Going Old School: My Venture into the Greatest Literary Work Ever Written in English, The King James Bible of 1611

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true.

At 37 years of age, having been a Christian for nearly 25 years, and having served as a pastor in two Presbyterian churches,  I still have not read completely through the King James Bible.

Cover to cover.

I've received two degrees in theology and am working on my third and final one. But still that fact hangs over my head. Yes, I've read dozens of Psalms and portions of the Gospels in the KJV. But Genesis to Revelation, no. (Hangs his head in shame). As to the Authorized Version, I am still a newbie.

When I was converted to Christ at age 12, well meaning Christians told me to stay away from the KJV. That it was "old fashioned." That it was "too religious." That I wouldn't understand it. That I needed a personal relationship with Christ and that a modern English translation was best. I'm sure they meant well. (Shrugs shoulders).

For years, the NIV84 served as my everyday Bible. My first year as a Christian, I read the Bible straight through. And then I did it again. And again. The NIV84 was my heart language.

When I began to study the original languages of Greek and Hebrew in college and seminary (I got pretty good at the former and still stink royally in the latter), I eventually realized that I needed a more literal, word-for-word translation of the Bible. Thus, the ESV came into my life in the mid 2000's. I latched on and never let go.

Since that time, the ESV has been my translation of choice. Literal, beautiful, authoritative, and powerful, I even led my church through a transition from the NIV84 to the ESV when we purchased all new pew Bibles. The ESV has been the translation upon which I have preached some 500 sermons, messages, and Bible studies (give or take a couple hundred). The ESV has been the text I quoted in all of my books.

But this year, I am going "old school." I turn 38 next month and I am preparing for a new venture in the world's greatest literary work ever written in the English language (and yes, I've heard of Shakespeare and I'm not backing down on that claim).

*Note: I'll still be using the ESV in church. 

Briefly then, here are four reasons that I am starting this personal adventure.

1. The KJV is an excellent, word-for-word translation of the original tongues. Always has been, always will be. It is known for majestic style, accuracy, power, and beauty. Just a couple weeks of studying Greek and Hebrew, and even the seminary freshman can see how fitly the KJV renders the original languages into gorgeous English. The translators of the 1611 masterwork did great diligence and got it right. Pretty amazing for a committee! 

2. It's not as hard to read as everyone makes it out to be. Go ahead and try it out on a Psalm or two. Read a chapter of Matthew or Luke. Compare what a passage in Romans says to the ESV or the NASB and you will see that it's not too terribly difficult at all. The beauty of the text will make up for any strange vocabulary that you will encounter. ("Peradventure?" Had to look that one up!) The oft-cited "thee's and thou's" are actually very beautiful and lend themselves to prayer very readily and naturally. The more you read it, the more you get used to it.

3. History. The KJV was the Bible of Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham and virtually every other significant figure between the 1600's and the 1900's. Nearly the entire Puritan and Colonial Calvinist movement used it. For me as a lover of history, this is a pretty significant reason. In the case of Edwards, who is my doctoral research subject, I felt compelled to throw myself into the study of his Bible as well as his thought, theology, worldview, and philosophy. We are not the first generation of Christians on Planet Earth (despite what cutting-edge coffee shop pastors in skinny jeans and horn rims might lead you to believe) and it is a rich experience to read the texts, creeds, and confessions of the generations on whose shoulders we stand. How much more so their Bible!

4. The KJV has influenced the English language that you and I speak more than any other book. Simply speaking, it is a literary gem as well as a faithful rendering of the infallible Word of God. It is shocking to consider all the ways that the KJV has become part of our everyday English. Here is an article that shows that quite well. 

In the coming weeks, I will review a couple of high-end copies of the KJV that you can purchase for around $30--both bound in high quality leathers with excellent print quality and paper--to enhance your reading experience. As a general motivation, getting a new Bible every once in a while is a good incentive to launch a new personal study program! (I think a huge adventure like this calls for the treat of getting oneself a little present, don't you?)

Alright. So the launch begins in a couple of weeks. So, who's with me? Are you ready for the KJV challenge?

-Pastor Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida. A confessed bibliophile, he loves the works of Jonathan Edwards, the puritans, and old and new Bibles. 

