# Reformation Study Bible - which one?



## Igor (Dec 23, 2008)

I have decided to buy myself a Christmas gift  (how else can I justify getting another Bible?) and now am thinking of ordering either the Reformation Study Bible or The NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. What is the difference?


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## Pilgrim (Dec 23, 2008)

If you're just looking at the notes and other helps, the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is far superior as a study tool in my opinion. (If you are looking to use it as an all purpose Bible to take to church etc., the ESV may be the better option. But since you are in Russia, I would assume that your church services are conducted in Russian, not English.) The notes are a revised version of those in the ESV RSB and in many cases are much more in-depth. Another excellent feature is the confessions in the back with the proof texts cross referenced in the study notes. This feature was very helpful to me in doing research on the baptism issue, which eventually led to this thread and my leaving Presbyterianism.


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## Igor (Dec 23, 2008)

Pilgrim, thanks a lot. It seems clear now... I will get the Spirit of the Reformation.


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## JM (Dec 23, 2008)

I've read good things about this one.


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## Cotton Mather (Dec 23, 2008)

Igor,

I happen to disagree with Pilgrim. The notes in Spirit of the Reformation are sparse, few, and semi-helpful. The major Reformed confessions in the back of the Bible are really helpful, but in my opinion, it doesn't match up to the RSB. The Reformation Study Bible possesses the ESV translation (in my opinion, superior to the NIV), includes JI Packer's entire Concise Theology dispersed throughout the Bible on such topics as Covenant Theology, Justification by Faith Alone, The Church, the Sacraments, etc. etc. There are also many more study notes. My humble opinion


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## caoclan (Dec 23, 2008)

Cotton Mather said:


> Igor,
> 
> I happen to disagree with Pilgrim. The notes in Spirit of the Reformation are sparse, few, and semi-helpful. The major Reformed confessions in the back of the Bible are really helpful, but in my opinion, it doesn't match up to the RSB. The Reformation Study Bible possesses the ESV translation (in my opinion, superior to the NIV), includes JI Packer's entire Concise Theology dispersed throughout the Bible on such topics as Covenant Theology, Justification by Faith Alone, The Church, the Sacraments, etc. etc. There are also many more study notes. My humble opinion



I heartily agree (in spite of the fact that Dr. Pratt of the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is the interim pastor at my church).


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## Cotton Mather (Dec 23, 2008)

I love Dr. Pratt! I heard him speak at the Jonathan Edwards Institute a number of times. I mean no offense at all towards his efforts! I merely think the RSB is a better investment. Nevertheless, both study Bible's are great, and are the only truly Reformed study Bibles out there.


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## Pilgrim (Dec 23, 2008)

Cotton Mather said:


> Igor,
> 
> I happen to disagree with Pilgrim. The notes in Spirit of the Reformation are sparse, few, and semi-helpful. The major Reformed confessions in the back of the Bible are really helpful, but in my opinion, it doesn't match up to the RSB. The Reformation Study Bible possesses the ESV translation (in my opinion, superior to the NIV), includes JI Packer's entire Concise Theology dispersed throughout the Bible on such topics as Covenant Theology, Justification by Faith Alone, The Church, the Sacraments, etc. etc. There are also many more study notes. My humble opinion



I think you had better take another look. If the decision simply comes down to the translation, that's one thing. But the notes in the ESV Reformation Study Bible are far more sketchy than those in the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. in my opinion that's been the weakness of that study Bible all along. Of course there are always new members joining, but since this topic has already been  here (search the archives) I'm not going to spend any more time arguing over these Study Bibles, especially since as a Baptist I'm not "Truly Reformed" anyway. 

Due to some weird copyright reasons that I don't fully grasp, both the organization that produced the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible (Excelsis) as well as the ESV Reformation Study Bible (Ligonier) have the rights to the notes or to republish the original NKJV New Geneva Study Bible in other forms. To add to the confusion, the NGSB was eventually published under the RSB name because it was thought that the reference to the original Geneva Bible with the original NGSB name was lost on many people. But that Bible in the NKJV under either name has been out of print for a few years and is pretty hard to come by these days. Ligonier may still have a few copies. 

The notes in the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible were revised and expanded from the original NKJV New Geneva Study Bible, whereas the ESV RSB is simply the same NGSB notes with the ESV instead of the NKJV, and they actually even deleted some features like the index to the study notes. I can't remember specifics, but Fred and others have noted that a few of the notes in the New Geneva Study Bible (which are unchanged in the ESV RSB) are really not even Reformed at all. If there is any note in the NIV SOTR that is less thorough than the RSB (or if there is a verse that the RSB comments on that the Spirit of the Reformation SB doesn't) then it is the extremely rare exception. All you have to do is open them up side by side and skim through them and you'll see the obvious difference. (Maybe you're referring to the defense of the Framework Hypothesis in Genesis that's in the Reformation Study Bible? That note probably is longer than the SOTR which If I recall correctly presents more of a 6 day view. ) The NIV SOTR retains some of Packer's articles but also includes some helpful new ones. They didn't think it necessary to include all of the original articles since those topics are already addressed in the confessions. 

I do believe that the SOTR would have done much better if it had been issued in another translation. Unfortunately it was published right at the time that Reformed people were deserting the NIV in droves. 



-----Added 12/23/2008 at 04:36:49 EST-----



caoclan said:


> Cotton Mather said:
> 
> 
> > Igor,
> ...



Tell Dr. Pratt that you think that the notes in the RSB are more numerous and thorough than in his SOTR and see what he says.


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## Igor (Dec 23, 2008)

Well, my first thoght was to get both - but that would be... Hmm... a little bit too much plus shipping. The translation itself is of second importance - I already have both the NIV and the ESV (the former being my daily reading Bible at the moment), what I really need first is a tool for thorough Bibly study. Of course, topical articles are important as well.


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## DMcFadden (Dec 24, 2008)

I LOVE both of them . . . and am so impressed with the ESV Study Bible. It has the MOST notes of any study Bible.


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## BG (Dec 24, 2008)

*My Copy is for sale*

I am selling mine, if your interested here is a link:Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible ~ NIV ~ Bonded Leather~ Zondervan Publishing ~ Retails between $40-$80 (Auction ID: 100963, End Time : Jan. 02, 2009 18:32:50) - edifyathome


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## Igor (Dec 24, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> I LOVE both of them . . . and am so impressed with the ESV Study Bible. It has the MOST notes of any study Bible.


The ESV Study Bible I am going to order as well, of course - it was enough to see a few excerpts on-line.


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## JohnGill (Dec 24, 2008)

*THE Study Bible*

Reformation Heritage Books: The Dutch Annotations upon the Whole Bible
Author: Haak, Theodore

I'd get this one before any other study Bible.


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