Olive Tree Staff, Author at Olive Tree Blog

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Spurgeon Study Bible

“Spurgeon had a phenomenal grasp of theology, and his reading had afforded him a breadth of insight matched by few, but when it came to opening up the Scriptures, he was a master of clarity and simplicity. He warned his students about going down among miners with technical theological terms…

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ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible

Have you heard about the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible? Its print version was so popular that it ran out of print when it was first published! If we could, we would have the same problem. Thankfully, that’s not possible! Some very well-seasoned and well-respected, theologians put together this study Bible:…

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Historical

How the Protestant Reformation Began

October 31st is the 501-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Many Protestants are celebrating this day, all around the world! Although Olive Tree provides resources to a wide-variety of denominations, we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk a bit about how the Protestant Reformation began. Throughout the…

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Commentaries

A Christ-Centered, Reformed Commentary

We’ve been looking for a helpful resource to write about for our Reformed friends. After some research, we found one that we think you all will enjoy greatly. The Reformed Expository Commentary Series is edited by Richard Phillips and Phillip Ryken: two Reformed pastors dedicated to Christ-centered preaching paired with…

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Bible Study Tips

What’s a Topical Bible?

When you don’t know a word, your first inclination might be to look up a dictionary definition. While it may certainly be helpful, the better way to understand a concept is to see it in action. When you experience the word being used, you learn how to use it for…

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Historical

The Message of the Reformers

Did you know that John Calvin made a point to write very little about himself—which is one reason why we don’t know much about his personal life? He isn’t the only one. The reformers didn’t write too many captivating memoirs, despite their brave and dangerous lives. Why didn’t the reformers…

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Topical

Singing from God’s Songbook

The book of Psalms has a special place in the hearts of many of God’s people—not as though it were more holy or more inspired than other books; it’s not. But for many believers, the Psalms express their emotions to God in a profound, God-honoring way. That’s why we’ve decided to…

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Bible Study Tips

10 Literary Features of the Bible

The Bible is not a totally unique book. In general, its literary forms function in the same way they do beyond the Bible. A story is a story, whether in the Bible or beyond it. A metaphor is a metaphor. In fact, other non-biblical sources aid our understanding of the…

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Bible Study Tips

Learn to Read Books of the Bible as Books

APPROACHING THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE There’s no doubt you’ve realized that the Bible is a book, but have you ever thought about it as literature? If you took a literature class is high school or college, you may remember that there’s a lot more to studying books than simply reading…

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Bible Study Tips

Learn to Preach Christ Centered Sermons

There are SO many Biblical resources out there—but how do you know which ones will be helpful to you? Especially if you’re a pastor, you don’t have a lot of time or money to waste! The Christ-Centered Exposition Series makes its purpose clear just from the title. This commentary series…

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