# ESV Reformation Study Bible



## PuritanCovenanter (Feb 1, 2005)

cvbbs

P.S. Due for release very soon, the E.S.V. Reformation Study Bible. Watch for updates and a special price in the days ahead.

This came in an e-mail from Cumberland Valley.

I will buy one. I have been reading the ESV even though it isn't a Majority Text translation.

[Edited on 2-2-2005 by webmaster]


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## Joseph Ringling (Feb 1, 2005)

www.monergismbooks.com has it in hardback on sale for $25.99. They also have it in leather for $51.99


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## Puritan Sailor (Feb 1, 2005)

I wish they would do a parallel version of the Reformation Study Bible with the NKJV and the ESV.


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## luvroftheWord (Feb 1, 2005)

The Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is awesome! It is basically like Sproul's Reformation Study Bible, except it is edited by Richard Pratt and it includes the Reformed confessions. It's also an NIV translation. (gasp!)


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## Me Died Blue (Feb 1, 2005)

> _Originally posted by luvroftheWord_
> The Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is awesome! It is basically like Sproul's Reformation Study Bible, except it is edited by Richard Pratt and it includes the Reformed confessions. It's also an NIV translation. (gasp!)



 One thing I love about it is the cross-reference every verse throughout the Bible that's used as a prooftext in any of the six confessions has to the applicable section of those confessions.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 1, 2005)

Just my 

I strongly discourage people from using study Bibles. No matter how "good" they may be. 
All they do is create lazy, unthinking Christians. Want proof? Consider the Scoffield Study Bible. 'Nuff said.
Beware!



[Edited on 2-2-2005 by SolaScriptura]


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## BlackCalvinist (Feb 2, 2005)

Does that include the Geneva Bible of 1599, which also had study notes ?


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## Ianterrell (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_
> Just my
> 
> I strongly discourage people from using study Bibles. No matter how "good" they may be.
> ...



Study bible's do not only create lazy, unthinking Christians. You cannot prove a universal from a specific abuse. I'm sympathetic to your view because...well the Scoffield bible is just so awful and misleading. But Bible's that have interesting cross-ref, maps, contextual info etc are great tools.


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## JasonGoodwin (Feb 2, 2005)

Gentlemen, I am curious why some of these Reformed websites are now advocating the ESV. Is there something about it which is different from the rest of the versions that are out there (not taking into account the KJV), or is it just another modern version? I am very skeptical about laying my hands (no pun intended) on a version of Scripture that seeks to supplant and usurp the scholarship and authority of the Authorized Version (aka KJV). If anyone has answers to my question, feel free to reply -- and thank you in advance.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by OS_X_
> Does that include the Geneva Bible of 1599, which also had study notes ?



Yes, even the Geneva Bible.


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Feb 2, 2005)

Ben,

The Geneva Bible was translated and revised a number of times under the hands of the puritans. The Puritans had one of these bible in every puritan home; every Christian home. Do you think the Geneva bible made the Puritans lazy?


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## matthew11v25 (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by webmaster_
> Ben,
> 
> The Geneva Bible was translated and revised a number of times under the hands of the puritans. The Puritans had one of these bible in every puritan home; every Christian home. Do you think the Geneva bible made the Puritans lazy?



 Laziness cannot be blamed on study Bibles.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by matthew11v25_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by webmaster_
> ...



Ok… and I suppose you also believe that all the immorality in tv/movies/music have had no influence on society.


Matt – I can’t say whether or not the Puritans were made lazy by the use of a Study Bible. But I do know that in their case they weren’t exactly 20th Century Americans!

Look, guys, I just offered my two cents… I am not saying that I believe it is SINFUL to use study Bibles. I just believe that they are dangerous – sort of how you feel, Matt, about the average Christian reading things like “The Purpose Driven Life” or those other types of books.


