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I still think an ESV with footnotes would do him well. If not, the personal size ESV Study Bible would be good.
I can't believe we have thus far overlooked the greatest non-Christian study Bible of them all: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version).
I still think an ESV with footnotes would do him well. If not, the personal size ESV Study Bible would be good.
The ESV footnotes are pretty basic. I'd second the ESV Study Bible. $26 for hardcover or $10 for Kindle.
The MacArthur ESV Study Bible is also available for about $26 hardcover with good study notes.
Dimi, here are pdf samples for the two study Bibles. Print them out at 100% and see if either one seems to fit your need.
http://www.wtsbooks.com/pdf_files/MacarthurMatt.pdf
http://www.wtsbooks.com/pdf_files/9781433524615.pdf
I can't believe we have thus far overlooked the greatest non-Christian study Bible of them all: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version).
I can't believe we have thus far overlooked the greatest non-Christian study Bible of them all: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version).
From what I know of this (I don't really know study Bibles) the NOAB would be too academic for a starter. I might be wrong. I still stand by my recommendation.
I can't believe we have thus far overlooked the greatest non-Christian study Bible of them all: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version).
From what I know of this (I don't really know study Bibles) the NOAB would be too academic for a starter. I might be wrong. I still stand by my recommendation.
Reformed Thomist is right. The translation is bad and the annotations and book introductions are worse. The NOAB is the product of Higher Criticism and as such is the LAST thing you want to give an unbeliever, unless you want him to dismiss the Bible out of hand as a collection of fables whose authors (in a human sense, not the divine) lied about who they were, that Isaiah is really 3 books, that Daniel was composed in post-exilic times and isn't predictive prophecy, etc. I think the NRSV one is probably worse. I'm basing this on the RSV edn. from the 70's.
I don't have an ESV Study Bible, but I think it would be good for a new believer, although perhaps a little overwhelming. I think the Reformation Study Bible is a bit overrated, but it would also probably be less overwhelming than the massive ESV Study Bible. (Despite the translation, the NIV Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is better. It is out of print but is coming out in the Kindle and other electronic formats next month.) The HCSB Study Bible probably would be worth considering as well. I glanced at it and it appears to be at least moderately Calvinistic. It has an appealing design with some features you'd expect to find in a Bible Dictionary as well. The NIV/NASB/KJV Study Bibles (they all have basically the same notes) from Zondervan are good for new believers as well, but they punt on the more divisive issues (including women officers) so as to appeal to the widest number of evangelicals. I never look at my old NIV Study Bible anymore but I did find it helpful as a new believer, especially one who had used the NOAB as the textbook in college Bible courses. The 1995 version of the NIV SB is the one I have and I think it has been revised a couple of times since then. Whether its for better or worse, I don't know.
A Thompson Chain Reference might be good to compare scripture with scripture.
Whatever you do, make sure he knows that the notes are commentary and that they aren't scripture. Too many took Scofield's notes to be Holy Writ, but there is the same danger with most any Study Bible. The danger likely increases the more notes there are and the more dogmatic they are. When it gets to the point at which the study notes take up 2/3 of the page or more, maybe it's better to use a commentary instead?
Also, is there a solid pastor who your friend might be willing to talk to who might be able to answer his questions?
I can't believe we have thus far overlooked the greatest non-Christian study Bible of them all: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version).
From what I know of this (I don't really know study Bibles) the NOAB would be too academic for a starter.
Okay Im going to explain the situation again.
Let me just say, I believe in Total Depravity. I believe apart from the grace of God no one can believe in Christ. I believe the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and NOT some commentary.
That said I've known this friend for over 3 years now and have explained the Gospel to him countless times. I then gave him a NASB bible (WITHOUT study notes) and instructed him to start reading John.
We eventually even went through a couple of chapters together. Then once when i asked how it was going, he replied that it was still too hard to understand and he was wondering if there was a type of bible that had "annotation" (by which he probably meant study notes) that explained what he was reading.
I told him I would get him one, since I would do anything to get him to read the scripture more and if having notes to explain what he was reading would motivate him to read then I wasnt gonna stop him.
So again to sum up the situation:
I have already given this friend a normal bible. He has now asked for a study bible. Please help me in my search for an appropriate bible.
That makes complete sense.
And I just remembered, one that has helped me a bit, is the William Macdonald bible commentary. I believe he was a dispensationalist, but other than that, very simple to read.
Unless other PB members see otherwise.
Okay Im going to explain the situation again.
Let me just say, I believe in Total Depravity. I believe apart from the grace of God no one can believe in Christ. I believe the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and NOT some commentary.
That said I've known this friend for over 3 years now and have explained the Gospel to him countless times. I then gave him a NASB bible (WITHOUT study notes) and instructed him to start reading John.
We eventually even went through a couple of chapters together. Then once when i asked how it was going, he replied that it was still too hard to understand and he was wondering if there was a type of bible that had "annotation" (by which he probably meant study notes) that explained what he was reading.
I told him I would get him one, since I would do anything to get him to read the scripture more and if having notes to explain what he was reading would motivate him to read then I wasnt gonna stop him.
So again to sum up the situation:
I have already given this friend a normal bible. He has now asked for a study bible. Please help me in my search for an appropriate bible.
You could give him the Reformation Study Bible. It contains introductory remarks about each book of the Bible along with study notes.
Have you considered giving him a commentary about the Book of John? A commentary would have more information than the study notes of a study Bible.
The KJV Master Study Bible
No verse notes, just cross references in the main text. The front contains a comprehensive topic index and the back an encyclopedia of thousands of biblical topics.
AMR
I'd recommend you give him a copy of the ESV "Reformation Study Bible".