. Third, with only a few exceptions here and there, I believe in interpreting the Bible literally. Fourth, I believe Jesus is going to come to earth’s sky to claim His people by way of the Rapture before the seven-year tribulation period this earth is prophesied to undergo. Fifth, I believe Jesus is going to walk this earth again seven years later at the end of that tribulation period when He comes for His Second Coming. At that time, He will establish his literal 1,000-year reign upon the earth.
I’m telling you what I believe about the Bible and what I believe about the Rapture, Christ’s Second Coming, and Christ’s 1,000-year reign because the study Bibles, commentaries, and reference works I recommend all align with these views. You see, what you believe affects what resources you prefer. For example, while I can get some use from a commentary on the book of The Revelation that holds to a post-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation, I’m not going to enjoy or recommend that commentary nearly as much as I will one that employs a pre-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation. Do you understand?
Finally, let me say I am old enough to have started studying the Bible in an era that was before the internet, personal computers, and cellphones. That means I started out by holding literal books in my hands whenever I was studying the Bible. I’ve never gotten over that, which means I am quite out of step with the younger folks today who only know how to receive information by way of some type of screen. Nevertheless, with that understood, let’s get down to business.
Study Bibles (listed in no particular order):
1. The MacArthur Study Bible: The commentary notes per page in this Bible are numerous and excellent. Also, at the beginning of each book, MacArthur’s identifies the book’s: title, author, date, background, setting, historical themes, theological themes, and interpretive challenges. This information is simply awesome. The only negative thing I can say is that he is a staunch Calvinist and there are a few places, especially in the New Testament, where his Calvinism, in my opinion, adversely affects his interpretations. But if you can ease around these places, this study Bible is great. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but MacArthur also offers it in the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version.
2. Nelson’s Study Bible: This study Bible has as many commentary notes per page as you will find in any study Bible, and they are wonderfully helpful. It also features many in-depth articles, charts, and word studies. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but Nelson also offers it in the classic King James Version.
3. NLT Study Bible: The initials “NLT” stand for New Living Translation. My son Royce didn’t like reading the King James Version of the Bible because he said he couldn’t understand what he was reading. So, I bought him a NLT Study Bible for Christmas one year and almost overnight he became a devout reader of scripture. Not only does the New Living Translation text make for easier reading than other translations, this Bible is absolutely chocked full of commentary notes at the bottom of each page. At the beginning of each book, it also features an extensive section that identifies the author of the book, describes the book’s setting, summarizes the book, and explains the book’s meaning and message.
4. The Ryrie Study Bible: For many years, Charles Ryrie served on staff at Dallas Theological Seminary and in the process became a legend as a Bible teacher. The commentary notes in his study Bible are excellent, but there aren’t quite as many of them as there are in those first three study Bibles I’ve listed. With that said, though, I’m always interested in what Ryrie has to say about any passages he chooses to address. I have the New International Version of this Bible, but Ryrie also offers it in the King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the English Standard Version.
5. The Jeremiah Study Bible: This is the study Bible put together by the popular pastor and author, David Jeremiah. As is the case with the Ryrie Study Bible, the commentary notes offered in this Bible are solid, but there just aren’t as many of them per page as there are in other study Bibles. I have the English Standard Version of this Bible, but Jeremiah also offers it in the New King James Version and the New International Version.
6. The Tony Evans Study Bible: Another popular pastor and author is Tony Evans. The number of commentary notes in his study Bible are pretty much on par with the number in The Ryrie Study Bible and The Jeremiah Study Bible, but they are different in that many of them are written in a conversational style that sounds more like Evans as a preacher than a scholar. To me, that is a good thing because he is one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard. I have the Christian Standard Bible version of this Bible, but Evans also offers it in the New American Standard Version.
7. The Scofield Study Bible, The New Scofield Study Bible, The Scofield Study Bible III: I’ve listed these three study Bibles together because they all come under the heading “The Scofield Study Bible.” This is the study Bible that basically invented the whole market of study Bibles. The original version of The Scofield Study Bible first appeared in 1909, but the most popular edition of it is the revised 1917 one. Both the 1909 and 1917 editions were edited by C.I. Scofield and were only offered in the King James Version. Therefore, I have this study Bible in the King James Version.