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## Me Died Blue (Feb 2, 2005)

But you haven't said one specific thing about them that makes them dangerous? Stuff like Warren's book is just bad material, but you said you view study Bibles as bad regardless of the material quality. It just seems like a random assertion - in what way do you really see them as connected to laziness?


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## Ianterrell (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by matthew11v25_
> ...



Huh? What is your point here? Are you comparing study aids like study bibles to television or music? This isn't clear.


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## rmb (Feb 2, 2005)

Have the notes been reworked. I like the Niv's Reformation Bible, but I am committed to use the ESV as primary.


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by JasonGoodwin_
> Gentlemen, I am curious why some of these Reformed websites are now advocating the ESV. Is there something about it which is different from the rest of the versions that are out there (not taking into account the KJV), or is it just another modern version? I am very skeptical about laying my hands (no pun intended) on a version of Scripture that seeks to supplant and usurp the scholarship and authority of the Authorized Version (aka KJV). If anyone has answers to my question, feel free to reply -- and thank you in advance.



I am very skeptical about idol worshippers.


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## ARStager (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by JasonGoodwin_
> ...



And I'm very skeptical of idol factories. Like my heart, for one.


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## ARStager (Feb 2, 2005)

Ben,

Seriously. A two-cents-worth isn't even worth two cents if it has no cogent argument attached to it. I would say that it's more dangerous to go around offering your two cents, and at the same time calling it a piously Christian two cents, though void of any argument from scripture or reason. 

Dangerous also is the Christian who thinks that he's a theological maverick - that he can figure out the scriptures apart from the testimony of the church. Shall we abandon sitting quiet and listening to sermons on the basis that it makes us passive and the Word of God active? 

Theology..."God-talk", ALWAYS happens in the context of the church. People who are theologically innovative are not theologians but me-alogians. That's the real danger of isolated interpretation. 

And the cross-references provided in study bibles go a long way to helping remind folks that scripture interprets scripture.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 2, 2005)

> _Originally posted by ARStager_
> Ben,
> 
> Seriously. A two-cents-worth isn't even worth two cents if it has no cogent argument attached to it. I would say that it's more dangerous to go around offering your two cents, and at the same time calling it a piously Christian two cents, though void of any argument from scripture or reason.
> ...



The Study Bibles are not as noble as you claim they are. There is no study Bible that offers up the authoritative interpretation. All - and I do mean ALL - you get when you purchase a Study Bible is something that has been written to satisfy a particular niche within society and that niche's perceived needs/interests. That is why you can go to CBD and find a study Bible for just about any special interest... as if the Bible and it's content some how means something different if you're an "extreme sports" fan or a "student" or a "wife" or a "husband" or a "spirit filled" person or a "reformed" person.
Basically what you are advocating is a total abandonment of the Berean spirit in favor of lazy, unthinking, undiscerning people who read the text and then, instead of asking questions, thinking critically or engaging their minds at all, they simply let their eyes fall down to the "authoritative" interpretation provided for them by their special-interest-specific Study Bible. I'm not talking about maverick, individualistic interpretation. I'm talking about the need for Christians to engage their brains and actually do some study for themselves so that they do not become overly reliant upon the opinons of men. 
And you deceive yourself if you think that ALL the notes in even the "best" study Bible pertain to matters of orthodoxy. Most comments are NOT matters of orthodoxy. 
Viva the actual STUDY of the Scriptures!

P.S.
Please don't get me wrong, I want to again assert that I am not claiming that I (naively) believe the employment of study Bibles is a sin. Just look at the vast proliferation of study Bibles in America and compare that with the evangelical landscape. The proof is in the pudding, brother.
Of course, I do appreciate a compilation of x-reference passages to go to, but this is not the same as interpretive comments geared toward the special interest group of that particular study Bible.


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## Me Died Blue (Feb 2, 2005)

Well, honestly, look at the vast proliferation of books in the evangelical market as well, and the percentage of them that are actually useful...and does any one book give the "authoritative interpretation" on an issue? Seriously, in my mind it is the same situation - of course there is potential for wrong use of the notes, as their is with any of the works of men as well...but that does not mean that such works (which many people really do view as nothing but just that - articles) are suddenly rendered as "too distracting" when placed next to relevant Scriptures.

