A Marvelous New Study Bible
Before you purchase another book, please go to Amazon and order a copy of The Literary Study Bible
Every other year I teach a class entitled "How to Read the New Testament as Literature." While acknowledging that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we need to keep in mind always that the Bible is inspired literature. The implications are profound. For example, it simply will not do to read individual verses or paragraphs of a book of the Bible, divorcing those units from the Story of the particular book in which they are found. Or it does no good read a book of the Bible without placing that book’s Story within the larger context of the STORY of the Bible. We need to approach the Bible as if it were divided into sixty-six chapters, and we must understand the relationships between those chapters.
The Literary Study Bible, based on a fine translation, will be of immense help to you in becoming a better student of Scripture. Let me offer some remarks:
- You will be able to explore in detail the Bible’s story lines, complex characters, historical settings, literary genres, motifs, theological themes, imagery, and important terms.
- You will be able to appreciate even more both the simplicity and the complexity of the Bible as a whole as well as individual books of the Bible.
- You will be shocked to see the unity of a book when you read it without chapter and verse divisions. It is printed in single column, paragraph format.
- In the introduction you will be put at ease by the way the editors deal with why some resist reading the Bible as literature (Fallacy #2 The idea of the Bible as literature is a modern idea that is foreign to the Bible itself).
- In the introduction you will be introduced to twelve literary features of the Bible (a unifying story line or the presence of a central character).
- You will be blessed as you read through a book of the Bible by the sidebars dealing with important topics.
- It is not a verse-by-verse study but rather it helps the reader see how what they are reading fits into the context of the book and ultimately of the Bible.
- The author’s intended meaning is made clearer by the notes, layout, etc.
- The editors treat the Bible with proper respect and authority.
I have only one complaint: the font is too small. But remember this: The one writing the review turns 60 this year and wears trifocals (progressive lens at that!).
What a marvelous gift to give to yourself. And to a new disciple . . . or even an old one.
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