Try this in your Bible reading

When you come across a verse that is hard to understand, don’t go straight to a commentary. I know, this may sound like a strange suggestion from someone who makes Bible Software, but just give this a try and see what happens. I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with reading commentaries — that’s not what this is about.

Try to make a habit of cross-referencing before you do anything else in SwordSearcher. Before you read your favorite commentators or start clicking on links in the Bible margin for topical references, check out some cross-references first. If you already do this regularly then you already know how satisfying this is during Bible study. If you never really did it this way before, give it a shot using the KJV-TSK in SwordSearcher [video tutorial]. It will help you with copious cross-references. Another helpful tool is the Find Related Verses function [video tutorial], which helps you do Bible searches based on the words in a verse you are studying.

-Brandon

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Using the Find Related Verses tool (video)

Cross-referencing is the most powerful and reliable method of understanding verses, because it allows the Bible to speak for itself.

SwordSearcher contains many tools to enable comparison of Scripture with Scripture.

One of these is the Find Related Verses tool. This video demonstrates how you can use this feature to develop your own cross-references on any passage.

Watch the video here.

Bible Cross-References

A few days ago I posted a tutorial on using the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Today I’d like to expand a bit on the topic of cross-referencing in Bible study.

It’s easy to lean on commentaries when studying a passage of Scripture. But this has a big, obvious pitfall: when you’re reading a commentary, you’re reading what another man has to say about God’s word. There is nothing inherently wrong with reading commentaries. In a way it is not a lot different from listening to preaching in church, and we should always be open and teachable, willing to learn when God might want to teach us through someone else.

However, a personal relationship with God has only one mediator (1Ti 2:5), so we must always be on guard and ensure that we are not setting up someone between us and God as we study the Bible.

Continue reading “Bible Cross-References”

How to use the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK) is a time-tested Bible help that avoids exposition and interpretation in favor of straightforward comparison of Scripture with Scripture. The TSK can be thought of as the most exhaustive collection of margin cross-references available, but it goes well beyond merely listing additional verses to read: it helps you define words and phrases from within a Bible verse using the Bible itself. In my opinion, if one were required to choose only a single written work in addition to the Bible for studying, the TSK would be the best option.

At first glance, the TSK can appear cryptic. However, once you understand the basic structure, it is quite easy to use, and with a little bit of time will help you define a coherent theology on just about any Bible subject.

Continue reading “How to use the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge”