I am not a huge fan of study Bibles. I have used several throughout my life, however. I began with the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, then moved to the Life Application Bible, and spent some time with the Ryrie Study Bible, before finally using the Nelson’s Study Bible for several years. Today I use an unmarked wide-margin Bible for most of my Bible reading and Bible study.
I don’t use Study Bible’s Any Longer
There are two reasons I don’t have much interest in study Bibles any longer.
First, I have had too many encounters with Christians who cannot seem to differentiate between what the Bible says and what is written in the notes of their preferred study Bible. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to point out to people that the notes in their study Bible are just someone’s interpretation or understanding of what the Bible means, are not actually “God’s infallible Word.” This common experience has soured me from recommending Study Bibles.
The second reason I have stopped recommending or using study Bibles is related to the first. I firmly believe that God wants to teach each one of us how to read and understand the Bible. I believe the one of the primary ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through Scripture. But I also believe that we stifle God’s whisperings to us by turning too quickly to Bible commentaries, Bible studies from other Christians, and the notes in our study Bibles.
When we study a difficult (or “easy” – though is there truly such a thing?) text in Scripture and want to know what it means, we too quickly turn to what others have written about this passage, thereby short-circuiting anything that God might have wanted to teach us through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.
The Proper Place for Study Bibles
This does not mean there is no place for Study Bibles. There is. I still use them.
But I think the notes and study aids that are contained in Study Bibles should be used near the end of the Bible study process, rather than at the beginning. If you use a Study Bible as your main Bible, it is too easy, when wrestling with a troublesome text, to simply look down at the notes on the bottom of the page, and in so doing, miss out on the absolute thrill of the “self-discovery” that comes by sweating through the text and praying for understanding.
The Evangelism Study Bible
So it was with some trepidation that I sat down to read through a lot of the notes in the recently-released “Evangelism Study Bible” by Larry Moyer and EvanTell.
And as expected, I am still not a big fan of Study Bibles.
However, IF you are engaged in a lot of personal evangelism or crusade evangelism, I do highly recommend the notes in this study Bible to help you understand the free offer of eternal life in the Bible.
I respect Larry Moyer and his emphasis on the freeness and clarity of the Gospel message about eternal life. I respect his stance on eternal security. I like how he emphasizes that eternal life is the free gift of God to all who believe in Jesus for it.
I wish the notes would have been more clear about the biblical definitions of “salvation” (it rarely refers to eternal life in the Bible), and “repentance” (the notes take the change of mind view; cf. p. 1157).
Overall, the notes in the Evangelism Study Bible are decent, and it contains numerous sidebar studies on various concepts, ideas, and strategies related to evangelism and witnessing. I was not too surprised to see that the notes in the Old Testament were quite sparse. After all, very rarely do evangelists appeal to Old Testament texts, unless it is to Genesis 3 to talk about the sinful condition of humanity.
I also examined several hotly debated gospel and evangelism texts. I was pleased to see that in the notes on Matthew 7:16-20, the reader is informed that the bad fruit in question is the false doctrine of the false teachers. The notes and sidebar section on Hebrews 6 were excellent, as it laid out the various options for how to understand this tricky text (p. 1346), and concluded that however we understand Hebrews 6, it is not talking about someone losing their eternal life.
I was not at all impressed with how the Study Bible dealt with texts like John 15:2 (not a single note whatsoever), James 2 (a terribly weak discussion; almost non-existent), and Matthew 12:31-32. On this last text, the only note was “See Mark 3:28-30.” I went and checked the Mark parallel, and while the explanation was decent, it was much too short to be very helpful for most people who struggle with questions about the unpardonable sin.
By going here, you can get the notes on Ephesians for free.
So do I recommend the Evangelism Study Bible? Well, if you are looking for a Study Bible that will help you dig deep into the Word of God and understand it’s message, themes, and overall trajectory, this probably isn’t the Study Bible for you.
But if you engage in lots of one-on-one evangelism and large-group evangelism, the Evangelism Study Bible might help provide some clarity to your invitations. If you are trying to understand what the Bible says about the free gift of eternal life, this Study Bible might help you with that as well.
Anyway, what is your experience with study Bibles? Do you love them? Hate them? If you have used them, which ones, what do you recommend, and why?
You’ve addressed my regular beef with study bibles: Someone else already did all the study (and sometimes a rotten job of it!) and here are their notes; we the readers needn’t study further. Just last month there was a debate in my bible study ’cause they couldn’t accept what Ezekiel had to say about the sin of Sodom being pride (16.49) —according to their study bibles, the sin of Sodom was sodomy, and couldn’t be anything else.
