Reformation Heritage KJV

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God'sElectSaint

Puritan Board Freshman
I suspect somebody on the PB owns a reformation heritage KJV study bible. It looks really nice! I am thinking of buying one. Since I am newly reformed I thought it could be a good help? Anyone think it would be a good fit for someone newly reformed? And if you do have one which one do you own? I see they have a Genuine Leather and A Cowhide. I never really heard about cowhide bibles? The leather is $52 and the cowhide is $119. Wondering if it be worth buying the cowhide one? Is cowhide on the level of calf skin? I know it's probably not as good as goatskin. Your feedback is appreciated! thanks
 
I find it useful. It seems from your avatar that you have a family. In that case, you'd profit from the 'family worship' suggestions it contains. Possibly its best feature. As to buying a leather one, I'd not bother. It is a 'use at home' Bible so hardback is fine.
 
There are a good many other threads on this topic. I do think it is a good fit for someone newly Reformed although it reflects a certain point of view within the Reformed camp as one might expect. (I think in some ways it is a helpful corrective to certain trends and teachings on sanctification propagated by some popular figures who are affiliated with Reformed ministries.) I think the main value is the suggestions for private/family worship. I haven't really gotten into the articles and the "How to Live as a Christian" section. Otherwise, the notes aren't all that extensive but are sometimes helpful. You're not going to find a lot of material on historical background, geography, etc. so in that sense it is not as "general purpose" as some of the others are. But it also fills a niche that no other SB does. It does not have as many notes as the Reformation Study Bible, ESV Study Bible or MacArthur Study Bible but it has more than I expected given their stated aim when the project was announced. I've found myself wishing that they had included definitions for more archaic or obscure words than they did. It has the Westminster Standards as well as the Three Forms of Unity. The Westminster Standards are the original version, which some will like while others would prefer the American revisions. I really don't know what PRTS and HNRC think about establishmentarianism. If they do agree with it (as opposed to the revised WCF teaching on the magistrate) it hasn't seemed to me to be an emphasis of theirs. But I'm not that familiar with them with the exception of watching services from one of their congregations every now and then. Maybe it just indicates a preference to stick with the "original" as they have with the AV.

I've got the genuine leather and it is more "genuine" than others that I've seen in recent years. I wouldn't recommend getting the cowhide unless you KNOW this will be your main Bible or unless you maybe just don't accept any substitutes. For occasional reference many would argue that the hardcover is more than adequate.
 
I have a leather NKJV Reformation Study Bible, but it is several years old. The newest version has revised notes and stuff which I havent seen.
 
Doesn't sound quite like what I would want.

If you are looking to start with just one, the Reformation Study Bible (ed. by Sproul) is probably the best choice because it is more comprehensive. That is especially if it is as good or better than the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible which had more extensive notes than the original New Geneva/Reformation Study Bible and had the confessions with proof texts indexed in the study notes.

I really like the MacArthur and would put it in my top 5 Study Bibles. I won't say where within that 5 ;) But that's not the one to choose if you're looking to learn confessional Reformed theology, especially with regard to eschatology and ecclesiology. And it doesn't purport to be of that persuasion. The ESV Study Bible is quite good in many respects but also is not confessional or strictly Reformed in a technical sense. Things like pre-trib aren't promoted but it would be seen as falling short on things like the Law of God, covenant theology (whether of the Baptist or paedobaptist brand) and arguably other areas. It is geared toward a more broadly evangelical audience.

From time to time you can get the MacArthur Study Bible Kindle edition for about $4 or $5. Keep an eye on gospelebooks.net
 
I have a leather NKJV Reformation Study Bible, but it is several years old. The newest version has revised notes and stuff which I havent seen.
If you go to Bible Gateway they have the RSB 2015 notes free of charge. I browsed through a few and those were rather thin, but I haven't given it a thorough perusal. https://www.biblegateway.com/

How's MacArthur's sb? I know he's dypsy does that completely ruin it?
Have you listened to MacArthur much ? I think he is brilliant, and he has been preaching for 50 years. The fact that, though he may be pre mil, he is respected on this board, as far as I know, says a lot. I think his study Bible is great. I have the NKJV, but he also features ESV and NASB. I consult mine quite frequently.

On the RHKJVSB ...... I like it very much. It does define many archaic words, and I feel the notes are useful and, with my limited knowledge, helpful, and informative from a reformed perspective. I think it is well worth getting whichever cover you choose.

If you note the prices of calfskin versus goatskin, on Evangelical Bible's site for example, you'll see that they are not too far apart. Goatskin is the top shelf stuff, but in my experience calfskin is not far behind. In beauty and durability it is great stuff. Cowhide is usually either top grain, or it is 'split' cowhide. This would normally be noted.

