A list of Favorite Resources
From time to time I’ll add links to things I think are noteworthy.
The Bible
- NASB 1995 Classic Reference Bible, Comfort Print–soft leather-look, black
Inexpensive, easy to read and handle, referenced edition. 1995 update, prefered over the new 2020 edition. - E-Sword
E-Sword is a must have comprehensive, free, electronic format of Bibles and Study aids. Outstanding! And BibleSupport.com is also a great site for resources. - BibleGateway.com
A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages. - The NET Bible
New English Translation, 1998
an on-line version with text (including greek) and study notes. - Bible Research, Internet Resources for Students of Scripture
“for Bible students who are looking for detailed information on the history of the canon, texts, and versions of Scripture” - Logos Bible Software, free version (no time limit), a massively comprehensive resource for studying the Bible. Package pricing ranges from Free (truly free!) for the Basic up to $10,799.99 for the collectors edition! The free version still allows purchasing wonderful collections of works for modest prices. Items like the Keil & Delitzsch OT commentary and Josephus’ collections and Eusebius’ writings synchronize links with bible texts and other documents!
Commentaries
- Commentary on the Old Testament, Keil and Delitzsch, T. and T. Clark, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1885.
translated from the German. The finest biblical exegesis of the Old Testament produced to date. Originally published in Germany in the 1860s and 1870s. Translated into English shortly after the German editions were published. - Calvin’s Commentaries, John Calvin (1509–1564), Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1999
Another excellent exegesis of the Old Testament and New (Calvin did not include exposition on Judges to Job, Proverbs to Song of Solomon, 2 & 3rd John, and Revelation). See this Wikipedia article
Church History
- Christian Classics Ethereal Library
a digital library of hundreds of classic Christian books selected for edification and education. - Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin
the Beveridge translation on CCEL is free (though the version is far better. - History of the Christian Church in 8 volumes, Philip Schaff,
(New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1907, 1910, reproduced by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), the best history of the Church I’ve found. From Pentecost through the Reformation. - The Creeds of Christendom, Ed. by Philip Schaff, on-line at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library: Volume 1; Volume 2; Volume 3
an exemplary and detailed accounting of the history of the church through the Reformation. - The Rise of Christianity, W.H.C. Frend, Fortress Press, 1984
a very readable edition of the first 600 years of Christianity, even if it should be read with a critical eye. - So Many Versions 20th Century English Versions of the English Bible, Revised & Enlarged Edition
by Sakae Kubo & Walter F. Sprecht, Zondervan, , 1983
A well written, balanced, evaluation of the major current Bible versions, even at this date in 2013.
Reference
- A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, by Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt and F. Wilber Gingrich, The University of Chicago Press, 1957 known as BAG for the editors. A second edition (1979) is known as BADG and a third edition (2000) BDAG when Danker took over from Bauer.
- The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, by James Strong, S.T.D. LLD., Mac Donald Publishing Co., McLean, Virginia, n.d.
Books
- How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture Francis A. Schaeffer, Fleming H. Revell, 1979
analyzes the reasons for modern society’s sad state of affairs and presents the only viable alternative for recovery: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God’s revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible’s truth, morals, values and meaning. The title comes from the passage in Ezekiel 33:10 from the KJV - He is There and He is not Silent, Francis A. Schaeffer, Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL 1972
God is not dead and He did not wind up the watch and walk away. Here’s the summary from Wikipedia.com: He Is There and He Is Not Silent is a philosophical work written by American apologist and Christian theologian Francis A. Schaeffer. It is Book Three in Volume One of The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer A Christian Worldview. Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1982. This is the third book of Francis Schaeffer’s “Trilogy.” - Evidence That Demands a Verdict Josh McDowell, 1972
Among important books in the defense of Christianity, this one has few equals. Evidence That Demands a Verdict is an easy-to-read, front-line defense for Christians facing the tough questions of critics and skeptics. Using secular evidences and other historical sources, Josh McDowell’s faith-building book is a “must read” for every Christian.
Fun
- Coffee With Calvin
Blog reflecting on reading John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion all the way through in one year.
Started January 2010, stopped November 12, 2010 at Book 4, chapter 7 section 30 (chapter 20 is the last in the Institutes). He almost made it to the end, then – silence. I hope he is OK!