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Christians Use Bible Commentaries To Deepen Our Understanding
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 Christians Use Bible Commentaries To Deepen Our UnderstandingSeeking wisdom from those who are wise is a biblical principle that encourages the use of resources like Bible commentaries to deepen understanding. The Bible emphasizes learning from the wise, as Proverbs 1 states that a wise person will hear and increase in learning, and a discerning person will acquire wise counsel. This principle is supported by the idea that wisdom is not merely knowledge but the proper application of knowledge, which is gained through studying God's Word and seeking guidance from those who are spiritually mature. Commentaries, as tools for deeper insight, align with this practice by helping believers understand the context and meaning of Scripture, thus aiding in the pursuit of wisdom. The Bible encourages believers to learn from the wise, as seen in Proverbs 1, which states that a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Commentaries are valuable resources that provide deeper insights into Scripture, helping readers understand its meaning and apply its truths practically. The pursuit of wisdom involves more than just reading; it requires applying biblical principles to life, which is facilitated by using tools like commentaries and devotionals. Wisdom is personified in Scripture, and those who seek it are encouraged to turn to God’s Word and prayer for guidance, which commentaries can help illuminate "Bible Verses About Learning: Wisdom and Knowledge in Scripture" The Bible encourages believers to pursue wisdom and understanding as gifts from God. Learning is an essential part of spiritual growth and daily living. Scripture often highlights the value of seeking knowledge and applying it wisely. Whether learning about God’s Word, growing in skills, or understanding life’s lessons, the Bible provides inspiration and guidance. watermarkwaves.com writingforjesus.com |
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Christians Use Bible Commentaries To Gain In Wisdom About God's Word They provide insights into the original meaning of passages, explain difficult terms or concepts, and help identify themes and structures within the text that might be missed without such resources. For example, a commentary can clarify the significance of an alabaster bottle of nard in Luke 7, revealing its cultural and symbolic weight. While the Bible is seen as the ultimate authority and can be understood by believers through the work of the Holy Spirit , commentaries are viewed as helpful aids that can protect against misinterpretation, correct personal biases, and deepen one's understanding. They offer the accumulated wisdom of scholars and theologians who have dedicated their lives to studying the Bible in its original languages and historical settings. Commentaries can also help readers see connections between passages and understand how the Bible presents a unified message, such as the theme of the great reversal in Luke's Gospel. However, it is emphasized that commentaries are not inspired Scripture and reflect human understanding, which is inherently fallible and can be influenced by the author's doctrinal perspective. Therefore, they should be used as secondary resources to inform and enrich personal study, not as a replacement for direct engagement with the text. The process of personally studying the Bible, asking questions, and seeking God's guidance through prayer is considered essential for spiritual growth. Ultimately, while commentaries are a significant resource, the primary focus remains on the Bible itself as the living and active Word of God "Yes, Bring Commentaries to Bible Study" www.thegospelcoalition.org "5 Benefits of Using Commentaries in Your Bible Study" www.tyndale.com "Why We Need a DEEPER Understanding of God’s Word" heisworthit.com |
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“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) |
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Excerpts… <<So how do you resolve the conflict that arises in your heart during these confusing times? By believing that the Bible contains the actual words of God Himself. By reading the entire Bible again and again. It’s a sad fact that many Christians have never read the whole counsel of God. But I found that the more I read, the less confused I got about who God is and how He works, and the more I was able to see how it all fits together so beautifully!>> Yes! That’s my point! Read the Bible directly! Who cares what other people think of the Bible? What do YOU think of the Bible? <<So my friends, when you can’t seem to make sense of a confusing situation, don’t stay upset. It’s ok to struggle through an issue—just don’t jump to some erroneous conclusion about God. That’s what Satan wants! Instead, go to God and His Word for answers.>> Yes again. Go to God and His Word for answers – not commentaries and essays about the Bible. |
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It’s actually God’s Holy Spirit that deepens a Christian’s understanding. Spiritual wisdom and understanding are gained through spiritual means, not carnal means. I’m not saying Bible commentaries don’t have a place in a Christian’s life (as do devotionals) but I think their role ought to be limited and NEVER used after a Google search to support a carnal mindset. |
