Understanding Scripture
The Africa Bible Commentary is the first one-volume Bible commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of African pastors, students, and lay leaders. Interpreting and applying the Bible in the light of African culture and realities, it furnishes powerful and relevant insights into the biblical text that transcend Africa in their significance.
Also available in French, entitled Commentaire Biblique Contemporain. [more...]
One of the primary benefits of BELT is that it provides an intensive experience in local language Scripture use, where reading, teaching and understanding the translated Scriptures is modeled and given high value.
The mission of BELT, a ministry of YWAM, is to partner with mission organizations (primarily Wycliffe Bible Translators) and indigenous churches to develop leaders through culturally relevant Bible training that teaches them to apply the Scriptures to every area of life and equips them to teach and influence others. [more...]
The Bible Lands as Classroom series (eight 45 minute DVDs) is an excellent teaching tool for Bible translators, pastors, and people in general who would like to know more about biblical geography, history, and culture. The series was filmed in Israel and the Middle East, including many ancient sites. The DVDs include:
- Part One: Geography, Climate, Agriculture
- Part Two: From Abraham to Joshua
- Part Three: From Joshua to Hezekiah
- Part Four: From Hezekiah to Herod
- Part Five: New Testament: The Gospels
- Part Six: Spread of the Early Church in the Roman Empire
- Part Seven: The Religions of the Ancient Near East
- Part Eight: Bible Text and Canon
- Presenter’s Manual: Background readings and exercises
EasyEnglish is a form of simple English developed by Wycliffe Associates (UK).
This site contains Bible commentaries, Bible translations, Bible studies, and other materials that have been written in simple English. They are free to download and use.
The Bible commentaries are for pastors, elders and Bible Study leaders in the developing world or for people who speak English as a second language. They include a Bible translation in EasyEnglish (2800 word vocabulary). [more...]
Is the Bible too complicated for ordinary people to use as a handbook for living?
Not if you’re prepared to follow some basic guidelines which the Bible itself provides, as, for example, in the Letter to the Hebrews. The writer suggests six ways of engaging with the Scriptures. [more...]
"The Africa Bible Commentary Series builds on the vision of the acclaimed Africa Bible Commentary — to reach African pastors, students and lay leaders, with top notch biblical and theological scholarship, by Africans, for Africa, and the world."
The first in the series has been published, a commentary on "1 & 2 Timothy and Titus" by Samuel Ngewa (professor of New Testament Studies at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology, NEGST).
[more...]"These commentaries are divided into preaching units that contain detailed exposition of each passage as well as contemporary applications. The unit is not intended to be preached as a sermon, but as a resource for sermon preparation. Each unit is followed by two or three questions that could be used for a small group or personal study. Academic issues relating to the Greek text and disputes about interpretation are dealt with in extensive end notes."
Covering everything from translational concerns to different genres of biblical writing, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is used all around the world. In clear, simple language, it helps you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible—their meaning for ancient audiences and their implications for you today—so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God’s Word. [more...]
We need to help our students switch their focus from their teachers to the Bible. We want them to be able to say with full confidence, “This is what the Bible teaches.”
How can we do that? It must begin with a major change of emphasis at our schools. We must teach our students how to think and not merely what to think. We must develop students’ confidence and skills to read, interpret, and apply the Bible for themselves.
In this article, Brian Arensen argues for the importance of teaching inductive Bible study methods in African theological colleges. He reports that after teaching and reinforcing inductive Bible study concepts, they have seen a significant difference in the way the students handle the Scriptures: [more...]
A comprehensive Atlas of Bible History: in 192 large format pages there are 96 maps, 143 colour photographs, 7 panoramic illustrations and 16 site plans as well as substantial text that even non-specialists will appreciate. Among the best of its kind it would suit Bible students of all kinds, translators, researchers and readers with an interest in the history of the Near East.
Special features on subjects such as the peoples and languages of the Bible run through the book, which covers geography, landscape, climate, culture and religion.
As well as the English edition, it’s also translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, and Polish.
For information on accessing the French edition at a discount or other language editions contact cyberspaceplace
yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk [more...]
Designed especially for youth and young adults, Living Worlds is educational yet entertaining.
Living Worlds is filmed on location in Italy, Greece and Turkey and supplemented with computer graphics and animations. It aims to help us understand better the world of New Testament times and specifically the context into which several books of the Bible were written. Each episode is around 10 minutes long, making it ideal for use in home groups, Bible studies - even Church gatherings.
The first episode "Corinth" uses cutting edge computer graphics, animations and story-telling to explore the life of Ancient Corinth. [more...]
