About This Site and Its Author

 

“This page was last edited on January 10, 2010 at 5:54 pm.” That must mean that is when this site began!

This site, Real Bible Study dot Com, has been written by me, Jerome Smith, to help everyone learn how to get the most out of reading the Bible.

This site is meant to be read, even studied. You won’t benefit much if you only stop by and read for two or three minutes. Do stop by often, and read as much as you can. I read it myself, and I spend half an hour or more to carefully read what I wrote!

There is much to learn posted here. You can get a quite complete education in how to study the Bible, apologetics, theology, Bible doctrine, Bible prophecy, and hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible and know for sure you have the correct interpretation), by reading both the articles I have posted, and my answers to questions and comments submitted by others. Check out the Categories listed on the right-hand side of this page and explore the topics that interest you most.

To get the very most possible benefit from this site, I suggest that you read the oldest material first, and progress in order to the current postings. You can easily do this by going to the Archives listed at the right hand side of any page, and start with January 2010 and read those articles first.

Do you have a question or comment of your own? Feel free to post it. So long as you have written what you post in your own words, and it pertains to the Bible or anything on this site, your comment will be accepted. If you have a question, I will be eager to provide you an answer. If you disagree with me, that is good. It shows you are thinking. I might offer an answer to your position. Or, if you turn out to be correct, I might even change my mind and agree with you!

Though I am simply a retired English teacher from Detroit, where I taught from 1962 until I retired in 2001, I have spent much time in studying the Bible.

One could almost say I have not only read the Bible through, I have done the equivalent of typing it through. I typed the text of my Bible study tool, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, using an Apple 2+ computer equipped with CP/M WordStar, using hundreds of 5 1/4″ floppy disks to store the results. It took me five full years to type it up, working full time, seven days a week, after twenty-six years of research. I am thankful to George Mott (the founder of Mott Media, where I served for a short time as editor, following Leonard Goss) and his family for giving me my first computer, the Apple Computer, back about 1983. Mr. Mott went home to be with the Lord about the time I finished typing my manuscript. I am thankful to Mr. Phil Stoner who brought my project to Thomas Nelson Publishers, where my work was published in 1992 as The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is no longer available in printed book form, but it is available from Nelson or from Logos in software form.

[The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is now (as of February, 2023) permanently back in print. Many thanks to the new people now in charge at Nelson who recognized the enduring value and usefulness of this Bible study tool and were shocked that the Publisher under its previous administration had allowed it to go out of print. I spent several months helping in the preparation of this new edition. I entered hundreds of corrections in the references for typos and other errors I found since 1992 and vastly improved the Figure of Speech Index to make it more complete. This resource is available on Amazon, CBD (Christian Book Distributors) and from many other sources, including your local Christian or secular bookstore.]

I went through the whole Bible again in 2006 and 2007 to prepare my second Bible study resource, Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible. The Cross Reference Guide actually has more cross references than the New Treasury does. It has all the cross references that the New Treasury has, but in consolidated form. I eliminated the duplication of references at verses on the same subject by keying them all to one main reference point or verse for that subject or theme. I did that for nearly 2000 different subjects and themes. That means the main reference point where all the references found elsewhere are collected now has more references than it originally did. That made the book shorter, which is what the publisher had requested, without sacrificing any of the cross reference links. Just follow the + sign to find the main reference points. The + symbol means “find more here.” To make the book shorter, I also eliminated almost all the notes and all the chapter headings. This resource is no longer in print.

I am now on my third time through the Bible, adding even more cross references than ever before. I am also adding back the chapter headings and all the notes present in the New Treasury.

I am also adding all the notes from the Comprehensive Bible, the source of both the notes and references found in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Many of the notes in the Comprehensive Bible were left out of the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, probably because there was not enough space to keep them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is matched, page for page, with Bagster’s Polyglot Bible in English. When there were many more cross references furnished for a chapter, to keep the pages matched, the typesetters used smaller type, as in the Psalms, where many references are cramped into three columns per page of very tiny print in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

My current project is a much longer work than The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, and may prove to be too long for a single volume book. But length is no problem in Bible software, so I expect my project will appear in software format. It is already a delight for me to consult these new, more complete references. Perhaps in a year or two (I’m writing this on Sunday, December 4, 2011) my material will be ready for everyone to use in their study of God’s inspired Word, the Bible.

