Customer Reviews

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Reformation Study Bible has long been the standard by which all other study Bibles are measured. Having it available in the English Standard Version, which many consider the best available English translation, simply raises the bar. With R.C. Sproul at the helm and the list of editors reading like a who's-who of Reformed theology, the reader can have confidence that he is in good hands with these notes. Among those who contributed are J. I. Packer, James Boice, Roger Nicole and Wayne Grudem. Philip Ryken spoke well when he said "this is the gold standard for study Bibles."

Perhaps the greatest feature of the study notes is that when they address a controversial subject, the authors provide the differing viewpoints but then point out which is most consistent with Reformed theology. In the past I have been continually dismayed to see how many study Bibles remain noncommital on the tough issues. Adding to the value of this book are the doctrinal notes which appear throughout the Bible. These notes address such difficult topics as justification, election and the nature of the church. All of these topics are addressed from a consistently Reformed worldview.

To summarize, if you are looking for a study Bible, you will not do better than this. It combines the scholarship and literary quality of the English Standard Version with the consistently Reformed perspectives of the study notes to make the best study Bible available today.

The Reformation Study Bible is a goldmine of information, commentary, random observation, and quick reference. Before I added my two-cents'-worth to the review pile, I wanted to spend a number of weeks using it as a both a study tool and devotional aid. In order to facilitate this, I actually purchased the digital version from Nelson rather than the print version. My Bible study is primarily done within the Libronix Digital Library System, so this was the most useful format for me. Therefore, my comments relate to content and not presentation in the book format.

First off, I am glad that the Reformation Study Bible is offered with the ESV translation of the Bible based on both readability and a good attempt at being a translation that seeks to expose the underlying Greek text. This is my personal favorite translation, and I am happy with the large number of resources being quickly released to help me use this version.

My favorite feature of this study Bible is the short essays throughout called "Theological Notes." In my opinion this Bible is worth its purchase price for these notes alone. Let me give you a flavor of what they cover by listing some titles:
-The Image of God
-Body & Soul, Male & Female
-The Fall
-God's Covenant of Grace
-Infant Baptism
-The Baptism of Jesus
-The Unpardonable Sin
-The Transfiguration of Jesus
-Hell

Next, a very large number of in-text maps are provided which make for excellent resources. Since they are presented in the context of a certain passage of Scripture, they are much more useful than the maps often provided at the end of Bibles or in Bible Atlases. The editors' hard work is obvious in making the maps easy to use to understand the text with which they are presented. Great work here.

Many charts are also included which help get a birds-eye view of the text, especially when large amounts of information are presented throughout a number of chapters or when a logical progression of thought is particularly important or difficult to follow. The ones that are included are very useful, but I do wish that more charts had been created.

I have seen a number of negative reviews based on individual issues with which reviewers disagree with this Bible. I will say that I have come across a number comment with which I mildly disagree or would have wished had been stated differently (discussion of creation). And there are a few topics with which I greatly disagree (infant baptism). Nevertheless, the historical Reformed position is presented, and on controversial issues, the opposing positions are mentioned. This is not a downfall of the Bible, in fact, I think that it is a strength. Positions are offered and defended rather than simply presenting innocuous historical fact or some inoffensive application as many other study Bibles do. Nevertheless, for that reason, if I was looking for a Bible as a gift to a learning believer which I would agree with on a wider-breadth of issues I would choose the MacArthur Study Bible. But as a great study tool and a more in-depth Study Bible than MacArthur's I would go with the Reformation Study Bible.

http://www.hantla.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=71

There are dozens of Study Bibles on Amazon's lists, each carrying distinctiveness. But some are more distinctive than others. The Reformation Study Bible is one of the some. If you expect colorful maps, detailed charts and exhaustive concordance, you would be disappointed. But if you are looking for a study bible with handy inspiring notes to guide you to understanding the Spirit-filled God's Word, this is the book!

I find The Reformation Study Bible very helpful and useful for devotional time and pastoral ministries.

I only gave this Bible 4 stars because this edition has some flaws. One, and the most annoying, is that the headings/ book names are in the middle of the page instead of on the outside edge of the page-like guide words, which makes looking up specific passages more cumbersome (it is a large book). The second is that I expected it to have all the helps (Westminister Confession, etc. ) that the NIV had and it did not have them after the concordance. The ESV is excellent and the study helps throughout are also good but could use an index not just a table of content. I think the ESV as a study bible in still "in process" and I look forward to a more complete version with thorough helps and all the notes or even some word study.

For those who were waiting a theological sound study bible for a more literal translation than the NIV, your wait is over. The reformed study bible uses the English Standard Version, which is one of the best translations available. The notes are similar to those that you find in the NKJV New Geneva Study Bible (renamed as the Reformation Study Bible). While some of the notes are not as extensive as the "Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible", the background information is excellent for systematic study. The print is larger than the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible, which is important for those of us who are sight impaired.
The only negative that I see on this study bible is the lack of maps.
I recommend this Bible wholeheartedly for all who want to study the bible systematically. I also recommend the Spirit of the Reformation Bible for NIV study, NASB for the New American Standard Bible.

We own two of these Bibles and just bought one as a gift. I love the ESV as it is one of the most accurate translations, yet it is so readable (easier than the NKJV to me). This particular ESV is nice because the pages lay flat and the words and headings are easy on my eyes. Sometimes when I use other Bibles the text from the next page shows through (or the reverse side of the page I'm reading) and it causes my eyes to strain. I have none of that with this Bible, which is why I enjoy reading it so much.