Overall, the 1917 edition of The Scofield Study Bible provided relatively few commentary notes per page, but the notes it did provide would heavily influence conservative preachers for decades to follow. Most famously (or infamously, depending upon your point of view), The Scofield Study Bible taught: (A.) There are 7 distinct eras (Dispensations) to God’s working in human history. This led to the popular use of the term “Dispensationalism.” (B.) Christ’s Millennial (1,000 years) reign upon the earth will be literal and will be preceded by His Second Coming. This led to the popular use of the term “Premillennialism.” (C.) There is an eons-long gap of time between Genesis 1:1-2 that was the result of God’s original Genesis 1:1 creation becoming ruined by the fall of Satan. Consequently, beginning with Genesis 1:3, God began the process of recreating His ruined creation. This interpretation led to the popular use of the term “The Gap Theory.”
In 1967, a committee was put together to update The Scofield Study Bible, thus creating The New Scofield Study Bible. This version kept many of C.I. Scofield’s original teachings in place but also provided certain other possible interpretations to some of his most controversial teachings, such as The Gap Theory. The 1967 version added more maps and illustrations as well and featured references to archaeological finds that were more current than the ones mentioned in the 1917 edition. The New Scofield Bible was offered in the King James Version and the New American Standard Version. I have it in the New American Standard Version.
In 2008, The Scofield Study Bible III was published. It was edited by Doris White Harris. While still retaining many of C.I. Scofield’s original study notes and his basic framework of a Dispensational view of human history, this update featured more up-to-date archaeological finds, more current and expanded maps, and an even more balanced approach to Scofield’s original teachings. This version is offered in the King James Version, the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version. I myself do not have a copy of this third edition.
Commentaries That Cover the Whole Bible (listed in no particular order):
1. William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary. William MacDonald taught at Emmaus Bible College from 1947 until 1965 and served as the President of the school from 1959 until 1965. He then began an extensive career as a Bible teacher and Christian writer. His commentary is probably my favorite of all the one-volume commentaries I have. It is based upon the text of the New King James Version.
2. The Moody Bible Commentary: If the Believer’s Bible Commentary isn’t my favorite one-volume commentary, this one is. It was written by some of the faculty members of Moody Bible Institute and is incredibly thorough. I especially like the fact that this commentary not only frequently provides multiple potential interpretations of difficult-to-interpret passages, it usually lets the reader know which interpretation it prefers. Even if I don’t agree with the given conclusion, I appreciate the whole approach. This commentary is based upon the text of The New American Standard Version.
3. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: This two-volume set was written by some of the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary, and both volumes are superb. In particular, their scores of charts and diagrams such as “An Overview of Old Testament History”; “Chronology of the Flood”; “Plan of Solomon’s Temple”; “Jesus’ Six Trials”; “Harmony of Events of Jesus’ Crucifixion”; “Sermons & Speeches in Acts”; etc. are great. They are the best such things I’ve ever seen anywhere. Both volumes of The Bible Knowledge Commentary are based upon the text of the New International Version.
4. The Bible Exposition Commentary: This six-volume set was written by Warren Wiersbe, the popular pastor, preacher, and author. For years, Wiersbe wrote the little “Be” books: “Be Delivered” (Exodus); “Be Skillful” (Proverbs); “Be Right” (Romans); “”Be Victorious” (Revelation); etc. The “Be” books can still be purchased individually, but now they’ve all been compiled into this six-volume set. Wiersbe uses multiple translations in offering his commentary remarks, and anything he writes is well worth reading. Putting it simply, I’ve never heard or read a better teacher of scripture than Warren Wiersbe.
5. The MacArthur Bible Commentary: This one-volume commentary provides all the excellent information of The MacArthur Study Bible and much more. Whereas MacArthur is provided limited space per page for his commentary remarks in his study Bible, his one-volume commentary affords him much more space to offer much more commentary. That’s why, if I had to choose between purchasing his study Bible or his one-volume commentary, I would purchase the commentary. It is based upon the text of the New King James Version.