Split cowhide is named for what it is, a hide from which the top grain is removed, split, and the remainder used for the cover. It is very durable, but won't have the natural look of the top grain. 'Leather' in Bible manufacturing could be pigskin, split cowhide, perhaps some other skin. Bonded leather is, as I understand it, scrap leather sort of emulsified and treated with plasticizers and formed into a sheet. I have a weakness for fine bindings on Bibles. I sometimes wonder if that is not 'of the world.' Perhaps a topic for a different thread.

Here is a page from Cambridge U Press describing the characteristics of the various binding materials Leather Binding Materials | Cambridge University Press
 
I have a leather NKJV Reformation Study Bible, but it is several years old. The newest version has revised notes and stuff which I havent seen.
If you go to Bible Gateway they have the RSB 2015 notes free of charge. I browsed through a few and those were rather thin, but I haven't given it a thorough perusal. https://www.biblegateway.com/

How's MacArthur's sb? I know he's dypsy does that completely ruin it?
Have you listened to MacArthur much ? I think he is brilliant, and he has been preaching for 50 years. The fact that, though he may be pre mil, he is respected on this board, as far as I know, says a lot. I think his study Bible is great. I have the NKJV, but he also features ESV and NASB. I consult mine quite frequently.

On the RHKJVSB ...... I like it very much. It does define many archaic words, and I feel the notes are useful and, with my limited knowledge, helpful, and informative from a reformed perspective. I think it is well worth getting whichever cover you choose.

If you note the prices of calfskin versus goatskin, on Evangelical Bible's site for example, you'll see that they are not too far apart. Goatskin is the top shelf stuff, but in my experience calfskin is not far behind. In beauty and durability it is great stuff. Cowhide is usually either top grain, or it is 'split' cowhide. This would normally be noted.

Split cowhide is named for what it is, a hide from which the top grain is removed, split, and the remainder used for the cover. It is very durable, but won't have the natural look of the top grain. 'Leather' in Bible manufacturing could be pigskin, split cowhide, perhaps some other skin. Bonded leather is, as I understand it, scrap leather sort of emulsified and treated with plasticizers and formed into a sheet. I have a weakness for fine bindings on Bibles. I sometimes wonder if that is not 'of the world.' Perhaps a topic for a different thread.

Here is a page from Cambridge U Press describing the characteristics of the various binding materials Leather Binding Materials | Cambridge University Press

Thanks Jimmy! Yes, sorry if I was rash about MacArthur because I love Johnny Mac's preaching. I probably watch him more then anyone else actually. But here's what i am thinking about getting from the KJV store. I thought about buying a real nice NASB but the one I just got is actually rather nice and I think will be good enough for now. But I can't resist the Old Authorized Version lol Just something about it that draws me to it! It's become really familiar to me. Check this puppy out very cheap for an Allan goatskin KJV Brevier Clarendon Reference Edition - Blue Goatskin I am very tempted to get it because I want a goatskin bible. I don't read much online, I am a book in the hand kind of guy so I think it would be well worth it to get a really nice bible.
 
I find it useful. It seems from your avatar that you have a family. In that case, you'd profit from the 'family worship' suggestions it contains. Possibly its best feature. As to buying a leather one, I'd not bother. It is a 'use at home' Bible so hardback is fine.

Another vote for the RHB in hardback here. I'm thoroughly enjoying mine.
 
There are several "flavors" of Reformed thought out there, each one nuanced slightly differently. You can find some that emphasize union with Christ, others Law and Gospel; others theonomy; some stick to the regulative principle of worship, others hold to a normative principle of worship; some even hold to Exclusive Psalmody; you can find Amyraldianism; Hypercalvinism; Neo- Calvinism; New Calvinism; etc.

Beeke and gang (Reformation Heritage) stand in the tradition of The Dutch Second Reformation (“Nadere Reformatie”) with its "experiential"/"experimental" preaching emphasis. The Reformation Heritage KJV hails from that rich tradition which also gave rise to such notables as Hermann Witsius and Wilhelmus à Brakel. In a sense, it is an analog to the English Puritans. In other words . . . buy the book!
 
I have the rhkjv on my ipad. I really enjoy it. It isn't expensive that way. Try it. T is worth it.
 
I would recommend the Reformation Heritage Study Bible. It's as close to a "Puritan" Study Bible as you'll get besides possibly the Matthew Henry Study Bible or Geneva Bible.
 
I would recommend the Reformation Heritage Study Bible. It's as close to a "Puritan" Study Bible as you'll get besides possibly the Matthew Henry Study Bible or Geneva Bible.

Thanks Brian. i have a Matthew Henry Study Bible and I love it. i am thinking about a Westminster reference bible from The TBS. I love their work and their bibles look very nice.
 