I do have one study bible I use from time to time; a Renovaré Study Bible (now published as the Life With God Study Bible). Its textual notes are focused on spiritual disciplines, rather than an interpretive commentary on the text. (For that, I use separate commentaries.) So it’s more devotional than for study—because it’s awfully easy to read study bibles and come away with a whole lot of data, but no application, and no plans to apply it.
That’s a good way of describing it. I think study Bibles can be helpful, IF we realize that they simply contain condensed notes from someone else about what they think the Bible teaches.
I used to use study bibles more often but often found their explanations either lacking substance or suggesting a particular doctrine stronger than they should. I have actually found that I like using the NET Bible not because it’s a better Bible but because their _translation_notes_ often provide more context that you can use to formulate an opinion. It’s not perfect, but I will often go between NASB, ESV, WEB and NET. The first three to get the different translations and the forth to get the translation notes, which often provide reasons why the other versions chose their rendering. 🙂
I like this approach. My preferred translation is the NKJV, but like you, I often turn to the NASB, NET, and others. Of course, Bible translations are forms of “study Bible” in and of themselves, since human authors are translating the text to say what they believe it means.
My favorite study bible of all time is THE NEW INTERPRETER’S STUDY BIBLE. I highly recommend it. I think of study bibles as super condensed commentaries. I think that the bible is best read theologically. I think the bible must be read critically as well. The study bible I just mentioned does a superb job doing both.
The bible is a very difficult book to read. I think it is a bad idea to give people a bible without guidance on how to read it, background information, and so forth.
I’m all for asking the Holy Spirit to teach us but I think that this too is abused and used as an excuse not to *study* the bible as well as read what scholars and theologians have to teach us about it. Like C.S. Lewis said, the Holy Spirit can teach us through people, too! (paraphrase)
I actually wrote a post recently as to what constitutes a good study bible note. If interested, you may read about that here: http://jcarlostzavala.blogspot.mx/2014/11/now-thats-good-study-bible-note.html
Thanks! Is this from the group that did the New Interpreter’s Commentary on the Bible (12 or 13 volumes)?
Yep
Jeremy, I took the approach many years ago that all study bibles are good-if they will push me to study why I agree or disagree with the particular study bible. So as an asset to push studying-big YES. If one is going to rely on the study bible to do your studying-no
Yeah, that’s a good way to approach them. To spur you on to further study.
I was thinking about the way that I have interfaced with study bibles in the past, and I think I get what one of the deficiencies for me has been. I had the habit of of looking down to the notes every time the text indicated that one was available, which really chopped up my reading of Scripture. In contrast, when reading through a commentary I am far more likely to read the full context before I consult an additional resource. Once I have read the passage, I have likely already started forming an idea of the meaning, so that when I consult the commentary I am bringing my forming interpretation into touch with an already established. It can almost be like conversation. When I read a study bible it is more like the annoying guy who has already seen a movie you are watching and keeps interrupting or talking over it.
Yes, that has happened to me as well! That’s why I still own and use study Bibles, but don’t actively read them. I have them for reference, but since it is not open on my lap, I can’t just look down and read what the notes say. Thanks for the insight!
Early in my Christian life I used an NASB study Bible. Later I graduated to a Ryrie. But over the intervening years I’ve found them to be less and less useful. Now they’re mostly useful for looking up cross-references when I don’t have access to better resources.
My experience as well. Thanks!
I agree with Dallas. I have had a few study bibles including one from a well known TV evangelist but to me the notes just keep getting in the way of trying to interpret what the scriptures are saying to me as the Holy Spirit guides me. I always keep going back to the Bible I’ve had for years because I feel that the Spirit speaks to each individual where they are in the moment guiding and teaching what our needs are personally, not what someone else interprets it to mean in their lives. I guess they could be helpful for explaining the plan of salvation and other key points in the scripture but I’d rather leave it up to God to speak to me in the scriptures.
Yes, my experience as well. This is why I own Study bibles, as condensed study aids, but not as something I read regularly.
I do not like study bibles. They short-cut the process of reflection and study so that users don’t wrestle through the questions adequately. They give one perspective at the exclusion of other reasonable considerations, therefore limiting the range of study. Resources have their place, but to have them on the same page as the text is not, in my opinion, healthy.
Yep! It looks like we are all mostly on the same page here!
The point of releasing a Study Bible is for the publisher to have one book that generates enough revenue to partially subsidize the other 99 books that don’t pay their own way.
Most people won’t recognize the theological bias of the tools (maps, cross-references, definitions, source manuscript, textual apparatus, etc) they use.
They might, but need not recognize the theological bias of the study notes.
I’ve come across one study Bible, where the study notes were questions. Answers were not provided.
(I don’t know the name of that study Bible.)