6. The King James Bible Commentary: Most of the writers who helped compile this commentary were on the faculty of Liberty University/Seminary, but there are some contributors from other seminaries. Anytime I use this commentary, I find it helpful and it’s the commentary I tend to recommend for anyone who prefers to exclusively use the King James Version to do their Bible studying. As the commentary’s title suggests, it is based upon the text of the King James Version.
7. The Baker Commentary on the Bible: This one-volume commentary was edited for Baker Books by Walter A. Elwell, the well-known Christian scholar who taught at Wheaton College from 1975 to 2003. This commentary is not quite as conservative as the other ones I’ve listed, but what I like the most about it is that I find helpful material in it that I simply do not find in any other commentary. It is based upon the text of the New International Version.
Other Helpful Resources (listed in no particular order):
1. Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology: This is a wonderful easy-to-read book on Bible doctrine.
2. Steven Waterhouse’s Not By Bread Alone: This is an outlined guide to doctrine that offers a ton of good information on just about every Bible topic. It is actually more thorough and extensive than Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology.
3. Nave’s Topical Bible: When you are trying to locate all the relevant passages on a specific topic in the Bible, this book is a must.
4. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: If you know one word from a certain verse and want to locate that verse, this is the book you grab. It also gives definitions for the Hebrew words of the Old Testament and the Greek words of the New Testament.
5. Adrian Rogers’ What Every Christian Ought To Know: This book does a wonderful job of covering the basics of living the Christian life. For example, some of the chapters are: “Every Christian Ought to Know the Bible Is the Word of God”; “Every Christian Ought to Know the Assurance of Salvation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Handle Temptation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discern the Will of God”; and “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discover His Spiritual Gift.”
6. Ray Stedman’s Adventuring Through the Bible: This one-volume book describes itself as “A Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Bible,” and it really does back up that claim. It is not a commentary in the classic sense of that word, and it certainly doesn’t use a verse-by-verse approach to explain scripture. What it does do, though, is provide the reader with an overview of each book of the Bible and cut into quite a bit of the “meat” of each book.
7. Richards Complete Bible Dictionary: Every student of the Bible needs a good Bible dictionary. I myself have no less than five of them, and I suppose this one is the best of the five. Let me say, however, that there are many excellent Bible dictionaries on the market. Some other good ones are: The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Easton’s Bible Dictionary; and Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these (or others than could be named).
8. Halley’s Bible Handbook and Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible: Neither of these little books is a true commentary, but each one gives a lot of “bang for the buck” by relaying a wealth of information about the Bible.
9. David Jeremiah’s God In You: This is the best book I’ve ever seen on the topic of the Holy Spirit.
10. John MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos: If you wondering about speaking in tongues, healing, signs and wonders, the “health and wealth” gospel, and “prosperity preachers,” this book is the gold standard that exposes the outright fraud that passes for a lot of “religion” these days.
11. Tim Lahaye’s Revelation Unveiled: Everybody is fascinated by the book of The Revelation, and I have dozens of good commentaries on the book. To me, though, this commentary does the simplest, best job of explaining the book.
12. Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of the Cults and the Josh McDowell-Don Stewart book Handbook of Today’s Religions. Each of these books does a fantastic job of naming religions other than Christianity and explaining how they differ from Christianity.
Well, I’ll stop here, but please understand I’m not claiming to have done any kind of thorough job on this topic. Just because a study Bible, commentary, or other type of resource isn’t on my list, don’t automatically take that to mean I wouldn’t recommend it. This post has simply been my attempt to offer a relatively brief list of some of the books that sit on the shelves of my study and have helped me over the years. Since the prices on each of these is very reasonable considering what they will give you in return, what are you waiting for? If you really want to understand the Bible, all this help is readily available. Pretty much whatever I know about the Bible, I learned from these books and others like them, and you can as well if you will put in the effort.
The Disciple's Road 
Real Help in Understanding the Bible
Every so often someone will ask me to recommend a resource that will help them understand the Bible. This gets into the area of study Bibles, commentaries, reference works, etc. The problem with these resources is that the bad ones cost as much as the good ones. So, I thought I’d use today’s post to name some good ones.