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<<Why you don’t need a commentary for your Bible study So there you are sitting with Bible open, ready to dive into Truth, not sure where to start exactly. You wonder if you’re smart enough; if somehow you can figure out this “Bible study” thing. Confidence may be lacking but the desire is there. Your heart is right but you wonder if it will ever be possible to discover the rich truths like your favorite preachers. Surely they had a go-to resource they turned to … didn’t they? Some commentary they flipped open and great truths were revealed? I know it makes sense — commentaries are there to help you dive into the Word, so why not use them? But let me challenge you: you don’t need one. Here’s why. The problem with commentaries is that people often turn to them first when they start a Bible study. Is that wrong? Maybe not, but it significantly affects and taints (for better or worse) your insight and conclusions of the text. It has been often stated: the Bible is its own best commentary. And it’s true. As men and women of the Word, we must allow Scripture to speak and interpret itself. Commentaries can be useful but they are someone’s interpretation of the text. Commentaries are not Scripture, Scripture is Scripture. And we must allow the Word to speak, define, clarify, and give context to the passage we are studying. But aren’t commentaries helpful in our study? Yes they can be, but we must not rely or turn to them first. There is a tremendous profit in wrestling long over a text. When something doesn’t make sense and we are forced to come before God, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate Truth and reveal Himself to us (John 16), we not only learn and remember more, we discover an enrichment of intimacy and truth as we lean and depend upon God for the wisdom and insight of His own Word. Here is my suggestion: if you are going to use commentaries, use them last. There are several commentaries I like and I have found that God has used them to spark a thought or greater truth, but I turn to them only after I have spent a significant amount of time in the text wrestling. When I turn to commentaries at the beginning, I find myself with their perspective, thought process, and conclusions — rather than allowing Jesus to shape those in me untainted by someone else’s opinion. However, like I learned in 7th grade Algebra, checking your work is important. Reading a few choice commentaries further along in your study will guard against immediately using their conclusions but it will also help you see if you are heading in the right direction. If I am the first person in Christian history to come to a certain conclusion on a passage, I need to be wary that I’m not going off the deep end. I don’t always agree with what commentaries come up with but they are helpful in checking your work, giving you additional lines of thinking to go study and think through, and can provide insight into cultural, historical, social backgrounds you may not otherwise know. So can commentaries be helpful in your study? Sure. But you don’t need them. If you have your Bible, and are willing to allow the Word to interpret itself, that is truly all you need. Yes there are great tools and resources that can aid your study (here are 3 you should be using) but even then you don’t NEED them. The Bible is its own best commentary. Start saturating!>> deeperchristian.com Christians have God’s Holy Spirit for a reason. Bible commentaries should not take His place! If you’re (general you’re) confused about a passage, try praying on it and (as the above article says) wrestling about it first. Ask God to enlighten you before seeking wisdom and understanding from fallible men. |
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Vic That immediately reminded me of what I read in the Gospels of Matthew (16:15), Mark (8:29), and Luke (9:20). Jesus first asked, “Who do people say I am?” The disciples replied with some of the common public opinions: some said John the Baptist, others said Elijah, or one of the prophets. Then Jesus directly asked, “But who do you say I am?” Peter responded on behalf of the disciples: “You are the Christ,” or “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16) Thank you for that powerful reminder. |
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Having a relationship with God through Bible commentaries is like having a relationship with a girl through one of her friends. I’m not saying Bible commentaries are useless but they imo should always take a back seat to reading the Bible directly and prayer. The Old Testament’s not an easy read (to say the least) for unbelievers or even new Christians. But the Gospel of John (and the other three Gospels) and Psalms are great places to start reading the Bible as I think they’re the easiest to read and connect to God from. |
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Gaining Wisdom From Wise Men . . . Maybe because of their "Lone Ranger" emphasis on doing it "their own way"?; Especially when they can break my chops while doing it. |