IMNSHO, the ideal study Bible:
* has a multi-lingual concordance for each verse, citing the words from various specific mansucripts, such as P52, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, Codex Allepo, Jerome’s Vulgate, etc.
* includes the union of the (79 book) Orthodox Canon and the _The Orthodox Tewahedo Biblical Canon of Eighty-one (Broader Canon)_;
* Includes complete grammatical breakdown, and part of speech for every word listed in it, regardless of language that the word is;
(This hypothetical study Bible, as a set of trade paperbacks, would have an MSRP in the region of US$250 – US$500. It could be distributed gratis, either as a resource for Biblical software, or an eBook.)
Can you imagine that sort of study Bible? Well, I guess you just did…. Ha!
It sounds little bit more like Bible Study Software….
FWIW, I concieved of something along those lines, back when I discovered Naves Topical Bible and Strong’s Concordance. My reasoning was that both of them should be included in my Bible, as footnotes/cross-references. The other thing I wanted was for the Words of Jesus, God, The Holy Spirit, and Angels to be red lettered, the words of women in blue letters, the words of men in green letters, and the words of other things in purple letters.
I periodically do some work towards placing that content into a finished product. As a hardcopy work, it has minimal sales potential. In digital format, it has some sales potential, but probably not enough to recoup the incurred costs.
If I do it as a labour of love, I’d just as soon translate the Bible into another language, and include all of that content in the first edition. The curiousity/uniqueness factor might be enough for it to pay its own way.
If you want to publish a book that will push Redeeming Press into instant, permanent insolvency….
That does sound interesting. But yes, a lot of work! Are you at least putting it online on a blog or website? That would be a great way to make it available and keep yourself working on it.
Hadn’t thought about putting notes for that project online.
Not sure they would make sense to anybody else, as stand alone items.
Elaborating on the hypothetical study Bible.
The core material is 468,381,981,780 words, which is divided between 5,039 chapters, for an average of 92,951,375 words per chapter. IOW, each chapter contains roughly the same content as 744 novels. Rephrased, each chapter contains ten percent more content than the average person will read in their lifetime. (The complete set is only 1,873,528 volumes)
FWIW, a Study Q’ran constructed in a similar manner would contain 1.323331053×10¹⁴ words, divided between 84,699 chapters, for an average of 1,562,392,772 words per chapter.
Though one wonders how many people would read the resulting 529,332,422 volumes?
I too study with a plain bible as I want to ruminate on what the word says, and what the Spirit is trying to say unfettered by someone else’s opinions. I do like the Thompson chain reference when trying to follow certain words throughout.
I think if I were to return to a study Bible, I would use the Thompson Chain.
Hi Jeremy,
No doubt that study Bibles include a whole lot of subjectivity of the editors. On the other hand, is it more than one can find in various translations. There is, for example, an enormous difference between the KJV rendering of Deuteronomy 23:2 and that of the Amplified Bible, with other variations in between. With that said and done, I approach my range of study Bibles the same way I do the various translations, and that is to take responsibility for what I accept. I am hesitant to work with a single translation or dictionary or lexicon for that very reason.
Among my Study Bibles is the Word In Life Study Bible (Nelson, NKJV). It is much larger than when I first bought it due to many glued in additions apart from my own written notes. My favorite, however, is the Holman Illustrated Study Bible Study Bible it has many photos and other contributions to complement a translation that I am quite comfortable with, yet not perfect. Also, it does not have the regular bottom-half type of commentary.
I have benefited from all, but the key remains taking up personal responsibility for what I accept and what not. Fortunately I can say that even those parts I do not accept, challenge me in making my own conclusions.
Thank you for an interesting topic.
Right. I agree that it is often good to be challenged by the study notes we don’t accept or agree with, because this then challenges us to study and think more.
I think the open Bible is the best it can even help witness to a Jew just by using the O.T. fulfilled Messianic prophecies by Jesus in the back plus you can witness to a Catholic because it also has the reason why the apocrypha was not canonized and demonstrates this in each book
I said to my congregation “I sure don’t like those commentators” talking about a passage I was preaching on. The next Sunday service at the end a little old lady gave me a bag of potatoes and she said; these are “new potatoes” I know you will like them better. I said; thank you, but why would I like new potatoes better? She said; well last Sunday you said you didn’t like those common-taters” so I thought theses would do you better
I misspelled a very important word there. Does anybody know how to spell “potatoe?
I said to my congregation “I sure don’t like those commentators” talking about a passage I was preaching on. The next Sunday service at the end a little old lady gave me a bag of potatoes’s and she said; these are “new potatoes” I know you will like them better. I said; thank you, but why would I like new potatoes better? She said; well last Sunday you said you didn’t like those common-taters” so I thought theses would do you better