Before I begin, though, let me offer a few qualifying remarks. First, I believe the books of the Bible, as they were originally written by men who were inspired by God, were perfect, infallible, and authoritative. They were nothing less than God’s written words to the human race. Second, I believe the copying process that left us with a great number of copies (copies of copies of copies of copies, etc.) of those original books was faithful enough and meticulous enough to give us a Bible we can still trust in this 21st century. Third, with only a few exceptions here and there, I believe in interpreting the Bible literally. Fourth, I believe Jesus is going to come to earth’s sky to claim His people by way of the Rapture before the seven-year tribulation period this earth is prophesied to undergo. Fifth, I believe Jesus is going to walk this earth again seven years later at the end of that tribulation period when He comes for His Second Coming. At that time, He will establish his literal 1,000-year reign upon the earth.
I’m telling you what I believe about the Bible and what I believe about the Rapture, Christ’s Second Coming, and Christ’s 1,000-year reign because the study Bibles, commentaries, and reference works I recommend all align with these views. You see, what you believe affects what resources you prefer. For example, while I can get some use from a commentary on the book of The Revelation that holds to a post-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation, I’m not going to enjoy or recommend that commentary nearly as much as I will one that employs a pre-tribulation-period Rapture interpretation. Do you understand?
Finally, let me say I am old enough to have started studying the Bible in an era that was before the internet, personal computers, and cellphones. That means I started out by holding literal books in my hands whenever I was studying the Bible. I’ve never gotten over that, which means I am quite out of step with the younger folks today who only know how to receive information by way of some type of screen. Nevertheless, with that understood, let’s get down to business.
Study Bibles (listed in no particular order):
1. The MacArthur Study Bible: The commentary notes per page in this Bible are numerous and excellent. Also, at the beginning of each book, MacArthur’s identifies the book’s: title, author, date, background, setting, historical themes, theological themes, and interpretive challenges. This information is simply awesome. The only negative thing I can say is that he is a staunch Calvinist and there are a few places, especially in the New Testament, where his Calvinism, in my opinion, adversely affects his interpretations. But if you can ease around these places, this study Bible is great. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but MacArthur also offers it in the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version.
2. Nelson’s Study Bible: This study Bible has as many commentary notes per page as you will find in any study Bible, and they are wonderfully helpful. It also features many in-depth articles, charts, and word studies. I have the New King James Version of this Bible, but Nelson also offers it in the classic King James Version.
3. NLT Study Bible: The initials “NLT” stand for New Living Translation. My son Royce didn’t like reading the King James Version of the Bible because he said he couldn’t understand what he was reading. So, I bought him a NLT Study Bible for Christmas one year and almost overnight he became a devout reader of scripture. Not only does the New Living Translation text make for easier reading than other translations, this Bible is absolutely chocked full of commentary notes at the bottom of each page. At the beginning of each book, it also features an extensive section that identifies the author of the book, describes the book’s setting, summarizes the book, and explains the book’s meaning and message.
4. The Ryrie Study Bible: For many years, Charles Ryrie served on staff at Dallas Theological Seminary and in the process became a legend as a Bible teacher. The commentary notes in his study Bible are excellent, but there aren’t quite as many of them as there are in those first three study Bibles I’ve listed. With that said, though, I’m always interested in what Ryrie has to say about any passages he chooses to address. I have the New International Version of this Bible, but Ryrie also offers it in the King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the English Standard Version.
5. The Jeremiah Study Bible: This is the study Bible put together by the popular pastor and author, David Jeremiah. As is the case with the Ryrie Study Bible, the commentary notes offered in this Bible are solid, but there just aren’t as many of them per page as there are in other study Bibles. I have the English Standard Version of this Bible, but Jeremiah also offers it in the New King James Version and the New International Version.
6. The Tony Evans Study Bible: Another popular pastor and author is Tony Evans. The number of commentary notes in his study Bible are pretty much on par with the number in The Ryrie Study Bible and The Jeremiah Study Bible, but they are different in that many of them are written in a conversational style that sounds more like Evans as a preacher than a scholar. To me, that is a good thing because he is one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard. I have the Christian Standard Bible version of this Bible, but Evans also offers it in the New American Standard Version.
