We are in the midst of a series of articles on study Bibles. Last time I promoted and reviewed two of the best study Bibles available in our times, The MacArthur Study Bible and The Reformation Study Bible. Today, I’d like to promote and review two more of the best.
As you read this, I sincerely hope that you consider what makes a study Bible valuable. It should be expected that God’s people want to understand God’s truth better. How can we claim to be serious students of Scripture if we are unwilling to consider the orthodox interpretations of gifted men God has raised up in His sovereignty? The task of Bible study is a stewardship. We who live in the study Bible age of church history simply have no excuse for not acquiring the tools God has placed at our disposal in order to understand His glorious character and ways in a deeper way. Study Bibles are fundamental to the tool box of Christians who want to build their lives on solid truth.
With that said, here are two more study Bible’s worth lining the shelves of your home library.
The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible
Fairly recent to the world of study Bibles (published in 2014) is an under the radar, exceptional work put out by Joel Beeke and his men at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Serving as the General Editor, Beeke has selected top scholars from their respective fields to offer contributions to the marginal notes of this study Bible. Michael P.V. Barrett serves as the Old Testament editor, and Gerald M. Bilkes was appointed as the New Testament editor.
Reformation Heritage Books out of Grand Rapids, Michigan has produced top-notch material since its inception. This study Bible is one resource among many of their publications. Several features reveal it to be one of the top study Bibles ever published. A series of In-Text Articles are numerous and theologically weighty. Written with a flavor of reformed experientialism, the topics covered include the doctrine of God, creation, sin, Christ, salvation, the church, and eschatology. Within these broader categories are practical articles on things like the soul, the use of the moral law, the calling of God, experiential knowledge, assurance of salvation, spiritual warfare, and perseverance of the saints among others.
The front matter includes a section entitled Reading the Bible Experientially. It begins, “To read the Bible experientially simply means to read it with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That is how the Bible is intended to be read. The reason we even have to use the word ‘experiential’ is simply because people imagine they are reading the Bible when they are only reading the Bible in a superficial way...[M]any people read the Bible only for tidbits of information, or to gain more head-knowledge...Sometimes such people read just to confirm what they already know or believe. They read only certain sections of the Bible or if they read through the Bible, they pick out what they find interesting, relevant, or helpful. Other people read the Bible in order to walk away with an emotional feeling of well-being. They want an emotional fix or shot in the arm to help them through another day or week. Again, others read the Bible simply because they want to do something. They want practical tips or directives to guide them in their every day life, or as vision for their church or organization. Each of these groups are marked by this significant flaw: They are not reading the Bible on its own terms. They are not reading the Bible as the revelation of God, His truth, His Word, in all its breadth, depth, and height.”
Wow. Can you say, conviction? This is the way the study Bible opens up! The editors of this study Bible mean business. Setting the stage for the reader in showing them that they are not just reading any ordinary book, Beeke and his team elevate Scripture to its rightful place declaring it to be without question the inspired, authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient Word of the living God.
Like the study Bibles already mentioned, each book of Scripture has a well-structured introduction under the following headings: authorship and date, theme, purpose, issues of interpretation, and synopsis. A handy outline is also included at the beginning of each book. One of the most creative and helpful features of this study Bible, however, is its focus on family worship. After every single chapter of each book of Scripture (you heard me right) is included a section entitled Thoughts for Personal/Family Worship. These notations explore how that particular biblical chapter can be applied. It includes more interpretations, but also adds applicable questions, points to emphasize, and practical nuggets of truth to meditate upon. I have never seen a study Bible include a section like this. The convenience of having “mini sermon notes” written after each chapter to expound in family worship is a strong encouragement for fathers not to neglect their role in the home.
The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible also provides several confessions in the back matter. These include the Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, The Canons of Dort, The Westminster Confession of Faith, The Westminster Shorter Catechism, and The Westminster Larger Catechism. Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible Reading Plan is also found towards the back to facilitate regular reading habits of the Bible.
