Nigel Beynon & Andrew Sach
Published by Inter-Varsity Press UK 2005
It is so important that Christians regularly be studying the bible for themselves. Unfortunately many passages are not clear and take some effort to work out the meaning of. Knowing how to go about studying the bible for themselves is difficult for many people which causes too many people to give up on reading the bible beyond a few isolated bits and pieces. Not being able to study the bible well also puts people at risk of coming up with wrong ideas about Christianity or falling for other peoples iffy doctrine.Dig deeper is an excellent attempt at remedying that problem. It explains different interpretive skills or "tools" that will help the reader work out the correct meaning and application of the text they are reading. A fully worked example and questions to try it out yourself with are provided for each tool. While the book teaches study skills, it does not read at all like an academic text as the authors write in an engaging & sometimes humorous style and because since the chapters are short it maintains your attention. Because it is so easily accessible you should benefit from it whether you are new Christian or have been reading the bible for a long time.
This book would be ideal for use in a bible study group. I first encountered this material when it was used in a study group i participated in and i found it greatly beneficial. One of the advantages of covering this material in a group setting is that participants can discuss what they have worked out about the text and learn from each other. It also teaches group members skills that will be very valuable in future bible study series.
I highly recommend this book to all Christians.
