English Bible Translations

Many questions confront us when we see the vast array of Bible translations available to us. Which is most accurate, most literal, why is there a difference between translations, why are there different translations? Below are two videos by trusted scholars to give you a start with some of these questions. Perhaps you may have more questions after watching. That's OK. Stay hungry in your search for answers.

You can stay engaged in these issues by following the Bibles and Bible Commentary page on Facebook.

S.D.G.

Dr Wallace on Codex Sinaiticus at the British Library

Book Review: Recovering the Lost Art of Reading by Leland Ryken & Glenda Faye Mathes

A book about reading is an intriguing idea to me so I jumped at the chance to read and review Recovering the Lost Art of Reading.  This work was a bit of an eye opener for me as I normally read for informational purposes. Authors Leland Ryken and Glenda Faye Mathes enlighten the reader to the benefits and indeed the necessity of reading literary works, including the Bible, for the beauty and enjoyment of reading.

As each chapter unfolds the authors take the reader deeper into the beauty, wonder, necessity, and appreciation of literary books and they return to their theme, found in the title, Recovering the Lost art of Reading often. As the volume suggests, and where I would agree, reading is an art and it is dying art. As can be seen from the table of contents below, Recovering the Lost art of Reading is comprehensive.

Introduction: Welcome to the Conversation 

Part 1 Reading Is a Lost Art  

1 Is Reading Lost?  

2 What Have We Lost?  

3 Why Consider Reading an Art?

Part 2 Reading Literature  

4   What Is Literature?   

5   Why Does Literature Matter?   

6   What Does Literature Offer? 

7   Reading Stories: Tell Me a Story   

8   Reading Poems: Songs of the   Soul   

9   Reading Novels: Come Away with Me 

10   Reading Fantasy: A Far Journey 

11   Reading Children’s Books: Once Upon a Time 

12   Reading Creative Nonfiction: To Tell the Truth 

13   Reading the Bible as Literature: Words of Delight 

Part 3 Recovering the Art of Reading 

14   Recovery through Discovery 

15   Truth in Literature 

16   The Moral Vision in Literature 17   

Beauty in Literature 

18   Discovering Literary Excellence 

19   Freedom to Read 

20   Reading Good Books 

21   Calling and Creativity 

22   Literature and the Spiritual Life: Over and Above

(Leland Ryken; Glenda Faye Mathes. Recovering the Lost Art of Reading (Kindle Location 86). Crossway.)

I benefited most from the authors take on reading the Bible as literature (chapter 13).  Something where I am often amiss. I didn't agree with everything but found it most helpful.

I found this book enlightening and useful as I'm primarily an informational reader and usually leave my fiction intake to quality movies and TV programs. Nevertheless, I found this a quality read and recommend to all, especially those oriented to fiction.

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

 

ESV Preaching Bible Review

Excellent review by Matthew Everhard. 

 

Video Bible Review by Matthew Everhard: Gospel Transformation Study Bible by Crossway

Bible Review: ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition

From Amazon:
A new addition to the family of ESV Journaling Bibles, the ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition features extra space for notes in between each line of Bible text, offering a fresh and distinctive way to engage with God’s Word. This single-column Bible is designed to make it easy to interact with every individual verse, making it a great option for pastors, students, and anyone who loves going in-depth with Scripture.

• 3/8-inch space in between each line of Bible text
• Cream-colored paper
• Ribbon marker
• Smyth-sewn binding 

Video Bible Review by Matthew Everhard: ESV Large Print Wide Margin, Genuine Leather Black

Video Bible Review by Matthew Everhard: NKJV Reader's Reference Bible (Holman)

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.

Bible Review: ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition

I think I'm correct when I say that buying a Bible is a personal thing. Publishers seem to pump them out at a rapid pace. Its easy to get overwhelmed or perhaps underwhelmed at the quantity of choices. You look and look in catalogs or online often not knowing what you're even searching for. All you know is your searching for a Bible. Well, let's take a look at Crossway's new ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition Bible and see if its right for you.

