Daily Bible Study Tips

Brief, content-oriented tips help you read and understand the Bible. Drawn from an on-going daily study at St. John’s UMC in Albuquerque, the study tips range from serious Greek and Hebrew word studies to whimsical comments about life as a Christian. Join participants around the world as we read the Bible together.

Miscellaneous Comments arranged in Biblical Order

Comments on the Old Testament
Comments on the New Testament

About this study

Copyright information, disclaimers, and sponsors

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Topical Studies

Bible Stories for Grownups New on 12/13/11.
The Bible stories we teach to our children are expurgated, abbreviated, and annotated. This topical study takes an adult look at the Bible stories and songs we learned as children.

Singing from Advent to Epiphany
We're not trying to rush the Christmas season, but if you're searching for a group study during Advent, take a look at this. Each day's reading includes the words to a favorite song from Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, or Hanukkah and discusses the scriptural basis of the lyrics.

The Many Names of God
Biblical Prayer
The Character of God

Some of the most important words describing God's character don't mean exactly what we think they mean.

Holy Mothers (and One Unholy Grandmother)

Women have held every important position available in Judeo-Christian history, with the exception of Messiah.

Reader Questions Answered New Question added 11/21/11.

Lands of the Sojourn and Wandering

Where in the world were the children of Israel? NEW on 11/20/2011!

Map of the Holy Land

From Ashdod to Zidon, it's on the map.

Comments on the Old Testament

Comments on Genesis
Comments on Exodus

Comments on Deuteronomy - Joshua
Comments on Leviticus

Comments on Judges
Comments on Ruth
Comments on 1 and 2 Samuel
Comments on 1 and 2 Kings NEW illustration added on 12/01/2011!
Comments on 1 and 2 Chronicles

Comments on Nehemiah and Job
Comments on Esther
Comments on Job
The Prophets: Miscellaneous Comments on Isaiah
The Prophets: Miscellaneous Comments on Jeremiah, Lamentations, Hosea, Amos, Haggai, and Habbakuk
The Prophets: Nahum
The Prophets: Daniel
The Prophets: Primary Message of Pre-Exilic Prophecy
The Prophets: Messianic Prophecy
The Prophets: Prophecy to Other Nations
Psalms
Proverbs

Comments on the New Testament

Singing from Advent to Epiphany

Advent Psalms
Christmas Carols - Part 1
Christmas Carols - Part 2
Christmas Carols - Part 3
Hanukkah Songs
Epiphany Hymns

The Many Names of God

Names of God - Introduction
Sacred Names - Part 1
Sacred Names - Part 2
Other Names - Part 1
Other Names - Part 2
Other Names - Part 3
Names of Jesus - Part 1
Names of Jesus - Part 2
Names of Jesus - Part 3
Names of Jesus - Part 4
Names of Jesus - Part 5
Names of Jesus - Part 6
Names of Jesus - Part 7
Names of Jesus - Part 8
Names of Jesus - Part 9
Names of the Spirit

Biblical Prayer

The Purpose of Prayer
Conversations with God – Abraham
Conversations with God – Moses
Conversations with God – David and Solomon
Adoration – Sing to the Lord a New Song
Liturgical Prayer
When God Speaks
God promises to answer all prayers...
… Except the prayers of the Wicked. But if the Wicked repent, God hears them, too.
Sometimes the answer is “No.”
The disciples talk about prayer.
How Not to Pray
How to Pray: Effectively
How to Pray – Privately
How to Pray – Corporately

The Character of God

Glory, Old Testament, New Testament
Holiness, Old Testament, New Testament
Longsuffering, Old Testament, New Testament
Steadfast Love, Old Testament, which is Mercy in the New Testament
Graciousness, Old Testament, which is Grace in the New Testament
Jealousy, Old Testament
Intolerance of Sin, Old Testament, New Testament

Holy Mothers (and One Unholy Grandmother)

Sarah: Named by God
Rebecca protects the Covenant.
Rachel and Leah build the house of Israel.
Miriam the Prophetess
Deborah, Judge over Israel
Ruth the Moabitess
Queen Athaliah of Judah
Queen Esther of Persia
The Four Most Important Women Who Never Lived
Women Who Expected Miracles
Mary and Elizabeth
UMW in Bible Times

Reader Questions Answered

Questions about Specific Old Testament Passages

Were Esau's wives Hittites from Canaan? Was his third wife, Mahalath, more acceptable to Isaac and Rebekah?

NEW on 11/20/2011!

Are the Edomites and Canaanites the same people?

NEW on 11/20/2011!

Did the Jews' use of animal skins make everyone "unclean"?

Why was Saul told to kill even infants, who was saved before Jesus came, and what is the outcome of infant death (saved or not saved)?

What are your thoughts on Genesis 6:1-4 as it relates to the "sons of God/angelic beings" and "Nephilim/giants"?

Questions about Specific New Testament Passages

What do we believe about healing prayer and the laying on of hands?

NEW on 11/21/2011!

Mark 2:1-12 says that word got out that Jesus was at home. Did He have a permanent home?

NEW on 11/20/2011!

What is this about Michael and Satan contending over the body of Moses?

How did the magi know to follow a star?

Why do we think Jesus’ ministry lasted 3 years?

For those of us without the gift of tongues, does the Holy Spirit pray just when we ask during our quiet time with God?

What Jewish holiday was being celebrated at Pentecost?

Why did not the wise bridesmaids share their lanterns with the foolish?

Does the Bible indicate that Jesus knew he would be resurrected?

Why does Jesus tell the disciples and those he has healed not to tell anyone about him?

What do Matthew 18:18 and 19 mean?

Luke 6:30 brings to mind today's huge number of solicitations by phone, TV, and mail. Is 'everyone' really every one?

Doctrinal Questions

Is Satan mad at the choir because he used to be the director? How did this rumor begin?

NEW on 11/21/2011!

Is forgiveness different for Christians and Jews?

My neighbor would like to know about the brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Where did the twelve days of Christmas come from?

Are infants or adults who have never heard the Gospel held responsible for sin?

What are your views on 'once saved, always saved'?

Were the Persons of the Trinity present from the beginning? To whom do "the Lord," "the LORD," "God," etc., refer, and are they interchangeable?

Questions and Comments about Bible Study in General and This One in Particular

Some Principles of Bible Study

What do we know about idioms in ancient Greek?

Who is this 'Regina Hunter' anyway?

Can you recommend several good commentaries?

What translation of the Bible do you recommend?

Religious Fiction

About this study

This website is a compilation of the brief study tips from an email Bible study begun on January 1, 2007, with five or six readers from one adult Sunday School class at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was intended to be a single-year Bible study. By December 2 of that year, we had 54 readers, who had learned of the study entirely by word of mouth and who had asked to be included. The pastor at that time, Pastor David, decided that since it was the largest on-going study at St. John’s, he wanted it to grow, and several rounds of announcements and sign-ups followed.

Now in its fourth year, the email study has grown to an address list of about 140. The readers are from several churches in Albuquerque and (literally) across the nation and around the world; several denominations; and two faiths, Christianity and Judaism. Not too long after the study began, one of the email readers asked a question, which gave rise to longer (sometimes much longer) comments called “Bible Study Supplements – Reader Questions Answered.”

When the study began, I had no plan to do anything other than distribute scripture passages to a few friends who wanted to remember to do daily Bible readings. When I put in the first study tip on a passage I knew from teaching to be a little bit obscure, I had no plan to write study tips daily. When I started writing daily study tips, I had no idea that readers would find them valuable enough to print out, share with friends, or save. All this is to explain why the study tips include very few references. Not all of the facts, ideas, and errors in the study tips are original with me; however, since I have learned the facts, integrated the ideas, and continued in the errors for 30 years, finding the references would have taken much more time than writing and emailing the tips. And there seemed to be no call for references. If it turns out that this web site is being used - which remains to be seen - I will try to add references to both old and new study tips as we travel along.

Meantime, don't take my word for what's in the scripture! Don't take your pastor's word, your rabbi's word, your Sunday School teacher's word, or a written reference's word for what's in the scripture. Read it for yourself!

It is my intention to add materials to the website weekly. Initially, only the study tips and supplements from the first three years will be on the website, added more or less in the order of the books of the Bible. You may notice that although the study tips are presented in biblical order, they aren’t always related to the preceding and following tips. This is usually because they are no longer in the order they were written over the past three years.

Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 by Regina L. Hunter. All rights reserved.

Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author, Regina Hunter, and may or may not be shared by the sponsors or the Bible-study participants. Thanks to the Holy Spirit for any useful ideas presented here, and thanks to all the readers for their support and enthusiasm. All errors are, of course, the sole responsibility of the author.

Our Sponsors:

St. John’s United Methodist Church “Transforming Lives Through Christ.”
Traditional worship services are held Sundays at 8:15 and 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Contemporary worship services are held Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. Jazz Vespers are held monthly on the second Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.

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