• Biblical Families is not a dating website. It is a forum to discuss issues relating to marriage and the Bible, and to offer guidance and support, not to find a wife. Click here for more information.

Favorite Study books

V

Verifyveritas76

Seasoned Member
Real Person
Male
In my business, a man is known by the quality and type of tools he owns.
Here's some of my favorite study tools:

Obviously the Bible. Prefer KJV

Strongs Concordance

Josephus, the complete works translated by William Whiston A.M.

A New Translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Published by Harper One
Translated by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, and Edward Cook

Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible by Jeff A Benner
New Testament Greek to Hebrew Dictionary by Jeff Benner

The Other Bible. Published by Harper One
The Lost Books of the Bible by Apocryphile Press (spelled correctly)
Forbidden Books of the original New Testament by William Wake

Several commentary type books by Ken Johnson including the Ancient Book of Gad the Seer, Seder Olam, The End Times by the Ancient Church Fathers, Ancient Post Flood History

The Book of Jubilees
The Book of Jasher
The Book of Enoch

Readings in Baptist History by Joseph Early

America in Crimson Red by James Beuller
Sacred Betrayal by James Beuller

Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to my Students
The Collected Sermons of George Whitfield

The Gospel in the Stars by Joseph Augustus Seiss
Ancient Knowledge by Curtis George

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt

Online/Tech tools:
Bible Hub, E Sword/Power Sword, Touch Bible

earlychristianwritings.com
 
Last edited:
Your welks. My hope for this thread is that it becomes a reference list of favorite study books. Pls feel free to list your own

BTW. Some of the books listed above are great for exercising John 16:13 (He will guide you into all truth) between truth & pseudo truth
 
Interesting one on Apocrypha. Seems like conservative (theologically) types are revisiting them as good history, and not downing them. Haven't read them in a while, but was fascinated years ago by them.
 
There are three books I often reference when studying the Bible. First is the notes in the NET version. I don't often read from the NET version itself, but the notes from the interpreters are nice. I also like the Jewish Net Testament Commentary by David Stern and the Complete Jewish Study Bible notes by David Stern. This helps me understand the Hebraic perspective on certain verses.
 
I do find the apocrypha fascinating. The OT apocrypha is basically the works that were rejected by the Pharisaical Jews when compiling the Tanakh, in some ways they appear more Christian than the remainder of the OT, there is a lot of value in them. I know that both Christian and Jewish scholars will have had reasons to reject each that I am not aware of, so I don't hold them to the same level of authority as the accepted texts. But they are certainly well worth reading. I'd consider them more authoritative than the writings of any modern commentator anyway.

I recently found a New Testament apocrypha in a local second-hand Christian bookstore, and am gradually working my way through that. Published in 1820, it's the oldest book I own, the printing methods are almost as interesting as the content! Basically it's a collection of all the writings that still exist that were attributed by at least some church scholars in the first four centuries to the apostles or other prominent early church members, or Yeshua himself (there is a brief letter supposedly authored directly by Him), that were not placed in the canon of the New Testament. You have to read it with your discernment-glasses very firmly on, because there are reasons for each one being rejected, some obvious and others less so. But some are certainly profitable and interesting. It includes:

"Gospels" that discuss the life of Mary, Yeshua's childhood, and such matters. Some of the accounts are rather fantastic, others clearly disagree with the character of Yeshua, there are reasons for their rejection. Nevertheless fascinating details can be gleaned from where they agree. For instance, Joseph is universally stated to be an older man, while Mary was 12-14 years old.

A range of letters from various church fathers to other churches or general epistles. These I regard as valuable theological commentaries, to be examined carefully in the light of scripture. Many of these are fascinating. In particular, there are two letters written by Clement to the Corinthians, sometime after Paul's letters to them, by which time they had apparently dissolved into sectarian divisions. Clement strongly encourages them back towards unity, referring them back to Paul's letters and through his own further reasoning. Some of it is extremely relevant to the experiences of some of us being kicked out of churches:
1 Clement said:
Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole Church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. For our sin will not be small, if we eject from the episcopate those who have blamelessly and holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure [from this world]; for they have no fear lest any one deprive them of the place now appointed them. But we see that ye have removed some men of excellent behaviour from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honour.

Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them. There you will not find that the righteous were cast off by men who themselves were holy. The righteous were indeed persecuted, but only by the wicked.
Click to expand...
 
FollowingHim said:
I recently found a New Testament apocrypha in a local second-hand Christian bookstore, and am gradually working my way through that. Published in 1820, it's the oldest book I own, the printing methods are almost as interesting as the content! Basically it's a collection of all the writings that still exist that were attributed by at least some church scholars in the first four centuries to the apostles or other prominent early church members, or Yeshua himself (there is a brief letter supposedly authored directly by Him), that were not placed in the canon of the New Testament. :
Click to expand...

I have much the same regard for these writings. VERY interesting and if nothing else it gives you a chance to exercise your God given discerner.

I would love to get the name of that compilation of texts and its publisher. Have you ever compared it with the texts on earlychristianwritings.com to see if you have any extras? BTW for those of you looking for first/second century info on the church, that site is invaluable.
 
This is my edition. I haven't compared it much with other sources, except to note that the verse numbering of Clement is very different to anything online, and the translation differs slightly. Click the images for a larger version.
IMG_20170219_202903.jpg IMG_20170219_202949.jpg IMG_20170219_204059.jpg
 
Last edited:
Not in the short term, that sounds a very time-consuming task! But a good idea, if we can't find it already online somewhere.
 
A Compendium of Baptist History by J.A. Shackleford. Copyright 1892

Temple by Robert Cornuke (Could History be so Stunningly Wrong)
Golgotha by Robert Cornuke (Searching for the True Location of the Crucifixion)

The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah by David Baron 1918

Willmington's Guide to the Bible by Dr. Harold L Willmington
 
One of the things I am always interested in when someone publishes a book on a presumed ancient text, such as Gad the Seer, is the story behind the text. Where did the text come from? What indicators are there that the text is legitimate. I ask this specifically with regards to the aforementioned Gad the Seer. Does Ken Johnson go into the history behind this text in his book?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top