What Is the Mark of the Beast? (Revelation 13)
We must be willing to suffer, to give our all for Christ, to persevere until the end in order to obtain the final reward.
Articles on The Bible
1395 results found
10 Key Bible Verses on Marriage
Be encouraged from God's Word about his plan and purpose for marital relationships.
10 Key Bible Verses on Wisdom and Discernment
Wisdom is, first and foremost, from the Lord. When you desire wisdom, be encouraged to go to him and his word in prayer.
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Sovereignty
When life feels out of control, it can be comforting to remember that we're never out of the sight of our Creator—and he never loses control.
What Does It Really Mean to Take the Lord’s Name in Vain?
The Old Testament identifies several ways in which the third commandment can be violated.
10 Things You Should Know about the Presence of God
What does it mean that God condescended in Christ and dwells with us through His Spirit?
Be encouraged to embrace God's grace to believers through these Scriptures.
Because of Christ, our sin does not have to separate us from God. In fact, when we confess it and believe in him, we are cleansed from our unrighteousness.
What Does It Mean That Women Should “Remain Quiet” in Church? (1 Timothy 2)
“Quietly” does not mean that women are never to utter a word when the church gathers for worship.
10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics
What is Christian ethics and what role should it play in the life of a believer?
What Did Jesus Teach about Homosexuality?
In a 2012 article for Slate online, Will Oremus asked a provocative question: Was Jesus a homophobe?
Infographic: You Have More Time for Bible Reading than You Think
If someone observed an average day in your life, how would they see you spend your time? How much do you devote to Bible reading?
Faith is a necessary part of the Christian life and allows us to live as people of hope, even when we cannot always see the fruits of our hope.
10 Crucial Archaeological Discoveries Related to the Bible
While archaeological findings don’t prove the truth of Scripture, they do have the potential to enrich our understanding and draw us into the world of the biblical writers.
What Was Paul's Thorn in the Flesh? (2 Corinthians 12)
This passage gives every indication that the thorn in Paul's flesh is still a present reality and thus represents a prolonged, sustained pain. But what was the thorn?
10 Things You Should Know about the Biblical Covenants
Thomas Schreiner shares 10 important things you should know about the biblical covenants—the backbone of the biblical story.
Pride is a sin because of its self-centered, rather than God-centered, perspective on life.
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Faithfulness
But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
10 Key Bible Verses on Persecution
Jesus suffered and died on behalf of sinners and calls blessed those that follow in his steps for his name’s sake.
10 Key Bible Verses on Obedience
We are no longer under Old Testament law; but as believers, we are still marked by our obedience to Christ.
10 Key Bible Verses on Discipleship
Christ calls us to himself and then invites us to lead others to follow him in obedience and trust. We are called disciples when we love each other in this way.
What Did Moses See When He Saw the “Back” of God?
God is present throughout the events of the exodus. But theophanies represent events of intensive presence that underline the principle that he is always present with his people and that he is faithful to his word and his covenant.
Why Did God Command Hosea to Marry a Prostitute? (Hosea 1 & 3)
What is God teaching us about his faithfulness in the story of Hosea and Gomer?
5 Myths about Angels and Demons
Sadly, there is a lot of confusion about angels and demons and certain myths that simply won’t die. Here are five of them.
Even those in their prime with perfect health have limits. We need a stronger strength to match our deep discouragements.
10 Things You Should Know about the Love of God
No human mind can comprehend God. We cannot define God or provide a comprehensive account of who he is.
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Love
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
16 Passages to Read to Help Fight Lust
When faced with temptation, arm yourself with these verses from the word of God about fighting sexual sin.
10 Key Bible Verses on Forgiveness
God offers us forgiveness from our sins in Christ if we confess our wrongs and trust in him.
10 Key Bible Verses on Serving
Christ set the ultimate example of service and sacrifice when he condescended to us and submitted to death on our behalf.
10 Key Bible Verses on Worship
Whereas Old Testament worship focused on offering animal sacrifices in the temple, Paul says that spiritual worship in a broad sense now includes offering one’s whole life to God.
10 Things You Should Know about Reformed Theology
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
The heart and soul of Reformed theology is the glory of the triune God. For this reason, it is often called “God-centered” theology.
What Is the Millennium? (Revelation 20)
Christians have disagreed over the details of this passage for nearly two thousand years.
3 Things We Must Believe about God’s Word
In Psalm 119 we see at least three essential, irreducible characteristics we should believe about God’s word.
10 Key Bible Verses on Contentment
A believer’s contentment is not to be affected by circumstances, but firmly rooted in the good news of Christ and what he has accomplished for sinners.
Why Did Jesus Say, “On This Rock I Will Build My Church”? (Matthew 16)
When Peter forbids the cross, he is a stumbling stone. When he proclaims Jesus as the Christ, he is a rock.
7 Passages to Read on Good Friday
Meditate on Good Friday by reading these 7 powerful Bible passages.
What Does "Arsenokoitai" Mean?
That word is an unusual word. It’s a new word; we don’t know of any other instances of the word until Paul coins the word in 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1.
10 Key Bible Verses on Humility
Christ set the ultimate example of humility by submitting himself to life on earth and then death on the cross on behalf of sinners.
11 Passages to Read When You Feel Lonely
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
What Are the Seventy Weeks of Daniel? (Daniel 9)
The events detailed in Daniel 9 are fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He is the coming king.
What Does It Mean that God Hated Esau? (Malachi 1)
Because God's love was unmerited, it is unchanging. From before their ancestor’s birth, God has loved Israel.
10 Key Bible Verses on Idolatry
"Keep yourselves from idols" means to keep yourselves from trusting, obeying, revering, and following—that is, in effect, worshiping—anyone or anything other than God himself and his Son Jesus Christ.
Who Is the Man of Lawlessness? (2 Thessalonians 2)
The man of lawlessness seeks to make himself the central person of worship, beyond any other religious objects or personages in his day.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Holy Spirit
These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
God loves joy-motivated giving to others because it expresses contentment in God’s gracious giving to the believer.
What Is the Sin that Leads to Death? (1 John 5)
What is the “sin that leads to death” and why does John not say we should pray for people committing such sin?
10 Key Bible Verses on Spiritual Gifts
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
Does God Want Everyone to Be Saved? (1 Timothy 2)
God’s people are not merely praying for God to give them a peaceful and quiet life. They are praying that all people might experience salvation through Christ.
10 Things You Should Know about the Bible’s Teaching on Men and Women
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
Maleness and femaleness are creational, not contractual. They are divinely instituted rather than socially defined.
10 Key Bible Verses on Creation
Jesus is not only the agent of creation but is also the goal of creation, for everything was created by him and for him, that is, for his honor and praise.
Who Are the 144,000? (Revelation 7)
Who will escape the wrath of God at the final judgment? Only those who belong to God, those who are sealed by him, who are numbered by him.
3 Lessons about Scripture from 2 Timothy 3:16–17
What can we learn about the reliability and purposes of God's Word from Paul's letter to Timothy?
Since the word “gospel” means “good news,” when Christians talk about the gospel, they’re simply telling the good news about Jesus.
10 Key Bible Verses on Evangelism
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
10 Passages to Read with Someone Who Is Near Death
Consider reading these passages if you are together with someone nearing the end of their life and you are searching for comfort in God's word.
What Does It Mean that Women Will Be Saved through Childbearing? (1 Timothy 2)
The interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:15 has been an item of great debate among commentators.
What Are the Tongues of Fire? (Acts 2)
Apostolic witness, signs and wonders, and regeneration—are all entirely the doing of the Spirit. How the Spirit is working and what he is bringing about depends on the context.
10 Key Bible Verses on Courage
The Christian life isn’t guaranteed to be without struggle and strife—and it undoubtedly requires courage. God’s Word invites us to trust in God’s power and strength, and not our own.
Why We Should Not Fear Satan and Demons
John MacArthur, Richard Mayhue
How can one know which concepts about Satan and demons are biblically accurate and which are not?
10 Key Bible Verses on the Trinity
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
10 Key Bible Verses on Judgment
There is “no condemnation” for the Christian because God has condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son.
8 Things We Can Learn from Augustine
What does Augustine mean to us now? What is there about his life and work that still speaks to the Christian life today?
What Does It Mean That God Chose Us before the Foundation of the World? (Ephesians 1)
God’s choice of his people is related to their being predestined to be a part of his family, but predestination is not an end in itself.
What Does It Mean that Samuel Was Brought Up from the Dead? (1 Samuel 28)
When Saul can no longer consult the prophet, Samuel, he uses a medium to communicate with him from the dead.
7 Passages to Read about God’s Protection
God is an ever-present help in trouble. Read from Scripture these truths about God's nearness to those who call upon his name.
What Does Jeremiah 29:11 Mean?
This verse is commonly found on bumper stickers, signs, cards, etc. to encourage people to have hope for the future. But is that really what this well-known verse means?
10 Key Bible Verses on Gratitude
Gratitude to God is essential, but not only for the sake of the good things which he bestows.
10 Things You Should Know about Justification by Faith
Justification by faith does not draw attention to ourselves and our great faith but rather to Christ and God’s great work of redemption through him.
What Did Jesus Teach about Hell?
No Bible spokesman places more stress on hell as the final consequence of God’s judgment of condemnation than Jesus.
10 Key Bible Verses on Baptism
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Provision of Sacrifice in the Old Testament
Lesson number one on God’s holiness and the people’s sinfulness was delivered in the form of instructions for offering sacrifices at the tabernacle.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Devil
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
10 Things You Should Know about Systematic Theology
Systematic theology teaches us to trace all things from, through, and to God, enabling us to give him all the glory.
What Is the Rapture? (1 Thessalonians 4)
What does it mean for living believers to be “caught up together with them in the clouds” and to “meet the Lord in the air?"
10 Things You Should Know about the ESV Translation
We believed that the Bible was the most valuable thing in the world, and that was the motivating force behind the publication of the English Standard Version.
10 Key Bible Verses on Scripture
The divine origin of Scripture is the reason for its power to convert and its usefulness in training.
What Ephesians Teaches Us about Our Past, Present, and Future
Scripture, just like good stories, contains truths we should tell and retell until the narrative has shaped us.
10 Key Bible Verses on Hardship
With the power and presence of Jesus in our lives, we are called to endure and thus shine the light of Christ in a dark world.
How God Is Both Incomprehensible and Knowable at the Same Time
Scripture teaches that we can have a true and personal knowledge of God, but this does not mean we will ever understand him exhaustively.
Why Are There So Many Versions of the Bible?
Go into any Christian bookstore, and you can find an entire shelf—sometimes an entire section!—of different Bible translations.
Why Was Satan Allowed to Torment Job? (Job 1)
What is curious is that God is impressed not by Satan’s extraordinary abilities but rather by Job’s character.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Divinity of Jesus
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Meditate on the story and themes of Easter by reading these 10 passages.
How Tall Was Goliath? A Textual Dilemma
Through the discipline of textual criticism, we can have a high degree of certainty as to the content of the original Old Testament manuscripts.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Church
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
What Every Book of the New Testament Is About
Brief summaries of the New Testament books.
What Did John Mean When He Called Jesus the “Word”? (John 1)
John proclaims the Word as God, through whom the world was made, in whom is life, and who is unquenchable light.
Why We Must Understand the Covenants to Understand the Bible
There are six major covenants in the Bible. Understanding these covenants is crucial for understanding the Bible's message as a whole.
God has given us work to do faithfully and joyfully—with both our minds and our hands.
What is righteous vs. unrighteous anger? What does the anger of God look like? Glean insight about the right time and application for anger by reading these verses and commentary.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
4 Points of Evidence for the Resurrection
What historical evidence was sufficient to convince these non-Christians that the resurrection should be taken seriously and not carelessly dismissed?
7 Passages to Read around the Dinner Table This Christmas
A Christmas gathering is a great time to center your family's celebration on the Word of God.
The emergence of Islam and the Qur’an can be properly understood only within the larger context of the Bible and the monotheism of Islam’s two main predecessors, Judaism and Christianity.
10 Key Bible Verses on Healing
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
6 Passages to Read during Pregnancy
Turn to Scripture for hope and help when preparing for childbirth—the Lord is near!
Jesus Said More about Hell Than Anyone in the Bible
The word wrath is important for understanding what Jesus meant by hell. Hell is not simply the natural consequence of rejecting God.
Acts is the story of God’s grace flooding out to the world, from the cross and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
Why Does the Bible Say So Much about Widows?
There are about eighty direct references to widows in the Scriptures. Why?
Christians, remember that God has graciously given us his Holy Spirit, who makes us fearless in troubled times.
10 Things You Should Know about the Exodus
When God delivers Israel from Egypt in the book of Exodus, they are walking in the footsteps of the patriarchs.
What Does the Bible Say about Being Born Gay?
How to respond biblically to the question of natural-born homosexuality with grace and truth.
What Does the Bible Say About God as Our Father?
Graciously, our heavenly Father shares the wonder of his fatherhood with us men. To be a father, therefore, is a sacred privilege and a high calling.
What Does It Mean That Christ Is the Firstborn of All Creation? (Colossians 1)
What does it mean for Christ to be preeminent, before all things, and holding all things together? Explore the commentary on five verses of Colossians 1.
10 Benefits of Reading the Bible: Part 1
Ask God to give you eyes to see the worth of Scripture and to waken in you an unyielding desire for the Word of God.
10 Key Bible Verses on Fellowship
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
10 Things You Should Know about Biblical Theology
The Bible tells us one story about our Creator God, who made all things and rules over all.
Why Did Jesus Curse a Fig Tree? (Matthew 21)
The cursing of the fig tree is symbolic. The prophets use the fig as a symbol of Israel in its fruitlessness.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Incarnation
Read about God’s condescension and wonder anew at his redemptive plan for humanity this advent season.
10 Things You Should Know about the Ten Commandments
The way to find moral instruction is not by listening to your gut but by listening to God.
10 Things You Should Know about Prayer
It’s easy to complicate prayer; but at its essence, prayer is simply talking with God.
Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Choosing the Right Bible Cover Material
Crossway hopes this crash course on Bible cover material will help you decipher the differences and inform your decisions on which is right for you.
10 Key Bible Verses on Being Happy
The joy that Paul calls for is not a happiness that depends on circumstances but a deep contentment that is in the Lord, based on trust in the sovereign, living God.
3 Ways Christians Are Sanctified
There are three primary agents in the character formation or sanctification of a Christian—ways that God uses to change us.
Why Study the Book of Song of Solomon?
Although it is rarely taught, preached, or studied, the Song of Solomon is God's gift to the church.
5 Reasons to Obey the 10 Commandments
God gave the commandments that they might be obeyed—not to earn salvation but because of who we are, who God is in himself, who he is to us, where we are, and what he has done.
10 Things You Should Know about Priesthood in the Bible
Gloriously, there is a lot to unpack in Hebrews, but a proper understanding of that book will assist you to understand the rest of the Bible and what it says about the priesthood.
Does Baptism Save? (1 Peter 3)
God uses the water of baptism to save us—only in that it links us to Christ and his victory and promises.
10 Things You Should Know about Reading the Bible
The Bible is a story, not simply a collection of religious sayings or an anthology of various people’s religious experiences. The Bible tells us the true story of the world, the way things truly are and should be.
What Does It Mean that We’re “Justified By Works”? (James 2)
Faith without works is dead. Genuine faith always produces righteous deeds. But are we saved by them?
10 Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year
Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives.
Can Christians Lose Their Salvation? (Hebrews 6)
We must respond to the terrifying possibility of irreversible apostasy and the comforting evidence of God’s heart-transforming, love-producing grace
If Jesus Is God, Why Did He Pray?
Many theologians over the course of church history have wrestled with this question. The answer to this question is relatively simple.
5 Passages to Read on New Year’s Day
Start the year off right with the Word of God. Read these passages alone or with your friends or family.
What Does It Mean to Be Judged according to Your Works? (Revelation 20 and 21)
All the dead, whether powerful or poor, stand before God’s throne to be assessed by him.
If We Were Created for God's Glory, Is God Merely Using Us?
Life is wasted when we do not live for the glory of God. All of life, all for his glory.
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Holiness
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim
10 Key Bible Verses on Spiritual Discipline
Godly character is developed over time—honed by the practice of spiritual disciplines and commitment to living honorably before men and God.
Why Did Ruth Enter Boaz’s Tent in the Middle of the Night? (Ruth 3)
Naomi’s plan initiates this scene’s events. After Boaz has eaten and gone to bed, Ruth is to enter his tent, lift the blanket at his feet and lie down, and wait for him to wake. Why does she do this?
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Law
Read from Scripture what God says about his commandments, our obedience, and his faithfulness.
10 Things You Should Know about Theophanies
A theophany is a visible display to human beings that expresses the presence and character of God.
10 Key Bible Verses on Self-Control
Self-control is the discipline given by the Holy Spirit that allows Christians to resist the power of the flesh. Read ten verses that exhort believers to be “self-controlled and sober-minded.”
Did Jesus Forbid Us from Taking Oaths? (Matthew 5)
Disciples must keep their word, especially when others depend on them, even if circumstances change or oath keeping brings real loss.
4 Tips for Defending Your Trust in the Bible
Could you explain to someone who is a total skeptic—doesn’t believe in God, Jesus, Jonah, or the big fish—why you think that everything the Bible says is true?
We have much to learn from the apostle who had the ability to be blunt and corrective while striving toward peace with others in kindness.
The beauty of Psalm 23 is that it is so simple and clear that it almost needs no interpretation or exposition.
Help! I Want to Read the Bible, but I Find It Boring
We won’t love God’s word until he helps us to do it. And the beautiful thing is that he will.
Should Science Inform Our Reading of Genesis 1–3?
What do we do if we find an apparent discrepancy between Genesis 1-3 and what modern scientists claim about the origin of the world?
9 Wrong Ways to Read the Bible (And One Better Way)
The Bible is good news for us. Here are nine common but wrong ways to read the Bible, followed by the right way.
10 Tips for Getting Started with Inductive Bible Study
We need to remember—and believe—that we need to hear from God’s Word each day and other things that seem urgent can wait.
Resist the urge to see simple memory as the goal. Learning the text “by heart” is secondary; taking the text to heart is primary.
5 Questions about God’s Design for Gender
What is at stake in God making us male and female? Nothing less than the gospel.
10 Key Bible Verses on Pastoral Ministry
Scripture offers wisdom for those leading churches in roles of pastoral ministry. Return to the words of God for guidance, hope, and encouragement about this important calling.
5 Misconceptions about Heaven and Hell (and 5 Truths)
The most common misconceptions about heaven and hell have to do with their nature and purpose. There are many false ideas about what they will be like, but the word of God gives us a clear picture.