No doubt, its a beautiful book. The artwork by  Dana Tanamachi is simply outstanding. Gorgeous to the eye, well bound, 9.0 point font, cream paper. It is just a delight. From Crossway's website we get the stats

• 9-point, Lexicon
• Black letter text
• 2-color printing
• 64 full-page, custom book opener illustrations
• 50 full-page verse illustrations
• 250+ hand-lettered margin verses
• 100+ other illustrations throughout
• Illustrated by Dana Tanamachi, whose work has been featured by Google, The Wall Street Journal, Random House, USPS, and Target
• Thick, cream-colored paper
• Wide margins
• Single-column, paragraph format
• Smyth-sewn binding

And from the introduction

We believe that the Word of God is a treasure to be read, memorized, internalized, and shared. The ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition was created to continue in this historic tradition of illuminated manuscripts. Our prayer is that the added ornamentation and illustrations will draw the reader's eyes to the beauty of the Word of God itself, stirring up affection for the Creator and inviting deep reflection on the narrative and truths of Scripture.

This is certainly a Bible where you can spend some time engaging with the artwork , perhaps doing more of your own in the wide margins, writing notes, or prayers.

Drawbacks? Maybe a few. I’m not an artsy kind of guy but one observation is the artwork seems that it would appeal more to a female demographic than to the male. Just my dos centavos. I'm also not inclined to believe that it is in the tradition of illuminated manuscripts except perhaps in a very modern sense. It certainly doesn't remind me of the Book of Kells or the Lindisfarne Gospels.  Again, just my two cents. 

Overall, its a lovely Bible. Well made and appealing to the eye.

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

Bible Review - ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God

I sometimes find it a difficult task reviewing a Bible. I'm not fond of niche Bibles such as a Women's Study Bible or a Men's Study Bible, etc. All of Scripture speaks to all people at all seasons of life. Still, there is a place for Bibles with notes and comments of men and the ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God is one of those.

There are negatives and positives in every work of this kind. Allow me to point out a few on both sides:

-It is heavy. At 3 1/2 lbs. I don't think the average reader will want to carry it back and forth to church or Bible study. For some folks this is of no consideration. For others, like me, it is a decision factor to be weighed in the purchase. But it is not a deal breaker.

- My humble impression is that many of the notes are over-simplified - almost like a "Study Bible Lite." Information in the  notes is dead on but the language employed could be more refined. Again, this may not be a deal breaker based on other factors.

Positives, yes we have them.

-This is still the rich ESV text. Widely used in Christendom today, its easy to read and understand.

-It would be very useful as a personal study Bible. Though its weight may prohibit it from being an everyday carry Bible, it would be exceptional for home study. I'm thinking especially of a new Christian or one who is new to the Reformed faith. There are wide margins for personal notes, plenty of maps as we have come to expect and enjoy from Crossway, and a great fold out section that lays out the Redemption story.

Overall, the ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God would be a well spent purchase for those inexperienced in the Redemption Story found in Scripture. RBC gives it a hearty four stars!

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.

For more, check out these links, here and here.

Bible Review: The ESV Archaeology Study Bible published by Crossway

As an armchair Biblical archaeologist I was excited to see that Crossway has published The ESV

Archaeology Study Bible. I have numerous Bibles of all bindings, covers, translations, etc., but this Bible just may become my “go to” Bible.

Features? This Bible is full of them. It is a hardbound volume and at over 2000 pages, it’s no light weight. Features in this volume make it a valuable tool for pastors, teachers, layman, and armchair enthusiasts, like myself. Even if archaeology is not the reader’s main focus it would be an exceptional addition to any library.

Just some of the features in this volume are:

• Archaeology articles of interest
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Sidebars (with an index)
• Concordance
• Table of weights & measures
• Timelines
• Maps (with an index)
• Background of the OT
• Background of the NT
• Author Bio’s
• Copious notes
• Cross references
• Did I mention maps?

This study Bible will be well used in my library for study and lesson preparation. And, it has maps. Did I mention that? Maps always give me a helpful point of reference for the Biblical narrative and this Bible is packed with useful maps and an index.

For the non-teaching laymen, this volume would simply be enjoyable to slowly sift through gaining practical knowledge while bolstering spiritual understanding at the same time.

Drawbacks? The pages are extremely thin. But at 2,024 pages and nearly 2” thick, they need to be. On the other hand, to contain as much useful information as it does, those pages need to be thin.

This study Bible is well worth the purchase price and contains so much info you won’t be able to put it down. I have spent many enjoyable hours just paging through it, picking up info I didn’t have. It may very well become your "go to" Bible as well.

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

Brush Up on Your Knowledge of the Bible

In light of the recent Newsweek article which misrepresents Scripture, below are a few suggestions to brush up on your knowledge of the Bible, its history and transmission.