[Well, here it is August 10, 2016, and I received just yesterday a notice that my new work of Bible cross references is now available.  It is “Exclusive & New for e-Sword.”  My new Bible study tool will not work with previous versions of the e-Sword Bible study software;  it requires the new Version 11 or later to work.  To get my new Bible study resource, you must download the free e-Sword Bible software from http://www.e-Sword.net  and then click on the “downloads” button at the top of the program. You will see a listing of available modules for e-Sword.  Scroll down to the “Premium Modules,” and in that list in its alphabetical position you will see my work, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, listed.  Clicking on that title will take you to where this Bible software module can be purchased.  I did this myself just today (August 10, 2016), and the whole process worked beautifully, and now I have my own book in its new, professional software format for my use in Bible study. I’m looking forward to using it myself, and I know that some of you who read here will be eager to get this resource I’ve worked so long to create.]

Thank you for visiting my site. Please “Follow” this Real Bible Study site and tell others about it. Bookmark it, and come back often!

85 Responses to About This Site and Its Author

  1. Bob Young says:

    Hi Jerry:

    I stumbled across your web site this afternoon, when I did a Google search about references.

    I feel so fortunate to have found your web site. Thank you for all the work you have done to help other Christians study the Bible.

    I’m not sure what the difference is between a web site and a blog. So maybe what you have is a blog?

    I have a question if I may:

    I’m trying to figure what the difference is between cross references and chain references, like are in the Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

    I’m thinking the references in the Thompson are just cross references, but in a certain order so as to lead people through those cross references in a certain order on a particular subject.

    Whereas cross references by themselves, can be the same references on the same subject, as Thompson may present, but not any specific order. Am I looking at this correctly?

    Thank you for your help.

  2. Jerry says:

    Dear Bob,

    I’m glad you found my website. I don’t know whether it is considered a “blog” or not, but you will find much to learn from here.

    Chain references like those found in the excellent resource, The Thompson Chain Reference Bible, are subject-based references that lead you through the Bible to where a particular subject is mentioned. Cross references are very similar, but are more context-oriented. The two types overlap when cross references focus upon a subject.

    Were you to make a study of messianic prophecy, you could start at Genesis 3:15, considered by many to be the first in a series of such prophecies. If you use the Thompson Chain Reference Bible as a resource to study these, you will be led to many more throughout the Old Testament.

    But here is where the major difference comes in.

    If you go to the next one, suppose it were Genesis 49:10, the Thompson Chain Reference Bible will give you a link to the same set or list of messianic prophecy verses you encountered at the first link. It will only point you to the next one in the series. But you do not get any more verses on the subject than what you already encountered from the first link in the series if you followed the topic number in the cyclopedic index at the back of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

    In my work, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, you will find many more very pertinent references at each new messianic prophecy in the “chain,” not merely a link to what you already encountered.

    I think that is a major difference, and a good illustration of how my Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury is far more complete. If you consult my indexes, you will encounter my list of messianic prophecies in the Topic Number Index where I have listed, in sequence, all the messianic prophecies I could find.

  3. Zach Fischer says:

    Jerome, it was great connecting with you. I look forward to staying connected in the future. Dr. Wiersbe sends his greetings.

  4. Jerry says:

    Dear Zach,

    Thank you for visiting my site! I look forward to staying in touch with you. I trust you will find much help here on this site in your study and ministry of God’s Word.

    Should you have the opportunity, please convey my kindest regards to him and thanks to him for his gift to me of a miniature Treasury of Scripture Knowledge last year.

  5. Zach says:

    What are your thoughts on the book of life mentioned in Exodus 32:32-33? Is it the same book as the one mentioned so often in Revelation? Or is Moses referring metaphorically to a book of those who are physically alive and God is saying He will blot them out of the book of [physical] life, i.e. they’ll be physically dead?