A Plea To Delight In Scripture

Over the next few months we will be looking together at a series on the overview of the Scriptures supremacy in the life of the Christian. And I want to begin our series with a plea: treasure and delight in God’s word! Before we even get to any understanding of the overview of the Christian Scriptures, I want to plead with you to delight in them. I want to begin by first aiming primarily at your heart and then later at your mind, building a greater foundation for our understanding of Scripture. For when something occupies our heart it inevitably occupies our mind; the same cannot be said in reverse.

But first we must give reason for why “treasuring” and “delighting” is the desired response from God for our reading of Scripture. The Psalmists lead us to see God’s word in its proper context, as a word from the Lord to be both treasured and delighted in:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul…more to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:7a,10)

In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:14-16)

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:72)

The image of the Bible the Psalmists paint is a grand mural of human affections. The words chosen to display the proper understanding of how we view God’s word are not weak; they do not use words here that connote a lukewarm affection. Instead the words chosen convey the utmost affection. God’s word is to be more desired than any wealth, or any sweetness to the tongue. It is to be not obligingly read but delighted in, to come bounding toward with a sense of joy over the privilege to read the very words of God to us. Jonathan Edwards, the great New England preacher, exhorts us to be like-minded with the Psalmists:

“But that treasure of divine knowledge, which is contained in the Scriptures, and is provided for everyone to gather himself as much of it as he can, is a far more rich treasure than any one of gold and pearls.”[1]

Edwards and the Psalmists knew the reason we are to hold Scripture in such high regard for our lives is because the word of God is the only thing that can transform our lives from what they are to what they were created to be! We have a created purpose to live in relationship with God almighty. To delight and treasure Scripture then is to simply delight and treasure God Himself. To delight and treasure Scripture is to prefer God and His word over anything else the world paints as desirable for the purpose of your life; it is to reclaim from the outset that God has created you with a greater purpose than that which the world purports your purpose to be.

Chances are we don’t wax eloquently about our love for the Scriptures. We probably don’t refer to our Bible as our delight and treasure in conversation. Maybe we should. What if Scripture was truly a delight to take up and read instead of something we come to as an obligation, as something we are supposed to read as Christians (Pharisaic legalism)? What if instead we took up God’s word out of delight, how would our reading of God’s word change our relationship with God? Here’s what would happen: If we delighted in God’s word we would therefore delight in God Himself because the words contained within are God-breathed, they are the words of the Lord Himself. Take a love-letter for example. When the recipient reads the letter they are delighting in the words on the page, but the delight is not in the words only, the delight that transpires is directed towards the author of the letter, showing their affection for the recipient. So too a delight for Scripture dashes a lukewarm love of God and inspires a person to treasure Him.

You were created to treasure God with your life. As I have been aiming at the affections of your heart, to delight in God’s word and therefore to delight in God, Jesus also has much to say about your heart. In Matthew 6:21 He says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What we treasure aligns the center of our being, our aim in life. I want you to treasure the Lord and so does Jesus! He states His greatest desire for your life in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” In order to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” he must be your treasure because what you treasure aligns your whole heart. Heart and treasure and inextricably linked and the aim of delighting in Scripture is that it would lead you to treasure God.

As we look forward to how the rest of this series might awaken an affection for God’s word and God Himself within you, I leave you with the story of Augustine of Hippo’s conversion in AD 386. Augustine had struggled with the search of truth for years. It brought him eventually one day in a garden in Milan, Italy to break down into tears where he was in the midst of wrestling with the truths of the Christian Scripture. While on a bench in the garden God brought him to see the capital T truth of the Gospel:

“I wept, my heart crushed with very bitterness. And behold, suddenly I heard a voice from the house next door; the sound, as it might be, of a boy or a girl, repeating in a sing song voice a refrain unknown to me: ‘Pick it up and read it, pick it up and read it.’ Immediately my countenance was changed…taking this to be nothing other than a God-sent command that I should open the Bible and read the first chapter I found…I seized it, opened it, and read in silence the first heading I cast my eyes upon: Not in riotousness and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and rivalry; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh and its lusts (Rom. 13:13-14). I neither wished nor needed to read more. No sooner had I finished the sentence than it was as if the light of steadfast trust poured into my heart, and all the shadows of hesitation fled away.”[2]

It was a delight to pick up the Bible, not a begrudging duty, that led Augustine to become a giant in Christian history with respect to delighting in God. Augustine fell in love with the Lord and with His Scripture. Through the Scripture, God became Augustine’s highest delight.

