Christian Topics

Things to Consider While Studying the Bible

Introduction to Considerations


When a book as complex as the Bible is being studied many details can easily be overlooked. Several of the commentaries available on this website contain a number of notes that go beyond the normal exposition; we call them “Considerations.” Just as the name implies, these are things to consider while reading the Scriptural text and commentary. But they can also be useful in answering some Biblical or theological questions, so we have compiled several of them and listed them here (as well as a few others) on this page. This list will provide links to the various commentary pages where the contents of the consideration can be read. If you wish to return to this page after reading, click on the "Go Back" button on the lower left corner of the page.


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SubjectRelated Consideration Title(s)
AccuracyAccuracy Revisited • Accuracy Assured • Don't Get Mad at Your Maps!
After LifeAbraham's Bosom
Alternate SpiritualityFortune Telling
AngelsGabriel • Supernatural Abilities
AnxietyNot Knowing What is Next
ApocryphaApocrypha • Apocryphal and Other Extra-Biblical Writings
ApologeticsBarriers that Prevent Acceptance of the Gospel Message • Christian Apologetics • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly • Reason the Scriptures
Appointed Times/FeastsPassover in the Talmud • Easter Sunday • The Same Pentecost • Wait! Add Leaven? • Sound the Alarm • A Time to Rejoice • Other Notable Celebrations • The Eigth Day • Church Calendar • Prophetic Overview • Often Not Taught
AtonementAnointing the Mercy Seat • The Aroma of Atonement • The Blood of Jesus
Baptism (see also Sacraments below)Baptism by Fire • No Baptisms • Forgiveness of Sins • Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ
Barriers to TruthPresuppositions • Common Barriers • Intellectual Barriers • Don’t Let the Wine Intoxicate Your Thoughts
BeholdBehold!
BeliefCompromise
BibleWithout Genesis • Hermeneutics • Potential Contradictions • Everything Including Grumbling • Biblical Numbering Schemes • A Key Verse of the Bible • Heptadic Structure • Going Up • The Truth in Context • Two Isaiahs? • The Scariest Words in the Bible • Mysteries • A Hermeneutic Overview • Examine the Scriptures • The Whole Counsel of God • Lightness and Darkness
BlessingTrust is Necessary for Blessing • Blessings and Curses
Bondservant, Servant, and SlaveBondservant Revisited • Slave, Servant, or Bondservant? • Slavery
Bottomless PitBottomless Pit
BronzeMetals of Redemption
CaesarIntroducing the Caesars
ChristianityIs there such as thing as a complacent Christian? • Blocked By A Christian • Higher Calling? • Vectors and Polarizations • Are Christians Secure in their Salvation? • Hypocrites • A Christian’s Vocation • Christians Should Never Forget • Adopted as Children of God • It’s Not About Us • Not Easy • Extraordinary Love + Extraordinary Action = Extraordinary Witness • Losing Heart • Doubt • Born Again • Being Obedient • Following Takes Effort • Alive and Free, But Still Bound • One of the Most Profound and Damning Statements in the Bible • Unity, so what? • Waiting for God • Blessing God • But Christians die just like everyone else! • Children of God • So Close But Yet…A Lesson of Applied Ignorance • Comfort Versus Comfortable • Slow to Accuse • Shine As Lights in the World • Commandments • Higher Calling
Christian PersecutionChristian Martyrs • The Persecution Continues • The Persecuted Church is a Praying Church
ChurchA Model of the Bride of Christ • Danger in Comfort • Warning: Not for Incoming Use Only • The Need to Reform • Church Discipline • Altars • Sacraments • Should the Church Be Operated as a Business? • Denominations Revisited • The Body of Christ • What Does Paul Mean When He Refers to the Church? • Is God-ordained Equal to Man-ordained? • Church Was Born • Church Councils • Sunday Morning Worship • The Apostate Church • Church Leadership
CovenantCovenants • Name Changing • Circumcision • Covenant Promise or Blessing • Conditional vs. Unconditional • The New Covenant Did Not Replace All of the Previous Covenants • God’s Unconditional Promises and Covenants • Abrahamic Covenant Revisited • Covenant Review • The New Covenant
CreationOnly What We Need to Know • Modern Thinking • Age of the Earth • Day-Age Theory • Illumination • According to Their Own Kinds • Let them be for signs and for seasons… • Body, Soul and Spirit • Image of God • Social Gospel • Surely Die • Decay • Knowing Good and Evil • Only One Human Race • A New Creation
CrucifixionOutside the City
DanielDaniel and the Magi • A Breakdown of the Abominations and Desolations in the Book of Daniel
DeathThe Sting of Death
DeceptionJustifiable Lie?
