Bible Study tools

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Why Verse by Verse Bible Studies?

What is a good study bible?

There are several attributes to consider when you buy a study bible. The main thing is to get a book that is comfortable at your normal studying location and comfortable to read.

WARNING!

Many of the new study bibles have so many “helps” that the actual Bible is lost in the clutter. Often that actual words of the bible are left to an inch across the top of the page with six or seven inches of footnotes, commentary, and so on. The typography used for the Bible is inferior and hard to read in order to make the commentaries more attractive. They are very difficult to use for real study.

In many cases you will do better with what is called a Reference Bible.

A lot of this is personal

For example, I find that single-column Bibles are much easier to use and especially easy to teach from:

• Leather-bound

Nothing else will last long enough.
A leather-bound Bible will last a decade or more. Bonded leather will last about three years. Hardback, maybe a year and a half. Paperback maybe two years.

• Many cross references
  
• Good maps
  
• Word definitions

Either in the footnotes or built into the cross references

• Wide margins for taking notes
  
• A translation you trust:

You'll need to pick up many translations and paraphrases, but unless you are certain you will use them for serious study, they can be paperbacks or hard-bound covers

• No denominational slant in the subheads, footnotes, & commentary

You want clear explanations of the scriptures. You do not want doctrinal slants

My favorite study bibles

The International Inductive Study Bible [NASB]

Single-column, wide margins, easy to read, easy to add notes with its wide margins. No space wasted on footnotes, but very good cross-references.

The New Inductive Study Bible (International Inductive Study Series) Hardcover

Harper Study Bible {RSV} out of print

This has always been the gold standard for me. Sadly, it is no longer available. RSV is literal and accurate. The Bible is single column, excellent cross references, very good footnotes, maps and book intros. Very easy to read.

NRSV Harper Study Bible Hardcover

Spirit Filled Life Bible [NKJV]

Some of the best footnotes and commentary for spirit-filled readers. Edited by Jack Hayford. Very busy layout, Excellent reference. Hard to read and difficult to study from.

New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, New King James Version: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, British Sable, Genuine Leather, Thumb-Indexed Leather Less than $60

We have a couple dozen more in our library.

Pastor Patricia’s Favorites

Thompson Chain Reference [NKJV]

This has the most exhaustive topical reference system ever developed.

Thompson Chain Reference Bible: NKJV Bonded leather, Burgundy

A couple comments

We both tend to avoid the NIV as there are too many places where we believe the translation is bad or biased. Pat is currently preferring the NKJV.

Increasingly, I am enjoying the New Living Translation. The early works were paraphrases. But the translation is good and gives a valuable comparison text to the "more normal" translations. It will probably be my next study bible purchase. (if I can find a single column layout).