Customer Reviews

The Macarthur Study Bible ~ New King James Version (NKJV)

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I have been admiring MacArthur for sometime. His passion for the Biblical truth still burns in him. His Study Bible is far better than all the other Study Bibles to date (including NIV Zondervan Study Bible and New Geneva Study Bible). Here are few reasons:
1. It has extensive study notes. This Study Bible has wealth of spiritual and Biblical information. It is practically a verse by verse expostional Study Bible. This alone merits high praise.
2. It has practical and devotional challenges. The study notes seem to have a goal in mind: holiness through knowledge of God. This particular element is clearly emphasized throughout the study notes.
3. It has useful addtional materials. Aside from maps, introduction and outline to each book of the Bible, it also contains very useful materials, such as: Topical Index, The Character of Genuine Saving Faith, etc.. They are very useful for both personal edification and teaching.

NOTE: This Study Bible teaches premillennialism, pre-tribulational rapture, cessasionism and Reformed (in Soteriology). I am Pre-mill, post-trib, non-cessasionist, and Reformed. Despite these differences, I have found this Study Bible better than all others. I liked it so much, I bought it two more and gave them to my friends!

This is a great study Bible. MacArthur presents a great deal of intelligent insights and background information, as well as outlining every chapter in the Bible. The outlines alone are worth the price of the Bible. His beginning-of-book summaries are the best I've seen, covering each book's author and date of writing, historical context, and even exegetical problems and theological issues.

About the New King James Version of the Bible: I started off as an NIV user (since that's the first Bible I ever really used). I had always felt the NKJV was sort of a crutch for people who couldn't understand the KJV but couldn't give up their King James forms. When I saw that MacArthur's study Bible was only available in the NKJV, that made me think again. Now I love this translation: it's both accurate and easy to read. I've read the evidence presented by King James Only advocates and, while I respect their sincerity, I am unconvinced that the NKJV is the Enemy's work.

For the reviewers who said that MacArthur only presents one point of view: isn't this what's expected? The whole purpose of a study Bible is that the author of that Bible's notes presents his understanding of Biblical passages, which you are then free to accept or reject (obviously, under wise council of other godly people and the control of the Holy Spirit). I have looked at many study Bibles, and they all do exactly that - Ryrie, Scofield, LaHaye, whoever. Does one expect LaHaye to provide evidence for preterism, or Ryrie for so-called "Lordship Salvation"? I am afraid that when other reviews say "he only presents one point of view" they really mean "he doesn't present MY point of view." Besides, in the beginning-of-book "theological issues" sections MacArthur at least deals with other points of view, something that most others don't do.

A perfect example is the reviewer who mentioned 1 Corinthians 14. Obviously this fellow doesn't agree with MacArthur. Might I hazard a guess that the reviewer is charismatic? MacArthur appears to be a cessationist. But the point is that a study Bible is not the place to cover the issues in detail: if the commentary is not to overwhelm the Biblical text in quantity, probably the best that can be accomplished is to give one point of view. My advice would be to get a good book that covers those types of issues in detail: Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology does a good job of that (while also taking a particular point of view, somewhat different from MacArthur's).

I should note that I am not a cessationist nor a dispensationalist myself. I believe Spiritual Gifts are for today and all history. But, unlike another reviewer, to say cessationism "borders on REAL heresy" is far beyond what can reasonably be concluded from Scripture. "Christianity" as taught by people such as Charles Capps and Frederick Price, yes: cessationalism, no.

In sum, if you're looking for a new Bible that you'll love for years to come, get the MacArthur Study Bible. Whether you agree with everything you read or not (I don't), you will find the notes well thought out and helpful.

There are two main differences between the old and new NKJV MacArthur Bibles, and both are in the appendices:
(1) a CONCORDANCE (125 pages) is added, a glaring lack of the original MacArthur. So now the person who remembers a name or word but not the verse that includes it can look it up in the concordance and get the corresponding verse citation.
(2) the TOPICAL INDEX is rearranged for easy look-up. This is a huge improvement, because the previous MacArthur index was not at all user friendly, due to the hard-to-find way the topics were listed. Now the subtopics are classified under 10 clear theological concepts: The Holy Scriptures, God the Father, God the Son, and so on. To illustrate the improvement, previously there was a topic "Excellency and Glory of Christ," something I never would have thought to have looked for in those exact terms searching under "E," but now if I know I want to look up some attribute of Christ, I can just go to the "God the Son" section and search the subtopics there.