DemonsDemons • Demon Possession
DisciplesDisciples • Leaving Everything to Follow Jesus • From Ordinary to Extraordinary • Not of This World • Not Seeing the “Big Picture”
EgyptSummary of the Plagues • What About the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart?
Election and PredestinationElection and Predestination
Eschatology (End Times)The Red Heifer Connection to Eschatology • Are We in the End Times? • The Role of a Christian During the Last Days • The Tail Wagging the Dog? • Armageddon • Other Future Wars in Prophecy • Babylon Revisited • Mystery Babylon • The Rapture vs. The Second Coming • Stuck in the Muck • Millennium • Many ‘Millennialisms’ • The Last Trumpet • Refused to Love the Truth • Trumpet of God• The Day of the Lord • The Day of the Lord Conclusion
Eternal LifeLiving Water • Glorified Bodies
EvangelismTaking Offense • A Connection Between Evangelism and Prayer Requests? • Our Witness Should Reflect Jesus • We are Ambassadors for Christ • Preach the Word • Difficulties in Evangelizing to Pagan People
EvilWhat is Evil?
FaithFaith in What? • Mountain Movers • Why is Faith So Important? • Faith Made Her Well • Justified by Faith • Giving is an Act of Faith
False DeitiesMoon God • False Deities in the Bible
False Prophets and TeachersTrue Test • The Birth of False Teaching • Quick to Deceive, Distort, and Corrupt • Modern Day Prophets
FearAdmitting our Fears • Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? • Fear of God Versus Fearing God
FloodNephilim • A Global Flood, Not a Local Flood
ForgivenessForgiveness
GodThe Godhead • God's Timing • End of Rope Beginning of God • Inconsistent God? • God Allowed vs. God Ordained • Abomination • Why obey God? • The Sovereignty of God Revisited • God Keeps His Promises • Know Him • Only God Knows the Heart • Tetragrammaton • Helping God • Give Credit to God • The Sovereignty of God • Vows to God • The Shema in a Nutshell • God’s Presence in Clouds • Shekinah Glory • Asking God for a Sign • Where Was God? • Never Leave or Forsake • The God that Brought the Israelites Out of Egypt • Whose Side is God On? • Hearing from God • God's Plan for You • Fearing God • God Cannot Lie nor Change His Mind • Timing
God's WordFollow God’s Word • Nothing But the Truth - All Blemishes Are Visible • Women Included • How Does God’s Word Get Corrupted? • Truly, Truly • The Eternal Building Code
GoldMetals of Redemption
GospelGospel Genealogy Overview • Teaching Them • Now What? • Go!
Hardened HeartsHarden Hearts
HealingLeprosy • Healing • Laying On Of Hands • Healing Revisited
HeavenHeaven Revisited
HealingThe Expectation of Healing • Does God Still Heal?
Hebrew Song and PoetryHebrew Poetry and Song
HellHell on Earth? • Hell By Any Other Name is Still Hell or Is it? • Who Has the Authority to Cast Someone to Hell?