Do you love God? Do you want to know Him? Do you want to earnestly say He is your treasure? Then heed the call of the Psalmists crying out to you to delight in God’s word, heed the call of the neighboring children in Milan to “pick it up and read it.” I pray that God would awaken a delight in your hearts for His revealed word. I pray that he would incline you to wear out the pages of your Bible. Wipe off the film of dust possibly covering your Bible and embark on a journey of delight, a delight in God’s word and therefore a delight in God.

*     *     *

JT Holderman is Assistant Pastor of Bellevue Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Gap, PA.

---

[1] Jonathan Edwards, The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader, ed. Wilson H. Kimnach (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1999), 36.

[2] Augustine, Confessions (New York: Knopf, 2001), 182-183.

Bible Stories: An 1814 Edition of the Scott's Reference King James Bible

1814 Scott's Reference Bible (KJV)

In a previous post on the aesthetic beauty of Scripture, I reviewed one of the most excellent, high-end Bibles on the market today, an R.L. Allan. Here, I want to share about an edition of the Word of God that has come into my possession that is of an entirely different sort, the 1814 Scott's Reference King James Bible.

It is an appropriate time to write this piece, as this heirloom in my personal collection is now in its bicentennial year. At 200 years old, it is the grandfather of the many and various Bibles that I possess on my shelf.

This grand book came to my possession as marvelous gift. A couple of years ago, an elder at my church, Karl Baldner, gave me an unexpected gift. In the box was a typed note which read,

To Matthew Everhard, Christmas, 2010

This Scott's Reference Bible, was given to me in 1953 upon my ordination to ministry, by the last person ordained in my local church, Morris Ikenberry. Morris was a lay preacher, who taught, or tried to teach me in Sunday School when I was a kid, and about as ancient as I am now, 76. He received this book from his grandfather who also had been a lay preacher. It, as you will notice, was printed in 1814, making it 196 years old. For a number of years I have been looking for someone I loved and respected, whose ministry showed great love, caring and humbleness for his flock; whose spiritual gifts were many, and from God, including the gift of opening the church front door and welcoming in the sheep and goats. You are the one I have chosen to give this book to. I hope it reminds you of the eternal gift of the Gospel, that has existed all these years, and will continue to exist after you and I, and this book return to dust. May God continue to bless you, your family, and your ministry. -Elder Karl Baldner

(I should say that if you don't know Karl Baldner, you might not have picked up on his subtle sense of humor. He often reminds me that opening the church door is the ONLY real spiritual gift I have. Karl is a Mennonite-turned-Presbyterian who was a pastor and church planter long before church planting became "cool.").

Inside the Bible, there is another inscription, more haunting still,  from an unknown hand which reads in beautiful cartography,

Within this awful volume lies  

The mystery of mysteries 

To read, to hear, to watch, to pray 

To raise the latch and force the way 

But better they had ne'er been born 

Who reads to doubt or reads to scorn (1)

It certainly gives the reader pause and bids him to consider the eternal weight of the contents inside, doesn't it? Now, a bit about the construction of the Bible itself.

Hand-written inscription in the 1814 Scott's Reference Bible

First, it's exterior. It is bound in leather on board. The spine boasts four raised ribs and the placard reads "Scott's Reference Bible" in gold embossed on black.

For those of you who may be Bible Design Blog fans, this is one of the beautiful antiquated styles that is often replicated by quality book rebinders such as Leonard's Books, who is now emulating these older fabrications with great beauty.

The Scott's Reference Bible with much younger companions. 

As cited above, the version is an 1814 printing of the study Bible edited by Rev. Thomas Scott, D.D. whom the title page denotes as the "Rector of Aston Sanford, Bucks, and Chaplain to the Lock Hospital." The volume was printed in Philadelphia by William W. Woodward, by Griggs & Dickinsons, Printers. A quick Google search revealed that Rev. Thomas Scott was a dear friend of John Newton (the author of the great hymnn Amazing Grace). Scott was a pastor ordained in the Anglican tradition, as well as a hospital chaplain who ministered primarily to syphilis patients. His Commentary on the Whole Bible as well as his The Force of Truth gained him international recognition.

Its dimensions are quite large. It's not a full "Family Bible" size, but it is clearly not a pocket reference edition either. It's dimensions are 9.5 X 6 inches with a spine girth of 3.75 inches meaning that it probably resided on the study desk of the four generations of pastors (at least) that have owned it.