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@valley_forge Do you know how someone becomes a Christian? And that not all Christians agree about everything? My point is that reading the Bible directly ought to take precedence over reading Bible commentaries and that Christians ought to learn about God from His Word and Holy Spirit – not fallible men with different life experiences giving their opinions about His Word. I think Christians ought to let God speak to them directly through His Word and not through filters. And one of the commentaries you cited agrees with me. Did you read it? |
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That would put you in a good relationship with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. |
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The Bible, despite that number of authors and length of time, forms a cohesive whole. The Bible is supernatural in origin. None of the above can be said of the Communist Manifesto. |
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So what? Reading, memorizing, and hand-copying the book is not all the information needed to understand Communism. Doing that misses the history of what communism movements have done to politics, monetary systems, individual freedoms, and society. There is more to communism than a book. |
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I think your comparison of a book about communism to the Bible is bizarre. |
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Likewise, a book (collection of books) about God is not the same as how many human beings have tried (and failed) to put that book into practice. |
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Bingo! Just as that spirit of Communism can be transferred and transcribed to political policies, or educational curreculems, or music; So can the truth of the Bible or the Gospel of Jesus Christ be transferred and transcribed to other mediums of communication. Vic is correct as far as the Bible itself being the best means to absorb the truths of the Bible or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, just look at what John Bunyan did in writing The Pilgrims Progress from prison. Only the Bible has sold more copies than The Pilgrims Progress. The Biblical narrative and truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are forever recognized and recorded in this book. |
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Vic |
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@apatzer I think a lot of what goes on when Christ deniers talk about Christianity is trolling. I really shouldn’t take it seriously, let alone respond to it. |
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Rather than stir up more controversy, why don't you post something to show you understand the issues we're discussing? Even a non believer can make a positive contribution - thanks Bruce; Do you understand the issues here? |
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VF Have you never read those who are a friend to the world are in enmity with God? Yeah you probably have, but that is just one more page you have mentally ripped out of the Bible. And for your information, I'm not stirring up trouble. I'm warning Vic on what is obvious, not that he can't see it. But if emotions are stirred up sometimes we say things we otherwise wouldn't. Which is exactly what you and Bruce are doing in my humble opinion. Because no one compares writing the Bible out by hand and mockingly compared that to communism or Marxism. Bruce is playing a game because he took offense at it being infered that he was lying. I'll stop here. |
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There has been NO comparison of the Communist Manifesto to the Bible. The intent is to realize that knowing enough to be able to discuss communism with any credulity means more than reading a book about it. It should be obvious that reading, memorizing, and hand-copying only the Bible is not enough to know and understand Christianity. There is more to the religion of Christianity than that. That says NOTHING about the validity or truthfulness of Christianity. And, it says NOTHING about the value or validity of your personal faith. Christianity is a world-wide religion with billions of participants who do not all believe the same thing. There are probably billions of different possible viewpoints, some agreeing and some not agreeing. They do not all agree on what Christianity means, what it means to be a Christian, how you worship God, or how you practice the faith. The four Canonical Gospels couldn't even agree on everything. And, there were many Gospels not included, for some reason. Since the first century, there have been many Christian scholars that differed in their opinions about various issues of Christianity. The decisions of which books to include, or exclude, as the foundational Bible were made by men. The books, letters etc. were all written by men. |
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This club wasn't created to be an ongoing and everlasting bible study seminar. It's for everybody. Are you now saying that non-Christians are to be held to Christian belief standards? That's a flip-flop from prior stated positions and beliefs and it's not scriptural. |