The Topical Index is now called Index to Key Bible Doctrines and is a bit shorter in length than before, and the order of appendix articles is changed, but other than that the Bible notes are the same as far as I can tell, which is mostly good, but in one way bad. My favorite of the retained features are three opening articles that are fantastic for new believers:
- Introduction to the Bible
- How We Got the Bible
- How to Study the Bible
What's not good is that MacArthur has not changed his explanatory notes to reflect his publicly announced change in position on the Eternal Sonship of Jesus, but with knowledge continues to misrepresent Jesus in that particular area. So though this Bible is "revised," if it's "updated" I'm not seeing it.

Of the various NKJV Study Bibles, this one's notes, book intros and outlines, and special features seem most doctrinally helpful. Other NKJV Study Bibles either are more applicationaly than doctrinally focused, skimpy in their notes, or indecisive, offering different interpretations even when the scripture is clear on a matter. Since John MacArthur and his team of Master's Seminary research scholars take well-supported doctrinal stances, the reader is protected from confusion and veering off into erroneous theology.

For those who know they want the MacArthur notes but are unsure of which of the two available translation options to get, consider both the pros and cons of the NASB vs NKJV and also visual appearance--that stylistically this revised NKJV has darker print and is without the annoying ornate touches of the NASB (no large shadowy letter "M"'s for ex). Regarding the translation, both choices are respected word-for-word ("literal equivalence") type translations, rather than thought-for-thought. Many would say the NASB is more accurate, particularly in Revelation, due to its reliance on older but more recently discovered original language manuscripts. But even if this is so, for some people this slight benefit does not outweigh the beauty of the NKJV, which still sounds much like the KJV minus the archaic language (though there are some more significant changes as well, such as "You shall not murder" instead of "Thou shalt not kill"). The NKJV does note when underlying translation manuscripts differ. The MacArthur Study Bible has the notes for serious students and has helpful introductory sections for the new believer. It also makes for a helpful reference tool.

I am a long-time user of the original MacArthur Study Bible and rushed out to get this "revised and updated edition". Much to my surprise, I found that the only updating and revising is in the back of the bible--the addition of a condcordance (a much needed feature) with some changes in the other appendices in the back. I looked all through the bible itself and could not find any additional notes. (I am not sure how one would improve on the excellent notes, anyway!) The pagination and page layout of the old and new study bible are identical from what I could see. Moral of the story: If you want a MSB, buy the older version (which is discounted at most stores right now) unless getting a concordance is worth the extra $20 bucks or so. Otherwise, the bibles are identical. Oh, and the construction of the binding and pages of the new one are just as bad if not worse than the old bible. Shame on Nelson!

If this were a review of the original, I would give it a five for the notes. Since calling this a "revision" is a little deceptive, I gave it a three.

I have in my personal library about 30 Bibles, many of which are study Bibles. The MacArthur Study Bible stands out as the one that has everything I want in a study Bible. It is based on the New King James Version. I have studied Bible translations for a long time and I find the NKJV to be the most accurate and readable English translation. The NKJV also has the best textual notes of any English version. MacArthur's study notes are very substantial. There are typically more notes on each page than Bible text. This gives the reader serious verse by verse commentary that one can take wherever one goes with this Bible in hand. The notes themselves provide the needed information and research that aid interpretation and application. This Bible also features book introductions, in-text maps and charts, and an outline of theology. The only weakness is that the topical index, though a good idea for a study Bible, fails to use an outline format and just lists all the entries under one heading making it difficult to locate a specific entry. But if you are looking for a study Bible that uses a reliable translation and has sound conservative Evangelical commentary then this is the Bible for you.

The MacArthur Study Bible is by far the best study Bible on the market. I own several study Bibles (NIV Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible, Old Scofield Study Bible, Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible, Nelson's King James Study Bible, Praise and Worship Study Bible, The Comparative Study Bible, etc.). I can say, without a doubt, that the notes in the MacArthur Study Bible are the finest to be found anywhere. When studying a particular passage of scripture in various commentaries (e.g. The NIV Bible Commentary [i.e., the condensation of the Expositor's Bible Commentary], Tyndale NT Commentaries, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, and the Believer's Bible Commentary), I often find that MacArthur's treatment (in his study Bible) is more detailed!! In all cases, MacArthur reaches a sound conclusion. I have yet to find any theologically unsound teaching in this Bible. MacArthur expounds the Word the way it was meant to be expounded - with clarity, with scholarship, and with a belief in the infallibility of God's inspired Word. Everything in this Bible is top notch. In addition to the abundance of commentary, many other helps are found, e.g. a section on "How We Got The Bible," a section on "How to Study The Bible," wonderful chronological charts, a section entitled "Overview of Theology," etc., etc.. In short, the MacArthur Study Bible has everything other study Bibles (i.e., the ones mentioned above) have, plus more! Additionally, the actual page layout is quite appealing to the eye -- unlike some study Bibles. Also, the book introductions are among the best I have seen.