1814 Scott's Reference Bible title page and publisher info.

Inside, the text itself, the Authorized Version, is printed in two columns with both center and edge references. With both the gutter and edge margin filled with Scriptural references, the text block is stocked with useful information, perfect for a pastor laboring in the pre-Biblegateway.com days!

As often as is feasible, the column references attempt an estimation of the date of the context of the Scripture text. For instance, Genesis 1 is noted as pertaining to 4004BC, events surrounding the exile are thusly noted, and the events of the New Testament are given a corresponding date, anno domini. Not only is each book of the Bible given a rather sturdy introduction considering it is really a reference edition (in minuscule print), but each chapter too contains a brief introduction of at least a good, full paragraph. For this reason, this edition might be considered a very old predecessor to the ESV Study Bible to which it is comparable in size.

Scott's Reference Bible, double column, dual margin references.

The pages retain the aged musty smell of a book that has soaked up the fragrances of many and varied homes and bookshelves. Perhaps a cigar-smoker or two once owned this book, although it wouldn't be from its later Mennonite owners! One red blot on the spine says that at some point it had a close encounter with a can of paint. The squared pages are now so stained by the natural elements and aging properties of paper that they are nearly as dark as the chocolate leather.


One day, if the Lord should tarry, I hope to give this Bible to the next pastor down the line who endeavors to carry the enduring Gospel in his own generation.

-Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida. He is the author of several books and many articles, as well as an acknowledged bibliophile. 

(1) A version of Sir Walter Scott's poem. The unknown penman omitted verses 3 and 4 which read, "O happiest they of human race/to whom our God has given grace."  

A Review of the R.L. Allan ESV Personal Study Bible: A Technical Analysis of One of the World's Finest Bibles

R.L. Allan ESV Personal Study Bible. Review by Rev. Matthew Everhard.

What would happen if the most accurate, literal, contemporary English translation of the Holy Bible was surrounded with some of the most excellent evangelical scholarship and study notes, and then bound together by hand in Europe's premiere book bindery--all with the highest quality of materials possible?

You would have in your possession the R.L. Allan ESV Personal Study Bible.

Recently I received my own review copy of the Allan ESV Personal Study Bible courtesy of R.L. Allan and Son Publishers Ltd. in Tolworth, Surrey, England. What follows will be a technical review of this hand-crafted masterpiece.

The classical Greeks considered three aspects of ontology or being: the good, the beautiful, and the true. If the truth of this Bible corresponds to the accuracy of the English Standard Version (ESV), and the goodness corresponds to the edifying study notes that Crossway has put together, then the beauty of this Bible corresponds to its physical materials and composition by R.L. Allan.

Since many others have written at length on the ESV translation, and others still have commented on the outstanding collection of scholarship and commentary in Crossway's stellar ESV Study Bible, I will focus this article on what R.L. Allan has contributed to make this book into a veritable piece of art.

Cover
The Allan ESV Study Bible is unlike anything I have held in my own hands before. The cover is made of black highland goatskin. (It also comes in a rich, deep brown). If you have never owned a goatskin Bible before, there is really nothing to which it can be compared.

The R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible in black highland goatskin. 

Not only is goatskin durable and flexible, but it almost tends to mold into the reader's hand as it is held aright. The goatskin itself is textured uniquely; it is not pressed or molded by machine but contains the very natural grain of the animal itself.

Though some wonder about unusual markings on highland goatskin, rest assured that these are not scuff marks. They are the idiosyncratic attributes of the animal's hide itself. For this reason, no two Allan Bibles are ever alike.

R.L. Allan's binding is incomparable.

As for the binding, the Allan Study Bible opens flat right out of the box. Machine-manufactured binding can never replace the handiwork of human skill crafting. This Bible is Smyth sewn, meaning that the page signatures (groups of pages stitched together) are sewn together in a symmetrical design holding the whole together as a single unit. Thus, the ESVSB will never fall apart in chunks as glue-bound books inevitably do as they harden and dry.

There is no breaking in process necessary for an Allan goatskin binding. Unlike most leather covers that need to be worked quite a bit (remember that stout, new baseball glove you had as a kid?) the Allan goatskin cover comes out of the box both limp and limber. I was able to open the ESVSB to Genesis 1:1 and have it lie nearly flat on the table without much coaxing at all. Open the Bible to the middle, and it practically melts in the palm of your hand or sprawls out on the table.

R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible: 0.5 inch semi-yapp and ribbons.

