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Study Resources for the Christian Faith


One of the great benefits that the Internet offers to Christians is the opportunity to access a large number of English translations of the Bible online. Your computer can be used to display or print out a particular chapter or group of verses in the translation of your choice. These sites also serve as a concordance by allowing you to locate all the verses in the Bible which include particular words or phrases that you wish to study. There are a number of sites on the Internet that offer such resources. The one featured here includes both the New Revised Standard Version (which we use in worship in Alberton Church) and also the popular New International Version. This site also includes an extensive collection of other study guides and materials that will be of interest to anyone wishing to study the Bible. This basic resource can be found at biblestudytools.com/

The Web Bible Encyclopedia is a great resource. It is a collection of over 4,000 articles relating to the people, places and customs of the Bible. You will find it at Web Bible Encyclopedia

It is helpful to have a few good maps available for Bible Study. For the New Testament you need a basic map of Israel and we suggest Israel in New Testament Times. The nice feature of this map is that you simply click on the place names for additional notes. You may also need some maps that illustrate the life and Missionary Travels of the Apostle Paul and we suggest The Four Journeys of Paul.

When reading the New Testament it is good to have access to something that provides you with notes on each of the individual books. One such resource available on the Internet is a book by Louis Berkhof entitled Introduction to the New Testament

Another useful resource is The Geneva Study Bible which offers study notes on the whole of the Bible.

The Burning Bush window inset in the entrance to Alberton Church The Christian religion professes that God is the Creator. The Apostles' Creed confesses this truth in the declaration, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth." Our Presbyterian Church's document Living Faith also opens with the declaration, "There is one true God, whom to know is life eternal, whom to serve is joy and peace. God has created all that is. The whole universe testifies to the majesty and power of its Maker." It is therefore important for Christians to explore the implications of these fundamental declarations and also to engage in gentle and respectful conversations with those who may think differently. This is a challenging area in which we may not always fully agree with one another - even within the Christian community. However, we need to encourage and to challenge one another to understand and express these things more clearly. One site that is engaged in these discussions is windmillministries.org

There are a variety of popular books these days which promote the idea that Jesus was really very different from the way in which he is represented in the Gospels. The authors may even suggest that the church has actively suppressed this new perspective that they are presenting. Before allowing this material to undermine your faith it is important to listen to some of the competent and responsible scholars and bible teachers who represent the faith that is reflected in the historic creeds of the Christian Church. For example, LeeStrobel.com is the website of Lee Strobel, a former journalist (and former agnostic), who has come to trust the testimony of the New Testament. Another website which addresses some of these issues in a popular and non-technical manner is Josh.org a website maintained by Josh McDowell. Some of the issues addressed on these sites are very complex and there is the prospect of some legitimate differences of opinion amongst students of the bible. However, the impulse on the part of some in our generation to simply jettison cardinal teachings of the Christian faith deserves to be reexamined.