The majority of the New Testament is made up of letters to infant churches, called epistles. But just how common were letters at this time? Could everyone read? Could everyone write? Did Paul and the other authors dictate to someone else or write them themselves? There are so many interesting…

top bible dictionaries

A Bible dictionary is a helpful tool that illuminates your study by defining words and cultural ideas. Because the Bible you read is a translation, there are words, phrases, and concepts that need more context and definition. If you want to improve your understanding of the Bible, a dictionary is…

Easy interlinear

If you’re like me, you might be hesitant any time you’re offered a new way of studying the Bible. After all, you have your go-to study tools and resources. Why add another thing to your list? Here’s why – the Olive Tree Bible App includes functionality and ease-of-access that enhances…

The church in Thessalonica faced a crisis of faith, which has generally been reconstructed as being precipitated by the interaction between their existing teaching on death and the reality of losing beloved church members. Therefore, Paul saw fit to provide encouragement through proper teaching to the church. Interestingly, Paul uses…

st Andrews expository commentary

Why would a loving God allow evil in the world? This is a common (and necessary) question often asked of Christians, often called the “problem of evil”. R.C. Sproul briefly explores this topic in his expositional commentary of Romans 8:18-27. The following is an abridged excerpt from Sproul’s Expositional Commentary…

Have you ever started reading something, only to find yourself scanning the same paragraph over and over again? Does the Bible’s length or complexity intimidate you? Do you want to dive deeper into the Word of God? If so, you’re not alone. Keep reading to find out how you can…

Wesley hymns

The modern church has a complex relationship with hymns. Some branches sing them exclusively. Others have entirely given them up in favor of contemporary worship. Maybe you only sing hymns for Easter, Good Friday, Lent, Pentecost, or special occasions like weddings and funerals. Beyond your own tradition, it’s important to…

IVP Bible Background Commentary

Have you ever read the Old Testament and wondered what the references to “Asherah poles” meant? Why were they so popular? To answer these questions, we have the IVP Bible Background Commentary. Let’s see what it has to say about Asherah and her poles. The Short Answer Asherah poles were…