HerodMeet the Herods
HolinessConsecration • Water of Purification • Holy After the Cross • Holy • Unclean and Unwanted • Contrary to the World
Holy SpiritAdd, Subtract, Multiply or Divide Infinity • Take Not • Filled With the Holy Spirit • Holy Spirit Revisited
HomosexualityHomosexuality Revisited • Homosexuality and the Church
Human ExistenceDichotomy • The Third Component • Spiritual Consumption
Human Comprehension of GodGet Behind Me Satan! • The Reason You Are Wrong • The Ultimate Goal
IdolsIdols and Idol Worship • Clearly Idolatry • Nehushtan • Baal and Those Cities Hyphenated with Baal • The Mythology of Asherah • Fertility Deities or God? Perhaps Both? • Demonic Idols
IsraelThe Name of Israel • Why would God use a nation contrary to His own nature to punish Israel? • Evidence of Destruction • The Nation of Israel as God’s Vineyard • Left Desolate, Very Desolate • The Tribes of Israel • Royal Bloodline • Beyond the Jordan • Arabah
Israelities en route to the Promised LandExodus Route • Potential Route • Random or Precision? • Banners of the Tribes • Total Population • If God is For Us • Depravity of Man Revisited • Who and What is Balaam? • Is Being on the East Side Out of the Will of God? • Borders Commanded
JesusJesus is the Rock • Nazirite versus Nazarene • The Star over Bethlehem • The Potential Impact of the Daughters of Zelophehad on the Genealogy of Jesus • Beyond Recognition • How much power? • The Enigma We Call Jesus • The Second Coming • The Blood Curse of Jechoniah • Not a Last Name • Authority • Son of Man • Tell No One • The Lord of the Sabbath • Three Days and Three Nights • Relationship vs. Religion • Jesus Praying • Hosanna • Anointing • Nard • Mary Understood • Betrayed by a Friend • Made Him to Be Sin • Introduction to Jesus’ Trials • Why Jesus Came Out • Angered and Grieved • Humble Beginnings • Was Jesus Disobedient? • Full of the Spirit • Did Jesus Break the Law? • Forgive Them! They Do Not Know What They Are Doing! • Subatomic Bonding by Jesus? • Theophanies and Christophanies • Did Jesus Say He is God? • Split in Two • Dying for Another • Victim of Politics • The Role and Titles of the Messiah • Prophetic Promises • The Messiah Had to be a Man • Names and Titles of Jesus • Jesus at Caesarea Philippi • In the Lineage of Jesus • Jesus is the Rock • Last Adam • Pleasing Jesus • Why Did the Jews Reject Jesus? • Knowing Christ Jesus
John the BaptistWhy Did John the Baptist Still Have Disciples? • Why Did John Have Doubts?
JubileeLand for Peace • A Christian Perspective of the Year of Jubilee
JudaismAncient Jewish Writings • Two Calendar System • Ritual Cleansing • Sad History • Sanhedrin • Being an Obedient Jew • Capital Punishment by the Jews Revoked • Required Pilgrimage • Replacement Theology • Jewish Diasporas • Jewish Diasporas Revisited • The Vicious Cycle of Apathy • Replacement Theology Revisited • Antisemitism • Lineage Versus Territory Names • The High Priests
JudgmentNot Wishing Any to Perish • Shall Not Perish • Away From the Presence of Jesus
Kingdom of GodKingdom of Heaven • Prepare • Comparing the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God to Heaven • Kingdom of the World
Kinsman RedeemerKinsman Redeemer
LawNothing Was to be Added or Subtracted • Invalid Testimony? • The Law of Christ • The Law of God • The Role of the Law Today
LegalismLegalism • Infiltration
LevitesBeing a Possession of God • Why Disperse the Levities?
LifeTraumatic Events in Life • Tearing Clothes • Is Life Fair? • Grumbling is Human Nature • Respect for Life Must Be Taught and Understood • The Meaning of Life • Where God Guides He Provides • Expect Persecution • Work to Eat
LightShine As Lights in the World • Lightness and Darkness • The Light in You • The Light of Men • God is Light • The Revealing Light • Light Exposes Darkness • Light of the World • Armor of Light • In the Light • The Ninth Plague: Darkness • A Great Light • Light that Outshines the Darkness • Full of Light
LoveCommanded to Love? • Love One Another • Supernatural Love
MagiDaniel and the Magi • Three Gifts
MarriageMarriage • Monogamous Marriage Revisited • Mariage (Revisited) • Unequally Yoked?
MilleniumSee Eschatology (End Times)
MiraclesSupernatural or Supernormal • Sun and Moon Stand Still • Miracles, Signs, and Wonders
MosesIntroducing Moses • Was Moses Allowed in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle? • A Broken Model • Moses’ Body
MourningSackcloth and Ashes
NamesNames Revisited • Old Testament Names • What’s in a Name? • Names of Locations
NazarethNazirite versus Nazarene
ParablesSummary of the Kingdom Parables
Passion WeekTiming • Three Days
Passover (Last Supper)Introduction to Passover • Remember Him
ParentingThe Parent’s Job • Does That Answer Your Question?
