Customer Reviews

Quest Study Bible, The, Indexed

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This Bible has a unique layout with the questions and answers in the margins taking up about 1/3 of the width of the page. I really enjoy the length of the line of print this produces. Sometimes single-column text is a bit long to keep one's interest and sometimes the double-columns seem just too short.

The margins contain the questions and answers which make the Quest Study Bible unique. The questions are ones that you very possibly have wondered about over the years. A couple of examples are: "Should Christians sell their possessions and give to the poor?" (Mark 10:21) and "Why did Jesus tell Mary not to hold onto him?" (John 20:17). The margins also contain "scripture links" which might tell you where else in the Bible that the story is related.

The book introductions are excellent, covering reasons for readin the book, wrote wrote the book, to whom was it written, when was it written, what else was happening to the world at that time, and things to look for. Each Bible book intro also has a timeline which helps put things in perspective.

On some pages, the margins might have a small area map to help you understand where all this took place. The margins also have plenty of room for making your own notes.

There are also short articles at the bottoms of some of the pages which discuss a certain issue more thoroughly. I enjoy the Index to Subjects, and the Concordance. The full-color maps in the back are very helpful also.

This Bible has several reading plans for you to follow according to what your goal is in studying God's Word. You can cover the Life and Teachings of Jesus (briefly!) in two weeks. They tell you how to get a general overview of the whole Bible in 6 months, and how to read through the entire Bible in i3 years. If you're interested in reading the whole Bible in a year (I highly recommend it!), you might want to check out "The One Year Bible - New Living Translation" and "The One Year Bible Companion". I wrote reviews on Amazon for both of these books.

Another feature of the Quest Bible that I really have learned a lot from is the 4-page chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah which the editors included between 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles. This helps you keep track of who was king in which area during which year and what the corresponding passages in 1&2 Kings and 1&2 Chronicles contain that history. Even more interesting, the chart tells which of the prophets were around for which rulers. This chart really pulled that whole period of history together for me.

This Bible would make a great gift for someone who is just starting to read the Bible, or for someone who has been reading for a long time.

The only thing that they left out that I'd like to see in this Bible is a cross-reference system.

May God bless your study of his Word! Please check out my other reviews of Christian books, Bibles, and music.

I once owned the #1 best selling bible and had it stolen. In that book I had used Crayola markers and highlighted various scripture and had written down many scripture notes. Many of them answering questions from big questions I found in verses. As I began to shop for a new bible, this one immedietly caught my eye because it not only answered ALL my questions in it, but said it in easy-to-read english. I thought that since my Bible was stolen, ALL my answers were stolen as well.. But this Bible proved differently. If you are very intellectual about your reading and love to probe deeper without having to have 90 commentaries by your side, this is the solution for you. Don't take my word for it, go to your local bookstore and open it up. =) God bless you as you pursue your bible. Myself, I just purchased the leather bound version (twice the cost). =P it's well worth it.

I loved this Bible when I first bought it and would have given it 5 stars then. But after 10 months I realized that I don't agree with several commentaries in the book. Most of the comments are well-balanced and give the reader several different views to choose from. However I've run across several comments I've scratched through in my Bible and written above it. For instance it says the reader can't claim the promises of the psalms and proverbs. It also spiritualizes away the meanings of some scriptures that change the God promised meaning. Also it seems to avoid topics I'd like to see comments on. Just keep an open mind with this Bible. On the whole I love the book and still use it every night. But in the future I want a different study Bible.

Indeed, this is most definitely a very good study Bible, but as the other Lutheran minister (2 reviews below me) would surely agree, not everything in it is 100% agreeable. I've found a few things that I don't agree with completely, such as issues on Free Will and Sovereignity. Nothing truly serious (I still also give it 5 stars), but remember to take the notes with a grain of salt. The same goes for any study Bible. :)

It's a wonderful beginners study Bible, but you might want to move onto a New Oxford Annotated Bible later on. (Another good one is the Concordia Self-study Bible. It's suitable for all Lutherans, not just Missouri Synod, and any other non-Catholic Christian as well.) The New Oxford is my all-time favorite, with the Concordia following along (the Concordia is actually a heavily edited edition of the NIV Study Bible).

I grew up in a christian home, with the King James translation of the Bible. It wasn't until I went through some difficult times in my life that I realized that while my body and my mind had grown to adulthood, I was still an adolescent in my faith. When I went looking for a new Bible I happened across the leather bound copy of The Quest Study Bible and through reading and studying the Q&A and scripture references I have grown in faith as well. I highly recommend this Bible.

As a young Catholic, I was not encouraged enough to become familiar with the Bible. Now, in my adulthood, I have reapproached my faith and found that many unanswered questions from my adolescence remained. The Bible can be a perplexing book, but the Quest version helps clarify confusing cultural references and puts the stories in their proper historical context for deeper understanding of the Scriptures. I heartily recommend this Bible to both seekers and "old" Christians alike.

This bible has by far kept me interested in the bible. As you read it has questions along the sides that normal people would ask. Other bibles get too wordy and could lose you if you like simple reads.

I would surely recommend this book to anyone.

I bought this Bible when I became born again. I didn't know the Word at all and believe i'm an intellectual-type. THIS BIBLE WAS THE CRITICAL FACTOR IN FINDING MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. More than 5 years later, I still find it the best available for scripture reading and searching. My Pastor, I, and Christian friends of various denominations give this Bible as a gift. Great for those who are new in Christ or haven't come to Him yet. I am sending one to a prisoner.

God's love to all who read this!

It is great if you want to hear prepared answers on a range of a simple topics. So you can easily start with this one. But... it gives you no chance to grow... Studying Scriptures deeply will cause the need of another study source like Thompson Chain-Regerence or smth. else. Do not limit yourself!

Every time I read the Bible, questions form in my mind. With the Quest Study Bible, the questions are written out and answered right on the same page as the scripture itself. It seems my questions are not so unusual. Apparently many people struggle to understand the very things I wonder about. It is a great Bible for those new to Scripture and/or new to the faith. Often, when people are unable to understand what the Bible says, they give up. The Quest Study Bible gives very satisfactory explanations for difficult to comprehend passages. What I have most enjoyed about this Bible, is being able to answer the questions my children ask. They now think I am very knowledgable. And I have been satisfied with every explanation I have come across in this Bible. I consider it a highly valuable study aid and I recommend it without reservation.