Online Bible Concordance
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For students of the Scriptures today, an online Bible concordance is just the tip of the resource iceberg. Other items available for use by those who want to study the Bible include commentaries, lexicons, various translations of the Scriptures, ebooks, reading plans, pronunciation guides, parallel versions, and even a free online Bible dictionary to help understand difficult words and concepts. Most households have access to an Internet connection. However, others may access the Internet through libraries, schools, churches and other community spaces. It is hard to imagine the benefits which these resources can offer.
Books, translations and other items which once were very expensive to obtain and were usually only found in the best of pastoral libraries can now be investigated by any person who has the desire to understand more about what the Bible says. Many seminarians can remember racing to the school library after a class, hoping that someone else had not already retrieved the few copies of the commentary needed for an assignment. Then, flush with thankful relief, one tried to quickly obtain the information which was needed, so that the book could be returned for another student's use.
Today, the situation is more like that of the conditions described in Daniel 12:4 ...many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Sets of commentaries whose cost went far beyond most theological students' budgets can now be perused for free or purchased in electronic formats at a reasonable cost. Resources which could only be dreamed about or purchased slowly, piece by piece, can now be studied freely with the click of a mouse at no cost except the time involved. To those who delight in mining the treasures found in Scripture, an online Bible concordance, commentary, or free online Bible dictionary is a dream come true.
Even if a person does not have a degree from a Bible college or seminary, the tools available for Bible study are numerous and user-friendly. For example, it is possible to examine a passage from the Scriptures in this way. First, choose the text to be studied. After prayerful study of the text itself, perhaps a person might want to examine the passage in other translations. One resource listed the passage in twelve different translations. Parallel versions are also common, so that versions can be compared side by side. Interlinear versions of the Scriptures allow a student to see the precise word used in a passage. Then, other resources can explain the word's use, even if one does not understand the original language of the text.
If there is some confusion as to the meaning of a particular word, an online Bible concordance can be consulted. Not just any concordance, either -- these are the most up to date and desireable resources. One online Bible concordance indexed every word of twelve translations and then, for each entry, listed the verses it is used in and other versions in which that particular word appears. A free online Bible dictionary can be consulted to help explain words which may be hard to understand. The word can be looked up alphabetically, or simply entered into a search box in the dictionary's website. Many cross-references are found at the end of the article which explains the word, or are hyperlinked within the article. Related topics may be suggested, and can be explored via the free online Bible dictionary or commentary resources. One site offered the option of a choice of a free online Bible dictionary from among three different, high-quality examples.
Make a note of this consideration which may trouble certain students. Some people are reluctant to include outside resources such as an online Bible concordance as part of their study. They believe that the Scriptures are sufficient, and of course, this is true. However, teaching is one of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible. If God wanted an individual to get all of his or her information about Biblical matters without any 'outside' commentary, there would be no need for pastors or teachers in the church. It is not that a special teacher is needed to explain God's Word. Rather, as a body of believers, church members can share the insights which they have received as they study the Word of God. Reading a commentary is just like listening to one more member of the body of Christ, sharing the insights which they have been given. However, in this case, they may be sharing across the centuries instead of across the sanctuary.
In the same way that a person would carefully consider what another church member might have to say about a certain passage or concept, be sure to compare a commentator's thoughts with the rest of Scripture before accepting his or her conclusions. Like the Bereans mentioned in the book of Acts, carefully consider whether the things heard from various teachers are true and Biblical. There may be sincere yet misguided saints, who need to be gently yet firmly corrected. However, in the Church these days, as in the days of the Bereans, there are also false teachers who seek to lead people astray and deliberately distort Biblical concepts for their own purposes. These, too, must be corrected or rejected. May students of the Scriptures humbly and diligently make good use of the tools which they have been given, in order to share the riches of the Word of God which they have received with a desperately needy world.
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