Session 2 Classroom

1: Welcome

Welcome to the Session 2 Classroom.

Everything you need for working through the second session is right here on this page. Start with the video lecture. Download the fill-in-the-blank notes page to help you follow along!

After the video move on to the discussion questions, recommended readings, and practice exercises.

After that, go to section 4 to learn about the kind of tools Andrew recommends for building a good library for studying scripture.

If you are still hungry for more go to section 5 and download the free ebook by renowned New Testament scholar Craig Keener about studying the Bible in its context.

2: Session 2 Video Lecture

The second session dives into how to study the text of God’s word in order to get a message. Download and print the fill-in-the-blanks notes page:

⬇️ Download Session 2 Notes ⬇️
3: After The Video

4: Tools for Studying God's Word

Getting Started: The Free Stuff

  • Free quality online Bible study toolsA blog post containing an annotated list of free quality online resources. This is the most important item on this list. I frequently update this blog post as I continue to find great new online, free, resources. Each annotation not only explains what each is, but gives you an idea of how you might use it.
  • The Y’all Translation – A unique (but extremely helpful) Bible translation. It replaces plural YOUs in scripture with “y’all” or other regional equivalents.
  • Mark-Up Example – An example of the kind of mark-up recommended in the video lecture.

Getting Started: The Paid-For Stuff

Here is a brief, selective, curated list of suggested books that would constitute a very basic (but effective) library to help aid you in your study. The total cost for the library in an Amazon cart was between $70-$100 at the time of this courses’s first edition. The price varies based on which Study Bible you choose. Also see (here) my blog post about Study Bibles and (here) my blog post about English translations.

  • The IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament
  • The IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition

ONE of the following Study Bibles:

  • NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Also available in NKJV and NRSV)
  • The New Interpreter’s Study Bible
  • CEB Study Bible
  • The NIV Study Bible

Another potential option is to consider subscribing do Bible Gateway Plus. It is an online subscription account through Bible Gateway that gives you access to both of the NIV based study Bibles mentioned above and some other great resources. It is $5/month or $50 for the year.

5: Keep the Learning Going

Free eBook by renowned New Testament Scholar Craig Keener on how to improve one’s study of the scriptures.