If you have only owned a Bible with a cover made from lesser materials, a goatskin Bible will feel sophisticated, even luxurious. Bonded leather (essentially the "particleboard" of faux-leathers, made from leather dust and glue) can last for only a few years at best. Genuine leather (usually pigskin) tends to be more stout, stubborn, and often even unfriendly for its life span. Tru-tone or other synthetic covers featured on many Crossway Bibles are good: inexpensive and comfortably functional in my opinion, but lacking aesthetic beauty.

But highland goatskin is in another category altogether.

A semi-yapp of about 1/2 inch allows the cover to extend over the book block on three sides. (Obviously, not the spine). This antique look actually has an important function. Not only does it provide the Bible with a classy, timeless look, but it also protects the pages from damage while being held, while in use, or during transport.

R.L. Allan Binding with gild-lined cover.

Upon opening the cover, one can notice a subtle but pretty gilding line around the inside of the cover. This little extra has the affect of framing the pages of the Bible against the black cover when opened. You may not notice it at first, but it's the kind of special touch a hand-crafted binding would contain that a machine-born Bible would skip to save a few bucks.

Art Gilding
The next feature that is pure beauty to the eye of the beholder is the art gilding of the pages (variously spelled as "art gilting"). Art gilding is the process of dying the pages red (or another color) with a metallic gold or silver overlain on top. You've probably seen some older Bibles with red pages. Many others, even quite cheap Bibles, have golden or silver edges. But you may not have seen many with true art gilding. Here, the pages appear golden-toned and shimmery from the profile view, but when opened, the red comes alive underneath the gold.

R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible. Art gilded page edges. 

When opened to any place in the Bible, the Allan Study Bible page edges appear a beautiful light red, or salmon color. This will make the pages stand out demonstrably, as well as function to protect the edges of the paper from moisture and age-related staining. The art gilding is both functional and protective as well as gorgeous to look at.

Book Block: A Mystery to Solve
The book block contained in the Allan bound book is the same as the ESV Study Bible, Personal Size by Crossway. As far as I can tell, there is no difference here. Allan regularly sources their book blocks from other publishers. They don't actually create any new formats themselves, in house.

But wait, there's a mystery here.

The colophon on page 2543 of the Allan Study Bible states that the paper is Primalux paper, rated at 30 GSM's, produced by Papeteries du Leman, Thonon-les-Bains Cedex, in France. But I have to be honest, I don't think that is true. I think that editors forgot to change the colophon materials in the back (right before the maps) when they reduced the size to print Crossway's Personal Size Bible.

My clue is that the copyright page on the smaller Allan version and the smaller Crossway version state that the Bible was printed in China. Ouch. A careful comparison between this Bible and the ESV regular size by Crossway shows me that they are definitely not the same paper. In fact, this is a disappointment in the Allan Bible.

The slightest amount of hand perspiration or moisture on the Allan leaves the page with a wrinkly affect that the ESV Study Bible by Crossway does not sustain. The regular size ESV Study Bible by Crossway has paper that feels, better. Feels stronger. It seems to have a very light wax to prevent moisture from seeping in. The Allan soaks it up. Not great for preachers.

I also tested to see if I can see through more pages in the Allan by holding it up to the light. It turns out that I can. I conclude that it is not 30 GSM and that the colophon retained an error uncorrected by Crossway's editors. I believe Allan used the same paper as the reduced size Personal Size Study Bible by Crossway, printed in China. Certainly not the better paper used in the Crossway full size Study Bible.

Remember--there is no perfect Bible paper.  Some show-through or "ghosting" is a reality in all Bibles with the technology that we have available today. If you want to jam 2.2 million words (20,000 study notes) into 2,500 pages, at a trim size of 5.35 X 8.0 inches, the pages will have to be thin.

R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible: book block and print clarity.

As for the printing quality itself, the Allan Bible is gorgeous. Maps, charts, and graphs are all set in full color and are easy on the eyes. I have seen some Crossway products that have uneven printing before. For instance, my regular size ESV Study Bible contains several pages that appear as though the printer got stuck on bold mode, or was slightly misaligned. I am not sure if that error carried through on many other editions or not. It could have just been my particular copy. Having said that, I can see no errors whatever in text printing (neither too dark or too light) anywhere on the Allan Study Bible.


Ribbons

R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible: ribbons and page layout. 

