TRUTH – One and Only One Source
Contrary to the mindset of the vast majority of the 8 billion plus individual human beings residing on planet earth (Genesis 1:27,28; Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:26) no human being or human institution, be it secular or religious, is the source of truth.
No denomination is the source of truth.
No humanly conceived religious system is the source of truth.
No academic institution, be it secular or religious, is the source of truth.
No individual human being is the source of truth.
There is only one source of TRUTH, the Person of God Himself, the Sovereign, uncreated, always existent (Psalm 139:16; Titus 1:1-3; Ephesians 1:3-6), sinlessly pure (Psalm 50:21; Isaiah 55:8; 44:6b; 43:11,13; 42:8), radiantly beautiful (Isaiah 6:1-6; Revelation 4:8), majestically Holy Trinitarian God of love (I John 4:7-8), Truth (Psalm 19:7-11; John 17:17; Isaiah 40:7-8), and all of creation (Genesis 1-2; Job 37-41; John 1:1-3; Romans 11:33-36).
There is only one body of TRUTH, God’s inspired word, the Holy Bible (Psalm 19:7-11; 119(all); Isaiah 55:8,9-11; Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:14-15,16- 17; II Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19).
There are only two institutions established by God, designated by Him to be the disseminators of His TRUTH. The first is MARRIAGE and the family (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:20-25; Ephesians 6: 4). The second is the CHURCH (Acts 2:1-4,36-47; 16:5).
Consider first, the revelation of Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:20-25:
Genesis 1:26-28: 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 2:20-25: 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Clearly marriage, as created by God, was sinless, pure and undefiled in every aspect of its created order. Having created man (Adam) from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7) in His glorious image, God, in His Omniscient creative mind, on the sixth and final day of His Creation work, conceived and created woman (Eve) in His glorious image, from Adam’s rib, describing her in Genesis 2:18 as “a helper suitable for him”. As revealed in Genesis 2:24 God’s created design of marriage would, from that point in the full compliment of the days of human history (Genesis 1:7; Revelation 20:15), be established by a man leaving “his father and mother” to “be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”.
It is worthy of note to point out that human marriage is the only human relationship that God directly created. In that context there are three principles that comprise the centrality of the marriage relationship in God’s Sovereign redemptive plan for securing His holy bride for Christ (Titus 1:1-2):
- Marriage is the only permanent, life-long human relationship and is defined by and based in the New Covenant pattern as revealed by Paul in Ephesians 5:25 as a faithful, rational commitment of each spouse to the other to be, day by day, cultivating of the unselfish love of Christ for His bride, the church. This covenant love is, as is the covenant love of Christ, an unselfish, sacrificial, serving love that has nothing to do with feelings or emotions.
- Marriage, as designed and created by God, is the indestructible, undefiled (Hebrews 13:4) foundational relationship of all of human society for all of human history, Genesis to Revelation.
- Marriage is the most sacred, undefiled, mysteriously, wonderfully intimate relationship, the intimacy of which God Omnisciently created as sinless and perfect to be the vehicle by which He would populate His world (Psalm 139:16; Acts 17:26) and therein give life to each and every one of His elect children chosen by Him before the foundation of the world, before time began (Ephesians 1:3-6).
The second and only remaining institution God created to disseminate His TRUTH was and is the church, the establishment and government thereof being revealed in Acts 2:1-4,36-47; I Timothy 3:1-7.
Acts 2:1-4,36-47: 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance…….36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself. 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Notice the elective redeeming gracious work of the Holy Spirit in verse 37 – “they were pierced to the heart”.
I Timothy 3:1-7: 1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
The easy believeism of the modern evangelical church is quite often devoid of such piercing of the heart (personal conviction of ones hostility toward God – Romans 8:7). Additionally, what is also, more often than not, missing in modern testimonies of “salvation” or “being born again” is the Biblical mandate to repent (Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38). It is this Holy Spirit enabled obedient act that gives birth to saving faith wherein God, having given the individual a new heart (Ezkl 36:26; 11:19; Romans 9:22-24; Colossians 2:9-10; 1:22-23) then declares him “not guilty”, imputing the sinlessness of Christ to His new creation (II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 4; 8:1,31, 32-39) and from that moment on for all eternity receives His new child as holy, blameless, and above reproach (I Peter 1:3,4-5,6a; Colossians 1:22-23). Having made His new creation complete the Holy Spirit then grants the new believer the gift of life long supernatural, indestructible, sanctifying faith thereby enabling the new believer to live a life of daily obedient, maturing, faithful stewardship as Christ taught in the parable of the talents and in John 14 – Matthew 25:14(14-30); John 14:15,21,23.