How many times do you compare certain parts of a book you're reading with your Bible on the other knee? Well, a study Bible is just offering the same type of thing as such books, but putting them already next to each other to save one knee the trouble!


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## BlackCalvinist (Feb 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_ All - and I do mean ALL - you get when you purchase a Study Bible is something that has been written to satisfy a particular niche within society and that niche's perceived needs/interests.




You could say the same thing about Catechisms and Confessions.....


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## ARStager (Feb 3, 2005)

Ben, 

I still reaffirm my assertion that you are trading the opinions of men for the opinions of yourself. That's not erudition and scholarliness - it's arrogance. To read notes and commentaries and literature with discernment is ambivilent. To clear out your library of everything but your King James bible is making an idol out of your own brain. 

Maybe we should just get rid of everything but the original Greek and Hebrew. That'll keep people that want to read and understand God's word really sharp and keep them from getting lazy. Oh, and by the way, no Greek/Hebrew textbooks either. Those are just unreliable and unathoritative interpretations.


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## SolaScriptura (Feb 3, 2005)

> You could say the same thing about Catechisms and Confessions.....



and 



> I still reaffirm my assertion that you are trading the opinions of men for the opinions of yourself. That's not erudition and scholarliness - it's arrogance. To read notes and commentaries and literature with discernment is ambivilent. To clear out your library of everything but your King James bible is making an idol out of your own brain.
> 
> Maybe we should just get rid of everything but the original Greek and Hebrew. That'll keep people that want to read and understand God's word really sharp and keep them from getting lazy. Oh, and by the way, no Greek/Hebrew textbooks either. Those are just unreliable and unathoritative interpretations.



Um, apparently you guys are so overly sensitive to the hyper-individualism that is rampant in modern Christianity that you've taken my words way out of context. I never said that the use of study aids is wrong! My objection to the use of study Bibles per se is based upon the reality that they tend to cater to, and indeed implicity foster, a person who doesn't think, reason or study for themselves. 

By the way, Andrew... You are quite apparently opposed to an average Christian coming to a conclusion apart from what the Church tells him to believe... You also seem to think that study Bibles some how help remedy this. But tell me: If a person reads, say, the John MacArthur study Bible, aren't they only getting that man's personal interpretation? Same with the Ryrie study Bible. Same with Sproul's. 
Again, I am not opposed to the use to study aids. I'm just opposed to having them attached to the page of the Bible because its close proximity encourages little to no thinking and lends itself quite handily to the misconception that they are the authoritative interpretation.
Additionally... I do think that Greek and Hebrew are optimal. That's why I do exegesis in both. How about you?
Also, I fail to see how a Greek or Hebrew "textbook" is an interpretation of the Bible. Perhaps you can enlighten me.


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## BobVigneault (Feb 4, 2005)

"If a person reads, say, the John MacArthur study Bible, aren't they only getting that man's personal interpretation? Same with the Ryrie study Bible. Same with Sproul's. "

There is only a danger if we confuse the words "interpretation" and "application". Which ever study aids we use we are still going to let scripture interpret scripture and as for 'good and necessary consequence' we will look to historical theology to see how the great minds understood the scriptures.

As for application, I have a great interest to see how others, who have spent much time doing spade work in the Word, would apply the word. We come HERE to see how scripture should or should not be applied in different circustances. A lazy person will put all his eggs in one basket and pledge unthinking allegiance to one application - BUT THAT PERSON WAS LAZY TO BEGIN WITH.

The scholar, disciple and the hermeneuts on this site will use whatever application they read as the spring board for more digging and searching and debating.

So, a lazy person may settle with only one application found in a study bible, but that same person would not even try to dig into the scriptures unaided.