10 Key Bible Verses on Sanctification
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
What Every Book of the Old Testament Is About
Brief summaries of each book of the Old Testament.
Were David and Jonathan Lovers?
That‘s a fair question, though it’s a question that would have been strange to anyone in the biblical world.
10 Key Bible Verses on Christmas
Read these familiar passages about God’s plan of redemption manifested through Christ at Christmas.
10 Key Bible Verses on Community
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens . . .
Did a Prophet Really Lay on His Side for More than a Year? (Ezekiel 4)
The signs of the prophets are not merely visual aids; they are designed to reach people’s wills and hearts, enabling people not just to see the truth but to feel it.
10 Things You Should Know about the Bible as Literature
Most literature is fictional at some level, but fictionality is not a defining trait of literature.
10 Things You Should Know about Martin Luther
Here are ten things you should know about Martin Luther, the great leader of the Protestant Reformation.
12 Principles for Disagreeing with Other Christians
When it comes to resolving conflict: there are two groups: the weak in faith and the strong in faith.
Did You Know that the Bible Commands Us to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry?
God made the world good. And no amount of being a Christian ever changes the fact that God put you in a physical world with hands and food and drink and culture and relationships and beauty.
10 Key Bible Verses on Freedom
As Christians, we’ve been released from the power of sin and death by Jesus and his substitutionary death on the cross.
The Bible tells one story of the one God who is redeeming one people in his one creation through the one Savior Jesus Christ. The unity of the Bible is breathtakingly joyous.
May the God of peace be with believers—now and always—as we seek to usher in his kingdom here and now.
5 Myths about Complementarianism
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
Complementarian interpretation of Scripture holds that God’s creation purpose for man and woman entails equality of individual value but also distinct roles.
10 Key Bible Verses on Justice
God is a righteous judge, and Scripture details just what true justice is. Read ten verses about justice alongside notes from the ESV Study Bible.
What Does 1 Corinthians 10:13 Mean?
This verse promises that God will never allow a temptation that we cannot stand under because he will provide the power to escape through endurance. But what is Paul getting at here in particular?
What Are Demons, and How Should Christians Think about Them?
Demons have right beliefs about who God is; they have known about him from the beginning of their existence, even though they chose to rebel against him!
What Did Jesus Teach about Divorce and Remarriage?
David W. Jones, Andreas J. Köstenberger
Despite the fact that the Mosaic law included provisions regulating divorce, the Old Testament makes it clear that divorce falls short of God’s ideal.
It is the devil’s work to promote a fear of God that makes people afraid of God such that they want to flee from God.
2 Heated Cultural Debates the Bible Addresses
If we read the Bible carefully, we find that all of our modern cultural debates are addressed there.
8 Short Questions about Faith, Hope, and Love
The whole Christian life, in terms of our living in response to God and his new work in us, springs from faith, hope, and love. Everything we do as Christians relates to these three virtues.
He Nourishes and Cherishes Her
The words "nourish" and "cherish" in Ephesians 5 help us understand the meaning of true love—a love that Christ has for his church and that a husband is called to have for his bride.
10 Things You Should Know about Studying the Bible
We study the Bible because it is God’s word to the world. We want to hear him.
10 Key Bible Verses on Slothfulness
According to Scripture, laziness or sloth is considered a sinful indulgence. Learn more about what God values in kingdom laborers.
5 Readings for Your Thanksgiving Gathering
This Thanksgiving, as you gather around the dinner table with your friends and family, try reading some Scripture and these biblical reflections of thanksgiving.
Doctrine is a body of teaching. Christian doctrine is the teaching found in the Bible—about who God is, who we are, and why the world exists.
10 Key Bible Verses on Patience
God is unendingly patient with us, his children. In turn, we can exhibit grace and patience with others through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Joy is the gift of God to those who trust in Christ—not circumstantial, but the result of a deep trust in and love for Jesus.
Celebrate the beginning of Advent season by reading these passages either on your own, with a friend, or with your family.
5 Ways Stephen Hawking Was Wrong
Scripture is true in all that it claims, and when interpreted rightly, it harmonizes perfectly with the book of nature. The church had misunderstood this principle and used Scripture to silence science.
Did Jesus Descend to Hell? (Ephesians 4)
God is the Divine Warrior who ascends to his throne after defeating his enemies. Here, Christ is the victorious conqueror who ascends to his throne in heaven after defeating the spiritual forces.
10 Things You Should Know about Sound Doctrine
Bobby Jamieson lists ten things we should know about sound doctrine.
How to Help Your Kids Get Excited about Reading the Bible
We should and can encourage our children to see Bible reading as a delight rather than a drudge. And the most powerful way of doing that is by conveying our own delight in God’s Word.
James is an intensely practical book, filled with exhortations to Christians about the way they should live their lives now that they have been given new life in Jesus.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Humanity of Jesus
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
13 Bible Promises about God’s Faithfulness
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
7 Things to Avoid When Teaching Women’s Bible Study
When Bible study participants think critically about the Bible, it holds a leader accountable to avoid seven common teaching pitfalls.
Why Jesus Warns Us to Be Alert for His Second Coming
The appearing of Christ becomes a sudden trap not because it could happen any moment, but because the spiritually unseeing will be blind to Christ’s coming.
A 7-Step Approach to In-Depth Bible Study
Studying God’s word is worth all the effort we can give, because it is God’s voice to us, making us wise for salvation and equipped for a life of love.
What Did Jesus Teach about Violence and Turning the Other Cheek?
J. Daryl Charles, Timothy J. Demy
Does Jesus’s teaching in the sermon on the Mount to “turn the other cheek” and not resist evil require pacifism on the part of Christians?
Why Were Ananias and Sapphira Killed? (Acts 5)
The account of Ananias and Sapphira causes understandable trouble for readers who believe their punishment to be harsh, but we should read it in the context of the description of the believing community.
How Psalm 73 Speaks to the Christian Experience
A goal for all of us is to be able to say Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you.
14 Passages to Read When You're Doubting Your Salvation
When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.
Stress sickens the soul. Yes, stress causes bodily disease (some estimate that 90 percent of doctor visits are stress-related), but it also causes soul disease. Stress and spirituality are mortal enemies.
10 Key Bible Verses on Anxiety and Worry
God tells us over and over in Scripture to lean on him for what our human strength and ingenuity cannot achieve.
10 Key Bible Verses on Teaching the Bible
Scripture has specific instructions for those in the body who are charged with teaching other believers. Read what God has to say to teachers.
10 Things You Should Know about the Most Famous Blessing in the Bible
It’s quite possible that this Scripture text is the one you’ve heard most often in worship. Here are ten things you should know about this most famous blessing.
Why Is Creation So Important for Understanding the Bible?
Creation is an important and recurring theme throughout Scripture, because the God who creates is also the God who redeems.
10 Key Bible Verses on Goodness
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
3 Ways to Define Biblical Theology
A concise summary of how three respected biblical scholars—Geerhardus Vos, D. A. Carson, and Stephen J. Wellum—each define biblical theology.
Who Were the Magi, and Why Did They Worship Jesus? (Matthew 2)
Popular Christian images of the magi clash with Matthew’s account. The magi were counselors, not kings, and while they bore three gifts, their number (unstated) was large enough to cause a stir in Jerusalem.
Spiritual Blessing: More than Just a Nice Feeling
God's blessings are more than just polite sayings or false promises—we have assurance of these blessings from the the Holy Spirit.
5 Myths about Studying the Bible
If we truly believe that our very spiritual lives depend on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4), we will make the time to study God’s Word.
Where the Bible Teaches We Are Saved by Christ Alone
The five solas are inspired by and rooted in Scripture, which states that we are saved by grace and faith in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
10 Things You Should Know about the Book of Revelation
The challenge greater than understanding the book may be opening ourselves up to the adjustments in our lives this book calls for. Yet this greater challenge is also what promises the greatest blessing.
5 Tips for Starting a Bible Study
The Holy Spirit must always lead us into God’s truth, so pray for his help to help you lead a study of his Word.
Should the Sick Be Anointed with Oil? (James 5)
James instructs the church elders to “anoint” the sick person with oil “in the name of the Lord.” Throughout the centuries, Christians have struggled to understand and apply this verse.
Which Large Print ESV Bible Is Right for You?
Whether you're a pastor looking for a large print Bible for preaching or you're simply wanting a larger, readable type size for personal reading and study, Crossway offers several editions to suit your needs.
How to Study the Bible: A 5-Day Plan with Jen Wilkin
As Christians, we believe the Bible is the very word of God, and it’s pivotal that we spend time knowing and loving him through it.
10 Passages to Read in the Face of Global Conflict
God is our refuge and strength. Read these passages for comfort and to help guide prayer during times of worldwide strife, conflict, and war.
The Origins of the Red-Letter Bible
Crossway talks about Lous Klopsch and the origins of the red-letter Bible.
Does Rahab Show Us That It's Sometimes Okay to Lie? (Joshua 2)
Although sparingly told—or perhaps because it is sparingly told—the tiny drama has exercised a fascination out of all proportion to its size.
Why Did Jesus Tell People Not to Bury Their Father or Say Goodbye to Their Family? (Luke 9)
Disciples have a more important calling and responsibility: heralding the good news of the kingdom.
God Is Our Fortress—A Reading of Psalm 46 by Kristyn Getty
Be encouraged by this reading of Psalm 46 by Kristyn Getty, and rest in the promises of God to be with us—and for us—in our time of need.
6 Tips for Reading the Bible with Your Kids
Here are six practical suggestions for digging into God's Word with your kids.
Why Study the Book of Ezekiel?
Ezekiel wants us to know that God is where he always is; he is with his people.
The First Adam, the Last Adam, and the Gospel
John MacArthur discusses the historicity and significance of Adam in the Bible.
How to Pray When You’re Struggling to Understand the Bible
Prayer is the means by which we implore the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our study time.
What Is the Doctrine of Election?
God is worthy of our praise precisely because he has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
Is It Fair for God to Judge Those Whom He Predestined? (Romans 9)
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
It’s not that Jesus merely teaches truth or that his words are true (he does, and they are!); Jesus is truth embodied. Truth incarnate.
What do the Old Testament commands have to do with New Testament Christians? Should Christians seek to obey the Old Testament just like the Israelites? Can we “unhitch” ourselves from it altogether?
How to Pray through the Psalms
As a whole, the psalms comprise the best place in Scripture from which to pray Scripture.
10 Questions about Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are capacities or abilities imparted to Christians by the Holy Spirit to enable them to exceed the limitations of their finite humanity in order to serve other believers to the glory of God.
Free Digital Bible Resources during Coronavirus
To help you make the best use of your time during these days of upheaval, we're offering you the ESV.org basic subscription plan free of charge today through Sunday, May 31, 2020.
How can the covenant God redeem and restore his people and can even grace save them when they seem to have sinned away their blessings?
George W. Robertson, Bruce A. Ware
Jesus considered the book of Psalms to be ultimately about him.
12 Passages to Read to Help Fight Impatience
Waiting is not easy, and the strength for patience comes only through trusting in the Lord. Be encouraged by these verses from God's Word when you're in a season of waiting.
10 Reasons to Study the Holy Spirit
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
The Holy Spirit is God. Therefore, to study the person and works of the Holy Spirit is a great opportunity to know God in a better way.
10 Things You Should Know about Genesis 1–3
Human persons have deep significance. We alone among the earthly creatures are made in the image of God.
How the Resurrection Changes Everything
Jesus death an resurrection changed everything, and it has the power to change us.
Why Study the Book of Ecclesiastes?
Ecclesiastes is consistent with the rest of Scripture in its explanation that true wisdom is to fear God even when we cannot see all that God is doing.
What Jesus Meant When He Said “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”
He does not say “the exile is over” or even “salvation has come”—although both of these are connected to the kingdom—but “the kingdom of God is at hand.”
4 Ways to Read the Bible for Personal Application
Your whole Bible “applies personally.” This Lord is your God; this history is your history; these people are your people; this Savior has brought you in to participate in who he is and what he does.
Women in Society: The Challenge and the Call
Women are extremely valuable to society, not because of their own merits but because of the qualities God has given them to use on his behalf.
3 Reasons Jesus's Miracles Still Matter Today
The miracles of Jesus were relevant to the people back then. But what about now?
Did a Faithless Gideon Use a Fleece to Test God’s Will? (Judges 6)
It is always in the context of human weakness that the Lord achieves his greatest victories, even the weakness of his own Son’s death on the cross.
What Did Jesus Teach about Evangelism?
When we look at Jesus’s life and ministry we also see that he was the greatest evangelist. In his earthly ministry he was the light of the world, the one who always lived in a way that was pleasing to his Father.
Life is complex. Gray areas abound. Yet Jesus taught that we all face a simple but fateful either/or: a wide way leading to woe, or a narrow way leading to life.
Why Was a Man Killed for Touching the Ark of the Covenant? (2 Samuel 6)
God provides solemn reminders of the need to avoid impious infractions of the requirement to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28–29).
10 Things You Should Know about the Priesthood of Believers
Our role as priests—a role that includes both male and female—is a premier theme throughout Scripture.
I would argue that the author of Hebrews is presenting much more than a definition of what faith is, but also offering a summary of what faith does.
Learn more from Scripture about jealousy, envy, and covetousness—and how to trust and lean on the Lord for help when we're tempted.
Should Christians Sue Each Other? (1 Corinthians 6)
Paul’s main charge in this passage is that believers who have legal disputes with fellow believers should settle those disputes before believers and not take them to the law court before unbelievers.
Will Unbelievers Be Annihilated or Suffer Eternally? (Revelation 14)
The reality of a believer's faith will reveal itself in observable and concrete ways—those who endure follow God in obedience.
How do we preachers handle the Bible faithfully and accurately so that Jesus is seen in every passage?
How the Word of God Enables Us to Defeat the Devil
When the powers of darkness are arrayed against you, and aim to destroy your joy forever, nothing is more precious than to have the Word of God ready for the battle.
Why Did God Send Bears to Attack a Group of Boys? (2 Kings 2)
Is this a shocking incident? Yes it is. But this incident is also one that fits perfectly with the flow of 2 Kings 1–2, in which we see very clearly how God not only works in the darkness but will not be silenced.
8 Tips for Taking Good Sermon Notes
Consider using these eight tips, and use a notebook or the margins of your ESV Journaling Bible to record thoughts and sermon notes.
5 Passages to Read Christmas Morning
Rejoice in what God has done at Christmas in the reading of his Word and remember the foretold birth of the Savior. God is with us.
10 Key Bible Verses on the Second Coming of Christ
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
5 Myths about the Song of Songs
While the Song of Songs is for lovers, it applies not just to human relationships but also in our soul’s relationship to God.
The best answers to that question will come when we understand why God gave us this book.
7 Passages to Read about Eating Together
As you gather around the table this month, read about the biblical importance of gathering over the breaking of bread.
Is It OK to Call God My Friend?
Jesus is—and will always be—our king. And yet, it’s also true that our king has invited us to be his friends.
4 Questions You Should Ask When Reading the Bible
What we get out of the Bible largely depends on the kinds of questions we ask when reading the text. But how do we know what are the right questions to ask?
Is It Okay to Pray a Curse on My Enemies? (Psalm 5)
Prayers of this sort generally carry the unstated assumption that the evildoers will not repent and seek forgiveness; should they turn, these prayers are reversed as well.
10 Obligations Christians Have to Scripture
John MacArthur, Richard Mayhue
Throughout his New Testament writings, the apostle John summarized a Christian’s obligation to obey the Scriptures. He made it clear that walking in the ways of the word was not optional.
4 Psalms You Didn’t Realize Point to Christ
Again and again I have seen a psalm come into focus when I relate it to Christ, similar to a fuzzy scene through a camera viewfinder coming into sharp focus when the lens is properly adjusted.
Are Israel and the Church Two Distinct Peoples of God?
Covenant theology is a blessing because whatever book of Scripture we find ourselves in, every part reminds us of other parts. The entire book is about God’s covenant with his people.
Coronavirus and the Second Coming of Christ
Even though the history of the Christian church is littered with failed predictions of the end of the world, it remains true that Jesus Christ is coming back.
Marriage: A 7-Day Reading Plan
Marriage is God's invention intended to bring him glory. Begin a 7-day reading plan to guide you through what Scripture says about it.
10 Things You Should Know about Catechesis
What is catechesis? Here are 10 facts you should know.
Infographic: The Story of Redemption
As inspiring and wonderful as stories can be, the Bible—with all its twists and turns, ups and downs—is greater than any other because it tells what actually is.
10 Key Bible Verses on Thankfulness
Reflect on the goodness of God and his gifts to his children, and give thanks for who he is!
10 Key Bible Verses on Strength
Call on God for help and strength when yours is lacking, and be encouraged by his sufficiency.
10 Key Bible Verses on Trusting God
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream.
10 Things You Should Know about Predestination
It is pitiful how we can take the Bible teaching about predestination that should result in humility, praise, and comfort and instead talk about it with sinful pride, divisiveness, and anxiety.
New Year, New Mercies: A 15-Day Devotional with Paul David Tripp
When “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms aren’t enough to make you new, learn to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.
What Does Deuteronomy 31:6 Mean?
What’s the most frightening thing you’ve ever had to do? Terror is a powerful force that can seize us and render us powerless to act.
10 Lesser-Known References to Jesus in the Old Testament
The Old Testament contains “types,” that is, symbolic personages and things and events that point to a climactic fulfillment in Christ. Here are ten lesser-known types that point forward to Jesus.
The temptation to forget God is always present. But there is a way to maintain one's devotion to the Lord.
How Does Jesus Respond When We Doubt? (John 20)
Do we think our doubts trouble Jesus? Do we think skepticism is a surprise to him? Our honest thinking will not offend him. He can handle any question we have.
14 Passages to Read about the Resurrection
As you enter into the celebration of Easter, read these passages to help you meditate on the significance of the resurrection.
6 Questions about the Fear of God
On the one hand, we are told that Christ frees us from fear; on the other, we are told we ought to fear—and fear God, no less. Is fear a good or a bad thing?
What Are the Bible's Key Themes?
How does knowing the end of the story influence the way we think about the story now?
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
11 Passages to Read to Help Fight Anger
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
How (and How Not) to Memorize Scripture
Always remember to give full credit to God’s work in you, and constantly seek the Spirit’s help as you memorize. Our pride is a deadly enemy to every good thing God wants to work in our souls.
10 Key Bible Verses on Ministry
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . . .”
Does the Bible Reflect a Patriarchal Bias?
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
The root problem of humanity is not male authority, or authority itself; the problem is human sin, which affects the way in which both men and women relate to each other.
8 Characteristics of the Decree of God
God’s decree is his eternal plan, whereby, according to his decretive will and for his glory, he foreordained everything that comes to pass.
For those who want to know God, the study of theology is indispensable.