  6. Jerry says:

    Dear Zach,

    I just now noticed that you have written a most interesting question. I did not get to it earlier because I have been quite busy learning new things by reading some of the print books that I have owned for some time but have not taken the time to read yet.

    I have seen arguments both ways regarding the book of life mentioned in Exodus.

    I think Moses expressed his wish to die, he was so discouraged by the people he was leading out of Egypt to the promised land.

    It reminds me of a similar wish stated by Paul in Romans 9:3.

    Of course, how we understand the Book of Life has a bearing upon the question about whether a genuinely saved person can ever be lost or lose their salvation.

    I believe in the absolute eternal security of the believer, not the unbeliever. As long as we maintain our faith in Christ for our salvation, I believe we are and continue to be saved.

    But Jesus taught in Luke 8:13 (if we read it carefully) that it is possible to believe for a while. That would indicate that it is possible to stop believing. Therefore, apostasy is possible, and we are frequently warned about its dangers in the Bible.

    There is a note in The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge at Exodus 32:32 that takes the book of life to be a register of those who are physically living.

    I have placed a note in my newest work, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, at Revelation 3:5 which supports the view that the reference is not to a census book but to the Book that God mentions that He has in heaven which is the record of those who truly believe in Christ, a register of all who have been saved by placing their faith in Him. It is possible that names can and will be blotted out of that book or there would be no point to issuing the warning against the possibility.

  7. Hi Jerome

    I cannot find your email on my server, since my last computer went down, and I have so much to catch up on what you have been doing.

    Kindest Regards

    Richard Condo
    Danielle Magazine

  8. Jerry says:

    Dear Richard,

    I’m glad you still had a way to connect with me by means of my Real Bible Study website!

    I, too, have had many troubles with keeping up with all this computer technology. It all seems to have started with the latest Windows 10 “update” which disabled my email program.

    I even installed much newer software since the update took place and even the new software does not seem to work properly for me.

    I’ll reach out to you by email once again and we will be connected again.

  9. Craig Simpson says:

    When you find time, please look at the following videos. I found these to be very information about the history of black people and their possible history. I am not pro black to any extreme. I love all the races God has created, however, I am always in search for truth. The videos are the following:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27p9uPYGNjQ
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzVqX01lUA0
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptUQshLugVI

    Please let me know what you think.

    Thank you,
    Craig Simpson

  10. Jerry says:

    Dear Craig,

    Thank you for posting here and for furnishing links to the videos. I will try to take time to check them out soon. I taught history at the high school level in Detroit for a number of years and have always had an interest in that subject.

    To become a teacher, I had to become certified in three subject areas. English and linguistics is my first (triple academic) major; history was my second teaching major; biology was my third area with only a minor in that subject.

  11. Jerry says:

    Dear Craig Simpson,

    I have spent some time this morning and also this afternoon watching the videos you kindly linked above.

    I found them very interesting.

    What do you make of them?

  12. Craig Simpson says:

    Hi, I sent you 3 videos about the Spanish Inquisition. I have not heard from you and wanted your opinion about the contents in the video.

    Please respond to my email and let me know what were thoughts.

  13. Jerry says:

    Dear Craig,

    Let me know how you sent them.

    I have been completely off line with my main computer (this one I am using now) for three full weeks, so I may have missed what you sent.

    I am very interested in the subject of the Inquisition and have some material in my Logos library about the Spanish Inquisition in particular.

  14. Lenny Lin says:

    Psalms 11:5 (KJV)  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

    Hi Jerry, who is the righteous?
    I purchased UCRT recently, and looked up the meaning of “the righteous”. There is no cross-reference. Does “the righteous” refer to the believer? I would think so. What bothers me is my sins that do not please God. I have a root of a sin, and it seems not to be gone away by repent. I am not a righteous from my perspective.

  15. Lenny says:

    Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

    I have read online commentary about “foundations” in this verse. A resource said it referred to this world rules. However, UCRT implied that it referred to God’s word, or value.

    ******
    A cross-referred verse in UCRT for the word “what” is 1 King2 19:13-18. However, a cross-referred verse in TSK for this very word is 2 Kings 19:13-18. Please verify them.