The Bible lover will dig and never be satisfied until Christ himself explains all mysteries.


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## gwine (Feb 4, 2005)

> All they do is create lazy, unthinking Christians.





> BUT THAT PERSON WAS LAZY TO BEGIN WITH.



That sums it up.



> Again, I am not opposed to the use to study aids. I'm just opposed to having them attached to the page of the Bible because its close proximity encourages little to no thinking and lends itself quite handily to the misconception that they are the authoritative interpretation.



But if you use that line of reasoning why not say that having a computer with e-Sword and 30 commentaries along with the Strong's concordance and who knows what else encourages sloppy search habits, since you can search so seamlessly and randomly? But maybe you do. I like the technology that allows me to have a Pocket PC or a Palm Pilot (I have both) with the various bible translations, concordances, commentaries and the WCF, Heidelberg, 3FU and Owen's "Death of Death" and much much more in a shirt pocket size package. And I like books more, but the only book I carry to church is my Bible.


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## ARStager (Feb 4, 2005)

No. I don't exegete in Greek and Hebrew. I'm lazy and haven't learned to exegete in Greek and Hebrew yet. It's probably because of all those stinkin' study bibles with those interpretations attached to them. 

Is it everyone's responsibility to know Greek and Hebrew and to exegete from them privately? 

How about your children. How do you teach them the scriptures? Do they ever object, when you exegete and teach them.... "C'mon, dad...you're just one man and that's only your interpretation! Move over and just let me read for myself...pass the Greek/Hebrew over to me." 

I'm reading your words and trying to understand your conviction without simply writing you off. At the same time, there's implications in your analysis and designation of Study Bibles ----> Laziness that are pretty far-reaching. 

Is the bottom line for them to be detached from the physical pages of scripture? If so, just admit that that's a preference based on a "sometimes this reinforces laziness in some folks" observation, but that it's not universally true. 

But then the question becomes WHICH FOLKS should just read their bibles straight-up and which folks should have a stack of commentaries, systematics texts, etc. next to them?


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## gwine (Feb 4, 2005)

> By the way, Andrew... You are quite apparently opposed to an average Christian coming to a conclusion apart from what the Church tells him to believe...



Well, if he is coming to the wrong conclusion then how would that be a good thing? That's how I read Andrew's post.


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## ARStager (Feb 4, 2005)

Layman: "I came to this great conclusion after reading the KJV the other day..."

Pastor: "Your conclusion is wrong. In fact, it was condemned in 436 at the Council of...."

Layman: "But I spent 3 1/2 hours on this one passage! I was being so dilligent."


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## PuritanCovenanter (Feb 8, 2005)

I actually tend to agree with Sola. I get a little troubled having the words of men attached to such a noble and Holy book. I appreciate commentaries and other study tools. I need them as gifts from God. But I would rather have them apart from the Holy Book. It kind of sets them apart in the catagories to which they belong. I will buy an ESV Study Bible going against what I just said. But I do prefer Holy writ in its whole to be separate from the writings and explanations of men. 
I kind of obtained this bias from a dear old friend Dr. Roy Blackwood. He is an old Reformed Presbyterian Pastor who saw the damage the Scoffield Bible did in the mid 1900's.


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## Sancta-fixation (Feb 11, 2005)

I too will will suffer the limb with Sola. I do not have a fear of Study Bibles, but I do not think they are a good starting ground for MOST Christians. Simply becasue, rightly or wrongly, I do not believe most Christians read the notes as critically as the men and women on this board (which demonstates you are already aware of the danger or relying too heavily on the notes). Nor do I think the average Christian reads as much secondary material as the folks on this board. 

Personally, while I am not crazy about Study Bibles myself, those I would go after would be the creedal Bibles, those that come from one perspective, so thier presuppositions are on the table. Those who come from various editors, will, almost out of default, have contradictions in among the notes, creating a kind of congnitive dissadence among the individuals who rely too heavily on the notes.