The Question of Canon
Product Description
2013 Preaching Survey of the Year's Best Books for Preachers Did the New Testament canon arise naturally from within the early Christian faith? Were the books written as Scripture, or did they become Scripture by a decision of the second-century church? Why did early Christians have a canon at all? These are the types of questions that led Michael J. Kruger to pick apart modern scholarship’s dominant view that the New Testament is a late creation of the church imposed on books originally written for another purpose. Calling into question this commonly held "extrinsic" view, Kruger here tackles the five most prevalent objections to the classic understanding of a quickly emerging, self-authenticating collection of authoritative scriptures. Already a noted author on the subject of the New Testament canon, Kruger addresses foundational and paradigmatic assumptions of the extrinsic model as he provides powerful rebuttals and further support for the classic, "intrinsic" view. This framework recognizes the canon as the product of internal forces evolving out of the historical essence of Christianity, not a development retroactively imposed by the church upon books written hundreds of years before. Unlike many books written on the emergence of the New Testament canon that ask "when?" or "how?" Kruger focuses this work on the "why?"—exposing weaknesses in the five major tenets of the extrinsic model as he goes. While The Question of Canon scrutinizes today’s popular scholastic view, it also offers an alternative concept to lay a better empirical foundation for biblical canon studies.

Fabricating Jesus
Product Description
Modern historical study of the Gospels seems to give us a new portrait of Jesus every spring--just in time for Easter. The more unusual the portrait, the more it departs from the traditional view of Jesus, the more attention it gets in the popular media. Why are scholars so prone to fabricate a new Jesus? Why is the public so eager to accept such claims without question? What methods and assumptions predispose scholars to distort the record? Is there a more sober approach to finding the real Jesus? Commenting on such recent releases as Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus, James Tabor's The Jesus Dynasty, Michael Baigent's The Jesus Papers and the Gospel of Judas, for which he served as an advisory board member to the National Geographic Society, Craig Evans offers a sane approach to examining the sources for understanding the historical Jesus.

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels
Product Description
For over twenty years, Craig Blomberg's The Historical Reliability of the Gospels has provided a useful antidote to many of the toxic effects of skeptical criticism of the Gospels. Offering a calm, balanced overview of the history of Gospel criticism, especially that of the late twentieth century, Blomberg introduces readers to the methods employed by New Testament scholars and shows both the values and limits of those methods. He then delves more deeply into the question of miracles, Synoptic discrepancies and the differences between the Synoptics and John. After an assessment of noncanonical Jesus tradition, he addresses issues of historical method directly. This new edition has been thoroughly updated in light of new developments with numerous additions to the footnotes and two added appendixes. Readers will find that over the past twenty years, the case for the historical trustworthiness of the Gospels has grown vastly stronger.

You can find these and other associated titles in this genre here.

Book Review: Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me

Kevin DeYoung has done it again with his latest book, Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me. With this work he has provided his readers with a precise and very readable treatise on the Bible. I think this surpasses other works in this genre and will become a standard for Christians and their churches everywhere. Knowing, trusting and applying God's Word today has become a lost art and function today for evangelicals and DeYoung gets us back on track.

DeYoung comes right to the point in chapter 1, The goal of this book is to get us believing what we should about the Bible, feeling what we should about the Bible, and to get us doing what we ought to do with the Bible. Why? Because we are to, Sing, speak, study, store up and pray - this is how men and women of God handle the Scriptures. I couldn't agree more.

Chapter two takes the reader on a brief journey of the historicity of the Bible. This cannot be stated too strongly: From the very beginning, Christianity tied itself to history. The most important claims of Christianity are historical claims, and on the facts of history the Christian religion must stand or fall.
Throughout DeYoung pulls no punches as he ties the Bible to our daily living. For example, referring to 2 Peter 1:16, he states that, Ungodly living is inconsistent with the glory of Christ. That's Peter's point, and it depends on history, on the evidence of eyewitness testimony. Agreed.

The study deepens in chapters four through seven as the author defines and develops an understanding of the sufficiency, clarity, authority and necessity of the Bible. This is where the reader will profit much from DeYoung's artful and adept writing style. An understanding of these four premises is crucial for every believer and these chapters are a great place to start.

Jesus had much to say about the Scriptures and DeYoung brings to light some of these passages when he asks in chapter eight, What did Jesus believe about the Bible? A page later he elaborates, So if you are investigating Christianity or trying to figure out not only what Christians believe but the foundation for everything they believe, this is one of the best places to start: figure out what Jesus believed about the Bible. He continues by looking at some key passages to answer this question.