The Middle Ground between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology
Peter J. Gentry, Stephen J. Wellum
Putting together the biblical covenants is central to the doing of biblical and systematic theology.
10 Key Bible Verses on Kindness
God is kind to us—most evident in Christ—and demonstrates how we can, in turn, show his character to others by being kind.
10 Key Bible Verses on Justification
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand . . .
What Are Angels, and How Should Christians Think about Them?
While God’s word does not offer us a detailed description of how and when God made the angels, or of what exactly they look like, we can nevertheless gather truths and principles from the Bible.
Was King Saul Possessed by Demons? (1 Samuel 19)
Was Saul a prophet or was he possessed by a demon? Learn more about 1 Samuel 19 with commentary from the ESV Expository Commentary Series.
Suffering and Hope in the Time of COVID-19
In these circumstances, we may find ourselves wondering, Where is God? How can these things be happening if God is perfectly good and all-powerful? Can’t he stop them? Doesn’t he want to?
We tend to project our natural expectations about who God is onto him instead of fighting to let the Bible surprise us into what God himself says.
9 Passages of Scripture to Read on Inauguration Day
These nine passages can help center our gaze on Christ—our just king who reigns now and promises to return, bringing true and lasting peace.
Glimpsing the Gospel in Every Book of the Bible
Biblical literacy is ever-important for Christians as we seek to understand how the Scriptures come together to tell the story of the gospel.
The Gospel of John is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—teaching us about his life and mission and about our salvation.
5 Questions about the Ten Commandments
We should love the law because we love Jesus, and because Jesus loved the law.
10 Passages to Read on Reformation Day
Foundational truths from Scripture in celebration of Reformation Day.
How Do I Know If I’m One of the Elect?
If you follow Christ and are struggling with whether you are elect, you are at war. You are fighting a scheme of the devil.
Verses like these are a doorway into the message of the book, an entry at a high point of the story with all its tension and drama.
5 Myths about How We Got the Bible
When it comes to books, none is more famous than the Bible. As with anything of historical importance, the Bible has accumulated its share of mythical distortions in the popular mind.
Deuteronomy is clearly one of the most important books in the Old Testament.
10 Things You Should Know about the Psalms
Bruce K. Waltke, Fred G. Zaspel
Throughout the history of the church, Psalms has been among the first books of the Bible translated and the most commonly read and memorized.
What Kind of Teacher Is Jesus?
The documents describing Jesus’s career—the four Gospels—make clear that he was a teacher.
Was Violence against the Canaanites a Matter of Racial Prejudice?
Gregory Goswell, Andreas J. Köstenberger
It is impossible to ignore what is routinely viewed as the grave moral problem of the book of Joshua, namely, the action of the Israelites in exterminating the Canaanites.
Why Did Paul Publicly Rebuke Peter? (Galatians 2)
This passage clearly teaches that this subtle but very common problem in the church is a serious distortion of the gospel and needs the corrective rebuke of the apostle Paul.
14 Principles for Studying the Bible
How can you dig deeper into God’s Word? Understand it better? Apply it well? Keep these fourteen foundational Bible study principles in mind when you read.
11 Passages to Read to Help Fight Worry
Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Read these passages to help fight the sin of worry.
We all read things every day and are warned not to believe everything. Why can we believe everything in the Bible?
An Interview with J. I. Packer on the Origin and Significance of the ESV Bible
Dr. Packer served on the Translation Oversight Committee as general editor for the English Standard Version.
Is It Fair That God Hardens Hearts?
Is it fair that God accomplishes reprobation by withholding grace and by hardening hearts, blinding eyes, and deafening ears? It is crucial to remember two truths.
10 Key Bible Verses on Humanity
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
13 Times Jesus Amazed His Hearers in 2 Words or Less
Look at the red letter edition of the Bible! There are pages of verses in red. Treasure-filled treatises. But sometimes, Jesus gave a full, significant, amazing, life-giving answer in two words or less.
Your Prayer Life Might Be Better Than You Think
Scripture’s prayers, especially the psalms, are prayers we can and should take on our lips. We can pray through Scripture. It’s part of learning how to pray.
J. Alasdair Groves, Winston T. Smith
The issue isn’t really whether or not God has emotions but what they are like. Does God experience emotions the way we do?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
We may take it for granted that women are equally valuable as men. But that was not what people in Jesus’s day believed.
Understanding Biblical Covenants Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3
Why are covenants so important in Scripture? Why does it matter in the Christian life?
How (and How Not) to Read the Psalms
Bruce K. Waltke, Fred G. Zaspel
Although we all have derived spiritual benefit from the Psalms—an ancient collection of poems—on many levels, there are ways to read the Psalter that are more beneficial than others.
What Did Jesus Teach about Total Depravity?
The assumption of universal guilt before God is evident throughout Jesus’s teaching in the Gospels. Proof of this reality is manifold. Below are four evidences to support this claim.
The foundation stories of Genesis set the stage of the drama of Scripture in many ways.
Why Romans Is the Greatest Letter Ever Written
Paul’s letter to the Romans is relatively short (it takes about sixty minutes to read aloud), and it is profound. It explains and exults in and applies the greatest news we could hear.
Bible Q&A - Why Are There Two Testaments in the Bible?
Dane Ortlund answers why there are two testaments in the Bible.
4 Prayers to Pray when You’re Repentant
Turn to God and his Word and the prayers of the saints when your heart cries out to the Lord in repentance.
What Jesus Saw When He Looked at Peter after the Rooster Crowed
When we peer into the word of God, we see who God is: his character is revealed to us. At the same time, we see who we are: we see ourselves in light of God’s character.
What’s The Deal With Footwashing?
Jesus demonstrates to the disciples through footwashing that the greatest among us is the one who serves out of deep and abiding love
11 Bible Promises about God’s Love
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
10 Key Bible Verses on Celebrating
Read these ten verses that highlight the importance of celebrating God’s goodness, blessings, and the salvation offered through faith.
What Is Divine Inspiration (and Why Does It Matter)?
The general line of argument is that if the Bible is divinely inspired, it must also be infallible because God would not lead his people astray.
Is Homosexual Orientation Sinful?
The Bible is somewhat ambiguous about orientation as such, only because that language is relatively new language. Here's what the Bible does say clearly.
The term sovereignty does not contain the idea of purposeful action, but the term providence does.
What Does It Mean That All Israel Will Be Saved? (Romans 11)
There is a particular call to faith in Christ through the call of the gospel. Both God’s gifts and his calling of Jews to faith in Christ remain in force and will not be revoked.
8 New Testament Passages That Support a Historical Adam and Eve
One is not free to maintain that Adam is a mythical or semihistorical figure while Jesus Christ is a fully historical figure.
Is the Story of Job Historical? (Job 1)
Was there really a man named Job? Did he live in a land called Uz? Was he perfectly righteous with a perfectly blessed life? Put simply, did the author of Job create the whole drama?
10 Things You Should Know about Fatherhood
Fatherhood began in God, since he is our Father. Ultimate reality is not mechanical but relational, not physics but fatherhood.
10 Things You Should Know about Election
God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).
Are the Old Testament’s Moral Laws Still Binding on Us Today?
Even if the Mosaic covenant no longer has binding force on us today, we still need to realize that the Old Testament is a valuable source of ethical wisdom.
7 Passages to Read on Ash Wednesday
Today marks the beginning of the Lent season. Read seven passages of Scripture to help prepare your heart.
The Story of Redemption: A 1-Year Reading Plan
Over the course of 365 days, read through Scripture chronologically, and see how the story of redemption has unfolded over time.
Here are seven important principles for sharing our faith with others gleaned from a close reading of Acts 8.
Jesus’s Path to the Cross: A 9-Day Devotional
Travel with Jesus through Scripture on his path to the cross, learning more about the people and places he encountered along the way.
The Fear of God Is the Antidote to Our Anxiety
Fear is probably the strongest human emotion. But it baffles us. When we come to the Bible, the picture seems equally confusing: is fear a good thing or bad?
Why Are the Books of the Bible in the Order They’re In?
The positioning of each book relative to other books in the canonical collection has hermeneutical significance for the reader who seeks meaning in the text.
A Simple Solution to a Boring Prayer Life
But if God invites and expects all his children—regardless of their age, IQ, education, or resources—to do the same thing—to pray—then prayer has to be simple.
14 Passages to Read before Bed
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
10 Things You Should Know about the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes set the moral and spiritual bar so high that we cannot possibly live up to them—and in our best moments, we know this.
Did Jesus Possess Faith and Hope?
Christ had to have trust in his Father, hope in his Father’s promises, and love for his Father.
The story of Christmas is meant to enliven, motivate, excite, and transform you. May the glory of the best gift ever recapture our hearts this season.
10 Things You Should Know about Biblical Archaeology
Archaeology provides a vital avenue for understanding ancient everyday life.
Did Jesus Come to Bring Peace or a Sword? (Luke 12)
Jesus came to bring peace, but peace is not the only consequence of his coming. Both peace and division, harmony and conflict, joy and strife will occur.
The book of Acts does not primarily provide us with human patterns to emulate or avoid. Instead, it repeatedly calls us to reflect upon the work of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, establishing the church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
8 Tips for Studying God's Word
Learn some practical tips for engaging with and getting the most out of your time in God's living, active Word.
Why Is Love Called the Greatest of These? (1 Corinthians 13)
Love is not a spiritual gift. It is essential for using spiritual gifts, and it is more important than spiritual gifts.
9 Passages to Read about Pastoral Ministry
Scripture has a lot to say about the responsibilities and blessings of being in the ministry.
Why Was Jesus’s Teaching So Astonishing?
What was so unusual and so attention-grabbing about Jesus’s teaching? Part of it was that once people began to challenge him and ask him questions, Jesus proved to be a masterful chess player.
4 Prayers to Pray when You’re Sorrowed
Turn to the Word of God and the prayers of the saints when your heart is saddened and in need of the gospel’s hope.
What Does It Mean That King David’s Son Would Build a House for God? (2 Samuel 7)
The Lord is undoubtedly favorably disposed to David, but this does not warrant a blanket endorsement of all that David proposes. It is the Lord’s right to decide when and by whom a temple for him should be built.
Why Modern Christians Should Obey the 10 Commandments
Jesus didn’t set the Ten Commandments aside. He fulfilled them.
Walk with Jesus During His Last Week on Earth
The final days of Jesus were the most important days of the most important person who ever lived.
Does Scripture Teach that Jesus Is Fully God?
One of the most debated, and at times perplexing, aspects of belief in the Trinity is the question “Does Scripture actually teach that Jesus is fully God?”
Why Study the Book of Hebrews?
Hebrews shows us that the Bible is not a collection of unrelated stories, but is rather one unified story.
Ours is not a time of great respect for authority. For most people, including many evangelical Christians, personal freedom and liberty are avidly pursued virtues.
Podcast: The Freeing Reality that You Are Not Enough (Jen Wilkin)
Jen Wilkin discusses God-given limits as created beings, reflecting on why the common refrain that we should look inside ourselves for meaning and purpose is so misguided.
Jesus’s Troubled Family History
If you have no hope to be accepted into God’s family other than the perfect record of your righteous brother, Jesus, then you can be sure you’ve found your forever-family.
10 Things You Should Know about Covenant Theology
John R. Muether, J. Nicholas Reid, Guy Prentiss Waters
The Bible is a book about God’s plan to glorify himself by saving sinners through the work of his Son, Jesus Christ. At every point, Scripture’s covenant theology leads us to Jesus.
11 Passages to Read When You Lose Your Job
Losing your job can be discouraging and confusing. Lean on the eternal hope of Christ in a difficult time with these Bible passages.
Is the Story of Jonah and the Whale a Historical Account or a Parable? (Jonah 1 and 2)
Jesus often taught in parables and expected his hearers to learn and act on the truth the parables conveyed. But is “parable” the best approach to Jonah?
What Does It Mean to Pray “Your Kingdom Come”?
A simple definition is to think of the kingdom of God as his reign and rule. Another way to think of the kingdom is as God’s redemptive presence coming down from heaven to earth.
Proverbs 1:7 seeks to instill in us the indispensable virtues for becoming wise. We must tremble at the Lord’s holiness, just as we are drawn to him in love.
Can Women Be Deacons? (1 Timothy 3)
Deacon's wives, whether or not they hold office, do hold responsibility for serving others. This is why they must bear character qualities fitted for a servant.
How Can God Be Both Righteous and Sovereign over Evil?
Everything that happens unfolds according to God's plan, without exception. But If God planned all things that ever come to pass, how is he not also the author of sin?
What Does the New Testament Mean That Jesus Will Come Soon?
What would it mean for an infallible spokesman (an apostle!) of the Lord Jesus, who cannot predict the time, to say that Jesus is coming soon?
Podcast: How to Read the Bible Every Day in 2020 (David Mathis)
David Mathis discusses how anyone can make Bible reading a habit in 2020, reflecting on the pros and cons of New Year's resolutions and offering practical advice on making a plan to read the Bible every day.
Abortion advocates are correct that the Bible does not specifically mention abortion. But what’s the best explanation for its silence?
4 Reasons We Need a Biblical View of Humanity
When we consider the view of personhood presented in Scripture, the question of whether we are mere brain machines or something more becomes a gospel question.
For believers today, the significance of the book of Esther is that it coordinates with the rest of the Old Testament to foreshadow Jesus as deliverer and mediator for God’s people.
What Does Ecclesiastes 1:2 Mean?
People seek lasting significance, but no matter how great their accomplishments, they are unable to achieve the significance they desire.
Day 1 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
An Open Letter to Teens Facing Doubts about Christianity
Perhaps you believe in Jesus, but sometimes you are not sure. Maybe you find the Bible hard to understand or you find yourself wondering what is true. Asking questions is often the best way to learn.
Orthodoxy and Heresy Orthodoxy means right doctrine or belief. In one very important sense it is essential to salvation. Although we are saved entirely by the grace of God, not on the basis of the …
5 Myths about Biblical Theology
The agenda of biblical theology isn’t driven by the questions we bring to the Bible, but by the focus of the Bible itself.
10 Key Bible Verses on God’s Providence
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will . . .
10 Things You Should Know about the Fall
Made for communion with God, Adam and Eve experienced alienation. Made for trust and hope and life abundant, they descended into sin and shame. They fell.
Is It True That “All Is Vanity”? (Ecclesiastes 1)
In a culture that promotes immediate gratification, will we have the endurance to persevere in the hard work needed to understand the message of Ecclesiastes?
What We Would Be Missing If We Didn't Have the Book of Acts
The book of Acts offers something unique in the Christian canon. It recounts the birth of the church age, and its content has no parallel in the New Testament.
In the Beginning God Created a King
You could argue that the theme of kingship is the central theme in the story of the Bible, the one without which the others simply cannot cohere.
10 Things You Should Know about the Pentateuch
Just like missing the first fifteen minutes of a movie will spoil our ability to fully enjoy its plot line, a lack of familiarity with the Pentateuch will compromise our ability to fully appreciate the Bible’s overarching story.
10 Things You Should Know about St. Patrick
Patrick’s mission to Ireland has been an inspiration to many through the years. Read more about the man behind March 17th.
What Is Our Only Hope in Life and Death?
Because Jesus gave himself for us, our lives no long belong to us—we surrender our bodies and our souls to the Lord.
The narratives contained in the book of Judges were written to “bear witness” or “testify” to the person and work of Jesus and the great salvation that he has achieved for his people.
Seeing God’s Gracious Hand in the Hurts Others Do to Us
We need to know what Scripture says in general about God’s relationship to evil. Scripture declares that the Judge of all the earth will always do what is right.
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Timothy and Titus?
1–2 Timothy and Titus are among the most personal and practical books in the New Testament. These letters are often called the "Pastoral Epistles,” but they’re relevant for all Christians, not just pastors.
10 Key Bible Verses on Weakness
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Resources to Help You Read and Study the Bible in 2023
We know being in the Scriptures daily is essential to the Christian life, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start and what to do. These resources will help you read, study, and understand the Bible.
Fight the Good Fight but Surrender the Bad Ones
Paul shows the Philippians catastrophic consequences of unnecessary war to make them long for necessary peace. Let’s fight the good fight of faith but surrender bad fights of faith.
6 Questions about the Book of Job
The book of Job is realistic in the sufferings it sets before disciples of Jesus and full of glorious hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus seeks disciples—people who respond to all that he is and all that he offers with a faith that says, “Wherever you take me, I’ll go.”
What to Do If You're Bored by the Bible
When we allow the Bible to show us who we are and who God is, we find that Bible reading goes from being mildly boring to vitally life-giving.
The Doctrine of the Church in the Bible
Paul uses the picture of the body to teach the horizontal dimension of union with Christ.
What Is New about the New Covenant? (Jeremiah 31)
Since the old covenant could be broken by disobedience, the new covenant will impart a greater ability to obey. The result will be the kind of covenant relationship that Yahweh has always sought with his people.
While many know D. A. Carson for his mind and his impressive scholarly writings, fewer have an intimate acquaintance with the heart that produces those works.
Who Were the Nations in Nebuchadnezzar’s Prophetic Dream? (Daniel 2)
A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.
Embracing God in Your Trials: A 7-Day Devotional
A 7-day video devotional on ESV.org aimed at helping you run to God in the midst of trials and suffering.
The Bible Is Not an Instruction Manual
The way so many of us treat the Scriptures—as God's "how to" book—doesn't seem quite right when we carefully look at what its own pages say.
What Is the Difference between Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology?
The Bible doesn’t come to us as an academic textbook, with carefully delineated topical headings organized according to theological themes. What is different about these two ways of organizing theology?
The King Who Suffers for His People
The king would represent. And the king would suffer. But what do those have to do with each other, and how do they lead to salvation?
As one of the more mysterious utterances in the Old Testament, God’s self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14 has received countless examinations by biblical interpreters.
5 Benefits to Reading Entire Books of the Bible in One Sitting
Read whole letters written by the apostle Paul in one sitting without distraction.
Does the Bible Condone Slavery? (Philemon 1)
Paul addresses a delicate matter in his epistle to the leader of a Colossian church.
Must We Count All as Loss to Follow Christ? (Philippians 3)
Paul’s conversion came by embracing the righteousness of Jesus, not earned by works but received as a gift by faith. The righteousness a holy God demands of us, he gives to us in Christ.
12 Bible Passages for Overwhelmed Fathers
A father’s world is filled with responsibilities and concerns, and the stress that can arise from helping to support a family can be overwhelming. But God offers all fathers wisdom and strength from his Word.
Romans explains the saving work of Jesus reported in the Gospels, and unpacks many of the teachings that were foundational to the churches that arose in Acts.
3 Tips for Starting a Bible Study
If you're hoping to start a Bible Study, always incorporate these three vital aspects: structure, accountability, and predictability.
