The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha (Paperback 9872A) (Paperback)

by Gail R. O'Day (Editor), David Petersen (Editor) "Genesis is made up of two large sections..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Access Bible does what no other Bible in print has done: it marries impeccable, ideologically balanced scholarship with helpful annotations, sidebars, maps, and other study aids that first-time Bible readers need to understand what's going on. With apologies to the author of Ecclesiastes, this really is something new under the sun--a Bible that anyone, regardless of religious education, can pick up and read. It will neither talk down to you or make you feel you've gotten in over your head. The translation, the New Revised Standard Version, is the only contemporary translation that preserves the bones of the King James style and renders that style in straightforward language. The annotations, which appear in helpful places on the book's well-designed pages, also include a glossary and concordance to help readers understand and locate key terms in the Bible. The Access Bible makes reading the Bible as easy as it can be. Deciding what to do with all this knowledge, that's the hard part. (The Access Bible comes in several bindings, and is published in two different versions--one with the Apocrypha, a collection of writings endorsed by some denominations but not others--and one without.) --Michael Joseph Gross

Product Description
Modern readers of the Bible are time travelers visiting a society and culture very different from their own. Strange customs, unfamiliar words and novel concepts encountered in the Bible's pages can make understanding the Word of God a real challenge.

The Access Bible is friendly to people who've never studied the Bible before. Yes, it presents the most current scholarship, and it's based on the New Revised Standard Version translation (the new standard of scholarly excellence in Bible versions). But The Access Bible takes an important further step. It's been carefully written and edited so that those new to the world of Bible study can just pick it up - and start reading.

A unique feature of The Access Bible is the running commentary which is interspersed with the Bible text. Difficult concepts are clearly explained in terms which everyday readers can easily understand. There's no need to have a dictionary by your side when you're using The Access Bible. When a technical explanation is required, all of the terms are defined right on the page, as well as in a glossary at the back. History, social contexts, religious practices, the beliefs of ancient peoples - all are explained when the Bible text requires it.

In addition, this new Bible was designed to contain all the background information needed by believers from a wide spectrum of churches. The Access Bible sets a new standard for ease of understanding. It's truly a companion for life's spiritual journey!

The Access Bible is available both with and without the Apocrypha.

Product Details

• Paperback: 2176 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195282175
• ISBN-13: 978-0195282177
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,778 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Bible for worship and study., September 29, 2000

By	Kerry Sullivan (Taylor, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a terrific resource for readers who really desire to grow in their understanding of the Bible and Biblical times. The notes are very good, providing pertinent historical and cultural information and insightful analysis. They're straight forward and really help to illuminate the entire Bible, especially the more difficult passages. They're also user- friendly, providing the information right there rather than sending the reader off on a hunt through a maze of cross references.

My comparisons are with the NIV Study Bible (which I found too conservative and rigid)and the Harper-Collins Study Bible (which I found too technical and almost secular in their approach). This Bible strikes a happy medium--real,user friendly scholarship, presented in an uplifting way. For me it really helps in sorting out the time bound, cultural aspects of the Bible from the eternal truths we should cling to forever.

If I have one complaint, it's that there are no headings within the text to help the reader locate specific passages (e.g., "The Transfiguration" or "Feeding the 5,000.") But that's pretty picky--it's a wonderful book!

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the bible for the casual reader, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version (Paperback 9872) (Paperback)

I have 22 different Bibles and this is by far the most enjoyable Bible of whole of them. I have studied from the NIV study bibles( living insights, NIV study, quest, and student), the Nelson study bible, the new believer's study Bible, NASB, NAB, KJV, and the New oxford, and harper Collins' study bibles. While all of these have their merit I tended to find that the NIV, KJV, NLT, and NASB were geared toward more evangelical Christians. While this is fine it does help those people from the mainline denominations who want to pursue active Bible study are fed an evangelical and, quite frankly, in some cases, bad scholarship. The new oxford and Harper Collins' study bibles are excellent but sometimes can be too detailed and filled with information that may be interesting though not terribly important to the casual reader. The Access Bible uses the excellent New Revised Standard Version, which is what most mainline and even some not- so- mainline churches use. The version which has the Apochryphal/deuterocanonical books is excellent for catholics and former catholics who still feel a connection to that particular denomination. The study notes are placed where they are most needed and not at the bottom of the page like so many other bibles. Well some may accuse this bible of taking the "liberal" approach that is not the case. While yes, it "sells" the JEPD theory of the pentateuch the editors are merely using the most accepted conseus of Bible scholars. Also, unlike the two study bibles mentioned above I found this Bible to be filled with spirit. Not that the NOA or HCSB are not great, like I said they are, it is just that they are very techinical and some feel that because of this they take the magic of out of Scripture. The Access Bible, however, does not oversimplify and yet does not get too technical, keeping the magic and wonder of Scripture in tact. If a person is looking for a Bible filled with great scholarship and a sense of the holy, this Bible is highly recommended!

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dive in and Learn, September 14, 2001

By	Jeremy Garber "urbanmenno" (Elkhart, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha (Hardcover 9870A) (Hardcover)

This is the first Bible I've ever purchased for myself, after careful deliberation between many different versions. I found the Access Bible the best balance between pure, dry scholarship and completely evangelical footnotes that I don't feel comfortable with. The Access Bible has helpful full-color maps, a small concordance in the back, and an index. What I find most helpful, however, are the notes sprinkled throughout the text that help me gain insight into the way people thought and behaved in the time that Scripture was written. I recommend this Bible for any thoughtful believer who wishes to approach this most amazing and influential book with both spirit and mind fully engaged.