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## Puritanhead (Feb 11, 2005)

> _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_
> I strongly discourage people from using study Bibles. No matter how "good" they may be. All they do is create lazy, unthinking Christians. Want proof? Consider the Scoffield Study Bible. 'Nuff said.



The Scofield notes are inspired


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## ReformedWretch (Feb 11, 2005)

I just ordered mine for the temporary low price of 24.99!

Hard Cover


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## cupotea (Feb 11, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Sancta-fixation_
> I too will will suffer the limb with Sola. I do not have a fear of Study Bibles, but I do not think they are a good starting ground for MOST Christians.



I too will throw my hat into this ring. Study Bibles may have a very limited purpose, but I prefer to teach people not to be afraid of their own, Spirit-guided interpretation of the text itself. My experience with them is that they may be wrong in their conclusions (and Study Bibles and other helps would be of assistance here), but with time they get more comfortable and well-versed with the text.

My favorite Bible study at my church is one where, several years ago, I decided to stop providing study notes and require *them* to do the work. I would give them the assigned passage ahead of time, and they would have to dig in, making use of concordances and cross-references. Then, only after they'd done the work would they be allowed to consult a commentary or Bible Study notes. 

At first they balked; complained and whined almost incessantly. But in time they came to see the value of doing the work themselves. Now, even though I still attend, I'm not especially needed. 

So Study Bibles are not, In my humble opinion, the best way to go. That doesn't mean people shouldn't get them (I have quite a few myself), but perhaps we should warn our people about the very real possibility of becoming dependent upon them.


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## Apologist4Him (Mar 10, 2005)

"The Reformation Study Bible "“ updated and modified with the popular English Standard Version. The New Geneva Study Bible, later renamed The Reformation Study Bible, is the first Bible since the 1560 Geneva Bible to contain study tools rooted in the theology recovered during the Protestant Reformation. They are the product of a seven-year effort of Dr. R.C. Sproul and fifty other scholars. 

* General Editor: Dr. R.C. Sproul
* Associate Editor: Dr. Keith A. Mathison
* Published by: Ligonier Ministries
*Produced and distributed by: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company 
*ISBN: 0-87552-786-8" - https://ecom.ligonier.org/ecom/product.asp?idProduct=REF21S

"R. C. Sproul and a team of more than fifty scholars have collaborated to produce a new study Bible that will help readers understand the great doctrines and themes of the Christian faith. The first study Bible based on the English Standard Version, The Reformation Study Bible is the perfect choice for men and women that want to study God´s word in a language they can understand." - http://www.prpbooks.com/inventory.html?target=indiv_title&id=902

"The Reformation Study Bible helps the reader explore the awesome sovereignty of God -- it's a wonderful guide for anyone who desires to understand the great, historical doctrines of the church embedded in God's Word." -- Joni Eareckson Tada

"This is not a faddish study Bible. It will be around for a while, perhaps generations. That is because the great truths that it highlights are always waiting there to be mined again and again by a new generation. This will be our family's Bible and the one that I use in my preaching and teaching." -- Michael Horton

"The Reformation Study Bible is the perfect combination. The notes produced by Dr. R. C. Sproul and others provide the most reliable and helpful commentary in print today, while the text of the English Standard Version is the most accurate and literary translation of the Bible available in English. This is the gold standard for study Bibles, and I will be commending it to my congregation and other serious students of the Scriptures." --Philip Graham Ryken, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church 


I ordered the leather edition from http://www.wtsbooks.com/0875527868.html which is the best price I could find, and the only place where I found IT IS ALREADY IN STOCK!!! I probably would have ordered it from Amazon.com otherwise.


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## ReformedWretch (Mar 10, 2005)

I bought the hard back cover the day it came out.


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## crhoades (Mar 10, 2005)

I would have preferred that the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible came out in ESV...I'm holding out for that. It includes the 3FU and WCF and catechisms tied to the scripture notes. I also heard that the Reformation Study Bible doesn't even contain maps in the back...


