This year we are beginning a walk through the Gospel of Matthew as a church. We are really excited about what we believe God has in store for us as we dive in together. To that end we wanted to share a few resources we thought you might find helpful for your personal study at home. Whether you’ve read the Bible before or if this is your first time there is something here for you and we’d love to help.
Choosing Your Bible
YouVersion Bible App. If you’re new to the Bible start by downloading the Bible app on your phone or tablet. It’s free and a great way to check out different translations. Even those with printed bibles may find this app helpful as there are several translations that offer free audio versions.
Streetlights is an audio bible we just can’t recommend highly enough. Read and composed by a group of creatives out of Chicago, this is historical Word meets today’s sound. Just like YouVersion this is a free resource. Download the app and give it a go.
If you don’t have a printed Bible we’d highly recommend picking one up. In our digital world a print version can help us disconnect from the push and pull of our devices and create space to slow down, focus, and listen. For a more “word for word” translation we’d recommend the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). For a “thought for thought” translation in modern language check out The Message. If you prefer something in between those spectrums look at the New International Version (NIV) or Common English Bible (CEB). For more information on translations and their uniquenesses check out this short video from the Bible Project. If finances are a barrier we’d love to treat you to one on us. Click “contact” in the menu up top, fill out your information and put “Bible” in the subject line.
Online Resources
The Bible Project is a group of people who are able to take deep biblical insight and communicate it in a way that nearly anyone can understand. We really can’t recommend them enough. Head over to their website and do a search for “Matthew” for a curated list of what they have available specific to our study.
Blue Letter Bible can take some time to learn to navigate, but it’s a great resource to search for keywords, look at different translations, and even dive into some greek (the original language of the New Testament manuscripts). Just search for a passage and click the “tools” button to jump in.
Commentaries
Commentaries are books written by scholars that offer insight into things such as the author, historical background, audience, and more. They offer verse by verse insight from their unique perspective. They are best understood as tools that help with interpretation and should always be compared with other resources to get a healthy, broad perspective. Here are a few we think are particularly helpful and plan to reference as we walk through Matthew. Click on the image for a link to the listing along with a description on Amazon.
