Foundational Bible Teaching

If you followed the advice from my blog post “How to Start Your Study of the Bible,” you should be deep into reading your Bible.  I have a few detours along the way that I’m going to suggest you take.  Reading straight through the Bible without any distraction is a trip well worth taking; however, I suggest you save that study for the second or third time you read the book from cover-to-cover.  It’s important in this detailed study that you seek the help of well-qualified teachers.  To that end, I have books from four such teachers that will give you a much better grasp of the deeper truths of the Bible.  I’ll leave it up to you to decide where in your study you’d like to pause your scripture reading and turn to these teachers.  I would like to suggest that you read these books in the order presented here.

Satan and His Kingdom

Your study of the Bible has to include a comprehensive look at the devil.  You can’t truly know God without knowing His main opponent.  The Bible is all about God doing battle with the devil and for that reason you need to understand this evil being completely.  Dennis McCallum has written a book that exposes the devil and all his schemes.  Dennis will walk you through the Bible and expose precisely how the devil works in you, in your church, and in the world at large.  This is a masterful work; certainly the best I’ve read on the topic.

Jesus: The Greatest Life of All

The most important man in the Bible is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  If you’re reading your Bible along with a great teacher like J. Vernon McGee, you will discover Jesus is in every book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  It’s a good idea to pause early in your Bible reading to take a closer look at the life of Jesus.  To that end, you would do well to turn to Charles R. Swindoll, one of the best Christian writers and theologians in our world today.  He will take you on a trip through Jesus’ life that will make you feel he was there with him the entire time.  This book will give you a much deeper understanding of the ministry of Jesus and will challenge and affirm your faith.

The Parables of Jesus

Once you know Jesus in an intimate way, you will need to absorb some of his most important teaching.  The Parables of Jesus are primarily directed to believers and should be considered some of Jesus’ most valuable lessons.  The highly respected theologian Dwight Pentecost has written a very accessible study of the Parables of Jesus that in my view, is a must-read for every Christian.  Your understanding of the teachings of Jesus will grow in remarkable ways as you digest the pages of this book.

Revelation Unveiled

Finally, I’m going to suggest you do something considered silly when reading other literary works.  I’m going to suggest you study the end of the book, well before you’ve finished much of the beginning.  The book of Revelation at the end of the Bible is so profoundly important to your study you will do well to dig into its complicated finer points early in your study.  Noted author Dr. Tim LaHaye has written, what I believe, is the easiest to understand version of the meaning of Revelation.  Without a qualified guide your will be quickly lost in the prophetic riddles that consume every chapter of Revelation.  Tim LaHaye does an excellent job making it all easily understandable.  As you read through the Bible it is vitally important for you to understand what is to come in the end because everything you are reading hinges on these final events.

Great Teachers Amplify the Learning

Studying with these four teachers will dramatically increase the wisdom and knowledge gained from reading the Bible.  These four men will put you on a path that will open your eyes to mysteries and deeper truths that you will likely miss reading on your own.  May you be richly blessed in your study of the Word of God.

“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” Proverbs 4:13 (NIV)

The Book of John