Bible Review: ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions published by Crossway

The ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions published by Crossway is a handsome Bible with many features that augment the fine ESV translation of the Scriptures. It is the latest publication that contains helpful materials added to the ESV translation. Other Bible reviews you can read here on this blog.

Besides the excellent ESV translation the 10pt. text is easy on the eyes.  Far easier than the Classic Thinline Bible or the ESV Study Bible Personal Size, though both have smaller font by necessity. A fine concordance and weights and measures page are included. What makes this publication different is the inclusion of 13 historic creeds and confessions introduced by Chad Van Dixhoorn (who else, right?).

Apostles Creed (ca. 200–400)
Nicene Creed (325)
Athanasian Creed (381)
Chalcedonian Definition (451)
Augsburg Confession (1530)
Belgic Confession (1561)
Articles of Religion (1563)
Canons of Dort (1618–19)
Westminster Confession (1646)
London Baptist Confession (1689)
Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
Westminster Larger Catechism (1647)
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)

Those who value our creeds and confessions will benefit by having them in the back of their Bibles for easy reference and perhaps memorization. As one can see from the list, the documents build from the earliest to the latest with the final focus on Reformed tradition. Not Reformed? The early creeds and confessions still apply to your tradition.

This Bible has a sharp design and wonderful readability. Two ribbon markers, sewn binding, double column format, gilded pages, and a Trutone black cover (my review copy) round out this beautiful Bible. I am most impressed.

The ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions can easily be one's everyday Bible, useful in church, in Bible studies. Highly recommended.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page and includes paid links. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review - Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace by Phillip J. Long

I have always found commentaries useful. My eyes light up when I come across a new commentary especially by an author I respect. Such was the case with Phil Long’s new commentary, Galatians:Freedom through God’s Grace, published by Wipf & Stock.

Commentaries come in all types but can often be broken down into two types. Those that are technical (exegetical and expositional) which are often scholarly, go deep into historical data, will often have Greek translations of specific words or variants, and more that will aid in an in-depth study for pastors and teachers. Long’s commentary falls in the other category which is more devotional. It contains little of the above but is rich with material for the laymen although may still be utilized by pastors and teachers.

Long breaks down his commentary into convenient chunks for personal or group study. Each chapter concludes with helpful study questions. The writing is not technical in the least which again, makes it ideal for personal study. Long’s goal is to emphasize Paul’s overall point in the letter and he does it well.

At 156 pages this is not a difficult read. A good suggestion would be to study along with the author in each section as he has them laid out. To give the reader an idea what to expect, below is the table of contents:

1 Introducing Galatians | 1

2 One Gospel | 9

3 Paul and Judaism | 17

4 Paul and the Apostles | 27

5 The Antioch Incident | 37

6 Crucified with Christ | 48

7 Law and Faith | 60

8 Law and Promise | 72

9 Being Children of God | 84

10 Stop Acting Like a Slave | 91

11 Sarah and Hagar | 101

12 Freedom in Christ | 110

13 Life in the Spirit | 119

14 Doing Good to All | 135

15 Bearing the Marks of Jesus | 145

Bibliography | 155

Highlights? Yes! There are too many to mention in this brief review but I found that throughout the work Long’s emphasis on Paul’s point is worth noting, such as what we find on page 132:

Paul argues throughout the letter the Gentiles are not converting to Judaism and they are therefore not under the Mosaic covenant. But Paul does not release Gentiles from all moral responsibility.

Also worth noting is Long’s explanation of each Fruit of the Spirit.

This is a 5-star work. I benefited greatly from the author’s insights. Galatians: Freedom through God’s Grace would be an excellent study for any men’s study, women’s study, adult Sunday School class or personal study. I highly recommend it.

Wipf & Stock has provided a complimentary copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.