TRUTH is first ABSOLUTE (Isaiah 42:8) and as such, inherently OBJECTIVE (Isaiah 40:24(21-26),7-8; 43: 13(10-13); 55:8,9-11). To say that God’s Holy inspired word is ABSOLUTE and OBJECTIVE is to acknowledge that it is pure, sinless, transcendent, uncreated, always existent, immutable, indestructible, and irrevocable (Psalm 19:7-11; Isaiah 55:8; John 17:17; II Timothy 3: 16-17; II Peter 1:19-21).
ABSOLUTE: Existing independent of any other cause, as God is absolute; free from imperfection, PERFECT
OBJECTIVE: True in itself; transcendently existent outside time and space.
Human knowledge is always SUBJECTIVE, mere opinion. It is never absolute, is in constant flux, always relative and as such is devoid of TRUTH – Psalm 14:1; 53:1; Jeremiah 10:8-9;
I Corinthians 2:14; Colossians 2:18-23; II Timothy 3:6-7,13. It bears noting at this point that every false religion in the world possesses a god who is a god of anger, hate, malice, and vengeance – Why is this so? This is true because every false god manifests the heart of his or her creator, namely, a depraved, sinful, God hating, to quote Scripture, “foolish, stupid man” – Jeremiah 10:8-9; Romans 8:7-8.
SUBJECTIVE: Relating to or being experience or knowledge as conditioned by personal mental characteristics or states; personal; arising out of or identified by means of one’s perception of one’s own state and process; based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions; lacking in reality or substance.
Jeremiah 10:8-9: 8 But they are altogether stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood! 9 Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; violet and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skilled men.
Romans 8:7-8: 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Thoughtfully consider the following Biblical declarations of the authority, veracity, and perspicuity of God’s Holy word – TRUTH. Although lengthy, I would challenge you to discipline yourself to read and contemplate the truth contained in each passage, asking yourself as you read, “Do I believe this to be the true and authoritative word of God, and if so, as a professing believer, am I obediently living it out in my life day by day?
Psalm 19:7-11: 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Notice God’s priorities related to the purpose and focus of His word and its effect on the life of the one who loves it, knows it, and obeys it – v7, “soul”(spiritual, #1priority); v7, “wise”(mind/thinking, #2 priority); v8, “rejoicing”(emotions/feelings, #3 priority); v8, “enlightening the eyes”(equipping the individual to know truth and error as/in preparation for righteous living, #4 priority)
Psalm 119:97-104,105(all of 119): 97 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. 101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. 102 I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Isaiah 1:10,20: 10 Hear the Word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah.……..20 “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 44:6: 6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.
Isaiah 40:7-8,12-14,21-26: 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever…….12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales? 13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counselor has informed Him? 14 With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding?…….21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. 24 Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble. 25 “To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.
Isaiah 42:5–9: 5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it, 6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, 7 to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. 8 “I am the Lord, that it is my name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. 9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
Isaiah 43:10-13: 10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. 11 “I, even I, am the LORD and there is no savior besides Me. 12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; so you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, and I am God. 13 “Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”
Isaiah 45:5-7: 5 “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.
Isaiah 48:9-11: 9 “For the sake of My name I delay My wrath, And for My praise I restrain it for you, In order not to cut you off. 10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.
Isaiah 51:6: 6 “Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; for the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not wane.
Isaiah 55:8 (Psalm 51:20): 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 59:13,18: 13 Transgressing and denying the LORD, and turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words……. 18 According to their deeds, so He will repay, wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the coastlands He will make recompense.
Isaiah 65:17: 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
Isaiah 46:8-10: 8 “Remember this, and be assured; recall it to mind, you transgressors.
