Mill Creek Blog

 This week I noticed another study Bible came out...the New Living Study Bible.  It looks pretty amazing. On some pages there is 2/3 study help, 1/3 Bible. For some people that might be overkill. For others, its a treasure mine. 

A "study Bible" is just that...it is a Bible with notes that explain verses, articles about subjects found in the Bible, maps, charts, and additional information. Put all those together and you have a pretty full resource for personal Bible study. Some of the new study Bibles weigh approximately the same as a mid sized dog. They're getting pretty big.  

The question I get: "Which one do you recommend?"

Not an easy question. Let me contrast three:

 NIV Study Bible. I think this is the best selling, has been around longer than the others.  The NIV stands for New International Version. This version has been the best selling version of the Bible for some time. It is a very good translation and one of the first to attempt to lose the "old English" feel handed down from the King James version. It is a faithful translation. The study part is very good as well. Lots of footnotes, maps, charts, etc. 

ESV Study Bible. This one came out last year. Currently I preach from the ESV, the English Standard Version.  The ESV features English that is a little freer than the New American Standard version, but not as free as the NIV. The translation was a move closer to the structure of the original languages than the NIV. For this reason conservative Bible scholars tend to prefer it. More than 20,000 notes on Bible text make it an amazing resource, and an effective door stop. It's huge. This may be a drawback for some...unless one is looking for a good study Bible. It is that!

NLT Study Bible. The newest of the study Bibles. I don't have one so I haven't spent a lot of time in it. I did look over the promotional materials and surveyed the scholars involved. A good list, cross denominational. At first glance it looks like some of the scholars "doubled up"--provided notes for more than one book. The ESV had a distinct scholar for each book of the Bible, perhaps a strength. The NLT Study Bible has more notes than the ESV, more articles. I haven't seen one in the stores yet, but I'm working out so as to be able to lift it when I do. It looks like an amazing resources. 

 So which one is best? The first question might be deciding which translation you prefer.  For some people ease-of-read is most important. In that case I might recommend the NLT. Very free flowing, easy to read. For others, the breadth of notes in a study Bible is the deciding factor. In that case, I might go with the new NLT Study Bible (the ESV Study Bible being a very, very close second). For some, a translation that is more translation and less interpretation is important. In that case, you want the ESV (out of the three I am reviewing). 

Go to a local Christian Bookstore and look through one of these. They are really amazing resources. 

As Jesus sits in courtyard of women, an area of the Temple open to all, he sees a poor widow make an extraordinary contribution. Jesus had just been repeatedly attacked by the religious system of the day, and seeing her he thinks of how that system was abusive to so many…for so long. Does our religion cause us to see the need around us…or to use it for our own ends? 

In Mark 12 we have seen Jesus tested by the religious opposition almost without any chance to catch His breath! In the passage for this Sunday, we will see him answer the quintessential rabbinical debate. And His answer echoes throughout history and challenges us today. He will root His answer in ancient scriptures but will have vital application RIGHT WHERE we live!

The two great commandments are to love God with all that we are, and love other people like we love ourselves. There is nothing greater, more necessary, or more challenging.