Bible Study Archives

NICNT and NICOT on Sale at Logos

The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT) and New Testament (NICNT) is easily my favorite series of commentaries.

I own almost all of them in the hardback versions, but recently had the chance to fill out my set through Logos Bible Software. I chose the volumes on Job, Psalms, Matthew, John, and Hebrews.

Logos is having a major sale on the sets, with the full collection (53 vols) at 48% off. You can can individual volumes for $29.99 or less.

If you don’t have Logos Bible Software, you can use my code, REDEEMINGGOD8, to get 10% of your purchase, PLUS 5 free books.

Even though I have most of the NICNT and NICOT series on hardback, I love using Logos for these commentaries because I can search through the volumes much more quickly than with the paperback versions.

For example, R. T. France wrote the volume on Matthew, and since my book on hell is about to get published, I wanted to see what he wrote about the gehenna passages of Matthew. So I searched the volume for Gehenna, and found every place he wrote about it.

A quick read through of the texts reveals that R. T. France appears to be an annihilationist. That is, rather than the unbelieving dead spending eternity in suffering torment, he seems to believe that they will be burned away and will cease to exist.

You can read the quotes in the screenshot below (on the lower right):

If I wanted to read more of the context in which he wrote these paragraphs, I can just click on the verse reference at the top of each paragraph, and the software takes me to the section of the book which it is from.

Then I wanted to do a quick search to get more information on Gehenna, so I right-clicked on the word “Gehenna” and selected “Bible Word Study” from the pop-up menu.

I was greeted with the following screen, from which I could select a wide variety of word study tools from the left.

Then, when I performed another quick Bible Word Study on the word “hell,” I could see all the other commentaries which spoke about gehenna as hell as well.

All of this took me less a minute. Try doing that with your hardback paper books… Do you see how quick and easy it is to use Logos Bible Software?

This is the power of Bible study and research in the 21st century.

I’m thrilled to have the missing volumes of my NICOT and NICNT sets in my software, and will make sure I use them on the commentaries I am currently writing for publication (Stay tuned!).

If you have Logos, take advantage of the huge sale happening right now. But only for another 10 days! The sale is over May 15, 2019. If you don’t have Logos, then get a copy (using my code REDEEMINGGOD8 for 10% off) and then buy a few copies of the NICNT and NICOT set. You will be impressed by the software and these commentary volumes.

Logos Bible Software Review (Logos 8)

By Jeremy Myers
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I use Logos Bible software almost daily as I study Scripture for my books, podcast, and sermons.

I have previously reviewed Logos Bible Software version 7, and the review of Logos 7 can be found here.

I am thrilled to report that one of my MAIN issues with Logos 7 has been fixed with Logos 8: the initial loading time. I know that this is a minor issue, but it often kept me from launching Logos 7 when all I wanted to do was look up a verse… But Logos 8 now loads lightning fast, which means I will be using it more often as a basic concordance tool.

All of the other pros and cons I mentioned in my review of Logos 7 still apply to Logos 8. Use this link and the code REDEEMINGGOD8 to get 10% off your Logos Bible software package.

Here is a short video which talks through some of these:

Oh … and in the process, I did discover one minor annoyance with Logos 8 … I could not figure out how to change the default Bible version for search. It defaulted to the New Revised Standard Version, but I wanted the New King James Version.

I finally figure it out, and here is a video which show you how to change the default search Bible version for Logos 8:

Here are some other useful training videos for getting started with Logos Bible Software version 8.

Again, use this link and the code REDEEMINGGOD8 to get 10% off your Logos 8 Bible study software package. (Yes, I am an affiliate with Logos, and so get a commission when you use this code, but I would never recommend anything I don’t use myself.)

“The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers” by Abner Chou

By Jeremy Myers
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When I was in Bible College, I was taught that our modern practices of hermeneutics differ from those used by the biblical prophets and apostles themselves. I was told in class that while the biblical authors used allegory and typology (cf. Gal 4:24-25), this is not something we are allowed to practice today as good students of Scripture. The reason, I was told, was because they were inspired and we are not.

But it turns out that not even the biblical authors practiced allegory and typology. Instead, Abner Chou points out in his book, The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers, that the hermeneutical methods practiced by most of the conservative evangelical scholars of today appears to be the same hermeneutical methods practiced by the biblical authors, as well as Jesus Himself.

For them, as for us, contextual issues about authorial intent were paramount, which requires a knowledge of historical, grammatical, cultural, and theological contexts. Chou shows that these sort of “modern” hermeneutical rules are not modern at all, but have been followed and practiced since Moses sat down to write the words of God for the people of Israel to read and understand.

If you want to understand the Bible better, and also all the prophets and apostles, including Jesus Himself, read and understood Scripture, I highly recommend Chou’s book.

I do have a few caveats, of course. For example, I take issue with his criticism of a Christocentric reading of Scripture (p. 133), and also with his take on trajectory hermeneutics (p. 226). But one can disagree with Chou on these sorts of issues and still accept the broader idea that the hermeneutical principles we practice today are not modern inventions, but have been practiced, taught, and followed by all the writers of Scripture since the first words of Scripture were written.

