Bible Study Magazine—November–December 2008 Issue

• Feature Stories
  Discover new ways to connect the Bible with your ministry and life through reading great interviews with and articles from the biggest names in the church and biblical scholarship.
• Bible Study Tips
  Thoughtful and engaging authors tackle the tough passages in Scripture, explain difficult concepts, and confront complex interpretations in a way that helps God’s Word make sense to your life.
• On the Cutting Edge
  Keep up-to-date on the latest news in biblical research, including archaeological and historical findings.
• A New Kind of Bible Study
  Encounter God by yourself or with other believers with an ongoing Bible study in each issue.
• On Teaching
  Get advice on how to preach or teach the Bible in any setting from well-known pastors and teachers who use the Bible every day.
• Tool Box
  Learn how to effectively use the latest Bible study tools with our how-to guides.
• In the News
  Keep informed about the latest news in biblically-related topics, discoveries, and events.
• Thoughts from the Ancients
  Read the Bible along with those who have come before you, and learn from the wisdom of the early church—in their own words.
• Word Studies
  Get a close-up view of the Bible! Each issue contains insights about specific words found in the Bible, and tutorials on how to do word studies.
• If Only Someone Would Explain It to Me
  Enrich your understanding of the Bible with explanations of biblical and theological concepts by top scholars.
• Did You Know?
  Discover interesting facts about the Bible in the contemporary and ancient world.
• What They Don’t Tell You in Church
  See things you never noticed in biblical passages you have read dozens of times.
• Biblical Humor
  The funniest stories and the best comics related to the Bible, useful for any setting.
• Book Reviews
  Stay on top of the latest books about Bible study. Each issue contains reviews of the books and commentaries to equip you in your study of God’s Word.

Excerpts from the Nov-Dec 2008 Issue!

Letter from the Editor, by Michael Heiser

Welcome to our inaugural issue! We know that you will be as excited about Bible Study Magazine as we are.

Bible Study Magazine will enhance your study of God’s word in a variety of ways, suggesting methods of Bible study and offering tips on Bible study tools. It includes advice and encouragement from pastors, teachers, and scholars on Bible study. Interesting and challenging content about the Bible and the ancient biblical world will take your Bible study to a completely new level.

In this first issue, we explore how apologist Josh McDowell studies the Scriptures; the Great Isaiah Scroll (one of the Dead Sea Scrolls) provides insights into how we got the Bible; and choosing a Bible translation.

That might sound like a lot to cover, but we’re just getting started. Whether you’re a pastor, a seasoned Bible student, or someone new to studying God’s Word, Bible Study Magazine is for you.

Enjoy the magazine!

How Bible Study Saved My Marriage and Changed My Life, by Christy Tennant

When David Lawson became a Christian, his wife, B.J., was out of town visiting a relative. Their marriage was in serious trouble, so David decided to visit a church, where he gave his life to Christ.

“I didn’t know what being a Christian was all about,” says Lawson. “I just felt this incredible question burning in my heart: ‘What do I do now that I’m a Christian?’”

Right at the beginning of his new faith journey, David says there were two things he knew for sure. First, even though his marriage was on the rocks, a divorce was out of the question. And second, having come to faith in Christ under the preaching of a Bible-saturated church, he thought, “If God wrote the Bible, I should probably read it!”

When I Open the Gospels: An Interview with Dr. Mark Goodacre

BSM: What are the Synoptic Gospels and what does the term "synoptic" mean?

Goodacre: The Synoptic Gospels are the first three Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John is distinguished from the first three because it has a different structure, order, and approach. While there are extensive verbatim (word for word) agreements between the Synoptic Gospels, there are very few between the Synoptics and John. The Synoptic Gospels can be viewed together in three columns in what is called a "Synopsis" and that is the meaning of the term "Synoptic", "view together".

Facing Today with the Book of Hebrews, by John D. Barry

Deeply rooted in the sermon delivered to the Hebrews is a sense of urgency. The same sense of urgency exists today—in a time of war, lack of community and spiritual depravity. Our study of the book will help us understand the pressing need of a previous generation and answer the cry of our own. Through understanding how God equipped ancient believers, we will understand how God can outfit us. Through these ancient texts, we will find modern answers.

When we open the book of Hebrews, we discover a community of Christians living in a time of trial, a community not so different from yours or mine. They, like us, are struggling to understand God in the midst of suffering. In this regard, the message of the book is our message—their story is our story.