How the Love of God Helps Us Walk in Holiness
The testimony of Scripture is clear: if we want to walk in the way of holiness, the love of God is indispensable to our progress.
Podcast: How to Study the Bible (Jen Wilkin)
In this episode of The Crossway Podcast, we chat with Jen Wilkin about the importance of developing a habit of Bible study in various seasons of life.
Did Paul Endorse Slavery? (1 Timothy 6)
Paul states that slaves should pursue their own freedom if at all possible, and he also forbids free Christians from becoming slaves.
What Is Progressive Revelation?
Progressive revelation is a movement from truth to more truth and so to full truth.
Why Study the Books of 1-2 Chronicles?
Chronicles is a reboot. It is not just the same old material; it has a new tone, a new message, new truth about God to communicate.
What Does It Mean to Walk in the Spirit?
Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
Prior to their new life in Christ, New Testament believers had not experienced the continual indwelling of the Spirit. It was at Pentecost that the Spirit came upon the first believers and the church was born.
Jesus’s Love for the Marginalized of this World
We are inclined to give our attention to and serve those with influence and power, to praise those who wield influence in the world, but every person is made in God’s image and every person is significant.
Bible Q&A - What Is Hermeneutics?
Dane Ortlund discusses what hermeneutics are and why they are important.
Introducing the ‘Women of the Word’ Podcast with Jen Wilkin
Join Jen Wilkin over ten weeks as she walks through methods, tips, and encouragements to studying the Bible more deeply so we might know and love the God of the Bible better.
Pastor: Could Your View of Scripture Be Too Low?
Pastor, your preaching will be a direct reflection of what you believe about the Bible.
The Book of Revelation Is Not Just about the Future
The symbolism of the book ranges through the entire Old Testament canonical Scriptures and drives us back to the very beginning.
The Bible and the Religions of the World
Although the Bible nowhere discusses “other religions” as such, much in it is relevant to the subject.
A 30-Day Crash Course in Systematic Theology
We've created a free, 30-day crash course in systematic theology designed to give you an overview of key doctrines and show how they connect to the specific passages of Scripture.
The Message of the Book of Romans in One Sentence
Romans is about the good news—the gospel. The word gospel is prominent at the beginning and end of the letter. And we can summarize the bad news and the good news with four words.
The Final Days of Jesus: Sunday, March 29, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Jesus claimed that the fulfillment of the Old Testament hope with its attendant blessings was present in his person and ministry.
Interpreting the Bible in 3 Simple Steps
In the simplest form, we sit down and read the Bible with a focus on the fact that God is present and speaks to us through what we read.
How to Journal through the Psalms
In the Psalms we find how to be real with God and simultaneously reverent—how he wants us to relate to him as his children.
Why Study the Book of Ephesians?
Ephesians invites us to consider what God has made us to be, do, and have in Christ for a display of the gospel to the world.
Do the Gospels Contradict Themselves?
If anyone wants to argue that two Gospel accounts are in such conflict that both cannot be true, he must first ensure that he has correctly understood the claims being made in each text.
What Is the Great Gain of Godliness? (1 Timothy 6)
Believers should not act as if material possessions are the key to the good life, because they are not. The good life is in godly contentment.
Unpacking “No Creed but the Bible”
Many Christians may well have heard the phrase ”no creed but the Bible“ at some point. Is it a faithful and useful principle for guiding how we think about Christian truth and authority?
The word of God is more than enough for the people of God to live their lives to the glory of God.
What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean?
This verse is well-loved and often quoted, but frequently misunderstood and thus misapplied. This verse is not a promise that God will enable believers to do whatever they want whenever they want it.
10 Reasons Pastors Should Study the Bible in Its Original Languages
Every pastor—as time and opportunities arise—should study the Bible in its original languages. Yes, it's that important.
What Is Christ to Us If He Is Not Our All-Satisfying Treasure?
The aim of God’s work in redemption is not that through Christ we might have salvation, but that through salvation we might have Christ—the all-satisfying treasure.
When You Think of Jesus, Do You Think “Genius”?
Was Jesus a rather ordinary teacher with brilliant students who selflessly credited him with their great ideas? Or was Jesus a very smart teacher with smart disciples, and therefore the credit should be shared?
A Thought Experiment to Help Recalibrate Our Beliefs about the Trinity
Matthew Y. Emerson, Brandon D. Smith
The way we talk about God’s acts often divides the persons of God in a way that is contrary to our confession that God is one God in three persons.
10 Things You Should Know about the Book of Acts
In the book of Acts, Jesus remains at the center of the action calling people to himself, adding new believers to his church, providing direction to his disciples, and appointing ministers of his word.
10 Bible Promises about Eternity
But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.
7 Tips for Teaching the Bible to Children
Teaching the Bible to children can be a great challenge, but, if done well, it will be deeply rewarding. By modeling your dedication for God’s Word, you can help children grow in their knowledge of and love for it.
How God Works All Things for Good for His People
God works all things for good for his people. “Those who love God” does not refer to a subset of believers but to all “who are called according to his purpose.”
Exodus offers the greatest paradigmatic redemption event in the Bible prior to Christ’s incarnation.
Since the Bible is the Word of the all-powerful God, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that it is active and accomplishes much.
What Did Jesus Teach about the Bible?
Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek
Jesus and his apostles considered the Old Testament Scriptures to be the written Word of God, and thus the ultimate authority for life.
5 Ways We See Jesus Serve as a Priest
Yet, when we look at these four books, we see Jesus doing what priests do throughout. He teaches the law, purifies the unclean, cleanses the temple, forgives sins, and prays for his disciples.
The One Word That Explains the Whole Message of the Bible
I don't know if you know this, but the Bible is not ultimately about you—the Bible is about God.
The salvation God has accomplished in Messiah Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was prophesied in the Old Testament.
Acts shows that the new Christian movement is not a fringe sect but the culmination of God’s plan of redemption.
The Solas of the Reformation: A 5-Day Reading Plan
We've created a free, 5-day devotional leading readers through the five solas of the Reformation.
Why Study the Book of Philippians?
Behind the text of Philippians stands a riveting story shared by Paul and the Philippian Christians—what we might call the “fellowship of the cross.”
Why Does the Gospel of Mark End without Mention of Jesus’s Resurrection?
Mark provides only eight verses to narrate the events after Jesus’s crucifixion, including the women’s angelic encounter at the tomb and the angel’s announcement with no actual resurrection appearances.
Why You Should Make Time to Read the Bible . . . Even When You’re Busy
We make time for many things. But none is so important as the life-giving Word of God.
“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’”
What Did Jesus Teach about Justification?
When we think of justification conceptually instead of just verbally, we see that Jesus taught justification in his own idiom and his own way before Paul ever came on the scene.
Why Study the Book of Numbers?
It is one of the great ironies of Scripture that the generation that saw God’s works most vividly became the epitome of those who refuse to believe him.
“How much will you lose if you follow Jesus?” That’s the devil’s favorite question; he has successfully used it more than any other to lead billions to hell.
12 Passages to Read on Thanksgiving Day
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Bible Reading That Satan Leaves Alone
Reading the Bible for wrong, selfish, or insincere reasons is not a threat to Satan.
10 Reasons the Old Testament Matters to Christians
Without the Old Testament, we wouldn’t understand the problem for which Jesus and the New Testament supply the solution.
Why Study the Book of Jeremiah?
We should study Jeremiah because we want to know Christ better and see God deepen our endurance in the gospel.
Help! I Don’t Enjoy Reading the Old Testament
The Old Testament is big and can feel daunting, especially because it is filled with perspectives, powers, and practices that seem so removed from Christians today.
Looking Heavenward Transforms Our Sorrow
Many may think this heavenly-mindedness would make a person detached and ineffective in this present earthly life. The opposite was true for the apostle Paul.
7 Reasons Why You Should Study the Book of Ruth
Ruth is a very old book. The events took place over three thousand years ago. Could it be relevant and helpful for your life? I think so.
Jared C. Wilson gives three big reasons you ought to give Romans careful study.
3 Reasons to Make Systematic Theology Part of Your Bible Study
What systematic theology offers is a way of surveying the essential content of the entire Bible.
Why We Desperately Need the Message of Revelation
In the midst of evil, in a world in which the Christian faith is under attack, we need hope and assurance that evil will not have the last word.
Why C. S. Lewis Was Wrong about Psalm 23
It may surprise you to hear that Lewis was unable to reconcile the beauty of verses 1–4 of Psalm 23 with what he regarded as a spirit of hatred in verse 5, a spirit “almost comic in its naivety.”
Is The Song of Solomon about God's Love or Human Love? (Song of Solomon 1)
Although we are fallen and our sexual desires can easily be distorted and debased, there is still something “very good” about the desire for physical intimacy.
9 Passages to Read on National Day of Prayer
Nine verses to meditate on during National Day of Prayer.
What Sola Scriptura Really Means
For Martin Luther, Scripture alone was of ultimate authority for Christians, yet this did not mean that there were no other means of discovering truth.
The Unbiblical Pursuit of a Trouble-Free Life
How can we keep on loving and serving people when life has so much pain and disappointment? What are the roots of endurance?
4 Ways Jesus Fulfills Every Old Testament Promise
When Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Law and Prophets, he is actualizing what Scripture anticipated and achieving what God promised and predicted.
10 Key Bible Verses on Singing
Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD.
What’s So Important about Faith, Hope, and Love?
Faith, hope, and love have been referred to as the three divine sisters. We can think of them as three beautiful sisters joined together, hand-in-hand, swirling around as in a dance.
What Did Jesus Teach about Disabilities?
In the record of Jesus’s ministry in the four Gospels, we see in the Savior a striking focus upon a ministry among the deaf, mute, lame, blind, and the broader community they represent.
Where There's Hope, There's Life
We humans are hoping creatures; we live very largely on and in our anticipations, things we know are coming and we look forward to.
Introducing the ‘ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition’
This unique Bible features over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations by artist Dana Tanamachi.
How Baptism Changes Our Status
Baptism declares that you are in Christ. You have died with him and risen with him.
We are encouraged not to fear, but trust in the Lord with all our hearts, leaning not on our strength and understanding, but on his.
Should Protestants Read the Apocrypha?
What's the New Catholic Edition Bible? Which Bible is right and which one contains the canon?
What Memorizing Scripture Will Do for Your Kids
One of the neglected spiritual disciplines of our time is Scripture memorization. Rarely are churches, families, and individuals taking the time to learn by heart God’s Word.
5 Tips for Reading the Song of Songs
The Song of Songs can be a difficult book if it's not read through the right lens.
Will God’s Wrath Come upon the Sexually Immoral? (Ephesians 5)
Not everyone who commits these sins is excluded from God’s heavenly kingdom. Yet, those who persistently give themselves over to them demonstrate that they are indeed excluded from eternal life.
Podcast: Verses That Changed My Life (John Piper)
John Piper reflects on key verses that have had a huge impact on his life and helped him grasp the connection between our joy and God’s glory.
4 Prayers to Pray when You’re Waiting
Find encouragement through Scripture and the prayers of the saints for when your spirit faints and flags—the Lord is near.
9 Passages to Read on Gratitude
Center your heart and mind on biblically rooted thanksgiving with these nine passages of Scripture.
Every good endeavor should be done with purpose. Without a clear sense of purpose, our efforts to do a good thing well can flounder.
Did Jesus Teach That Our Prayers Are Bothersome to God? (Luke 18)
In Luke 18 Jesus tells of a judge who does not fear God or respect human beings.—especially those who, like the widow, are poor and disadvantaged.
Why Study the Books of Ruth & Esther?
Ruth and Esther give us insight to the crucial role of women in the big story of redemption.
Make Your Face Shine upon Us—A Reading of Psalm 67 by Conrad Mbewe
Listen to Psalm 67 with new ears as it is read by Zambian pastor and author Conrad Mbewe, one of the new voices coming to ESV.org and the ESV Bible app in 2023.
Christ in All of Scripture – Genesis 1:26-28
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Why Does the Bible Talk So Much about Land?
God will dwell with his people in the land that he promised.
What Does It Mean that Jesus Is Prophet, Priest, and King?
Jesus has one office, that of Messiah or Christ. He is the anointed one, the one mediator between God and man, the Savior. But this office has three aspects to it: those of prophet, priest, and king.
We Read the Bible to Commune with God
We know God for who he is, and meet him as he is, when we meet him through his word—the Bible.
The Many Benefits of Scripture Memorization
There are numerous spiritual benefits to the memorization of Scripture. A proper assessment begins with understanding the role of the written word of God in our lives and in our spiritual growth.
Why Study the Book of Proverbs?
We don’t want to miss the heart of Proverbs—what God is saying to his people through this unique portion of Scripture.
Perhaps the most important reason for reading the book, however, is that Job’s tragedy—an experience of searing pain and loss which did not make sense within any framework Job had—is all too common.
What Does 1 Corinthians 16:13 Mean?
“Act like men” is a phrase that could be easily misunderstood in light of modern sensibilities. For many, at first blush, it could read as a sexist statement by Paul. So, what does it mean?
Why Study the Book of Leviticus?
If you have trouble mustering up the excitement to read through Leviticus, you are not alone.
Why Are Christians Told Not to Love the World? (1 John 2)
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
The Son of Man Came Eating and Drinking
The meals of Jesus represent something bigger. They represent a new world, a new kingdom, a new outlook. But they give that new reality substance.
4 Examples of How Knowing Original Greek Improves Your Understanding of the Text
God’s word is powerful. When reading our Bible we hear his voice. However, it does not mean that Scripture is always easy to understand.
A Brief History of the Greek New Testament
On this day in 1516, Erasmus dedicated his New Testament translation to Pope Leo X.
Introducing the ‘Blessed’ Podcast with Nancy Guthrie
In this new podcast, Nancy Guthrie—author, Bible teacher, and podcast host—leads listeners to a deeper understanding of the book of Revelation through conversations with respected Bible scholars, pastors, and other Bible teachers.
As believers, we put our ultimate hope not in this world, but in what is unseen. We trust and wait expectantly for God to usher forth the promised King and kingdom.
Draw Near to the Lord in Your Fight for Purity
By persevering in prayer, your gaze will be fixed on Christ, which God will use to transform you.
What to Say to Someone Suffering like Job
The book of Job does not directly tell us how to address Job-like suffering. But I think we can sketch what a helpful answer would be, if we take an approach exactly opposite from the friends.
Daily Wisdom from Proverbs: A 1-Year Reading Plan
This daily reading plan helps you digest the entire book of Proverbs over the course of a year, reading just a few verses each day.
The psalms are poems that reflect the beauty of God himself and how he wants to enchant, allure, woo, and draw us up into him.
Why Study the Book of Deuteronomy?
If we have yet to grasp what’s so great about Deuteronomy, it may be that we have misconceived it.
Jeremiah plays a strategic role in God’s revelation of his purposes that will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Kings?
This is a theologically rich book that makes a unique contribution to our understanding of our sin and frailty, God’s character and provision, and the plan of redemption being worked out in history.
13 Passages to Read on Mother’s Day
Consider these passages for encouragement as a mother or to reflect on the sacrificial love of a mother in your life.
Why Are There Four Gospels? How Are They Unique?
In Discovering Jesus: Why Four Gospels to Portray One Person? T.D. Alexander explains how each Gospel offers different themes and perspectives on the account of our Savior.
Isaiah’s messianic profile informs Christian worship of Jesus as the suffering servant who brings a new creation through his life-giving resurrection.
What Does It Mean That Scripture Is Inspired?
How are the rest of us, who never had a revelatory dream or vision and to whom God never spoke directly, supposed to know what God wants us to know?
The Greatest Example of Irony in the Bible
Retributive and restorative irony ultimately finds its zenith of expression at the cross.
What Does Colossians 1:15 Mean?
Readers often pause and puzzle over Colossians 1:15 and its statement that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is “the firstborn of all creation.”
This verse tells me that God will give me the desires of my heart. May I not claim this as a promise? Why not?
The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Bible
God has always existed as the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3 Times Jesus Told Us He Was God without Saying It
“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” The scribes aren’t wrong: the only person with the right to say these words is God himself.
How to Engage Emotionally with the Bible
Emotions are not a bad thing, but they must arise from accurate thoughts about the truths of Scripture.
Faith in Christ vs. the Faithfulness of Christ
It is Christ and his blood rather than our faith that is really the foundation of our salvation. Our faith in the gospel of Christ is important and necessary to our salvation.
The Sermon on the Mount Is Not an Impossible Standard to Make Us Feel Bad
If we approach the Sermon on the Mount only or mainly as a means by which we see our sinfulness, we’ve not taken the sermon on its own terms.
10 Things You Should Know about Early Christology
Many Christians often can assent to key statements on Christ’s divinity like the Nicene Creed, but struggle defending such statements from Scripture.
7 Reasons to Use 'The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge'
'The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge' reflects significant advances that have been made in Greek New Testament translation.
A Brief Introduction to the History of the Illuminated Manuscript
The practice of illumination—adding decoration to book manuscripts—dates back to the early fifth century.
10 Things You Should Know about God's Incommunicable Attributes
God's incommunicable attributes belong to him alone.
What Does 2 Peter 1:19–21 Mean?
God is a God who speaks and delights to reveal himself. And so when God speaks, he is telling us something about who he is, what he values, what's important to him, and what he is doing in this world.
Bible Q&A - Why Read the Bible Every Day?
Dane Ortlund explains the purpose behind reading the Bible every day.
When we are praying in the Spirit, we are being obedient to what the Spirit desires, and bringing those desires to God in prayer.
The Final Days of Jesus: Monday, March 30, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
7 Reasons to Study the Book of Job
Christopher Ash offers seven reasons to study the book of Job.
3 Convictions You Need to Have before You Teach the Bible
If you’re just getting started teaching the Bible, this is the first thing I want to put in your mind: beginning preachers and teachers (and experienced ones too!) need confidence in God’s word.
Men: Crossway wants to equip you with resources to help you joyfully receive, carefully study, and faithfully share God's Word.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Teach My Kids the Bible
How do we sow in our children love for the word that has become a lifeline for us? How do we communicate in a way that prepares them for a life of faith and faithfulness?
15 Passages to Read Together with Your Family
Reading the Bible aloud together can have a powerful impact. If you’re not sure where to begin, read any of these 15 passages as you commit to reading the Bible as a family.
Does the Bible Offer Guidance for Contemporary Ethical Issues?
The Bible has much to offer believers as they seek to obey the Lord in every area of life, but it is not always as easy as matching one Bible verse with a problem.
What about Scholars Who Deny that the Bible Condemns Homosexual Practice?
It's just not accurate to say that what we are seeing now as expressions of homosexuality were completely unknown to the biblical authors.