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## ReformedWretch (Mar 10, 2005)

That sounds cool Chris, but I never use maps anyways, so I am not missing them.


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## lwadkins (Mar 10, 2005)

Just got a new leather ESV Reformation Study Bible yesterday. I am sitting here sniffing it now, and in just a few minutes I'm going to quit sniffing in and read it.


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## Apologist4Him (Mar 10, 2005)

> _Originally posted by crhoades_
> I would have preferred that the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible came out in ESV...I'm holding out for that. It includes the 3FU and WCF and catechisms tied to the scripture notes. I also heard that the Reformation Study Bible doesn't even contain maps in the back...



Yeah, from what I've read, I would have much preferred an ESV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. For me, the weight of the choice came down to which translation I would rather read. Although I might prefer the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible notes, I much prefer the ESV over the NIV. 

I used to like the NIV, but have since come to the conclusion that the NIV translation is not literal enough for my liking. Because the NIV is overly simplified, it has a way of discouraging meditation on the Scriptures.


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## crhoades (Mar 10, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Apologist4Him_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by crhoades_
> ...



agreed. I already dumped some $$ on a gen. leather SofRSB so I get to read that alongside the ESV...When the SofRSB goes ESV, I'll have an NIV one to sell!


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## Me Died Blue (Mar 10, 2005)




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## Scott (Mar 10, 2005)

WHat is the preference for ESV?


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## Apologist4Him (Mar 10, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Scott_
> WHat is the preference for ESV?



Hi Scott 

I prefer literal translations over thought for thought translations. I do not even consider paraphrases. The reason I prefer literal translations is because there is less interpretation. The downside (and upside depending on how you look at it) of literal translations is the work involved in coming to a correct interpretation. The translation philosophy for thought translations is to interprete difficult passages for the reader to make the meaning clearer, with the hope of helping the reader through communicating the accurate meaning of the text.

If you would like more information on the ESV, check out: http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ And information about the NIV can be found at: http://www.ibs.org/niv/

I think the following is a good read in comparing Bible translations: http://faith.propadeutic.com/questions.html


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## Robin (Mar 10, 2005)

> _Originally posted by OS_X_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_ All - and I do mean ALL - you get when you purchase a Study Bible is something that has been written to satisfy a particular niche within society and that niche's perceived needs/interests.
> ...



Kerry - hold-it-pardner! NO - the catechisms and confessions were NOT assembled and published to satisfy perceived needs/interests! Read them - please - they are there because the Gospel was under attack - these studies were written to defend the Gospel and educate accurate and essential doctrines of the Faith. That's why there are Scripture references for each doctrinal topic. 

If it could be said that "needs/interests" were those of fighting for the Gospel to prevail against heresy and schism of the day...then YES - the confessions provide that. However - the stakes were high back then. 100's of thousands of Christians died to see to it - the Word of God didn't fail to communicate the essential Truth of the Reformation - Justification by Faith alone; through Christ alone. Example: Guido de Bray (sp?) author of the Belgic Confession was executed by the Inquisition for administering Communion (as taught by Paul.)

Study helps for Bibles like the NIV; Rhyrie are N O T H I N G like the situation with the historic confessions. Yet - the Reformation editions of the bible we are now getting ARE in the sense that they uphold, honor and utilize the astonishingly noble - powerful - and essential events in history that not only preserved the Gospel but made it possible for the common man to own his own volume of the Holy Scriptures - and the freedom of personal study!

Next time you pick-up your bible --- think about all the blood that was shed (by the Reformers) to put it into your hands, in the first place. Their "study-helps" got them killed. How glib, ignorant, indulged and arrogant we all are to forget their sacrifices!

With profound gratitude and solemn pondering.....

Robin


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## Solo Christo (Oct 11, 2005)

Does anyone know if the ESV Reformation Study Bible comes in a red-letter text version?


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