The New King James Version is an excellent translation. Serious students of the Bible will find the marginal manuscript variation notes invaluable!

I would give the MacArthur Study Bible an unconditionable recommendation to anyone looking for a study Bible giving a detailed treatment of the Word.

Using the word for word accuracy of the NKJV Version of the Bible, this scholarly work of popular Bible expositor and pastor, John MacArthur, is destined to be a classic in its genre.

As a study Bible, it aids the reader to understand the biblical text better with its unique feature that sets it apart from most Study Bibles - the over 20,000 study notes along side the text that explains and expound on almost every verse of the Bible! This is the diligent work of over 28 years of faithful expository preaching of the Bible at Grace Community Church - the home church of John MacArthur.

This reveals the passionate devotion of the author in faithful exposition of the Word, verse by verse. Though unashamedly biased towards the Reformed tradition, (as compared to more objectively-oriented Bibles like the NIV Study Bible and Nelson Study Bible), this work is among the best in its ability to aid people in understanding God's Word better.

Its cross-references are useful in supporting the interpretation of passages, using Scripture to interpret Scripture. It has thorough outlines of each book of the Bible (each outline is very thorough in its treatment of the authorship, date and setting, background and interpretative challenges)which are indefinitely more elaborate than most study Bibles like Ryrie, Scofield, Thompson Chain Reference, Spirit Filled Life, New Geneva, etc.

It also includes an introduction to the Bible, an article on how to study the Bible, harmony of the Gospels as well as the books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, chronological outline of the progression of Scripture, 12-page outline of systematic theology, a 200-page topical index, and over 20 bible maps, etc..all organized into a huge 2150 ++ over pages!

Truly an outstanding work that will set standards for ages to come. One of the most comprehensive Study Bibles so far in my collection!

If you are a zealous student of the Word, this Bible is for you!

The MacArthur Study Bible is an extremely thorough and researched study Bible. His many study notes brake down individual verses and words of the Bible to the most minute detail. For me, this has been a blessing and a curse. Also, be advised that are many words in his study notes that are difficult for the average reader to decipher. Such as simile, volitional, seminally, efficacy, inviolable, corollary, familial, cacophony, penitent, libertinism, recalcitrant, licentiousness, libation, soteriologically, and militates to name a few. Keep a dictionary nearby! This is definitely not a study Bible for beginners. But for those more learned, it is an immense and impressive work. Remember also that his many thousands of interpretative notes are his and his alone. I have the genuine leather edition and it is by far the most beautiful study Bible I own.

John MacArthur has provided outstanding study helps, with: 1. the New King James Version (NKJV) text, one of the most "accurate, beautiful, and complete" bible translations; 2. 20,000 study notes! 3. comprehensive bible introduction; 4. thorough book introductions and outlines; 5. outline of basic theology; 6. 200-pg topical index; 7. bible archaeology; 8. maps; 9. comprehensive timelines; 10. book harmonies; and, many other impressive helps!

The only detraction from this otherwise outstanding study bible is the lack of a concordance. Including a concise concordance would be of immense help, and that may be something the publishers would want to include in the next edition. In any case, a truly excellent and outstanding work, and I very highly recommend it for every Christian!

I hardly know where to begin! This excellent resource is based on the New King James Version of the Bible. Each book of the Bible, Old Testament and New, begins with a fascinating introduction, and a very useful outline. There are copious notes on the verses, it being quite common that there are more notes that verses on any given page! Also, there are many notes on such topics as systematic theology and archaeology and the Bible, plus many tables and timelines.

I must admit that while I am a fan of Doctor MacArthur, I am not sufficiently knowledgeable to give the reader a true understanding of his beliefs and dispositions.

That said, though, this is a great book and a wonderful resource. Reading through it, I have found the notes to be easily understandable, and quite informative. I highly recommend this book to everyone!