6 Times We See the Heart of Jesus in Action—and What It Means for Us
What we see Jesus claim with his words in Matthew 11:29, we see him prove with his actions time and again in all four Gospels. What he is, he does. His life proves his heart.
How a Familiar Truth Forever Changed Hudson Taylor
We have all had experiences where the same truth we have read a hundred times explodes with new power in our lives. That happened for Hudson Taylor on September 4, 1869.
One of the Most Misused Words Today
Appearing just under 1,000 times, the word “heart” is used in the Bible more than any other for the inner self.
4 Ways the Gospel Appears in the Book of Amos
Learn about four ways that the Old Testament book of Amos is essential for a robust understanding of the gospel.
10 Key Bible Verses about the Lord’s Supper
Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them.
4 Prayers to Pray for the Sick
When or loved ones are burdened with suffering and illness, find comfort in Scripture and in these historic prayers of saints that have gone before.
The gospel—the good news of what God has done for sinners through Jesus Christ—permeates 1 Corinthians.
Why Study the Book of Revelation?
The book of Revelation shows us how to live victoriously in the midst of both torment and temptation.
7 Lessons from the Book of Revelation
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
Here we look at seven lessons that exemplify how the book of Revelation is theological (God-centered), eschatological (focused on future hope), and practical (aimed at godliness).
How the Exodus Shapes the Whole Bible
The reason the exodus story is so important is partly that it is so foundational to the whole Old Testament.
What Did Jesus Teach about Discipleship?
Jesus’s instruction about discipleship applies to all (i.e., not simply the twelve) who want to follow him and includes three elements: denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and following him.
How the Book of Psalms Is Like No Other Biblical Book
The book of Psalms is special because it equips us to speak to God.
Do This Breathing Exercise for Healthy Christian Living
Think of Scripture and prayer as inhaling and exhaling because that shows the two necessarily go together.
J. I. Packer on One of the Most Urgent Needs in the Church Today
Catechesis—from a Greek word meaning "instruction by mouth"— is a historic teaching method of giving Christians the language with which to articulate the basic tenets of faith.
It Doesn’t Matter What Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh Was
The thorn’s purpose is to deflate the certainty that Paul would quietly become puffed up over his indescribable experience of heaven. And who wouldn’t, without a thorn to burst that bubble?
Why Does the Book of Acts End So Abruptly?
The abrupt but victorious ending compels readers to ask about their own role in this narrative. Acts offers a word of encouragement. Yet, encouragement for what?
Podcast: Does Jesus Really Like Me? (Dane Ortlund)
What does Scripture say about God's disposition towards us as redeemed sinners? What does it mean that Jesus is "gentle and lowly in heart"?
4 Ways to Go Deeper in the Psalms
From the psalms we see that God works in and through our emotions to draw us closer to him and to mature us spiritually.
The Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us How to Pray Every Other Prayer
The Lord's Prayer orients us, most importantly, to the vertical dimension of our prayers. That's why we start by saying, “Our Father.”
The Bible presents the greatest story ever told: the ultimate good-versus-evil storyline—the great cosmic battle between God and Satan.
Good Bible Reading Requires Humility
The first step in reading the Bible in the power of another is to begin with humility. It begins with the renunciation of pride.
Video: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pastor and best-selling author Kevin DeYoung answers a controversial question.
Woman: You Will Become What You Behold
If we spend our time gazing only on lesser things, we will become like them, measuring our years in terms of human glory.
The Gospel Is about More (But Not Less) Than Your Personal Salvation
We are not just individually liberated from death, hell, and the Devil—the whole of creation is on an exodus journey as well.
7 Tips for Planning a Sermon Series
How can pastors approach teaching the whole word of God to the people of God? It can be a daunting task.
Don't Miss the Point: Questions to Ask While Reading Scripture
We need to read the Bible with it's grand mission in mind.
Can Jesus Pray Prayers of Repentance?
If the Psalms give a window into the human emotions and affections of Jesus Christ, we must ask what we are to understand when the psalmists express repentance for sins.
Do We Still Need the 10 Commandments?
There are many people inside the church—and especially outside the church—who would say the Ten Commandments are irrelevant or antiquated.
Introducing the ‘ESV Archaeology Study Bible’
The ESV Archaeology Study Bible roots biblical text in its historical and cultural context.
I wonder what that song was like for Jesus. I wonder because of the other details the Gospel writers also included about that evening—and there are many.
Is Leviticus just a collection of disconnected laws? How does this book of the Bible really point to Christ?
Godly growth and change happens through 5 influences and circumstances: God, Scripture, wise people, suffering, and you.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Mark?
Certainly Mark is the Gospel that has most in common with the other Gospels. But even Mark has some distinctives that are worth noting and that help us to read Mark as Mark.
6 Ways to Help Your Kids Love Reading the Bible
What could be more important than teaching your kids to read the Bible? What better habit would you want them to have?
The thrust of 1 Timothy is that godliness is central to the Christian’s continuing in the gospel and the church’s proclamation of the gospel.
The Best Reason to Read the Bible
A lot of people think that the reason they are to study the Bible is so that they can know the Bible well. But when we study the Bible, we always should be coming to an increasing knowledge of God not just the Bible.
7 Checklist Items for Your Next Church Search
Consider these seven key items to look for and prioritize when you embark on your next church search.
Galatians is a letter is about protecting the truth of the gospel, which declares what God has done in Christ for sinners.
10 Things You Should Know about the Book of Mark
Jesus goes to Calvary to atone for apostate apostles, blasphemous bystanders, taunting thieves, and even hate-spitting, flesh-whipping Roman soldiers.
How Studying the Bible Restores the Soul
How does the Bible restore our lives daily? I find no better explanation of what I have learned than the words of Psalm 19.
Why Study the Book of 2 Corinthians?
The Christian life is impossible to live without 2 Corinthians.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
The Dangerous Ways We Add to Scripture
The pages of church history are littered with heretics who boasted of their devotion to Scripture yet failed to spot how their biblical language concealed unbiblical thinking.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Luke?
The four Gospels present Jesus as true Israel and the divine Son of God who lived a faithful life, died for sins of his people, and rose from the dead, but each evangelist retells this story a bit differently.
The ultimate purpose of the book of Psalms is to model for God’s people how and why to praise the LORD.
What Did Jesus Teach about the Poor?
If poverty will always exist, does that mean any efforts to alleviate poverty—in our own communities and around the world—are in vain?
3 Kinds of Prayers That God Answers
We know we should pray. We start praying. But soon we give up. Or we pray with no expectation of an answer. Or we pray for the wrong things. Prayer becomes a problem rather than a solution.
Isaiah is quite lengthy, but there is great joy to be gained from diligently engaging with it.
Without revelation, we cannot know God. God’s revelation is trustworthy, for God is trustworthy.
The Real Reason We Don’t Evangelize
How can we motivate greater evangelism? Many of us hold false beliefs that are at the root of a lot of our evangelistic apathy and inactivity.
Most of us would be quick to speak up and protest our innocence. It’s just human nature to want to speak up and justify ourselves.
Why You’ll Never Be Free Until You Start Obeying God
Biblical freedom doesn't mean doing what we want to do, but what we ought to do.
What does the Bible teach about how to make decisions and discern God's will in the life of believers?
Does the Bible Teach Definite Atonement?
We do not embrace definite atonement merely by looking at Bible verses here and there, but by synthesizing the Bible's comprehensive teaching on Christ's death.
A Biblical Theology of Clothing
The provision of clothing makes the theological point that sin needs to be covered. And the language about uncovering nakedness is typically connected to a wicked act.
The Lord's Prayer—a simple prayer which Jesus taught his disciples—can also show us how to talk with God in prayer.
4 Reasons We Should Study the Book of Revelation
Many of us have a rather lightweight perception of what it means to be blessed. Revelation is going to correct some of our assumptions about what the blessed life looks like.
4 Approaches to Understanding the Redemptive Nature of Scripture
We should be very willing to learn principles of redemptive interpretation that the New Testament writers employed and exemplified.
Let’s Talk about Our Bible Literacy Problem
When women grow increasingly lax in their pursuit of Bible literacy, everyone in their circle of influence is affected.
Simply Read: An 8-Day Bible Reading Challenge
Join us on this 8-day journey through Luke and Acts aimed at helping us see the glory of God through his Word.
God designed you with the capacity to pause and ponder. He means for you not just to hear him, but to reflect on what he says.
8 Ways the Doctrine of Eternity Clarifies Our Values
If you want to know what you truly value, consider where you tend to invest your time, energy, gifts, and money.
An Antidote to Spiritual Amnesia
We forget we were saved by God. We forget the suffering required to save us. We forget to worship God for saving us. What’s the antidote for such serious spiritual amnesia?
The Bible is more than just a book about events in history: it’s a unified story.
5 Things to Remember When Helping Someone Read the Bible
As we read the Old and New Testaments through the lens of redemption in Christ, we will understand
the whole Bible as God wants us to.
A Special Christmas Video from ‘The Biggest Story’
Gather your family together and watch this special Christmas video titled “A New Baby and a New Beginning” featuring chapter 53 of The Biggest Story Bible Storybook based on Matthew chapter 1.
How Scripture Empowers Personal Holiness
God wants Christians to share his holiness and to present themselves as slaves of righteousness, which will result in holiness.
How to Study Scripture Theologically
Doing theology is a process that involves both study and personal spirituality. And these are not two separate activities.
An Open Letter to the Evangelical Church on Christology
Scripture speaks to us on many issues, but none so important, glorious, and central as our Lord Jesus Christ.
How God Helps Us Pray according to His Will
Our focus is on God through prayer; our glance is at the Bible; and we turn Godward and pray about every matter that occurs to us as we read.
How Hannah’s Prayer Found Its Fulfillment in Mary’s Magnificat
Why does Luke talk so much about God being "high"? The answer lies in Mary’s praise in the well-known Magnificat.
5 Key Realities the Bible Teaches about God’s Love
God's love is altogether other. Learn about five reasons its not like ours, and why it's better.
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Thessalonians?
The same encouragement, hope, and exhortation that the Thessalonians of 2,000 years ago needed, we need today.
10 Things to Remember When Reading the Bible
At the heart of the Bible is the gospel, the good news that Christ has come and has lived and died and has risen from the dead, and now lives to intercede for us.
When we study this book, will not our hearts burn within us with love for him? And will not this love overflow for the salvation of the world?
5 Ways to Practice Scripture Meditation
Whether we are feasting with our church—a fantastic God-given means of built-in meditation alongside other hungry believers—or “snacking on” Scripture alongside our children, the point is that we feed our souls.
10 Benefits of Reading the Bible: Part 2
Part 2 of 10 Benefits of Reading the Bible.
Douglas Sean O'Donnell suggests three reasons to study the Psalms.
5 Tips for Creating Healthy Bible-Reading Habits
We must be convinced that God’s word is true, truer even than what our circumstances and our hearts’ longings are telling us.
The Bible, like all good literature, is full of questions. It includes over 3,000 of them—questions that are intended to make us ponder the person and powers of God and our relationship with him.
The Final Days of Jesus: Sunday, April 5, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Will You Be Faithful Even if It Costs You?
When it looks like we’re facing defeat or failure, we’re often tempted to take things into our own hands.
8 Tips For Engaging with Your Bible Devotionally
Reading the Bible devotionally is about engaging with the text at the heart level.
How Should We Read Jesus's Parables?
Jesus is the embodiment of the wisdom of God—he is the Word of God—so at their center, the wisdom scenes of the parables picture the centrality and the supremacy of Christ.
The book of Proverbs is one of the “many ways” God spoke, leading us to his only Son Jesus.
7 Tips for Researching and Studying Theology
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
The following seven principles are useful for researching a theological paper, preparing to write an article, or developing a full systematic theology one piece at a time.
What 1 and 2 Thessalonians Teach (and Don’t Teach) about the End Times
Thessalonians does not present a complete picture. Neither do other parts of Scripture. What do these letters contribute to a fuller biblical eschatology?
Why Study the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah?
There’s nothing like a really good story. That’s the first reason I often give for studying the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Resources to Help You Dig into the Bible in 2022
Consider the following resources to help you as you commit to pursuing biblical truth this year.
4 Reasons We Avoid the Book of Revelation
Revelation is actually less about when Jesus will return and more about what we are to do, who we are to be, and what we can expect to endure as we wait for Jesus to return to establish his kingdom.
Bible Study Resources for Women
One of the most important things you can schedule is consistent time in the Bible. How will you prioritize God's Word this fall?
Understood rightly, however, Ezekiel contains and continues a beautiful story of God’s grace to his undeserving people.
The Prayers of Jesus: A 7-Day Reading Plan
Today, we're introducing a new 7-day reading plan on ESV.org to guide you through some of the prayers Jesus uttered during his earthly ministry.
Bible Q&A - What Does the Bible Say About Swearing?
Dane Ortlund shares what the Bible says about swearing.
In the riveting stories of 1 and 2 Samuel we catch glimpses of who God is, what he does, what life is like with him and without him, and what life can become by his grace and in the power of his Spirit.
Rather than focusing mainly on human faithfulness to God, the book of Nehemiah shows God’s faithfulness to his unfaithful people.
Imagine Reading ‘The Lord of the Rings’ the Way You Read the Bible
Imagine reading The Lord of the Rings out of order. You pick it up, flip over to Rivendell for a moment, then hop over to Mordor before slamming back into the Shire.
Why Study the Book of Matthew?
Matthew’s account provides a unique window through which to see the glory of Christ.
Once we begin to pull back the layers of the story, we discover that it is not really about what Jonah is doing for God, but what God is doing for Jonah.
4 Factors That Govern Biblical Typology
The Bible is full of typology that reveals deeper meaning in the narrative of Scripture. But seeking to understand such literary connections doesn't have to be overwhelming.
The Shepherd Can Lead You through the Valley of Darkness Because He’s Been There
Our great familiarity with Psalm 23 as a whole might cause us to miss the stunning way the shepherd leads the sheep for his name’s sake.
God’s covenant promises are gloriously on display as this weak, struggling remnant returns to Jerusalem after the exile to live together again as his people.
Podcast: Gracefully Dealing with Doctrinal Disagreement (Gavin Ortlund)
What should Christians do when they disagree over doctrine?
3 Doctrines We Can't Afford to Neglect
If you talk about a doctrine that needs to be recovered, you have to start with the doctrine of Scripture.
How Your View of God Impacts Your View of Genesis
Today we can read many interpretations of the book of Genesis, and even more interpretations focused on Genesis 1–3 or part of it. The interpretations do not agree.
The Red Herring of Bible Application
A red herring is something that distracts, whether intentionally or not, from the real purpose and goal.
God’s Mission in Creation: Why Did He Make Us?
God’s mission is to gather a people from all nations into a family, a family that would share in the very life of Father, Son, and Spirit. This is the purpose of both creation and redemption.
Out of the smoking ruins came cries of lamentation and confession, and the daring hope of restoration.
Were the Reformers Obsessed with Predestination?
A commonly held prejudice regarding Reformation theology is that the doctrine of predestination and election was the peculiar focus of Reformed theologians.
A Case for Learning Biblical Greek
Biblical Greek is not just a tool for use in ministry. It gives us the most privileged place from which to listen to the voice of our Lord.
The language of redemption permeates the story of Ruth.
5 Things to Avoid When Discussing the Bible's Teaching on Gender
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
When it comes to gender, we live in confusing times. For many, gender has become merely a subjective reality.
The practice of remembering the Sabbath requires Israel (and us) to remember what God has ordained for his children from the earliest moments of human existence: a pattern of work followed by rest.
David and Goliath Is about More than Having Courage
Every story in the Bible can be better understood through the lens of Christ and the gospel.
Podcast: Delighting in the Ten Commandments (Jen Wilkin)
In this episode, Jen Wilkin discusses what's wrong with the way we often talk about the Law, along with some of the common dangers of legalism.
Reading the Easter Story on the Shoulders of Giants
Reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus with insight offered into these events by gifted teachers from church history like John Calvin, Martin Luther, Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon.
Double listening . . . is the faculty of listening to two voices at the same time, the voice of God through Scripture and the voices of men and women around us.
What Does 2 Timothy 3:16 Mean?
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” —2 Timothy 3:16
There may be no other book in all the Bible that packs in as much gospel per square inch than Ephesians.
Podcast: 12 Key Tools for Bible Study (Lydia Brownback)
Lydia Brownback discusses 12 key tools for Bible study that all Christians can use—tools that will help us go deeper into the biblical text and understand the Bible’s life-giving message for ourselves.
The book of Judges portrays the people of God languishing without good leadership. Who would lead the people of God into battle?
Why I Believe in the Doctrine of Justification
The Bible makes clear that our right standing before God comes not by works, effort, merit, or achievement, but by faith in Christ alone.
2 Reasons You Should Pay Attention to the Use of the OT in the NT
What are NT authors trying to achieve by quoting OT Scriptures ? What are we to do with these quotations? The topic of the use of the OT in the NT matters for two main reasons.
The book of Revelation is a triumphant vision of God’s final victory over all the forces of evil in the world.
The Legacy of the ESV Study Bible
When we first began work on the ESV Study Bible, we could never have anticipated the way God would use it to encourage and equip Christians to study his word.
We gain insight into the loving nature of the God who inspired this Song, and are made able to love him in return although we constantly require his fidelity, protection, and undeserved love.
4 Reasons We Must Not Disregard God's Word
God's Word has cut me untold numbers of times since. But each pain, responded to, has brought a fresh, satisfying healing.
Throughout Ecclesiastes we are led forward to other answers, other solutions, and other wisdom than the world’s vain promises of satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment.
The Final Days of Jesus: Friday, April 3, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
The Doctrine of the Atonement in the Bible
What does the Bible say about Christ's death and atoning sacrifice for sinners? Learn more from this look into the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible.
Don’t Try to Make the Bible Say More (or Less) than It Does
To the degree that sin remains within us, we all seek to find in the Bible what we want it to say rather than what it actually does say.
You Have Everything You Need for Life and Godliness
Knowing that God has promised to complete the work he began in us, we are well equipped to practice perseverance.
The book of Malachi contains six oracles (or disputations) that each begin with a saying of the people, to which the Lord responds through his prophet.
2 Common Mistakes in Interpreting Scripture
The point of interpreting Scripture is not to rob us of the joy of the journey but rather to protect us from wrong turns and unnecessary repairs that will slow us down.
The Problem with Trying to Portray the Holy Spirit
As we strive to know the Holy Spirit the way he makes himself known in Scripture, we are constantly tempted to add a few details, to quietly nudge the Spirit in the direction of being more immediately vivid.
Why Is the Book of Acts So Focused on Peter and Paul?
The deeper motive for Luke’s focus on Peter and Paul is not on them simply as prominent, historic individuals in earliest church history, but on them as apostles and the nature of their apostolic commission.
