Friday, 27 August 2010

Recommending Study Bibles

3

Study Bibles are of huge help in understanding the Bible. They help us with background knowledge, context, historical and archaeological notes etc which all build to grant us a better understanding of the authors original intent.


My first Study Bible was a NKJV Macarthur Study Bible
(now available in ESV) which i used for many years before the *ESVSB landed in the reformed, evangelical world. Recently i've been enjoying the Reformation Study Bible which  is also very very helpful.




Probably my choice amongst these is the ESVSB, & not just because its size gives it multi purposes (eg step stool for Jake).


Which SB do you use?




*Study notes are not inspired and so, whilst being a great help they must also assessed by the whole of Scripture.
Discernment is required when reading anything, and the same applies to even the best of Study Bibles.


You can purchase any of these (or many others) at Inspire Books & Gifts, or by clicking the links above.
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About Boaly
Gary has been involved in printing the Scriptures for 20 years, enjoys photography and rambling online

3 comments:

Family Blogs said...

I've really benefitted from the NIV Study Bible in my walk with God. I enjoy its balance, and the fact that while it is Conservative Evangelical in outlook it also gives other views and ways of looking at Scripture passages.

I got an ESVSB last month (after much resistance) and find it excellent, although the sheer heft of the volume means that I find it hard to just sit with in my hand and read. For me the best part of it so far has been the series of book introductions - they are academically confident as well as evangelically sound. I find the study notes tied to the Bible passages a little bit sparse at times though.

Study Bibles are great, and while I know there are dangers with them in accepting one person or camp's opinion on an issue they do provide such help.

On a lighthearted note I once had a friend speak to me about a prominent Study Bible from the past (which I used to agree with, but don't now), and he described its treatment of the first five books of the Old Testament as 'the Pentateuch by Scofield with notes by Moses'!! :)

1:39 pm
Boaly said...

haha, unfortunately that can be the way some people approach it. I'd a guy try to show me the 'scripture' for the prolific clock. All he kept reading were the study notes and saying "see, the Bible teaches it" - he didn't seem to grasp it when i tried exclaiming that the notes weren't equal to the inspired Word of God.

You ended up with the ESVSB then. It is great, but as you say, a little on the large side.

2:00 pm
Anonymous said...

Gary, I, too, use and LOVE the ESV study bible. I would recommend it to anyone. I must agree that the sheer size of it is a negative, but I have no problem carrying around "the brick", as my wife refers to it.

I also use the Hebrew/Greek Key Word Study Bible in NASB and have for 10 years or so now. I find it very helpful in seeing how the same word was used in similar and (sometimes) different ways in different parts of the bible. Using Strong's word # system, it is very easy to look up words in Strong's Concordance (or in an abbreviated version in the back) in the Hebrew/Greek dictionary for a further explanation of the individual word.

My first study bible was a Scofield in NKJV. As the commenter referenced above, all SB notes should be taken as a person's perspective and NOT as absolute truth. I have been helped greatly by Scofield and the study bible, though I won't recommend all the notes as absolute truth. We have the Holy Spirit to lead us to truth.

1:45 pm

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