DeYoung concludes his book with an admirable admonition to Stick with the Scriptures. Keep going, keep pressing forward. It is the heart and soul, the foundation, of everything Christians believe. Don't stop now.

I know there has to be a flaw in this little book but I couldn't find it. Five out of five stars - wonderful book. I learned much and was reminded of much and am thankful for DeYoung's dedication to his readers. This would certainly be a great Sunday school, or home group study book. Every church ought to have a stack of these for new members and visitors. The Bible is the foundation of our religion - we should get to know it well.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.

Book Review: What is Biblical Theology? by James M. Hamilton Jr.

~Biblical theology is not just an interesting topic. 

It informs who we are and how we live.~

James M. Hamilton Jr. has done us all a great service by authoring this little volume, What is Biblical Theology? Hamilton lays out in easy to understand language the interconnection and spiritual unity we find in the Bible. He begins by defining Biblical theology and our great need for it. By the term Biblical theology he means, “The interpretive perspective reflected in the way the biblical authors have presented their understanding of earlier Scripture, redemptive history, and the events they are describing, recounting, celebrating, or addressing in narratives, poems, proverbs, letters, and apocalypses.” 

From there Hamilton takes the reader on a journey through the meta-narrative of the Bible making the critical connections for the reader from Genesis to Revelation. He further elaborates on the episodes and themes we find. He then narrows his study for us in part two as he explores symbols, imagery, typology and patterns within the pages of Scripture. He defines each term and how they differ and shares many notable passages that exemplify each. For example, Hamilton delineates the interconnection and progression from Adam to Noah to Moses culminating with Jesus and finally the Bride of Christ spending eternity with her husband.

I found this little volume a great help. I would definitely recommend this to a new believer, a teen or adult study class or just as a refresher for a mature Christian. The most useful aspect I believe would be if the reader were to forsake the common notion that the Old Testament is bound up with nothing more than good moral stories. This is most prevalent in modern evangelicalism as the Old Testament is virtually never preached and when done so fails to convey the over-arching story found in Scripture which culminates with the Gospel. Hamilton does well in this area of his writing; inserting comments reminding the reader of the Gospel and making compelling arguments for it in all of Scripture.

What I found most helpful was part three where Hamilton delves into how this all relates to the church, the Bride of Christ. “If you’re wondering what the main point of this section will be, let me come right out and say it: the Bible’s story and symbolism teach us as the church to understand who we are, what we face, and how we should live as we wait for the coming of our King and Lord.” Many churches do not reflect their true character as it is found in Christ. Attending church is something that is done on Sunday before the afternoon football game. Conversely Hamilton posits, “This metaphor of the church as a bride is meant to build our identity. We are to think of ourselves in bridal terms. We are not to commit spiritual adultery against the Lord Jesus.” How truly serious this is. He goes deeper when he explains Paul’s body metaphor from Colossians 3. “The body metaphor also communicates the unity of the church (Col. 3:15). The church is one body that has been reconciled to God through the death of Christ.” “Church membership is built on this body metaphor. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:27, ‘Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.’ We are joined to one another and to Christ. A Christian who is not a member of a church is like a hand or an eye that is not joined to the rest of the body. …We are united to one another by virtue of our union with Christ.” This is powerful stuff and most worthy of study and due consideration.

This book gets 5 out of 5 stars. Buy it, digest it and apply it in your life. As believers we need to comprehend the Bible's big story and how it relates to us as members of Christ's church. This book will be an asset to the reader.

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.

Jesus on Every Page by David Murray

Take some time and listen to Camden and the boys at Christ the Center as they spend time with David Murray discussing his recent book, Jesus on Every Page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all but especially to those who, like me, were taught all the wrong things about the Old Testament. Jesus On Every Page does much to help us understand what Scripture, or should I say, who Scripture is all about. Have a listen and spend some time in this book, it'll do you much good.

Scripture Reading

There has been a plethora of posts on Facebook and in the blogosphere encouraging us to choose a Bible reading plan. May I also encourage everyone to pick a plan, any plan, even just reading a chapter a day or a few verses a day and commit to it for the year. As Richard Baxter has written:

The godly man will read the Word by day, that men, seeing his good works, may glorify his Father who is in heaven; he will do it in the night, that he may not be seen of men; by day, to show that he is not one of those who dread the light; by night, to show that he is one who can shine in the shade; by day, for that is the time for working, work whilst it is day; by night, lest his Master should come as a thief, and find him idle. - Richard Baxter