Aside from the family devotional thoughts after each chapter, a second unique feature of this study Bible is a section entitled How to Live as a Christian. This section includes one-page articles on very practical topics such as: the coming of Christ, union with Christ, growing in sanctification, the importance of prayer (why we should pray and how to pray), fellowshipping with other believers, the significance of the means of grace in worship, our love to God, self-denial, having godly contentment, coping with criticism, and a number of others.
Finally, a third unique contribution is a section entitled Twenty Centuries of Church History. Here we find valuable, well-written one-page summaries of each century of church history. These synopses explain key figures and the roles they played in the church, significant events, historical lessons, and heresies to avoid. Each century is described with a subtitle. For instance, the first century bears the sub-title, Apostolic Foundations. The second century sub-title is, The Church of Martyrs and Confessors. These serve as wonderful introductions - blow by blows if you will - of church history.
I just can’t say enough about this study Bible. It emphasizes the importance of Christians not being ignorant of biblical truth, theological orthodoxy, and historical foundations. I, therefore, highly recommend it. Its notes are unashamedly Reformed and simple to understand. Similar to The Reformation Study Bible, the notations aren’t quite as comprehensive as The MacArthur Study Bible. Perhaps this is the case simply out of necessity considering all the other material included. You would not be disappointed if you owned this study Bible if not for anything else than to help encourage more efficient family worship periods. It’s worth its weight in gold.
The ESV Study Bible
Crossway has done a great job at marketing their study Bible (2008). An Editorial Oversight Committee developed the concept and selected the contributors. Key people on this committee include Wayne Grudem serving as the General Editor, J.I. Packer assisting as the Theological Editor, and Thomas R. Schreiner contributing as the New Testament Editor. There are other editors, and of course, a hefty list of study note contributors. Top names on this list include T. Desmond Alexander, Gordon J. Wenham, Duane A. Garrett, Raymond C. Ortland Jr., Andreas J. Kostenberger, John B. Polhill, Frank S. Theilman, S.M. Baugh, Clinton E. Arnold, Grant R. Osbourne, Robert Yarbrough, and Dennis E. Johnson among many, many others.
Additionally, there are a number of article contributors as well. For example, Vern Poythress writes an article giving an overview of the Bible. Tom Schreiner writes on the theology of the New Testament. Darrel Bock contributes an article on the topic of reading the Gospels and Acts. Mark Dever speaks to the issue of God’s plan of salvation. Some of these are really practical. For example, John Piper writes on how to have communion with God in our prayers. David Powlson writes on how to read the Bible for personal application. R. Kent Hughes contributes an article on reading the Bible in preaching and corporate worship. There are also articles on contemporary and historical trends and events. Bruce Ware writes on liberal Protestantism, and Robert Letham on Eastern Orthodoxy.
As with most study Bibles, each book of Scripture comes with an introduction showcasing the following features: author and title, date, theme, purpose, occasion, and background, key themes, history of salvation summary, literary features, and timeline. An outline is also included for each book.
An Introduction to the Pentateuch is a helpful section to assist in combating liberalism. This is found in the front. In the back there is a helpful section entitled The Bible and World Religions. This section describes various religions and their view of Scripture and Christ. Also, a history of salvation is an included appendage, which quite helpfully traces the plan of redemption through Christ in the Old Testament. It is very comprehensive and goes through every book of the Old Testament with verses listed. The ESV Study Bible also provides colorful illustrations and charts. These are found throughout and add an aesthetically pleasing element to the joy of reading.
There is no question that the editors of this study Bible selected world respected scholars to contribute to the notations and articles. This means that there is far more theological variety on interpretive matters. This study Bible is orthodox and reliable. It is a good companion to the aforementioned study Bibles. Due to its broad scholarship, I would recommend using the ESV Study Bible along with one, or all three of the other study Bibles mentioned.