7. The Scofield Study Bible, The New Scofield Study Bible, The Scofield Study Bible III: I’ve listed these three study Bibles together because they all come under the heading “The Scofield Study Bible.” This is the study Bible that basically invented the whole market of study Bibles. The original version of The Scofield Study Bible first appeared in 1909, but the most popular edition of it is the revised 1917 one. Both the 1909 and 1917 editions were edited by C.I. Scofield and were only offered in the King James Version. Therefore, I have this study Bible in the King James Version.
Overall, the 1917 edition of The Scofield Study Bible provided relatively few commentary notes per page, but the notes it did provide would heavily influence conservative preachers for decades to follow. Most famously (or infamously, depending upon your point of view), The Scofield Study Bible taught: (A.) There are 7 distinct eras (Dispensations) to God’s working in human history. This led to the popular use of the term “Dispensationalism.” (B.) Christ’s Millennial (1,000 years) reign upon the earth will be literal and will be preceded by His Second Coming. This led to the popular use of the term “Premillennialism.” (C.) There is an eons-long gap of time between Genesis 1:1-2 that was the result of God’s original Genesis 1:1 creation becoming ruined by the fall of Satan. Consequently, beginning with Genesis 1:3, God began the process of recreating His ruined creation. This interpretation led to the popular use of the term “The Gap Theory.”
In 1967, a committee was put together to update The Scofield Study Bible, thus creating The New Scofield Study Bible. This version kept many of C.I. Scofield’s original teachings in place but also provided certain other possible interpretations to some of his most controversial teachings, such as The Gap Theory. The 1967 version added more maps and illustrations as well and featured references to archaeological finds that were more current than the ones mentioned in the 1917 edition. The New Scofield Bible was offered in the King James Version and the New American Standard Version. I have it in the New American Standard Version.
In 2008, The Scofield Study Bible III was published. It was edited by Doris White Harris. While still retaining many of C.I. Scofield’s original study notes and his basic framework of a Dispensational view of human history, this update featured more up-to-date archaeological finds, more current and expanded maps, and an even more balanced approach to Scofield’s original teachings. This version is offered in the King James Version, the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, and the English Standard Version. I myself do not have a copy of this third edition.
Commentaries That Cover the Whole Bible (listed in no particular order):
1. William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary. William MacDonald taught at Emmaus Bible College from 1947 until 1965 and served as the President of the school from 1959 until 1965. He then began an extensive career as a Bible teacher and Christian writer. His commentary is probably my favorite of all the one-volume commentaries I have. It is based upon the text of the New King James Version.
2. The Moody Bible Commentary: If the Believer’s Bible Commentary isn’t my favorite one-volume commentary, this one is. It was written by some of the faculty members of Moody Bible Institute and is incredibly thorough. I especially like the fact that this commentary not only frequently provides multiple potential interpretations of difficult-to-interpret passages, it usually lets the reader know which interpretation it prefers. Even if I don’t agree with the given conclusion, I appreciate the whole approach. This commentary is based upon the text of The New American Standard Version.
3. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: This two-volume set was written by some of the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary, and both volumes are superb. In particular, their scores of charts and diagrams such as “An Overview of Old Testament History”; “Chronology of the Flood”; “Plan of Solomon’s Temple”; “Jesus’ Six Trials”; “Harmony of Events of Jesus’ Crucifixion”; “Sermons & Speeches in Acts”; etc. are great. They are the best such things I’ve ever seen anywhere. Both volumes of The Bible Knowledge Commentary are based upon the text of the New International Version.
4. The Bible Exposition Commentary: This six-volume set was written by Warren Wiersbe, the popular pastor, preacher, and author. For years, Wiersbe wrote the little “Be” books: “Be Delivered” (Exodus); “Be Skillful” (Proverbs); “Be Right” (Romans); “”Be Victorious” (Revelation); etc. The “Be” books can still be purchased individually, but now they’ve all been compiled into this six-volume set. Wiersbe uses multiple translations in offering his commentary remarks, and anything he writes is well worth reading. Putting it simply, I’ve never heard or read a better teacher of scripture than Warren Wiersbe.
5. The MacArthur Bible Commentary: This one-volume commentary provides all the excellent information of The MacArthur Study Bible and much more. Whereas MacArthur is provided limited space per page for his commentary remarks in his study Bible, his one-volume commentary affords him much more space to offer much more commentary. That’s why, if I had to choose between purchasing his study Bible or his one-volume commentary, I would purchase the commentary. It is based upon the text of the New King James Version.
