Bible Study Magazine—March–April 2014 Issue

• Feature Stories
  Discover new ways to connect the Bible with your ministry and life through in-depth interviews and articles from the biggest names in the church and biblical scholarship.
• Bible Study Tips
  Explore the Word—thoughtful and engaging authors tackle the tough passages in Scripture, explain difficult concepts, and confront complex interpretations in a way that helps the Gospel make sense in 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 together with those who have come before you, and learn from the wisdom of the early church—in its 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 place of the Bible in the contemporary and the 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 books and commentaries to equip you in your study of God’s Word.

Excerpts from the March–April 2014 Issue!

Craig Groeschel: Discipleship in a Digital Age

“In the early years I thought discipleship was sitting in a classroom and having information transferred to you,” says Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv in Edmonds, Oklahoma, a church community with 19 campuses and an online community. “But we underestimated the power of the Holy Spirit in discipleship. He doesn’t just bring people to Christ and then leave the rest up to us. His work is much greater. Discipleship doesn’t take place only when someone is teaching you about the Bible—it also happens when you’re serving someone in need and using your gifts. We believe spiritual transformation happens as much through doing and being the body of Christ as it does through learning.”—Jessi Strong

Creating Space for Change

Julie Wu, president of China Bible Seminary in Hong Kong, has great hope for all her students. “My hope is that they may know God’s way of life and live accordingly, implementing God’s call to His people: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ (1 Pet 1:16). Christians should be ready to defend their beliefs against the culture and values of the secular world. I emphasize the reading and studying of God’s Word. How can Christians who are not acquainted with God’s Word know how to separate themselves from various cultural influences?”—Jessi Strong

Not Your Average Bible Study: A Prophet on the Run: 8 Weeks in Jonah

Jonah is a counter-example of what it means to love our enemies. He didn’t want his enemies to receive the same mercy and grace he had come to expect from God. Many of us can relate. It seems to go against our instincts to love people who have hurt or wronged us. Yet God’s love isn’t restrained by our human labels of friend or enemy. He goes to great lengths to bring all His creation back to Himself, as demonstrated by His compassion toward the infamous city of Nineveh.—Miles Custis

Special Section: The Not-So-Minor Prophets

Wrestling with God

When we’re hit by chaos or confusion, we often feel like God has left us on our own. When the prophet Habakkuk surveyed the situation in Judah in 630 BC, he felt much the same way. Judah was in a state of complete chaos after more than 50 years of deadbeat leadership. Manasseh (696–642 BC), one of the nation’s most evil rulers, built altars to Baal and consulted spiritists and mediums instead of prophets. He had even sacrificed his sons to foreign gods and erected an image of the Canaanite goddess Asherah in God’s temple.—Israel P. Loken

The High Cost of Sibling Rivalry

Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament, was written after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587 BC. It’s an oracle of doom against the nation of Edom. Judgment will fall upon Edom through a coalition of other nations, but the ultimate indictment will be from God Himself (Obad 2; see also Lam 4:21–22). And His punishment will be remarkably severe (Obad 5–6).—Stephen Witmer