Good morning! Lately, I've been trying to expand my knowledge on varying topics that interest me or improve certain skills. But, my study isn't consistent. Like most people, I wish I had more time! Thankfully, there is one area where I am consistent. I make steady progress in my Bible study (especially important as we head into Easter). Maybe this is something you struggle to do each day, but it's the most important thing we can do to strengthen our relationship with Jesus. I take two simple steps: |
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1. First, I read the Verse of the Day from Bible Gateway. Usually before I even get out of bed—it is easy to find. It's in my inbox every morning, and it is front and center at BibleGateway.com. But, I like to read it from my phone. |
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2. Second, I am a Bible Gateway Plus member. Having this allows me to glean additional insights behind any verse. I click the "Read at Bible Gateway" button in my email, read the verse online, and then dig into the resources that come with my membership. There are 30 Study Bibles, many volumes of commentary, and dictionaries and encyclopedias that help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge. And all of them are tied to the book, chapter and verse I am reading! |
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It is as simple as that! To see how it works, let's walk through my process with today's verse, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 from the NIV translation: |
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3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. |
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| As I read these verses, I had 2 initial questions. - Who is speaking?
- Who are the "we" and "us" mentioned in verse 4?
Bible Gateway Plus makes it really easy to find these answers. First, Study Bibles usually include summaries or introductions into each book of the Bible. So, I backed up a little bit and looked at 2 Corinthians 1 and opened the NIV Study Bible's Introduction to this book. The first line of text answered my first question. You'll find that it reads, "Author: The apostle Paul" |
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Next, who are the "we" and "us" in verse 4? |
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4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. |
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| Here, I found the best answer in the NIV Theological Study Bible. It clarifies that Paul "means himself." But, the most important part of this excerpt – at least to me, is the note about context. For me, it's a great reminder to read a larger portion of the Bible text to understand the full picture of what God is trying to teach me. Maybe I should have added a step #3 to the above list! Once you answer one question, more questions come up and you'll begin to dig deeper! If you're not sure where to start, you can ask yourself: - Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to?
- Where did this take place?
- When did this take place?
- Why is this important?
- How can I apply this to my daily life?
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Now, this is how I start my days, and some days I go deeper than others. I encourage you to start with the verse of the day and amplify your understanding of the Bible by becoming Bible Gateway Plus member. You will be able to access this wonderful library of study resources no matter where you are! On top of that, if you want to commit to this bite-sized daily study, choose the yearly plan where you get 2 months free on top of a 14-day free trial. Blessings, Jody at Bible Gateway Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV) |
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Thank you for using Bible Gateway to read and study the Bible! If you have any questions, please contact us at support@biblegateway.com.
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