Dig into Theology with the ‘ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible’ on ESV.org
Learn more about theology with over 400 short doctrinal summaries connected to specific Bible passages—all on ESV.org.
Christ in All of Scripture – Isaiah 11:1-5
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
How to Be an Effective Bible Study Leader
Nancy Guthrie lists several issues that have a significant impact on using the time allotted for small-group discussion effectively.
Why We Need the Psalms of Lament
The Psalms help us express our pain to God, knowing that he hears our cries.
The Bible promises that in Jesus, we have peace. But when our circumstances and our emotions threaten us with despair, it doesn’t always feel like that is the case.
A Brief Intro to the Origins of Humanity
One of the hot spots in the perceived conflict between science and Christianity is around the question of how human beings came to exist.
What Does It Mean to Be a Man in the Home?
Andreas J. Köstenberger, Margaret Elizabeth Köstenberger
Men are to be worshipers, disciples, witnesses, husbands and fathers, leaders, providers, and protectors.
8 Passages to Read about Parenting
Parenting requires all kinds of help, most helpfully from the God who created us. Find encouragement from Scripture for the task.
How the Bible Talks about Corporate Responsibility and Repentance
Do we share some responsibility for the sins committed by those who were part of the same immediate family? What about the same religious family?
Like the book of Job, this book presents important gospel truths for people who encounter difficulties that seem incomprehensible.
In a variety of ways, the prophecy of Nahum brings home the gospel and carries along the redemptive story that culminates in Jesus Christ.
The Final Days of Jesus: Wednesday, April 1, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
Luke’s presentation helps us see clearly that the gospel of Jesus is about the comprehensive blessedness of God available to us through Jesus Christ.
Why Do I Struggle to Read the Bible Consistently?
Sometimes we think of Bible reading as a duty, rather than a grand invitation to encounter the living God by opening the pages of Scripture, reading it, seeing him, and understanding more of who he is and how we should follow him.
The Final Days of Jesus: Thursday, April 2, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
10 Things You Should Know about the Genres of the Bible
Douglas Sean O'Donnell, Leland Ryken
Identifying the genre of a text gives us the right terms for interacting with it. Conversely, if we do not interact with a text in terms of its genre traits, we cannot deal adequately with it.
How the Bible Supports Catechesis
Catechesis helps us grow in and meditate on the truths of God in Scripture.
God saves people for a purpose. Salvation in Christ begins a life spent growing into being like him and serving him faithfully.
How to Help Others Understand and Apply the Bible
Helping others understand the Bible and apply it to their lives is a great privilege and a great responsibility.
Numbers is especially relevant for God's people in “wilderness” times when we must practice faith and trust in God's guidance and provision.
Why would anyone ever fast? What is to be gained from giving things up?
The Gospel of Mark is presented in a way that demonstrates the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
The Life and Death of Jesus: A Theophany
Jesus's life brings to fulfillment the entire spectrum of theophanies of God in the Old Testament.
Why Teens Must Read the Bible for Themselves
Teenagers who are wondering if the Bible is relevant to their lives are often starting off on the wrong footing with Scripture.
Are There Differences between Christ’s Humanity and Ours?
What kind of human nature did Christ assume in the incarnation? Was it the nature of Adam before the fall, a sinless nature but with the potential to disobey God and fall into sin?
Christ in All of Scripture – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Q&A: Dane Ortlund Answers Your Questions about the Heart of Christ for Sinners
A couple of weeks ago, we asked readers to submit their questions for Dane Ortlund. Many of you sent in questions from around the world.
The clear contrast between God’s covenant-keeping and Israel’s covenant breaking, particularly among Israel’s kings, is perhaps the most important theme in the book of Kings.
Why Is the Virgin Birth So Important?
The entry and exit miracles carry the same message. First, they confirm that Jesus, though not less than man, was more than man. His earthly life, though fully human, was also divine.
An Elevator Pitch for Church Membership
The Bible presents a picture of the church as unlike any other organization or society of people in the world.
How the Bible’s Irony Combats the Prosperity Gospel
Since our life is to be like Christ’s, our life must include suffering of some kind so that God’s spiritual strength can be exhibited in our physical weakness.
Living an Others-Oriented Life
Being a disciple of Jesus means orienting our lives toward others, just as Jesus did.
Why You Shouldn’t Neglect the First 39 Books of Your Bible
Trying to understand the New Testament without the Old Testament is like trying to understand the last four chapters of a book without reading the first eight.
How to Find God's Signature in the Bible
The Scriptures themselves are God's signature—they bear witness to his glory.
The Final Days of Jesus: Tuesday, March 31, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
As an oracle of judgment, Obadiah presents unique challenges for gospel application.
Haggai is all about the ongoing work of building up the people of God, a work that is primarily God's.
Why Study the Book of Galatians?
The constant pressure is toward practical atheism, toward falling asleep to the glory of our God. Galatians is given to wake us up.
Podcast: Tips for Leading an Effective Bible Study (Lydia Brownback)
What does it look like to lead an effective Bible study? How can a leader keep the conversation on track and guide people to discover the treasures of God's Word?
My Breakthrough in Scripture Memory
Maybe the breakthrough could come with some simple change in perspective. What if Scripture memory really was about today?
Male and Female He Created Them
Everything else in creation reflects something of God’s glory in a general sense, but humanity alone is described as being created in God’s image.
In four ways, the Old Testament book of Amos is essential for a robust understanding of the gospel.
Why Is the Book of Romans Considered the Greatest Letter Ever Written?
Studying Romans carefully is worth every minute you invest that way. It’s a relatively short letter, it takes about sixty minutes to read aloud, and it’s profound.
While Hebrews clearly makes its own unique contribution, it joins other New Testament books in exulting in the same amazing grace in Jesus that forms the Bible’s main message.
Why You Shouldn’t Read Isaiah Like You Read Romans
All believers should seek to learn how to read and understand the biblical prophets on their own. They are a different kind of literature from Romans, as much so as comics differ from the front page of a newspaper.
Are Miracles Still Possible and Probable?
The most fundamental reason that people don’t believe the miracles in the Bible is because they already believe something else, namely, that miracles are impossible.
The whole Bible is from heaven, and the whole thing is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). But different parts of the Bible serve us in different ways.
Podcast: What an Old Controversy Teaches Us about Grace and Legalism (Sinclair Ferguson)
Sinclair Ferguson discusses the relevance of church history and divisive theological positions as we dig into a largely forgotten 18th-century Scottish debate about God’s grace and our works.
Even Joshua’s name (“Yahweh Saves!”) points away from himself to the real hero of the story. Joshua is a story of grace.
Stay on Mission—Even in the Later Years
One joy of aging is a stillness of soul that helps us see the small moments as sacred moments when we can reflect God’s glory to someone else.
For Matthew, the gospel is the good news that God has inaugurated the final stage of his plan to reclaim the world from the destruction of sin and establish his just and merciful reign over it.
The doctrine of the necessity of Scripture reminds us of our predicament: the One we need to know most cannot be discovered on our own, and this same ineffable One has made himself known through his word.
9 Common Excuses for Not Memorizing Scripture (And How to Overcome Them)
The human heart is deceitful and twisted in so many ways (Jer. 17:9). We can make amazing excuses for not doing things that the Lord has commanded that would richly benefit us.
I’ve Heard It Said That the Bible Is God’s Love Letter to Us
“The Bible is God’s love letter to us.” I can see where that’s coming from. It’s not a hundred percent wrong. It’s just that it’s probably not a big enough statement about what the Bible is.
Christ in All of Scripture - Jeremiah 9:23-24
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
We Must Worship God on His Terms
True worship is not possible unless God himself enables it, because human beings are unable to truly worship him without his enabling.
Three Steps to Studying the Bible
The goal in studying the Bible is to find out what the Bible meant, what it means, and how it applies to us.
Why Study the Books of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi?
God sent the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi to speak powerful words of challenge and comfort to his world-weary people, words which are just as relevant and powerful for Christians today.
Of all the books in the Bible, Colossians may rightly be considered the most Christ-centered.
We don’t truly understand who we are as the church of Jesus Christ unless we know our own story.
Blessed: Why Study the Book of Revelation? (Episode 1)
Nancy Guthrie discusses the book of Revelation and how we actually can understand its central message, encouraging us to accept the blessing promised to those who “hear and keep” this book.
6 Questions about the ESV Translation Philosophy
God called us to be his children, has entrusted his word to us, and has entrusted the gospel to us. To faithfully steward what he has given to us, we must walk by faith and not by sight.
5 Poor Ways to Approach the Old Testament
Through the New Testament we have instruction that enables us rightly to appreciate the Old Testament. And that appreciation means understanding how the Old Testament points to Christ.
We Need Both Rules and Relationship with God
To obey the law is to look like Jesus Christ. While legalism builds self-righteousness, lawfulness builds righteousness.
What Does Jesus Want This Christmas?
What does Jesus want this Christmas? We can see the answer in his prayers.
God has begun to fulfill his promises in and through Jesus, but he's not quite finished yet.
Why Archaeology Can’t Prove the Bible (and Doesn’t Need To)
David W. Chapman, John D. Currid
In this video with Drs. David Chapman and John Currid, editors of the ESV Archaeology Study Bible hear why archaeology isn't needed to prove the Bible true.
The Comfort of God’s Justice and Judgment
The message of Revelation—over and over again—is not that judgment is going to fall, but instead, that you will be protected in the judgment.
The Scandal at the Heart of the Christian Faith
If we imagine that Jesus was born in a freshly swept, county fair stable, we miss the whole point. It was wretched—scandalous!
The book of Job helps free us from believing in a “score-keeping” God.
Was Jesus a Leader or a Follower?
Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer
The New Testament leaves no doubt as to the deity of Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. So perhaps it is unsurprising that we forget that Jesus was also a follower.
How John Piper Mobilized Thousands for Radical Missionary Service
John Piper energized thousands of young people to live lives of radical devotion to Christ, primarily (and simply) by preaching sound doctrine from the Bible.
Intimacy with Christ Is for Men and Women
The Song of Songs gives us permission to have a very intimate, affectionate relationship with Jesus.
How the Psalms Speak to All of Our Emotions
The Psalms are in the Bible to give a us a full range of ways to approach God. They're not just for those who are happy and they're not just for those who are in pain. They cover the whole range of emotions.
Does the Book of Acts Teach Socialism? (Acts 2)
One of the greatest challenges in interpreting the book of Acts, one with which every reader must wrestle, is in determining whether the narrative portions of the book are descriptive or prescriptive.
5 Questions about Biblical Spirituality
Justin L. McLendon, Christopher W. Morgan
There is no shortage of conversations surrounding spirituality—culturally and across various religious expressions—but a Christian understanding of spirituality must have its roots in the gospel.
“Docetism,” was a heresy which could not accept the direct union of God and man.
5 Myths about the Armor of God
There are not two separate classes of Christians: Christian soldiers and Christian civilians. There are only prepared and unprepared Christian soldiers.
Introducing ‘Do You Believe?’ by Paul David Tripp
Paul David Tripp takes a close look at 12 core doctrines and how they engage and transform the human heart and mind.
Making the Most of Your Bible Study
The more we are tugged, the more we have to work to guard the time we give to personal study of our Bibles.
4 Crucial Truths the Gospel Presents
Perhaps more clearly than any other book of the Bible, Romans contains a deliberate, step-by-step expression of what Paul understood to be the good news.
10 Things You Should Know about Biblical Typology
A symbol already has a special meaning when God first presents it in biblical history. But its meaning is more fully revealed when Christ comes, and we see the person for whom the symbolism was designed.
Jesus Prayed for Your Sanctification
On the night of Jesus’s betrayal, before he prayed for himself, he prayed for his own.
What Does Deuteronomy 6:4 Mean?
Deuteronomy is the first book of the Bible to demand love for God. Previously the emphasis was on fear of God, an awe of his grandeur and a dread of his judgment that serve as motives for obedience.
Is the Hope of Resurrection Found in the Old Testament?
What if I told you that a glorified and risen body was not just a New Testament hope? And what if I told you it was rooted in previous biblical revelation?
The Book of Job Is a Book of Joy
“Joy” is probably the last word most of us would use to describe the book of Job. What could be less joyful than the nightmare of Job’s suffering?
Understanding the First and Last Adam
Truly God and truly man, Jesus was not a transgressor like the first Adam. Our hope is the perfect righteousness of Jesus, which is credited to us sinners.
Sin and the Snake separated us from God, but the Snake Crusher came to restore our relationship.
Podcast: Should Christians Fear God? (Michael Reeves)
What is the Bible getting at when it commands us to fear the Lord? Is it ever sinful to fear?
How to Help Your Kids Love the Bible
As parents and caregivers, we want our children to know the God revealed in the Bible and come to love his word deeply, just as we have.
Why Study the Books of Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah?
These books are rich with God’s truth about our sin and need of redemption as well as his love for us in the savior Jesus Christ.
Hope in the Midst of Languishing
Spiritual growth in seasons of languishing is more about persevering through the struggle for belief than it is about arriving at a settled conclusion.
Why Study the Books of Colossians and Philemon?
Why study Paul’s letters to the Colossians and Philemon? Let me provide three reasons.
Gospel-Centered Partnership: The Rafiki Foundation
Through a recent partnership with Crossway, The Rafiki Foundation is now working to equip thousands of Christian leaders in Africa with study Bibles and other ministry resources.
Everything John tells us about Jesus leads us to his cross and his empty tomb—to his substitutionary death and glorious resurrection.
The Song of Songs: Highly Practical, Deeply Spiritual
When people read and interpret the Song of Songs, there are a couple of mistakes that they often make.
If you fail to understand poetic structures and literary devices, you will understand and preach the Psalms improperly.
You Don't Need a Degree to Read (and Understand) the Bible
Sometimes we make studying the Bible more complicated than it has to be. In reality, it's actually just a matter of asking the right questions that point us in the right direction as we seek to relate to God through his Word.
How the Bible's Message Impacts Daily Life
Knowing the whole message of the Bible should be transformative.
10 Key Bible Verses on Glorification
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
How Were the Books of the Bible Chosen?
We got the Bible through a providential process. God continually orchestrated both what was going on in the Jewish synagogue and also how the books were being used and affirmed by Christians.
As the last books in the Hebrew Old Testament, the books of 1–2 Chronicles prepare God’s people for the arrival of Jesus.
God deals with sinners in one of two ways: deserved justice, or undeserved grace.
In typical prophetic form, Joel gives his readers both the bad news of God’s judgment and the good news of his promised deliverance.
9 Notable Quotes from Providence
The providence of God is his purposeful sovereignty by which he will be completely successful in the achievement of his ultimate goal for the universe.
The Bible’s Grand Narrative: A 1-Month Reading Plan
Though the Bible compiles the voices and writings of many individuals, it is, in fact, one story—written by God.
12 Notable Quotes from Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel
Marriage was created to evidence Christ’s love for his bride, the church. Our earthly relationships, though marred by our sin, can point us toward this true and ultimate reality.
What Can We Learn about God’s Anger from Jesus?
When Jesus is angry, he is right to be angry; the cause of his anger is right, and he expresses his anger rightly.
How Old Testament Kings Bear Witness about Jesus
The book of 1 Kings tells the story of fourteen “kings of the Jews,” framed by King Solomon—and this story foretells the coming of the Messiah.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 2 Peter?
Second Peter has a robust doctrine of Scripture. Peter begins his letter with one of the strongest assertions of the sufficiency of God’s Word found in all of Scripture.
If there ever was a clarion call to rejoice because of the gospel, it is Paul’s epistle to the Philippians.
The Psalms Are Both by and about the King
Bruce K. Waltke, Fred G. Zaspel
Fundamentally, the Psalms are both by and about the king. The Psalter can be thought of as a royal hymnbook, and its individual psalms have the house of David as its subject matter and point of reference.
Why Christians Depend on Revelation from God
Christianity is a religion that rests on revelation: nobody would know the truth about God, or be able to relate to him in a personal way, had not God first acted to make himself known.
A Teen’s Argument for the Bible’s Truthfulness
Christianity isn’t a religious system that collapses if you think about it too hard. The truth can stand up to the toughest questions.
Understanding the Book of Revelation Isn’t Your Biggest Challenge
The most challenging part of Revelation's very clear message is a call to bold allegiance to Jesus Christ, and a call to refuse to compromise with the world.
The Hardest Thing Jesus Said about My Money
Perhaps you felt a twinge of discomfort when Jesus told the rich young man to give everything he had to the poor and follow him. But he’s not done.
The Longing of Every Human Heart
There is no emotion, no experience, and no quest more authentically human than love.
3 Questions about Christ’s Sinlessness
Temptation cannot be defined in terms of the capacity of the one tempted to succumb. Temptation is enticement to sin from whatever source.
4 Roles Scripture Plays in the Life of a Believer
The doctrines of the word of God were not intended just to lay claim on your brain, but also to capture your heart and transform the way you live.
6 Practical Steps to Help Grow Your Confidence in God’s Word
Sometimes we have our doubts about the stories we read in the word of God, about its moral convictions and the promises it makes.
Video: Jen Wilkin on Staying Motivated in Bible Study
In this video, author and Bible study leader Jen Wilkin offers some advice for staying motivated in our reading of God's Word and explains the limitations of topical Bible studies.
10 Things You Should Know about Jesus’s Final Days on Earth
Jesus clearly explains the message of the Scriptures “concerning himself” in Luke 24; he also provides a model for faithful Bible reading.
The “gospel according to Daniel” comes in glowing revelations of the power of God to redeem his people, overcome their enemies, and plan their future.
Understanding the Bible Thematically
Two books, two ways to study the Bible.
The word submission is loaded with a powder keg of emotions. We live in a culture more accustomed to questioning authority than submitting to it.
Our work, when earnestly undertaken, lays us open to attacks in the direction of depression.
The biblical proverbs as a whole have a Godward goal: the fear of the Lord. As preachers, our job is to focus on that fear.
What Is the Foundational Authority of Scripture?
That the whole authority of the Scripture in itself, depends solely on its divine original, is confessed by all who acknowledge its authority.
Mapping the Doctrine of Total Depravity
Left to ourselves, we neither want to nor can return to the God who made us, and, without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, we cannot know him as our heavenly Father.
Does the Gospel Need a Feminist Rescue?
Men and women and children are to conduct themselves in accordance with a pattern. A woman’s personal gifts do not take priority over the design pattern that God established in the garden.
Christ in All of Scripture - Ezekiel 36:24-27
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
What the author of Hebrews is getting at is the perfect marriage between doctrine and practice. If we believe the things that he has declared, that has radical implications for how we live our lives.
