The Best Bible Commentary

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The Best Bible Commentary

• A Study of Bible Cross-References

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The Best Bible Commentary

• Commentaries written by men may, and often do,
  contain error.
• The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible
  itself. When possible, let the Bible comment on
  itself. We call this cross-referencing.
• The practice of printing cross-references in the
  margin of the Bible began as early as 1483.
• Cross-references can be effective in showing the
  internal, interrelationship of the Bible text.

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The Best Bible Commentary

• One of the fundamental principles of Protestant
  biblical interpretation is that Scripture is its
  own best interpreter. Luther expressed this
  principle with the words, Scriptura sui ipsius
  interpres (Scripture is its own expositor), and
  it was summed up by the authors of the
  Westminster Confession thus The infallible rule
  of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture
  itself and therefore, when there is a question
  about the true and full sense of any Scripture
  ... it must be searched and known by other places
  that speak more clearly www.bible-researcher.c
  om

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Categories of Cross-References

• Indirect the same word or phrase used in more
  than one verse (these cross-references may be
  misleading and unreliable because of the
  different contexts)
• Example Mt. 1928 today cross-references with
  Mt. 2531 the judgment day
• Direct a direct quotation, a fulfilled
  prophecy, types and antitypes, the same story or
  doctrine retold in more than one verse, etc.

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Where Can GoodCross-References Be Found?

• Bibles / Study Bibles
• Bible Software
• Reference Works
• Commentaries
• Online Sources

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Bibles

• Many Bibles contain center or side margin
  cross-references
• American Standard Teachers Ed. (Nelson/Star)
• New American Standard Reference Ed. (Lockman)
• English Standard Version (Crossway)
• Cambridge Interlinear Bible
• Greek New Testament (27th NA)

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Bibles

• Write in your own cross-references in the margin
  of your Bible, or underscore the ones that are
  already there and directly relate

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Study Bibles

• The Companion Bible (Bullinger)
• Dake Annotated Reference Bible
• Thompson Chain Reference Bible
• NLT Full-Verse Cross-Reference Bible (Tyndale)
• NRSV Harper Study Bible (Zondervan)

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Bible Software

• Many Bible software packages allow you to search
  by word or by phrase
• Parsons QuickVerse
• BibleSoft
• Esword (free, downloadable Bible software)
• Logos, Gramcord, BibleWorks, Accordance, and
  Pradis (these allow you to search in the original
  Hebrew and Greek language)

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Reference Works

• General Cross-References
• Bible Concordance (Young, Strong)
• The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (authors)
• Nelsons Cross-Reference Guide (J. Smith)
• Cross-Reference Digest of the Bible (Monser)
• Short Bible Reference System (Bratcher)
• Bible Index (Bratcher and Thompson)

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Reference Works

• General Cross-References
• Naves Topical Bible
• Torreys Topical Textbook
• Several Topical Bibles are in print

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Reference Works

• Cross-References from the Old Testament in the
  New
• Commentary on the NT Use of the OT (Beale and
  Carson)
• NT Fulfillment of OT Prophecies
• OT Quotations in the NT (Archer and Chirichigno,
  Bratcher)
• Indices in the back of the NA 27th and UBS 4th
  Greek text
• The Jefford Bible Handbook (C.N. Jefford)

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Reference Works

• Cross-References from Parallel Accounts
• Harmony of the Gospels (A.T. Robertson)
• Harmony of the Life of St. Paul (Goodwin)
• Harmony of Samuel, Kings, Chronicles and Psalms
  (Newsom, Crockett)

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Commentaries

• Cross-References from Commentaries
• Expositors Greek Testament (W.R. Nicoll)
• Select commentaries wherein the author uses
  numerous cross-references

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Online Sources

• Cross-References Online
• The Bible Cross-Reference section of
  TheGoodTeacher.com (under Study Resources)
• Cross Reference Bible http//members.aol.com/Sftra
  il/crossreferencebible/index.html

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Cross-Reference Caution

• Cross-references are provided by men, they are
  not inspired by God study them with caution
• Cross-references may reflect the beliefs and
  theology of the compiler
• Example 2 Thess. 23 cross-referenced with 1 Jn.
  218,22 and 2 Jn. 7
• Example Isa. 1412 cross-referenced with Lk.
  1018 and Rev. 127-9

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Rewards ofBible Cross-Referencing

• Bible students you will keep a passage in its
  context and you will not go astray by reading
  erroneous comments of men
• Bible teachers you will have more Bible-based
  material to supplement your lesson
• Preachers you will have direct references to
  sustain your point, rather than random, unrelated
  references found all over the Bible