If you want to read the book, you can get it on Amazon.

What is the Crown of Life?

By Jeremy Myers
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Have you ever wondered about the crown of life? A reader recently sent in the following question about what the crown of life is, though it might also be important to understand how we gain the crown of life. But let us begin with her question. Here is what she wrote:

I just finished reading your article on Yeshua drinking the bitter cup. I am just amazed at this view. I was searching for what it meant because a few years back I was told to drink a bitter cup. All I know is I have never felt lost until that time. To drink the dregs of it is a horrible thing, and all I had was a taste. But Jesus drank the dregs for us! I am still stunned at what you have shown. Your article makes me appreciate even more what He has done for us. It makes perfect sense to me.
I would like to ask you if you have written anything on the crown of life? After all this incident, I was told on April 19 that I had made it through my tribulation and received the crown of life. Can you help explain what this means?

First, thank you for the encouragement about the article where Jesus prayed to “Let this cup pass.” I must give credit to one of my seminary professors for that view.

From your question, it sounds like maybe you are attending a church or Bible study that gives prophetic “Words of knowledge” to its members. Is that true?

Be careful about what people tell you through these “words of knowledge.” My experience is that usually the messages they give are designed to control you and instill fear in you, rather than help or encourage. In the case of the two things you were told, it looks like someone quoted some poorly-misunderstood Bible passages at you, and then misapplied them to your life so that you lived in fear.

Remember, God has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). If a message comes “by the Spirit” and results in you feeling lost and fearing for your life, it is not likely a message that originated with God.

But let us move on to your question about the crown of life.

The Crown of Life

So what about the Crown of Life? What is the crown of life and how can we gain it?

There are five crowns mentioned in Scripture. They are the Everlasting Crown (1 Cor 9:25), the Crown for the One who Wins Souls (Php 4:1; 1 Thess 2:19), the Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim 4:8), the Crown of Glory (1 Pet 5:4), and the Crown of Life (Jas 1:12; Rev 2:10).

Part of the difficulty with these crowns is that most cultures today do not use crowns, and those that do reserve the crowns for royalty. But the word used for “crown” is stephanos, which can also refer to a “reward” or “laurel wreath.” In the original Greek Olympics, the winner of the sporting contests was awarded the stephanos, a laurel crown.

So each of the crowns mentioned above represents a reward for some particular special act of service or perseverance within the Kingdom of God. By all appearances, the crowns will be some sort of actual reward handed out to believers when Jesus returns again in the future. This will be at the Bema — the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Therefore, none of the crowns are equivalent to eternal life itself. That is, while eternal life is the absolutely free gift of God to anyone who simply believes in Jesus for it (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47), the various crowns are rewards that are given to Christians who complete certain tasks and practice certain behaviors.

Each of the five crowns deserves its own study, but let me just focus on the Crown of Life. (There is a short study of the other crowns in my Gospel Dictionary Online Course, in the lesson on “Crown.”)

The Crown of Life is NOT Eternal Life

James 1:12 and Revelation 2:10 indicate that the Crown of Life is for those who persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, and persecution.

Some people wrongly teach, however, that if you fail to persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, or persecution, that you prove you do not have life, or that God will take away your life. This is not true.

Eternal life is a free gift to everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus for it. You do not have to work your way to eternal life. Eternal life cannot be earned or kept by good works.

The Crown of Life, however, is a reward for special acts of service and perseverance under trial.

The Crown of Life is special reward for a special act of service and dedication to the King.

So if you are experiencing severe temptation, trials, or persecution, be encouraged and persevere through them.

Just as a runner perseveres through the difficulties of the race so that he reaches the finish line and receives the reward, so also Jesus wants to put the Crown of Life upon your head when you reach the finish line after persevering through pain, trials, and persecution.

It will probably not be an actual crown or ring of leaves, but will be some sort of special blessing, honor, privilege, or recognition in the future, eternal reign of Jesus.

By offering this Crown, Jesus encourages us to stay strong, keep the course, and remain faithful.

Let us look in more detail at the two texts which mention the Crown of Life.

The Crown of Life in James 1:12

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

The crown of life that James mentions here is often confused with eternal life.

But as with every other crown, we know that the crown of life cannot be the same thing as eternal life because eternal life is the free gift of God to everyone who believes in Jesus for it, but the crown of life, as described here by James, is given to those who endure temptation.

In other words, Jesus gives the crown of life to those who persevere in faith through temptation, tribulation, and persecution.

Therefore, the crown of life is a reward for a life well-lived. It is an honor that Jesus bestows upon those who endure the trials and temptations of this life.

Some people wrongly teach that those who fail to persevere in the midst of temptation prove that they not actually Christians or that as a result of their failure, God takes away their eternal life. But this is not what James is teaching.

Eternal life is a free gift to everyone and anyone who believes in Jesus for it. The crown of life, however, is a reward for special acts of service and perseverance under trial.

