Customer Reviews

The Scofieldï¿1/2 Study Bible III, NIV

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This genuine leather edition is truly beautiful. I have seen a great demonstration on youtube of the difference between bonded leather and genuine leather. Bonded leather may look similar when you buy it, but don't expect it to last. The newer imitation leathers don't yet have a track record, but I won't be surprised if they turn into a crusty rubbery mess after about 20 years. Still, I actually was going to buy imitation leather, the one with the zipper, in a local store. At the check-out I examined it closely after removing from shrink wrap and discovered the zipper was already damaged before any use. So, I decided to forego the zipper and go with something built to last.

Regarding my choice of Scofield, I also considered Ryrie and the NIV Study Bible and others. I wanted NIV, so that limited my choices. I did not consider the Life Application Study Bible, because I believe it is important to understand the Bible and let the Spirit guide you in applying it to your life rather than relying on somebody else to tell you how to apply what you read. There are many other study Bibles geared to specific demographic groups or geared to new Christians which were not a good fit for me.

Scofield promotes dispensationalism, which may be a plus or a turn-off depending upon your viewpoint. However, I do not consider myself a dispensationalist. I just want notes that hold to a very high view of Scripture. Ryrie and the NIV Study Bible are both very hefty books. I found that some notes in Ryrie were just stating the obvious (like a note in Genesis that explains what "livestock" means). These books seem to be engaging in the publishing equivalent of an arms race, but they are stockpiling notes instead of weapons. I feel like maybe when you have most pages with more notes than text, the notes may just become more of a distraction than a true study aid. Scofield follows a "less is more" philosophy and doesn't overwhelm the reader with useless information or become a crutch where the reader will want to consult the notes for every verse on the page.

Besides the notes, the Scofield Bible has other features that are missing from some study Bibles, including a topical chain-reference system and a pretty good concordance. These are designed to promote the study of the Bible as a unified whole.

Before buying this I was using a NKJV bible, but nobody else in my Sunday school class had that version. Most people had NIV, and I think without a doubt NIV is the most popular translation today. Scofield's original study Bibles used the KJV mainly because it was the most popular in his day. I won't even get into all the alphabet soup of various translations available today or the KJV-only debate. NIV is a very readable translation, but doesn't sound "dumbed down". I understand NIV is at about a 7th grade reading level, which is about the same as popular novels. It takes advantage of the latest scholarship, but it does not make alterations for the sake of political correctness.

Of course, Oxford Bibles are of the highest quality. In this 2004 update of the Scofield Bible, you get some enhancements and reformatting which bring it up to the latest standards of Bible publishing. This includes over 60 in-text maps.

I am very happy with this Bible . It is nice nice nice . Leather is beautiful . Gold leaf pages are unmarred by scratches . Study notes are plentiful and I believe will really help me along as I delve deeper into the Word of God .I was looking for a Bible with a lot of study notes to aide in understanding as well as a different version to help me see the subtle differences . I am very happy with my purchase and it is also a handsome Bible with thumb indexing and ribbon marker . I have worn out 4 Bibles in the few years since I became born again so I knew I needed a well made real leather one . This seems to be it . And when you open it to a certain page it lays open and ready to be used instead of flipping shut every time you take your hand off of it . My only remark against it is that I really wanted a burgundy Bible and this one was only available in black .

This is the first bible I have purchased since owning a NLT Teen study bible. I paid for standard shipping and it was here in two days. Awesome service! When I received this bible I was truly impressed. It is a very premium study bible. I can't wait to dive into the word of God a little more in depth now. A must have for anybody that wants a nice NIV study bible! Don't wait!!!

This is a great study tool. Just what I was looking for, and at a great value.