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Free Resource: Textbookplus+ and the importance of utilizing available Bible helps

Did you know that Zondervan has an online offering known as Textbookplus+? It's pretty neat. I realized this when I was looking at the back of my copy of Grasping God's Word. So, I went to the site (https://zondervanacademic.com/textbookplus), created my free account, and found that the resources are actually pretty useful. For Grasping God's Word, they offer study guides, flashcards, quizzes, and a guide to plus a sample of an exegetical paper. Even if you don't have this particular book, the materials offered for free here could be useful to you, particularly if you are new to theological vocabulary. Just in the Chapter 1 flashcards you will get introduced to some basic vocabulary that is pretty specific to theological studies or other specific academic areas, such as: autograph, formal translation, and textual criticism. Also identified are major translations of the Bible, such as the Vulgate, the Authorized Version of 1611, and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.

If you think you don't need to know some of these things because you are just a layperson and have no interest in becoming a theologian, you may want to reconsider. We shouldn't take for granted the fact that we have access to such a wealth of information and we have the blessing and freedom to read God's Word for ourselves. There was a time when this wasn't the case, and while I believe God will bless you for spending time in His Word and His Word alone, it is amazing to look into the history of how the translation you are reading today came to be, to utilize commentaries, and read about archaeological discoveries. None of these things can ever trump God's inspired and infallible Word, but they can be a blessing to you and can assist in apologetics.

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