This is actually a great encouragement for those who face trials and temptations. It is much easier to endure in the midst of trials when we know that we are safe and secure in the arms of God, and that even if we fail to stand up in the temptation, He will not abandon or forsake us, but will always be there to love, comfort, protect, and restore us.

This sense of safety gives us strength to stand in the midst of temptation. It allows us to run the race with perseverance, rather than giving up out of fear and frustration.

This crown is an encouragement to stay strong, keep the course, and remain faithful. As with the other crowns, it is likely not a literal crown, but is symbolic of praise, honor, and glory that Jesus bestows upon those who faithfully stand with Him in the midst of trial and temptation.

The Crown of Life in Revelation 2:10

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

The crown mentioned in Revelation 2:10 is also the crown of life mentioned in James 1:12. In both cases, the crown of life is a special honor, reward, or recognition given by Jesus to those who stand up against the temptation and trials of the devil.

The crown of life is not eternal life, but is a way that Jesus recognizes and honors those people who faithfully serve Him and remain steadfast in the storms of life (cf. Revelation 3:11).

Here in Revelation 2:10, Jesus warns the Christians in Smyrna that the devil is coming to accuse and test them. Some of them will be thrown into prison, and they may even lose their lives. But Jesus says that if they remain faithful, He will bless and honor them with the crown of life when they stand before Him in the resurrection. They will be shown special honor in the life to come.

One further piece of evidence that the crown of life is not the same as eternal life is that all seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2–3 contain promises of rewards and special blessings for those Christians who persevere and overcome.

Just as eating from the tree of life (Rev 2:7), getting a new name (Rev 2:17), receiving power to rule the nations (Rev 2:26), being recognized before God in heaven (Rev 3:5), and being made a pillar in the temple of God (Rev 3:12) are not the same thing as receiving eternal life, so also, the crown of life is not the same thing as eternal life.

These are all special ways that Jesus rewards and recognizes those who faithfully serve and honor Him.

So What is the Crown of Life?

The crown of life is not equivalent to eternal life. Eternal life is the free gift of God to all who believe in Jesus for it. The crown of life (like all the crowns mentioned in Scripture) is a form of honor and recognition that Jesus bestows upon those who faithfully serve and honor Him.

It is helpful to think of these crowns as a medal for winning a race, or as some form of public recognition where we receive praise for a job well done. This recognition and reward will be received at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is especially true of the crown of life.

So as you live your life, be eager for the Lord’s coming, faithfully love and serve one another, teach and train each other in the truths of the gospel, and stand strong in the face of trial and temptation. If you do these things, you will receive crowns from Jesus so that you may cast them at His feet in eternity.

Understanding the Gospel requires us to properly understand the key words and terms of the Gospel. Take my course, "The Gospel Dictionary" to learn about the 52 key words of the Gospel, and hundreds of Bible passages that use these words.

This course costs $297, but when you join the Discipleship group, you can to take the entire course for free.

Vindicating the Vixens

By Jeremy Myers
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I recently taught through the creation account in Genesis 1–4 for my podcast, and in the process discovered that Eve is not actually presented in the text as being guilty for the alleged crime of leading humanity into sin by eating the forbidden fruit.

This means that every time you read a book or hear a pastor say that Eve led the world into sin, she is being wrongly condemned.

Yet throughout the centuries, Bible teachers and theology professors have continued to (wrongly) blame and scapegoat Eve for why sin came into the world.

As a result of this study, I began to wonder how many more of the “bad girls of the Bible” were actually bad. I began to think that maybe most of these women where actually just scapegoats for the sins of others.

So I was thrilled to be asked by Kregel Publishers to review a copy of Vindicating the Vixens, edited by Sandra Glahn. And since I earned my Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, I was also thrilled to discover that many of the authors in this volume have graduated from or are currently teaching at my alma mater.

As a result, I knew that this book would be based on some of the best exegetical practices and scholarly material available today.

I was not disappointed.

The book looks at female characters in the Bible who have often been judged, condemned, marginalized, ignored, or ridiculed, and shows how these women are actually presented by the text as heroes to emulate or examples to be followed.

The book not only contains a chapter on Eve, but also looks at heroic women such as Rahab, Bathsheba, Hagar, Deborah, Vashti, and the unnamed woman at the well.

As I attempt to encourage and support my wife and three daughters to follow God into greatness and glory, I hope to encourage them to follow the examples of some of these great women of the Bible.

If you have women in your life (and who doesn’t?), do yourself and them a favor: buy and read this book.

You will not only learn what Scripture truly teaches, but will also learn to respect and value women for the central and critical role they play in God’s plan for this world.

NICNT and NICOT on Sale at Logos

Logos Bible Software Review (Logos 8)

“The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers” by Abner Chou

What is the Crown of Life?

The Crown of Life

The Crown of Life is NOT Eternal Life

The Crown of Life in James 1:12

The Crown of Life in Revelation 2:10

So What is the Crown of Life?

Vindicating the Vixens

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