I am a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG2). As a #BibleGatewayPartner, I have received a copy of the New King James Version Evangelical Study Bible published by Zondervan Bibles at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review here on the Adonai Shalom USA blog. #BG2
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Evangelical Study Bible (NKJV) Book Review & Description
The new Evangelical Study Bible published by Thomas Nelson is immediately appealing! The design on the hardcover edition is very inviting: it features a lovely tree branch design with modern coloration and reminds us that the Bible is truly life-giving:
Evangelical: Reaching the world around us
I particularly liked what is printed on the front inside of the book jacket: a short admonition to be bearers of Truth: to use this Bible to become firmly “grounded in the truth” in order to reach the world around us. The book jacket challenges the societal norms of today which falsely posit that “truth is just a perspective . . . . always changing, shifting, and transforming to conform to the standards of the world around us.”
Given that the book jacket is indeed the first impression most of us would get from a hardcover book, I believe this was tastefully and wisely done.
We are blessed to have so many different study editions of the Scriptures available to us in the English language. This particular study Bible emphasizes the importance of living out an evangelical faith. I would not be surprised if the Evangelical Study Bible becomes a very popular edition for Bible study groups throughout the English-speaking evangelical world. The articles and in-text resources are very accessible for new as well as more mature Christians, making this an excellent choice for anyone looking for a general evangelical study resource.
Use of color in the Evangelical Study Bible
The Evangelical Study Bible contains what the editors call “special helps” which are “unique to this Bible.” These include doctrinal footnotes, personality profiles, information of archaeological sites with full-color photos, apologetics articles, and in-text full-color maps. There is an introductory page for each book of the Bible complete with a full color image.
The use of color throughout makes this Bible particularly eye-catching. Today’s social media savvy youngsters use photos and images constantly. Likewise, this Bible grabs one’s attention through the use of full color images, a wise choice to meet the goal of making this an evangelical-friendly Bible. There are additional full-color maps in the back that offer additional eye-catching material and useful tools for personal study and even apologetics.
This Evangelical Study Bible follows the custom of using red lettering for the words of Jesus. I am such a fan of red letter Bibles. I love to clearly see what Jesus said!
This Bible also features verse-by-verse commentary, short articles and background notes on Christian teachings and doctrine, cultural and archeological notes, word studies, and other helpful indices. The text is a very readable 10.5 point font, slightly larger than the 9.5 point font in the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible that I also recently reviewed.
The NKJV Evangelical Study Bible lives up to the slogan printed on the cover: “Christ-centered, Faith-Building, Mission-Focused.”
Contributing Editors
An impressive list of contributing editors can be found in the early pages of the Evangelical Study Bible. These Biblical scholars have received degrees from reputable universities and theological schools including Dallas Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Regent University, Liberty University, Hebrew Union College, and Westminster Theological Seminary. The commentary throughout the Evangelical Study Bible appears to be dependable and fairly interdenominational. The editors profess faith in our LORD:
“We believe that the Bible is God’s message to men and women of all time – that it presents His plan for salvation and daily Christian living. We pray that this new edition of the Evangelical Study Bible will increase your understanding of that message and will richly bless your spiritual life and growth for years to come.”
“Dear Reader,” Evangelical Study Bible, viii.
My recommendation:
★★★★★
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The Evangelical Study Bible deserves a 5 out of 5.
This is an excellent evangelical resource for anyone who takes their faith seriously and wants to enhance their personal study and devotional time with in-text study resources and verse-by-verse commentary.
Pastora Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: Evangelical Study Bible
Author:
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: 2023
Genre: BIBLES/New King James Version/Study
ISBN-13: 978-0-7852-2771-7
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | FaithGateway Store
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Wow Jennifer, what a beautiful Bible! What caught my eye was the verse by verse commentary on the entire Bible, all the articles on doctrine, Christian teaching and navigating current cultural issues, archaelogical notes AND all the little biographies on Bible Characters! I wanted to dig in as I was reading this! Thank you for your wonderful review, sweet friend! This is a beautiful Bible … 🙏💕
It is definitely full of fantastic resources! I know you will love it! Thanks for your comment, Donna!
This looks like it needs to go on my list! I was just thinking about how I’d like a verse-by-verse commentary Bible. This might be the one!
You would not be disappointed by this verse-by-verse commentary Bible! I hope you will check it out! Thanks so much for your comment, Stacey!
Ooh. This is beautiful. And I am someone who loves notes and commentary in my Bible. I might have to pick this one up. Thanks for sharing!
If you love notes and commentary in your Bible, then yes, I would venture to say you will love this one! My favorite Bibles are the ones all highlighted and marked in! Thank you so much for your comment, Rebecca!