July 7, 2016

Blue Letter Bible — Web (The World Map of Christian Apps: 48 tools every Christian should know about; by Jeffrey Kranz)

This is the app that I use to do research on the Greek language for scripture. This site allows you to see the scripture verse in the original language and gives you the tools necessary to understand the nuances of the language.
Here is some additional information:

“Another iconic Bible Web app, the Blue Letter Bible has been making the Bible and other reference works free on the Web since 1995. They took the name “Blue Letter Bible” from the fact that way back then, most hyperlinks were blue. Their vision was to link every word of the Bible to supplementary reference works—which would make for a lot of blue letters!”
From their website: “Blue Letter Bible provides powerful tools for an in-depth study of God’s Word through our free online reference library, with study tools that are grounded in the historical, conservative Christian faith.”

This is the last of the bible reference apps that I will be talking about in the devotions. So, why is it so important to understand the bible in the original language that it was written? Let me give you an example.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.…” Matthew 9:35-37

There are two Greek words that can be translated as compassion:

Συμπόνια – Symponia: compassion, sympathy, charity, commiseration, fellow-feeling

Σπλαγχνίζομαι – Splagchnizomai: to be moved in the inward parts, i.e. to feel compassion

These two words both mean compassion, but one is a more visceral feeling of compassion, that comes from that gut wrenching feeling you have when you see something that moves you to action. It is the word Splagchizomai that is used for Jesus when he has compassion for someone, like in our text above.

So you see, language does matter. So when your pastor lifts up a word and says it matters that Jesus chose that word, your pastor is making a legitimate point. So don’t start falling asleep when the pastor begins a sentence by saying something like “The Greek word used here…” Words matter – especially the words of Jesus.

Pastor Dave

July 6, 2016

Logos Bible Software iOS | Android | Web | Desktop (The World Map of Christian Apps: 48 tools every Christian should know about; by Jeffrey Kranz)

When I was in seminary, once we had finished our Greek and Gospels classes, then the instructor informed us of some helpful software tools to use for doing exegetical work on scriptures. The Logos Bible Software was one of those tools. Here is some helpful information:

“Logos Bible Software has been a powerful research library for preachers and seminarians (though they’re becoming more lay-friendly). Their intricate tagging system makes Logos an invaluable tool for hardcore Bible geeks.”

From their website: “With easy‐to‐use tools and a massive theological library, Logos 6 delivers insight. Pinpoint answers in seconds, study the Word in its cultural context, uncover meaning in the original languages, and answer questions with confidence.”

Not everyone is going to have the need for the in-depth type of research information that “Logos Bible Software” offers, but just knowing that these sites exist gives us a sense that there are so many different ways we can approach our study of scripture.

Here is a final thought about Logos Software from someone who wrote a commentary on the software:

“I often see Logos at major conferences advertising as software that may appeal to the casual Bible reader. I would urge people to be very cautious before making a significant investment. Logos alone will not change your heart or give you a new desire to read and apply God’s Word. It is a useful aid in Bible study, but is very unlikely to be the key that unlocks new spiritual depths. While it is certainly useful for any Christian, the greatest value is for those who have to do the greatest amount of Bible study and who can purchase the greatest number of resources for it. At the very least, give it a good test-drive before making the financial investment.”

There are so many resources out there to use finding the right one for you and your depth of study is a search you will want to take seriously.

Pastor Dave