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Sure seemed that way to me. You even used the same language I used. <<The intent is to realize that knowing enough to be able to discuss communism with any credulity means more than reading a book about it.>> As I said earlier, there’s a distinction between communism in theory and communism in practice. Just as there’s a distinction between the Bible and foundational beliefs of Christianity and how fallible men have tried to put those into practice. But communism is a man-made political philosophy. The Bible is supernatural in origin and Christianity was founded upon acts of God (God the Son coming to earth as God incarnate and sacrificing Himself as an atonement for the sins of the world.) I think you’re trying to compare something earthly, carnal and of manmade origin (the Communist Manifesto and communism) to something heavenly, spiritual and of supernatural origin (the Bible and Christianity.) The comparison doesn’t work. <<It should be obvious that reading, memorizing, and hand-copying only the Bible is not enough to know and understand Christianity.>> Yes it is. The Bible (in particular the New Testament) is the foundational book of Christianity. Everything one needs to know about God and Christianity can be found in the Bible. If you’re referring to how some men have erred in putting their faith into practice, that’s a separate issue from God and Christianity. It’s an error imo to mix the carnal and spiritual; to mix what an infallible and eternal God has done and what fallible and mortal men have done. <<There is more to the religion of Christianity than that. That says NOTHING about the validity or truthfulness of Christianity. And, it says NOTHING about the value or validity of your personal faith.>> I think you’re not making a distinction between acts of God and acts of men. <<Christianity is a world-wide religion with billions of participants who do not all believe the same thing.>> If they’re Christians, they all believe in Jesus Christ and all believe the Gospel. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be Christians. <<There are probably billions of different possible viewpoints, some agreeing and some not agreeing. They do not all agree on what Christianity means, what it means to be a Christian, how you worship God, or how you practice the faith.>> What defines a Christian, what makes someone a Christian, is whether they believe in Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear on that. “What does it mean to believe in Jesus?” www.gotquestions.org <<The four Canonical Gospels couldn't even agree on everything.>> Sure, they differ on details, but that’s to their credit. If you have four people agreeing on the details of everything that happened over 3+ years, they probably colluded beforehand to get their stories straight. I have no problems with the four Gospels having different details and emphases. <<And, there were many Gospels not included, for some reason.>> Because their authorship was considered fraudulent. The book of Enoch, for example, was written centuries after Enoch was taken to Heaven (without physically dying.) <<Since the first century, there have been many Christian scholars that differed in their opinions about various issues of Christianity.>> So? <<The decisions of which books to include, or exclude, as the foundational Bible were made by men.>> Sure, men under the guidance and control of God’s Holy Spirit. Do you think God would go to the trouble of having His Holy Spirit inspire, guide and control 40 men in writing what He wanted to say to mankind only to have His Holy Spirit abandon men in the compilation of the Bible? Satan has been trying to undermine and thwart God’s plan to save mankind (Christianity) from the very beginning, and the creation of fraudulent gospels was just another way of doing it. <<The books, letters etc. were all written by men.>> Men under the inspiration, guidance and control of God’s Holy Spirit. You obviously don’t have to believe that, but that’s what I and I suspect literally hundreds of millions of other Christians believe. |
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Please, help me to understand; Are you asking for non Biblical links and POV to be excluded from this thread? If this is the case does this mean Christian perspectives on evidence that God created the universe can not be posted? It wasn't my intention to "validate" the Bible or anything related to Christianity, just to offer information according to the O P. |
