The Faithlife Study Bible Advantage: Part 2

“And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.”—Colossians 4:16 (ESV)

From the beginning, the Scriptures were intended to be read, interpreted, and studied within the context of a thriving community. This truth hit me recently as I was studying Colossians. And since I was studying it in the Faithlife Study Bible, sharing this insight with my own community was a snap.

When I got to Colossians 4:16 in my readings, I was reminded of the importance of being part of a community of believers whose shared lives revolve around the Word. I was also reminded of a Bible study some of us at church were talking about starting. Sharing this verse, with a reminder to my church’s Faithlife Community group about getting that study started, seemed like a great idea.

I simply highlighted the verse, right-clicked, and then chose the “share to Faithlife” icon (example). Then, from the dropdown menu, I chose the group I wanted to share this verse and message with, and I wrote my message (example). If I’d wanted to, I could have right-clicked the passage, chosen “Add community note” (example) and  shared my note in the Scripture text itself.

Not only would people from my church group see this message when they log in to their Faithlife Community (example), they’d also see a note when they’re reading through Colossians in the Faithlife Study Bible. My note would show up inline with a little icon (example). Clicking the note would open a Community Notes pane (Logos 4 example).

Sharing notes with Faithlife Community groups, creating corporate reading plans, and forming discussion groups around books and Scripture are amazing ways to anchor your community in God’s Word.

If you haven’t downloaded the Faithlife Study Bible, it’s free through March 2014!

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