  16. Jerry says:

    Dear Lenny,

    Thank you for asking good questions on this site.

    This is the very first time this year that I have been able to access my own website here. That seems to be what happens when I upgrade to a new computer or new software. I am thankful to the Lord that my son is able to fix such problems for me, and this evening he did, if my comment here actually posts.

    “The righteous” would be those who are trusting in the Lord for salvation, those who in faith have “believed unto righteousness” as we read about in Genesis 15:6. See the cross references given there.

    Fortunately for all of us, our forgiveness is not based upon how we may feel about it, but is based upon the certainty of the Word of God.

    Please feel free to ask more about these issues if my answer is not clear or is not complete enough for you.

  17. Jerry says:

    Dear Lenny,

    Thank you for your additional good questions.

    As a general rule, the cross references in the UCRT are far more accurate than those given in the original TSK.

    I have made thousands of such corrections. Some of the corrections were discovered during the compilation process when my files were converted into the special file format required for the e-Sword software. Many corrections were found when I consulted the original sources used by Thomas Scott who compiled the references for use in his Bible commentary.

  18. Linda Wolfe says:

    Hi Jerry,
    I ran across your site when searching information about reference Bibles. I did not see any information on which version(s) of the Bible your work is referring to. Can you explain this to me please? Does your work cover the oldest Bible translations up to the newest? Or stick with the older, not modern versions, written after the 1850’s when Westcott and Hort changed the Greek manuscript usage from the Textus Recepticus to the Vaticanus B? Thank you for all your work in any case!

  19. Jerry says:

    Dear Linda,

    Thank you for posting such a good question here.

    Please forgive my failure to get to your question sooner.

    We had a bad storm here in Michigan. Our power was off briefly. But the power surge must have ended the life of our “hub” so we had to get a new one.

    Now I have access to the Internet again.

    I keyed my Bible reference tools to the King James Version. That version is superior from a literary standpoint, and does not change its text every few years to reflect new manuscript findings.

    I find real problems with the Wescott and Hort text, and have placed or retained notes that support the Received Text.

    Just the same, I have sometimes made reference to modern Greek texts whenever their readings seem superior to the Received Text.

    I found this to be the case in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, for example.

    I followed Young’s Literal Translation and its companion volume, Concise Critical Notes. Robert Young followed the Received Text. I used his information at many places. Robert Young is the compiler of Young’s Concordance. Right now I am looking at Proverbs 12:26, where I placed a note for the keyword “excellent” based on his helpful information.

  20. Hello, you talk about “Nelson’s Cross-Reference Guide to the Bible” as an advance of “The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge”, but “The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” has many tools that “Nelson’s Cross-Reference Guide to the Bible” does not have, such as contrast, types, use of AT in NT, etc. Wouldn’t “The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” be a much more complete tool than “Nelson’s Cross-Reference Guide to the Bible”?

  21. Jerry says:

    Dear Agnon,

    You are right that The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge has many tools not present in my later work, Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible.

    That is because the publisher wanted to greatly simplify the New Treasury. I insisted upon keeping one special symbol, the + sign, which means “find more here.”

    Nevertheless, Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible is more complete in its cross references, though they are consolidated in about 2000 places to reduce the size or length of the book. If you compare the number of cause and effect relationship passages given at Psalm 9:10 or compare the number of cross references given at Romans 15:7, you will definitely see the difference!

  22. Dale Williams says:

    Dear Jerry,

    I apologize for communicating with you in such a public way. I would like to speak to you about making The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge available again in print. Would you send me an email or let me know the best way to communicate with you?

  23. Jerry says:

    Dear Dale,

    Thank you for reaching out to me here. I did receive your email message and have now sent my reply. It would be a blessing and encouragement to many to have The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge available once again in printed form!

  24. Ken Sadler says:

    Thank you and great info on John Canne. So little seems to be written on the history of marginal references. As Canne worked over 20 years on his references how much improvement can there actually be with so many new editions ? Was Cannes work not worthy to endure ??? Ken

  25. Jerry says:

    Thank you, Ken Sadler, for your comment here. I suspect Canne’s work is still with us. His references are included in The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. I have Canne’s Bible in my collection here.

