Customer Reviews

NIV Life Application Study Bible, Indexed

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My first impressions on the Life Application Study Bible (NIV) are these: it has lots of white space for the actual text of the Bible (which I like a lot for Proverbs and Psalms, etc.--but less so for the more narrative portions such as the gospels) without the crowded feel and wrapped lines of the NIV Study Bible (c. 1985, hereafter NSB), many of the book introductions contain a timeline specific to that book along with a map of key places discussed in the book's text, the major timeline at beginning of Bible -- called Chronology of Bible Events and World Events -- is in black and white and much simpler than NSB's chronology and more enjoyable on first glance, the introductions are all nicely organized and simpler than NSB, it has roughly 25% of the cross-references and fewer notes than NSB, its Concordance is smaller than NSB, its charts are numerous and helpful but the line maps don't seem as extensive as NSB, the Profile Notes of Bible People are very interesting (lacking in NSB) and the integrated Harmony of the Gospels is a wonderful reference (lacking in NSB).

Much of the above is mandated by the different approach taken by the Life Application system. The NSB seems more scholarly. Life Application is more touchy-feely. I like both; they are complementary. My NSB is a sturdy hardback textbook. The Life Application Bible is in leather and indexed. I appreciate the leather feel and especially the thumb-index system, but for such a large book the floppy leather cover does not offer the support of the cheaper textbook. Still, somehow, the flexibility and skin texture and rounded edges all combine to make this leather book feel more intimate.

As a new Christian, I was having difficulty understanding the King James Version of the Bible. The Life Application Bible gives me a greater understanding of how we should live our lives in todays world as a Christian. It also gives complete explanations of what the scriptures meant at the time that it was written. This Bible is a pleasure to read.

I can read for a couple of hrs. witout even realizing it. The way the information is presented is really outstanding. I feel I am understanding His Word on a much deeper level. There are sooo many sources of information offered. Maps, concordance/dictionary, index, commentary, even personal profiles---all of it is extraordinary and very easy to absorb. What a great study guide for the 'new born' christian and the well studied.

I struggled for many years to find the relevence in the Old Testament to my life. I also had problems with the New Testament, as well, especially the Pauline letters that seem to place women in a lowered social status.

This Bible has been of great help to me in finding the meaning in both the Old and New Testaments, with its chapter introductions, outlines, and explanations of "megathemes" in each chapter, so that I know what to look for as I read. I also appreciate the daily reading plan, as I am now reading more of the Bible than I would have otherwise.

I have a few concerns with this edition of the Bible, though. First, the authorship of the first several books of the Old Testament is attributed to Moses, which makes me wince slightly, as so much Christian scholarship agrees that there were likely several authors at work. Please understand that this theory of multiple authorship does not diminish the sacredness of the Bible to me - the very ideas contained in the Bible are Divine, no matter who the author/s was/were. But, this is not a scholarly Bible, and tradition dictates that Moses wrote the books, so there we are.

Second, the commentary seems to slant a bit toward the evangelical Protestant point of view, which I am not, and I guess that's why I noticed it.

Third, I feel that the lack of the apocryphal books of the Old Testament is a major omission. I understand that the Apocrypha are not usually included in most bibles, but a biblical edition of this quality would have been greatly enhanced by their inclusion. Tobit is wonderful book, and I miss not having the commentary. I hope that future editions will include these Biblical treasures.

That said, I am extremely pleased with this edition of the Bible. It clearly presents the stories of our faith in clear language, and relates it to our lives today, so that our study takes on an additional dimension. Also, I appreciate the look and feel of the leather cover and the gilt-edged pages - holding it, I know that I possess a sacred object, and that alone affects my approach to the Bible; I read it with a greater sense of awe. It is not a scholarly Bible, but an intimate one, and it will accompany me on all my travels.