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Not at all. But I expected honest engagement and civility. <<Nobody comes here to be lectured, badgered or browbeaten.>> How am I doing that? By stating my beliefs? By objecting to someone saying the Bible is false when he hasn’t read it and by objecting to someone saying Christianity is a manmade construct when he doesn’t know its foundational beliefs? <<This club wasn't created to be an ongoing and everlasting bible study seminar. It's for everybody.>> OK. Why aren’t more people participating here and in other clubs? How am I preventing anyone from joining or participating in this club? If softaire wants to talk about God and the universe’s origins without input from Christians or without the Christian viewpoint, why not create a thread entitled “Non-Christian Views on God and the Universe?” I won’t contribute. But am I supposed to be muzzled when someone misrepresents my faith? <<Are you now saying that non-Christians are to be held to Christian belief standards?>> When did I ever say or even imply that? As I’ve said before, I don’t care what Bruce believes and he’s obviously free not to believe Christianity. But he’s not free to misrepresent Christianity, to say Christianity is a manmade construct when it’s not. People who are Christians believe in Jesus Christ. Bruce obviously doesn’t have to and I never said he did. <<That's a flip-flop from prior stated positions and beliefs and it's not scriptural.>> You’re claiming I said something that I didn’t and that I believe something that I don’t. There’s a big difference between saying “I think the Bible is false” and giving reasons for thinking that, and saying “The Bible is false” and not giving reasons for thinking that and not answering questions. The first is an invitation to discussion. The second is trolling. |
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Thumper No one ever said that non Christians are to be held to Christian standards and as for myself. I've said the exact opposite. Yet you have a poster who's political views are used expressly to hold non Christians to ( extremely distorted Christian standards) I guess this club should just be the Trump mouthpiece club. If you were to make a count Trump adulation is by far the primary topic. But perhaps you are confused because of Trump and others using the Bible (in a distorted way) to that end. I call it like I see it. If there is anything specific please let me know. But vuage ambiguous blanket statements as " virtue loyalty signaling ' aren't exactly flattering. |
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Here’s what I said… <<The Bible is a spiritual book (actually collection of books) written over 1,500 years on three continents by 40 men who were under the inspiration, guidance and control of God’s Holy Spirit.>> Here’s what Softaire said… <<The Communist Manifesto is a political, polemic, and social theory book written almost 200 years ago by 2 men who were under the inspiration, guidance and control of their free will.>> <<Reading, memorizing, and hand-copying the book is not all the information needed to understand Communism. Doing that misses the history of what communism movements have done to politics, monetary systems, individual freedoms, and society.>> He then claims… <<There has been NO comparison of the Communist Manifesto to the Bible.>> I ask: Is that last statement a lie? |
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apatzer 17-Aug-25, 09:51 |
Deleted by apatzer on 17-Aug-25, 09:52.
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Vic I had to fix typos, so I'm reporting it. If I look at what was posted and try to interpret it in two different ways, I can see it from both a positive perspective and a more critical one. The positive interpretation: Softiare may have been using a comparison to highlight contrasts in society, trying to illustrate that fully understanding a subject requires more than just book study. Real-world application and historical context are equally important. That sounds like a fair point on the surface, but even this charitable view has issues. For example, he referenced handwriting something out—a task that you’ve personally shared with him—making it feel targeted rather than general. If his intent was simply to stress the importance of applied knowledge, why not state that directly instead of cloaking it in a vague, ambiguous narrative that requires “reading between the lines”? Additionally, his comparison is built on the assumption that his perspective on both topics is absolutely correct, when in fact it’s subjective and biased. Rather than engaging with what Christianity (in this instance) actually teaches, he appears to project his own interpretations, seeing only what he wants to see. The more critical interpretation: I won’t go into the full “worst‑case” version of what could be read into his words, because even when taking the most positive view, there are already glaring issues with motive. Softiare tends to write in a way that cuts both directions. On one hand, he provokes criticism with his statements, but on the other, he leaves himself a retreat: claiming he wasn’t making a direct comparison but merely trying to prove a broader point. Given the history here, I believe he either deliberately crafted his words to provoke a negative response or, at the very least, knowingly posted something that was bound to spark a negative reaction—without caring about the outcome. Either way, his communication style comes across as manipulative, biased, and driven by ulterior motives. And of course, this always leaves room for hairsplitting afterward: he (or others) can say, “It wasn’t a lie, I didn’t know,” or “That wasn’t an attempt to deceive.” But the reality is that the wording itself seems meant to provoke. From there, the argument shifts away from the content and toward intentions, allowing him to slip into a victim stance. That’s my interpretation. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that I am. |
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