NIV Application Commentary Archives

Commentaries

An Emotional and Relational Appeal

What can we learn from Paul’s emotional and relational appeal to the churches in Galatia? Here’s how Scot McKnight poses the question in his commentary on Galatians in the NIV Application Commentary. “What can we learn about pastoring, or caring for the spiritual welfare of others, from Paul’s own example?”…

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Commentaries

What Should We Do While We Wait?

I was thinking recently while stuck in road construction how much time is spent simply waiting for something to happen. There’s not a day that goes by without us spending some time waiting for something. It seems as if God has weaved waiting into nearly every aspect of our lives.…

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New Testament

Jesus is the Key to Effective Ministry

In the Gospels, Jesus takes twelve men and puts them through a spiritual bootcamp, preparing them to continue his ministry in an effective and balanced way. With the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus invites his disciples to partake in the work of ministry. Sometimes in our efforts today, it…

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Old Testament

The Meaning of Instruments in Psalms

Psalm 150 talks about praising God with many different kinds of instruments that you may or may not find in your own church. The NIV Application Commentary offers fantastic background to the meaning of instruments in Psalms. Read the excerpt below to learn for yourself! 3 Praise him with the sounding…

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Old Testament

Deuteronomy: A Theological Manifesto

This content is adapted from the blog over at Zondervan Academic and is written by Jeremy Bouma (ThM). Maybe it’s because I’m a green preacher and haven’t taught on the Old Testament often, but applying Deuteronomy to 21st century living is a head scratcher. Yet Daniel Block’s commentary on Deuteronomy (NIVAC) manages…

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New Testament

The Structure of Thanksgiving

The NIV Application Commentary is a great tool for in-depth study of the Bible while ALSO helping you apply the Bible to your life. Below is an excerpt taken from the commentary on Colossians, by David E. Garland, on thanksgiving. THE IMPORTANCE OF PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS: THANKSGIVING Paul…

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Commentaries

Making the Most of NIVAC

No matter your level of expertise with the Bible, there are certain things we all do when we come to a time of studying God’s Word. After reading the text, there are two things we always hope to walk away with from the text: 1) what does this passage mean, and…

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Commentaries

A Commentary You Can Apply to Your Life

There’s a reason students call seminary, “cemetery.” When I think of my Bible college experience, I remember the thick, dry textbooks. The information usually felt distant: arguments about authorship, textual criticism, definitions of the Greek and Hebrew. Although I learned a lot about the Bible, I often finished my reading assignments…

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Bible Study Tips

Study the NIV Better in 3 Ways

You have the NIV, and you read it faithfully. But what’s the next step in your Bible study? Here are three ways you can study the NIV better. #1: NIV STUDY BIBLE NOTES A study Bible is an easy to use and very powerful tool in guiding you in your…

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