    Many Bible students have let me know that they appreciate the many additional cross references I have furnished in my three works of cross references for Bible study.

    I can’t imagine how you found this site, but I am glad you did. Feel free to leave further comments or even ask questions should you wish.

  26. S says:

    Hi, There is some confusion between what are apparently two different titles by Jerome Smith. Logos sells his book called “The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge”. EstudySource sells his book that’s apparently called “The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury”. What (if any) are the distinctions between the content of those two books (if any)? Thank you.
    >S

  27. Jerry says:

    The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is my first published Bible study resource for cross reference Bible study. It was released in 1992.

    The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury is a much expanded (with over 900,000 cross references) resource released in 2016. It features many additional notes from the Comprehensive Bible published by Bagster (the original source of the references and notes found in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge). I also added by permission notes on the doctrine of the Atonement of Christ from the Lavender New Testament and other published works of Dr. Malcolm Lavender. I added additional notes on doctrinal and apologetical topics to promote deeper Bible study on these sometimes controversial matters.

    Next month, February 2023, a new print edition of my New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge will be released. This edition features a marvelous Forward by Dr. John MacArthur relating his personal testimony of how he was introduced to cross reference Bible study and the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. I was able to greatly extend the Figure of Speech index and make hundreds of improvements in the accuracy of the cross references themselves. Many thanks are due to the team at Nelson for bringing this important Bible study resource back into print in this improved format. It is already available for pre-order on Amazon.

  28. JS says:

    Hello. Are you still with us? I have some questions. Do you know if Malcolm lavender is still alive? And how to get a hold of him if he is?

    I would like to talk to him about his books, and to you also since you wrote forwards to some of them. What

  29. Jerry says:

    Dear JS,

    Malcolm Lavender is no longer alive. He passed away in 2019 as I recall.

    But I am indeed still here!

    I welcome any questions you may have.

    I did not see your question until today. I do not use this computer on a daily basis in the summer when I am busy helping my wife with outdoor tasks.

  30. Rick says:

    Do you know of a concise public domain database of cross-references to use to produce a Bible (public domain text)? It would need to be less than 100,000 references and could be as few as 30K to 40K?

  31. Jerry says:

    Dear Rick,

    I wish I had a good direct answer to your question!

    Both of my sons are experts at things like data bases and sometimes chide me for not being more adventurous so that I could know more.

    I have written an article on this site about the history of cross references that contains just about all I know on the subject of their sources.

    I will share the link at the end of my comment.

    I found sources and resources about cross references on Google books. You might be able to find a useful public domain resource there. I would suggest looking into a work titled The Scripture Harmony. I thought it was the same as the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, but after a brief look at it many years ago on line, I think it may actually be different.

    Read my article linked below. It may give you some leads to resources.

    Jerry

    https://www.realbiblestudy.com/?p=91

  32. Peggy says:

    Hi Jerry,
    Here is the link we spoke about cbcimlay.org to listen to great preaching.
    <3 Peg

    http://www.cbcimlay.org

  33. Jerry says:

    Thank you, Peggy! It was a delight for my wife and I to meet and speak with you today. Thank you for such a prompt response.

    Jerry

  34. JS says:

    Hello again. Malcolm’s books needed a good editor to help him stay on track, make sure the average reader could follow what he was saying, etc. I wonder if you ever thought of editing and simplifying his 600 page book against Calvinism? It’s a shame that much of that work and proof he gives from the Greek is still mostly unknown to Christians, as are his examples of how Calvinists hide and misrepresent the Greek to protect their blasphemous false doctrine.

    I would love to discuss this further with you if you find this at all appealing. God bless

  35. Jerry says:

    Dear JS,

    I worked long and hard with Dr. Malcolm Lavender on that book. As you indicate, very few Christians are aware of what Dr. Lavender discovered in his studies. I make reference to some of what he found in my digital resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, at Acts 2:41, Romans 8:30, and 1 Peter 2:24.

    I need to go back and dig deeper into Greek Grammar and Syntax versus Calvinism myself!

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