RC Sproul has so much wisdom, and I appreciate what he has done here. For the person looking for a Bible with some helps, his notes are quite well done and thorough. If you're looking for very meaty notes, however, I find that many of them don't go quite enough in depth for what I'm looking for in a Study Bible. I tend to read from this one, yet use my MacArthur Study Bible notes in addition to go a little deeper. (Sometimes the shorter, succinct notes on the Reformation Study Bible are nice when you don't want to really go into a big study and just want a quick help.)

The ESV Reformation Study Bible has been a great help on my second read-through of the bible. I firstly read through the NT and then the Old using the new TNIV bible. That version is easier to read than the ESV, and is a usually reliable update to the venerable NIV. The translators have attempted to show where original masculine language was intended to be inclusive, such as in the use of the Greek word ADELFOI which sometimes means "brothers" but often means "Christian brothers and sisters." Occasionally this use of gender inclusive language smacks of political correctness and spoils an otherwise helpful translation.

The ESV also often uses inclusive language where this was intended in the original, but shrinks from doing this with certain words such as ADELFOI and HUIOI [which normally means "sons" but is often intended to include women as well].

At times the language in the ESV is awkward, which I noticed particularly in my read-through of Hebrews. It would be difficult to read to others some verses of the ESV and convey the sense correctly.

The Reformation Study Bible is an extremely helpful guide to the Scriptures, with excellent introductions to each body of literature in the bible, such as the Pentateuch, the Prophets, the Poetic Literature, the Gospels, etc. It includes helpful introductions to every bible book and also has usually helpful notes on specific chapters and verses.

There are also 96 articles on key theological topics which present a Reformed point of view, as would be expected. The editors have shown an awareness of some differences between Reformed Christians and have written the article on baptism, for example, with at least a passing acknowledgment of Baptists who are otherwise Reformed but do not believe that infant baptism is an acceptable application of the bible's instruction on this Christian initiation rite.

The authors of articles and notes include R C Sproul, Keith Mathison, Bruce Waltke, Moises Silva, James Boice, Edmund Clowney, J I Packer, Raymond Dillard, Tremper Longman, Gordon McConville, Ray Ortlund, Willem vanGemeren, Gordon Wenham, Wayne Grudem, Simon Kistemaker and Frank Thielman.

This Australian reviewer would like to mention that there are also several excellent Aussie contributors, including Leon Morris, Bill Dumbrell, Graeme Goldsworthy, Barry Webb and John Woodhouse.

I am disappointed that my hardcover edition has cracked binding: I'm guessing it came this way. But I hope that this is not an indication of poor workmanship in other copies.

I highly recommend this bible as a wonderful help in coming to understand the Word of God more fully.

The brand new ESV Reformation Study Bible is fantastic. Why do I say that? For one reason, the print is 10.5 and readable! Thank you, Ligonier and P&R!!! The second paen of gratitude is that this Bible does NOT come from Crossway, who have pretty well established themselves as producers of---and may I be genteel about it--- 'junque' Bibles. This edition, in hardback, appears to have a sewn binding, and I eagerly await the leather editions! The charts and in-text helps are excellent and succinct. This is a good scholar's Bible, and combining these notes and this translation will surely be a winner. The RSB also is available by Nelson in the NKJV. The print is tiny, tiny, tiny. They should provide a magnifying glass with each Bible sold. The bindings here on the leather editions are sewn, a surprise from Nelson. Either edition will give you God's Word with balanced annotations.

I've come to love the ESV translation over the last year or so - it's literal beauty and daily readability are unmatched in my opinion. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a great "do-all" translation, from daily reading to Bible study to word studies, etc.

The study notes, articles, and other materials included with the Reformation Study Bible are quite helpful. I have nothing negative to say about the "Life Applications" study Bibles which are so popular these days, but I find this one far more helpful. I think of it as more of a "grown-folk" Bible, but mature Christians of any age would find it useful.

Inasmuch as I can comment on quality, having owned it a short time, the book is well made. The pages are of good weight; the font is very readable and clear. The cover, I find, is quite pleasing to the eye. It's a large book, but no larger than any other study Bible. The one addition I would make is perhaps a page-minder (those ribbon book marks found commonly in leather-bound Bibles). I have a few inviter cards for my church I keep on hand as bookmarks, but you run the risk of giving away your bookmark!

HIGHLY recommended to anybody without any reservation.

The Reformation Study Bible in the ESV has the same theological notes - all 96 from Packer's Concise Theology (the one on "Salvation" curiously moved from Acts 4:12 to 2Cor. 6:5), and the same study notes as the New Geneva Bible (as far as I can tell). The main difference - besides the translation - is the LOOK. The book introductions and outlines are more aesthetically pleasing than either the Geneva Study Bible (NGSB) or the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible (SRSB). I was hoping they would not revise the notes - unless they wanted to add to them - because I considered them to be good just the way they were. The dark background of the theological notes in the NGSB has been replaced with white and the words of Christ are in black not red (hardback version). This happens to be the way I prefer it to be and I think it looks better. The hardback edition I have has no maps in the back; it is also missing the articles written by Clowney, Boice, Waltke, Packer, and Whitlock. Also missing is the Index to Annotations (the SRSB doesn't have one either). Maybe these will be in the leather editions. I had hoped they would include one of the confessions or catechisms in this edition - as I wished they did in the NGSB long before the SRSB decided to include some - preferably the Heidelberg Catechism put at the BEGINNING of the Bible as a summary of the Christian Reformed faith. Oh well, you can't have everything you want. Overall, the combination of the ESV with study notes reflecting the light of the truth recovered in the Reformation make this edition well worth your purchase.