Some of the best advice I was ever given about studying the Bible was to examine the Scriptures by themselves, without consulting secondary sources, until I came to my own conclusions about the meaning of the text. This method gives us the opportunity to learn for ourselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit, before reading what other theologians think about the meanings and different interpretations. The works of theologians are incredibly valuable, but if we only rely on their thoughts, we will never learn to do the work of good exegesis ourselves. It is better to use these secondary sources to check our own analysis, determine if we missed any angles or perspectives, and see what additional historical or cultural contexts have been discovered.
There are many different secondary sources we can reference. Commentaries are books that contain a series of notes written by theologians to explain the meaning of biblical passages. They typically cover an entire book of the Bible and walk the reader through that book verse by verse. Naturally, each commentary is written from the particular theological position of the author. As a result, commentaries are written from many different theological perspectives making it important for the student to pick the right commentary for their studies. This is not to suggest limiting your reading to a single position, but rather, to make you aware that different research goals may require additional resources. A single commentary is rarely enough for serious study, many perspectives from different theologians can help to give greater depth to a topic. Some of these sources, the really good ones at least, are also great treasure troves of historical information we can use to dig even deeper. Personally, I enjoy when theologians include historical references for their conclusions as it gives me an earlier source to read. You will also often find some analysis of ancient languages within the pages of a commentary and can take that even deeper with a good Bible dictionary.
Bible Dictionaries are similar to the dictionaries full of words on your bookshelf. They provide meaning for the ancient words your Bible was translated from and, the more in-depth ones also provide encyclopedic information about how the word was used in other cultural settings. This secondary piece is important because it puts the word into the context of what it would have meant to those who would have read the text close to the time of its original writing. For example, the Greek word for thrown (βλήθητι) used in Mark 11:23 is also used in Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews to convey throwing, and, to convey pouring in one of Epictetus’ discourses. Knowing how the word was used in that era helps us understand what authors may have been trying to convey in the Scriptures. The more in-depth dictionaries are usually called lexicons. Lexicons are a type of dictionary that focuses on a particular subject, in the case of biblical studies the focus would be Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek as used in the Bible and in the writings of others around the same time. We usually end up in a dictionary after encountering a word that interests us, especially when we discover it was translated in different ways within a concordance.
A concordance contains an alphabetized listing of the words in the Bible (some concordances include more words than others) along with references to verses where those words are used. This study tool is great for locating every instance of a word in the Bible, locating verses you only partially remember, and learning how certain words are translated differently in different verses. One thing to keep in mind is that concordances are developed to match up with specific Bible translations. Make sure you use one that matches the translation you are using.
We can also read the writings of the early church fathers to see what they thought about particular subjects. These are not authoritative documents, but they provide us with some insight into the common thinking of church leaders in the first few centuries of the church. And, we can read the writings of historians to learn about what was happening outside of the church in the different cities and regions we see mentioned throughout the Bible. Both of these source categories can provide a fuller meaning to the context that involves cultural or historical elements. Some biblical passages are quite difficult to interpret without knowing more about the history and culture of ancient times.
Use these secondary sources and study tools as a way to take your Bible study time deeper. It is important to be intentional about studying the Bible, not just reading it. The more we study, the more we learn about him and how to become more like him. Also, do not shy away from reading commentaries you disagree with. Reading books that challenge your theological position can help you solidify what you believe and, in some cases, may convince you your position is wrong. Of Course, do not just take one book’s word at it and change everything you believe. Dig deep. Read the thoughts of many theologians and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. He is an expert at truth.