PerfectionWhat is Perfection?
PhariseesPharisees • Stalking Jesus • Were the Pharisees Ignorant? • Misrepresenting God • Demanding Evidence • Potentially Sinister
PrayerIncense and Prayer • Prayer • Fasting • Not Enough Faith • Prayer Before and After Bible Study • Prayer • Behold, He is Praying! • Pray With Expectation • Fasting • Paul's Prayers
PriestsMinimum Age of a Priest • Priests vs. Pastors • Chief Priest versus High Priest • Priests No Longer Required
Promised LandNo Survivors • Who is Worthy to Enter? • Total Annihilation • Canaanites • Anakim
PromisesFulfillment of Unfulfilled Promises • Not Seeing the "Big Picture"
ProphecyProphecy • Prophecy Revisited Again • Uncut Stones • The Prophetic Truth • The Wrath of God, Cruelty and Suffering • Prophecy • Prophecy Fulfilled • Times of the Gentiles • Why Study Prophecy Revisited
ProphetsOld Testament Prophets • New Testament Prophets • Modern Day Prophets
RaptureRemoved for Judgment? • Rapture Revisited • Why a Rapture?
RedemptionModels of Redemption • Redemption and Intercession Interlocked
RemindersMemory
ResurrectionResurrection is What the Bible Teaches
RetaliationRetaliation Revisited
Reward in HeavenWhat Exactly is a Reward? • Crowns
SabbathTrick Question: How many Sabbaths in a year? • The Dilemma of the Sabbath • The Lord of the Sabbath • Sabbath Day's Journey
SacrificesThe Connection to Romans 12 • Pleasing Aroma • Overview of Offerings • Summary of the Number of Animal Sacrifices • Why Would God No Longer Desire Sacrifices?
SacramentsSacraments
SadduceesSadducees
SaintsOld Testament Saints
SalvationOnce Saved
SamaritansSamaritans
SatanIntroducing Satan • Satan's Motivation • No Denials • Beelzebul • Satan’s Attempts to Stop God’s Plan • Names of Satan • Satan is Not God
SheepSheep
SilverThirty Pieces of Silver • Metals of Redemption
SinDepravity of Man • Intentional versus Unintentional • A Contextual Conundrum? • No Mention of Sin • Unpardonable? • Loose Tongues • Pride • Closing the Gap • Consequences of Sin • Generational Curses • Washed by Jesus
Sodom and GomorrahIntercession • The Lure of Sin • Righteous in God's Eyes • Location in Question • Pillar of Salt • Drunk with Wine
SolomonRoyal Regulations Rejected
Spiritual DiscernmentA Spiritual Conundrum • Self Examination
Spiritual FruitBearing Fruit
Spiritual GiftsSpiritual Gifts • How Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gift is? • Prophets, Teachers, and Other Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual WarfareSpiritual Warfare • Should Christians Be Exorcists?
StonesThe Identification of Stones in Scripture • Hailstones
StrongholdsStrongholds
SufferingSuffer Too? • The Problem of Suffering
SynagoguesSynagogues
TabernacleYou Can See Jesus in the Furniture • Cherubs Have a Public Relations Problem • Metals of Redemption • Reconciliation Through Sacrifice Revisited • New Beginnings
Tax CollectorsWhy Tax-Collectors Were Loathed
TempleTemple Destroyed • Tisha b’Av • Temple Mount • Temple Location Revisited • Millennial Temple • Temple versus Tabernacle • Temple During the Tribulation
TemptationTemptation
Ten CommandmentsIntroduction to the Ten Commandments • Legalism
Three DaysThree Days
Time KeepingHours and Watches • The Ninth Hour
TithingTithing
ToleranceTolerance
TransfigurationA Glance Into the Future? • Why Moses and Elijah?
TrinityIntroducing the Trinity
Trusting GodTrusting in God Can Be Contrary to Reason • Akedah • Proof Testing
TruthJohn and Truth • Truth Revisited
Twelve TribesTwelve Tribes
UnityUnity
VowsVows, Promises, and Covenants
WorldviewWhat is a Wordview? • Paradigm Change
WorshipTrue Worship? What does that mean? • A New Song • The Enemy Within