The Allan Study Bible comes with three deep-blue ribbons glued onto the spine. (The deep brown goatskin has golden ribbons). While most Bibles contain only one ribbon for cost savings reasons, the Allan allows the reader to mark three separate spots in the Scriptures. Those who read through the Bible using multiple reading locations will appreciate this featurette. Those who use their Bibles for ministry or church leadership will likely also enjoy being able to mark an OT passage, a NT passage and a third passage as well if desired.

Functionality
Some may wonder if this is the best Bible for their own personal needs. I can't really answer that question. While we each have our own preferences in terms of a Bible's translation, size, font, notes, and references, I can recommend this Bible as the best overall on the market that I have owned.

If you want a Bible to take on a mission trip deep into an Amazon rain forest, get yourself a much less expensive Bible. If you want an edition that your child can take to Vacation Bible School this summer, go another route. This isn't the one. If you are going backpacking through the Appalachian mountains this summer, move on to more economical options. There are dozens of cheap Bibles on the market.

But if you want a Bible that you can use for years with supreme confidence--not only in terms of translation and study notes but also its material quality--a Bible that you want to pass down to your children's children, then this is the one you have been looking for.

I believe that this Bible will be well-suited for use in one's personal study, devotions, preaching, and teaching ministry. For my part, I intend to use this Allan ESV Study Bible myself for decades to come.

A Few Small Concerns

R.L. Allan ESV Study Bible: Review by Rev. Matthew Everhard.

I love this Bible, but I do have a few concerns. The 7.7 point font of the main text will be difficult for some to read. How much more the 6.3 font of the study notes!

Fortunately, this Bible is printed so well that it may not matter much. The modern Lexicon typeface stands off of the nearly white pages with crisp clarity. I happen to be nearsighted (praise God!) but for those with aging eyes, it may be harder to read.

This edition unfortunately does not use line-matching, the technique that matches precisely the text on both sides of the page in order to minimize ghosting. Some lines do not match due to the half-space return between sections with sub-headings. Other pages do not match from the very top line. I'm not sure why that would be.

As for the font size, Crossway makes a larger and even an extra large print ESV Study Bible, but alas, R.L. Allan has not committed to producing either of those versions. This means you will have to settle for the Crossway bindings. Not too shabby there either, though. Crossway products are almost always well made.

The price tag, too, on the Allan under consideration is steep. Invest wisely. The Allan Study Bible retails in the neighborhood of $225. (You can buy it here). Some may wonder why one ought to spend that much on a Bible when other versions are available for $30.

That is a good question.

I, for one, wanted to own at least one Bible that (A) will last for my own lifetime and not fall apart as glued binding and bonded leather or synthetic covers inevitably do and, (B) a Bible that can be passed down through my family line as an heirloom for generations to come.

I am a pastor, author, and scholar. The Bible is the tool of my trade. I read it relentlessly, multiple times everyday. Why not own a few superior tools for my trade?

Many people will not want to spend more than a few bucks on a good study Bible. I get that. I understand.

I however would rather invest my money here than in fancy rims for my car, "bling" jewelry around my neck, or fancy watches. I suppose we all have a few particulars in which we insist on having "the best." For me, I am an admitted Bibliophile. I think owning a quality Bible says more about a man than a quality wristwatch.

For all of these reasons, the Allan ESV Personal Study Bible makes an incomparable possession to own and to behold.

This is the Bible I have been waiting for my entire life.

--Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida. He is the author of several books, and a doctoral student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. 

What 'Study Bible' Should I Buy?

Dear Pastor Matt, 

I am looking for a good Study Bible for a younger reader, what edition should I buy? 

Blessings,

Judy

Hey Judy! Thanks for writing! This is a common question that I am asked from time to time, so this would be a good opportunity to discuss it in some detail.

Going to a Christian bookstore can be daunting, as there are so many Bible editions to choose from. In fact, there are now more "special edition" Bibles than ever before in the history of the world.

Too many, I might suggest.

One can choose from Men's Bibles, Women's Bibles, Student's Bibles, Soldier's Bibles, Businessman's Bibles, Athlete's Bibles, Patriot's Bibles, Underwater Basket Weaver's Bibles, ad nauseum. (Okay, I made that last one up). There is even a "Green Edition" Bible for those who love environmental conservation! (Not kidding this time). But is this really necessary?  I think not.

In general, I would avoid most of the above versions as they tend to cater towards marketing strategy rather than faithful Biblical explanation. It seems to me that the publishers are angling at a niche market rather than faithful Biblical precision.

