Bible Study Resources
There are all kinds of resources available for studying and understanding the Bible. The resources here are primarily from mainline, Protestant sources and viewpoints. Below is a small selection of the many resources available. If you need something more specific, please contact Amy Cook, amyc@diocal.org.
Bible Tools:
Bible Gateway is a wonderful resource that lets you look up words or phrases from the bible, or compare verses in many, many translations. This is an excellent resource for trying to find a bible reference, comparing different translations, or for copying a scripture passage.
The Text This Week breaks down the lectionary readings each week and links to lectionary resources, preaching resources, commentaries, reflection & discussion questions, online worship resources, and even resources for children. The lectionary readings are even linked to artwork or movie illustrations. The site is also searchable by a scripture index in order to find when a passage is read during the 3-year lectionary cycle. Special liturgical resources are also available.
To understand different bible translations and their reading level, the American Bible Society offer a brief description of popular bible translations.
Bible Study
Yale Divinity School offers excellent online bible courses for free. Material can be studied independently or used with a group. The website also features additional materials and a podcast.
The Thoughtful Christian offers downloadable studies for Adults and Youth. Bible study, book studies, and theological studies are part of their library. Each download contains the leader guide and a handout for a participant. Pricing begins at $7.50 a lesson. Purchasing a study pack reduces the cost per lesson. This site also sells books, so look for the downloadable studies.
Church Next offers courses online for individuals or groups on a variety of topics for Episcopal Churches. However, there are many Bible study classes available, as well as other topics of interest to church groups. Church Next is affiliated with Forward Movement.
The Good Book Club invites Episcopalians to read the bible in bite-size pieces every day. Reading plans, emails, outlines, and more help individuals to read the bible in a new way. All materials are available in Spanish as well.
Forward Movement offers an interesting Bible alternative in The Path, excerpted from the New Revised Standard Version. This is the overall narrative of the Bible with chapters & verses taken out. It reads like a novel and edits out pieces that do not correspond to the narrative storyline. It is a great introduction to the story and message of the bible. Also available is The Path: Family Storybook, A Journey Through the Bible for Families and is designed for children to read, or to be read aloud with children. The Path: Family Storybook Facilitator’s Guide easily allows this to be used for family faith formation or small group Sunday schools. Exploring the Bible: Downloadable Course is a free resource to help both adults and teens read the bible and discuss together.
Other Bible Resources
The Bible Project is a nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that produces 100% free animated videos, podcasts, classes, and educational resources and technology to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone, everywhere. These are cartoons – but not for children. Instead, these are videos to explain the stories, the history, theological concepts, key words in Hebrew and Greek, church history, and more. These can be a useful addition for learning and discussion at many levels. They also have a new app that integrates their videos with a bible reading plan and helps to understand the pattern, style and structure of scripture and other bible reading skills.
First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament is a new version from an indigenous perspective that seeks to decolonize the language of the bible. The Translation Council was formed from a diverse gathering of men and women, young and old, from different Native cultures and church backgrounds. For an article about the translation and the process, click here. A project has also started to create animated films and the first one is available at this link.