Online resources help in understanding the Bible

I want to inform you of three online/internet groups that are producing quality, Biblical studies material. The beauty of these three programs is you can access them any time of the day so they are convenient for any schedule. I have personally used all three programs for the past year and found them to be insightful and helpful for understanding the Bible. There is a subscription fee for each program but the investment is worth the quality education you get.

The first program is from Faithlife (formerly Logos) based out of Bellingham. Faithlife has video recorded dozens of evangelical scholars from across the world and put them in one place. The scholars on Faithlife are top-tier and have taught years and/or written on their subject. While there are many areas of study on the Faithlife platform, my personal favorites are the M/Ed courses of which there are dozens. Instead of having to travel to a campus and pay large fees to take a class you can access Mobile Education classes right on your tablet or computer for minimal cost. Since most of the professors teaching in the Mobile Ed classes have authored books, you can also build a nice library along the way. The average class time is from 5-15 minutes so that one can easily watch several classes a day. Since the classes are recorded you can go back and re-watch a class if there was something you didn’t get the first time. Faithlife has classes on almost every book of the Bible, Biblical languages, archaeology and even intertestamental courses.

Aside from the Biblical material on the Faithlife site, you will find hundreds of other interesting classes and things to investigate. I have been using this resource for the past year and I hope that some of you will take advantage of this incredible opportunity to learn from the brightest minds in Biblical studies. Check this resource out at faithlifetv.com.

The second resource is the Israel Bible Center directed by Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg. This website features Jewish scholars focusing on the Hebraic roots of the New Testament. Many of the scholars on this site were trained in Israeli schools so they bring a fresh perspective to the Biblical text of both Hebrew Scripture and New Testament. The video classes on this site provide students with the opportunity to study with some of the brightest Jewish minds of our time. This site has dozens of classes already recorded and they are adding classes every month. The range of professors allows students to experience wide exposure to differing viewpoints.

The Israel Bible Center allows students to study with professors who have a background in Judaic studies and Biblical Hebrew language. The insights that come from reading the Bible through the lense of Jewish history, Jewish minds, and Hebrew language is a great experience. Once again this platform allows students to learn in the comfort of their own home and at their own pace. To access this resource, go to israelbiblecenter.com.

The final program I recommend is Aleph Beta under the direction of Rabbi David Fohrman. This website offers numerous animated classes on the Torah, taught by Rabbi Fohrman and his staff. One should not let the animation cloud out the fact that the teachings on the Hebrew Scripture are incredibly insightful. One of the things I love most about Aleph Beta is the comparison of one text in the Hebrew Bible with other texts. Rabbi Fohrman continually asks, “where have we heard this before” and then proceeds to compare texts showing how they interact with each other through shared language and themes. Rabbi Fohrman is an Orthodox Rabbi so he is not interacting with the New Testament but his insights into the Hebrew Scripture are a gold mine. Rabbi Fohrman has written several books and his latest on Exodus is amazing. Check out his book, “The Exodus You Almost Passed Over.”

Aleph Beta not only focuses on the Torah (First Five books of Hebrew Scripture) but offers numerous teachings on topics of Biblical interest. Like the other sites, Aleph Beta is adding new material every month so there is an ever expanding amount of good teachings to keep you moving in Biblical studies. I have been using this site for several years and the material is as fresh today as it was years ago. Just when I think a text has yielded all we can know from it, Rabbi Fohrman gives it another twist and out comes a diamond. To access this resource go to alephbeta.org.

The internet is a super highway of information but not all information is of the same quality. Today everyone who posts a youtube video or has a website is considered an authority. The three resources I have listed for you incorporate scholarly work by people with reputable educational backgrounds. These resources are well done, inexpensive, and allow for flexible scheduling. If you have a desire to continue learning the Bible these three resources are a deep well that continues to expand.

This story was originally published February 9, 2018 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Online resources help in understanding the Bible."