A good "study" Bible should have some or most of the following features: cross-references, concept charts, maps, and chronological helps, in addition to an index (or concordance) and some basic introductory explanations of each book's literary background (author, date, and situation). Many go even further and give quite detailed exegetical details on the bottom of the page to help explain the original meaning of the text to the reader.

Other "study" Bibles focus more on "life application" and tend to spill more ink on making the Scriptures practical and relevant for today's readers rather than explanatory (or expository). To me these are a little bit more lightweight and I feel the Spirit does a pretty good job applying the text to convict me on His own! For this reason, I prefer the more technical aspects of the former type above.

Let's begin with the best at the top of the line.

The ESV Study Bible (pictured above) is simply the best one made. Honestly, it has no peers. It contains the notes and contributions of some of the world's best scholars, pastors, and theologians on the planet. Nothing like it has ever been attempted or accomplished before or since. Never before has more excellent explanatory notes, charts, and articles been spliced together between the same two covers. The maps are full-color and highly detailed. Book introductions are excellent. The ESV Study Bible even comes with several dozen theological articles in the back, with very well done treatises on basic Christian doctrine, ethics, and apologetics.

The drawback is it's size. It weighs in at nearly 69 oz. I often joke that I had to rent a new mini-van in order to get it to church. For some readers, too, the sheer amount of additional content (what I like best) will actually be its greatest weakness. It does verge, I will admit, on overkill. I use this version weekly--along with many other helpful tools of my study--for sermon preparation.

A second option is its smaller daughter, the ESV Study Bible Personal Size. (Pictured right). The interior layout is exactly the same with two very significant differences. (1) The size and dimensions of the overall Bible is smaller and therefore it weighs less, at about 43 ounces. (2) It does not come with the extra articles in the back, making it somewhat thinner. Still a beast though. Readers will be just as delighted in the running commentary along the bottom of the page as with the larger edition above. This is what I use for my personal and family devotions at home.

Another version entirely is the Gospel Transformation Bible. (Not pictured). This too is done with excellent scholarly teamwork. One major difference here is that it tends more towards application than exposition. For this reason, it might be a better option for those who do not need (or want) the technical depth of the two versions I just mentioned.

I would recommend this edition to high school students, college students, new believers, or just "regular folks" looking to get a bit meatier with their devotions, but who won't be writing doctoral dissertations any time soon!

Ever want to create your own study Bible? The ESV Journaling Bible is excellent for this. It comes with huge margins on both pages with lines for you to take notes on sermons, or jot down your thoughts. Jonathan Edwards would have loved this because he once tried to create this by splicing together blank paper between the pages of his Bible. I use this for making references to all of those great insights I discover in other reading that I do. Sometimes I think, "Man I really need to remember that when I come to Romans eight!" So even if I'm not preaching from that passage any time soon, I jot that note in the margins. Later, I may return to it after weeks, months, or years. 

Finally, let me suggest the exact opposite of a study Bible. I got turned on to this alternative late last year and it has become a favorite of mine.

The ESV Single Column Legacy Bible has nothing but the text of Scripture. No notes. No cross-references. Nothing. No maps. No charts. Why would anyone want this?

For me the answer is simple, when I am preaching and teaching, I don't want my vision obstructed by all the extra data filling up the page. I just want the text with large, white, spacious margins for my own sermon notes and outlines. This Bible is one of the most visually stunning I have seen for the very reason that it DOESN'T have all the glitz and glamor of today's study Bibles. Nothing like a clean page with just the Word of God on it. Beautiful.

Hope that helps! If you have a specific Study Bible that you recommend, share it in your comments below!

-Pastor Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville Florida.

God's Word

In the past, the "Roman Catholic church" determined that people could not own the Bible- God's Word.  That is in direct conflict with God's Word.  That organization allows it today, but it was not by their choice.  Men like William Tyndale died to bring this Bible to the people.  At Providence Church today, Pastor Greg Gunn spoke a little of William Tyndale's sacrifice to get God's Word into the hands of the "common" people.  Eventually, it cost him his life.

How could people hide God's Word in their hearts to avoid sinning against Him (Psalm 119.11) if they were banned from having His Word?  How could God's Word illuminate their paths (Psalm 119.105) if they did not have it to read?  It was the height of arrogance and demonic influence to keep God's Word away from the people.  For it to perpetrated by those claiming to represent God was despicable.  They were sons of hell itself: priests and popes, monks and bishops, cardinals and rulers controlled by Rome.