Endure Suffering with Patience until Jesus Returns
It may be that many people approach the book of Revelation with the assumption that somehow, as they look at the book, it's going to give them a better sense of when Jesus is going to return.
7 Questions about the Septuagint
The “Septuagint” is a catchall term that usually refers to the corpus of ancient Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible. What else should we know about it?
Start Early: Teaching Your Kids the 10 Commandments
There have been three items that have formed the backbone of the church’s catechesis: the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments.
How Angels and Demons Intersect with the Christian Life
What does Scripture have to say about angels and demons and what role do they play in the world today?
The Fruit of the First Sin Was Shame
We feel shame when some fault, imperfection, or vulnerability of ours conflicts with what we think we should be. Finding this shameful, we attempt to hide.
You Must Study the Bible with a Purpose
Every good endeavor should be done with purpose. Without a clear sense of purpose, our efforts to do a good thing well can flounder.
Does Psalm 91 Promise Too Much?
“In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm,” wrote Charles Spurgeon of Psalm 91. But does it promise too much? Can it possibly be true?
Only God Sees the Whole Elephant
The Bible itself says that there are things God hasn’t revealed anywhere. But the God who has revealed himself through the Bible is not a God who hides.
Why Pastors Should Catechize Their Congregations
Catechism benefits adults and children alike by giving them a deeper understanding of theology and the ability to communicate those beliefs well.
4 Things That Might Hinder You from Embracing Definite Atonement
The doctrine of definite atonement is a misunderstood doctrine, one that we must seek to understand more accurately and embrace more deeply.
The main purpose of Daniel is to reveal to us who God is—his character, his purposes, his way of working in the world for the good of his people.
God gave his own Son as the final sacrifice so that your brokenness could be the only prerequisite to receiving God’s abundant mercy.
Podcast: Real Faithfulness Is the Kind No One Sees (Glenna Marshall)
Glenna Marshall talks about the life-changing practice of Scripture memory, the oft-given advice to give ourselves grace, and the importance of perseverance in the Christian life.
Commentaries can be wonderful friends, debating partners, and theological mentors. But start with the Bible.
Beware These 4 Common Threats to Your Contentment
Culture is like a big magnet, it’s pulling on us and around us.
Nativity Scenes, T-Rexes, and the Gestalt Shift
One of the most powerful human experiences is when one construal is replaced with another, when a shift in the Gestalt happens and we come to see in a different way.
Writing to people who were discouraged by living, after the exile, Zechariah encouraged them to look forward to the day when the Lord would act once again.
Christ in All of Scripture - Psalm 1
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
The Doctrine of the Incarnation in the Bible
God came to dwell with man and as man at Christmas. Coming to the manger should lead us to worship.
Are you too foolish and slow of heart to understand why life sometimes doesn’t make sense?
A good literacy-builder honors the learning process by moving through three distinct stages of understanding: comprehension, interpretation, and application.
Podcast: A Christian Scientific Perspective on Evolution (Stephen Meyer)
Stephen Meyer discusses the controversial topic of theistic evolution and explains what the term does and doesn't mean.
Falling Behind in Your Bible Reading Plan Isn’t Your Greatest Danger
Perhaps the biggest danger in reading and studying our Bibles is to miss the whole point, which is to miss encountering Jesus, the risen Lord and Savior of us all.
James is a beloved epistle, eminently practical and full of vivid exhortations to godly living.
Why You Should Study God's Incommunicable Attributes
God’s incommunicable attributes are important for us to understand because they’re the ones that tell us how God is not like us.
The Final Days of Jesus: Saturday, April 4, AD 33
In this video series, well-known New Testament scholars explore the background and significance of the history-shaping events that occurred during Jesus's last week on earth.
How Creativity Can Fuel Your Worship
If God created us in his likeness, wouldn’t he make us with creative minds and hands? What if engaging in creativity could draw us into deeper worship of our Creator God?
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: John Calvin on Isaiah 53:3-6
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
We Need Spiritual Sight to Read about Jesus
The disciples’ journey with Jesus on the road to Emmaus poignantly illustrates the fact that we need spiritual sight to recognize Jesus’s true identity as revealed in the Scriptures.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 2 Corinthians?
If otherwise vital Pauline notions such as “grace” and “law” are nowhere near the heart of Paul’s concerns in 2 Corinthians, what is the heart or center or core burden of this letter?
Does the Law of Moses Matter for Christians Today?
Moses matters for Christians, and yet he spoke in a context that’s very different from our own. The old covenant is not the covenant we’re under. We are under the new covenant.
Podcast: Reading the Psalms with Jesus in View (Dane Ortlund)
Dane Ortlund discusses how the psalms uniquely invite us into prayer and devotion, how they reflect the greatness of God, and how he cares for his people.
Nehemiah's Deeper Concern for Building Up God's People
The work of God gets done when there is a good heart for God and his work. It starts in a heart with a deep concern for the glory of God and the health of his church.
Paul’s second letter to Timothy is a call to endurance amid opposition and suffering for the sake of the gospel.
Podcast: The Scoundrels of Scripture (Nancy Guthrie)
What can we learn from some of the less well-loved characters of Scripture? Why is Jesus's scandalous family tree good news for sinners like us?
Is the Book of Proverbs an Instruction Manual for Life?
Gregory Goswell, Andreas J. Köstenberger
The essential mystery of life is not denied or dispelled by Proverbs, and it is a misreading to view it as naïvely optimistic about the temporal prospects of the godly.
3 Ways Teens Can Stay Rooted in God's Word
It's hard for teens to stay in the Word, but it's easier if they make a plan, set aside a specific time, and read with someone else.
Podcast: Diagnosing the Heart of Anger (Christopher Ash)
Christopher Ash discusses why anger is such a powerful, dangerous emotion for the Christian, walking through some of the key Bible passages that address the topic.
Introducing the ‘Big Picture Bible Crafts’
Combined with reading the Bible, hands-on activities are a great way for small children to engage with and learn truths from Scripture.
Reading the Christmas Story on the Shoulders of Giants
Read through this well known passage from Luke chapter 2 along with commentary notes from giants of the faith such as Martin Luther, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, and Jerome.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 23:1
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God’s Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
ESV Bibles for Reading, Devotion, Study, Journaling, and More
Here are some of our favorite Bibles for diving deep into meditation and study. Find one for yourself or someone you love this season.
Second Corinthians is filled with the astounding paradoxes of the gospel.
What Does Perfect Anger Look Like?
Christ got angry and still gets angry, for he is the perfect human, who loves too much to remain indifferent. And this righteous anger reflects his heart, his tender compassion.
10 Verses that Have Been Central to Wayne Grudem’s Life
After being presented with a collection of essays in his honor, Wayne Grudem reflects on the verses that have impacted his life and ministry.
8 Tips for Engaging with Your Bible Artistically
God invites us to meditate on his Word (Ps. 1:2). Art journaling is one of many ways to study and reflect on Scripture.
Why Study the Book of 1 Corinthians?
How is Christian unity revealed? Put another way, what is the flesh and blood of union with other believers? Paul roots his theology of unity in love.
God’s People Are a Forgetful People
We human beings are forgetful by nature. I do not mean in a finite sense but in a fallen sense. We forget because we choose to forget.
You Live in a God-Entranced World
The world is not a machine that God made to run on its own. It is a painting, or a sculpture, or a drama.
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul cannot stop rejoicing that the gospel came to the Thessalonians in word, in power, and with full conviction by the Holy Spirit.
A Missing Ingredient in Today’s Preaching
The literary approach to the Bible, and the importance of genre as a chief ingredient of such an approach, are subjects of neglect. This represents a missed opportunity of massive proportions.
Christ in All of Scripture - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Can Theistic Evolution and Original Sin Coexist?
Our friends who hold to theistic evolution maintain that Adam and Eve were ordinary human beings, doing sinful deeds for their entire lives just as all other human beings do.
Why Expository Preaching Is Important
When you do expository preaching you get a sermon's symmetry and structure from the biblical text.
Infographic: 6 Counterproductive Approaches to "Studying the Bible"
The infographic below, drawn from chapter 2 of Jen's book, highlights 6 common—yet ultimately counterproductive—approaches to "studying the Bible" that we all struggle with from time to time.
Reading the Bible with Dead Guys: John Calvin on John 3:16
*Reading the Bible With Dead Guys is a weekly blog series giving you the chance to read God's Word alongside some great theologians from church history.
What We Lose If We Deny a Historical Adam
The importance of believing in a historical fall of Adam and Eve is seen when we ask the question Who is to blame for the evil in the world today?
It’s by Design That We’ve Never Lived without the Sabbath
In the creation account, God makes the world and everything in it in six days. A seventh day follows that is set apart from the previous six in some important ways.
The Temple(s) Filled with God’s Presence
What a glorious end to the story! In the new Jerusalem, there is no temple, no need for one particular place where God will dwell, because he dwells right out in the open, among his people.
As we move through life, the world just constantly dupes us into believing a false story. Our heads and our Bibles might tell us, “God willing,” but we are immersed in the oxygen of the world, which says, “Me willing.”
Christ in All of Scripture – Nehemiah 1
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
2 Audacious Demands We Are to Make of God
Moses didn't want God simply to send down orders; he wanted to know the purpose behind God's plans.
Tossing Out Beliefs When They Don’t Spark Joy
What’s fascinating (and saddening) is that there seem to be many Christians, particularly in the affluent West, who think of theology, or doctrine, the way Marie Kondo thinks of clutter.
Are God’s Attributes Relevant Today?
Most of us take God’s attributes for granted and seldom think about them specifically. They may be hard to fathom, but they matter greatly for our relationship to him.
How to Read (and Not Read) the Bible
We have to read the Bible as literature, but we also have to recognize that it is unlike any other book we know.
Lots of people want to teach us how to postpone death through healthy living, but very few teach on how to face up to death when healthy living is fading.
15 Passages to Read to Help Fight Pride
Pride can be a struggle for every one of us and is at the root of other sins in our lives as well. Consider meditating on these verses from God's word to help fight against the sin of pride.
3 Questions about the End Times
We can seek to understand as much as possible about how God will work in the end times, but let’s stay humble and freely admit our ignorance.
Was Christ’s Coming the End of the Law? (Romans 10)
Christ is the termination of the law in the sense that he ushers in a new age— both continuous with and different from the former age.
In the book of Jude, our heavenly Father threatens the church to keep her from being dragged away from his love.
Christ in All of Scripture – Judges 2:16-19
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
How Rumination Falls Short of Meditation
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
When we fix our attention on God’s standard we will begin to feel peace and hope.
Author Interview: Matt Harmon on Asking the Right Questions in Bible Study
Justin Taylor sits down with Matt Harmon to discuss his new book about asking the right questions when reading the Bible.
The Blessing of God’s Presence
The most important blessing of the church’s new existence will be its similar experience of the immediate, palpable presence of God.
Introducing the 30 Days in the Psalms with Kristyn Getty Podcast
Discover Afresh the Beauty and Power of God's Word The book of Psalms has been cherished by Christians for centuries. Down through the ages and across the globe, the church has clung to these biblical …
There is no doubt about it—the Bible is a big-picture book that calls us to big-picture living.
Why Bible Study Should Always Lead to Worship
Anytime we spend time gazing at who God is as he’s described in the Scriptures, we cannot help but be drawn into worship.
What Is at the Center of Paul’s Theology?
How should we proceed in our own interpretation of Paul? Is it, for example, with his teaching on justification by faith? Or with his teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit? Or somewhere else?
Peter writes to encourage a “mixed bag” of believers with dear but easily forgotten truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Triumph of Easter: A 6-Day Devotional for Families
There is no story more worthy of being retold in our families than the true account of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
Our Christian Terminology Is Built on the Old Testament
When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the gospel, the NT often adopts essential concepts/words from the OT, particularly the Greek version.
Reclaiming Psalm 139 from the Clutches of Coffee Cups and Picture Frames
Psalm 139 is more than just fodder for t-shirts, coffee mugs, and picture frames.
Are You Experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)?
Because of Christ's assurance of salvation to all believers, we don't need to fear missing out on eternity.
4 Tips for Memorizing God's Word
Gloria Furman lists 4 tips for memorizing God's word.
Spending the Rest of Your Life Teaching Sound Doctrine
If you're going to enter the ministry, whether as a missionary or a pastor, you will spend the rest of your life (if you're faithful) teaching sound doctrine.
8 Notable Quotes from Women of the Word
If it is true that we become what we behold, we must devote the time to learn how to dig into Scripture with our hearts and minds.
John MacArthur's Story: A Passion for Doctrine
John MacArthur, Richard Mayhue
I grew up with an appreciation that the Bible contained truth—completely consistent and coherent because God was behind all of it.
The Right and Wrong Way to Read Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11 is a very familiar verse to many Christians. Jason DeRouchie examines how someone might apply this verse rightly—and wrongly.
Jesus Is Not Ashamed of Those with an Embarrassing Past: The Story of Tamar
While we may blush over our sin and our stories and our embarrassing past, we have a Savior who doesn't blush. He actually enters into the mess with us.
People are rebellious, even God’s people, but God himself insists on doing his people eternal good anyway.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Jude?
Knowing the true gospel inside and out is a crucial way of being able to identify departures from the gospel and remain true to Jesus.
Stop the Spread of Infectious Anger
Christopher Ash, Steve Midgley
Anger is infectious. It is not a purely individual phenomenon; there is a corporate dimension. Here, we'll explore five biblical examples of infectious anger.
The Importance of Books in Christian History
From ancient times, books have had a profound and mysterious power to move us. We find this in every culture and in every time period.
5 Ways to Use an Illuminated Bible
Illuminated manuscripts have a long history. Here are five ways to use the new 'ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition.'
How to Resist the Vortex of the Course of This World
By definition, a Christian is one who has been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col. 1:13).
How God Called Wayne Grudem to Serve the Church
In this video, Wayne Grudem recounts his journey to become a professor and author, sharing about his passion to faithfully teach the Bible to God’s people.
Why Gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?
God is not served by human hands as though he needed anything. The gifts of the magi are not given by way of assistance or need meeting.
What Did Jesus Teach about Himself?
Jesus taught on a variety of topics, from family, to money, to discipleship, and more. But there is one subject that is central to all his other teachings—himself.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Colossians?
The theology of Colossians is distinct because it arises from Paul’s response to a false teaching that was threatening the church in Colossae.
Stop Looking to the Bible for Fortune-Cookie Wisdom
If you understand that the Bible as the epic story of the history of humanity and God’s dealings with humanity, then the glory of God shines through so brightly.
Blessed: Time, Symbolism, and Imagery in Revelation with Greg Beale (Episode 10)
Nancy Guthrie is joined by Greg Beale to discuss questions related to the sometimes difficult symbolism and imagery of the book of Revelation.
Podcast: Why Did God Let Job Suffer? (Christopher Ash)
Christopher Ash discusses the story of Job and how God's goodness shines through suffering. He also explores the roles of Satan, the fall, and the cross of Jesus Christ in human suffering.
The book of Titus is a letter from Paul to a young pastor, urging him to lead his people deeper into the gospel.
There is no greater need for the church today than to think rightly about Jesus, biblically and theologically.
We get our Bible, first of all, because God has chosen to reveal himself to humans. If it weren’t for that first step, of course, there would be no Bible.
Why Study the Books of Joel, Amos, and Obadiah?
Why study these short Old Testament prophetic books? Because the Lord gives us hope through his Word.
The Song of Songs: A 7-Day Devotional
Through this video devotional, beging to grasp God’s vision for love and marriage by working through the Song of Songs.
The Ethics of Jesus: What Do the Four Gospels Reveal?
Gregory Goswell, Andreas J. Köstenberger
Within the overall ethical teaching of the Gospels, each Evangelist focuses on a particular aspect of Jesus’s ethical instruction.
I’ve Heard It Said the Gospels Are Full of Contradictions
What I like to do with this question is to take it out of the culture war it can be used in and to slow down and really think about what’s going on.
Day 2 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
The Pros and Cons of Being Rich
“Wealth is wonderful and makes us wonderful.” That’s the message the media bombards us with every day. No wonder so many of us want to be rich.
The word “gospel” never appears in the letters of John. Yet it is hard to imagine a book more intimately connected to the gospel of saving grace in Christ Jesus than John’s first letter.
4 Things to Remember When Reading the Bible
Proper Bible reading begins before we open the book. It begins in our approach.
Have You Ever (Really) Read the Bible?
True understanding of Scripture comes when we set aside our earthly and sinful desires and instead seek God's glory.
Can You Really Summarize the Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses?
We are living in a day of increasing biblical ignorance—not only among the general population, but also among evangelicals.
Podcast: How to Become a Better Bible Reader (Phil Ryken)
What are the literary qualities of Scripture and why should we not just read the Bible for what it says, but for how it says it?
Why Study the Books of 1–2 Peter?
Into a historical moment when many Christians feel disoriented, 1–2 Peter helps us recenter our hope on Christ.
Jesus once said that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why?
Christ in All of Scripture – Habakkuk 3:16-19
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Jesus’s Troubled Family History
If you have no hope to be accepted into God’s family other than the perfect record of your righteous brother, Jesus, then you can be sure you’ve found your forever-family.
Podcast: Understanding the World of the Bible through Archaeology (David Chapman)
How can archaeology bolster our faith and enhance our understanding of the Bible?
Is Jesus Worth Following at Any Cost?
Are you ready to receive him and believe in him as your supreme treasure, even if it costs you the loss of your family and your life?
Reading God's Word When You Don't Want To
Pick God’s Word up not with the burden of guilt or as a call to duty, but because it’s a gift given to you by a God of amazingly tender mercy and grace.
J. I. Packer’s “Last Crusade”: The Renewal of Catechesis
While many rightly think of Packer as a theologian, he has averred for years that he is, first and foremost, “a catechist.”
Q&A: A Bible Translator Answers Your Questions about the ESV
A member of the ESV Translation Oversight Committee answers listener questions about the ESV related to how translators work, the translation philosophy of the ESV, tricky passages, and more.
When Doubt Seeps In, Look to Thomas
Sometimes it is hard for us to believe in life after death. The true Bible story that shows this perhaps most clearly is the story of “Doubting Thomas,” as he is usually called.
How John’s Gospel Helps Us Understand God’s Mission
Why did God create the world? What is his plan for humanity? Why send Jesus? We must start with these foundational questions before exploring how God accomplishes his mission.
Paul Was a Missionary Consumed by God’s Approval
If receiving God’s affirmation is of critical concern for our mission, then isn’t the antithetical desire for others’ approval to be a potential snare for Christian ministers?
Podcast: Faith, Family, and the Creative Life (Ruth Chou Simons)
Ruth Chou Simons discusses her life as an artist, sharing her passion for creating beautiful pieces of art that reflect the beauty of our Creator.