9 “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
Proverbs 30:5-6: 5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.
John 17:17: 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth
II Timothy 3:16-17: 16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
II Peter 1:19-21: 19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Revelation 22:18-19: 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
TRUTH manifests three Sovereign indisputable uncreated, always existent attributes:
- Veracity: truthful, accurate, exact, trustworthy, righteous
- Perspicuity: transparency, clarity, precision, understandable
- Absolute authority: “absolute” – existing independent of any other cause, as God is absolute; free from imperfection. “authority” – Sovereignty; a right to command and act; spiritual/life jurisdiction
To know God, because of His elective grace imparted to you in Christ, is to intrinsically hunger and thirst for and study His word that you might, out of your love for Him, know Him. His Holy word reveals His Holy Triune eternal Being and His Holy plan of saving, sanctifying, glorifying grace and love – Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:8-10.
Ephesians 1:3-6: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Ephesians 2:8-10: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
It is eternally significant to know, understand, and practice the accurate study of God’s word. To this point, there is one and only one correct way to study God’s word and that way is comprised of four essential elements. To be accurately known, understood, interpreted, and applied God’s word must be studied historically, grammatically, contextually, and literally. God, by Holy Spirit inspiration said exactly what He meant and meant exactly what He said – Isaiah 44: 6; 40:5-8; 42:5-9; 55:8; Proverbs 30:5-6; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19.
Historically: To study within the historical setting it was written in.
Grammatically: To study based on the meaning, usage, and structure of and within the original language, Hebrew or Greek as the testimental case would be.
Contextually: To study being careful to faithfully teach the whole counsel of God based on the full and complete context of a given passage.
Literally: To study holding to the exact, primary and natural meaning of a word; not figuratively; imperative to a precise, accurate and truthful conveying of meaning; verbatim, meaning word for word, line by line, letter for letter, to the letter.
These passages give light to God’s view of doing otherwise: Ezekiel 22:23-28; II Timothy 4:3-5. Acts 17:11 reveals to way to identify those who would carelessly handle God’s Holy word.
Ezekiel 22:23-28: 23 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 24 “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ 25 “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her. 26 “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 “Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. 28 “Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken.
II Timothy 4:3-5: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Acts 17:11: 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
To cultivate this proper study of God’s word requires a basic library of study helps (see Appendix I) and a personal ongoing disciplined study that understandingly requires time. No superficial, devotional mentality and approach to God’s word will ever produce the spiritual growth and maturing that God desires for and commands of His children – Psalm 119:97-105; II Timothy 3:16-17; 2:15.
Psalm 119:97-105: 97 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. 101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. 102 I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
II Timothy 3:16-17; 2:15: 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work…….2:15: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
I conclude this study with the truth we began with, namely:
There is only one source of TRUTH, the Person of God Himself, the Sovereign, uncreated, always existent (Psalm 139:16; Titus 1:1-3; Ephesians 1:3-6), sinlessly pure (Psalm 50:21; Isaiah 55:8; 44:6b; 43:11,13; 42:8), radiantly beautiful (Isaiah 6:1-6; Revelation 4:8), majestically Holy Trinitarian God of love (I John 4:7-8), Truth (Psalm 19:7-11; John 17:17; Isaiah 40:7-8), and all of creation (Genesis 1-2; Job 37-41; John 1:1-3; Romans 11:33-36).
If you would know the joy of life in Christ and victorious daily living then be diligent dear reader to daily pursue it – John 3:3-8; Matthew 5:6:
John 3:3-8: 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Matthew 5:6: 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Appendix I:
How to Study the Bible — Study Helps
Word Studies:
Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
Zondervan’s NASB Exhaustive Concordance
The Complete Word Study New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates
The Complete Word Study Old Testament, Spiros Zodhiates
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr., Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers, 1985
General Reference:
Zondervan’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary, JD Douglas, Merrill C. Tenney
Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology, Millard J. Erickson, Baker Book House Company, 1986
The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Jerome H. Smith, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4 volumes, James Orr, Hendrickson Publishers, 1994
Commentaries:
For recommendations on commentaries for specific Bible books, go to gbibooks.com and browse the books in their library section.
The MacArthur Study Bible
The Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonnald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995