You can and should believe all the good reviews on this bible. I recently purchased mine and could not stop reading. Bible study is not foreign to me, but for the first time I can actually say I truly understand what I am reading. The NIV translation flows easily and allows you to read the words very literally. With the ease of the text, the notes, and the applications it is almost impossible to take a phrase out of contex. The megathemes are every bit as good as what you will find in Thompson Chain Reference bibles. Having both, I like the NIV more. The charts and maps are outstanding. The NIV chain reference is not as extensive as what you would find in Thompson's, but noteworthy. There is a lot of open space to add your most copious notes. This is money well spent.

This life application NIV will help the reader to better understand the text without a doubt! I have been well read in the King James and the NKJ, yet certain scripture's meanings were elusive or I felt I could interpret it in many ways. The life application's comments help me so much in that I now can better understand and therefore better apply scripture to my life. That was my purpose, to better apply the bible and this version has definately helped me.

This is a tremendously interesting and fun way to read the bible. You could literally study the entire book -- without consulting another source -- and become biblically literate. I love this bible and find myself reading way more material than I otherwise would. It's superb! (P.S. The index is a must for the novice.)

I own 4 study Bibles altogether. This one is by far the best of the bunch. Easy to read text, tons of study helps. Great charts, diagrams and maps sprinkled throughout the text. The study notes are so insightful and thought-provoking, in fact, that it takes twice as long to read this Bible as it does for others. :)

This study bible contains a wealth of resources to assist in understanding scripture. The study notes explain, in detail, the context and possible interpretations of the verses. They also provide discussions on how each verse relates to other parts of the Bible (particularly linking Old Testament prophecies to New Testament events). In many study bibles, these links would be limited to no more than a book, chapter, and verse number and the discussion would be omitted.

The study notes also identify and discuss areas of the Bible that may be troubling to readers such as the discrepancy between the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Matthew as to whether Jesus visited Bethany before or after Palm Sunday. These discussions have added significantly to my understanding.

An additional resource is that throughout the text, footnotes are used to identify other areas of Scripture that use similar wording or address the same topic. This has lead to a richer reading experience for me.

Some reviewers have commented on difficulty in reading the text. While I have noticed that the pages are a bit thin and I can see shadows of the text from other pages, this did not hinder my reading. I was worried that it would lead to eye strain. I should note that I am in my early 30s. This may be more of a problem for older readers.

I am extremely happy with this study bible. I recommend it highly. It will be a valuable addition to your library.

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I posted the above review in 2004. In 2008, older, and hopefully wiser, I am editing it. I would no longer give this book 5 stars. I have found that it contains subtle heterodox teaching (false teaching mixed in with the truth). For example, in the commentary on Colossians (page 2163), in a section titled "salvation through faith" the editors contrast "religion by self effort" with "salvation by faith." In the very first sentence under salvation by faith, they say the goal is to "Trust in Christ and then live to please God." This is astonishing. They don't make it a full sentence into describing the gospel before they have laid the yoke of the law back on our necks. Christ lived the perfect life and met the law's demands on our behalf. The gospel is the good news that we are forgiven and our debt has been paid. The additional requirement that we live to please God is false teaching.

Had they said that "it is God who works in you, both to will and work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13), I would have agreed wholeheartedly. Sanctification and good works are a necessary result of salvation. But they remain primarily God's work and the result of the Holy Spirit working within us. But the notes repeatedly point us back to what we are doing rather than the finished work of Christ.

I will be discarding this study Bible in favor of Concordia Self-Study Bible: Niv which contains a much better understanding of the free gift of forgiveness we receive by grace, through faith, on account of Christ.

I tell you what - the indexed is well worth the extra cost. It makes it so much easier to look up passages. ISBN: 0310919940 is bonded leather cover, gold (I am sure there is a more 'technical' term)coloring on the outside of the pages. Some others have claimed the text is small and the paper is thin. However, this is typical Bible print and pages. If you're looking for something larger, you may want to get the Large Text version. The great part about this Bible is that it has references, maps, cross references and other added informational material throughout the bottom of the Bible. This really ads to the whole experience and the consistency between all the books. I thought that Jesus' words being in red would be distracting but it really ads emphasis.