Practical Suggestions for Cultivating Communion with God
We were made by God to find our greatest joy in fellowship and communion with God.
You Were Designed for Spirituality
Justin L. McLendon, Christopher W. Morgan
Humans are created good and blessed beyond measure, being made in God’s image, with an unhindered relationship with God, and with freedom.
Tools for Teaching the Overarching Story of the Bible
Whether we are leading our families, working in the office, or even studying the Bible, one of the great challenges in life is living in the tension between the forest and the trees.
Christ in All of Scripture – Psalm 23
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Podcast: 8 Questions to Ask Every Time You Open Your Bible (Matthew Harmon)
Questions we should ask when studying the Bible to help us get at the true meaning of Scripture, and how to apply it to our lives today.
Proclaiming Christ in the Marketplace
It is interesting to note how Athens affected Paul. Instead of being awed by all the marvelous sites, Paul saw only a city full of idols, and it grieved him greatly.
3 Implications of the Fact that God Has Spoken
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
Hearing and remembering God’s word requires a worldview that takes into account the whole counsel of God in order to guide the whole life.
Suffering: A 7-Day Reading Plan
This 7-day Bible reading plan was created to help you draw encouragement from God's Word in the midst of suffering—leading to hope in the gospel through the power of the Spirit.
The central gospel themes in Paul’s shortest letter are surprisingly substantial.
“Why Have You Forsaken Me?” Understanding Jesus’s Cry on the Cross
Matthew Y. Emerson, Brandon D. Smith
The crucifixion is a good case study in showing how a careful Trinitarian framework can help work through thorny issues related to the Trinity and salvation.
Why Study the Books of Jonah, Micah, and Nahum?
Each book of the Bible has something unique, something distinct, to teach us about God, about ourselves, and about the meaning of life.
Dangerous Bible Study and Puffy Christianity
If all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable, surely there is no such thing as “useless” Bible knowledge. So, why so many warnings that studying the Bible could actually be perilous to our spiritual health?
Two of Prayer’s Essential Ingredients
The resurrection is the most important thing to behold in God’s word to fuel our desire to pray. But really, we need all of God’s word. We also need God’s people.
Day 3 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Has God's Kingdom Already Come?
When we think about the message of the Bible, we should never lose sight of God's kingdom, or his reign over his people, and ultimately his reign over the entire universe.
Loneliness: A 5-Day Devotional
Single or married, young or old, man or woman—everyone experiences loneliness at various times and to varying degrees. No one is exempt.
Admitting Imperfections and Turning Them for Love
In spite of having such a privileged role in the early church, Paul did not try to pull rank by hiding his weaknesses or his sins.
3 Imperatives for Christ’s Early Disciples (and for Us)
Repentance has always been and will always be the way into restored fellowship with God. It is turning away from self, away from whatever we’ve given our allegiance, and toward Christ.
What Makes the Preaching the Word Commentary Series Unique?
The Preaching the Word commentary series is unique because I’ve asked all the contributors to have preached the content of their commentary viva voce, or live.
The Doctrine of Scripture in the Bible
God speaks definitively to us in Scripture and we can trust the Bible as his words.
Casting off the old self and walking in love is only possible through God's work in us as new creation.
What Would Be Lost If We Didn’t Have the Last 2 Chapters of the Bible?
Revelation is not simply another book in the Bible. It's the final book of the Bible, and it's such a fitting end not only to the book of Revelation, but to the Bible as a whole.
How Psalm 145 Saved My Ministry
I can’t tell you how many times in my early days of ministry I questioned if God had really called me into pastoral ministry.
God Cares about Beauty (and We Should, Too)
God has implanted in people longing and desire for the true, the good, and the beautiful. The Bible speaks to all three of these.
Does Anyone Who Accepts Law and Circumcision Lose Their Salvation? (Galatians 5)
This passage reminds Christians to live in the knowledge that God loves them and has shown his love for them through the death of Christ on their behalf and through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Take Your Doubts about God to God
God always invites us to take our troubles straight to him. This is what godly people have done throughout history.
Blessed: The Apocalyptic Nature of Revelation with Iain Duguid (Episode 2)
Join Nancy Guthrie as she talks with Iain Duguid about how we can understand Revelation in new ways when we read it as a letter, as a promise, and as apocalyptic prophecy.
Podcast: How to Read the Old Testament in a Christ-Centered Way (Bryan Chapell)
The Old Testament can feel confusing and intimidating. In this episode, we hear from Bryan Chapell about how reading it with an eye on the gospel helps us understand it better.
6 Soul-Searching Questions from the Book of Hebrews
New converts to Christianity typically have few doubts. But years of living and learning often soften their confidence.
Don't Make This Mistake When Studying the Bible
Most of us haven’t spent much time devoting our attention to just things that are true about God.
On Bible Translations: A Q&A with Leland Ryken - Part 1
Leland Ryken clarifies some of the issues of modern Bible translation and makes a case for an essentially literal approach.
Praying the Bible vs. Interpreting the Bible
One hurdle many people face when trying to pray the Bible is confusing prayer time with Bible study, interpretation, and application.
God’s People Are a Waiting People
As early as Eden, God’s people have been a waiting people. Following the fall of our first parents, God made a promise that permanently oriented his people toward the future.
Christ in All of Scripture - Matthew 26:26-29
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
Where is the gospel in Jude’s epistle? In such a compact space, we actually receive a potent portrait of the gospel.
How We Learn to See the Face of Jesus
Experiencing the reassuring, transformative, and hope-giving power of God’s gracious gaze in Christ means we must practice seeing Christ’s glory.
Truth in relationships, especially between Christians, is divinely commanded and truth telling is integral to godliness.
Podcast: Distinguishing Christmas Tradition from Truth (Andreas Köstenberger)
Andreas Köstenberger explores how to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to the Christmas story, discussing the real date of Jesus's birth, the wise men and the star, and key Old Testament prophecies and allusions surrounding the incarnation.
My view of the Bible was always a view through the Bible.
If God sent his own Son to walk through the valley of condemnation, rejection, and hell, you can trust him as you walk through your own valleys on your way to heaven.
The Voice of Wisdom and the Voice of Folly
Proverbs tells us that there are two voices calling out in the marketplace.
When defining the term “missional community,” I often take time to clarify what it’s not.
2 Questions about the Doctrine of Christ
To explore the wonder of who Christ is and stir our hearts to worship him, let us consider two questions about who he is.
What About the Issues Scripture Doesn't Address?
John MacArthur shares a few questions to ask ourselves when venturing into gray territory.
The ESV is an “essentially” translation of the Bible in contemporary English emphasizing “word-for-word” accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning.
How the Psalms Teach Us to Sing
God’s people have always been a singing people. There must be a robust expression of our testimony to his grace, something not just seen in our lives but heard from our voices.
Everyone wants to have a good life. What will make you truly blessed?
The weed of doubt never grows alone. When we plant the seed of doubt in God’s word or God’s power, the weeds of fear, disobedience, and pessimism also take root and grow.
10 Things You Should Know about the Church’s Historic Creeds and Confessions
The best doctrinal summaries promote church unity. They help us to identify what we have in common with other Christians.
This Day in History: John Stott Was Born
On this day in history John Stott, one of the most influential Christian leaders of the twentieth century, was born. This year marks the centenary of his birth.
The Scoundrels of Scripture: A 6-Day Video Devotional
Learn from the stories of a handful of the Bible’s scoundrels and see more clearly the ways in which they reveal the generous grace of Jesus toward sinners.
Are You Intimidated by the Old Testament?
Do you find the Old Testament more than a little bit daunting? Don’t worry, you are not alone.
Peter J. Gentry, Stephen J. Wellum
What, we may well ask, in literary terms, is the plot structure of the Old Testament or even of the entire Bible as a single text?
How Does the Old Testament Fit in with the Great Commission?
Recent stats suggest that Christian awareness of the Great Commission has fallen on hard times. Barna Research has stated that only 24 percent of churchgoers know what it is.
Podcast: Q&A: A Bible Scholar Answers Your Questions about the Book of Revelation (Tom Schreiner)
New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner answers questions submitted by readers about the book of Revelation and surrounding topics.
Which Approach to Bible Study Should I Use?
The longest-lasting—and most accurate and faithful to the Word and character of God—is to approach the Bible trying to understand what God is saying to us about himself.
More than any other physical feature, we associate the face with a person. Faces matter to people, and so it’s not surprising that faces matter in the Bible.
Students: Don't Let Your Head Get Ahead of Your Heart This Semester
David Mathis, Jonathan Parnell
Seminary is dangerous. Its gospel fragrance proves life-giving to many. But for others—far too many others—its aroma can lead to death.
The Promises of God: A 7-Day Devotional
We are to treat a promise of God as reality, as someone treats a check. We are to take the promise and endorse it with our own name by personally receiving it as true.
6 Metaphors the Bible Uses for the Church
Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley
There is a richness to the church that defies human comprehension. God draws from a treasury of terms to describe his magnum opus.
Is There a Silver Bullet of Sanctification?
Sanctification isn't a one-size-fits-all process—God guides different people in different ways.
How to Find Yourself in the Psalms
I love the psalms because we find ourselves, but even more significantly, we find our Lord in the psalms.
Christ in All of Scripture – Exodus 3:13-16
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Galatians?
No compromise can be accepted or tolerated when it comes to the gospel, and all teachings and teachers must be evaluated and measured by the gospel revealed to us by Jesus Christ himself.
This 7-day Bible reading plan was designed to help you find the peace that God offers to us in his Word.
The Doctrine of Grace and Peace in the Bible
Benedictions are God’s good words for us as he looks on us with joy and love and grants us grace and peace.
The Rich Biblical History of the Sacraments
The biblical exodus is recalled and made part of our lives through baptism, the Lord’s supper, and these other celebrations that place us within their pattern.
Christ in All of Scripture – Nehemiah 9
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
The reality is that Christians are priests and that’s one of the most significant identities we share as human beings.
What the doctrines of grace do is they show us that God is still on his throne. He's still saving people.
How OT Scriptures Changed the Course of History at the Jerusalem Council
The decisive speech fell to James, the brother of Jesus. Yet his speech mainly quoted Scripture. The turning point at the Jerusalem Council was a passage from the Word of God.
4 Reasons Christians Should Use Their Minds
Stott recognized the need for both intellect and emotion in Christianity, but, clearly for him, “the greater danger is anti-intellectualism and a surrender to emotionalism.”
What Is Distinct about the Theology of 1 Thessalonians?
The Thessalonians had much to learn about the Christian journey ahead. Thus, the letter happens to capture helpful statements about each stage of that Christian journey.
When the church ceases to treat the Bible as a final standard of spiritual truth and wisdom, it is going to wobble between maintaining its tradition in a changing world and adapting to that world.
Inerrancy Part 2: How do You Reconcile the Discrepancies in the Gospels?
Vern S. Poythress discusses what the most prominent discrepancies in the gospels are and we can reconcile them.
An Open Letter to Pastors on Preaching through the Whole Bible
Expository preaching is preaching that “exposes” the text of Scripture as God delivered it to us. It does not bring its own agenda to the Bible or to the pulpit, but seeks to understand the Bible text in its own terms.
Podcast: How Reliable Is the New Testament? (Peter Williams)
Peter Williams, author of Can We Trust the Gospels? answers a crucial question: can we really trust the New Testament Gospels?
Free Download: Printable Verse Cards Tracing God's Unfolding Grace
Download these free printables for memorizing and meditating on God's word.
How Was the Resurrection of Lazarus Different than the Resurrection of Jesus?
Lazarus would die again, but Jesus would not. And for all who trust in Christ who are united to him by faith, what is his is now ours.
Podcast: Covenant Theology 101 (Guy Waters)
How do we understand the biblical covenants, and how can they help us to read Scripture rightly?
ESV.org—How to Start an Interactive Bible Reading Plan
Make a Habit Out of Reading the Bible Every Day Did you know that you can start an interactive Bible reading plan on ESV.org? After creating a free account, simply click on the calendar icon …
It Wasn’t Just Jesus That Died on Good Friday
The death of Jesus was the end of the priesthood. There was simply no need for an imperfect priest once the perfect priest had come.
This week's excerpt in our Devotional Resources series is taken from "Morning and Evening", by Charles H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by Alistair Begg.
Learn more about artist Joshua Noom and his work on the ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Artist Series.
Why Study the Book of Genesis?
Genealogies form the backbone of the book of Genesis.
Something Scarier Than the Storm
Jesus’s miracle in the boat didn’t solve the disciples’ life problems; it gave them a bigger problem. Now they had to figure out what to do with Jesus.
Behind-the-Scenes: The Creation of the ESV Psalms, Read by Kristyn Getty
Giving priority to the Scriptures can help ensure that we make God’s voice the loudest message we hear.
Knowing Church History Is an Asset for Every Pastor
Our brothers before us have gone down challenging roads and they have much that they can share that is of true benefit to us.
Blessing in God’s Plan of Redemption
Blessing plays a significant role in God's plan of redemption, in that blessing is the goal of God's plan of redemption.
How to Be a Gospel-Centered Bible Reader
To make sure that you are gospel-centered every day, look for Christ in the Scriptures.
We must always keep in view that each of us individually is called to love God with our minds.
Developing a Plan for Summer Bible Study
As you develop your plan to feed deeply this summer on God’s Word, here are five suggestions to help fill these summer days with spiritual fruit.
But God’s plan to liberate his people exceeded anything they could have hoped for. He intended liberation from the tyranny of sin itself.
What Peter and Jude Would Say to the Contemporary Church
One of the things that makes 2 Peter and Jude so relevant to our contemporary situation is the fact that they address issues that the church still faces today.
The Cosmic Effect of Resurrection
The resurrection is the guarantee that the wrath of God has been appeased by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Does the Old Testament Really Point to Jesus? Jesus Thought So
Does the Old Testament really point to Jesus? To answer that question, we should ask an expert. The leading authority on all things spiritual is Jesus himself.
Only the Greatest Humility Accepts the Lowest Place
A proud person would protest that some low position was “beneath” him or her. Jesus displayed his humility by not regarding anything as beneath him.
Day 4 of Simply Read, an 8-day Bible reading challenge through the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Play-Doh, Flannelgraphs, and Teaching Kids Biblical Theology
When we teach the stories of the Bible without helping them connect those stories, we’re giving them puzzle pieces only without the context of the larger picture.
How Reading the Bible Shapes Our Identity
But if every revelation of God is a revelation of myself in relation to God, then all of Scripture is continually in the business of rewiring our self-understanding.
Why Study the Books of 1–3 John
The more divisive, the more stressful, the more anxious, and the more lonely our society grows, the more compelling the need becomes for a clear exhortation to love.
Answering Kids’ Hardest Questions: If God Speaks to Me, Why Can’t I Hear Him?
No, we can’t hear God audibly, but we can hear him speak in the sense that he has written his thoughts down for us to read and to hear in his word.
God wants me to learn how to wait so that I can wait well, even if my waiting continues for the rest of my life.
Why Devotional Bible Reading Is Good Bible Reading
The purpose of reading the Bible devotionally is to commune with God and grow closer to him.
Reading the Bible Is a Discipline, Loving the Bible Is a Gift from God
Reading the Bible is an action. It's something that I do, but there is a supernatural reality going on when we open God's Word that we can't see with our eyes.
Learning to Hate for All the Right Reasons
Carolyn Mahaney, Nicole Mahaney Whitacre
Like Solomon, we must hate life. We must hate its terms and dread its end. We cannot control or comprehend anything.
Developing doctrine in the church is one more in a series of improvisations.
Prayer is the means by which we implore the Holy Spirit to take up residence in our study time.
Podcast: Sourdough Starters, Daily Bread, and the Goodness of Jesus (Abigail Dodds)
A discussion with Abigail Dodds about what the mixture of flour, water, and yeast can teach us about God, the Bible, and what it really means to be satisfied by our Savior.
The Christian life, the church, our faith are not about us, they’re about him—his plan, his kingdom, his glory.
The Sympathetic Heart of Our Lord Jesus
The emotion that we should naturally expect to find most frequently attributed to that Jesus whose whole life was a mission of mercy, and whose ministry was so marked by deeds of beneficence, is compassion.
The faithfulness needed to combat wickedness requires an experience of God’s powerful grace in the gospel.
Christ in All of Scripture – Leviticus 1:4-5
This series of posts pairs a brief passage of Scripture with associated study notes drawn from the Gospel Transformation Bible.
When we come to Revelation 19, we finally begin to approach John’s vision of the very last things. Soon we will move to the very good ending of the story of Scripture—and of the whole world.
How Did Jesus’s Stories Get Passed On?
Some seek to explain how the stories were passed from Jesus into the Gospels, but that question, though tending to get primacy in academic discussion, is actually secondary.
Will You Be a Lifelong Learner?
For Christians, the stakes are even higher for cultivating holy curiosity and the mindset of a lifelong learner.
Here’s the principle. Seeing courage spreads courage. Seeing boldness awakens boldness. Seeing fearlessness overcomes fear.
Sometimes we end up disappointed with Jesus because we want the miracle, the answer, the reconciliation, the restoration, the healing right now.
The Doctrine of Christ's Return in the Bible
What does the Bible say about Christ's return? Learn more from this look into the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible.
7 Ways to Use ‘Unfolding Grace’ in Your Church
Many Christians know key doctrines or various texts within the Bible, but they often miss the sweep of the Bible’s big story and how it connects to Christ.
Why the Book of Psalms Is for You
The Psalms were written for ordinary Christians leading ordinary lives—lives marked by depression, discouragement, despair, frustration, or maybe even numbness toward God or anger toward others.
The Purpose of Vibrant Illustrations in ‘The Biggest Story Bible Storybook’
Kids—and really all of us—are drawn to images and pictures. The illustrations in this edition present a kind of mood.
What Is Distinct about the Theology of Philemon?
Some question whether we should even say that the book of Philemon has a theology since it is merely a short, practical letter written to an individual Christian rather than a church.
Podcast: What Is the Mark of the Beast? (Thomas Schreiner)
Thomas Schreiner reflects on the best way to approach Revelation when studying it for the first time, and explains what the mark of the beast is really all about.
The Christian Life Is about Wakefulness
The Spirit of Christ burns in our hearts, awakening us to the presence and activity of Jesus Christ. Sleeper, awake!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
How to Stop Praying the Same Old Things about the Same Old Things
“Empty phrases” are ruinous in any area of spirituality, but especially in prayer.
A Surprising Scoundrel of Scripture
The high priest was to serve as a mediator between God and the people of God. What was he supposed to mediate from God to the people? Mercy.
5 Fallacies about a Literary Approach to the Bible
Leland Ryken, Philip Graham Ryken
When the Bible gives us literary subject matter, that subject matter is present through the agency of divine inspiration. The same is true of the genres