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Bible Study Toolbox: Concordances
Bible Study Toolbox
Concordances
Concordances are wonderful tools! They list all the Bible verses in which a particular word is used. From a concordance I find that the word “love” is used 348 times in the Bible and I can read all 310 verses in which it’s used. Concordances in book form are huge and there are a lot of good options (like Strong’s or Zondervan’s). However, I recommend online concordances instead. It’s much faster to type a Bible word into a search bar and let the computer run the search for you. My favorite is www.blueletterbible.com, but www.biblestudytools.com and www.biblegateway.com work too. Here’s why concordances are great:
1) They allow the Bible to explain itself. It has been said “The Bible is its own best commentary.” How true! Concordances give us access to the Bible’s self-commentary! For instance, if I read Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God,” I may want to know more about faith. What is faith and what does it look like? I can’t tell that from Ephesians 2:8, but from a concordance I learn that the word “faith” is used 23 times in Hebrews 11! When I turn to Hebrews 11, I find the Holy Spirit’s definition of faith: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (11:1). What’s more, I find examples of Old Testament heroes of faith who put their trust in God so I can see what faith looks like in action. The Bible’s self-commentary on faith in Hebrews 11 enriches my understanding of Ephesians 2:8. The way I’m saved by grace is through my trust not only that God is, but that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). It’s the same kind of faith Noah, Abraham, and Moses had!
2) They deepen our understanding by showing how words are used in different contexts by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Thess. 4:13, why does Paul call Christians who have died “those who are asleep?” In a concordance, the word “asleep” is used when Jesus took a nap on the boat during a storm (Matt. 8:24), but Paul wasn’t talking about napping Christians. Well, a concordance also reveals that the word “asleep” is used to describe people who have died, but will shortly be resurrected (Matt. 9:24; John 11:11). Now 1 Thess. 4:13 makes more sense! Here’s another example: Romans 4:3 says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Many misuse this verse to teach that no works are necessary for salvation. However, James 2:23 uses the same phrase after Abraham sacrificed his son (performed a work). Likewise, Psalm 106:31 says when Phinehas killed the Israelite and Midianite woman (a work), it was “credited to him for righteousness.” Using a concordance, the Bible just explained that faith without works is dead!
