I have been very interested in getting a study Bible. NIV is my preferred translation. Anyone here have any recommendations? I have also heard talk about John Hagee's study Bible (NKJV) and I hear its a good one. Any and all recommendations are very much appreciated.

I would recommend skipping the study bibles. Just keep your current bible and look over some commentaries. You can get commentaries at your church library or even online. http://www.blueletterbible.org and http://firefighters.org/ are two resources that I have found valuable.

I think a good one is simply called NIV Study Bible. I have the Thompson Chain Reference which is interesting. They make so many different ones these days, go to the bookstore and see what appeals to you.

If you like NKJV I would recommend the Wesleyan Study Bible. It offers a very good Wesleyan perspective on the Scriptures. (If you are inclined to that faith). One of the contributors was a professor of mine in college.

http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Study-Bible-Hank-Hanegraaff/dp/0718018036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257072558&sr=1-1

Life Application Study Bible is good, I have one in the NLT, but I'm sure it is available in the NIV as well.
Or I could sell you my MacArthur Study Bible......if the price is right!

The Life Application Bibles, regardless of version, are pretty good especially for people just wanting a more simplistic walk with Christ. They have enough meat to the notes to be interesting and helpful, but are not so deep that you would need a Dr. in Divinity to understand. I have one, but I don't use it that much.

My old church used the KJV a lot. However, with the youth group, I liked using the NLT. So, my wife bought me a parallel Bible with both versions side by side. It makes life easier when you want to bounce back and forth and don't want to keep multiple Bibles around.

I still use it in my new church. I keep ending up in very traditional churches that are not ready for a lot of change. So, once again, I need the KJV and am working with the new youth group with the NLT.

I have and use the Ryrie Study Bible (NIV) and I think its pretty terrific. I have to remind myself that Mr. Ryrie was a flawed man, so its okay to occasionally disagree with this interpretation of a particular passage. However, most of the time, I agree with him. I also find it very helpful to have introductory notes about the author, context/setting for the individual book of the Bible that I'm reading, the time period it is believed written, etc. I also find explanations regarding historical facts and/or cultural significance to be quite helpful. And of course, any study bible, including the Ryrie, has the cross-references that can be really helpful too.

I also own a regular bible with no cross-references or study notes because sometimes I just want to hear what the Spirit wants to tell me, and not what Mr. Ryrie wants to tell me.

I have an Archeological Study Bible that is in the NIV and I really like it, because it has footnotes on the bottom of each page that explains specific passages, along with feature pages that talk about religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and customs that relate to each book or passage. I really enjoy this bible.

I can enthusiastically recommend the ESV (English Standard Version) study Bible. It's the most readable "essentially literal" translation I've encountered and with all the notes, maps, articles, appendices, and commentaries it's like getting a whole theological, archeological, and Middle-Eastern cultural library packed conveniently right in with the Word. It's not exactly cheap depending on which binding/cover you get, but IMO it's money well-spent.

Two points:


1. Greetings and felicitations Dan. Welcome to the CMR.



2. This from your sig:

Quote:

The AK-47: Designed to be field stripped, reassembled, and used effectively by half-drunk, half-frozen, illiterate conscripts. Standard Operating Procedure upon finding one buried in Mother Russia's mud after last year's Regimental exercises: retrieve from ground, pee into action, cycle bolt, and get back to work.

Damn straight.

Those "....half-drunk, half-frozen, illiterate conscripts" would be, optimally, native Russians.

Lastly, the Russian design team at Kalashnikov will deny it, and lie out their teeth by doing so, but the AK-47 comes directly from the German StG-44 (Sturmgewehr 44) assault rifle, which came out of WW II and was the world's first assault rifle. Heck.....the AK-47 even looks like an StG-44.

Yeah.....you borrowed nothing from it Kalashnikov.

BTW I used to own an original StG-44......until I got really hard on money and sold it. I regret that.

_________________
"The 'farce' is strong with Sith Lord Obama-Wan." words of Scourge.

"Uh....You can believe me....Uh....because I never lie, and....Uh....Uh....I am always right." words of Sith Lord Obama-Wan.

Daddy likes it all, the DraíodóirDé likes it all

The Mosin-Nagant.....good stuff.

Quote:

Already been skimming it. There's some stuff way beyond my knowledge base in there, but I'm always up for some edumacation.

Yeah.....edumacation are good.


I are the teacher in that thread.....and I are collije edumacated.

Besides.....i've been studying military history--seriously studying it--since I was 7 years old.

_________________
"The 'farce' is strong with Sith Lord Obama-Wan." words of Scourge.

"Uh....You can believe me....Uh....because I never lie, and....Uh....Uh....I am always right." words of Sith Lord Obama-Wan.

Daddy likes it all, the DraíodóirDé likes it all

When's the "CMR Study Bible" coming out?

Right after the CMR World History Encyclopedia is finished. It is being written by GW, who is old enough to remember most world history.

@ the post above.




Yeah.......since i've seen most of it first--hand......I may as well write it down before I pass on.

You can get Tink and Cinflames to help you if you get foggy on a few details.