I find it useful. It seems from your avatar that you have a family. In that case, you'd profit from the 'family worship' suggestions it contains. Possibly its best feature. As to buying a leather one, I'd not bother. It is a 'use at home' Bible so hardback is fine.

Another vote for the RHB in hardback here. I'm thoroughly enjoying mine.

One more vote for the RHB Study Bible. I also bought the hardback, just to save some money. We have made it our family worship bible and as the others have noted, it is very helpful in the area of family worship. If I have only one minor complaint with the RHB study bible it's that the pages seem awfully thin, at least on the hardback. With that said, that's a minor inconvenience compared to the vast benefits I've found from it. I also own both the MacArthur Study bible and Sproul's Reformation study bible and the RHB one is hands down my favorite. Then again, I align more closely in my theology with Beeke than with Sproul or MacArthur.
 
It's the best study bible I've seen for having a consistently reformed and experimental view of the Scripture. The extras are great, and the notes are consistently good. I have the older ESV Reformation Study Bible (ed. Sproul) and find this one to be much more thorough in book introductions (including showing place in redemptive history and how Christ is shown), and practical notes. I think the hardcover is fine if you're just reading it at home (although sometimes it can be useful to reference the creeds in the back during Sabbath school, depending on what you're studying).
 
I'll agree with Andres minor quibble on the thin pages. That being said, I really like the RHB KJV SB.
 
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I consider the RHKJSB my primary Bible. It is an excellent choice. I tried the genuine leather and the cowhide binding before purchasing. Both were really nice and I had a hard time telling the difference-go for the GL. I find it more useful than any of the other Reformation Study Bibles and more puritan-like.
 
I love this Bible Ive been waiting years for to come out,as a KJV lover Ive finally found a study Bible I can enjoy,ive got the leather-look version as that's what our budget would allow (about 40 bucks),it's my daily reader and goes to church and most other places the only other exception is my waterproof Bible if im in the field or at the shore,otherwise I love it,its with me,finally a reformed KJV,im surprised it took so long.but I am thanking God for it,hope you enjoy it and grow in grace in the knowledge of Christ with it :pilgrim:
 
My wife wants a Reformation Heritage Study Bible for her upcoming birthday, for long-term use at home.

Would folks recommend the hardback or leather binding? And does the leather version also have the 'awfully thin' pages that Andres mentioned the hardback has?
 
You may want to make sure you get the second printing, and not the first, in light of the following corrections noted by Dr. Beeke:

Update on the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible
 
I am glad that I got the 1st edition, as I wouldn't want mine to be 33% larger.

Jimmy, I'm very sorry: I accidentally edited your post instead of replying to it. I had just meant to say that it looks like some of the 2nd printing will be larger, but most copies will remain the same size. I'd imagine the large print copies will be noted as such. Instead, I wound up removing most of what you had said. I do apologize. - Ruben

Thank you for the notification Brother Ruben. What I probably said (I'm getting well stricken in years) was that the size of the first edition is convenient, and a 33% increase would bring it into the realm of the excellent ESV Study Bible, which, as useful as it is, weighs a ton. I am fortunate that, though I've been wearing bifocals for 30+ years, the Lord has blessed me with eyesight good enough to read the finer print of the notes with no strain.

As for the typographical errors, these are almost inevitable in a volume of this size In my humble opinion. Since the publisher has made the corrections available, we who own first editions can edit the erroneous text. I don't like to mark my Bibles, except for my wide margin, but since it is necessary, I will make the exception. I do wonder if the 33% larger 2nd edition will not suffer errors as well ?
 
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So get them while they are still available in that size, if size and weight is an issue.

Sure; but if the avoidance of doctrinal error is of greater concern, especially on matters so fundamental to Protestants, then the corrected edition will be preferred.
 
So get them while they are still available in that size, if size and weight is an issue.

Sure; but if the avoidance of doctrinal error is of greater concern, especially on matters so fundamental to Protestants, then the corrected edition will be preferred.

This is true, on the other hand, for those who already have the first edition with access to the list of typographical errors, we can make the necessary corrections with margin notes. Of course no errors would have been preferable, but I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater, figuratively speaking. For example, my 1599 Geneva Bible reprint (Tolle Lege) has an errata sheet available online, and I corrected my copy.
 
we can make the necessary corrections with margin notes.

Then bringing the corrections to the attention of those reading the thread will have served its purpose.
Yes Reverend Winzer, that is precisely why I checked the "Did you find this post helpful?" button where you initially posted the information. I take the opportunity to thank you personally, I might never have known of the errors if you hadn't posted the information.
 
Anybody know when the Reformation Heritage website will be functioning? The "Resources" page has been the same for 7 months. They initially promised November 2014 completion, then January 2015, but nothing has changed.
 
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