To "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3.16) you need the Word! How hellish the "church" that keeps His Word from the people!! (Either by physically keeping it as the Romanist approach, or by sermons not based on Scripture but human 'wisdom.'

Putting this into applicable language... Embrace His Word.  Many things are inspiring, only God's Word is INSPIRED.  God's Word is powerful.  His Gospel is "the power of salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1.16)- it will change lives when applied and trusted.

---

Pete Garbacki is a minister with Time for Truth Ministries and Mission.Brasil. Follow him on Twitter @mission_brasil or FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/pete.garbacki.

The Top Twenty Most Read Verses in the Bible (And What it Says about Us as Bible Readers)

Have you ever wondered which verses of the Bible are the most frequently read?

We could all probably have made some guesses. I'm sure most people would correctly guess that John 3:16 is at the top of the list, for instance. But now that many believers are using their phones, tablets, and computers as their Bibles, for the first time in history we can be scientifically sure what verses rank highest when it comes to frequency of readership.

A couple of years ago, Biblegateway.com, the super-popular Scripture website released their own list of the top 100 most read Bible verses. See the full top 100 here. (I myself use this site all the time, not so much to read from as a devotional discipline, but as a convenient way to cut and paste Scripture into articles, power point presentations etc).

The below list of the top 20 is taken from their data. 

Any shockers here? Not really. It is actually a pretty excellent "starter supply" of verses worthy of memorization by all Christians. Many of the most read verses display God's great and sustaining grace in our lives (Rom 8:28, Eph 2:8, Phil 4:13 etc.). All of these passages are worthy of our trust, and are inspiring to our faith.

If there is any surprise, for me at least, it is that sin doesn't come in on the list until the 19th and 20th most read verses (although the reality is implied indirectly in some other verses such as #'s 1, 11, and 18). Also surprisingly absent from the top 20 are the words "cross," (earliest appearance at #35) "death," (#56) "blood," (absent from the top 100 entirely) and "resurrection" (#54).

I am not suggesting that this list should be interpreted in a negative light. Certainly one verse is not more "inspired" than the next. But if anything, we might say that we as readers tend to dwell more on the results of our justification (our new status and identity in Christ) than the means of our justification (the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus).

What do you think?

1. John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
2. Jer 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
3. Rom 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
4. Phil 4:13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
5. Gen 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
6. Prov 3:5: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
7. Prov 3:6: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
8. Rom 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
9. Phil 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
10. Matt 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
11. Eph 2:8: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
12. Gal 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
13. Rom 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
14. John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
15. Acts 18:10: For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
16. Acts 18:9: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
17. Acts 18:11: So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
18. Gal 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
19. 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
20. Rom 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida.

Don't Open That Commentary (Yet!) Twelve Basic Questions for Biblical Interpretation

Some of my best friends are dead. But don't send me flowers just yet. I mean that some of the people that have impacted my life greatly are the Biblical scholars, theologians, and commentators who have gone before me in generations past. 

I cannot underestimate the value of a good commentary on the shelf of a pastor (or better yet, laid open on his desk!) 

But before we just head straight to the wisdom of the scholars, any diligent student of Scripture can do the work of Biblical exegesis on their own. True, our learning can be greatly enhanced by our Biblical reference tools (they are virtually unlimited online today). But that doesn't mean I can't (and shouldn't!) do some heavy lifting of exegesis myself. 

If you are responsible for teaching the occasional adult, youth, or even children's Bible lesson (or even if you just want to improve your own personal devotions) here are 12 good questions we should ask of any text we are examining:

What is the author’s central or main point in this passage?

Why does the author include this material?

Why is this material placed here in the book, rather than in another location?

What comes immediately before or after this passage that may help explain it?

What words, customs, places, or practices in this passage need to be explored?

How would the original hearers/readers have been moved by this passage (gladdened, surprised, offended)?

What response(s) is the author trying to elicit from his readers by including this material (i.e. conviction, fear, joy, dread, obedience, repentance, evangelism etc.)…

What other passages or parallel texts might highlight themes or motifs similar to those in this passage?

Is the author drawing from other literary sources (such as the OT)? Why does he use them?

What does this passage teach about the nature of God? The condition of man? Of Christ?

What major doctrines are to be found in this passage?

What apparent contradictions (if any) may need to be resolved?

Finally, I'm ready to ask: What light do the commentaries shed on this passage? 

--Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Florida.