Can anyone suggest the best types of dictionaries, topical studies etc available.
All I have at the moment is strongs concordance but i'm looking for more reference material to aid study.

Thanks Guys.

David

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David
Stornoway Free Church (Continuing)
Isle of Lewis, Scotland

I have always found this handy:

Walter A. Elwell Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

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Lance G. Marshall
Pastor
Georgetown, Indiana

Get a hold of the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, in the second edition. You will find loads of help there on almost every Bible topic. It gives more info than a standard one-volume dictionary, which you would rather quickly outgrow. If you want even more information than that, I would go with the new IVP reference dictionary set, which has one volume on every major section of the Bible. The one on the OT prophets is still in preparation. It's more expensive, but also worth it. Beyond that, I would actually recommend commentaries. I have a commentary suggestion post on my blog for less technical but still helpful commentaries here.

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Rev. Lane Keister
Teaching Elder, PCA, North Dakota (working out of bounds in a CRC and an RCA church)
http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com
http://brahmsgreenglove.blogspot.com
http://accenttranslation.blogspot.com
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You can try the free program E-Sword. You can 'try out' various resources that are available free (mostly older material without any copyright, but some is new). There are dictionaries, encyclopedias, commentaries, etc. Then, if you want to purchase a high quality hardcover book, you can do so with confidence that you will put it to good use.

Edit: As of May 6, 2008 - the new version of E-Sword has generated such downloading traffic that the download is not currently available due to server difficulties. If you are interested, wait a few days and check the website again.

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Tim Lindsay
member, Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, Halifax, NS, Canada
Living in Cape Town, South Africa
"under the Southern Cross, at the foot of Table Mountain, not far from the Cape of Good Hope"

Mcclintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia is excellent if a bit dated.

I wish it were possible to find Fairbairn's Imperial Bible Dictionary around here: you might have greater success with that in your part of the world.

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Ruben
Moderator
F.P.C.I.
Indiana

Vanities and disguises have covered us, and thereby we are naked; licenciousness hath inflam'd us, and thereby we are frozen; voluptuousness hath fed us, and thereby we are sterved, the fancies and traditions of men have taught and instructed us, and thereby we are ignorant.
John Donne

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Calvinistas Conversando
Teología en Mexico
The Howling Wilderness

Not Bible, but an essential for historical study is Dictionary of Scottish Church History & Theology, ed. Nigel M. de S. Cameron, David F. Wright, David C. Lachman, and Donald E. Meek. OOP but it needs to be reprinted.

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Chris Coldwell, Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Dallas, Texas.
• Naphtali Press: Presbyterian & Reformed Books
• Westminster Letter Press
• The Confessional Presbyterian Journal
• The Blue Banner Archive

The Regulative Principle: The Scriptures are the “only infallible rule of faith and practice, no rite or ceremony ought to have a place in the public worship of God, which is not warranted in Scripture, either by direct precept or example, or by good and sufficient inference” (Samuel Miller).

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I second E-Sword.

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Conscience may lash us, but it cannot replenish a languishing life. Conscience may be God's word and minister to you, telling you of your faults and your follies and your destitution. It may point out, but it will never supply you. Christ must give you new life. Hart has well expressed it: "He to the feeble and the faint, His mighty aid makes known; and when their languid life is spent, supplies it with His own." - J. K. Popham

I agree with e-Sword as one of the two best PC based FREE Bible software programs. If you wait until Monday, a wonderful site will be up again with LOTS of add-ons for free (in the ver. 9 format). http://e-sword-users.org/users/index.php

My other suggestion would be Wordsearch with all of their free materials as downloads.

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

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I like Zondervan's Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible over ISBE. My favorite Bible Dictionary is Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vol.). It was one of the first one's that I purchased. It is old but very good. I have had others, some mentioned above, that are great, like Strong's Cyclopedia and ISBE. As far as topical studies go, I don't think you can get any better than the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible.

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Rev. Andy Eppard
Associate Minister
First Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Springfield, MO

Does anyone know if the new v9 of eSword is going to require a completely new installation? Are the old v8 add-ons compatible or are they, too, being revised? Thanks.

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Norm
IA PCA

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. Ephesians 1:4-5