6. The King James Bible Commentary: Most of the writers who helped compile this commentary were on the faculty of Liberty University/Seminary, but there are some contributors from other seminaries. Anytime I use this commentary, I find it helpful and it’s the commentary I tend to recommend for anyone who prefers to exclusively use the King James Version to do their Bible studying. As the commentary’s title suggests, it is based upon the text of the King James Version.
7. The Baker Commentary on the Bible: This one-volume commentary was edited for Baker Books by Walter A. Elwell, the well-known Christian scholar who taught at Wheaton College from 1975 to 2003. This commentary is not quite as conservative as the other ones I’ve listed, but what I like the most about it is that I find helpful material in it that I simply do not find in any other commentary. It is based upon the text of the New International Version.
Other Helpful Resources (listed in no particular order):
1. Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology: This is a wonderful easy-to-read book on Bible doctrine.
2. Steven Waterhouse’s Not By Bread Alone: This is an outlined guide to doctrine that offers a ton of good information on just about every Bible topic. It is actually more thorough and extensive than Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology.
3. Nave’s Topical Bible: When you are trying to locate all the relevant passages on a specific topic in the Bible, this book is a must.
4. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: If you know one word from a certain verse and want to locate that verse, this is the book you grab. It also gives definitions for the Hebrew words of the Old Testament and the Greek words of the New Testament.
5. Adrian Rogers’ What Every Christian Ought To Know: This book does a wonderful job of covering the basics of living the Christian life. For example, some of the chapters are: “Every Christian Ought to Know the Bible Is the Word of God”; “Every Christian Ought to Know the Assurance of Salvation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Handle Temptation”; “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discern the Will of God”; and “Every Christian Ought to Know How to Discover His Spiritual Gift.”
6. Ray Stedman’s Adventuring Through the Bible: This one-volume book describes itself as “A Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Bible,” and it really does back up that claim. It is not a commentary in the classic sense of that word, and it certainly doesn’t use a verse-by-verse approach to explain scripture. What it does do, though, is provide the reader with an overview of each book of the Bible and cut into quite a bit of the “meat” of each book.
7. Richards Complete Bible Dictionary: Every student of the Bible needs a good Bible dictionary. I myself have no less than five of them, and I suppose this one is the best of the five. Let me say, however, that there are many excellent Bible dictionaries on the market. Some other good ones are: The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary; Easton’s Bible Dictionary; and Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary. It’s hard to go wrong with any of these (or others than could be named).
8. Halley’s Bible Handbook and Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible: Neither of these little books is a true commentary, but each one gives a lot of “bang for the buck” by relaying a wealth of information about the Bible.
9. David Jeremiah’s God In You: This is the best book I’ve ever seen on the topic of the Holy Spirit.
10. John MacArthur’s Charismatic Chaos: If you wondering about speaking in tongues, healing, signs and wonders, the “health and wealth” gospel, and “prosperity preachers,” this book is the gold standard that exposes the outright fraud that passes for a lot of “religion” these days.
11. Tim Lahaye’s Revelation Unveiled: Everybody is fascinated by the book of The Revelation, and I have dozens of good commentaries on the book. To me, though, this commentary does the simplest, best job of explaining the book.
12. Walter Martin’s The Kingdom of the Cults and the Josh McDowell-Don Stewart book Handbook of Today’s Religions. Each of these books does a fantastic job of naming religions other than Christianity and explaining how they differ from Christianity.
Well, I’ll stop here, but please understand I’m not claiming to have done any kind of thorough job on this topic. Just because a study Bible, commentary, or other type of resource isn’t on my list, don’t automatically take that to mean I wouldn’t recommend it. This post has simply been my attempt to offer a relatively brief list of some of the books that sit on the shelves of my study and have helped me over the years. Since the prices on each of these is very reasonable considering what they will give you in return, what are you waiting for? If you really want to understand the Bible, all this help is readily available. Pretty much whatever I know about the Bible, I learned from these books and others like them, and you can as well if you will put in the effort.
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